Round Up

With seven weeks to the Icelandic Parliamentary elections, it seems as if environmental issues will be on voters' minds this spring. While the government has been gung-ho in marketing Iceland as a viable location for energy-sensitive industries, a large part of the country has soured on the idea of sacrificing Iceland's nature to bring in polluting heavy-industries such as aluminum smelters. The Canadian daily The Hamilton Spectator covered the issue last Saturday. Meanwhile, AFP reports that the Environment Ministers of Iceland, Austria, Ireland and Norway issued a joint statement claiming that nuclear energy was not the solution to global warming. Spaniards are shaking in their boots over the upcoming match against Iceland in the Euro 2008 Qualifing Tournament. "Spain coach Luis Aragones has attacked journalists saying they made up stories about discord in the squad, ahead of the side's Euro 2008 qualifier against Iceland in Mallorca," reports the Guardian. At the same time, The International Herald Tribune speculates the match could decide the future of coach Aragones.