France
Reuters: French police find explosives in Islamist probe. ‘French anti-terrorist police have found bomb-making materials and weapons while investigating suspected radical Islamists across the country, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said on Wednesday, Molins said a dozen suspects rounded up in raids over the weekend would be held for a further 24 hours after the discovery of chemicals used to make explosives at a garage in the Paris suburbs belonging to one of them.’
The Independent: Bomb kit found in Paris car park after terror arrests. ‘Police have found bomb-making materials in a car park near Paris as part of an investigation into an “extremely dangerous terrorist cell” linked to an attack on a kosher grocery. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said the discovery in Torcy, east of the capital, led authorities to invoke a rarely used legal clause to allow them to extend questioning of 12 suspects by a day – and possibly two.’
Germany
BBC IPlayer (Radio Clip): Outlook – From neo-Nazi to Christian pastor: ‘The German neo-Nazi who found God in prison and is now training to become a pastor’
Italy
Bloomberg: Italy Anti-Austerity Leader Begins Campaign with a Swim to Sicily. ‘Italian comic-turned-politician Beppe Grillo swam across the strait of Messina to Sicily today to open the campaign of his insurgent, anti-austerity movement on the island before local elections later this month. Grillo, 64, left the village of Cannitello in Calabria on mainland Italy at about 11 a.m. under a light rain, a live broadcast of the event of the website of Corriere della Sera showed. Dozens of supporters of his Five-Star Movement trailed Grillo in boats along the 2.2-mile swim. About an hour later he came ashore in Sicily where he was greeted by hundreds of fans.’
The Netherlands
ABC News: Anti-Islam group under fire over leaflet drop. ‘The group which plans to host a visit to Australia by controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders is being accused of distributing anti-Islamic leaflets to letterboxes in Victoria. It is not the first time the Q Society has been accused of using letter drops to spread bigotry.’
Norway
The Nordic Page: Right Wing Parties Against Wealth Tax in Norway. ‘While the coalition government announced to increase the minimum allowance of property in 2013 budget, two right wing parties, the Progress Party (FrP) and the Conservative Party (Høyre) promise to remove all wealth and inheritance tax in Norway.’
Spain
elEconomista: Three out of four Catalonians want a referendum. ‘74.1% of Catalans are in favor of holding a referendum on whether or not Catalonia should become a new state in Europe. The survey, based on 800 telephone interviews was conducted between September 28 and October 3, just after the general policy debate in the Parliament, in which the president of the Generalitat , Artur Mas, announced early elections and opted to convene a consultation to self-determination in the next legislature.’
