Actor Tony Todd, known for his role in the movie 'Candyman' and other films, dies at 69
A representative of actor Tony Todd, known for his haunting portrayal of a killer in the horror film "Candyman" and its sequels says he has died at his home in California. He was 69. Todd was known for roles in many other films and television shows. Longtime manager Jeffrey Goldberg says he was lucky to have been able to work with such an amazing actor, and that he will miss him "every single day." Todd's film career included roles in award-winning films such as the Oliver Stone-directed classic "Platoon," released in 1986.
1 monkey recovered safely, 42 others remain on the run from South Carolina lab
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Officials say one of 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina has been recovered unharmed. Police said in a statement on Saturday that many of the others are still located a few yards from the property. Officials say the Rhesus macaques made a break for it Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee didn't fully lock a door as she fed and checked on them. The monkeys are about the size of a cat. Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and the police all say the monkeys pose no risk to public health. Efforts to recover the remaining animals are ongoing.
Tourists in Rome now have a walkway to visit the Trevi Fountain but can't toss coins
ROME (AP) -- Tourists in Rome won't be allowed to toss coins over their shoulders into the Trevi Fountain, following tradition, though an elevated walkway now gives limited access to the monument during maintenance work. Rome's mayor inaugurated the steel walkway on Saturday. He said it will provide tourists with a close-up view of the fountain and called it a "unique experience" that won't be ruined by overcrowding. The walkway over the fountain's basin will be able to accommodate about 130 people at a time. The walkway will remain until the end of the maintenance work, which is expected to finish by year's end.
Haul out the holly! Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives in New York City
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has arrived in New York City, signaling the start of the holiday season in the Big Apple. The 74-foot Norway spruce was driven into Manhattan's Center Plaza and hoisted in place by a crane. It will take 5 miles of light strands with more than 50,000 multi-colored LED bulbs to wrap the tree. A Swarovski star crown sparkling with 3 million crystals will top it. The towering conifer was donated by a family in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It was cut down Thursday morning and loaded onto a flatbed truck for the 140-mile trip. The lighting ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Swiss villagers told to get ready to evacuate after Alpine rockslide alert -- again
GENEVA (AP) -- Authorities in eastern Switzerland have ordered residents of a tiny village to prepare to evacuate. That's because an Alpine rockslide looming overhead threatened to break loose and spill down on their homes. It was the second time that residents of Brienz received evacuation orders after a similar threat last summer. Local officials said in a statement to villagers that "high above Brienz, the top part of the the uppermost part of the rubble pile has accelerated considerably. It cannot be ruled out that up to 1.2 million cubic meters of rock debris will be moving moving down the valley in a stream of debris."
Queen Camilla has a chest infection and will miss the UK's annual Remembrance Sunday events
LONDON (AP) -- Buckingham Palace says Queen Camilla will miss Britain's annual remembrance weekend events to honor fallen service personnel while she recovers from a chest infection. The wife of King Charles III was due to join the royal family at a "Festival of Remembrance" at London's Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night. The 77-year-old was also scheduled to honor the war dead at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial, a major event for Britain's royals, the next day. Charles and his daughter-in-law Kate, the Princess of Wales, who both announced earlier this year that they had been diagnosed with cancer, are expected to attend the twin events.
43 monkeys remain on the run from South Carolina lab. CEO thinks they're having an adventure
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Authorities say 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been spotted in the woods near a fence surrounding the site and that workers are using food to try to recapture them. Officials say the Rhesus macaques made a break for it Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee didn't fully lock a door as she fed and checked on them. The monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all females weighing about 7 pounds. Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and the police all say the monkeys pose no risk to public health.
NASA astronauts won't say which one of them got sick after almost 8 months in space
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Three NASA astronauts whose prolonged space mission ended with a trip to the hospital last month won't say which one of them got sick. They held a news conference on Friday, their first since returning from the International Space Station on Oct. 25. All three plus a Russian cosmonaut were taken to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, shortly after their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the Americans ended up being hospitalized overnight. The crew spent almost eight months in orbit, longer than expected because of all the trouble with Boeing's Starliner crew capsule and Hurricane Milton.
Revising the rules of engagement, court says jilted bride must give back $70,000 ring
BOSTON (AP) -- Who gets to keep an engagement ring if a wedding is called off? That's what the highest court in Massachusetts was asked to decide with a $70,000 ring at the center of the dispute. The court ultimately ruled Friday that an engagement ring must be returned to the person who purchased it, ending a six-decade state rule that required judges to try to identify who was to blame for the end of the relationship. The justices said they opted to join the modern trend adopted by most jurisdictions and retire the concept of fault in this context.
Elwood Edwards, the man behind the voice of AOL's 'You've got mail' greeting, dies at 74
The man who voiced America Online's famous "You've got mail" greeting has died at age 74. Elwood Edwards died Tuesday at his home in New Bern, North Carolina. His daughter says the cause was complications from a stroke. Edwards taped his AOL greeting in 1989 while sitting in the living room of his home. "You've got mail" became a pop culture catchphrase in the late 1990s and served as the title of the 1998 film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Edwards was also the voice of AOL's "Welcome," "Goodbye" and "File's Done" messages. He was paid $200 for the recordings.