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Janai Purnima also known as sacred thread festival is being observed across the nation on Friday.

On the occasion, Hindu Brahmins and Chhetris who have undergone Bratabandha (hair shaving ceremony) change the sacred thread (janai) and also tie sacred thread around the wrist of the right hand.

It is also believed that this thread should be removed only on the day of Laxmi Puja that falls during Laxmi Puja in Tihar.

Janai Purnima is also popularly known as Rakshya Bandan.

On this day, sisters offer rakhi (a symbol of protection) to their brothers.

Meanwhile, Gaijatra or the cow festival is also being observed in the Kathmandu Valley.

On the occasion, living kin paid homage to those who had passed away in the past one year.

An armed man clad in body armour was killed after he tried to "breach" an FBI building in Ohio, officials say, BBC reported.

The suspect fled the scene in Cincinnati and was shot by police after an hours-long standoff in a rural area.

Law enforcement officials told US media they are examining whether the man - whom outlets named as Ricky Shiffer, 42 - had any ties to far-right groups.

The head of the FBI said violence and threats against the agency "should be deeply concerning to all Americans".

Police have not formally identified the suspect killed in Ohio on Thursday, and did not comment on his motive during news briefings.

Unnamed law enforcement officials told US media the suspect may have been present at the Capitol building in Washington on the day of last year's riot by Trump supporters, although he was not charged with any crimes in connection to the disorder.

The Ohio incident comes as US officials warn of increased threats against law enforcement after the FBI executed a search warrant on Monday at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Police said the suspect tried unsuccessfully to breach a visitor security screening area at the FBI office in Cincinnati at around 09:15 (13:15 GMT).

He fled the area, but was spotted about 20 minutes later by a police officer, Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesman Nathan Dennis told a news conference.

A chase ensued until the suspect stopped and exchanged gunfire with officers before fleeing into a cornfield, according to BBC.

After an hours-long standoff, he raised a weapon towards officers and was killed by police around 15:00 local time, said Mr Dennis. No police were injured in the shootout.

According to NBC News, the man fired a nail gun at the FBI building and was also armed with a semi-automatic rifle.

There are two social media accounts in the reported name of the suspect, according to the BBC's disinformation reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh.

Most of the tweets were about the 2020 election, saying it had been stolen from Mr Trump. The posts also included calls for violence against Democrats, the FBI and the Supreme Court.

At least two posts on the Twitter account - including one saying "I was there" - suggest the person attended the Capitol riot.

On Truth Social, the website owned by Mr Trump, an account in the name of one Ricky Shiffer posted earlier on Thursday, calling for Americans to "be ready to combat", adding: "I am proposing war." 

One post appeared to have been made after the incident at the FBI office in Cincinnati. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Mr Trump in 2017, said in a statement that "unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others, BBC reported.

"Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans."

In a speech to FBI field agents in the state of Nebraska on Wednesday, he called online threats to officials "deplorable and dangerous", adding: "Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you're upset with."

An armed man who held a bank hostage for more than six hours in Beirut because he could not withdraw savings has been hailed a hero by the public, BBC reported.

Banks in Lebanon have put tight rules on how much money people can access, amid a deep economic crisis.

The suspect entered the bank with a rifle, poured petrol and demanded his money for hospital bills, AFP reported.

His actions captured public support - with cheering crowds gathering outside and chanting: "You are a hero."

The stand-off eventually ended peacefully with no injuries, after negotiators struck an agreement allowing the suspect to receive $35,000 (£29,000) of his savings upfront, LBC TV channel reported.

Police escorted the hostages and suspect away from the Federal Bank branch near Hamra Street, in the west of the city. Officials have not yet said whether the man will face charges.

According to LBC, the suspect's family were in dire need of their savings, with some family members in hospital.

The suspect's brother told journalists: "My brother has $210,000 in the bank and wants to get just $5,500 to pay hospital bills."

And his wife and brother, who were outside the bank, said that "everybody should do the same" to get access to what is "rightfully theirs".

There has been widespread anger in Lebanon over the strict controls over people's bank accounts, which came into force in 2019. There are also restrictions on transfers of money abroad, according to BBC.

The country is in the midst of one of the world's most severe economic crises in modern times - and its impact is being felt even more as the cost of living spirals and there are shortages of wheat and medicines.

Outside the branch, protesters had chanted: "Down with the rule of the banks".

"Similar incidents keep happening," George al-Hajj, who heads Lebanon's bank employees' union, told AFP. In a separate incident in January, an angry customer took dozens of hostages at a bank in the Bekaa valley, demanding to be able to take his money out in US dollars.

"Depositors want their money, and unfortunately their anger explodes in the face of bank employees because they cannot reach the management," he added.

Lebanon's local currency has lost more than 90% of its value since the onset of the crisis - and the UN says four fifths of the population are living in poverty, BBC reported.

Nepal recorded 815 new Covid-19 cases and five deaths on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 411 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 465 returned positive. Likewise, 2,123 people underwent antigen tests, of which 350 tested positive.

As of today, there are 5, 869 active cases in the country.