Spanish Politics & Finance: The Bank of Spain faces fresh scrutiny as Sumar asks for transparency and accountability ahead of José Luis Escrivá’s appearance before Congress, with objections raised over the institution’s management and accounts. Courts & Corruption: Spain’s Supreme Court sentencing of former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in the pandemic masks graft case keeps the political heat on, while Begoña Gómez is ordered to stand trial and surrender her passport. Energy & Climate Risk: Europe’s early heatwave is stressing the grid, with France issuing widespread red alerts and Spain, Germany and others bracing for extreme temperatures and higher electricity demand. Defense Industry: Germany and France agree to jointly own KNDS, aiming to strengthen European defense industry and sovereignty after scrapping a joint fighter-jet project that also involved Spain. Business & Productivity: BBVA chair Carlos Torres Vila argues Spain and Europe must boost productivity via investment, innovation, faster tech adoption and AI to finance major transitions. Digital Payments: The European Parliament is set to unblock the digital euro plan, including an offline “tokenized cash” model and rules for cross-border use. Sports & Economy: Spain’s World Cup campaign continues to draw attention as Cape Verde stun Spain and Messi sets a World Cup scoring record—fueling broader fan spending and market chatter.