NEW YORK (AP) — Teams of experts are projecting COVID-19's toll on the U.S. will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday.

But they also warn that a “substantial increase” in hospitalizations and deaths is possible if unvaccinated people do not follow basic precautions such as wearing a mask and keeping their distance from others...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic, a shift that puts the U.S. alongside many in the developing world who want rich countries to do more to get doses to the needy...

BEIJING (AP) — Around 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far inside China, with an emphasis on front-line workers, university students and people living in border areas, health officials said...

BABB, Mont. (AP) — On a cloudy spring day, hundreds lined up in their cars on the Canadian side of the border crossing that separates Alberta and Montana. They had driven for hours and camped out in their vehicles in hopes of receiving the season’s hottest commodity — a COVID-19 vaccine — from a Native American tribe that was giving out its excess doses...

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Nearly two decades after an Australian woman was convicted of killing her four children, dozens of scientists are backing the claim that they may have died of natural causes...

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian health officials said Wednesday they have become the first to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for ages as young as 12.

Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, confirmed the decision for ages 12 to 15 and said it will help children return to a normal life...

GENEVA (AP) — The World Trade Organization chief appealed to member countries on Wednesday to quickly present and negotiate over a text that could temporarily ease trade rules that protect COVID-19 vaccine technology, as a way to ramp access to doses at a time of urgent need...

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s vaccine roll-out had been faltering for weeks. Apathy, fear and rumors kept many from getting vaccinated despite a serious surge in coronavirus infections and calls by the government for people to register for shots...

LONDON (AP) — Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations on Wednesday accused China of human rights abuses and economic mischief, but offered little concrete action to deal with an increasingly forceful Beijing...

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A Malian woman has given birth to nine babies at once — after expecting seven, according to Mali's Minister of Health and the Moroccan clinic where the nonuplets were born.

It appeared to be the first time on record that a woman had given birth to nine surviving babies at once...

Cruise lines can soon begin trial voyages in U.S. waters with volunteer passengers helping test whether the ships can sail safely during a pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave ship operators final technical guidelines Wednesday for the trial runs...

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Thursday on cautious optimism about upcoming company earnings reports showing some recovery from the damage of the coronavirus pandemic.

NEW YORK (AP) — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said it pained her to vote against the $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan.”

But in the weeks that followed, the first-term Republican issued a news release celebrating more than $3...

U.S. soldiers were fighting in Korea when President Harry S. Truman signed a congressional resolution calling for an annual National Day of Prayer. The purpose was for people to gather in houses of worship to pray for world peace, according to an Associated Press report from April 17, 1952...

President Joe Biden has met his goal of having most elementary and middle schools open for full, in-person learning in his first 100 days, according to new survey data, but the share of students choosing to return has continued to lag far behind...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The military and police in the Pacific nation of Fiji have surrounded and locked down a major hospital amid concerns of a growing virus outbreak.

Health authorities say they’re quarantining 400 patients, doctors, nurses and staff within the compound until they can determine who had contact with a coronavirus patient who died...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Some shared agonizing stories of frustration and loss. Others prayed and performed ceremonies. All called for action.

Across the U.S. on Wednesday, family members, advocates and government leaders commemorated a day of awareness for the crises of violence against Indigenous women and children...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google says it expects about 20% of its workforce to still work remotely after its offices reopen this fall, while some 60% will work a hybrid schedule that includes about three days in the office and two days “wherever they work best...

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — At least 155 million people faced acute hunger in 2020, including 133,000 who needed urgent food to prevent widespread death from starvation -- and the outlook for 2021 is equally grim or worse, a report by 16 organizations said Wednesday...

NEW DELHI (AP) — India's government, facing calls for a strict lockdown to slow a devastating surge in coronavirus infections, was ordered by the Supreme Court on Wednesday to submit a plan to meet New Delhi hospitals’ oxygen needs within a day...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Soldiers and police in the Pacific nation of Fiji have surrounded and locked down a major hospital.

Health authorities say they are quarantining 400 patients, doctors, nurses and other staff within the compound until they can determine who had contact with a coronavirus patient who died there...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marcell Ozuna hit Atlanta's third grand slam in four games, Max Fried pitched five strong innings in his return from the injured list, and the Braves beat the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Wednesday night...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kemba Walker tied a season high with 32 points in his return from a four-game injury absence, Evan Fournier had 18 points in his first game back in Orlando since being traded, and the Boston Celtics routed the Magic 132-96 on Wednesday night...

Hall of Famer Tony La Russa developed a reputation as a master strategist while managing the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals to a total of three World Series championships.

His second tenure with the Chicago White Sox is off to a bumpy start...

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will stop charging sales taxes on limited amounts of medical marijuana and begin revising current limits on pot cultivation June 29 in the first steps toward legalization of recreational marijuana, top health and licensing regulators announced Wednesday in a letter to authorized cannabis businesses...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — First lady Jill Biden spoke at a Salt Lake City school Wednesday as the U.S. makes uneven progress toward reopening classrooms during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden, a teacher herself, visited Glendale Middle School, which has a diverse student body and returned to in-person instruction a few months ago...

DENVER (AP) — Jon Gray tossed six strong innings and helped himself with an RBI single, and the Colorado Rockies held off the San Francisco Giants for a 6-5 win Wednesday.