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The UK government has agreed to pay compensation to thousands of Kenyans who were affected by a fire caused by a British military training exercise four years ago, BBC reported.

The out-of-court settlement follows a lengthy legal battle in which 7,723 claimants said they had lost property and suffered health complications because of the 2021 fire in the Lolldaiga conservancy in Kenya's Rift Valley.

A spokesperson from the British High Commission in Nairobi said the UK "accepts responsibility for the fire and that is why compensation has been paid", adding "it is the right thing to do".

The British government has not confirmed how much was paid out, but the lawyer in the case told the BBC it was £2.9 million, according to BBC.

In a modest-sized university lab in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, researchers are using a tiny drill to scrape away enamel from a 2,500-year-old tooth, BBC reported.

Researchers at Madurai Kamaraj University say the tooth belongs to one of two human skulls that they have used as models to digitally reconstruct faces to understand what the region's early inhabitants might have looked like.

The skulls, both belonging to men, were excavated from Kondagai, an ancient burial site about 4km (2.5 miles) from Keeladi - an archaeological site that has become a political flashpoint in India.

Tamil Nadu state department archaeologists say an urban civilisation dating back to 580BC existed in Keeladi, a claim that adds a new dimension to the story of the Indian subcontinent, according to BBC.

North Korean state media has said two new air defence missiles have been fired in a test overseen by the country's leader Kim Jong Un, BBC reported.

The weapons had "superior combat capability" and used a "unique technology", the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without adding details. 

The launches, carried out on Saturday, "proved that the technological features of two types of projectiles are very suitable for destroying various aerial targets" including drones and cruise missiles, KCNA said.

The test comes hours after South Korea confirmed it fired warning shots on Tuesday at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the countries, according to BBC.

The UK is planning an overhaul of the asylum appeals system, as it tries to cut the number of migrants staying in hotels while they await a ruling, BBC reported.

A new, independent body will be established, staffed by independent adjudicators, with the aim of hearing cases more quickly.

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said she was taking practical steps to end unacceptable delays.

The government has been under increasing pressure to reduce its reliance on asylum hotels. It now wants to regain the initiative, according to BBC.

President Donald Trump's plan to deploy troops to Chicago is an abuse of power, the Democratic governor of the US state of Illinois has said, BBC reported.

There is no emergency that justifies the National Guard being sent to Illinois and the US president is "attempting to manufacture a crisis", JB Pritzker said in a statement.

Trump has already deployed about 2,000 troops to Washington DC, where the local government is also run by opposition Democrats, as part of what he is portraying as a crackdown on crime in US cities. 

On Friday, Trump said he would implement the policy in Chicago and New York - two other major Democrat-controlled cities, according to BBC.

A fire has been put out at a nuclear power plant in Russia's western Kursk region and air defences have shot down a Ukrainian drone, Russian officials have said, BBC reported.

The drone detonated when it fell and damaged a transformer, but radiation levels were normal and there were no casualties, a post from the plant's account on messaging app Telegram said.

The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly called on both Russia and Ukraine to show maximum restraint around nuclear facilities in the war.

Ukraine is celebrating its independence day on Sunday, which marks the country's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, according to BBC.

Phurba Gyaljen Sherpa has been elected as the President of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). The NMA is an umbrella organization of mountain tourism entrepreneurs. 

According to the vote counting conducted this morning, Sherpa defeated his rival candidate Kul Bahadur Gurung to be elected the new NMA President. 

Sherpa received 342 votes while Gurung received 288 votes, according to the election committee.

Similarly, Ishwori Poudel has been elected as the senior Vice President, Mingma Gyalbo Sherpa as the first Vice President, Bodhraj Bhandari as the second Vice President, and Rajendra Lama as the General Secretary. Similarly, Chandan Thapa has been elected as the Secretary, Ngima Nurbu Sherpa and Sumi Lama have received equal votes for the post of treasurer.

Madhav Kumar Dhamala, Kedar Neupane, Thupden Sherpa, Gokul Thapa, Mulal Gurung, Dendi Sherpa, Bikram Karki, Rinje Sherpa, Devendra Dangol, Diki Sherpa and Nisha Bhote were elected members of the new NMA Executive Committee.

The Tharu community living in the Tarai region of Nepal is celebrating the Atwari festival with special faith and enthusiasm today. 

Considered the second biggest festival after Maghi, Atwari is an important festival celebrated with mostly men staying on a fast. Some women also voluntarily observe a fast during this festival.

This festival is celebrated every year on the second Sunday after Shri Krishna Janmashtami. Since it is celebrated on a Sunday or Aaitabar, this festival is called Aatwari. It is customary for brothers to fast for the good health and prosperity of their sisters on this festival. 

The religious importance of the Aatwari festival is linked to the story of the Mahabharata, says Budhram Chaudhary, Chair of the Ghodaghodi municipal Bhalmansa Working Committee. The sun is also worshipped during this festival. The devotees observe a fast without even drinking water from Sunday morning. It is customary to take a bath and perform puja on the day of fasting.

After the puja, various native dishes are cooked including rice flour roti, phulauri, and mixed beans. On the second day of the festival, i.e. Monday morning, the devotees bathe again and perform pooja to break the fast. Then, the brothers take offerings set aside for their sisters and reach their homes. The sisters bless their brothers and accept the offerings brought by the brothers. It is believed that this will further strengthen the relationship between brothers and sisters, said Aman Chaudhary, Secretary of the Ghodaghodi municipal Bhalmansa Working Committee.

This festival is celebrated with much fanfare by the Tharu community living in Kailali, Kanchanpur, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet and Dang districts.

Recognizing the importance of the festival, the Sudurpaschim Provincial Government has declared a public holiday across the province today.