National News

…𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒔 By Yeshi Dolma As energy drinks continue to dominate shelves and fuel lifestyles worldwide, a growing body of international research, real-life case studies, and national policy responses are highlighting the alarming health risks associated with these beverages, particularly concerning kidney health. From policy interventions in Europe and Central Asia to …

…𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏 By Kezang Choden The ongoing construction of the Export and Import Facilitation Center in Nganglam, Pemagatshel Dzongkhag, is nearing completion, with nearly 70 percent of the work finished. Once operational, the center will become a crucial asset for farmers and traders in the eastern region, …

…𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒖𝒎 𝒔𝒎𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 By Lhendup Wangmo Bongo Gewog in Chukha Dzongkhag is witnessing positive developments following the early launch of its Rainbow Trout Project on September 11, 2024. Originally scheduled for October 16, the launch was advanced to expedite production and meet Bhutan’s growing demand for high-value fish. …

…𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍-𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Kezang ChodenThe Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has raised alarm over the escalating cases of hard drug abuse and trafficking, particularly involving brown sugar and heroin. Recent data indicates a significant rise in drug-related offenses across the country, with urban centers such as Thimphu, Phuentsholing, …

…𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆-𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔, 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 By Kinzang Lhamo The Haa Spring Festival, a vibrant annual event in western Bhutan, concluded its three-day celebration on April 9, 2025, drawing locals and visitors from across the country. Organized by the Haa Dzongkhag Administration, the festival highlighted the region’s cultural richness while providing …

…𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒂’𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒚 By Kezang Choden In a major initiative to address longstanding market challenges for livestock farmers in Dagana Dzongkhag, the Bhutan Livestock Development Corporation Limited (BLDCL) has officially launched the Livestock Priority Products Aggregation Program at Dagapela. The program is designed to strengthen the domestic …

…𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒙 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒚 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 By Lhendup WangmoOver 50 children in Denchi town, under Pemagatshel, are forced to walk nearly five kilometers every day to attend classes at Khar Middle Secondary School and Yalang Primary School. The journey is not only long but dangerous, …

…𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒎𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒎𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 By Yeshi DolmaTuberculosis (TB), one of the oldest and deadliest infectious diseases, continues to pose a serious public health challenge in Bhutan. According to the Ministry of Health, TB cases in the country rose from 864 in 2023 to 920 in 2024. Notably, …

…𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏 We live in an age where mobile phones have become inseparable from our daily lives. The entire world has embraced mobile services, and they now form a vital part of modern living. From communication and entertainment to education and health care, mobile technology plays a central role in how societies function …

… 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 By Zhenphen ChokdenThe Ministry of Education and Skills Development’s notification, issued on March 20, 2025, has sparked significant attention across the country, particularly on social media. While some have questioned the specificity of certain instructions and perceived the circular as rigid, Education Minister Lyonpo Yeezang De …