Stockholm

LUTON, England — Embarrassed officials at the Luton Islamic Center yesterday defended their decision to not report Taimour Abdulwahab to police after his extremist views alienated worshipers in this small city north of London. That decision became important when Abdulwahab blew himself up Saturday on a busy street in Stockholm, injuring two people and endangering many more — and, once again focusing unwanted attention on Luton, a nondescript city of 200,000 with a large Muslim population.

The Swedish Royal Court has released the first close-up pictures of the Nordic country's newborn princess and future monarch. The royal court posted the pictures of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel's daughter Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary on its website Monday. The photos show the sleeping princess wearing a white cardigan and were taken when she was four days old at the royal couple's residency at Haga Palace. The princess was born in Stockholm on Thursday. As Victoria's first-born child, she is second in line to the Swedish throne.

Silja Line Olympiaterminal (ships to Stockholm) Helsinki 011-358-9-180-41 silja.com Round-trip cruise from Helsinki departs at 5 p.m. and arrives at Stockholm at 9:30 a.m. Ship departs Stockholm at 5 p.m. and arrives at Helsinki at 9:55 a.m. Prices range from $292 for cabin up to $2,024 for suite, depending on season and day of departure. Check website for details.

The Swedish foundation that administers the Nobel Prizes plans to build a new center in Stockholm that will serve as a "focal point" for the awards. The Nobel Foundation says the new 1 billion kronor ($145 million) Nobel Center, tentatively scheduled to open in 2018, "will underscore the role of Stockholm and Sweden as the home city and home country of the Nobel Prize. " Nobel officials noted Friday that neighboring Norway's capital Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, has a center for that award, while Stockholm only has a Nobel Museum.

The Swedish foundation that administers the Nobel Prizes plans to build a new center in Stockholm that will serve as a "focal point" for the awards. The Nobel Foundation says the new 1 billion kronor ($145 million) Nobel Center, tentatively scheduled to open in 2018, "will underscore the role of Stockholm and Sweden as the home city and home country of the Nobel Prize. " Nobel officials noted Friday that neighboring Norway's capital Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, has a center for that award, while Stockholm only has a Nobel Museum.

Organizers say Rihanna has been forced to cancel a show in Sweden due to exhaustion for a second time this week. Live Nation spokesman Kristofer Akesson said the singer felt ill ahead of her concert in Stockholm on Wednesday night and that she decided in consultation with a doctor to cancel the show about an hour before she was to go on stage. Akesson says Rihanna "is exhausted and doesn't feel well," but could not give more details. The singer called off a concert in Malmo in southern Sweden on Monday, but was able to perform the following night in Stockholm.

STOCKHOLM - Sven Tumba, a three-sport star who was honored as the best hockey player in Sweden and later became a golf pioneer in his country and the former Soviet Union, has died. He was 80. He died overnight Friday at a Stockholm hospital after an illness, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association said on its website yesterday. "Swedish ice hockey has lost one of its biggest players through time," said Christer Englund, the association chairman. "With his ice hockey knowledge and with his enthusiasm he made ice hockey popular and attracted more people to our sport.

NEW YORK - Tomas Transtromer, the Swedish poet whose sometimes bleak but powerful work explores themes of nature, isolation, and identity, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature yesterday. Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy praised Transtromer, saying that "through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality. " Transtromer, 80, was born in Stockholm and has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages.

How to get there The lowest round-trip air fare between Boston and Stockholm at press time was $905 on Icelandair. What to do The larger Swedish cities and towns all hold Midsummer weekend events, such as the huge festival at the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm. To get a real feel for a Swedish Midsummer's Eve, however, you need to follow the Swedes and get out of town. Midsummer's Eve is Friday. LEKSAND, DALARNA The region of Dalarna is widely regarded as the Swedish folk heartland, with the liveliest and most traditional Midsummer celebrations.

STOCKHOLM - Swedish jazz pianist Esbjorn Svensson, whose fusion of lyrical melodies and rock-inspired electronics broke fresh ground in modern jazz, has died in a diving accident, his manager said yesterday. He was 44. Mr. Svensson died Saturday in a diving accident off a small island near Stockholm, said Burkhard Hopper, manager of the musician's band, the Esbjorn Svensson Trio. Police will conduct a routine investigation of the accident, he said. Mr. Svensson and his band won worldwide critical acclaim and several awards for their 2002 album "Strange Place for Snow," including the Guinness...

Organizers say Rihanna has been forced to cancel a show in Sweden due to exhaustion for a second time this week. Live Nation spokesman Kristofer Akesson said the singer felt ill ahead of her concert in Stockholm on Wednesday night and that she decided in consultation with a doctor to cancel the show about an hour before she was to go on stage. Akesson says Rihanna "is exhausted and doesn't feel well," but could not give more details. The singer called off a concert in Malmo in southern Sweden on Monday, but was able to perform the following night in Stockholm.

Organizers say Rihanna was forced to cancel a show in the Swedish city Malmo at the last minute after falling ill. Live Nation spokesman Kristofer Akesson says Rihanna didn't feel well Monday and tour organizers contacted a doctor who concluded the singer was suffering from severe exhaustion and "was not capable of carrying out the concert. " The singer apologized to fans on Twitter and posted a picture of her arm attached to an intravenous drip. Akesson says Rihanna is now in Stockholm and said he expects her to perform there as scheduled Tuesday evening.

Jarkko Nieminen defeated James Blake 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-2 Saturday to reach the Stockholm Open final for the third time in his career. Blake had seven double-faults and struggled with his serve throughout the match. He upset 15th-ranked Juan Martin Del Potro before getting a walkover into the semifinal after David Nalbandian pulled out with injury, Nieminen scored three of his five break points in the final set. The 73rd-ranked Finn will get a third chance to pick up his first title at the Royal Tennis Hall.

STOCKHOLM - As a young conductor, Maestro Riccardo Muti would set his alarm at an unbearable hour and take the three-hour train ride between Florence and Rome just to hear Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson sing. Yesterday his quest came full circle when he arrived in Stockholm to pick up a $1 million prize established in the late singer's name, an award that organizers say is one of the largest in the world of classical music. The 70-year-old Naples native is the second Birgit Nilsson Prize laureate, winning the 2011 award "for his extraordinary...

NEW YORK - Tomas Transtromer, the Swedish poet whose sometimes bleak but powerful work explores themes of nature, isolation, and identity, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature yesterday. Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy praised Transtromer, saying that "through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality. " Transtromer, 80, was born in Stockholm and has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages.

STOCKHOLM - Sven Tumba, a three-sport star who was honored as the best hockey player in Sweden and later became a golf pioneer in his country and the former Soviet Union, has died. He was 80. He died overnight Friday at a Stockholm hospital after an illness, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association said on its website yesterday. "Swedish ice hockey has lost one of its biggest players through time," said Christer Englund, the association chairman. "With his ice hockey knowledge and with his enthusiasm he made ice hockey popular and attracted more...

STOCKHOLM -- Swedish director and screenwriter Vilgot Sjoman, whose provocative and sexually explicit films stirred controversy in the 1960s, died Sunday at a Stockholm hospital of complications from a brain hemorrhage, the Swedish Joint Committee for Artistic and Literary Professionals said. He was 81. Many of Mr. Sjoman's films were socially critical and sexually explicit, such as the 1967 "I Am Curious Yellow," which was banned in the United States for two years, and its sequel, "I Am Curious Blue.

Organizers say Rihanna was forced to cancel a show in the Swedish city Malmo at the last minute after falling ill. Live Nation spokesman Kristofer Akesson says Rihanna didn't feel well Monday and tour organizers contacted a doctor who concluded the singer was suffering from severe exhaustion and "was not capable of carrying out the concert. " The singer apologized to fans on Twitter and posted a picture of her arm attached to an intravenous drip. Akesson says Rihanna is now in Stockholm and said he expects her to perform there as scheduled...

Usain Bolt emphatically ended his losing streak at the DN Galan meet Friday, surging to a 200-meter victory in 20.03 seconds. The Jamaican had lost over 100 meters in this meet 2008 and 2010. But the switch to the 200 — his preferred distance — changed his luck at the Diamond League event. In his last race before he defends his sprint titles at the world championships next month, Bolt cantered over the line well ahead of the field. LaShawn Merritt was second in the 400 in his return from a 21-month doping ban. Caster Semenya struggled again, finishing eighth in the 800. ...

Usain Bolt returns to the scene of two rare defeats in the 100 meters when he runs at the DN Galan meet on Friday, hoping a switch to his favored 200 will help get him back in victory lane. The Jamaican star headlines the field at the Diamond League event, his last scheduled race before the world championships next month in South Korea. The world and Olympic champion was beaten by American rival Tyson Gay in the 100 in Stockholm last year, his only loss of the season and his first at the distance in two years.