Wagging tails fill Malate Church as priests bless pets for St. Francis feast
MANILA (AP) — The Malate Church in Manila celebrates the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi with a special blessing for animals. Every October 4, Catholics honor St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and ecology. Many parishes hold community animal blessings on the first Sunday of October. Parishioners at Malate Church brought their pets, including dogs, cats, and even a snail, for a blessing. Father Leonito Distor emphasized the connection to St. Francis. Pet owners expressed gratitude for their pets' companionship. The church also offered free pet vaccinations in the parking lot.
Remains of medieval king Czar Samuel arrive in Bulgaria after decades of talks with Greece
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel have arrived in Bulgaria after decades of negotiations with Greece. Samuel, a warrior emperor who fought the Byzantine Empire, is a symbol of Bulgaria’s national identity. His remains, discovered 60 years ago, were flown to Sofia on Saturday. Thousands of Bulgarians, along with politicians from across the political spectrum, gathered to pay tribute. The remains were taken to the Church of Saint Sophia, where Samuel was baptized. The handover follows an agreement between the two countries to return religious relics. Greek and Bulgarian leaders attended the ceremony, emphasizing unity and cooperation.
A famed Hawaii sea arch collapses, prompting NPS warnings of unstable cliffs
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — A scenic cliff on the wave-swept coast of Hawaii’s Big Island has collapsed. That is according to the National Park Service. The Holei Sea Arch, located in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, was about 90 feet high before it collapsed sometime between Sept. 23 and Sept. 27, possibly when the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo. Its collapse into the Pacific Ocean was not unexpected. Officials at the NPS warned visitors to stay away from the site since it is unstable and presents a serious falling hazard. The popular tourist site was formed about 550 years ago. The name Holei comes from a small endemic plant in the milkweed family.
Meet the air traffic controller who flies himself to work
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — Jake Hutzler spends his workdays directing planes from an airport tower. Once a week, he gets there by strapping a propeller to his back and taking to the skies of Colorado. Before his commute, the 28-year-old air traffic controller lays out a large wing on the road outside his apartment complex, fires up the motor and starts running. Within seconds, his feet leave the ground. For the next 20 minutes, Hutzler flies at a leisurely 35 mph above the expansive fields around Pueblo. For someone who has been fascinated with flying since childhood, it’s a particularly satisfying commute. Hutzler says it’s as close as you can get to flying like a bird.
America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high
U.S. employers added a disappointing 29,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked up last month, the government reported Friday. Hiring dropped from a revised 133,000 in August, the Labor Department said. The unemployment rate rose to a still-low 4.2% from 4.1% in August. Meanwhile, the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped this week to its highest level in nearly three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, the biggest leap in several years. A year ago, the average rate was 6.34%.
Scientists search for answers as baby whales wash up dead in Argentina
PENINSULA VALDES, Argentina (AP) — Scientists in Argentina are trying to find out why unusually high numbers of baby whales are washing up dead along the Patagonian coast. The lead researcher said Friday that bacterial infections could be to blame. Bacteria may enter through wounds left by seabirds pecking at the whales’ skin and blubber. Teams are testing tissue samples to determine whether infections caused the deaths. They also want to know whether warming waters or other environmental changes are playing a role. The losses could slow the recovery of southern right whales, once hunted to the brink of extinction.
Amazon to invest $1B into data center communities amid backlash against data center rollouts
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is investing more than $1 billion over the next five years into communities where it operates data centers for education, job training, water preservation projects and other local priorities as it reacts to a growing backlash from politicians and consumers to the tech industry’s rollout of its massive centers. According to a blog post on Friday by Amazon’s CEO of Web Services Matt Garman, Amazon has already spent more than $1 billion in communities with a large data center presence over the past three years.
Massachusetts man charged with cyberstalking podcaster and former Trump official Katie Miller
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man has been arrested in a federal case alleging he cyberstalked conservative podcaster and former Trump administration official Katie Miller. Authorities say the man contacted Katie Miller at least 40 times over the course of several weeks, sometimes leaving disturbing voicemails and text messages about her and her husband, Stephen Miller, who serves as White House deputy chief of staff. He also sent messages to phone numbers for her parents, according to prosecutors. The court documents do not identify the victim by name, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed that it is Katie Miller. In a social media post on Thursday, Katie Miller thanked Justice Department and FBI officials for keeping her and her family safe.
Average long-term US mortgage rate churns upward to its highest level in nearly 3 years at 7.28%
NEW YORK (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate remained above 7% this week, reaching its highest level in nearly three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the average rate was 6.34%. This is the sixth week in a row that mortgage rates have increased. The average rate is now the highest it’s been since Nov. 22, 2023, when it was at 7.29%.
Tokyo court grants legal protection to human voices in AI clone case
TOKYO (AP) — A Tokyo court has awarded legal protection for the human voice in a landmark case involving a popular Japanese anime voice actor. The court ruled Wednesday that Kenjiro Tsuda's voice was used without permission on TikTok. The decision marks Japan's first acknowledgment of voice rights. Tsuda, known for his roles in anime, sued over an AI clone of his voice used in videos. The court found this unauthorized use an infringement of publicity rights. The ruling comes as concerns rise among voice actors about AI cloning. The TikTok account in question has already been closed.
