Drugmaker Merck says its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus.It said Friday that it would soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize the drug's use.If cleared, the drug would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19.That could be a major step forward in global efforts to control the pandemic. All COVID-19 therapies now authorized in the U.S. require an IV or injection. A pill that could be taken at home could keep many patients out of the hospital. The results have not been peer re

The FBI says a county coroner has confirmed that human remains found in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton National Park are those of 22 year old Gabby Petito. Her body was discovered at a Wyoming national park over the weekend, months after the pair set out on a cross-country road trip. Officials said Tuesday that the coroner determined her manner of death was homicide, but did not disclose a cause of death pending final autopsy results. Police in North Port, Florida, say investigators have returned to a swampy preserve area to look for 23 year old Brian Laundrie.

US gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman are testifying before Congress about what they say were failures in FBI's handling of the sexual abuse case against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles cried this morning as she told a Senate committee that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a blind eye to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women. Biles says USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee knew that she was abused by their official team doctor

Two unseeded teenagers will face off in Saturday's US Open women's final. 19 year old Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec takes on British 18 year old Emma Raducanu. Fernandez is aiming to be the second Canadian to win women's singles at Flushing Meadows after Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ontario, accomplished the feat in 2019. Raducanu is the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon at age 17 in 2004. Medvedev beats Canadian Aliassime in men's semis Daniil Medvedev is in the U.S. Open final for the second time in three years after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4,

New Zealand authorities were so worried about an extremist inspired by global terror groups they were following him around-the-clock.They were able to shoot and kill the man within 60 seconds of him unleashing a frenzied knife attack on shoppers in a supermarket.New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says that three of six people who were stabbed were seriously injured.Ardern says the man was a Sri Lankan national who was inspired by the Islamic State group.

The Pentagon now says there was just one suicide bomber at one of the gates to Kabul airport, not two. That's as Afghan officials are now putting the death toll in yesterday's attack at 169. Two British citizens and the child of another Briton died, but it's not clear if they were dual nationals and also Afghan citizens. Thirteen Americans were also killed in the bombing that U-S President Joe Biden blames on Afghanistan's branch of the Islamic State group. In its claim of responsibility, I-S posted a purported photo of the bomber, posing with his explosives vest before the attack.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the speed at which the Taliban took control of Afghanistan was a surprise to him and other world leaders.He says Canada remains committed to getting Canadians still trapped there out of the country and following through on a pledge to resettle thousands of Afghan refugees.Canada's military mission in Afghanistan ended Thursday, leaving an unknown number of Canadians and their families trapped.The Canadian withdrawal was followed by an attack on Kabul airport that killed 13 American troops, deaths that President Joe Biden is vowing to avenge.Trudeau says Canad

Two suicide bombers and gunmen have targeted crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul's airport, in the waning days of a massive airlift that has drawn thousands of people seeking to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. An Afghan official says at least 60 Afghans were killed and 143 wounded. U.S. officials said 12 U.S. service members were killed, including 11 Marines and a Navy medic. A U.S. official said the complex attack was believed to have been carried out by the Islamic State group. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the two blasts were near an airport entrance and a short distance awa

Russian officials says twin suicide bombings have struck outside Kabul's airport, killing at least 13 people.Large crowds of people trying to flee Afghanistan have massed at the airport.Western nations had warned earlier in the day of a possible attack at the airport in the waning days of a massive airlift. Suspicion for any attack targeting the crowds would likely fall on the Islamic State group and not the Taliban, who have been deployed at the airport's gates. Russia's Foreign Ministry gave the first official casualty count, saying 13 people had died and 15 were wounded. U.S. officials sai