Greg Iles, Mississippi author of 'Natchez Burning' trilogy, dies of cancer at 65

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi author Greg Iles has died at 65. His literary agent Dan Conaway said Iles died Friday after a decades-long battle with the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Initially diagnosed with the incurable condition in 1996, he kept his illness private until completing his final novel, “Southern Man,” which was published in 2024. Iles was born in Germany but moved to Natchez, Mississippi, with his family when he was just 3 years old and developed a deep connection with the region. Many of his stories are set in Mississippi, including the “Natchez Burning” trilogy, historical fiction suspense novels exploring race and class in the 1960s Jim Crow South.

Target and Ulta mutually agree not to renew partnership launched in 2021

NEW YORK (AP) — Target and Ulta Beauty are parting ways, ending a partnership launched in 2021 that created in-store shops filled with beauty products at hundreds of the discounter’s stores. According to a joint release issued Thursday, the companies said they have “mutually agreed” not to renew their pact, which concludes in August 2026. Until then, the Ulta Beauty experience at Target will continue in Target stores and on Target.com, the release said. Ulta is currently in 600 of Target’s roughly 1,980 stores, according to a Target spokesperson.

Train collides with vehicle in Denmark, killing one person and injuring about 20 others

BERLIN (AP) — A passenger train has collided with a vehicle at a crossing in southern Denmark. The accident on Friday left one person dead and injured about 20 others. The extent of the injuries remains unclear, but photos show derailed and overturned carriages. A large number of emergency services were on the scene. Local news outlet TV2 reported that drones and search dogs were deployed. Banedanmark, the company operating Denmark's rail network, confirmed the collision occurred at a level crossing.

Ethiopian fossil Lucy leaves for her first exhibition in Europe

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The human ancestor fossil known as Lucy has left Ethiopia for display in a European museum. Lucy’s skeleton, which is 40% complete, left Ethiopia on Thursday and will be displayed at the Czech National Museum in Prague for approximately two months. It is only the second time her remains have left Ethiopia since they were discovered in 1974. Some archaeologists have raised concerns about the safety of her bones during transportation, but experts say they have been carefully packed.  Lucy was a member of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human species that lived in Africa between about 4 million and 3 million years ago.

Australian lawyer apologizes for AI-generated errors in murder case

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A senior lawyer in Australia has apologized to a judge for using AI-generated fake quotes and nonexistent case judgments in a murder case. The blunder occurred in the Supreme Court of Victoria state and involved defense lawyer Rishi Nathwani. On Wednesday, Nathwani took full responsibility for the errors, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday. The blunder delayed the verdict by 24 hours. The judge ruled on Thursday that the defendant, a minor, was not guilty due to mental impairment. The fake submissions included fabricated quotes and case citations. The judge emphasized the importance of verifying AI-generated content. Similar incidents have occurred in the United States, highlighting ongoing challenges with AI in legal systems.

Puerto Rico cashes in on Bad Bunny as thousands flock to the island for his concerts

VEGA BAJA, Puerto Rico (AP) — Thousands of tourists are descending on Puerto Rico this summer for one of Bad Bunny’s concerts as part of the rapper's residency that has boosted the U.S. territory’s fragile economy. Visitors are not only coming to see him, but to explore his island. The government and the private sector have launched tours and named food and drinks after his songs while small businesses have sold clothes and other goods sought by tourists. Short-term rentals are up 42% this August and 61% for September, compared with the same period last year. Nearly three dozen hotels are participating in packages that include the concert, generating nearly $200 million.

No end in sight to plastic pollution crisis as treaty negotiations in Geneva fail

GENEVA (AP) — Talks on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution in Geneva ended without an agreement Friday. The session was adjourned and will be resumed at a later date. Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. They remain deadlocked over whether the treaty should reduce exponential growth of plastic production and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations at the U.N. hub were supposed to be the last round and produce the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans.

California man rescued after being trapped for 2 days behind waterfall

California police rescued a man trapped for two days behind a waterfall. Ryan Wardwell, 46, was rappelling down the Seven Teacups waterfalls when the force of the water pushed him off his climbing lines. The Tulare County Sheriff's Office said Wardwell never returned to his car Sunday night, prompting a search using infrared technology and aircraft. Early Tuesday, a dive and rescue team used a drone to locate him. The California Highway Patrol used a helicopter to hoist him to safety. He was treated for minor injuries and dehydration and reunited with his family. Messages seeking comment were left Friday with Wardwell and the sheriff’s office.

Melania Trump demands Hunter Biden retract 'extremely salacious' Epstein comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump is demanding that Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. She threatens to sue if he does not. Biden made the comments in an interview this month, claiming Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump. Melania Trump's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, calls the statements false and defamatory. Brito says the comments have been widely shared on social media, causing harm to the first lady's reputation. Biden attributed the claim to author Michael Wolff, whom Trump has criticized. The Trumps have long said they were introduced by a modeling agent in 1998.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight and wife pledge record $2B to Oregon cancer center, university says

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon university says Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny Knight have pledged a record $2 billion to its cancer center. Oregon Health & Science University described the donation Thursday as the “largest single donation ever made to a U.S. university, college or academic health center.” It surpasses the $1.8 billion given by Michael Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins in 2018, described by that university at the time as the largest single donation to a U.S. university. Universities across the country are struggling with moves from President Donald Trump’s administration to cancel or freeze research grants at universities.