Daron Acemoğlu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson have been awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for their work on the prosperity gap between countries. At the centre of their research is the connection between the functioning of state institutions and the prosperity of different societies. Europe's press comments.
Italy has sent a first ship with intercepted migrants to Albania. The asylum claims of the 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh will be reviewed in a fast-track procedure in migrant centres there. Under an agreement reached between Rome and Tirana last year, up to 3,000 refugees will be sent to Albania. Commentators look at what this means for Europe.
SpaceX, Elon Musk's space exploration company, has scored a spectacular success: in a test manoeuvre the 70-metre-long Super Heavy booster part of its Starship rocket system made a safe return to its launchpad on Earth, where it was caught by giant mechanical arms. There is a round of applause – and a few side-swipes – from the media.
The right-wing populist PiS party had been in power in Poland for eight years when the general election in October 2023 changed the majorities and it was voted out. The coalition government led by Donald Tusk (PO) has tried to reverse its predecessors' controversial judicial reforms and restructure the public broadcasting sector, but has met with fierce resistance. Andrzej Duda, a politician with close ties to the PiS, has been president of the country since 2015.
Unifil, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, has come under Israeli fire several times in recent days. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced the attacks as a violation of international law and the Security Council has warned against attacks on UN soldiers. Meanwhile, Israel has called on the UN to withdraw its troops on the grounds that Hezbollah is using the Blue Helmets as cover for terrorist activities.
Poland has announced plans to reduce illegal migration "to a minimum" and suspend the right to asylum, at least temporarily. This is part of the country's new migration strategy, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk, explaining that he intends to demand that the decision be recognised at the EU level. Commentators analyse the motives and background to the move.
The liberal-conservative coalition government in Portugal has presented its first draft budget to parliament. The minority government hopes to secure the support of the Socialists (PS) to pass the bill, but that party is concerned about two points in particular: a reduction in corporate income tax (IRC) and a staggered decrease in income tax rates for young professionals (IRS Jovem).
The Social Democrats have emerged as the winners of the first round of the Lithuanian parliamentary elections. With over 19 percent of the vote they have a narrow lead against the ruling Conservative Party with its 18 percent. The newly founded left-wing populist Nemuno Aušra came third with 15 percent. The final distribution of seats in the Seimas will only be clear after the second round of voting on 27 October, when most of the direct mandates are allocated.
Nihon Hidankyō has been named as the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Founded by survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the organisation campaigns both for the victims of the bombings back then and for global nuclear disarmament. The press discusses whether the Nobel Committee made a good choice.
After a US judge ruled in August that Google is a monopolist company that has actively violated antitrust laws, the Department of Justice has now threatened consequences. According to Washington, the group may have to be divided up into different divisions. Europe's press is following the developments closely.
The assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in May 2024 was not a terrorist attack but an ordinary attempted murder, the country's Supreme Court has concluded, thus contradicting the public prosecutor. Fico himself had recently talked once again about dangerous links between the assassin, a pensioner, and the opposition in Bratislava.
Hurricane Milton raged across Florida but caused less damage than initially feared. Just a fortnight ago, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the south-west of the US. Europe's media discuss how these extreme weather events are influencing the US presidential election campaign - and the extent to which politics and disaster control are becoming intertwined.