Newly-married Man, Grandmother Killed as Wedding Gift Explodes

A wedding gift given to a newly married couple exploded just days after the wedding, killing the groom and his grandmother. The explosion has also left the bride in a critical condition.

The incident took place in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Friday, 23 February, five days after the wedding, when the family was busy unpacking presents received at the reception. Police said the pair from the Bolangir district of the state got the gift from an unidentified person at their marriage reception on 21 February.

The explosion killed the groom's grandmother on the spot, while the man died later at a hospital. The bride is also said to be in critical condition, and receiving treatment at a government hospital in Burla city, Deccan Chronicle reported.

India Kerala mob takes selfies while lynching man

 A tribal man from the south Indian state of Kerala was allegedly lynched by a mob even as some took selfies.

The gruesome incident took place on Thursday, 22 February, when a group of at least 15 people allegedly approached the victim, identified as A Madhu, who was suspected to be mentally unstable, and accused him of stealing valuables from a local person's house. The mob reportedly beat him severely with sticks before handing him over to police.

However, the 30-year-old man succumbed to his injuries and died inside a police jeep as he was being taken to a Government Tribal Specialty Hospital, The News Minute reported.

Attempt-to-murder cases have been registered against 15 people and after getting the post-mortem report more charges will be framed against the accused, police said. Reports said that some people have been taken into custody.

Nigeria, Jamaica makes winter Olympics history

Bobsledders from Nigeria and Jamaica made history at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Tuesday.

In the two-women bobsleigh event, Nigeria’s Seun Adigun and Akuoma Omeoga became the first bobsled team to represent an African nation. Alongside skeleton athlete Simidele Adeagbo, they are also the first athletes from their country to compete in a winter olympiad.

Jamaica’s Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian and Carrie Russell, meanwhile, became the Caribbean island’s first Olympic female bobsledders — following a tricky week in which their coach, Sandra Kiriasis, resigned and put their competition into jeopardy after she threatened to take the team’s bobsled.

They follow in the footsteps of Jamaica’s bobsled team at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. Their story inspired the movie "Cool Runnings."

Team USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs led the two-woman bobsleigh field after the first heat. Jamaica secured joint 17th place out of 20. Nigeria finished last.

But both teams won new fans around the world:

Big congrats to Nigeria !! Making Olympic Games history!!

Nigerian govt arraigns civil servant found with 86 cars

A Nigerian government official found with 86 new luxury cars was charged with fraud on Thursday, court papers show.

 Ibrahim Tumsah, finance and account director at the Power, Works and Housing Ministry was arraigned at Abuja Federal High Court along with his brother Tijani Tumsah, a member of a presidential committee on initiatives in the country's north east.

Both were accused of "refusing" to declare the assets "without reasonable excuse" and after being given notice by a special presidential investigation panel tasked with the recovery of public property. 

Besides the cars, their assets include four houses and a quarry plant in Abuja.

Another court in December had ordered that all the property in question be temporarily seized.

Tumsah and his brother were granted bail after they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court has adjourned the case to March 1.