This Week's 2nd Terror Attack in Europe - 19 Cars Burned in Stockholm

At least 19 cars burned, barber shop rocked by EXPLOSION in Stockholm suburb

FILE PHOTO. Burned cars are pictured in Gothenburg, Sweden. © AFP / TT News Agency / Adam Ihse

Some 19 cars have been torched in the northern Stockholm suburb of Marsta, while a small explosive device went off near a local barber shop. No suspects have been detained so far.

The early hours of Monday turned out to be very restless for the residents of the area, as they were woken up by at least two loud bangs which triggered a massive police and firefighter response.

It turned out an explosive device went off in front of a barber shop, heavily damaging its entrance, while cars were set alight in at least three locations across the neighborhood. Some 19 vehicles were destroyed by fire, according to local media.

So far, police have not established a link between the car fires and the explosion, treating them as separate incidents. Officers have been going door-to-door questioning residents but no suspects have been apprehended yet.

Arson attacks on cars have plagued Sweden for a few years now, happening in sprees and making international headlines.

Such incidents have repeatedly occurred in Stockholm and its suburbs, as well as other major cities, namely Malmo and Gothenburg.

The latter saw a particularly ‘hot’ August in 2018 when dozens of cars as well as several buildings were torched in a series of arson attacks.

The alarming growth of crime has resulted in certain neighborhoods of major cities, including Stockholm and Malmo, becoming virtual “no-go” zones. Authorities say high crime and poverty rates created these breeding grounds for gang violence and extremism.

Malmo, in particular, has developed a reputation as a crime hotspot in Sweden, where police went even as far as declaring a “hand grenade amnesty” back in 2018, urging residents to surrender their arsenals of explosives with no legal consequences or questions.

No-Go Zones are explicitly Muslim immigrants. While these particular acts may have not been acts of jihad, like the truck-attack in Limburg, Germany, but they are an indication of the lack of respect for the law and the country that took them in when they were desperate. There are a lot of criminal gangs and organized crime in these no-go zones, which is an indication of Sweden's government's remarkable stupidity for taking in far too many migrants than they were capable of handling.

Sweden Explosion: 25 People Injured and Bomb Squad Deployed as Blast Hits Two Buildings

It's too soon to tell if this was an act of terrorism; if it was, it was an extremely clumsy one. If it wasn't, it might have been some other act of madness, or possibly a natural gas accident, though one would think that would be obvious.

However, if it was terrorism, with Sweden's PC government, police and media

- we might never know.

Chris Baynes
The Independent

A “very powerful” explosion has ripped through two blocks of flats in the southern Swedish city of Linkoping, injuring dozens of people.

Detectives have launched a criminal investigation and a bomb squad was deployed as a precaution following the blast, which blew out windows and destroyed balconies in 109 apartments.

At least 25 people suffered minor injuries in the explosion at 9am local time (7am GMT), police said. 

The cause is not yet known but police spokesman Bjorn Oberg said: “As for now, we don’t have any information to believe this is terror-related.”

He added: “Many people called in about a very powerful explosion which has led to a large number of windows being blown out. So far we have been able to confirm that there are number of people with light injuries. We have cordoned off a large area, several blocks.”

Police said the explosion was believed to have occurred outside the five-storey building and four-storey building that were damaged.

Pontus Johansson, a 21-year-old engineer who lives nearby, said he was in the shower when he heard a loud bang. "First I didn't think it was anything bad, then I saw the neighbour's window was broken so I left our apartment and saw the chaos outside," he added.

Pictures from the scene showed damaged buildings and rubble on the street, where a dozen ambulances were lined up.

Victims have been taken to Linkoping University, as well as other medical facilities in the city 110 miles southwest of Stockholm.

Johan Edwardsson, of Linkoping council, said many residents of the damaged buildings would not be able to return home on Friday.

Anger in Russia over Move to Raise Pension Age Beyond Life Expectancy

This from CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corp. which is a left-wing, arguably far-left MainStream Media news source with a definite anti-Russo bias

Anger in Russia over a government proposal to dramatically raise the retirement age has hit a new threshold after someone set a bomb off outside a national pension fund office.

No one was hurt in the blast this morning in the city of Kaluga, 180 km southwest of Moscow, but pictures and video show significant damage to the building's entrance, with shattered glass, displaced tiles and a twisted metal door. 

The proposed reforms, which would see the retirement age rise from 60 to 65 for men, starting in 2028, and see women get their pension at age 60 instead of 55 as of 2034, were quietly introduced by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on June 14 — the first of day of the World Cup soccer tournament.

Russians, however, took notice. A national poll last month by Moscow's Levada Center found that almost 90 per cent of those surveyed oppose the changes. Much of the anger is fuelled by the fact that the current life expectancy for men in Russia is just 66.5 years.

Last weekend saw anti-pension-reform demonstrations in several cities across the country. 

An elderly woman holds a poster that reads 'Want to Retire, it's time to change the authority!' during a rally protesting retirement age hikes in Moscow on Saturday, July 28, 2018. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have rallied throughout Russia to protest plans to substantially hike the age at which Russian men and women can receive their state retirement pensions. (Associated Press)

In Moscow, an estimated 12,000 people turned out for a rally organized by the Russian Communist Party and trade unions, carrying signs like "We want to live on our pensions, not die at work" and "the government must go." Some protesters dressed up like the grim reaper, carrying scythes.

Russia - lowest retirement age

As it stands, Russia has the lowest retirement age of any developed country and a huge demographic problem. The population is rapidly aging and by 2036, there will be twice as many retirees as workers. 

By some estimates, the state pension fund is only covering 60 per cent of its current outlay, with the government making up the shortfall out of the general budget. 

With an aging population, this means there will be more and more retirees on pensions and fewer and fewer working people to support them. The outlay from general funds will have to increase almost exponentially over the next decade or two without changes.

Russian politicians have long acknowledged the pressing need to reform the pension system, but few have wanted to court the inevitable public anger. The Kremlin has taken great pains to try and distance President Vladimir Putin from the reforms, saying he wasn't even involved in the discussions. But it isn't working. Over the past couple of months, his approval rating has dropped from 80 to 64 per cent — its lowest level in more than four years. 

The pension bill easily passed its first reading in the Duma last month, but in a rare show of defiance, all the opposition parties and two members of Putin's United Russia movement voted against it. Parliamentary hearings are scheduled for later this month. 

But there are signs that the government is worried.

News of today's explosion first came via Nika, a regional broadcaster. But a story and footage were later removed from its website, with no explanation. 

There is no sign of the explosion on RT's news feed. I complain a lot about MSM and their social and political bias, but state-controlled media is no better. Both allow truth to be hidden or warped to the advantage of governments or deep state, and, of course, to the disadvantage of people.

Philippines President Declares 'State of Lawlessness,' 14 Dead in Explosion by Islamists

Fourteen people were killed in an explosion orchestrated by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in Davao City on Friday prompting Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to implement "a state of lawlessness" across the nation. Photo courtesy of Malacañang Photo Bureau/Government of the Philippines

By Sarah Mulé  

MANILA, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared "a state of lawlessness" following an explosion that killed 14 people in Davao City.

The attack ripped through a popular night market Friday night, killing 14 and injuring at least 71 others.

In declaring the state of lawlessness, Duterte said it "would require nationwide, well-coordinated efforts of the military and the police."

Jesus Dureza, Duterte's adviser on the peace process, later clarified the meaning.

"State of lawlessness merely calls out the military or the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to do law enforcement operations normally done only by the PNP (Philippine National Police). Precisely to suppress the lawless violence. It does not suspend some rights," he said on Facebook Saturday.

Militant group Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the attack.

Abu Sayyaf) is an Islamist militant group based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where for more than four decades, Moro groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country. The group is considered very violent, and was responsible for the Philippines' worst terrorist attack, the bombing of Superferry 14 in 2004, which killed 116 people.

As of 2012, the group was estimated to have between 200 and 400 members, down from 1,250 in 2000. They use mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars, and automatic rifles.


Since its inception in 1991, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, and extortion in what they describe as their fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines. They have also been involved in criminal activities, including kidnapping, rape, child sexual assault, forced marriage, drive-by shootings, extortion, and drug trafficking, and the goals of the group "appear to have alternated over time between criminal objectives and a more ideological intent".

On 23 July 2014, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Totoni Hapilon swore an oath of loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL. In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people to ransom, in the name of ISIL.

They have recently beheaded several prisoners whom they abducted when the ransoms were not paid, including two Canadians.

Ten of the 14 killed in Friday's blast died instantly, according to Chief Insp. Andrea dela Cerna, Davao Police Regional Office spokesperson. Four others died at nearby hospitals.

Southern Philippines Medical Center director Dr. Leopoldo Vega said 15 people are still listed in critical condition, noting that most of the injuries were caused by shrapnel.

Officials believe Abu Sayyaf orchestrated the attack in retaliation for the Philippine government's military offensive against the group in Jolo, the group's island stronghold in the far south of the Philippines.

Philippine National Police Chief Director, General Ronald dela Rosa said the PNP has three suspects in the incident.

50 Injured in Military Training Camp in Gaza

GAZA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Around 50 Palestinians were injured on Thursday in an explosion at one of the training facilities belonging to Palestinian militants in northern Gaza Strip, medics and security officials said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, Gaza health ministry spokesman, told Xinhua that about 50 people got various serious and moderate injuries in a huge explosion in a military training facility at al-Atatra area in northern Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, officials of the Gaza Interior Ministry, said the explosion occurred when explosives experts were trying to defuse an non-detonated Israeli F16 missile, which had suddenly exploded and wounded 50 people.

And if you believe that - I have a tropical island off the coast of Labrador for sale, cheap. Did I mention that before? 

You don't diffuse a bomb with 50 people standing around! And if you did, at least a few of them would be dead. 

Blaming Israel is a stupid and absurd assertion. Palestinians have to blame Israel for everything, even blowing themselves up. 

Al-Qedra said the casualties were taken to the hospitals in northern Gaza Strip and Gaza city, declining to give more details.

Witnesses said they heard a huge explosion that wrecked the area of al-Atartra, adding that an Israeli missile which did not exploded during last summer's Israeli war in Gaza exploded suddenly in the area.

They noted that the Israeli missile exploded while militants were trying to defuse it at a Hamas movement's training facility, known as "Salatin Training position," in the west of Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza.

Ambulances and firefighters arrived at the scene, while security forces prevented journalists and civilians from approaching the place.

Of course they did. Reporters would have seen what really happened, although they probably would have reported the Hamas lie anyway.

In last July, Israel waged a 50-day large-scale military air and ground operation on Gaza Strip militant groups, firing tens of thousands of missiles and tanks shells on the coastal enclave and killing more than 2,000 Palestinians.

The security forces and armed groups in Gaza warned that several Israeli rockets and missiles were still unexploded and it will be dangerous to touch or play with these objects.

I seriously doubt that Israeli missiles would go unexploded, certainly not in large numbers. Hamas, however, did launch many missiles that missed Israel and landed in Gaza. With that kind of technology, I would bet a small fortune, if I had one, that the unexploded explosives were Hamas originated.