Europe U.S. Allies in Europe Begin to Pull Back
William Pfaff

Five NATO governments made it known that they want American nuclear weapons removed from their territory. They include the Benelux three, together with Germany and Norway. The five reportedly will ask that all the European NATO governments endorse their position before a meeting in New York in May.

Hydro closes Michigan plant
Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro has discontinued production and closed the doors at its aluminium tubing plant in Michigan ending 70 years of manufacturing operations at the Adrian site Norway Post reported on 1 March. Activities related to the closure which Hydro announced last March included the transfer of products and manufacturing...

Reykjavik city to stimulate employment market
The City of Reykjavik has established a fund of $1.2 million to stimulate the local employment market. The largest part $800 000 million will be used for projects that are undertaken in cooperation with the Directorate of Labor Iceland Review reported on 1 March. These projects include vocational training innovation projects...

Economic downturn hits Georg Fischer hard
The Georg Fischer engineering group has announced that sales last year fell by more than a third as the global economic crisis had a far-reaching impact Swiss info reported on March 2. Sales fell by 35 % to 2.91billion Swiss Francs $2.69 billion resulting in a net loss of 238 million...

FMC awarded Angola contract by Total
FMC Technologies Inc has announced that it has signed an agreement with Total Exploration and Production Angola for the manufacture and supply of subsea production equipment. The award is valued at around USD 65 million Norway Post reported on March 1. The equipment will support Total Angolas Block 17 development...

Kuhne Nagel sees profits fall in downturn
Kühne Nagel one of the worlds largest logistics companies has posted a 20 % drop in net profit for 2009 following a global slump in the industry Swiss info reported on March 1. With sales down by 19.4 percent to 17.4 billion Swiss Francs $16.03 billion net profit for the...

Referendum on bank debt more likely after failed talks
Efforts to avert a referendum in Iceland on terms for the repayment of $5.4 billion to British and Dutch investors following the collapse of an Icelandic bank appeared bleak early last week following failure to reach a new settlement. We had hoped to be able to reach a consensual resolution...

Agora Group increases net profit  to 38.3 million
Despite the slowdown on the advertising market during 2009 Polands leading media group Agora Group increased its net profit attributable to the equity holders of the parent to 38.3 million zloty up 63.7 % and improved profitability increasing operating EBITDA margin 1 2 to 13% up 0.9pp . Such a...

Individuals trading on WSE Main List rises 0.9% in 2009
According to the survey conducted among Warsaw Stock Exchange WSE Members in January 2010 the stable structure of investor groups share in trading on the Main List has been restored. The share of foreign investors was 36 percent in 2009 the share of institutional investors 37 % and the share...

New proposal on repaying bank debt rejected
Iceland on 22 February rejected a new proposal on terms for the repayment of $5.4 billion to British and Dutch investors following the collapse of an Icelandic bank official said. Officials from the three countries have in recent weeks discussed terms for Reykjavik to repay the money lost when Icesave...

US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan
Davlat Nazriyev head of the Tajik MFA information department recently announced that US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke paid a visit to Dushanbe. The US envoy met with Tajik Presidnet Emomali Rahmon. In the course of talks both sides discussed bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the United...

EBRD grants 1 mln for micro and small businesses
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD announced a loan of one million Euro to Arvand Micro-Deposit Organization for on-lending to micro and small enterprises MSEs reads a press release. This loan is part of the Banks strategy to boost the availability of financing to private businesses in Tajikistan....

137 mln in grants for new wind turbine project
Government agency Enova will provide the Bergen-based company Sway AS with funding in the amount of 137 million Norwegian crowns to demonstrate a new wind turbine prototype to be built on the West Coast Norway Post reported on 13 February. Sway AS is granted a licence from the Norwegian Water...

Brits Dutch stall Icelands new Icesave plan
The British and Dutch authorities have not agreed to reopen Icesave negotiations despite useful meeting Ice News reported on 15 February. The newest Icesave meeting between Iceland the Netherlands and the UK has come to a close with no agreement to meet again in the near future although Icelands Finance...

Clariant slashes hundreds of jobs
The Clariant specialty chemicals group announced a loss for 2009 and said it would cut 500 jobs 400 of them in Switzerland. Clariant based at Muttenz near Basel said it made a net loss of SF194 million Francs $180.65 million compared with a loss of SF37 million Francs in 2008. Sales...

Statoil extends drilling contracts 
Statoil has chosen to exercise options in existing contracts with Odfjell Drilling Management KCA Deutag Norge and Seawell for production drilling and maintenance services at a total value of around 3.6 billion Norwegian crowns Norway Post reported on 17 February. The options allow Statoil to extend five contacts which expire in...

Fertilizer maker Yara makes offer for US rival Terra
Yara International the worlds largest supplier of mineral fertilizers and ammonia on 15 February said it has made a cash offer of $4.1 billion to buy its US rival Terra Industries Official said. The Norwegian groups offer represents a premium of 23 percent on Terras February 12 closing price and...

Switzerland and France back on track over tax
Switzerland has reached agreement with France over the fate of stolen bank client data and is ready to proceed with a stalled double taxation agreement. The Swiss finance ministry said on Friday that France will not request administrative assistance in obtaining information about suspected tax evaders whose details were contained...

Record result good for Norwegian Air
Low fare airline Norwegian has presented the best annual result in the companys history. The net result after tax amounted to 446 million Norwegian crowns Norway Post reported early last week. The last quarter was also the best fourth quarter ever. During 2009 Norwegian had a strong passenger growth and...

Norway joins energy grid
The Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen signed a political declaration on strengthening the regional cooperation on development of an offshore energy grid in the North Sea region Norway Post reported on 3 February. This means that Norway although not a member of the EU now forms the...

Trade surplus seen in 2009
According to preliminary figures for the year 2009 released by Statistics Iceland the value of exported goods from Iceland amounted to ISK 497 100 million fob and the value of imported goods amounted to ISK 409 900 million fob ISK 445 400 million cif . Thus there was a trade...

Genentech takeover pushes Roche results down
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said that their full-year net profit dropped 22% to 8.51 billion Swiss Francs $8.06 billion over costs linked to the takeover of Genentech officials reported on 3 February. The company took over California-based Genentech a biotechnology firm in March 2009 despite strong opposition from the Genentech...

Statoil awards services contracts
Statoil has extended its contracts with Schlumberger Norge AS and Baker Hughes Norge AS for integrated drilling services. The extensions are valid for two years from the autumn of 2010 Norway Post reported on 3 February. The contracts include delivery of directional drilling measurement while drilling MWD and mud logging...

Staff reductions at Telenor
Norwegian communications provider Telenor has announced that it is reducing the number of researchers and engineers by 60 as a result of restructuring and a merger of several sections Norway Post reported on 3 February. Most of the people affected are engaged in development and research at Telenors headquarters at...

Swiss exports in biggest slump since 1944
Swiss exports in 2009 dropped by 26 billion Swiss Franks $24.5 billion falling to 2006 levels according to the Federal Customs Administration DPA reported on 4 February. Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis Swiss foreign trade in 2009 suffered the sharpest decline in decades the governmental office said...

ACE Q4 profit soars
Insurer ACE Ltd said on February 2 that its fourth quarter profit surged from last year helped by net realized gains. Net premiums written increased eight percent while net premiums earned rose five percent for the fourth quarter RTT News reported on 2 February. The Zurich Switzerland-based company posted fourth...

Gassco reports gas transportation up 2.3% in 2009
Norways leading gas transporter and operator Gassco transported 99.8 billion standard cubic meters scm of Norwegian gas in 2009 up by roughly 2.3 billion scm from the 2008 gas year. The 96.6 billion scm covers pipeline deliveries to Germany Belgium France and the UK. In addition come 1.4 billion scm...

Research permit granted for Tidal Wave Plant
The National Energy Authority has granted the company Sjavarorka a 6 year research permit for a tidal wave power plant in Hvammsfjordur fjord the innermost part of Breidafjordur fjord in west Iceland Iceland Review reported on 26 January. In September it was reported that Japanese industrial giant Mitsubishi was looking...

Novartis appoints new boss shows profit hike
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis reported on 26 January a 54% increase in fourth-quarter net income to $2.3 billion in part due to sales of swine flu vaccines official said. The drug-makers board also appointed Joe Jimenez currently division head of the pharmaceutical business as new chief executive officer to replace Daniel...

Konsberg makes delivery to US Navy
The Norwegian electronics company Kongsberg Maritime has successfully delivered the first Helicopter Operations Surveillance System HOSS for amphibious ships to the US Navy Norway Post reported early last week. The delivery is part of an $11 million Naval Air Systems Command NAVAIR fixed price Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract awarded...

Swiss court stops transfer of client data to US
A Swiss court issued a ruling halting the transfer of UBS AG client data to the United States putting in doubt a landmark agreement reached over the summer between the US and Swiss governments official said. The Swiss Federal Administrative Court said failure to fill out a tax form for...

Tobacco producers excluded from state pensions fund
The Ministry of Finance has decided to exclude 17 companies that produce tobacco from the Government Pension Fund Global GPFG based on a recommendation from the Funds Council on Ethics. The divestment of shares in these companies has now been completed.We have taken these changes on board and believe amongst...

Oil production continues to fall
The oil production on the Norwegian Shelf continues to fall. Making a determined effort to recover all the oil resources from the large fields has become an urgent matter the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate NPD stated Norway Post reported on 18 January. If the licensees do not make the necessary decisions profitable...

Referendum called for 6 March
A national referendum on the so-called Icesave legislation will be held on 6 March 2010 as announced by the Icelandic Minister of Justice Ragna Arnadottir early last week. Out of country voting will start on the 28 January. The referendum comes in the wake of the President of Iceland´s decision on...

Life for Lindt Sprungli is not so sweet
Swiss premium chocolate maker Lindt Sprungli saw its turnover drop by 1.9% in 2009 to 2.52 billion Swiss Francs $2.46 billion Swiss info reported on 19 January. In times of crisis demand turns more to cheaper brands of large discounters the company said in a statement early last week. Lindt which traces...

Det norske reports production rises
Norwegian independent oil and gas producer Det norske reported that production increased by almost 40% from November to December 2009. Average production for the months January to November 2009 was 1 776 barrels per day. In December the average is 2 402 barrels per day. Det norske has ownership interests...

Economic downturn hits Sulzer hard
The Sulzer engineering concern of Winterthur has reported that its order intake for 2009 was down almost a quarter compared with the previous year Swiss info reported on 15 January . The company one of the oldest in Switzerland said orders were down 24.3 percent to just over three billion...

SGS rides the global financial storm well
The worlds largest inspection group SGS of Geneva has reported that net profit last year fell by 18% but said it expected higher profit and sales in 2010 Swiss info reported on January 15. SGS said that net profit came in at 566 million Swiss Franks $553 million and explained...

Richemont reports higher Q3 sales
Swiss luxury goods group Richemont reported on 18 January that sales in the third quarter of 2009 was two percent higher than in the previous year as demand improved DPA reported. Sales in the third quarter ending December 31 stood at 1.585 billion euros $2.27 billion . The quarter saw...

Novartis plan to take over eye care Alcon draws ire in US
Switzerlands second-largest drug maker Novartis intends to gain full ownership of a related Swiss-Texas firm Alcon by first completing an April 2008 agreement with Nestlé to acquire a 77% majority stake in a global leader in eye care and subsequently entering into an all-share direct merger with Alcon for the...

Thin air in Iceland fewer Icelandair passengers
Times are tough in Iceland with banks nationalized and a vote looming on whether the country should repay Dutch and British banks which subsidized losses for Icelandic banks and now Icelandair said the number of passengers it transported in 2009 fell 9% to 1.3 million. The company is promoting weekly...

Major wind power contract flows to Statoil and Statkraft
The Crown Estate has announced that the Forewind consortium comprising Norways Statoil and Statkraft as well as SSE and RWE Npower were named as the successful bidder for the largest zone in the third licence round Round 3 for UK offshore wind farms Dogger Bank. The Dogger Bank zone is...

ABB wins $48 mln substation order for Saudi power plant
ABB the Zurich-based leading power and automation technology group has won an order worth $48 million from the SEPCO III Electric Power Construction Corporation a leading Chinese EPC Engineering Procurement Construction company to deliver a substation for a new power plant in Saudi Arabia. The order was booked in the...

Norwegian newspaper reprints Islam cartoons
The Norwegian daily newspaper Aftenposten has reprinted cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that generated controversy 2005 when they were first published in a Danish newspaper. We have always defended medias right to print these cartoons and we printed a facsimile when the dispute began 2005 Aftenposten editor-in-chief Hilde Haugsgjerd wrote....

The aftermath of Icesave collapse could hurt economy
Plans to get international help to shore up Icelands banks and economy have been hurt over the delay in resolving the problems caused by the failure of the Icesave bank which was the impetus for the countrys banks to go under and require nationalization government officials said. Iceland was looking...

Nestle swallows a slice of North American pizza
Swiss food and beverage giant Nestle has agreed to buy Kraft Foods frozen pizza business in the United States and Canada for $3.7 billion 3.8 billion Swiss Francs Swiss info reported on 5 January. The deal secures Nestles solid footing in the US market the largest pizza market in the world....

President refuses to sign bank compensation plan
Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said on 5 January that he would not sign into law a compensation plan for mainly foreign savers in a failed Icelandic bank Deutsche Presse Agentur dpa reported. Grimssons signature was necessary for the Icesave compensation plan to enter into law. It was approved 30 December by...

Odfjell awarded compensation
The Norwegian shipping group Odfjell has been awarded 250 million Norwegian crowns $ 43.76 million in compensation from the Russian shipyard Sevmash which failed to deliver 12 ships on time Norway post reported on 5 January . Basically the shipyard failed to deliver Odfjell 12 ships contracted for in 2004....

Novartis to control eye care giant
Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis has bought a controlling stake in the worlds largest eye care firm Alcon from Nestle for $ 28.1 billion 19.7 billion Euro Swiss info reported on 4 January. The purchase of the additional 52% stake in Alcon follows a deal reached in 2008 between Novartis and...

Enlargement of Actavis planned in Iceland
Icelandic pharmaceutical company Actavis is planning to increase its factory in Iceland by half. Today the factory can produce nearly one billion pills per year but the production capacity will increase to 1.5 billion pills after the changes have been carried through Iceland Review reported on 5 January. Assistant director...

Air fares dropped 10%
The cost of travelling by air in Norway has dropped by 10% during the past year. In December it cost 20% less to fly than in the same month the previous year Norway Post reported on 4 January. The airlines have the last few months competed for passengers and that...

Selling America for Designer Boots, Top Hats and Thimbles
Like a near-concluded game of Monopoly, America is selling off its last properties to maintain its lavish lifestyle.

The Hard and the Soft
That Norway won as many gold medals as the United States at the Vancouver Winter Games was no anomaly. Take the story of Jan Baalsrud, for instance.

Fertilizer Maker Buys Rival for $4.1 Billion
The fertilizer industry, hurt by the global recession, is expecting a major rebound in demand in 2010 as farmers rush to replenish their soil nutrient levels.

SAS to Issue Shares, Cut Jobs After Posting Loss for 2009
SAS, the Scandinavian airline group, said Tuesday that it would issue new shares to raise capital and cut 700 jobs after reporting a loss for 2009.

Getting Women Into Boardrooms, by Law
Norway set a legal quota for the percentage of company board members that must be women, and other European nations are following suit.

State of the Union, in Dutch
A comparison of how six world leaders use a yearly address to lay out their agendas.

Shots Fired at Oslo Home of Kurdish Cleric
A man was injured when shots were fired Monday into the residence of Mullah Krekar, who helped found the militant Islamist group Ansar al-Islam.

Oil Field Project in Iraq Won by Lukoil and Statoil
The deal allows Lukoil of Russia and Statoil of Norway to develop the vast West Qurna 2 oil field, which has been neglected for decades.

Thank You, Professor, That Was Putrid
“Hideous Gnosis,” a six-hour theory symposium on black-metal music, commenced on Saturday at Public Assembly.

Accepting Peace Prize, Obama Offers ‘Hard Truth’
Formally accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Thursday, President Obama robustly defended the use of military force “on humanitarian grounds” and to preserve peace.

Iranians Defend Freezing of Assets of Nobel Laureate
The Norwegian government charged that Iran had illegally confiscated Shirin Ebadi’s Nobel Peace Prize and froze the human rights lawyer’s bank account, the IRNA news agency reported.

Norway Is First in Europe to Lift Interest Rates
Norway raised its interest rates a quarter-point to 1.5 percent as the central bank cited signs of growth in the global economy and inflationary pressures.

Nordic Countries Top 'Gender Equality' List
Iceland rose from fourth place a year ago to top the list compiled by the World Economic Forum. It was followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Norway Divided by Citizen Wealth Tables
In a move that would be unthinkable elsewhere, tax authorities in Norway issued a “tax list” showing the income and wealth of nearly every taxpayer in the country.

Petulance and the Prize
The wailing and gnashing of teeth that you hear among Republicans is 68 percent envy and 32 percent sour grapes.

Telenor Reaches New Deal With Russian Partner
The Norwegian telecommunications company settled years of wrangling with its partner. The two agreed to merge their assets in another venture.

Anti Swedish protests continue in Turkey
Diplomatic efforts are underway to mend a rift between Sweden and Turkey, caused by the Swedish parliament's decision to recognize the mass killing of Armenians and other ethnic groups in 1915 as genocide.

Swedes' generosity undented by recession
The economic downturn and rising unemployment figures have not dented Swedish support for charities, according to new figures from the Swedish Fundraising Council (FRII).

Stockholm police issue melting ice alert
Two walkers fell through melting ice on Lake Mälaren in central Stockholm yesterday as warmer temperatures and underwater currents prompted police to issue a melting ice alert.

Fourth murder plot suspect released
A fourth suspect in the plot to assassinate Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks for his caricature of the Prophet Muhammad has been released without charge by Irish police.

Malaysia slams Sweden over cartoons
The Malaysian foreign minister has asked Sweden to take action against newspapers which reprinted a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog last week.

Anna Bergendahl wins Melodifestivalen
Anna Bergendahl won Sweden's Melodifestivalen on Saturday night with This is my life and will represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo in May.

Children's rights worker charged with abuse
A man working with authorities in matters of children's rights and family values in Borås, south west Sweden, has been charged with physically abusing his two daughters.

Petty thief returns purse to police after 40 years
Police in Vansbro, central Sweden, received a surprise package on Friday morning. A guilt-ridden thief who stole a wallet at a party 40 years ago sent it back to the station with an anonymous letter of apology.

Fire breaks out onboard SAS plane
An SAS plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Malmo airport on Friday evening after a fire broke out in the cabin.

Hospital probed as patient dies in wait of operation
Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg has come under steep critcism after a woman with a serious bowel condition died, having been forced to wait seven hours for emergency treatment.

Three cartoon murder plot suspects freed
Police in Ireland have released three of the seven people arrested earlier this week on suspicion of plotting to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks. US media reports a second American Muslim woman has been arrested in the case.

Black Cobra gang steals selection of small cakes
Criminals with connections to the Black Cobra network are suspected by police of pilfering 120 boxes of almond tarts, punch rolls, apple crowns and brownies from a delivery truck in southern Sweden on Thursday.

Ombudsman backs police on pepper spray at refugee wedding
The Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman has ruled that there is no case to answer for the police officers who interrupted a wedding to arrest a 24-year-old groom at Malmö city hall, using pepper spray on him in the process.

'Foreign student places under threat': agency
New admissions regulations for Swedish universities set to be introduced in the autumn are likely to mean fewer places available for foreign students and could be in breach of EU law, according to the National Agency for Higher Education.

Toyota wins case over Volvo 'safest car' claims
Sweden's Market Court has ruled that Volvo Car's marketing of its XC60 vehicle as the "safest in the world" is misleading and lacks supporting evidence in a case brought by Japanese firm Toyota.

Nokia to Cut Jobs at Finnish Phone Plant
The world’s biggest mobile handset maker is losing ground in the battle for market share with Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry.

Turning Complaints Into Art
In Finland, Japan and other locations around the world, choirs make whining a pleasant sound.

Ransom Sought for Missing Ship
It was not immediately clear if the ransom demand was legitimate, and the whereabouts of the Arctic Sea, its 15 crew members and its cargo of timber remain a mystery.

In Finland, a Man of Politics, Without His Cloth
The Rev. Mitro Repo, an energetic Finnish Orthodox priest, won a seat in the European Parliament by bucking strict rules about mixing politics and piety.

In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble
A Finnish project suggests a new generation of reactors will be no easier or less costly to build than in the past.

Porsche Finds Fortune From Unlikely Outsourcing
Instead of outsourcing to cheaper production markets, Porsche has been using Finnish factories, yet it remains profitable.

$2.5 Billion Is Added to Bailout for Iceland
Iceland finally received international backing for its bailout plan on Thursday, as Nordic countries followed up a $2.1 billion loan by the International Monetary Fund.

Finland Sees a Familiar Pattern in Photos From the Georgia Conflict
One of the stranger questions to emerge after the August conflict between Russia and Georgia: Did Russians go to war wearing a camouflage design filched from Finland?

Women Gain in Education but Not Power, Study Finds
A study found that women still lag far behind men in top political and decision-making roles, though their access to education and health care is nearly equal.

Former Finnish President Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Martti Ahtisaari has worked to end conflicts in troubled spots around the world for more than three decades.

N.H.L.’s Diplomats Will Be Carrying Sticks
This week four N.H.L. teams will play exhibition games in Europe, and Saturday’s regular-season openers in Prague and Stockholm are sold out.

Gunman Kills 10 in Attack at a School in Finland
The gunman, identified as Matti Juhani Saari, a 22-year-old student at a trade school in western Finland, killed 10 people before shooting himself.

Hot Lixx Rocks Finland
An American who goes by the stage name Hot Lixx Hulahan won the 2008 Air Guitar Championship in Oulu, Finland.

With India’s First Gold, Suddenly a Billion People Notice the Olympics
Abhinav Bindra became the first-ever Indian to take home an individual Olympic gold medal, beating top Chinese and Finnish competitors in the 10-meter air rifle shooting competition.

Iraqi Parties, After Meetings in Finland, Agree on Principles to Guide Further Talks
The document that Iraq’s fractious groups agreed upon was the first step in a process that experts in reconciliation say could take decades.

China and India Join Climate Accord
The countries are the last two major economies to join the agreement reached in December, which calls for limiting the rise in global temperatures.

Climate Goal Is Supported by China and India
The countries are the last two major economic powers to agree with the aims of the nonbinding agreement.

SAS to Issue Shares, Cut Jobs After Posting Loss for 2009
SAS, the Scandinavian airline group, said Tuesday that it would issue new shares to raise capital and cut 700 jobs after reporting a loss for 2009.

Not Exactly a Danish Grover’s Corners
Henrik Ruben Genz’s diabolical comedy “Terribly Happy” assures us that yes, something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.

Pollution-Fighting Businesses Set Their Own Course in Treaty Vacuum
Lacking international leadership, environmental technology firms may focus on local and national markets.

Sites to Refuel Electric Cars Gain a Big Dose of Funds
The infusion of cash is a vote of confidence for Better Place, the closely watched start-up that hopes to create vast networks of charge spots for electric vehicles.

Make Somalia a Priority
Somali-led reconciliation efforts must be bolstered by strong international support.

Europe's Post-Copenhagen View of Obama
On climate change, President Obama proved to be the biggest disappointment.

A Smoking Dragon in Sheep's Clothing
China escaped commitments on climate change by hiding behind poor nations.

Denmark Leads the Way in Digital Care
Using medical devices and notebook computers, patients can see doctors without leaving home, and have the information logged into electronic records.

Danes Study Immigrants After Cartoonist Attack
In a country that already has one of the strictest immigration policies in Western Europe, the attack has spurred politicians to demand ever more stringent rules.

Danish Police Start Inquiry in Cartoonist Attack
Danish police ransacked three apartments, two of which belonged to relatives of the suspects, in connection with Friday’s attack on a newspaper cartoonist.

Cartoonist in Denmark Calls Attack ‘Really Close’
An attack that followed years of threats to kill a Danish cartoonist appeared to have come close to succeeding.

Attempt to Kill Danish Cartoonist Fails
A Somali man with ties to the Shabab rebel group and Al Qaeda tried to kill the cartoonist whose drawings of the Prophet Muhammad incited outrage in the Muslim world.

The Copenhagen Call to Arms
The global recession had a greater impact than all the diplomatic efforts that ended in the Copenhagen flop: energy production had not declined on such a scale since 1981.

Voters in Iceland Reject Repayment Plan
Showing the depth of their rage at bankers and the government, Icelanders overwhelmingly said no to a plan to reimburse customers of a failed bank.

Iceland Voters Set to Reject Debt Deal
Voting began Saturday in a referendum on a deal to repay British and Dutch customers for losses from a failed Icelandic bank that has so incensed residents it has little chance of passing.

Talks Stall Over Repayment of Iceland’s Debt
Iceland is trying to negotiate the repayment of more than $5 billion to Britain and the Netherlands and avoid the need for a politically risky referendum.

E.U. Body Sees Strategic Reasons to Encourage Iceland
Eyeing a new, important gateway to the Arctic, the European Union’s executive body encouraged Iceland’s application to become a member despite disputes over liabilities from a failed Icelandic bank.

Iceland Asks U.S. to Help Ensure International Loans
Iceland wants the U.S. to help ensure that Britain and the Netherlands do not use a dispute over its collapsed banks to hold up international loans.

A Vision of Iceland as a Haven for Journalists
The country is weighing legislation offering reporters and publishers aggressive protections for free speech and investigative journalism.

Iceland Leads Environmental Index as U.S. Falls
Some of the largest economies, including the U.S. and China, scored poorly in a new environmental index.

Iceland’s Leader Vetoes Bill to Repay 2 Lenders
The $5 billion compensation deal would have repaid the Britain and Dutch governments for their loans to compensate depositors.

Iceland to Repay $5 Billion to British and Dutch Depositors
The agreement ends a dispute with Britain and the Netherlands that had held up aid payments from the International Monetary Fund.

Fight Over Fischer’s Estate Is Taking Shape in Iceland
Bobby Fischer died in January 2008, but his long, strange story is not over.

Iceland to Repay Nations for Failed Banks’ Deposits
Iceland will repay Britain and the Netherlands the $5.7 billion it borrowed to compensate people who lost money in the collapse of an Icelandic Internet bank.

The Little Economy That Couldn’t
A new book about Iceland’s economic plunge may provide a cautionary tale for much larger countries.

European Union Puts Out the Welcome Mat for Once-Aloof Iceland
The blessing by European foreign ministers of Iceland’s application raised questions about whether the bloc was losing the will to incorporate nations in the Balkans.

A Debate Rages in Iceland: Independence vs. I.M.F. Cash
The island nation is locked in a fierce debate over how to pay off its creditors without ceding too much of its vaunted independence.

Iceland Puts $2 Billion Into Collapsed Banks
Iceland took an important step Monday toward rebuilding its tattered finances, announcing a deal to recapitalize three failed banks and give control of two of them to creditors.