(ROME) — As Pope Francis begins his 23rd consecutive day in hospital, the Vatican says that his “overall condition remains stable within his complex medical situation and the prognosis remains reserved.”
“The pope had a quiet night,” the Vatican said Saturday morning. “The pope is resting.”
On Friday, the 88-year-old pontiff “spent about 20 minutes in prayer in his chapel on the 10th floor apartment and the rest of the day alternated between rest, physiotherapy, prayer and a bit of work,” the Vatican said.
He continues to use “high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and non-invasive mechanical ventilation at night as he has done these past days,” according to the Vatican.
“The doctors are still maintaining the prognosis as reserved,” the Vatican said.
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
(AUSTRALIA) — The discovery of a massive crater formed by the impact of a meteorite more than three billion years ago is changing the way scientists view the history of Earth and the planet’s stages of evolution.
Researchers in Australia found the crater in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and believe it’s the oldest impact crater in the world, at about 3.5 billion years old. That surpasses the previous record-holding impact crater by more than 1.25 billion years, according to a paper published in Nature Communications on Thursday.
A distinctive rock formation helped the research team locate the Pilbara crater. “Exceptionally preserved” shatter cones – that is, cone-shaped fractures found in rocks that have been subjected to extreme pressure from a shock wave – were located near the impact site, a 62-mile-wide area now called North Pole Dome, the scientists said.
The shatter cones offer “unequivocal evidence” of a very high-speed impact about 3.47 billion years ago, the researchers said. The meteorite likely struck Earth at more than 22,370 miles per hour, according to the paper.
The “major planetary event” would have resulted in a crater more than 60 miles wide, the researchers said.
In addition, the Pilbara crater sheds new light on how meteorites shaped the Earth’s early environment, said Chris Kirkland, a geologist at Curtin University in Australia and co-lead author of the study, in a statement.
The meteorite strike may have even contributed to the formation of cratons, which are large, stable landmasses that became the foundation of continents, Kirkland said.
The impact could have kicked up rock deep beneath the earth that eventually spread globally as the meteorite strike sent debris flying. The age of the impact is “statistically indistinguishable” from old rock beds in South Africa, according to the study.
“[T]he tremendous amount of energy from this impact could have played a role in shaping early Earth’s crust by pushing one part of the Earth’s crust under another, or by forcing magma to rise from deep within the Earth’s mantle toward the surface,” Kirkland said.
Previous research indicates that large impacts were common in the early solar system, said Tim Johnson, a geologist at Curtin University and a co-author of the paper, in a statement. The moon itself, with more than a million craters exceeding one kilometer (.62 miles) in diameter, is evidence of “intense bombardment,” according to the paper.
Impact craters also create friendly environments for microbial life, such as hot water pools, Kirkland said. The East Pilbara Terrain, which is part of the Pilbara Craton, contains an approximately 125-mile-diameter landmass containing mostly Paleoarchaean cratonic crust, estimated to be about 3.48 billion years old, according to the paper.
The second-oldest impact crater, estimated to have been created about 2.2 billion years ago, is also located in Western Australia, southwest of Pilbara, in Yarrabubba.
The discovery of the Pilbara crater challenges previous assumptions about the planet’s ancient history and provides a “crucial piece of the puzzle of Earth’s impact,” Johnson said.
The findings also suggest there could be other ancient craters on Earth waiting to be discovered, according to Johnson.
“Until now, the absence of any truly ancient craters means they are largely ignored by geologists,” he said.
(LONDON and ROME) — Pope Francis’ “overall condition remains stable within his complex medical situation and the prognosis remains reserved,” the Vatican said Friday.
The pope “spent about 20 minutes in prayer in his chapel on the 10th floor apartment and the rest of the day alternated between rest, physiotherapy, prayer and a bit of work,” the Vatican said.
He continues to use “high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and non-invasive mechanical ventilation at night as he has done these past days,” according to the Vatican.
The pope “had a tranquil night and woke shortly after 8 a.m.” on Friday morning, the Vatican said, coming a day after he made his first public comments since being hospitalized on Feb. 14.
The 88-year-old pope “remained stable compared to previous days” and did not have “episodes of respiratory insufficiency” on Thursday, his 21st day in the hospital, the Vatican said in its evening update.
While Friday marks his 22nd consecutive day in hospital, the pontiff offered up hope on Thursday in the form of his first public comments since being hospitalized.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you,” the pope said in a recorded statement made in Spanish. The statement was played at the start of the rosary in St. Peter’s Square.
The pope “continued with respiratory and motor physiotherapy with benefit,” the Vatican press office, the Holy See, said Thursday in its evening update. “Hemodynamic parameters and blood tests remained stable. He did not present fever.”
“The doctors are still maintaining the prognosis as reserved,” the Vatican said.
The Vatican said that, “in view of the stability of the clinical picture,” it won’t provide another medical update on the pope until Saturday.
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
(WASHINGTON) — The United States Secret Service said it has seized a Russian cryptocurrency exchange website, according to court documents unsealed on Friday.
The Justice Department also charged the two administrators of that website with a multimillion-dollar money laundering scheme, court documents said.
Between 2019 and 2025, Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda, 40, a Russian national, allegedly controlled and operated Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Moscow.
The two allegedly “operated Garantex to launder the proceeds of criminal activity, including ransomware, computer hacking, narcotics transactions, and sanctions violations, and profited from the laundering. Garantex offered its services to the public first through the website Garantex.io and then through Garantex.org. Garantex also misled law enforcement, including the Russian police, about the identities of its customers,” the documents said.
The Justice Department said that since April 2019, Garantex has processed $96 billion in crypto transactions and noted that those proceeds were allegedly used to fund illicit activities.
“The seizure of website domains associated with Garantex’s operations and the freezing of over $26 million in cryptocurrency strikes a serious financial blow to cybercriminals worldwide,” said Michael Centrella, assistant director of the Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations. “Alongside our U.S. and international law enforcement partners, this coordinated action will prevent additional funds from falling into the hands of criminals.”
Court documents said Besciokov allegedly knew there were two different accounts linked to North Korean cyber threat actors but still let them use the cryptocurrency exchange.
The company was also under sanctions from the U.S. since at least 2022.
“By in and around early 2023, BESCIOKOV and his co-conspirators had also redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions,” the indictment said. “For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts.”
Besciokov and Serda also allegedly took steps to conceal themselves from Russian law enforcement, according to the court records.
(PARIS) — Eurostar trains to London, including all trains heading to northern France, stopped abruptly on Friday morning after an unexploded bomb dating back to World War II was discovered near the tracks, officials said.
The unexploded ordinance was discovered approximately 1.5 miles north of Gare du Nord in Saint Denis, an area just north of Paris where the Stade de France – the national stadium of France – is located and where dozens of Olympic events were held, including the closing ceremonies, last year.
“Traffic is interrupted between Paris Gare du Nord and La Plaine Stade France in both directions and disrupted on the rest of the line. Traffic will not resume until mid-afternoon, after formal authorization from the authorities,” France’s national train operator SNCF said in a statement on Friday morning. “If possible, we invite you to postpone your trip.”
The reason listed was due to “intervention by law enforcement” following the discovery of an unexploded bomb from the second World War near the tracks at Paris Nord, SNCF said.
Gare Du Nord in Paris is the busiest railway station in Europe by passenger numbers and served over 211 million people alone in 2022.
Dozens of passengers could be seen waiting in the station with their luggage as they watched trains being canceled across the passenger information boards.
It is unclear how large the ordinance is or how long it will take authorities to clear the area before regular services resumes.
The investigation is currently ongoing.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Morgan Winsor and Tom Soufi-Burridge contributed to this report.
(KYIV, Ukraine) — Russia has carried out a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight, targeting energy and gas infrastructure in various regions, Ukrainian officials said Friday morning.
A total of 261 missiles and drones were launched by Russia, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, which said it used Mirage-2000 fighter jets for the first time alongside F-16s to repel the attack.
The latest attack is one of the largest air attacks of the war to date as Russia, in recent months, has dramatically increased the number of drones it can launch every night against Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there can be “no pause” in pressure on Russia earlier this week just the day after the U.S. confirmed it had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
President Donald Trump’s decision to pause all U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing has raised concerns that Ukraine’s air defenses will become less effective in the days, weeks and months to come.
The pause followed last week’s explosive Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump. White House officials have suggested the freeze may be lifted if Ukraine takes concrete steps towards a peace deal with Russia to end Moscow’s 3-year-old invasion.
It now appears likely that Russia will try to increase these attacks at a critical time as the end of U.S. intelligence sharing and supplies of anti-aircraft missiles could weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend against them.
Russian missiles and drone attacks are a nightly occurrence in Ukraine. The country has become largely reliant on Western anti-air weapons to defeat incoming projectiles.
U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine had allowed Kyiv to give warnings to targeted areas ahead of Russian drone and missile strikes, tracking Russian aircraft taking off, drones being launched and missiles being fired.
A Ukrainian intelligence official told ABC News on Wednesday that the intelligence sharing pause included a halt in sharing U.S. satellite imagery through the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Trump has repeatedly — and falsely — blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia while seeking to undermine Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as president. The White House is pushing Kyiv to accept a deal to end the fighting and to sign an agreement giving the U.S. access to Ukrainian mineral resources.
(ROME) — Pope Francis “had a tranquil night and woke shortly after 8 a.m.” on Friday morning, the Vatican said, coming a day after he made his first public comments since being hospitalized on Feb. 14.
The 88-year-old pope “remained stable compared to previous days” and did not have “episodes of respiratory insufficiency” on Thursday, his 21st day in the hospital, the Vatican in its evening update.
While Friday marks his 22nd consecutive day in hospital, the pontiff offered up hope on Thursday in the form of his first public comments since being hospitalized.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you,” the pope said in a recorded statement made in Spanish. The statement was played at the start of the rosary in St. Peter’s Square.”
The pope “continued with respiratory and motor physiotherapy with benefit,” the Vatican press office, the Holy See, said Thursday in its evening update. “Hemodynamic parameters and blood tests remained stable. He did not present fever.”
“The doctors are still maintaining the prognosis as reserved,” the Vatican said.
The Vatican said that, “in view of the stability of the clinical picture,” it won’t provide another medical update on the pope until Saturday.
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
(JERUSALEM) — Two Palestinian men found themselves handcuffed and in shackles, detained by Israeli police in a Jerusalem courtroom. To an outside observer, they may have appeared to be criminals; however, the reality of their situation was far more troubling. Their so-called “crime”? Simply selling books.
Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad were arrested after Israeli police raided their family-owned Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem and confiscated books.
“Jerusalem District police officers have arrested two residents of East Jerusalem suspected of selling books containing incitement and support for terrorism at bookstores in Jerusalem,” Israeli police said in a statement.
The statement continued: “During a focused operation by detectives from the David subdistrict, searches were conducted at two bookstores suspected of selling books with inciting content. The suspects who allegedly sold the books were taken into custody by police detectives. As part of the investigation, detectives discovered numerous books containing inciteful material with nationalist Palestinian themes, including a children’s coloring book titled ‘From the River to the Sea.'”
Ahmad and Mahmoud are both in their 30s. While they are no longer under house arrest, they are still banned from entering the bookstores they know and love, despite not being charged with any crimes.
“It was heartbreaking for me,” Ahmad said. “And I mean, I really mean it, every time he chucks the books out, I was like, ‘for God’s sake, like, why are you doing this?'”
Security footage from the store shows the moment when plainclothes officers raided the men’s well-known bookstore in predominantly Muslim East Jerusalem. The officers sifted through the shelves, took photos, and stuffed some books into plastic bags.
Ahmad and Mahmoud were placed under house arrest for five days, following approximately 48 hours in police custody.
“Google Translate became handy,” Ahmad said. “Each of them opened their phone and started taking photos of the books and trying to Google translate it. Does it have the Palestinian flag? Does it have a drawing, does it have the image of the [West Bank] wall? Then the search became about the contents. But the decision was made according to the cover and the design of the book rather than what’s inside it.”
The children’s coloring book titled “From the River to the Sea,” cited in the police statement, serves as a rallying cry for some activists advocating for the liberation of Palestinians from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, an area that includes modern-day Israel. Many consider it offensive code for wiping Israel off the map, as Hamas has vowed to do.
The owners claim that the book was not on display; it was in the back where they review all submitted books before putting them up for sale.
“Nothing has changed about the books,” Ahmad said. “Nothing has changed about the bookshop. But what has changed is the place that we live in. That’s what have changed. We live in a place that in the last few years have become more radical.”
Ahmed and Mahmoud are only one floor apart, but for a period were not allowed to interact due to the terms of their arrests. Their bookshops, which have been operating for more than 40 years, have become vital hubs for the community.
People gather at their local bookshop, including residents, foreigners, journalists and diplomats, to learn more about this region and beyond.
While there are many books about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the shop also offers a diverse selection of literature from around the world, including classics, encyclopedias, cookbooks and books on architecture.
“The bookshop represents success, lights, (and) beauty,” Mahmoud said. “Some sort of happiness in the midst of bleakness. And once you step into the bookshop, it’s very colorful, it’s very bright, there’s lots of light, there’s lots of knowledge, there’s lots of good conversations. So for the community, the way they describe it often is that this is almost a refuge. This is a place to escape to.”
Family member Murad Muna is now running the store after it was briefly closed. He says the Israeli police took a lot of merchandise, about 100 books.
“They try to shut down the Palestinian voices,” Murad Muna said. Regarding some of the confiscated books, he said, “You can find them at the library of the Hebrew University. You can find them at the bookshops on the other side of the city. So they just target the Palestinian culture and try to shut it down.”
(ROME) — Pope Francis “remained stationary” on Wednesday, “without showing any episodes of respiratory failure,” but rested peacefully overnight into Thursday, the Vatican said.
The pope, 88, received “high-flow oxygen therapy during the day, and noninvasive mechanical ventilation will be resumed during the night,” the Vatican’s press office said in its evening update.
“The Holy Father increased his respiratory physiotherapy and active motor therapy,” the Vatican’s press office, the Holy See, said. Pope Francis spent his 20th day in hospital on Wednesday in an armchair, participated in the “ritual blessing of the Holy Ashes that were imposed on him by the celebrant” and received the Eucharist, the Vatican said.
“During the morning he also called Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family in Gaza. In the afternoon he alternated rest with work,” the Vatican said.
LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday to meet with European leaders as his nation seeks to weather continued attacks from Russia and growing political pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration in the U.S.
The Ukrainian president’s latest visit to Brussels comes at a difficult moment for his nation, the White House having announced an open-ended pause on all military aid and intelligence sharing in a bid to force Kyiv into negotiating a peace deal with Russia to end Moscow’s three-year-old invasion.
The freeze came after a tumultuous meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump in the Oval Office last week, which descended into a shouting match and ended with the Ukrainian president’s team being asked to leave.
Zelenskyy this week released a statement calling the meeting “regrettable,” saying he is ready to engage in the U.S.-facilitated peace process and sign a controversial minerals sharing deal with the U.S.
Zelenskyy was welcomed to the European Council building in the Belgian capital on Thursday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
“Europe faces a clear and present danger,” von der Leyen said in a post to X as Zelenskyy arrived. “We must be able to defend ourselves and put Ukraine in a position of strength.”
Zelenskyy will speak at a special meeting of the European Council and is expected to hold meetings with European leaders on defense matters.
European leaders have rallied to Zelenskyy’s defense in the face of U.S. pressure, while simultaneously warning that peace in Ukraine is not possible without American backing. The U.K. and France have said they will work with Kyiv to present a peace deal to Trump.
European allies have been rattled by the opening months of Trump’s second term, which have been characterized by efforts to undermine Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, alignment with Russian narratives about the war and criticism of Europe’s ability to ensure security on the continent.
Trump and his officials have been reluctant to offer any security guarantees to Kyiv as part of a peace deal with Russia — an element Zelenskyy and his European partners say is vital to the success of any accord.
European nations announced fresh tranches of assistance for Ukraine ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival in Brussels.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced that his nation would provide $3.8 billion in funding in 2026, $700 million of which is earmarked for drone development.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said his nation would ensure a “significant increase” in aid for Ukraine, while Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced another $215 million in aid from Warsaw.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, meanwhile, said on France Inter that his nation was sharing intelligence resources with Ukraine following the U.S. freeze.
ABC News’ Guy Davies and Oleksiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report.
