The British Museum says it is partly closed after a fired employee shut down IT systems
LONDON (AP) -- The British Museum is partially closed to the public after an employee who had been fired broke in and shut down computer systems. The museum is Britain's most popular tourist attraction, with almost 6 million visitors a year. The museum says it closed its temporary exhibitions and part of its permanent collection after a sacked contractor "trespassed into the museum and shut down several of our systems." London's Metropolitan Police force said Saturday that a man in his 50s had been arrested Thursday on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage. He has been released on bail while inquiries continue.
Paul McCartney says he fears AI will rip off artists
LONDON (AP) -- Paul McCartney has urged the British government not to make a change to copyright laws that he says could let artificial intelligence companies rip off artists. The government is consulting on whether to let tech firms use copyrighted material to help train artificial intelligence models unless creators opt out. McCartney told the BBC that would make it harder for artists to retain control of their work and undermine Britain's creative industries. "You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don't own it, and they don't have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off," he said in an interview extract released Saturday.
Man says he was behind some of the viral googly eyes on public art in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A man in the central Oregon city of Bend says he was responsible for some of the googly eyes placed on sculptures there. The googly eyes sparked a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets last month. City officials at the time said eight sculptures total were affected. Bend resident Jeff Keith says he placed them on two sculptures. As the founder of a nonprofit that works to combat human trafficking, Keith said pranks help him cope with his emotionally heavy work. The googly eyes delighted many residents. But the city said the adhesive can damage the art, and it spent $1,500 to remove them.
A private US spacecraft headed to the moon captures a glorious view of Earth
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- A private U.S. spacecraft has captured stunning images of Earth one week into its flight. Still circling Earth, Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander fired its thrusters Thursday to put it on a path to reach the moon in over a month. Dubbed Blue Ghost, the spacecraft beamed back photos and video of the Blue Marble, our planet. The Texas company released the images Friday. Blue Ghost carries experiments for NASA, part of the space agency's effort to return astronauts to the moon this decade. It's one of two lunar landers launched from Florida last week.
Indonesia showcases returned artifacts it had sought for decades from the Netherlands
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Centuries-old stone Buddha statues and precious jewelries repatriated by the Dutch government to its former colony are on display at Indonesia's National Museum, providing a glimpse into the country's rich heritage that the government had struggled to retrieve. The collection is part of more than 800 artifacts that were returned under an agreement signed in 2022 between Indonesia and the Netherlands. The objects are not just those looted in conflict, but also seized by scientists and missionaries or smuggled by mercenaries during the four centuries of colonial rule. However, Marc Gerritsen, the Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, said the repatriation would only focus on cultural objects that are requested, rather than emptying out European museums.
Calvin Jones, a star Nebraska RB who won a Super Bowl with Green Bay, dies at 54
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Calvin Jones, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in three seasons at Nebraska and was with the Green Bay Packers when they won the Super Bowl after the 1996 season, has died. He was 54. Police said Jones' body was found in the basement of a house in north Omaha on Wednesday night. Police have not confirmed a cause of death pending an autopsy. A friend of Jones, Jo Dusatko, told the Omaha World-Herald that carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected. She said the furnace in the home was not working and that Jones was using a generator in the basement.
Rocker Marilyn Manson won't be charged after long investigation of sexual assault allegations
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Prosecutors say they won't charge rocker Marilyn Manson after a years-long investigation into sexual assault and domestic violence allegations. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Friday to charge the 56-year-old. The investigation began in 2021 after years of public allegations. It's not clear which of those police and prosecutors looked into, but "Game of Thrones" actor Esmé Bianco says she is among the women they spoke to. Manson's former fiancée, "Westworld" actor Evan Rachel Wood, said in an Instagram post in 2021 that he abused her for years. Manson has vehemently denied all of the allegations. There was no immediate comment from Manson, Bianco or Wood.
What JFK assassination files are still classified? Trump's order could bring them to light
DALLAS (AP) -- Millions of documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas have already been made public, but President Donald Trump has ordered the release of thousands of still-classified files. Trump signed the executive order Thursday as part of a flurry of executive actions taken in the first week of his second term. Many people who have studied what's been released so far say the public shouldn't anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. But there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it. And the possibility of significant new information is tantalizing to researchers.
Thousands of endangered tortoises are rescued in Madagascar after their sanctuary is flooded
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- A community in southern Madagascar has pulled together to save thousands of critically endangered tortoises that were swept away from their sanctuary and left swimming for their lives in floods this month caused by a tropical cyclone. The 12,000 radiated and spider tortoises that were housed at the Lavavolo Tortoise Center had been confiscated from poachers and illegal wildlife traffickers. They faced a new and unexpected ordeal when Cyclone Dikeledi hit the southern part of the island in mid-January. A sanctuary representative says a rescue operation involving staff, volunteers and even local police officers has saved more than 10,000 tortoises.
Reality TV couple sues the city of Los Angeles after losing home in fires
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Reality TV couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are suing the city of Los Angeles after losing their home in the destructive fires that have swept Southern California in the past weeks. The couple filed the lawsuit along with more than 20 other property owners and residents affected by the Palisades Fire. The complaint blames the city for water issues that hampered firefighting efforts, citing reports of an offline reservoir awaiting repairs since last year. Without it, firefighters had to primarily rely on water tanks not designed to fight such a large fire. The couple rose to stardom on the "The Hills."