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More than 135,000 power outages reported in California after another atmospheric river brings heavy rain and hurricane-force winds

More than 135,000 California homes and businesses were without power Wednesday morning after another atmospheric river walloped the storm-fatigued state with heavy rain and hurricane-force winds. [...]

Russia's war in Ukraine

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin pledged to deepen China-Russia ties in a show of unity that has heightened concerns Beijing will provide cover for Moscow's war in Ukraine. Follow live updates here. [...]

Biden White House closely watching Federal Reserve following bank failures

All eyes are trained on the Federal Reserve as it prepares to announce another potential interest rate hike Wednesday afternoon -- exactly 10 days after the Biden administration stepped in with dramatic emergency actions to contain the fallout from two bank failures. [...]

Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka found it tough to face 'hate' in locker room

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka said she struggled to understand the "hate" she encountered in the locker room amid strained relations between some players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [...]

Batteries for hire could help Nigerians ditch their generators

Reeddi rents out small, lightweight solar-powered batteries in Nigeria that can power devices including TVs, laptops and refrigerators. [...]

No path to peace: Five key takeaways from Xi and Putin's talks in Moscow

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have made a sweeping affirmation of their alignment across a host of issues -- and shared mistrust of the United States -- in a lengthy statement following talks between the two leaders in Moscow this week. [...]

UK inflation rises to 10.4% as food prices soar

Consumer prices in the United Kingdom jumped by 10.4% in February compared with a year ago, as food inflation hit its highest level in more than 45 years and restaurants charged more for alcohol, official data showed Wednesday. [...]

Boris Johnson faces high-stakes 'Partygate' grilling by UK lawmakers

Boris Johnson will on Wednesday hit back at claims he deliberately misled parliament while serving as British prime minister. [...]

Gwyneth Paltrow in court as trial over 2016 ski collision begins

The trial over a 2016 skiing accident involving Gwyneth Paltrow began on Tuesday. [...]

Ai Weiwei recreates Monet's water lilies using 650,000 Lego pieces

When Ai Weiwei opens his next show, visitors will encounter a familiar scene at London's Design Museum: the famed water lilies of French painter Claude Monet. But there's a twist. [...]

New York Knicks great Willis Reed dies at 80

New York Knicks hero Willis Reed has died, the National Basketball Retired Players Association said Tuesday. He was 80 years old. [...]

Khalistan: The outlawed Sikh separatist movement that has Indian authorities on edge

A colossal police hunt for a Sikh separatist who has revived calls for an independent homeland in India's Punjab state has stoked fears of violence and revived painful memories of a bloody insurgency that killed thousands. [...]

Classes remain halted for more than half a million Los Angeles students as school worker strike stretches into second day

Classes in the nation's second-largest school district remain halted Wednesday as a union representing about 30,000 Los Angeles school workers continues a massive three-day strike for increased wages and better work conditions. [...]

Sandstorms blanket Beijing and northern China as air pollution soars off the charts

A severe sandstorm has swept across Beijing and several northern provinces in China, blanketing the region in thick clouds of orange dust and sending air pollution soaring to hazardous levels, state weather authorities said on Wednesday. [...]

From Singapore to Seoul, Asia's rising art capitals vie for Hong Kong's crown

International visitors are flocking back to Hong Kong for this week's Art Basel. But is the city still Asia's leading art marketplace? [...]

Ukrainian troops impress US trainers as they rapidly get up to speed on Patriot missile system

The Ukrainian soldiers waved and honked their horns as they drove along a dirt road at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, moving their vehicles into position to defend against a hypothetical Russian missile barrage. [...]

Uganda parliament passes bill criminalizing identifying as LGBTQ, imposes death penalty for some offenses

Ugandan lawmakers on Tuesday approved some of the world's harshest anti-gay laws, making some crimes punishable by death and imposing up to 20 years in prison for people identifying as LGBTQ+. [...]

RNA compound and vitamin B3 found in samples from near-Earth asteroid

Organic molecules, including uracil and niacin, have been detected in samples collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu. Uracil is a component of RNA while niacin is better known as vitamin B3, a key cofactor for metabolism. [...]

Powerful earthquake kills at least 13 people in Afghanistan and Pakistan

The death toll from a strong earthquake that struck northeast Afghanistan on Tuesday could rise much higher, authorities warned Wednesday, after tremors were felt in several major Pakistani cities and as far away as the Indian capital New Delhi. [...]

New Haven police chief recommends terminating officers charged in the transport incident that left Randy Cox paralyzed

The New Haven police chief is recommending terminating four of the officers charged in the transportation incident that left a man paralyzed from the chest down in a police van last year. [...]

South Korean capital announces plans for 'floating' swimming pool and art pier

Just two weeks after announcing plans to build the world's largest spokeless Ferris wheel, Seoul's city government has shared its intention to construct urban 'floating' swimming zones along the South Korean capital's Han River. [...]

Stephen Smith's case is now being investigated as a homicide, South Carolina law enforcement says

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old nursing student whose body was found in the middle of a South Carolina road in 2015, as a homicide, an agency spokesperson told CNN. [...]

New Mexico Game and Fish is now hiring 'professional bear huggers'

Bear lovers rejoice: The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is hiring for "professional bear huggers." [...]

Opinion: America's taste in family pets is changing -- for the better, in my view

It seems that celebrities everywhere are photographed these days toting a baby French bulldog in a shoulder bag or holding one at the end of an expensive designer leash. And now, the breed has supplanted the labrador retriever as America's favorite canine. Urmee Khan, a proud owner of a Frenchie, explains why the dog's newfound popularity in the US doesn't surprise her one bit. [...]

Opinion: The long and tense history of American journalists trying to understand China

CNN's former Beijing Bureau Chief, Mike Chinoy, reflects on the unique challenges for American journalists reporting China -- and what's changed since his first visit to the country in the 1970s. [...]