It's not just witches. New England has a history with vampires, too.

[It starts with a New England cemetery]( Oct. 31, 2018 Happy Halloween, Scanners! Forget witches — we're talking about vampires here at The World, with a story set in the Chestnut Hill cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island. It's like a lot of cemeteries in New England — lined by trees and dotted with weathered gravestones stretching back centuries. And yet — "People are in here all the time," explained Joyce Bastien, an Exeter local. They come from far and wide because of [what happened here one March night in 1883, which spurred the New England vampire panic.]( Also, on Oct. 30, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s largest statue, the "[Statue of Unity](" in Gujarat. And, 10 years ago, Mehdi Parsa left his job as a physics teacher in Tehran, Iran, and became a full-time traveler. Last, thanks to everyone who's been kind enough to share your thoughts about The Scan. We're so grateful! If anyone is still able to give us feedback, our "comment box" is still open — [here's the survey.]( Thanks again! — Anna Pratt, The Scan editor [No Images? Click here.]( [It's not just witches. New England has a history with vampires, too.]( [It's not just witches. New England has a history with vampires, too.]( The Mercy Brown incident was the last known case of The New England Vampire panic. This particular brand of folklore was a variant on a practice born in places like Romania, Hungary and Germany. [It's not just witches. New England has a history with vampires, too.]( [It's not just witches. New England has a history with vampires, too.]( The Mercy Brown incident was the last known case of The New England Vampire panic. This particular brand of folklore was a variant on a practice born in places like Romania, Hungary and Germany. [India unveils the world’s tallest statue, celebrating development at the cost of the environment]( [India unveils the world’s tallest statue, celebrating development at the cost of the environment]( The enormous "Statue of Unity" has been condemned for its lack of environmental oversight and its displacement of local Adivasi people, whose land was forcibly taken to build it. The Gujarat government says it will promote tourism and sustainable development. [India unveils the world’s tallest statue, celebrating development at the cost of the environment]( [India unveils the world’s tallest statue, celebrating development at the cost of the environment]( The enormous "Statue of Unity" has been condemned for its lack of environmental oversight and its displacement of local Adivasi people, whose land was forcibly taken to build it. The Gujarat government says it will promote tourism and sustainable development. [There's big business behind rankings of passports and citizenship]( [There's big business behind rankings of passports and citizenship]( Outside of our home countries, our lives come down to one document: our passports. And not all passports are created equal. Some open doors across the world that others don't. [There's big business behind rankings of passports and citizenship]( [There's big business behind rankings of passports and citizenship]( Outside of our home countries, our lives come down to one document: our passports. And not all passports are created equal. Some open doors across the world that others don't. [John Kerry wants us to respect US democracy — by voting for a cleaner planet]( [John Kerry wants us to respect US democracy — by voting for a cleaner planet]( In his new book, "Every Day Is Extra," former secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry writes about his formative childhood years, his legislative and diplomatic work on climate change, and more. [Thousands of Venezuelans head to Peru to beat residency deadline]( [Thousands of Venezuelans head to Peru to beat residency deadline]( At least 6,000 Venezuelans lined up at Peru's northern border on Tuesday in hopes of entering the country before a deadline for acquiring residency, and another 4,000 were due to arrive in the next two days, Peru's ombudsman's office said. Hey, Scan reader… PRI takes a global approach to the news of the day. We help you understand how what happens around the world matters in Washington and in your neighborhood. Today more than ever, we need conversations, perspectives and diverse voices. [Donate Today >]( Enjoying The Scan? Forward it to a friend! And if you’re not getting it daily, it’s easy to subscribe. [Sign up here](. We also love feedback, so please [tell us how we’re doing](. Today’s newsletter was written by Anna Pratt. Find her on Twitter: [@annapratt](. [Press release]( [PRI Facebook]( [PRI Twitter]( [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( The Scan is brought to you by [GlobalPost]( and [PRI - Public Radio International](.