Digital Payments & Travel Convenience: The Maldives and India have gone live with the Favara–UPI cross-border payment corridor, letting people in the Maldives send real-time person-to-person transfers to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India via mobile banking (initially through Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank), with transactions in MVR credited in INR; future phases point to QR-based merchant payments. Tourism & Hospitality (Bhutan): Bhutan’s Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB) is pushing for clearer, more practical hotel classification and subsidy rules after concerns that seasonal staffing and eligibility requirements are leaving some hotels unable to qualify for the Economic Stimulus Programme interest subsidy. Conservation & Community (Bhutan): On Global Tiger Day, three new community projects were launched in Nubi Gewog (Trongsa) to reduce human-tiger conflict, including an early-warning approach to prevent encounters and a results-based Tiger Impact Certificate concept to reward verified coexistence outcomes. Local Travel Experience (Bhutan): Tsirang District is building an Economic Hub in Damphu—market space for organic farm produce plus cafes and recreation facilities—aimed at boosting local business and visitor experiences. Culture & Tourism (Bhutan): A Bhutanese book, Compendium of Traditional Wisdom on Tiger, was launched using Buddhist scriptures and local cultural beliefs to strengthen tiger conservation messaging rooted in community values.