Author: Haukur Már Helgason - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Paint An Open Gate On This Wall

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In a single day at the end of August, ten thousand Icelanders, three percent of the country’s minuscule population, signed…

Never Underestimate The Obvious

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To answer a question posed in this column little over a month ago: yes, it seems that we did detain…

Hunter-Gatherers Do Stinky Geopolitics

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Streamlined and fast swimming, around a foot long, Scomber scombrus, the Atlantic mackerel, travel in shoals, undertaking extensive journeys if…

Reality Bites

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What do multi-level highway interchanges, cheeseburgers and donuts have in common? No, this is not about the police. Discordant harmonies…

It’s Alright, Martin!

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“Festivities are known to have occurred at Sæból by fjord Dýrafjörður, at Flankastaðir on Reykjanes, in Reykjavík and Árnessýsla county….

Did We Just Detain A Man For Carrying HIV? —Debates On Monday #24

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“Man under arrest, suspected of infecting women with HIV” ran Vísir’s first headline on this story, early Thursday. “Suspected of…

Your Metabolism Surprised Us All — Debates On Monday #23

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During the latest middle-ages, the era I grew up in, the library at my parents’ home included handbooks for interpretations…

The First House From Icelandic Timber Planned In 2016

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Preparations are well underway for the first house in Iceland constructed from local timber only. This was reported by RÚV….

Beyond Analysis: A Screenplay By The Prime Ministry

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1. EXT. LÆKJARGATA. DAY. On a cloudy but windless afternoon, six men and two women stand on the pavement in…

Met Police Statement: Did Not Acquire Hacking Team’s Solution

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The Reykjavík Metropolitan Police has not done any business with Hacking Team, the Italian surveillance software provider, whose leaked email…

Reykjavík Police Sought Spyware From Hacking Team

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Hacking Team e-mails reveal that an Icelandic detective from the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police sought their help for hacking mobile phone…

Aniconism

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Please dare to see —Debates on Monday #22“To photograph strangers without their permission is strange,” acknowledges avid street photographer Eric…

When Ulysses Comes a-Knockin

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Debates on Monday #21 It is quiet, isn’t it? I mean Iceland. It’s suspiciously quiet. There’s this saying that if…

Hallgrímskirkja Will Not Tolerate “Love Locks”

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Love padlocks will not be tolerated in the church tower of Hallgrímskirkja. On Saturday, Mbl.is reported that the first “love…

Prime Minister Will Abolish Ethics Board

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And assign its role to the Prime Ministry itself Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson has announced his intention to abolish…

Aktu Taktu Fired Worker After She Reported Harrassment

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— Eldsmiðjan fired worker for demanding union representative and overtime paidFróði Frímann Kristjánsson was discharged from his job at the…

Immigration Appeals Board Finally In Place

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Asylum applicants left unnotified while no board existed to process their appealsOn Monday, January 26, the Minister of the Interior…

Man Awaiting Asylum Decision Wounded Himself

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A refugee from Syria, who recently arrived in Iceland, wounded himself with a knife on Tuesday. When police arrived at…

Court Ruling: Iceland Failed To Implement Five EU Directives

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Include equal access of genders to products and services and eco-design of energy productsOn Wednesday, the EFTA court ruled against…

Young Entrepreneurs Start Business For Acid Attack Survivors In India

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CEOs Kormákur Arthúrsson says that he and Sigurbjörn B. Eðvarðsson they established the company KrummiSpice to ameliorate the situation of…

Alþingi Members’ Wages Too Low, Warns Vice Member

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On Tuesday, Sigurður Örn Ágústsson, vice member of Alþingi on behalf of the Independence Party, said that work conditions and…

Most Serious Case Of Political Corruption Ever, Says Professor

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Jón Ólafsson, professor of philosophy at the University of Iceland, says that the interference of former Interior Minister Hanna Birna…

Google Handed Journalists’ Private Emails To The FBI

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As recently disclosed and widely reported, journalist and Wikileaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson is one of the three staff members at…

Happy Syriza, Greece!

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Happy Davíð II, Iceland! Debates on Monday #20Syriza won! Meanwhile, in Iceland, nothing worth mentioning seems currently up for debates….

Icelandic Firm To Gather Credit Info In Eight West African States

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The Icelandic credit bureau CreditInfo has won a contract with the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) to manage…