16:32⇢Sánchez Skips Pope's Funeral While Boosting Defense Budget
⌨The newspapers extensively cover Prime Minister Sánchez's announcement of a €10.47 billion defense spending increase to reach NATO's 2% GDP target this year, with details showing only 18.7% will go toward weapons, while the rest funds digital security and salary improvements (El Español, El Confidencial, infoLibre, La Marea, Público). Multiple outlets report that Sánchez will not attend Pope Francis's funeral this Saturday, with Ministers Montero, Díaz, and Bolaños representing the government instead, making him the only major country leader skipping the event (El Plural, La Razón, 20minutos). The funeral will follow Francis's wishes for a more modest ceremony than Benedict XVI's (El Mundo, RTVE).