Amid a global pandemic, humanitarian crises, wars, disasters and other bleak news, lighthearted stories are as necessary as ever. Here is a pick of the week's best funny, silly, strange and quirky news from around the world.

Returning a birthday cake... 77 years later

An Italian woman whose 13th birthday cake was stolen by U.S. soldiers at the end of World War II got a special ceremony and a belated cake last week in Vicenza, northeast Italy.

Meri Mion's mother had baked her a cake and left it to cool on the window sill on April 29, 1945.

The previous day, there had been heavy fighting between U.S. and German troops nearby. But while U.S. soldiers forced the Germans to retreat, they also made off with Mion's cake.

Seventy-seven years later, the U.S. Army made up for the theft by honoring her at a small ceremony with U.S. and Italian veterans, officials and locals, where Mion was handed a fruit-topped cake with the words "Happy 90th Birthday" written in Italian.

The crowd also sang "Happy Birthday," as Mion wiped away tears.

"Tomorrow, we will eat that dessert with all my family remembering this wonderful day that I will never forget," she said.

Beware, moon criminals!

Think you can escape the law if you leave Earth? Think again!

Canada passed an amendment to its Criminal Code last week that will now allow it to prosecute Canadian astronauts for crimes committed on the moon, according to AFP. Previously, the Criminal Code was already amended to include crimes committed during missions to the International Space Station.

This comes as NASA prepares to send the first crewed mission to the moon in half a century in 2025, with a Canadian astronaut expected to be on board.

"A Canadian crew member who, during a space flight, commits an act or omission outside Canada that if committed in Canada would constitute an indictable offense is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada," the new amendment reads.

This would include crimes committed en route to moon's orbit or "on the surface of the moon," it says.

Reading for early release

Bookworms rejoice! A new program meant to increase literary in Bolivia's jails will now allow inmates to get released early if they complete a certain amount of reading.

The state program "Books behind bars" has been launched in 47 prisons that do not have resources to pay for education, reintegration or social assistance programs, and 865 inmates have already taken it up, Reuters reports.

They may only get a few days or weeks shaved off their time in prison, but the reading program is also meant to give them hope and something to do, according to the Ombudsman's Office.

Bolivia's prisons and jails are known for having overcrowded and unsanitary conditions and the slow judicial system means pre-trial detention can last for years.

But for some at least, it is now possible to escape their cells for a short while, through the pages of a book.

"When I read, I am in contact with the whole universe. The walls and bars disappear," said one inmate.

Read more: 

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world - April 29, 2021

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world - April 1, 2022