EUROPEAN HEADLINES
FT – Winterkorn falls on his sword as emissions scandal engulfs VW. 30% wiped off company’s value since Monday. Successor to be chosen on Friday.
WSJE – VW’s chief resigns under fire. Winterkorn departs as Europe’s largest auto maker faces scrutiny over exhaust scandal.
INYT – To fans, Francis takes on a broader role. Non-Catholics look past church dogma to pope’s stances on global issues.
BALTIC STATES
Baltic Times – Lithuania has granted political asylum to journalist Andrey Nekrasov subjected to persecution by the Russian law-enforcement. “The Migration Department has updated me that I was recognized a political refugee on Sept. 17 and that I was granted a long-term permit to live in the Republic of Lithuania,” Nekrasov told BNS on Monday.
FRANCE
Le Monde – VW turns into global scandal. The German group is being investigated in all continents for tricking emission calculations on the diesel engine of 11 million of its cars.
Les Echos – Europe prepares to face the American Big Brother. The European Court of Justice might give more power to member states to face US Internet giants. Today, European citizens’ data are automatically transferred to the United-States.
GERMANY
Frankfurter Allgemeine – VW CEO Winterkorn resigns. “Volkswagen needs a fresh start.”
Suedeutsche Zeitung – VW Chief steps down. Although claiming “not to be aware of any misconduct,” Martin Winterkorn resigns in face of emission scandal.
ITALY
La Repubblica – VW’s CEO resigns; tide of panic in the EU. Martin Winterkorn decides to quit, even if he denied having known that false pollution tests were used to sell the cars of his group.
Il Sole 24 Ore – VW’s CEO resigns. The Volkswagen scandal has led the carmaker’s CEO to resign, while the German government strenuously denies it knew anything about irregularities. The EU has asked member states to start investigations into their own markets. Stocks were back up 5.2% following the resigning of CEO Winterkorn.
NETHERLANDS
De Volkskrant – No evidence of IS supporters posing as refugees: Dutch security service. The security service AIVD said on Thursday it has no evidence that IS or other Islamic extremists are structurally trying to smuggle supporters into Europe by pretending they are refugees.
POLAND
Gazeta Wyborcza – PiS counterattacks. President Andrzej Duda invites the Minister of Interior Teresa Piotrowska and not the Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz to discuss the outcome of the EU migration crisis talks. PiS accuses the Polish Government of succumbing to Berlin and Brussels’ dictate.
SPAIN
El Pais – Seat assembled 500,000 of Volkswagen’s rigged engines. Volkswagen president resigns amid emissions scandal.
Expansion – Santander: more dividends every year until 2018. The bank presents a plan to raise both profits and dividends and strengthen its capital.
UK
The Times – We’re facing destruction, European chief warns. Influx of migrants will bring chaos to continent.
The Guardian – Scandal claims VW chief as lawyers circle. Beleaguered firm faces class actions from customers and criminal inquiry.
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