Dublin

Explosive planted in luggage: A Slovak man unwittingly carried a hidden explosive on board a flight to Dublin, after a Slovak airport-security test went awry. The 49-year-old electrician, who lives in Dublin, was arrested at his apartment, but was released after Slovak security officials alerted their Dublin counterparts to the screw-up. Slovak officials had surreptitiously placed different bomb components in the check-in luggage of nine passengers to see if security screeners would spot the contraband. One of the bags, containing 3 ounces of explosive, got through. Ireland’s government is now investigating why Irish airport screeners didn’t find the explosive. Slovak authorities expressed “profound regret” to Ireland, but insisted that the plane had been in no danger, since the explosive contained no detonators.

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Bern, Switzerland

Buried in the Alps: Two avalanches in the same area of the Swiss Alps claimed the lives of seven people this week. The first one hit a group of skiers, leaving two dead under several feet of snow. After rescue workers and dogs arrived in eight helicopters, another avalanche struck, killing four more skiers as well as a doctor who was part of the rescue team. Experts at the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research are investigating what triggered the snow slides, which occurred when the avalanche risk was rated as only moderate. Some speculated that the second slide was touched off when the rescue helicopters landed on the snow. Each year, an average of 25 people die in avalanches in Switzerland. Forecasters expect more avalanches this winter because of unusually heavy snowfall and extremely cold temperatures.

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