Banking Tech Partnership: BIL Suisse renewed its core banking and automation partnership with Avaloq, extending the Avaloq platform via SaaS and adding open-architecture work to plug in third-party fintech while strengthening KYC and straight-through securities/funds processing. Payments for SMEs: Statrys rolled out local account capabilities in the UK, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark and Liechtenstein for Hong Kong SMEs, letting firms route payments via local networks and manage costs with market-specific IBAN details. Defence Industry Access: The EEA Committee cleared Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway for broader participation in the €1.5bn European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), aiming to boost supply-chain security and industrial readiness. Crypto Regulation Expansion: Bitcoin Suisse’s Middle East unit won full Abu Dhabi Global Market approval to offer regulated digital-asset services across the UAE, including custody and hedging for institutional clients. Trade & Manufacturing Links: Vietnam’s decade-long EFTA FTA talks concluded, expected to deepen integration and attract investment into processing, manufacturing and clean-energy sectors—an angle that also ties into Norway’s duty-free salmon deal with Vietnam. Border Tech Pressure: The EU refused to suspend EES biometric border checks despite airport and airline complaints, while ETIAS rollout faces potential delay after EES disruptions. Energy Prices Watch: A price roundup put Liechtenstein among the highest gasoline markets in the comparison, with Hong Kong and several European countries also topping the list.