Tourism Access Boost: Bhutan’s 24-hour SDF waiver for regional visitors is set to expand beyond Rinchending from September, with approved packages and licensed guides enabling stops at Milarepa Lhakhang (about 15 km away) and the Pachu Community Ecotourism Site (about an hour from Phuentshogling), part of a push to turn the border town into a tourism destination. Heritage Volunteer Call: Registration has reopened for Project 108, inviting new and returning volunteers to help raise 108 Jangchub Chortens at Gelephu Mindfulness City on Nov 1, 2026, after a verification round flagged incomplete entries. Bhutan Tourism Business Angle: A case study highlights how Petros Stone engineered natural black slate for a Bhutan monastery’s outdoor pathways—built for monsoon durability, slip resistance, and long-term weathering. Local Travel Economy: Roadside roasted corn vendors along Bhutan’s busy corridors say local maize supply runs out quickly in peak tourist months, so many rely on imports from nearby Indian towns to keep stalls running. People & Community: British Buddhist nun Ani Pema Deki (Emma Slade) received a British Citizen Award for her decade of work supporting children with different abilities in Bhutan through her charity Opening Your Heart to Bhutan.