Talking points

The annual Nobel Prize season closes with the awarding of the economics prize in Stockholm, Sweden. As usual, American economists dominate the list of favourites, just as they have over the past 10 years, with 17 out of the 20 recipients during that period from the US. After the 2012 prize acknowledged game theory, a somewhat ancillary field, it is possible that this year it will return to the core of economic science. Favourites include Robert Barro of Harvard and Paul Romer of New York University, who have both done work on growth. Also tipped are finance specialists such as the University of Chicago's Eugene Fama and Kenneth French of Dartmouth College.

The trial of Liu Ping, a mainland activist who has campaigned for officials to disclose their personal assets, is expected to open. The 48-year-old was detained in May in Xinyu, Jiangxi province for "inciting subversion of state power". Mainland authorities have since detained at least 10 other activists who also participated in the campaign for officials to publicly disclose their wealth.