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 / location

Bhutan

Bhutan
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Bhutan. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Thimphu
Head of State
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Head of Government
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay
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Three construction workers in China were hung from a gate by their harnesses as part of their safety training, sparking public shock. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

Military

Chinese satellites seen ‘dogfighting’, US Space Force official says

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A Shiyan-24C experimental satellite is launched from a sea platform in 2024. The satellite is among those seen “dogfighting in space”, according to the USSF. Photo: Handout

Military

China’s 6th-gen fighter sighted again as Trump ‘set to announce’ jet contract

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Science

Chinese breakthrough challenges Elon Musk’s verdict on paralysed patients

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Science

Former US defence researcher Zhan Hanyu joins China’s elite aerospace university

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In December, Zhan Hanyu became a full-time professor at the college of automation engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics after studying and working in the US for more than 15 years. Photo: The Paper
The Punakha Dzong Fortress in Bhutan. Photo: Tim Pile
Human rights

Bhutan’s life sentences for political prisoners is illegal, UN says

The UN report noted that it was ‘discriminatory’ to single out members of a minority group for expressing political opinions.

Asia elections

In a world of declining freedom, 1 South Asian nation stands out: report

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Indonesia

Will Bali adopt Bhutan-style tax to deter ‘low-class foreign tourists’?

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Nepal

Bhutan’s ‘mindfulness city’ angers displaced ethnic Nepalis

Bhutan’s plan for southern farmlands has sparked outrage among forced-out ethnic Nepalis, who say the megaproject would be on stolen land.

Bhutan, a Himalayan nation of fewer than 800,000 people, is pitching its Gelephu Mindfulness City project as “a sanctuary for global businesses and professionals”. Photo: Getty Images
Music

Ed Sheeran to make history with concert in Bhutan

The Himalayan kingdom welcomes the superstar British musician to Thimphu for a concert in January 2025, with tickets starting at US$10.

Investing

Bhutan aims to sell Southeast Asia on its 21-year ‘mindfulness city’ project

The tiny Himalayan kingdom is looking to raise US$100 million to get its planned special administrative region off the ground.

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Food and Drinks

What is Bhutan’s authentic food like? Tourists rarely taste it

The Bhutanese like lots of cheese and chillies in their food, such as in ema datshi, but many restaurants tone down flavours for tourists.

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A yak cheese dish at Phangu in Thimphu, Bhutan. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung
Asian cinema

Review | The Monk and the Gun, Bhutanese political satire, is a triumph

The Monk and the Gun is a witty Bhutanese political satire about the kingdom’s move towards democracy in the wake of the king’s announcement that he is abdicating.

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Bangladesh

Opinion | Can democracy in South Asia withstand US-China rivalry?

From rising authoritarianism to political instability, unrest throughout the region has intensified alongside shifting alliances.

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Climate change

Opinion | Urgent action needed to save Hindu Kush Himalaya, world’s ‘water tower’

Low snow levels and an alarming glacial melt rate amid an Asian heatwave underline the need for countries to collaborate in climate action.

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The Hindu Kush Himalaya is one of the greatest mountain systems in the world, covering 4.2 million sq km across eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Photo: EPA-EFE / ICIMOD
Asia travel

Aman, Como, Six Senses and more – the best luxury resorts in Bhutan

How many other countries have five Aman resorts but no McDonald’s? We travel around Bhutan to find the best luxury accommodation in all the main tourist centres in the Himalayan kingdom.

A suite at Bhutan’s Amankora Gangtey Lodge. Photo: Amankora Gangtey
Nepal

Ethnic Nepali prisoners in Bhutan await justice after decades behind bars

At least dozens of political prisoners are still being held in Bhutan’s jails, according to human rights organisations.

Asia travel

Music, dance, sport at 12,000ft: Bhutan’s Royal Highland Festival

Attended by the king and villagers from across the country, Bhutan’s high-altitude Royal Highland Festival involves dancing, horse racing, wrestling and other trials of strength.

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China-Asean relations

Meetings with India could affect Bhutan’s border talks with China, analysts say

Reciprocal trips by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart, Tshering Tobgay, are said to strengthen ties but could disturb Thimphu’s border negotiations with Beijing.

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck greets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bhutan’s capital Thimpu. Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau via AFP
India

Is India’s billion-dollar aid to Bhutan aimed at curbing China’s influence?

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his recent visit to Bhutan a priority despite the possibility of violating pre-election rules.

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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck greet each other during the conferment ceremony of the Order of the Druk Gyalpo award to Modi in Bhutan’s capital Thimpu on March 22. Photo: AFP
India

India-friendly Bhutan walks tightrope as it seeks to end border row with China

While Bhutan relies on India economically, Delhi also needs to ensure Thimpu remains an ally amid Beijing’s increasing presence and influence in the kingdom, analysts say.

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Tibet

Chinese village construction in disputed zone outpaces China-Bhutan border talks

At least three villages have been built in the mountainous region separating the two countries, with some doubling in size.

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Renewable energy

Bhutan eyes surge in national happiness with US$15 billion hydropower push

The kingdom, which uses a Gross National Happiness index, is looking to unlock value in its abundant lakes and rivers through partnerships with India.

Tourists walk across a bridge over the Puna Tsang Chhu River. Bhutan’s GDP relies heavily on tourism and agriculture. Photo: AFP
Asia elections

Ex-Bhutan PM’s party wins election as economic strife hits ‘national happiness’

Tobgay’s People’s Democratic Party won nearly two-thirds of seats in parliament, local media reported, with the 58-year-old conservation advocate expected to become premier for the second time.

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India

India keeps wary eye on Bhutan polls amid kingdom’s warming ties with China

Bhutan, ‘one of the last barriers’ in China’s bid to exert influence in South Asia, will elect a new parliament next week.

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Climate change

Opinion | The climate crisis isn’t taking a break, but neither are we

Climate change now dominates discourse, more governments have net zero pledges, cleantech spending has surged, renewable energy is cheaper and EV technology is improving.

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg gestures while blocking the entrance to an oil facility in Malmo, Sweden, on July 24 last year. Photo: AP
India

Opinion | India’s anti-China electricity trade guidelines could backfire in South Asia

Efforts to freeze out Chinese investment in power projects in South Asia will do little to improve India’s economic or soft power in the region. Likewise, undermining the development of a liberal market for cross-border power trade in the region limits gains towards energy security.

A man on a motorcycle crosses a suspension bridge over the Bagmati river in Lalitpur, Nepal, on March 27. Nepal has significant potential for generating surplus energy from hydropower Photo: AP
India

India fears Bhutan will cede land to China. Can a king’s visit calm nerves?

Bhutan-India ties have historically been strong, and New Delhi has wielded influence in trying to take care of Bhutan’s security interests.

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China-India relations

Why Bhutan’s tilt towards China may ‘significantly change’ regional dynamics

Negotiations on border dispute and diplomatic ties moved forward when Bhutan’s top diplomat visited Beijing. The small Himalayan kingdom is sandwiched between two Asian giants competing for influence.

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China-India relations

In ‘big test’ for India, China and Bhutan push for official ties and border fix

Chinese and Bhutanese officials wrap up new round of border talks and agree to work towards formal diplomatic relations, signalling thaw in ties that analysts say could be a setback for New Delhi’s security efforts in the Himalayas.

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Bhutanese Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji (left) shakes hands with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua
Arts & Culture

Video | Thousands attend Bhutan’s ‘masked dance’ festival

Thousands attend Buddhist ‘masked dance’ festival in Bhutan
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Boosting Bhutan: kingdom cuts daily tourist fee by half to lure more visitors

Bhutan is wary of the impact of mass tourism and bans mountain climbing to preserve its peaks, so the Sustainable Development Fee limits visitor numbers, but increasing it to US$200 a night has put too many people off.

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