The Swedish explosion

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—What was briefly believed to be a terrorist attack in Sweden turned out to be no more than a household accident.

Police, ambulances and the fire-department rushed to Södermalm in Stockholm after receiving reports of a loud boom and a shirtless man seemingly brandishing a weapon at around 11:40 a.m.

Police canvassed the area, but found no damage to any of the surrounding property or any other evidence that would hint at an explosion.

The lone oddity was a man hanging a piece of plastic in his window. Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet reports that a tactical operations team approached the man but quickly backed down after he produced a hand-written note.

"The apartment owner had a broken window, it doesn't seem to be connected to any bang. He was at home himself putting up curtains," police spokesperson Albin Näverberg told local television station SVT, according to The Local.

Authorities shut down the street for a time, but promptly reopened it after no threat was found.

The Aftonbladet report states that the man in the window had dropped his power drill while attempting to hang curtains. The drill shattered the window and went on to land on a tin roof below producing the loud noise.

Image by: http://www.upi.com/

                                                           

Three dogs and a Porcupine

Three Canadian dogs are recovering after being spiked by a porcupine, as their owner receives support from the public to help cover the vet bill.

Mahalo, Nestah, and Soljah were playing on a farm in Craven, Saskatchewan, when they had the nasty encounter.

Mahalo, a pit bull, had to be taken to a vet after a porcupine's quills pierced her heart and lungs.

Nestah, Mahalo's brother, was also hurt in the attack.

He was hit by dozens of quills to the face, but avoided any serious internal injuries.

Meanwhile, Soljah had minor wounds to its mouth from quills.

The dogs' injuries left owner Dennis Mazur, a social worker, with a vet bill of around £5,200. Unable to afford the rising cost to help save Mahalo's life, his friend set up a page on social media to spread the word and help Dennis raise the money he needed to save his dog.

Mike Gerrand said: "These dogs are the love of my dear friend Dennis' life."

"The veterinarian said if [Mahalo] hadn't been a pit bull with all that muscle she wouldn't have survived," he added.

The online campaign became the number one trending story in Saskatchewan, with generous strangers donating the money needed to help cover Dennis' costs.

Mahalo is now recovering back at home.

Image by: http://www.sciencealert.com/

APEC Green

Roxas Boulevard has exploded into lush greens with plants planted some months back now peaking in time for the coming APEC Leaders’ Summit. Photo shows the center island fronting the Army-Navy Club in the background.

Granny's folly

BUCKEYE, Ariz.—An Arizona grandfather was arrested on allegations he left his 5-year-old granddaughter alone in the desert with a loaded gun to "shoot the bad guys." The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Paul Rater, 53, was driving his pickup truck with his 5-year-old granddaughter Sunday in the desert near Buckeye when the truck broke down.

Rater told a judge he placed his granddaughter under a tree so she could nap in the shade while he went for help and he left his .45-caliber handgun, which was loaded and cocked, with the child because he "didn't want to carry it."

Rater was found miles away at a local bar drinking alcoholic beverages and eating a cheeseburger. The child was found by a firefighter alone in the desert holding the loaded gun.

Deputies said Rater didn't ask anyone for help or mention the whereabouts of his granddaughter until after his arrest.

"He told her [the gun] was to shoot the bad guys. How does a 5-year-old know the difference between good guys and bad guys," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.

Rater was charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of endangerment. He was jailed in lieu of a $25,000 bond.


Image by www.abc15.com

MAXIMUM TOLERANCE?

 Indigenous Filipinos and their supporters from various militant organizations staged a rally in front of the Department of Justice (DOJ) today, Nov. 5, to protest the killings of lumads. With the police positioning dispersal equipment like shields (see inside of police van) as of this posting, it remains to be seen whether the lumads would get the same maximum tolerance afforded members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo during the latter’s protest action at the DOJ.

(Text and photo by JhDodson)