Global Covid-19 Cases Confirmed cases: 3,641,204 | Recovered: 1,192,365 | Deaths: 251,947 | US: 1,211,838 | Spain: 248,301 | Italy: 211,938 | UK: 190,584 | France: 169,462 | Germany: 166,152

Additional penalties for smugglers crossing the border

Last Friday, the Phuentsholing drungkhag court sentenced a 28-year-old man to nine years for illicit trafficking of 78 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon Plus (SP+). 

Canine distemper cases rising in Paro

Months after Paro saw the first Canine Distemper case towards the end of 2019, the dzongkhag’s veterinary hospitals today sees at least six cases every day. 

Farmers now focus on growing watermelons

A group of farmers from Dechheling Gewog, pemagatshel, have started growing watermelon for the first time on a commercial scale.

Bumthang initiates cordyceps collection plan

Bumthang is among the few dzongkhags where cordyceps collection takes place. However, waste is fast becoming a major problem in the collection sites.

Three people sentenced for cigarette smuggling

The Bumthang court on May 1 sentenced two shopkeepers and a corporate employee in prison for illegal import of cigarettes last December.

Picture Story

May 5, 2020

The Zhung dratshang’s Dorji Lopon conferred Tashi Lekdhar to the newly appointed Drel-chung and Lampon of the central monastic body at the Punakha dzong yesterday. 48-year-old Tshechu from Punakha is appointed as the Drel-chung of Zhung dratshang. He served as the Lampon of Zhung Dratshang prior to his current appointment. 47-year-old Gyembo from Wangdue is the new Lampon of the Zhung dratshang. He served as the mig-nyipa prior to his current appointment.  

May 4, 2020

Bhutanese working in UN Peace Keeping Missions, UN headquarters in New York, UN agencies, funds and programmes in other regions contributed Nu 4.617Million including Nu 1.617M to the Prime Minister’s Covid-19 response fund on April 27. 

May 01, 2020

volunteer

Covid-19 update: Taxi drivers and members of Red Cross Society volunteer to unload two trucks of essential goods in Trashigang yesterday. The dzongkhag has been receiving continuous supply of basic commodities.

April 30, 2020

All decked up: The Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition scheduled to be held in June has been deferred. Haa dzongkhag had prepared for the festival since last year. 

April 29, 2020

Keeping busy: With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing tourism to a standstill,  tour guides are engaging themselves in voluntary works. In the picture, a group of guides take part in a beautification work at Olakha, Thimphu. 

April 28, 2020

India’s Ambassador to Bhutan, Ruchira Kamboj, handed over a consignment of medical supplies including Hydroxychloroquine tablets to the health minister, Dechen Wangmo, yesterday. According to the press release from Indian Embassy, the assistance is in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance that India would stand by its close friend and neighbour, Bhutan in fighting the effects of Covid-19 pandemic. The press release also states that India’s gesture to continue delivery of essential medicines is a testimony to the unique bonds of trust and understanding between India and Bhutan over decades. “India would continue to extend all possible support to Bhutan to minimise the health and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Sports

BFF incurs financial loss due to Covid-19 

The Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) has incurred a loss of more than Nu 500,000 so far due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

One of the sources of revenue for BFF is from hiring out the two football grounds at Changlimithang and Changjiji.

Business

Meat import increases by 10 percent

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The import of meat increased to more than 12,102 metric tons (MT) in 2019 from 10,978MT in 2018, an increase of slightly more than 10 percent in one year, according to a recently released Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) annual statistics.

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