Pope Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital on Saturday after being treated for bronchitis. Before leaving, he had an emotional moment with a couple whose 5-year-old daughter had died at the hospital the night before. His recovery has been celebrated by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, with the Pope himself leaving the hospital with a quip to journalists and a gesture of surprise when a boy showed him his arm cast.
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Pope Francis is set to be discharged from a Rome hospital on Saturday, where he was treated for bronchitis. He will be present for the Palm Sunday Mass at the start of Holy Week, although it is not yet confirmed if he will deliver the homily. During his hospital stay, he baptized a baby in the pediatrics ward and has been receiving antibiotics intravenously.
Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter known as the “Blade Runner”, was denied parole by a parole board in Pretoria, South Africa following a hearing. The board cited a new clarification on Pistorius’ sentence that was issued by South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal and determined that Pistorius had not served the “minimum detention period” required to be released. This decision comes after Pistorius had served seven years of his 13-year sentence for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been released from a Romanian jail after winning an appeal to replace his detention with house arrest. The Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned the judge's decision, allowing Tate to remain under house arrest until Apr. 29. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with Tate's supporters relieved and his detractors concerned about the implications for future cases.
On Wednesday, Russian authorities arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg. U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan has warned that Gershkovich is likely to face a sham, closed trial on espionage charges and endure tough treatment. This arrest is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions between Russia and the West, and the international community is urged to pay attention to the case and take action.
Monica de Leon Barba, a 29-year-old American woman, has been missing since Nov. 29 when she was last seen walking her dog home from work in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, Mexico. Her family found her dog on the street and the FBI is offering a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to her recovery. Her brother said she was visiting Tepatitlán when she was kidnapped and her family has described the last four months as "torturous."
After decades of captivity, Lolita the killer whale is one step closer to returning to her natural habitat in the Pacific Northwest. An unlikely coalition of the Miami Seaquarium, an animal rights group, and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay have announced a binding agreement to relocate Lolita in the next 18-24 months. The plan is to reunite Lolita with her nearly century-old mother, who still swims in her home waters.
Oscar Pistorius, a former Olympic runner and Paralympic gold medalist, was denied parole on Friday after a hearing at a prison in Pretoria, South Africa. The board considered Pistorius' conduct and disciplinary record in prison, his participation in educational or other training courses, and his mental and physical state to assess whether the 36-year-old would still pose a threat to public safety. Steenkamp's mother June was present at the hearing, and Pistorius will be able to reapply for parole in another year.