Bhutan votes in final round of national elections, economy main issue
Kathmandu, NepalReuters Bhutan began voting on Tuesday, the final round of national parliamentary elections that will form the Himalayan kingdom’s fourth government since democracy was established 15 years ago, with economic growth the main issue in the wake of COVID-19. Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness index, an economic gauge that takes into […]
Tourist tax: Bhutan seeks to balance economy and environment
Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee highlights challenge of trying to revive tourism post-pandemic while avoiding harm to nature. ROLI SRIVASTAVA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports…
Bhutan’s jobs woes drive an exodus to Australia
Sydney, Australia/Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters The reopening of Australia’s borders to international students after the pandemic has triggered an exodus from Bhutan, as young people seek opportunities abroad amid growing economic unhappiness in the landlocked Himalayan kingdom. Student migration to Australia from Bhutan has soared, with over 12,000 long-term arrivals moving there in the 11 months […]
Himalayan glaciers on track to lose up to 75 per cent of ice by 2100 – report
Reuters Glaciers in Asia’s Hindu Kush Himalaya could lose up to 75 per cent of their volume by century’s end due to global warming, causing both dangerous flooding and water shortages for the 240 million people who live in the mountainous region, according to a new report. A team of international scientists has found that […]
Worldwide COVID cases surpass 500 million as Omicron variant BA.2 surges
Reuters Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 500 million last week, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron surges in many countries in Europe and Asia. The rise of BA.2 has been blamed for recent surges in China as well as record infections in Europe. It has been called the “stealth variant” because […]
South Asia surpasses grim milestone of 15 million COVID-19 cases: Reuters tally
Reuters Coronavirus infections in the South Asia sub-region surpassed the grim milestone of 15 million on Saturday, a Reuters tally shows, led by India’s record daily infections and vaccine shortages. South Asia – India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka – accounts for 11 per cent of global cases and almost six per […]
Snapshot: Suspension bridge, Bhutan
See FARIS MOHAMMED’s image…
UN weakness on religious freedom undercuts its authority on human rights, says report
World Watch Monitor The UN cannot strengthen, promote and protect human rights if it does not prioritise religious freedom, a report published by the Washington-based human rights alliance, ADF International has argued. The 73 page report, titled Anti-Conversion Laws and the International Response, claims that “some UN entities, especially special rapporteurs, have highlighted the problems with […]
More than 80 countries ‘favour’ one religion over others, says Pew report
World Watch Monitor More than 80 countries favour a specific religion, either officially as a state religion or tacitly through special treatment, according to a new report by the US-based Pew Research Center. Islam is the most common state religion – 27 countries have it as their official religion, including 16 of the 20 countries in the […]
Bhutanese pastors released on bail
Bhutanese pastors, Tandin Wangyal and Mon Thapa were released on bail from the Dorokha police station on 22nd April after being arrested on 5th March and held without formal charges. The men were detained while they were carrying a sick child to a clinic in Khabdaney village, a place they arrived the previous day to […]