In Iceland: Europe woos Arctic allies

First minister Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland was seeking new friends in the Arctic last week in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital, as were other high-profile Europeans - including the EU's first-ever 'ambassador to the Arctic'.

"Scotland is closer to the Arctic than to London," Sturgeon said, encouraging further economic and people-to-people cooperation between Scotland and the Arctic countries.

An advocate of Scotland's independence she argued for closer ties well into the future: "Our...