International Sources

Will India’s new-look cinema influence Bhutanese films? - Hindu
Thimphu: Bollywood has had considerable influence in Bhutan and now with the re-emergence of India’s ‘off-beat’ cinema, Bhutanese filmmakers are debating whether it would change in the country’s approach to movies too. According to filmmaker …

A Private Dance? Four Million Web Fans Say No - New York Times
There are no weekend box office charts for online videos. But if there were, near or at the very top of the list right now might well be a four-and-a-half-minute video called “Dancing,” which more than four million people have viewed on YouTube …

Time to protect the Thunder Dragon - Sify
Though he is above 80, Lt Gen. Jack Frederick Ralph Jacob, a hero of the 1971 war with Pakistan, remains a keen student of strategic warfare. “I’ve learned from every campaign since Alexander the Great and Napoleon,” he explains. Jacob, who also …

Niue seeks NZ help to ban smoking - New Zealand Herald
Health authorities in the tiny South Pacific nation of Niue want New Zealand and Australia’s help as the country moves to become one of the world’s first to ban smoking. New laws mooted in the country would ban the sale of cigarettes and smoking in …

Cigarette export ban? - Brisbane Times
AUCKLAND - Health authorities in the tiny South Pacific nation of Niue want Australia’s help as the country moves to become one of the world’s first to ban smoking. New laws mooted in the country would ban the sale of cigarettes and smoking in all …

Australia should consider cigarette export ban: Niue doctor - West Online
Health authorities in the tiny South Pacific nation of Niue want Australia’s help as the country moves to become one of the world’s first to ban smoking. New laws mooted in the country would ban the sale of cigarettes and smoking in all public …

London school regrets honoring Dalai Lama - China Economic Net
Britain’s London Metropolitan University recently apologized for bestowing an honorary doctorate to the Dalai Lama after the move drew intense criticism from a number of Chinese. Brian Roper, vice-chancellor of the university, expressed in a letter …

Truckers’ strike paralyses P/ling - Kuensel Online
7 July, 2008 - The border town of Phuentsholing, Bhutan’s main trading centre with India, experienced some of its quietest days in many years on July 2 with no movement of heavy vehicles because of a truckers’ strike in India. Close to four …

Arunachal, Meghalaya favour trade ties with Bangladesh - New Nation
As India is intensifying its efforts to broaden trade ties with South East Asia, two northeastern states have pitched for opening of border trading posts with neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, reports PTI. Notwithstanding Beijing’s claim …

SOUTH ASIA: Eight Nations Unite to Combat Climate Change - Inter Press Service
Downpours flood the streets of Dhaka as SAARC leaders meet to discuss a regional action plan on climate change. Credit:Farid Ahmed/IPS DHAKA, Jul 8 (IPS) - As rising seas, melting glaciers, floods and cyclones are increasingly putting millions of …

Kuensel - Bhutan’s National Newspaper

The heat is on …

7 July, 2008 - On June 26 and 27, daytime temperatures in the capital city soared to 29.5 degree Celsius. It was, so far, the hottest days of 2008, a climb by almost three degree compared with the average temperatures five years ago.

The pool - 6 years off and on

7 July, 2008 - After waiting for six long years, swimmers in Thimphu will again have to wait for another several months because the new swimming pool although ready will not be open to the public just yet.

Asthma – That breathtaking disease

7 July, 2008 - Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of airways, characterised by increased responsiveness of the tracheo-bronchial tree to a number of stimuli.

Bead art

7 July, 2008 - Now you know what to do with those old necklaces.

* Look through leftover beads to find an
interesting assortment.
* Find some items that
need to be decorated.
It could be a hand held mirror, a candlestick, a vase, or even a picture frame.
* Spread white glue on the area to be decorated.
* Cover the glue with beads and let dry.

Summer Car Care

7 July, 2008 - Summer can be tough on cars, especially during high temperatures when heat can destroy batteries and stress the cooling system and tires. As a precaution, these vehicle components should be checked periodically during summer to help avoid breakdowns and car problems.

10?

7 July, 2008 - Radika Darjee, 24, from Kalikhola, Sarpang, is a salesgirl at one of the shops in Thimphu. She shares her views on which ice creams are in demand this summer.

1. How long have you been working?
It’s been five years running now.

Decline and fail of a drug addict
Over the years, drug-related cases have been on a rise. Reported overdose deaths average one a month and Bhutanese youth are taking to
psychotropic substances like it’s an essential part of their diet.

7 July, 2008 - The elegant young man is clad in a black gho. He is looking straight ahead with a blank expression on his face, the black gho a contrast to his flawless skin. His striking aspect predates the “Korean look” of today.

Trongsa dog pound teething problems

You can take a dog to the pound but you can’t keep it there

7 July, 2008 - Trongsa town’s attempt to pound its strays is proving to be easier said than done with more than half the dogs having escaped within two weeks of being pounded.

Bhutan Observer

Civil Society Organisations:a renaissance in time
As parliamentary democracy and a fast evolving socio-economic environment unfolds we are confronted with ever emerging challenges: drug/alcohol/substance abuse, poverty, juvenile crimes, rape, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, environment, animal rights et al; rapid development is ushering in attendant social malaises like waste management, rising unemployment, suicides, murders and unprecedented crimes; the sharp decline in social […]

“Unfulfilled promise”
I promised my mother,
To be a doctor in life;
I would serve without searching wife.
Treat with different medicine;
Unfortunately my promised was not full filled.
Sudden demise of my mother.
Stopped my future planned,
That I have really bothered.
Now, I have no anything to do,
Rather look back to my house and land,
With knowledge in my brain;
But big axe and spade […]

Campus of the distinguished (Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk)
Alma Mater:
Gaupay Primary School, Paro (1960)
Bethany Primary School, Darjeeling (1961-62)
St. Joseph College, North Point, Darjeeling (1963-1970)
Higher Education
St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, Delhi (1971-1974)
Memories of Campus Life
My entire schooling and college life was spent on campus. While, especially as a child I missed home, many years away from the protection and security of home life during […]

Shah Rukh Khan in rural Bhutan
Dont be santusth with cable TV. Thoda aur wish karo. Dish karo. Rural Bhutan connects with Dish TV and Shah Rukh Khan (Photo by Sonam Tobgay)

Briefly
His Majesty the King granted an audience to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Mr Rohitha Bogollagama, at the Tashichhodzong on Monday. He was on a two-day official visit.
In keeping with the government policy of promoting private sector development, the Lhengye Zhungtshog has approved the outsourcing of the security management of the JDWNRH to the G4S […]

Pelki, the miracle baby
It’s a miracle she is alive, though she cries and the injuries are still fresh and visible on her head. At the pediatric ward in JDWNRH, a poster stuck on the notice board says, “Listen dear, I am lucky to be getting only mom’s milk,” but that unfortunately is not the case with little Pelki, […]

The city bites
Few government organisations are as infamous for inefficiency and loopholes as the Thimphu City Corporation (TCC). On closer viewing, the municipal body is a hapless and misunderstood organisation desperate to shake loose its bane of ill repute.
Whether it is for old building permits, construction, land pooling, checking thram number, land ownership, transfer of properties, clearance […]

RSTA taking the driver’s seat
Really, no kidding, there really is a government organisation that is cutting down on red tape. The Road Safety Transportation Authority (RSTA) is working on many plans, one of which is decentralising the licensing process so that it may issue licenses with minimal fuss. Earlier, the licensing process was widely known to frustrate applicants throughout […]

The get-away
Phuentsholing may be one of the most developed towns but judging by its appearance, it falls short of being a prosperous urban region. The rush-hour traffic along the crowded streets and the bottlenecks at the Phuentsholing Gate create tremendous traffic jams daily.
The streets are jam-packed with thousands of vehicles every day. Long lines of cars, […]

Cement plants and its pollution
People living in the vicinity of cement plants are increasingly complaining about pollution caused by dust particles. They say that besides the smog on the environment, there is also the threat to health. There is the call for proper assessment of such situations and the need for necessary action.
The National Environment Commission (NEC) has rules […]

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