AP Trending SummaryBrief at 1:27 a.m. EDT
In Benin, Voodoo’s birthplace, believers bemoan steady shrinkage of forests they revere as sacred
PORTO-NOVO, Benin (AP) — In Benin, the birthplace of Voodoo, practitioners of the faith believe the country’s forests are home to the spirits they seek guidance from and pray to. But those woodlands in the West African nation are disappearing because of development and other factors. In the West, Voodoo is sometimes regarded as evil, or conflated with witchcraft. But in Benin, Voodoo priests say the religion is grounded in positivity, based on tolerance and acceptance, and abides by a strict set of rules. Believers see the forests as homes for spirits, which priests pray to and seek guidance from.
Anchorage’s oldest building, a Russian Orthodox church, gets new life in restoration project
EKLUTNA, Alaska (AP) — A refurbishing effort will breathe new life into Anchorage’s oldest standing building, a simple Russian Orthodox log church dating from the era of Russia’s colonization of Alaska. The church features not only religious icons provided by Romanov czars but a cemetery blending burial traditions from Russia and the Indigenous beliefs of the Dena’ina Athabascan people. A three-year restoration project started this month at the old St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Eklutna, an Indigenous village that is the only Alaska Native community within the municipality of Anchorage.
Jagger watches Barcelona wear Stones logo in ‘clasico’ but Beatles fan Bellingham gets Madrid winner
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona aligned with the Rolling Stones for the “clasico” soccer game against Real Madrid when Mick Jagger showed up to see the home team wear special jerseys featuring the iconic logo of his legendary rock group. But a Beatles fan had the last laugh on Saturday. Jagger and fellow Stones member Ronnie Wood were in attendance at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium where Barcelona’s players wore jerseys featuring the Rolling Stones’ “hot lips” logo in place of the normal shirt sponsor. Madrid won after Jude Bellingham struck twice, including once in injury time, to seal a 2-1 comeback victory. After the game Madrid cheekily posted an image of Bellingham with the message “The Beatles were always my favorite band” on social media.
The last new Beatles song, ‘Now And Then,’ will be released next week
NEW YORK (AP) — This is it — the last “new” Beatles song. Sixty years after the onset of Beatlemania, the surviving members of the quartet are releasing the song “Now And Then.” Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr got a little help from artificial intelligence. The song was written and recorded in sketch form by the late John Lennon in the late 1970s. McCartney, Starr and the late George Harrison worked on it in the 1990s but were stymied by technical limitations. AI was used last year to clean up Lennon’s vocals, and McCartney and Starr added backing voices and instrumentation. It will be released next week.
Canadian fishing boat rescues American fisherman from missing vessel based in Washington state
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Authorities say a Canadian fishing boat has rescued an American man one day after the U.S. Coast Guard ended its search for a missing commercial fishing boat from Washington state with two people board. A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman says the Canada-based Ocean Sunset spotted a covered life raft drifting in open ocean about 46 miles off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Thursday. He says the Ocean Sunset’s crew found the man conscious on the raft, which was from the Evening fishing boat based in Gray’s Harbor, Washington. The fate of the Evening and the other person aboard are unknown. Coast Guard officials hoped to speak with the survivor soon to determine whether to renew the search. The Evening had been reported missing in mid-October.
Winner of albinism pageant says Zimbabwe event made her feel beautiful and provided sense of purpose
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A beauty pageant held this month in Zimbabwe is seen by its contestants and organizer as a way to push back against prejudice and promote understanding of people living with albinism. An Angolan model was crowned the first Miss Albinism Southern Africa and a Zimbabwean paralegal in training was crowned Mr. Albinism Southern Africa. Many countries in southern Africa have laws against discrimination on the basis of race or skin color but people living with albinism still face countless prejudices and even violence driven by dangerously misguided superstitions. Albinism is a genetic condition that affects melanin pigment production and causes pale skin, hair and eyes. It is more pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa.
The White House and Google launch a new virtual tour with audio captions, Spanish translation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House, Google Maps and Google Arts & Culture have launched a new virtual tour of the White House. It is the first such Google tour to include audio captions and Spanish translation. The White House and Google say the updated tour is part of first lady Jill Biden’s desire to make the White House accessible to as many people as possible since not everyone can visit Washington or score a ticket for a White House tour. A spokesperson says Biden also hopes teachers use the tour to educate students about the White House and its history.
In Seattle, phones ding. Killer whales could be close
SEATTLE (AP) — In a city known for its stunning views of Puget Sound, Seattle’s most coveted sightings are of orcas and other whales. The fate of endangered resident orcas is a common topic of conversation, though glimpses of the enchanting creatures are elusive. But Salish Wildlife Watch, a WhatsApp group chat, is making it easier for residents to find the whales and, organizers hope, get motivated to learn about and protect the animals. The group chat alerts its 1,800 members when orcas are near. Users credit the alerts for seeing whales as they swim past the city’s skyline, calves with parents, pod hunts, and orcas surfacing so close to shore they could hear and smell their fishy breathing.
DC pandas will be returning to China in mid-November, weeks earlier than expected
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Zoo’s three three celebrity pandas will be heading home a little earlier than expected. Zoo officials told The Associated Press on Thursday that adult bears Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji will be returning to China sometime in mid-November. The zoo’s exchange agreement with the Chinese government, originally brokered by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago, expires Dec. 7. Ongoing negotiations to extend the agreement haven’t produced results, amid speculation from China-watchers that Beijing is gradually pulling its pandas from Western nations due to deteriorating diplomatic relations with the U.S. and other countries.
A salty problem for people near the mouth of the Mississippi is a wakeup call for New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drought. Sea level rise. Dredging for cargo ships. Those are just some of the complex factors blamed for an inland flow of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Mississippi River. Salty water was a problem for months for low-population communities at Louisiana’s southeastern tip. Fears that the salt water would reach the heavily populated New Orleans area have abated for now. But people in rural Plaquemines Parish say too little was done to help them. Meanwhile, New Orleans-area officials say long-rage plans are needed for the return of the salt water threat.