https://www.scmp.com/rss/328687/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The administration of US President Donald Trump is suspending the processing of immigrant visas, including family-based green cards, for applicants from dozens of countries, the US State Department has confirmed to the Post. “The State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries,” an official from the agency said on Wednesday. China is not included in the list, which has countries like Thailand, a US ally, and Brazil, a close neighbour in the western hemisphere, along with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3339928/us-halts-visas-75-countries-china-not-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3339928/us-halts-visas-75-countries-china-not-list?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:57:23 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Bhutan is a nation that prides itself on happiness over productivity, being the only net negative emission country and reluctantly democratising only after its monarch introduced the system in a time of peace, but the tides are changing for the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Amid high youth unemployment and an exodus of talent – especially to Australia – the landlocked kingdom of just under 800,000 people bordering giants India and China, is banking on a new “one country, two systems” special... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3332904/inside-bhutans-us100-billion-plan-build-happy-singapore-inspired-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3332904/inside-bhutans-us100-billion-plan-build-happy-singapore-inspired-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 09:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rescuers in Nepal and India on Monday scrambled to deliver emergency aid after days of torrential rain triggered landslides and floods that have killed more than 70 people, officials said. The downpours, which began on Friday, have now eased, but rescue teams are still struggling to reach several cut-off areas with roads blocked and bridges washed away. Monsoon rains, usually from June to September, bring widespread death and destruction every year across South Asia, but the number of fatal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327934/landslides-and-floods-kill-64-nepal-and-india-after-torrential-rains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327934/landslides-and-floods-kill-64-nepal-and-india-after-torrential-rains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 17:02:05 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Going to meet Asha Kama Wangdi, like so many trips in Bhutan, feels like a pilgrimage. From the capital, Thimphu, it’s almost three hours through meandering roads, misty valleys and monsoon-soaked forests to reach the cultural heartland of Punakha. From there, it’s another hour to Kabjisa, where one of Bhutan’s most respected artists resides. In 2022, Wangdi moved to this patch of high-altitude land, part of an inheritance handed down to his elder sister that she had given to him (inheritance... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326826/artists-dream-cultural-renaissance-remote-bhutan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326826/artists-dream-cultural-renaissance-remote-bhutan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Cat Nelson Cat Nelson Have you ever wanted to pack it all away and move to the farm? I certainly have, usually around the 10th consecutive hour in front of a screen. It’s tempting to romanticise rural life. Fewer emails. More trees. Cute farm animals. Reality, of course, is rarely so idyllic. In this week’s cover story, Joyce Yip visits Nam Chung, where Kit-ching has spent the last decade building a life as a full-time farmer. Her August was supposed to be a break. Instead, typhoons tore through the area, flattening... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326997/week-postmag-stories-rural-resilience-and-aura-farming-phenomenon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3326997/week-postmag-stories-rural-resilience-and-aura-farming-phenomenon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 04:45:07 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong recently passed a controversial tobacco control bill that sought to further reduce the city’s smoking rate, prompting some lawmakers to raise concerns about the possible impact on tourism and the illicit cigarette trade. The bill covers eight of the 10 tobacco control measures raised by the government in June last year, including a ban on the possession or use of alternative smoking products in public by April 30 of next year, and the sale of flavoured cigarettes other than menthol in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3325439/will-hong-kongs-tobacco-control-bill-cut-smoking-rates-or-hurt-citys-attractiveness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3325439/will-hong-kongs-tobacco-control-bill-cut-smoking-rates-or-hurt-citys-attractiveness?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 11:00:16 +0000 Tim Pile Tim Pile Increasingly, tourist destinations are embracing sustainability in ways that protect nature and benefit local communities. These places are taking concrete steps to reduce waste, preserve ecosystems and transition to clean energy without losing their appeal. The changes bring cleaner streets, warmer welcomes and healthier environments for residents, along with more fulfilling holidays. Copenhagen, Denmark Polished and progressive yet grounded in green values, the Danish capital integrates... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3323014/8-holiday-destinations-embrace-clean-living-and-sustainable-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3323014/8-holiday-destinations-embrace-clean-living-and-sustainable-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Bhutan is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon due to the frequent thunderstorms that sweep its dramatic valleys. But visitors are often welcomed by stillness after a stomach-churning landing in mountain-ringed Paro, home to the country’s only international airport. There is rarely much traffic during the hour’s drive to the capital, Thimphu, to drown out the sound of gushing rivers and the wind. Since opening up to tourists in the early 1970s, Bhutan, the world’s only carbon-negative... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3321722/insiders-guide-bhutan-land-thunder-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3321722/insiders-guide-bhutan-land-thunder-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:57:50 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial When Premier Li Qiang broke ground for the construction of the Yarlung Tsangpo mega-dam, he marked the start of one of the most extraordinary infrastructure projects in world history. Located in Medog, a remote county on the Tibetan Plateau, the super-dam could produce, when completed, three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze and will play a decisive role in China’s commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2060. It will be a big part of the renewable energy mix that includes... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319833/transparency-key-easing-regional-concerns-over-tibet-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3319833/transparency-key-easing-regional-concerns-over-tibet-mega-dam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Umair Pervez Khan,Gulshan Rafiq Umair Pervez Khan,Gulshan Rafiq In a quiet but potentially defining moment for South Asia, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Bangladesh convened in the Chinese city of Kunming last month. It may have looked like just another diplomatic gathering, but it signalled a strategic shift – one that could recalibrate the balance of regional cooperation and breathe life into the idea of a regional framework post-SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. For decades, SAARC was envisioned as the collective... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318341/are-china-pakistan-bangladesh-quietly-planting-regions-new-framework?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318341/are-china-pakistan-bangladesh-quietly-planting-regions-new-framework?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari High in the Himalayas, the tiny kingdom of Bhutan, long known for its pursuit of “gross national happiness”, has now set its sights on a new measure of contentment: cryptocurrency. In a move that has startled some of its neighbours and inspired global fintech champions, the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”, home to around 800,000 people, is using state-mined bitcoin to fund public salaries and lure a new wave of tourists. Bhutan became, in May, the world’s first nation to unveil a countrywide,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317923/bhutans-big-crypto-tourism-push-aims-revolutionise-himalayan-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317923/bhutans-big-crypto-tourism-push-aims-revolutionise-himalayan-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 08:30:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A call by a prominent member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve for the country has stoked debate among digital finance experts over its feasibility. Insisting that New Delhi had a “unique opportunity to lead” and pointing to trailblazers such as Bhutan, party spokesman Pradeep Bhandari drew attention to whether India’s rapidly growing economy would benefit from a “measured bitcoin strategy” which could strengthen economic resilience and project... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317730/indian-official-eyes-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-unique-opportunity-lead-it-viable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317730/indian-official-eyes-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-unique-opportunity-lead-it-viable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:00:13 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng Coming back from an extended conference on “Gross National Happiness” in Bhutan, one of the world’s first carbon-negative countries, I became aware that intergenerational justice may be one of the most important moral questions we face today. The world is drowning in debt. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global debt amounted to US$250 trillion in 2023, or 237 per cent of GDP, with global private debt at more than US$150 trillion. Meanwhile, worldwide net private wealth stood... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316913/fallen-world-must-ensure-justice-future-generations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316913/fallen-world-must-ensure-justice-future-generations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United Nations’ vast global system has tackled everything from delivering life-saving humanitarian aid to providing crucial peacekeeping operations in conflict zones since it was established in the wake of World War II. As the international body closes in on 80 years old, questions about its relevancy and efficiency have sharpened from supporters and critics alike. Recent US cuts to foreign assistance and the re-evaluation of humanitarian contributions by other countries have forced a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3315448/sex-education-monks-bhutan-and-4-other-un-projects-you-probably-didnt-know-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3315448/sex-education-monks-bhutan-and-4-other-un-projects-you-probably-didnt-know-about?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2025 05:32:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts say. Footage of Wednesday’s collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the hamlet of Blatten. Ali Neumann, disaster risk reduction adviser to the Swiss Development Cooperation, noted that while the role of climate change in the specific case of Blatten “still... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3312580/swiss-birch-glacier-collapse-gives-asia-chilling-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3312580/swiss-birch-glacier-collapse-gives-asia-chilling-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 07:25:38 +0000 The press release vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Days after the Philippines announced its intent to urge three small nations – Tonga, Bhutan and Nepal – to ratify a global treaty banning nuclear tests, the statement was quietly scrubbed from the government’s website. The sudden reversal left experts wondering: was it a sign of diplomatic overreach, or a calculated retreat? The retracted statement described a meeting on March 18 between Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and Robert Floyd, executive... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303859/philippines-pulls-back-nuclear-pact-push-hinting-limits-its-diplomatic-reach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303859/philippines-pulls-back-nuclear-pact-push-hinting-limits-its-diplomatic-reach?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2025 01:30:11 +0000 Bhutan is illegally jailing people for life without the possibility of parole simply for expressing political opinions, according to a damning United Nations report published this week. The report’s conclusions sparked renewed criticism from human rights advocates, former prisoners and exiled Bhutanese, who said the arrests reflected a broader pattern of discrimination against the kingdom’s ethnic Nepali minority. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found the Bhutanese government had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3303257/bhutans-life-sentences-political-prisoners-violate-international-law-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3303257/bhutans-life-sentences-political-prisoners-violate-international-law-un-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 04:01:03 +0000 Freedom declined around the world last year with authoritarians solidifying their grip, but South Asia led a series of bright spots, according to the latest Freedom House annual report. The Washington-based pro-democracy research group elevated two countries to the status of “free”: Senegal, where the opposition triumphed after the outgoing president’s attempt to delay elections was defeated; and Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom which consolidated a transition to democracy with competitive... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3300768/world-declining-freedom-1-south-asian-nation-stands-out-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3300768/world-declining-freedom-1-south-asian-nation-stands-out-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2025 02:02:28 +0000 As concerns mount in Bali that the high volume of budget-conscious tourists is threatening the Indonesian island’s economy and reputation, officials are being urged to consider a drastic shift towards a Bhutan-style tourism model that would require visitors to pay a hefty fee. I Wayan Puspa Negara, head of the Bali Marginal Tourism Actors Alliance, recently proposed charging foreign visitors a daily fee. To visit Bhutan, tourists, except Indians, must pay a fixed daily charge – called the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3299695/will-indonesias-bali-adopt-bhutan-style-levy-deter-low-class-foreign-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3299695/will-indonesias-bali-adopt-bhutan-style-levy-deter-low-class-foreign-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Feb 2025 07:00:15 +0000 Bhutan’s ambitious plan to transform its southern farmlands into a futuristic “mindfulness city” has sparked outrage among displaced ethnic Nepalis, who accuse the government of building the megaproject on stolen land. Envisioned by King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, the 2,500 sq km (965 square mile) Gelephu Mindfulness City is meant to serve as an economic corridor, promote sustainable living and become home to some 150,000 people in the next decade. However, ethnic Nepalis like 54-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3288697/displaced-nepalis-fume-bhutans-mindfulness-city-plan-our-stolen-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3288697/displaced-nepalis-fume-bhutans-mindfulness-city-plan-our-stolen-land?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:30:09 +0000 Music superstar Ed Sheeran will make history in January 2025 when he becomes the first international artist to perform in Bhutan, a landmark moment for the Himalayan kingdom. The concert on January 24 at the Changlimithang Stadium in the country’s capital, Thimphu, is part of the final leg of Sheeran’s “+–=÷x Tour (The Mathematics Tour)” leg, which includes stops in India and the Middle East. Tickets for the Bhutan concert start at an affordable US$10, in line with Sheeran’s commitment to making... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3288652/ed-sheeran-make-history-concert-bhutan-first-international-artist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3288652/ed-sheeran-make-history-concert-bhutan-first-international-artist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2024 06:31:30 +0000 Bhutan, the Himalayan kingdom that brought the world the concept of gross national happiness, is set to build a “mindfulness city” and will launch a US$100 million bond issue on Monday to help start the project. The ‘Gelephu Mindfulness City’ (GMC) will lie in a special administrative region with separate rules and laws that will aim to be an economic corridor linking South Asia to Southeast Asia, officials said. The city will promote walking and cycling to reduce emissions, green spaces for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3285994/bhutan-aims-sell-southeast-asia-its-21-year-mindfulness-city-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3285994/bhutan-aims-sell-southeast-asia-its-21-year-mindfulness-city-project?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2024 02:04:43 +0000 The only country that measures its success by a Gross National Happiness Index, Bhutan is famous for its scenic towns, historic landmarks and sprawling untouched beauty. One look at a photo of the famed Tiger’s Nest monastery or Chimi temple can be enough for keen travellers to put the country on their bucket list. But one thing that is rarely discussed is what you should eat when you get there. “If there’s no cheese, it’s not Bhutanese food,” says chef Bleu Tshering Dorji, co-owner of Phangu, a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3279118/what-bhutans-authentic-food-ema-datshi-hardened-yak-cheese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3279118/what-bhutans-authentic-food-ema-datshi-hardened-yak-cheese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Sep 2024 05:15:06 +0000 4/5 stars In 2006 the isolated, landlocked Kingdom of Bhutan took its first tentative steps towards democracy, just a few years after finally allowing access to television and the internet. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced that he was abdicating the throne and transferred all his powers to a democratically elected government, in a critical step towards his country’s modernisation. The Monk and the Gun, from writer-director Pawo Choyning Dorji, unspools in the aftermath of the king’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3275181/monk-and-gun-movie-review-bhutan-drama-one-kind-political-satire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3275181/monk-and-gun-movie-review-bhutan-drama-one-kind-political-satire?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 10:15:09 +0000 Recent developments in South Asia, particularly the uprising in Bangladesh, are transforming regional dynamics with potentially global impacts. Home to 1.94 billion people, South Asia is grappling with rising extremism, democratic backsliding and political instability. As a key player in the Indo-Pacific, the region’s turmoil – particularly given Bangladesh’s strategic position in the Bay of Bengal – holds profound significance. The chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s 2021... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3273856/can-democracy-south-asia-withstand-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3273856/can-democracy-south-asia-withstand-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 21:30:11 +0000 Heatwaves across Asia are underscoring the immediate and severe impact of climate change. My country India is grappling with record-breaking temperatures, with some parts of northern India exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. China is also bracing for an unusually hot summer, which follows 2022’s worst heatwave on record with abnormally high temperatures lasting over 70 days. This extreme weather coincides with alarming findings from the annual Snow Update Report by the International Centre for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268163/urgent-action-needed-save-hindu-kush-himalaya-worlds-water-tower?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268163/urgent-action-needed-save-hindu-kush-himalaya-worlds-water-tower?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jun 2024 21:30:09 +0000 It is not hard to find a high-end place to stay in Bhutan nowadays. In the 50 years since the devoutly Buddhist Himalayan kingdom started welcoming foreign visitors, Bhutan has prioritised high-value, low-volume tourism, welcoming prestigious brands such as Aman Resorts, Six Senses and Como Hotels and Resorts. In fact, Bhutan is probably the only country in the world to have opened an Aman resort before a McDonald’s outlet. (There are still no McDonald’s restaurants in the country, nor any other... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3261365/best-luxury-accommodation-bhutan-thimphu-paro-punakha-and-gangtey-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3261365/best-luxury-accommodation-bhutan-thimphu-paro-punakha-and-gangtey-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 03:15:13 +0000 When Bhutan started forcibly expelling its ethnic Nepali population over three decades ago, Dil Kumar Rai, along with thousands of others, fled to neighbouring Nepal. But a secretive return to meet his relatives still in the kingdom landed him in prison. Rai spent 21 years in jail after being arrested and convicted for being an “extremist and antinational” who was involved in an anti-government revolution in 1996. By the time he was freed in 2017, his house in Sipsu Gola Bazaar, near the Indian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3259459/ethnic-nepali-political-prisoners-bhutan-await-justice-after-decades-behind-bars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3259459/ethnic-nepali-political-prisoners-bhutan-await-justice-after-decades-behind-bars?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2024 05:30:12 +0000 Bhutan’s Royal Highland Festival is an exclusive celebration of music, culture, dance and rivalry between clans from across the nation. But it’s not the price of a ticket or rules to keep out the hoi polloi that make the two-day event difficult to attend – it’s the journey to get there. The annual festival takes place on an alpine meadow above the village of Laya, which, at 3,820 metres (12,533ft) above sea level, is the highest settlement in Bhutan. Just 10km (6.2 miles) from the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3259043/bhutans-royal-highland-festival-colourful-high-altitude-mix-music-dance-and-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3259043/bhutans-royal-highland-festival-colourful-high-altitude-mix-music-dance-and-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:15:19 +0000 Analysts are warning about potential “obvious and direct” impacts on China’s efforts to resolve its long-running border dispute with Bhutan after India moved to shore up its influence on the Himalayan kingdom. Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a break from his re-election campaign and visited neighbouring Bhutan, during which he reaffirmed a partnership that “is not limited to land and water”. The trip was reciprocal – Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay travelled to New... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257219/meetings-india-could-affect-bhutans-border-talks-china-analysts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257219/meetings-india-could-affect-bhutans-border-talks-china-analysts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:01:06 +0000 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently concluded visit to Bhutan where he unveiled a billion-dollar aid package for the South Asian country is seen as a move to counter China’s growing influence in the region. Modi’s visit from March 22-23 was significant as he had taken a break from hustings ahead of India’s parliamentary elections beginning next month despite potentially violating pre-election rules, political analysts say. “Given that Bhutan is currently facing economic challenges,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3257002/indias-billion-dollar-aid-bhutan-aimed-curbing-chinas-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3257002/indias-billion-dollar-aid-bhutan-aimed-curbing-chinas-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:00:21 +0000 Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s recent visit to India, taking place amid ongoing border negotiations with China, underscores the kingdom’s careful diplomatic strategy aimed at strengthening its ties with New Delhi without provoking Beijing, analysts have said. Bhutan and China have been engaged in long-running talks to resolve their border dispute, a matter of strategic interest to India given its implications for regional security. According to Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255953/india-friendly-bhutan-walks-tightrope-it-seeks-end-border-row-aggressive-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255953/india-friendly-bhutan-walks-tightrope-it-seeks-end-border-row-aggressive-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:00:19 +0000 In a remote village in the Himalayas, inside a border zone that has long been disputed by China and Bhutan, 18 new Chinese residents stood waiting to enter their newly built homes. Each carried a freshly framed portrait of China’s President Xi Jinping – large enough to leave only their heads and lower legs exposed – while behind them a bright red banner welcomed them in Chinese and Tibetan script. It was December 28 and they were the first batch of people – made up of 38 households from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251394/chinese-village-construction-disputed-zone-outpaces-china-bhutan-border-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251394/chinese-village-construction-disputed-zone-outpaces-china-bhutan-border-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Feb 2024 15:00:14 +0000 The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is aiming to ramp up its rich hydrological resources with an eye on boosting the country’s happiness quotient. Home to glacial lakes and cascading rivers, the landlocked country is looking to unlock value in its abundant water resources through partnerships with neighbouring India, and explore business opportunities outside its borders. “We are talking to a lot of strategic partners in India today, and we also look forward to talking to strategic credible... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3249717/bhutan-seeks-india-deals-us15-billion-hydropower-push-raise-national-happiness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3249717/bhutan-seeks-india-deals-us15-billion-hydropower-push-raise-national-happiness?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jan 2024 06:32:03 +0000 Former prime minister Tshering Tobgay’s party won Bhutan’s election Tuesday, media reported, after polls dominated by economic threats challenging the Himalayan kingdom’s long-standing policy of prioritising “Gross National Happiness” over growth. Foremost in the minds of many who voted are the struggles facing the Buddhist-majority kingdom’s younger generation, with chronic youth unemployment and a brain drain. Both parties in the election are committed to a constitutionally enshrined... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247855/former-bhutan-pm-tshering-tobgays-party-wins-election-economic-strife-hits-national-happiness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247855/former-bhutan-pm-tshering-tobgays-party-wins-election-economic-strife-hits-national-happiness?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jan 2024 15:15:04 +0000 Squeezed between giant arch-rivals India and China, the landlocked mountain kingdom of Bhutan was long isolated by icy Himalayan peaks. But as Bhutan readies to elect a new parliament in Thimphu on January 9, China and India are watching the contest with keen interest as they eye strategic contested border zones, analysts warn. A “cooperation agreement” signed between Bhutan and China in October after talks over their disputed northern frontier sparked concern in India, which has long regarded... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247503/india-keeps-wary-eye-bhutan-election-china-seeks-draw-kingdom-its-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3247503/india-keeps-wary-eye-bhutan-election-china-seeks-draw-kingdom-its-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jan 2024 04:48:22 +0000 In a world of escalating emissions and rampant natural disaster, cynicism and reproach hold sway in our climate conversations. But amid setbacks, there’s much to celebrate. The change-makers deserve recognition: the influence of climate activists, leaders and the younger generation has been monumental – and unthinkable not long ago. At the start of 2024, let us acknowledge our climate victories so they may fortify us in overcoming the suffering that persists, and harness the momentum... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247167/pat-our-backs-precious-climate-change-victories-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247167/pat-our-backs-precious-climate-change-victories-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2024 21:30:22 +0000 It is no secret that India’s guidelines on cross-border trade of electricity aim to discourage Chinese investment in power projects in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) corridor. By securitising electricity, these guidelines are likely to shape the upcoming tripartite power trade pact between Bangladesh, India and Nepal and also influence Beijing’s economic overtures to Bhutan. Therefore, a critical analysis of the guidelines at this juncture is called for. I argue that they do little to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245625/indias-anti-china-electricity-trade-guidelines-could-backfire-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245625/indias-anti-china-electricity-trade-guidelines-could-backfire-south-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:30:15 +0000 Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s ongoing eight-day visit to New Delhi is likely to be aimed at reassuring India that the Himalayan nation’s talks to resolve border issues with China will not compromise Indian security interests, analysts say. Bhutanese Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji’s statement last month that the nation was seeking to quickly settle a decades-long border dispute with China, and establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, had sounded alarm bells in Delhi as the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3240762/can-king-jigmes-delhi-visit-ease-indian-concerns-over-bhutan-china-border-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3240762/can-king-jigmes-delhi-visit-ease-indian-concerns-over-bhutan-china-border-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:30:27 +0000 The first ever visit to Beijing by the top diplomat of Bhutan last week has thrust the tiny Himalayan kingdom into an uncomfortable spotlight as its neighbours vie for influence. Sandwiched between China and India, landlocked Bhutan – known for its special ties with New Delhi – is the only country in Asia that does not have formal diplomatic relations with Beijing. It is also one of two countries with unresolved land border disputes with China, along with India. At the heart of border... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239549/why-bhutans-tilt-towards-china-may-significantly-change-regional-dynamics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239549/why-bhutans-tilt-towards-china-may-significantly-change-regional-dynamics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 01:00:16 +0000 China and Bhutan agreed to push for the early settlement of their border dispute and the establishment of diplomatic ties in what mainland observers described as “a breakthrough” in Beijing’s efforts to pull the Himalayan kingdom away from New Delhi. Wrapping up a new round of border talks in Beijing on Tuesday, the two countries signed a cooperation agreement on the responsibility and functions of a technical team for the delimitation and demarcation of the boundary. A joint press release... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239177/big-test-india-china-and-bhutan-push-solve-border-dispute-and-establish-official-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3239177/big-test-india-china-and-bhutan-push-solve-border-dispute-and-establish-official-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:00:24 +0000 The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is to halve the US$200 daily fee it charges tourists in an effort to boost a sector still struggling to recover a year after the end of Covid-19 restrictions. Bhutan raised its “Sustainable Development Fee” to US$200 per visitor per night, from US$65, when it ended two years of Covid restrictions in September last year saying the money would go to off-set the carbon generated by visitors. The new rate of US$100 per night would come into effect from September and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3232404/bhutan-cuts-daily-tourist-fee-half-lure-more-visitors-struggle-recover-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3232404/bhutan-cuts-daily-tourist-fee-half-lure-more-visitors-struggle-recover-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Aug 2023 09:36:54 +0000 Business Insider Business Insider Worldwide, scientists have found that there’s around a 20cm, or 7.8 inch, difference between the average height of a child in the tallest and shortest countries, according to the BBC. When it comes to adults, in countries like the Netherlands – ranked as the tallest on Earth – the average person towers as high as 175.62cm (5 feet 7.96 inches). But at the other end of the scale, the average height is considerably lower. Below is a ranking of average height data compiled using a 2020 medical... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3223878/asia-has-14-worlds-top-25-shortest-countries-can-you-guess-whos-no-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3223878/asia-has-14-worlds-top-25-shortest-countries-can-you-guess-whos-no-1?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jun 2023 04:32:07 +0000 Nepal’s police have widened their investigation into a human trafficking scam involving several former senior government officials and politicians. Police on Wednesday arrested ex-home minister Bal Krishna Khand in connection with the racket involving young people from the Himalayan nation who were sent to the United States as refugees from Bhutan. Khand’s son is already in custody. More than 800 people say they were defrauded of millions of rupees by a political-bureaucratic network that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3220105/nepal-officials-arrested-refugee-scam-probe-could-impact-ties-china-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3220105/nepal-officials-arrested-refugee-scam-probe-could-impact-ties-china-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 22:00:20 +0000 For nearly a quarter of its existence, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has not held a summit. When the term of its last secretary general ended last February, confusion reigned over his replacement. It was Afghanistan’s turn to put forth a candidate but none of the other SAARC members recognise the Taliban. In the end, it was decided that Bangladesh (the turns are carried out in alphabetical order) would put forth a candidate. Formed in 1985, the regional trade... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3217324/south-asian-association-regional-cooperation-still-relevant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3217324/south-asian-association-regional-cooperation-still-relevant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:30:09 +0000 The roof of the world is heating up, with the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan becoming the site of fresh contestation between its two neighbours, China and India. Two weeks ago, China and Bhutan held a fresh round of talks in China’s Kunming city towards resolving their decades-old border dispute. The outcome took many by surprise: a joint statement insisting that a “positive consensus” had been reached by both, and that they would both be “increasing the frequency” of their talks. The talks even... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3207973/neighbourhood-watch-indias-alarm-spikes-china-bhutan-move-closer-resolving-border-feud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3207973/neighbourhood-watch-indias-alarm-spikes-china-bhutan-move-closer-resolving-border-feud?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:19:28 +0000 Quick, what’s the capital of Bhutan? No, me neither, until recently – and I’m supposed to be a travel writer. Thimphu is low key and likeable. There’s a handicraft market, a few modest boutiques and plenty of general stores, but you don’t come to Bhutan to go shopping. You come to learn about Buddhist rituals from scarlet-robed monks and to venture barefoot into temples and monasteries. You come to gaze at the world’s tallest seated Buddha and to feast on delicious Bhutanese dishes. You come to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3198140/himalayan-kingdom-bhutans-reopening-400km-trans-bhutan-trail-restores-ancient-link-between-mountains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3198140/himalayan-kingdom-bhutans-reopening-400km-trans-bhutan-trail-restores-ancient-link-between-mountains?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Nov 2022 05:15:06 +0000 Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on September 19 brought a slew of dignitaries and luminaries who were exclusively invited to Westminster Abbey to say their final farewell. Among the rosters of names were King Jigme Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan who left quite an impression on many spectators. The two later joined hundreds of guests for a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by King Charles, reported My London. Queen Jetsun Pema is often regarded by the natives as the Druk Gyaltsuen, which... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3193515/meet-queen-jetsun-pema-kate-middleton-himalayas-bhutans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3193515/meet-queen-jetsun-pema-kate-middleton-himalayas-bhutans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Sep 2022 04:49:08 +0000 Bhutan is set to welcome back international tourists from next month, as the Himalayan kingdom eases its strict zero-Covid policy more than two years after slamming shut its borders to keep the virus out. The country of fewer than 800,000 people, nestled between China and India, is grappling with the effects of soaring oil and grain prices worsened by the war in Ukraine, as well as with the continued impact of the pandemic. Bhutan’s reopening from September 23 onwards will come with some major... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3190762/coronavirus-tiny-bhutan-set-reopen-tourism-ditch-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3190762/coronavirus-tiny-bhutan-set-reopen-tourism-ditch-zero-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Aug 2022 01:01:32 +0000