AP-National

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday proposed raising the legal age that people in England can buy cigarettes by one year, every year until it is eventually illegal for the whole population and smoking will hopefully be phased out among young people. Setting out his plan

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — In a first for Canada, the voters of Manitoba have elected a First Nations member to be premier of one of the country’s provinces. Wab Kinew led the New Democratic Party to winning a majority of seats in Manitoba’s legislature in Tuesday’s election. Kinew, who grew up in the of the

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries have overcame a new obstacle in their yearslong quest to overhaul the bloc’s asylum rules. EU envoys clinched a deal on Wednesday on a “crisis regulation” of extraordinary measures that a country could take in the event of a massive, unforeseen movement of migrants

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s foreign minister says that his government wants guarantees from Kyiv that a Hungarian bank that was removed from a Ukrainian list of sponsors of Russia’s war will not be placed back on that list in the future. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that

By JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police say they have arrested several people suspected of spitting in the direction of Christian pilgrims and churches in Jerusalem. The incident comes as religious tensions have flared in the contested capital that the three Abrahamic faiths consider holy. The police said they arrested four people

LONDON (AP) — British police have opened an investigation into corporate manslaughter at a northern England hospital after a neonatal nurse was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six others when she worked there. The Cheshire Constabulary said Wednesday that the investigation would consider “areas including senior leadership and decision making to

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Judy Blume, James Patterson and Michael Connelly are among 24 prominent writers who have raised more than $3 million to help PEN America open a center in Miami and expand it efforts to counter Florida’s surge in book bannings in recent years. Other authors contributing

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden is urging women to talk to their doctors about getting mammograms or other cancer screenings during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The first lady is appearing in a new public service announcement that will begin airing this week on the Lifetime cable network.

MOSCOW (AP) — Sirens wailed across Russia and TV stations interrupted regular programming to broadcast warnings as part of sweeping drills intended to test the readiness of the emergency services amid the fighting in Ukraine. The exercise that began Tuesday and continued on Wednesday follows a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian cities. As

By STEFANIE DAZIO and DAMIAN DOVARGANES Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers are taking to picket lines in multiple states over wages and staff shortages. Unions representing the workers who walked off the job Wednesday approved a strike for three days in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and one day in

GENEVA (AP) — Four Western countries have floated a proposal for the United Nations’ top human rights body to appoint a team of experts to monitor and report on abuses and rights violations in war-wracked Sudan. Britain, Germany, Norway and the United States are leading the call presented formally on Wednesday. They’re asking for the

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Police say a man has been accused of stalking a woman in New York via his small airplane, flying out of an airport in nearby Vermont. Sixty-five-year-old Michael Arnold is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday in Bennington, Vermont. He was arrested Tuesday as he was driving into the William H.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece is urging other European Union member states to adopt a proposed plan to sanction countries that refuse to accept migrants deported by the bloc. The Greek minister for asylum and migration says existing bilateral agreements for returning migrants between individual EU member states and non-member countries had proved to be

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A court in Serbia has released from a brief detention a Kosovo Serb leader who has been linked to a clash with Kosovo security forces in which four people died, sending tensions soaring in the volatile region. Milan Radoicic, a politician and wealthy businessman with close ties to Serbia’s ruling populist

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Shares in Scandinavian Airlines dropped more than 90% on Wednesday after the ailing carrier announced new shareholders in a restructuring scheme that will see the company delisted and existing ownership stakes erased. The rescue deal involving airline alliance Air France-KLM and private equity firms Castlelake and Lind Invest, which became investors

By SALLY FRENCH of NerdWallet For Disney fans, Halloween is among the most desirable (and expensive) times to visit its theme parks. That’s largely due to the after-hours parties: the Oogie Boogie Bash in California and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Florida. Disney Halloween parties are held on select nights starting as early as August

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Uber is adding a new task to its list of services: mailing consumers’ return packages. The ride-hailing and delivery company said Wednesday that its drivers will collect up to five prepaid and sealed packages and drop them off at a local post office or at UPS or FedEx stores.

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Firefighters are battling a huge fire in a plastics factory in eastern Croatia and authorities have asked residents to remain indoors and keep their widows shut. The fire erupted early Wednesday in the Drava International factory complex in the town of Osijek, sending thick dark smoke high in the air. Emergency

By EILEEN NG Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Japanese Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita says Tokyo hopes to resolve the issue of Chinese ban on its seafood within the World Trade Organization’s scope. Despite repeated assurances, China banned seafood from Japan immediately after the discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

By CHASE BIERENKOVEN Edmunds A little outdoors goes a long way, and America’s national parks and outdoor spaces are some of the most stunning on the planet. However, getting outdoors can be an expensive proposition. Thankfully, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive SUVs and trucks that can do double duty as your ticket to the