Jens Stoltenberg News

Ryanair Ltd. , the controversial, low-cost Irish carrier run by the colorful and profane Michael O'Leary, has run into strong headwinds in Norway, where that country's Prime Minister has made his disdain for the airline pointed and personal.

Today 36 Norwegian organizations sent an open letter to Prime Minister Stoltenberg expressing opposition to development of Canadian tar sands by Statoil .

NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks as Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg looks on in Oslo, May 8, 2013.

The government of Norway said Sunday it would increase taxes on oil companies and multinationals to finance tax relief to its struggling mainland industry, but the oil sector warned projects to boost the country's falling oil output might be shelved.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg presented a new tax plan Sunday that will increase tax revenues from the oil industry by 70 billion kroner by 2050 by reducing deductions available to that sector.

The rhetorical use of metaphors by President Barack Obama for political purposes, particularly the "red lines" concerning Iran and Syria, is now well documented.