Pope Francis baptized 28 babies in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, joking when their cries hit a crescendo that “the concert has begun” and that perhaps Jesus’ baby cries were his first “homily.”
Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, marked what is believed to be either his 33rd or 34th birthday without the kind of adulatory festivities that accompanied the birthdays of his late grandfather and late father, a decision that North Korean officials said reflects Kim’s “humble” nature and respect for his forebears.
Martin Shkreli, the former chief executive officer of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, had his Twitter account suspended after a female reporter posted about several unwanted digital advances from him and after he continued to post about her.
Sue Johnston, 51, of Vermont is believed to be the first person to hike 48 New Hampshire mountains every month for a year, for a total of 576 peaks in 2016, The Concord Monitor reported.
Al Garver, an executive at SeaWorld in San Diego, said the park’s new program — which will replace its theatrical killer whale show and is being billed as an educational experience that will show how the whales eat, communicate and navigate — will still feature a whale leaping out of the water.
Tina Westendorp’s Moo-ville Creamery in Nashville, Mich., was recognized by Guinness World Records for making the world’s longest ice cream sundae, which spanned 3,656 feet, the Muskegon Chronicle reported.
Sara Packer, 41, of Pennsylvania, whose dismembered 14-year-old daughter’s remains were found in the woods in October, was charged along with her boyfriend in the killing of the girl, whom Packer had adopted, in what officials called a “rape-murder fantasy” the couple shared, a prosecutor said.
Chris Kuhar, executive director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, compared the death of Bebac, a 32-yearold gorilla, to “losing a family member,” and said that 29-year-old Mokolo, the zoo’s other male western lowland gorilla, appears also to be in mourning, “calling to figure out where Bebac went” and showing more agitation than usual.
Cyrus Habib, Washington state’s blind lieutenant governor-elect, after being sworn in will be able to utilize upgrades in the Senate chamber that include a Braille system that will allow Habib to know by the touch of his finger which lawmaker is seeking to be recognized to speak.