Spain To Observe 3 Days Of Mourning For Pope Francis
Spain will observe three days of mourning to honour Pope Francis after the Argentine pontiff's death on Monday aged 88, Justice Minister Felix Bolanos said in a televised address.
"We regret the death of a good man and a great pope. Therefore, the government of Spain will declare three days of official mourning," Bolanos said, praising Francis's "reformist" 12-year papacy that "will leave a legacy for history".
Francis "dedicated his life to the weak, to those who have nothing... a pope characterised by his struggle against inequality, injustices, his fight against climate change and his concern for all those on the peripheries", added Bolanos.
"For that reason, the government of Spain has always felt close to his work and his values, especially his defence of peace," the Socialist minister continued.
In Spain, historically a deeply Catholic country, "we loved him and what his papacy meant", said Bolanos.
"With his papacy the Church has started to travel a path which must continue."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Man Throws Rice In 'Black Magic' Bid During Delhi Court Hearing: Here's What Happened Next
The act caused proceedings to be stalled for nearly 15–20 minutes, with the accused later pleading guilty and assuring the court that he would not repeat such behaviour A Delhi court has sentenced a man to imprisonment till the rising of the court and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 after he disrupted proceedings by throwing rice on the courtroom floor during a hearing. The incident took place on August 11 before Additional Sessions Judge Shefali Barnala Tandon, according to officials. The court staff and lawyers said the accused, identified as Dr Chander Vibhas, deliberately scattered rice inside the packed courtroom, reported NDTV. 'The courtroom is full and the advocates present have requested the court to get the rice removed or cleaned (which is) spilt all over, and they hesitate to approach the dais for their matters to be taken up after this matter," the judge noted in her order. Black Magic Suspected The judge directed the accused to collect the rice and called for a sweeper. 'Till the time the sweeper comes, the court proceedings have been halted at the request of counsels present since they suspect black magic by the accused. The sweeper has come after 10 minutes and cleaned the floor," the order said. The accused's lawyer, appearing virtually, sought time to appear physically, while Dr Vibhas went down on his knees and apologised in the courtroom. When proceedings resumed at 2 pm, the judge underlined the seriousness of the act. 'The courtroom is a space where justice is sought and delivered and maintaining its dignity is essential for the rule of law. Disrespect towards the court or disruption of judicial proceedings sends a damaging public message, and such overt acts or behaviour of the accused not only disrupted the proceedings and undermined the judicial process but also threatened the very foundation of our legal system," she observed. The court held that the conduct amounted to an offence under Section 267 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with intentional insult or interruption to a public servant during judicial proceedings. Referring to the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, Judge Tandon added: 'This is very shocking and surprising that the present accused Dr. Chander Vibhas, who is stated to be a surgeon by profession and belonging to the educated and elite class, has acted in such an unreasonable manner and created an interruption in court proceedings." The act caused proceedings to be stalled for nearly 15–20 minutes. Vibhas later pleaded guilty and assured the court that he would not repeat such behaviour. view comments First Published: August 16, 2025, 11:36 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
After "Productive Talks", Putin Offers To Host Trump "Next Time In Moscow"
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Friday to host US counterpart Donald Trump in Moscow, extending the apparent invitation during a press conference for their high-stakes summit in Alaska focused on resolving the conflict in Ukraine. "Next time in Moscow," Putin told Trump in English after the US president thanked him and said he would "probably see you again very soon." "Oh, that's an interesting one," Trump responded. "I'll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV
13 hours ago
- NDTV
Delhi Notifies Law to Curb Arbitrary Fee Hikes in Private Schools
The Delhi government has notified the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, aimed at ending arbitrary fee hikes by private schools. The Bill, passed in the Delhi Assembly on August 8 after extended debate, covers all 1,700 private schools in the capital, a significant expansion from the earlier 1973 law, which applied to only around 300, as per the government. "This bill addresses all the concerns and the gazette notification has now been issued. Any government-recognised private school that feels threatened by this is welcome to forgo its government recognition," Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the notification during her Independence Day address. "I want to greet Delhi residents for the revolution in the education sector that has taken place. The education bill has been notified and I am happy to share this information on the occasion of Independence Day," she said. Parents' Town Hall On Friday, Mr Sood held a "Parents' Town Hall" in Janakpuri to explain the law's provisions. About 200 parents attended, questioning the minister on implementation timelines, penalty clauses, and parent participation in fee decisions. The law gives parents a role in the fee-fixation process, including veto power on proposed hikes. It mandates that any school raising fees without government approval will face fines of Rs 1 Lakh to Rs 10 lakh, with double penalties for failing to refund excess charges. For enforcement, the Director of Education will have powers equivalent to a Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Mr Sood said the measure was drafted after consultations with parents and education experts. "Private schools are necessary for Delhi, but transparency and accountability in fee fixation are equally essential," he told the gathering. The new process sets strict timelines - school-level committee decisions by July 15 every year, district-level by July 30, and final clearance by September. If no decision is made within 45 days, the matter will move to an appellate committee. Parents' Concerns While some parents welcomed the penalties for harassment and overcharging, others questioned the speed of the rollout. "The government's intent is good, but it looks like they have done it in a hurry. The main ethos of fee regulation is audit, and that is completely absent. Secondly, the composition of the school-level committee is nothing more than an extension of the school management. The penalties are a good aspect of the law, though," a parent told NDTV.
