First Seattle and now the state of California: US lawmakers have introduced legislation addressing caste. But why is an ancient South Asian hierarchical system important in US politics?

The new law only allows terminations for exceptional cases such as rape, incest or medical emergency within the first six weeks of pregnancy.

British American Tobacco is being hit with a historic penalty for violating US sanctions on North Korea. US officials said the company was aware it was breaking the rules.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancels his rallies over ill health as polls show that next month's presidential elections will be the tightest in history. An Ethiopian boy in Sweden goes viral for raising €250,000 for charity, but is the focus of some racist attacks.

For a long time, the island of Jolo, one of the southernmost points of the Philippines archipelago, was off limits. It was the stronghold of one of the most violent terrorist movements in the world, Abu Sayyaf. In 2000, a group of 20 tourists were kidnapped in Malaysia and taken to Jolo. Journalists who covered the kidnapping were then also captured. Negotiations for their release took several months.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in a deadlock for decades, fighting two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave that have killed thousands of people.

A man armed with an AR-style rifle began shooting his neighbors after complaints that he was firing rounds in his front yard. Local police said the suspect had been drinking before the rampage, which left five dead.

In a widely-anticipated report into the collapse of the bank favored by tech startups, the US central bank blamed the company's inability to manage risks and a lack of regulatory oversight.

Authorities said low visibility contributed to a large pileup on Interstate 55 in the US state of Illinois. The incident caused at least six deaths and an investigation is now underway.

In April, Washington's city council unanimously approved the first reading of a bill that would inaugurate Swann Street near the Dupont Circle neighbourhood of the US capital. The bill honours William Dorsey Swann. Born in 1860, he was the first known person to dub himself a drag queen.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has written to congressional leaders warning that the federal government could run out of cash as early as June 1, unless they agree on raising the debt limit or suspending it.

The suspect reportedly shot his neighbors after he was accused of firing a gun in his yard. The arrest ends a mass search operation that involved more than 250 law enforcement personnel.