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☆ Bhutan's new 'Mindfulness City' is massive — with plans showing a city unlike any other in the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The kingdom of Bhutan is planning a "mindfulness city" that, if built, will cover some 2.5% of the country — an area larger than Singapore. Plans show the 1,000-square-kilometer city will be built near the town of Gelephu, along Bhutan's southern border with India. "Gelephu Mindfulness City," as it's called in the project's masterplan, will serve as an economic hub and gateway for tourists to the rest of the country, according to a press release published in late January. However, most other international visitors fly into Paro International Airport, near Bhutan's largest city and capital, Thimphu, which is some 26 square kilometers in size. Like Saudi Arabia's planned linear city, called The Line, Gelephu Mindfulness City rethinks how modern cities look, function and serve the needs of residents.

Persons: Bhutan's, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Organizations: Paro International, Saudi Locations: Bhutan, Singapore, Gelephu, India, Paro, Bhutan's, Thimphu

☆ Bhutan Votes in Preliminary Round of National Elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Gopal SharmaKATHMANDU (Reuters) - Bhutan began voting on Thursday in the preliminary round of national elections to choose two political parties that will contest the fourth free vote since democracy was established in the Himalayan kingdom 15 years ago. Nestled between China and India, Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, an economic gauge that takes into account factors normally ignored by gross domestic product measures, like recreation and emotional well-being. Nearly half a million of the country’s fewer than 800,000 people are eligible to vote for the five political parties that are in the fray. The two parties that win the highest number of votes will qualify for the final round of the election to the 47-member National Assembly, set to take place on Jan. 9. Analysts say all five political parties have vowed to boost the $3 billion economy that is dependent on aid and tourism.

Persons: Gopal Sharma, “, ”, Karma, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Assembly, Bhutan, Analysts Locations: Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Bhutan, China, India, Punakha, Thimphu, Switzerland

☆ Remote mountain Kingdom of Bhutan is operating secret, state-owned Bitcoin mining facilities, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Forbes said it had identified the sites of four secret, state-owned Bitcoin mining facilities in Bhutan. El Salvador is the only other country known to operate state-owned Bitcoin mining facilities. AdvertisementThe Kingdom of Bhutan has secretly developed a series of bitcoin mining facilities, a Forbes investigation has revealed. Other images also show high-capacity power lines and transformers running from Bhutan's hydroelectric plants to the mining sites, Forbes reported. The Dochula Pass is a Bhutanese mountain pass located on the road from Thimphu to Punakha, near where one of the mining facilities has been discovered.

Persons: Forbes, —, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Organizations: Service, Forbes, Labs, Google, Education, VW Locations: Bhutan, El Salvador, Dochula, Trongsa, Thimphu, Punakha, India, Salvador

Most of the recent arrivals have settled in Perth, Western Australia, where they have enrolled in courses such as childcare, hospitality and accounting. Tashi Kipchu, a 25-year-old education consultant, is one of many who came to Australia last year in search of better opportunities. People don't see an opportunity out there," said Kipchu, who studied marketing at the University of Western Australia. That accelerated after the reopening of borders in Australia in 2022, with official data showing student visa applications from Bhutan jumping fivefold in the fiscal year ended June. At Kingston International College, a vocational education provider in Western Australia, about 150 Bhutanese students receive training, said managing director Tandin Dorji, himself a Bhutanese migrant.

Persons: Cathal McNaughton SYDNEY, Tashi Kipchu, Kipchu, Phil Honeywood, Sonam Tobgay, Tandin Dorji, Dorji, Stella Qiu, Gopal Sharma, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, University of Western, International Education Association of Australia, Bhutan's, Kingston International College, Thomson Locations: Thimphu, Bhutan, KATHMANDU, Australia, Perth, Western Australia, University of Western Australia, South Asia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutanese, Sydney, Kathmandu

☆ Bhutan welcomes back tourists after COVID-19 with honey, turmeric and SIM cards
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A group of foreign tourists with a local guide walk past a row of shops selling handicrafts in Thimphu May 22, 2012. Wedged between China and India, the country known for its natural beauty and ancient Buddhist culture, first opened to wealthy tourists in 1974. In March 2020 it shut its borders to visitors - a major source of income - after detecting its first case of COVID-19. "We feel through tourism we can do that ... take advantage of their support and goodwill," he told Reuters from Bhutan, referring to the international community. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Gopal SharmaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ You can visit Bhutan again — if you're willing to cough up $200 a day in fees
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Monica Buchanan Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Andrew Stranovsky Photography | Moment | Getty ImagesSam Blyth, chair of The Bhutan Canada Foundation and founder of the Trans Bhutan Trail, said the fees will go directly to help local communities. Travelers, too, will benefit from the increased fees, according to the Tourism Council. However, the Tourism Council of Bhutan said the pandemic provided the right time "to reset the sector." He is the founder of the Trans Bhutan Trail, a not-for-profit company that helped revitalize a 250-mile ancient trail that traverses the center of the country. Sam Blyth, Trans Bhutan Trail, visiting Bhutan, trekking Bhutan

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