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News digest: 5 October 2012

Bulgaria refuses to ban ex spies from state news agency (Novinite): "Former collaborators of Bulgaria's communist regime's secret service will not be banned from serving as heads of the state-owned news agency BTA, the constitutional court has ruled"

Bulgaria to face ECHR over death of 19-year-old in childcare institution (Novinite): "The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee is starting a new case against Bulgaria at the European Court of Human Rights over the death of a 19-year-old at a state-run institution for children with disabilities"

GREECE: Ex-arms chief faces magistrate (Ekathimerini): "The former head of procurements at the Defense Ministry, Yiannis Sbokos, pleaded his innocence on Thursday in response to accusations that he helped former minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos launder some 80 million euros in bribes for arms contracts"

GREECE: Ex-minister probed by financial crimes squad kills himself (Ekathimerini): "Former Deputy Interior Minister Leonidas Tzanis, whose name is on a list of 36 politicians and public officials being probed by the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE), was found dead at his home in Volos, central Greece, on Thursday. Tzanis reportedly hung himself"

GREECE: Labour clashes at defence ministry, police HQ (Ekathimerini): "Tension broke out outside the police headquarters in Athens on Thursday as shipyard employees turned up to demonstrate against the arrests of fellow workers during a protest earlier in the day"

GREECE: Parliament to vote on lifting immunity of three Golden Dawn MPs (Ekathimerini): "Parliament will soon hold a secret ballot to determine whether or not to lift the immunity from prosecution of three lawmakers from the far-right Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) following a proposal by the House’s ethics committee on Thursday"

GREECE: Police arrest man accused of torching Pakistani-owned hairdresser's (Ekathimerini)

ITALY: Man climbs St Peter's basilica in protest (Epoch Times): "A man scaled the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to protest against Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s economic policies and European Union-mandated austerity cuts"

NETHERLANDS: Police given extra stop and search powers following arson attacks in Dutch town (The Amsterdam Herald)

NORWAY: Police cars may be equipped with arms (The Norway Post): "The police director wants to increase police officers' access to weapons, and hopes that new regulations for the use of arms may be in place by 2013"

POLAND: Five charged with inciting hatred over WWII Jedwabne pogrom (The News): "Five men who allegedly heckled a tolerance march in 2011 in Bialystok, north east Poland, have been charged with inciting hatred after 'refusing to apologise for the WW II-era Jedwabne massacre of Jews"

SERBIA: Belgrade pride ban disappoints EU and some Serbs (Balkan Insight): "For the second year in a row, Serbia caved in to the extremists' demands and banned Belgrade's Pride Parade, which was due on October 6, citing security reasons." See also: Belgrade gay exhibition held behind police barricade (Balkan Insight)

SPAIN: "No evidence" of crimes in September Congress protest, judge rules: (El Pais) "High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz has thrown out a case brought by the police against eight organizers of the September 25 protest outside Congress in Madrid." See also: Investigation to be opened into police actions during September protests (El Pais)

SWEDEN: Swedes paid off Russian expert in secret intel deal (The Local): "Two Swedish military agencies at the centre of a scandal over plans to help build a weapons factory in Saudi Arabia also secretly paid millions of kronor to a Russian arms expert for information relevant to the project, a new report has revealed"

TURKEY: Anti-war protests in Turkey after strikes against Syria (Euronews) See also: Turkey's parliament authorises military action in Syria (BBC News)

UK: Defence companies fail anti-corruption test (Transparency International UK): "New index finds two thirds of companies do not provide enough public evidence that they adequately prevent corruption." See: Defence Companies Anti-Corruption Index

UK: National 'virtual ID card' scheme set for launch (Is there anything that could possibly go wrong?): "The Government will announce details this month of a controversial national identity scheme which will allow people to use their mobile phones and social media profiles as official identification documents for accessing public services"

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