The world at a glance . . . Europe

London

Three acquitted of terrorism: Three British Muslims were acquitted this week on charges of aiding in the July 7, 2005, London subway bombings. Two of the men were convicted on the lesser charge of conspiracy to attend a place used for terrorist training. The three were the only ones to be charged in the attacks, which killed 52 people and prompted the largest criminal investigation in British history. Their acquittal leaves open the question of who helped the suicide bombers plan their attack. The suicide bombers “must have had significant assistance from other people in this country and overseas,” said Andy Hayman, who was head of Britain’s anti-terror police unit at the time of the attacks.

Madrid

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Spain investigates Gitmo: Spain has opened a judicial investigation of those responsible for alleged torture at the U.S. prison camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Judge Baltasar Garzón said he was moved to act after speaking to Hamed Abderrahman Ahmed, known as the “Spanish Taliban,” and three others who said they were beaten, sexually assaulted, and had chemicals sprayed in their eyes. The inquiry will examine “perpetrators, instigators, necessary collaborators, and accomplices” to torture, including soldiers and military intelligence officers, Garzón said. The torture investigation is separate from an ongoing Spanish inquiry into abusive interrogation techniques that could result in charges against former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and five other Bush administration officials.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Vote of confidence: Icelanders gave their interim government the thumbs up this week with an election that confirmed Johanna Sigurdardottir as the world’s first openly gay prime minister. Her coalition of Social Democrats and Left-Greens won the first absolute majority of any leftist government in Icelandic history. Sigurdardottir was appointed interim prime minister in January, after street protests over the country’s bankruptcy brought down the former government. Since then she has focused on readying Iceland for EU membership, arguing that jettisoning Iceland’s currency, the krona, for the euro will lead to economic stability. Iceland’s three largest banks collapsed last fall and were nationalized, and the country is now suffering double-digit inflation.