Real Estate Finance & WealthTech: wecity and PwC unveiled their first Observatory on alternative and WealthTech real estate financing, arguing tighter bank capital rules are creating a “capital gap” that pushes developers toward alternative credit and faster, tech-enabled wealth investment access. NATO & Defence Industry: as leaders head to the Ankara summit, coverage highlights pressure on Europe to raise defence spending and Turkey’s push to win a bigger role in European security, banking on its fast-growing defence sector. Cruise vs Hotel Taxes: a new study says cruise stays in Europe can face far lower taxes than hotels, sparking calls for national levies on cruise tickets to better reflect environmental costs—Italy is cited in the modelling. Energy & Infrastructure: Italy is linked to a solar railway trial idea after Switzerland’s test, while separate reporting notes Italy’s grid and power infrastructure upgrades and the broader push for cleaner energy integration. Tech & Finance: Thought Machine says it secured £30m funding from a tier-1 bank as revenues topped $100m, and JD.com’s conditional approval to buy Ceconomy (€22bn) is framed as a major offline retail expansion move across Europe. Markets & Regulation: Binance halts crypto trading in parts of the EU after failing to secure MiCA licensing in France, with services limited to withdrawals.