Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Bhutan’s fertility rate: A future with more elderly and lesser working-age people
Observed annually on 11th July, the World Population Day offers a vital opportunity to reflect on global and national population trends and, more importantly, to root those reflections in the lives, aspirations, and challenges of people. This...

Bhutan embarks on second joint external evaluation to strengthen health security
Bhutan has officially embarked on its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of core capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), reaffirming its commitment to national and global health security. million Monk began...

Pharmacy shortages in rural areas hinder access to medicines
Limited pharmacy services in several remote districts, including Zhemgang, Gasa, and Samdrupjongkhar, are restricting access to essential medicines and pushing residents to obtain drugs from across the border, raising concerns about safety and...

Bhutan’s young rape victims face uphill battle for survival
Choden (name changed), a bright fifth-grader, saw her childhood abruptly halted when she was forced to drop out of school, three months pregnant with a secret no child should ever bear. service literature stigma let locked content She GNH our the...

Bhutan Innovation Lab opens in Thimphu to accelerate public sector innovation
A new hub for fresh ideas and smarter policies has opened in Thimphu. The Bhutan Innovation Lab, launched today, brings together bold ideas, data and design to create people-centred policies. Led by the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet in...

Bhutan and Switzerland mark 40 years of friendship
Bhutan and Switzerland yesterday marked a significant milestone, celebrating the 40th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations alongside the 50th anniversary of Helvetas Bhutan. Dorji Choden Bhutan and Switzerland yesterday marked a significant...

Bangladesh vaccinates over 7.1m girls in programme combatting cervical cancer: Unicef
Bangladesh has vaccinated over 7.1 million girls since starting its programme in 2023 to combat human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a major cause of cervical cancer, according to a Unicef report. According to new data released by WHO and UNICEF...

New guideline underway to ensure safe and quality wellness services in Bhutan
As more people in the country turn to wellbeing and wellness services to take care of their body, mind and overall wellbeing, the need for clear guidelines and regulations has become crucial. To ensure safe and effective practices, the Department...

Foreign ministry advises illegal Bhutanese immigrants in US to return
In a notification issued yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MoFAET) urged undocumented Bhutanese nationals in the United States (US) to voluntarily return home following revelations that the US government may impose...

Bhutanese Nepali refugee faces deportation following April detention by ICE
On June 9, the day after doctors originally planned to induce labor in Tika Basnet, she instead found herself navigating fraught new developments in the detention of her Bhutanese-Nepali husband, Mohan Karki, whom authorities shuffled from Butler...

Bhutan opens new regional hub for vaccine research and public health
Drawing lessons from the challenges posed by COVID-19 due to the absence of a coordinated pandemic response in South and Southeast Asia, Bhutan is establishing a new vaccine research and public health hub. The Bhutan IVI Collaborating Centre is a...
Bhutan Grows, But Who Stays to Build It?
PM Raises Concern in State of the Nation Report TIL BDR GHALLEY Thimphu Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, presenting the Second Annual State of the Nation Report to the Joint Sitting of Parliament on 03 July, highlighted Bhutan’s accelerating...
Bhutan’s Long Working Hours Ranking Raises Questions Over Data Accuracy
TIL BDR GHALLEY Thimphu Bhutan has been ranked among the countries with the highest average working hours globally in 2024, according to a recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The report states that Bhutanese employees...
Bhutan Sets Global Precedent with National Crypto Tourism Payment Platform
DAWA ZANGMO Thimphu Bhutan has taken a bold leap into the future of financial innovation by launching the world’s first nationwide cryptocurrency-based tourism payment system. In a landmark initiative, the Royal Government of Bhutan, through its...
Bhutan’s Consumer Programs Need Rethinking
DAWA ZANGMO Thimphu comprehensive new study has shed light on the effectiveness of Bhutan’s consumer advocacy programs, revealing significant strides in educating students on consumer rights and responsibilities, while also highlighting persistent...

Health ministry and PEMA Secretariat expand mental health access
With the growing concerns over mental health challenges, Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk acknowledged the scale of the issue during a Meet-the-Press session on July 4, highlighting an encouraging shift in public attitude as more Bhutanese now seek...

MP raises alarm over Bhutan’s sharp decline in global press freedom ranking
During the National Assembly’s Question Hour yesterday, Menbi-Tshenkhar Member of Parliament Tempa Dorji expressed grave concern over the state of press freedom in Bhutan, following the country’s dramatic fall in the 2025 World Press Freedom...

Bhutan’s economy at risk without urgent climate action: World Bank report
Bhutan could face severe economic losses by mid-century if it fails to adapt to a warming, drying climate, according to a new World Bank report launched yesterday. growth. will lose to locked content agriculture, Rice resilience to locked...

Bhutan prepares for aging society
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay acknowledged Bhutan’s rapidly aging population as a sign of progress while warning of potential challenges if current demographic trends continue at the National Assembly yesterday. for economy a 72 locked content...

CA asks Bhutan to utilise Bangladesh's infrastructural facilities
CA asks Bhutan to utilise Bangladesh's infrastructural facilities Ambassador of Bhutan to Bangladesh, Dasho Karma Hamu Dorjee met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka today. Photo: PID DHAKA, July 9,...