Mexico comes alive during annual Day of the Dead celebrations
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Bright orange marigolds, glowing candles, and painted faces fill Mexico's streets during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Festivities begin in October and lead up to November 1 and 2, when the souls of deceased loved ones are believed to return to earth. The tradition is rooted in pre-Hispanic beliefs and Catholic traditions. Today, massive parades run along Mexico City's main avenue, and streets are cloaked in marigold flowers. Families decorate altars with offerings. However, the event's growing international spotlight has led to tensions around overtourism. In Janitzio, authorities closed the pantheon to tourists due to damage from crowds.
Heidi Klum reveals Halloween costume as her iconic party marks 25 years
Heidi Klum underwent a bloody transformation to become a giant, gruesome severed hand for Halloween. Klum unveiled her costume Saturday as her iconic costume party marked 25 years in New York. Klum was unrecognizable with only her eyes and mouth showing, blood dripping from her mouth as she stuck her tongue out. The top of the hand ended in a gory assortment of dangling ligaments and tendons. She had an ensemble of helpers in blood-stained hazmat suits. The supermodel-turned-TV personality went viral in 2022 when she arrived at the party on the end of a fishing line, encased in a slithering worm costume.
The dachshund is the muse in an exhibition showcasing the sausage dog's history in art
BREMEN, Germany (AP) — The humble dachshund is taking center stage in a new exhibition in Germany that explores the history of the sausage dog in art. Visitors’ four-legged friends are welcome too. Dachshund owners and fans Pablo Picasso, David Hockney and Andy Warhol are among the artists who take their place in the show. “The Dachshund: An Icon off the Leash" opens at the Kunsthalle Bremen on Saturday. The dog has a long association with Germany. But the show casts its net wider, with exhibits brought in from Edinburgh, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh among others.
In 28 years of walking, Karl Bushby has overcome jungle, desert and red tape. Now he's nearly home
MARKET RASEN, England (AP) — Karl Bushby has spent 28 years walking home, but as he approaches the finish Monday, he’s unsure if he’s ready for the journey to end. Bushby, 57, began his trek at the tip of South America in 1998 and has walked 31,000 miles across four continents. He has faced challenges like shifting ice, crocodile-infested waters, and geopolitical obstacles. Despite setbacks, he adhered to strict rules: no transport to move forward and returning home on foot. As he nears the end, Bushby is reflecting on his journey and the kindness of strangers who helped him along the way.
Karl Bushby's 28-year walk across the world is ending. A look at the trek, by the numbers
LONDON (AP) — Karl Bushby is nearing the end of an epic walk around the world that he started in 1998. The former British paratrooper was 29 then and is now 57 as he approaches his mother's home in Hull, England. He has navigated the Bering Strait, swam the Caspian Sea and crossed the English Channel. Most of his journey has been on land, through jungles, rainforests, deserts and tundra. Bushby has traveled 31,000 miles, entering 30 foreign countries. His trek has taken him through South America, North America, Asia and Europe. He has faced geopolitical conflicts, harsh weather and personal challenges along the way.
November highlights Native American cultures, from salmonberry picking to traditional tattoos
LAS VEGAS (AP) — November marks the start of National Native American Heritage Month. It's a time to celebrate the diverse histories and cultures of hundreds of tribal communities across the U.S. In Alaska, a family carries on a tradition of harvesting salmonberries even after a devastating typhoon. In North Carolina, a group of Indigenous girls convinced tribal lawmakers to grant rights to a river. And in Oklahoma, a tattoo artist is working to revitalize ancestral markings. U.S. presidents have issued proclamations for decades honoring Native peoples in the month that coincides with the traditional harvest season.
Norway turns to toilet humor after Trump bashes Scandinavian country
Norway has turned to a bit of toilet humor in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments insulting the Scandinavian country and the Nobel Peace Prize. So, in response, Visit Norway published a guide to the world’s most beautiful toilets sprinkled across the stunning Norwegian landscape. Trump’s comments ahead of the U.S. midterm elections were not the first time the U.S. leader has ranted about Norway or the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He has been outspoken about his desire for the Nobel, but has expressed doubts that the committee would ever award him the prize. In response to his most recent remarks, Visit Norway launched a tourism campaign marketed as “Norway makes shithouses great again.”
Houdini’s centennial spotlight: A newly published essay and a fresh fight over when and how he died
NEW YORK (AP) — Harry Houdini, a century after his death, continues to captivate. A rare essay by the escape artist has been published, shedding light on his early influences. A recent book revisits questions about the cause and date of his death. Houdini, born Erik Weisz, became an international celebrity known for his escape acts. His mysterious death on Halloween 1926 remains debated, with new theories challenging the official cause. Centennial events this weekend include a "Grand Houdini Centenarium" in Budapest, an auction in Hollywood, and seances in Chicago and Maryland. Despite the intrigue, experts say his legacy endures through his remarkable life.
Killed almost 430 years ago, 5 Catholic friars will soon be one step from sainthood
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Five Spanish missionaries are being elevated one step away from sainthood nearly 430 years after they were killed in present-day Georgia. The Catholic Diocese of Savannah will hold a beatification ceremony Saturday for the five Franciscan friars. They were killed in 1597 by Indigenous people they had traveled to the New World to baptize, in what historical records say was a dispute over polygamy. Pope Francis decreed the missionaries as martyrs in 2025, capping decades of research and bureaucratic review. The diocese expects 10,000 people to attend the special Mass in Georgia.
For many, striped bass fishing is a way of life. But the iconic species could face collapse
MONTAUK, N.Y. (AP) — Striped bass are in decline on the East Coast and fishermen and scientists are in a race to save the iconic sport fish. Stripers have experienced eight consecutive years of poor reproduction in their most critical habitat of the Chesapeake Bay and fishermen report finding fewer fish. Factors including overfishing, warming waters and increased predators such as seals and sharks are making it increasingly difficult for the population to recover. Some fishermen say stricter rules or a fishing moratorium are needed. Losing these higher-level predators, which help regulate smaller fish, would threaten an $8 billion fishing industry and tens of thousands of jobs.
