16th SAARC summit concludes

April 29: The 16th SAARC summit ended today with the adoption of the “Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration- Towards a Green and Happy South Asia.” In his closing speech, the Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley described the deliberations as most instructive and productive. But he said the true test of the success of the summit lies in the difference the decisions will make to the lives of the millions of the poor and deprived in SAARC countries. The summit decided to develop a vision statement... Read more

Heads of State arrive for the SAARC summit

The Heads of State of Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan arrived for the 16th SAARC summit yesterday. On arrival, they were received by the Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley at the Paro International Airport. Later in the afternoon, the Heads of State had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister. Bhutan and Bangladesh discuss need to explore trade routes Meeting with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, the two leaders discussed the need to expand trade and explore routes... Read more

Fifth SAARC Journalists Summit

April 26: About 90 journalists and media personnel from south Asia have arrived in Paro to attend the fifth SAARC journalists’ summit, which Bhutan is hosting for the first time and will take place alongside the 16th SAARC summit. Themed ‘Environment and South Asia,’ the summit begins at 6:00 pm today at Zhiwaling hotel with the prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley, as the chief guest. Foreign ministers of the eight SAARC countries are also expected to interact with all participants of... Read more

Two agreements due to be signed

April 25 – Two agreements, one on environment and the other on trade in services will be signed by the eight members of the south Asian association for regional cooperation (SAARC) during the summit, on April 28 and 29. The summit is expected to draw regional attention to the pressing issue of climate change, which is also the theme of the summit. Bhutan has also proposed a summit declaration entitled “towards a green and happy south Asia” and a separate ministerial declaration on climate... Read more

16th SAARC Summit rehearsal

April 23: The main gate at Babesa that welcomes visitors into the capital city stands tall. First come the flags of SAARC member states affixed to the necks of street lamps along the 6.5-km expressway. This is followed by portraits of the heads of eight SAARC member nations also fastened to lamp-posts. An alternate succession of flags and pictures of leaders continues until the end of the expressway at Lungtenzampa. Thimphu city looks much cleaner and its residents are eager to witness the motorcade... Read more

SAARC Village

April 20 – The ministers’ enclave is furnished, spruced up and ready to greet the heads of SAARC member states who will arrive in the kingdom next week for the Summit. The enclave, named the SAARC Village for the event, foreign ministry officials said, was comfortably furnished with floor heating panels and locally made wooden beds. “The cool fresh air will serve better than air conditioning,” he said. The earth-coloured double-storied Bhutanese structures are divided in two; the leaders... Read more

Putting GNH on the agenda

April 20 – Out of air-conditioned rooms to be greeted with cool fresh air and into the embrace of the towering mountains from the clutches of concrete jungles, the heads of seven SAARC member nations will be arriving in the country next week. The sight of the country’s unique architectural designs and, as they proceed towards the capital city, a glimpse of people working in fields amid lush valleys will be mesmerising. So will the thought of being in a tiny nation, where peace still reigns,... Read more

101 selected for corrective surgery

April 20 - “This is quite fortunate for my family, for my son,” said a smiling father, carrying his crying 14-month old son, who had just received corrective surgery for his cleft lip condition. “We couldn’t have afforded something like this on our own, I’m so happy,” said Nagchung, a civil servant based in Chukha, who with his wife had brought their son, Karma Wangchuk, to a restorative surgical camp being held at the Paro dzongkhag hospital. A team of American doctors and medical specialists... Read more

Jamphel Yangzom – The Voice of Drukyul

April 19 – Audience favourite Jamphel Yangzom, 20, got 241,803 SMS votes to become the Voice of Drukyul and win the 2010 Druk Star contest that ended yesterday in Thimphu. The class XII student of Rinchen Higher Secondary School won a maruti Swift car sponsored by Zimdra automobiles, Nu 200,000 free insurance policy from the two insurance companies, a year long audiovisual contract with BBSC worth Nu 125,000 and three free return tickets to Bangkok, Thailand. Jampel Yangzom - The Voice of Drukyul source:... Read more

Meningitis outbreak

April 19 – About 370 students of Thinleygang middle secondary school (TMSS) received medicines on Saturday, following an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis, a bacterial disease that took the lives of three students this month. Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50 percent of cases if untreated. “It’s a bacterial infection that spreads through air, more easily... Read more

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