Serbia's parliament on Friday began debating whether to green light an EU-brokered deal aimed at normalising ties with former foe Kosovo, a landmark accord already approved by the government. The deal, which has come under fire from ultra-nationalists and Kosovo Serbs, is expected to win vast backing in the 250-seat parliament, as MPs from the ruling nationalists' coalition and from the centre-left opposition have already indicated they would vote in favour of it.

Greece on Wednesday briefly detained 63 people and remanded six in custody after demonstrators replaced the Greek flag on a university building by an anarchist flag in protest at the closure of the website of the Indymedia network of journalists, police said. The group of young people hoisted the red and black standard on the building in central Athens and hung a huge English-language banner reading "Raise your voice - Fight against state censorship" on its front.

Two-time Major winner Rory McIlroy should be allowed to represent Ireland at the 2016 Olympics and not have to make his own mind up about who he plays for, Peter Dawson, CEO of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A) said. Dawson, who played a key role in golf regaining its' place at the Olympics when it was voted back in four years ago, said it was unfair placing the pressure on the 23-year-old Northern ireland-born golfer to make up his mind.

Dutch police arrested a former pupil at a British school in the Netherlands on Monday in connection with a threat to go on a shooting spree that saw armed police deployed and schools closed. Police in the university city of Leiden, just northeast of The Hague, confirmed one person had been arrested following the threat to "shoot my Dutch teacher and as many students as I can", made on an Internet site over the weekend. "Someone was arrested in connection with the threat and we're continuing our investigations," a police spokeswoman said, declining to give her name.