News: Bhutan Today - Royal Marriag

Her Royal Highness Princess Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck was married to Dasho Phub Dorji

Her Royal Highness Princess Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck was married to Dasho Phub Dorji at the Mothithang palace today.

The Tendrel ceremony of the Royal wedding today was performed by His Holiness Gyalse Trulku. His Majesty the King, His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo, Her Majesty the Royal Grand Mother, Their Majesties the Queen Mothers and members of the royal family attended the ceremony.

Her Royal Highness Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck graduated from Harvard Law School with an LLM in 2007 and started work at the High Court of Bhutan. Her Royal Highness has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in the US. Her Royal Highness interned with a highly reputed legal firm in San Francisco and returned to Bhutan to complete the Post Graduate Diploma in National Law.

Dasho Phub Dorji has a Masters degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from George Washington University. He topped the 2004 civil service examinations and currently works in the Finance Ministry.

After the marriage ceremony, His Majesty the King, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Her Majesty the Royal Grand Mother, Their Majesties the Queen Mothers, other royal family members and well-wishers offered Tashi Khadhar.

Source: BBS

News: Bhutan Today - His Holiness the Je Khenpo inaugurated the first Tshechu of Panbang Dungkhag

His Holiness the Je Khenpo inaugurated the first Tshechu of Panbang Dungkhag at Sonamthang Lhakhang today. This year the Tshechu will only be for a day. However from next year the Tshechu will be performed for three days annually.

Our reporter Sonam Rinchen in Panbang says people from Bjoka, Goshing, Nangla and Pangkhar geogs walked for two to three days to witness the first Tshechu in their Dungkhag.

Meanwhile, His Holiness also visited the Sonamthang Middle Secondary School, the police station and Dungkhag office and performed Lhabsang Thruesel.

Coinciding with the inauguration today, His Holiness also consecrated a Guru Tshengay Thongdrol.

His Holiness arrived in Panbang yesterday. Upon arrival, His Holiness was received by the Dzongda, Lam Neten and the people of Panbang.

His Holiness will leave for Samdrupjongkhar tomorrow.

Source: BBS

News: Gross National Happiness

OUT OF THE PICTURE - A group of homeless people in Thimphu remind society about the difficult search for Gross National Happiness.

Source: Kuenselonline

News: Phuentsholing Thimphu Highway Blocked

The co-passenger of the Wagon R car, which plunged into the Paro river on March 26, is still missing, according to police.

The vehicle, on its way to Thimphu from Paro, fell into the river while maneouvering a bend two kilometres away from the Chunzom police checkpoint. A search team from the Paro police found the body of the driver, who was in his early 30s, on March 28.

Both men were found missing when police arrived at the scene. They found the car entirely submerged in the river. The accident was reported to police by officials at the Chunzom checkpost.

The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.

Source: Kuenselonline

News: Education ministers from the eight SAARC member nations met in Sri Lanka

Education ministers from the eight SAARC member nations met in Sri Lanka for the first meeting of the SAARC Ministers of Education this week.

Addressing the meeting, Bhutan’s education minister Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel said that conference is important as education is the single most powerful instrument for the empowerment and development of the people.

Lyonpo Thakur said that South Asia is home to more than 20% of the world’s youth and one sixth of the world’s total population.

The education minister said that Bhutan is excited about the advent of the South Asian University as it will put the region back on the intellectual orbit.

Lyonpo added that with the advent of democracy in Bhutan, education is called upon to enlighten and empower the people to internalize the essentials of this new system and become its keepers and its custodians.

The meeting also deliberated on re-shaping and re-modeling higher education policies in South Asia to increase youth employment and to meet the needs of the 21st century.

Source: BBS