-
Suspect Arrested For Gun Threat
On Tuesday, a man was arrested after threatening people in the cafeteria of Samhjálp, a charity organization, with a loaded gun. According to Vísir, the same man attacked another person with a knife at Sushi Social in April. The district prosecutor confirmed…
-
Puffin Hunting In The Westman Islands Shortened Again This Year
Good news for the local puffins of the Westman Islands! The Environment and Planning Council of the Westman Islands proposed that puffin hunting will only be allowed for one week this year. Last year, the hunting season also lasted for a single…
-
Befriending Belugas & Puffins: Behind The Scenes Of The Beluga Whale Sanctuary
Stepping through the door of the sanctuary, we expected to be welcomed with some sort of ceremonial orchestra. Instead, we were greeted by two melon-headed, curious creatures, also known as the “Canaries of the Sea.” Fortunately, we still got our orchestra–chirping, whistling,…
-
Children Might Be Vaccinated Soon In Iceland
The Icelandic government is considering vaccinating children aged 12 to 15, as most vaccinations are coming to an end in the next two weeks. At the moment, the infection rate is low in Iceland, leading the government to put the vaccinations of…
-
Weather Warning In The North
Today will be no weather for traveling in the north of Iceland. The Meteorological Office forecasts strong winds in Strandir and throughout the north today, including the northwest and the northeast. Winds as strong as 13-20 meters per second can occur. Such…
-
Tourists Behave Riskier Than Locals At Eruption Site
Tourists seem to behave differently at the eruption site than locals. According to RÚV, foreign tourists are more likely to hike to the volcano in bad weather conditions than domestic visitors. As vaccinations progress around the globe, more tourists are traveling to…
-
Eruption Might End Soon As Volcanic Activity Subsides
Yesterday evening, confusion arose when many wondered whether the eruption at Geldingadalir might have stopped. Scientists noticed certain subsidization of unrest around nine o’clock in the evening. Relief came around midnight when small signs of activity were detected. The beginning of the…
-
Vegas Weddings Are Taking Off In Grafarvogskirkja
The “drop-in” weddings in Grafarvogskirkja seem to be a full success. For Saturday, weddings for eighteen couples are planned and the day is fully booked. So far, Saturday is the only “drop-in” wedding day, but more days might follow. Great success for…
-
Man Cycles 400 Km By Hand In One Day
Yesterday, Arnar Helgi Lárusson ended his 400 km long cycling trip in Selfoss after cycling four hundred kilometers along the south coast. Arnar Helgi has been paralyzed below the chest since an accident in 2002. Cycling for a good cause According to…
-
Lava Threatens Landowners Of Ísólfsskáli
While tourists admire the eruption site, the landowners of Ísólfsskáli are fighting against time and lava in order to save valuables from their property in Ísólfsskáli. Ísólfsskáli is only two kilometers south of the Geldingadalur crater. Lava will claim the house in…
-
Archeologists Fight Lava To Map Out Ancient Monuments
As lava continues to flow further from Fagradalsfjall, more problems appear. Apart from the soon-expected lava flood over Suðurstrandarvegur, archaeologists from Minjastofnun, the Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland, are now trying to map and register buried relics and monuments close to the…
-
Icelandic Tourist Association Calls For Abolition Of Quarantine
As tourists are returning to Iceland, the rules for entering the country have not been altered much. Currently, people not vaccinated nor who have had Covid-19 and arriving from risk areas (every country excluding Greenland) must present a negative PCR-test, undergo double…
-
A Day In The Life Of Icelandic Instagram Sheep Farmer Pálína Axelsdóttir Njarðvík
Bombshell birthing in a barn We’d barely stepped through the weather-worn barn door before we were rushed over to a sheep giving birth, quickly realizing this wasn’t going to be a casual one—the lamb was facing in the wrong direction; to save…
-
Graduation Party While Flying Over The Volcano
A special graduation party awaited the 32 graduates from the Icelandic Aviation Academy on Monday evening. The graduates celebrated their long-awaited graduation by flying over the eruption site in Geldingadalur with their flight instructors in the midnight sun. Decrease in number of…
-
Three More Dog Breeds Banned In Iceland
Bad news for dog breeding fans. Not all dogs are allowed to be imported to Iceland. As for now, three more dog breeds will be added to the Icelandic ban list that prohibits certain breeds of animals to be imported into the…
-
Tighter Restrictions This Year On Icelandic National Day Than Last Year
As Þjóðhátíðardagur, Icelandic National Day, is approaching this Thursday, the gathering ban has been loosened. Starting today, 300 people can gather with only a one-meter distance rule. Nevertheless, the gathering restrictions are tighter than last year on National Day, but numerous events…
-
American Tourist Risks His Life At The Volcano
During the weekend, a hiker running on the lava field in front of the big lava-spitting crater was spotted on the mbl.is webcam. This is not the first incident of risky behavior at the volcano site, as last week another man was…
-
Iceland’s Herd Immunity Is Progressing Well
Iceland’s herd immunity is progressing well, Þórólfur Guðnason, the chief epidemiologist, states in an interview with Vísir. “We have good herd immunity. That’s quite clear. But we may not have developed complete herd immunity in these youngest age groups.” Young people still…
-
Rapid Covid Tests Coming On Monday
Starting Monday, the Capital Area Health Service will offer rapid tests to detect Covid infections. Rapid tests are much faster and cheaper than the PCR tests that have been used so far. It is hoped that this measure will relieve the strain…
-
New Billionaire In Iceland, Thanks To Largest Lottery Payout In Icelandic History
Last night a very lucky Icelander won the Vikinglótto – and received the largest amount of money ever won in Iceland. The fortunate person won an astonishing 1,270,806,970 ISK, or slightly less than $10 million USD. An announcement from Íslensk getspá says…
-
This Week’s Culture Pick: Iceland Documentary Film Festival In Akranes
Documentary geeks, listen! If you’re wondering what to do from June 23rd until June 27th and you’re heavily invested in documentaries, you should check out the Iceland Documentary Film Festival. The festival is in its third round this year and takes place…
-
Open Vaccination Days In June Are Cancelled
The plans for open vaccination days in June have been dropped. Those who do not want to be vaccinated with the vaccine they have been offered now have to wait until August to receive another vaccination offer. Big Pfizer day yesterday Yesterday,…
-
Man Tries To Abduct 7-Year-Old Girl
Yesterday, an attempt was made to abduct a seven-year-old girl on a playground in Funafold, Grafarvogur. The girl’s father assumes that the act was likely planned in advance. He now calls for surveillance cameras to be installed on the playground. The police…
