More cranes sighted in Bumthang

A flock of black-necked cranes spotted in Gaytsa recently came as a relief to villagers who say that the bird has stopped coming in groups to the once rich habitat.
Villagers say that the birds, except for one or two has stopped coming to Gaytsa for more than two decades. “The last time I saw a [...]

Dish TV on the doorstep

A stumbling block to introducing direct to home (DTH) TV in Bhutan has been removed with the Indian government agreeing to facilitate the use of Indian satellites and downlinking Bhutan Broadcasting Services corporation (BBSC), the country’s only TV channel, in the DTH-TV package.
The secretary of information and communication ministry, Dasho Kinley Dorji, said the condition [...]

HIS MAJESTY STRESSES THE VALUE OF A SHARED PLANET

When the most committed democrat of the youngest democracy in the world is asked to grant a lecture, the result is expected to be most impressive.
And at the Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Lecture, that is precisely what happened.
His Majesty the King, speaking at the lecture, said that this is a world that is shared not just [...]

December 17, the essence

We have observed the last but indisputably the most significant national event of the year; the 102nd National Day celebrations yesterday, December 17, 2009. We do it every year, everywhere with almost every one partaking in the commemoration; in small makeshift platforms at gewog centers, school grounds and the historic Changlingmithang stadium.
What sanctifies and separates [...]

Good news for kidney patients

Unlike in the past, seven kidney patients can now sit for a dialysis session at a time, with the addition of four more dialysis machines at the 350-bed Thimphu national referral hospital.
This means the 52 patients, who were undergoing dialysis just once a week, will now be able to get their systems cleaned twice a [...]

Bhutan in global choir against AIDS

Despite some technical glitches, Bhutan yesterday joined a global choir of 196 countries to sing the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” at 8:00 pm as a sign of unity to fight against AIDS in Africa.

The singing was broadcast live in London, where singers in each of the 196 countries were seen and heard [...]

A king who feels

The setting was perfect- harvested paddy terraces basking in the glow of the sun, orange trees laden with ripened fruit, the Gongri-chhu flowing far below the hills and people flocking in near the Tongshang Lower Secondary School in Trashiyangtse where a temporary shed had been erected.

What was the attraction? Why were these simple village folk [...]

NGOs ask leaders not to ignore climate vulnerable

International NGOs are ready to step up pressure on decision makers as the climate change negotiations are poised to begin from December 7 in Copenhagen.
CARE international, the poverty fighting group, has sent out the message that the poor and the most vulnerable are not to be forgotten at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009.
This [...]

GNH the Bhutanese way in South America

The 5th International Conference on Gross National Happiness (GNH) took place for the first time in South America, in the vast and great country of Brazil. The Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley delivered the opening keynote address and concluding remarks. He began with the statement, “Our gathering here bears testimony to the [...]

Bhutan 2009

Bhutan is developing in a very rapid rate… With its developments in various sectors, we hope Bhutan has many things to deliver in the service of the people and the concept of Gross National Happiness.