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Bomb From World War II Found And Destroyed
A bomb from World War II was found in Sandskeiði, just east of Reykjavík, yesterday and destroyed. The bomb was found under three high voltage cables that run to the capital area and the Coast Guard‘s special operations and bomb disposal squad…
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Radio Theatre Launches Winter Program
The Radio Theatre has launched its winter program last Saturday on the channel Rás 1. The Radio Theater has played an important role in its operations since the early days of RÚV, performing new and recent plays on Saturdays at 14:00. This…
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Iceland’s Richest 10% Own 44% Of Assets
According to a report published by Statistics Iceland the assets of families in the highest 10% of Iceland amounted to 3,267 billion ISK or about 43.9% of total assets in the country. Total family assets in Iceland increased by 8.6% from 2018…
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Iceland Attracts Filmmakers With ‘Low Infection Risk’
Iceland’s relative low infection risk has continued to attract filmmakers this year. Both foreign and local productions have utilised the Icelandic scenery this year, causing the industry to still fair rather well despite COVID-19 and its impact on the economy. Einar Hansen…
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Murder Trial Against Gunnar Jóhann Begins Today
Today begins the trial of Gunnar Jóhann Gunnarsson, who is accused of having shot his half-brother, Gísli Þór Þórarinsson, in the small Norwegian town of Mehamn in April last year. According to RÚV, the two Icelandic men had been living in Mehamn,…
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Multiple Icelandair Flights Cancelled
Multiple Icelandair flights have been cancelled in recent weeks. Only one scheduled Icelandair flight to Copenhagen departed today and a flight from Boston arrived early in the morning, while 20 other flights, departures and arrivals, were cancelled. The same applies to flights…
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Aldís Amah Hamilton Speaks Out About National Theatre’s Lack Of Diversity
Actress Aldís Amah Hamilton spoke out about the National Theatre’s lack of diversity on its newest promotional material. In a Facebook post, she calls for cultural leaders to ensure that their institutions are in tune with the times. She writes about her…
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Yesterday Was Icelandic Nature Day
Icelandic Nature Day is celebrated every year on 16 September, encouraging individuals, schools, institutions, companies and NGOs to consider it in their activities. This day is chosen as it is also the birthday of Ómar Ragnarsson, a beloved national treasure who has…
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Sharp Earthquakes Felt Around Húsavík
Two earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 and 4.6 were strongly felt in Akureyri and Húsavík yesterday afternoon. This earthquake is only one in a long ongoing series of earthquakes in the north of Iceland, which started in June this year. According…
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Beached Pilot Whales In Álftafjörður
Náttúrustofa Vesturlands, the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, recieved a call from the police yesterday about a group of pilot whales that were found beached in Álftafjörður in Snæfellsnes. According to a report by RÚV, a group of biologists, two from Náttúrustofa,…
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Constitution Petition Cracks 20,000 Signatures
The petition created by the Women’s Association for a New Constitution this summer has reached over 20,000 signatures, expressing demand for the new constitution. The new constitution had been voted on in a referendum eight years ago with about 67% voting in…
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Wild Raven-Chase In Grindavík
A raven that was brought up this summer in Vogar on Vatnsleysuströnd has been on the loose and causing disruption. As Víkurfréttir reports, the young raven has enjoyed some popularity with the people of Vogar this summer, but has become more mischievous…
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Creating Context In The Cloud With Bergur Ebbi
How to sum up a conversation with Bergur Ebbi? It would seem the man has done it all. Study law, become a stand-up comedian, write for TV, radio and the stage and he has even published his own books. Two of them…
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Hunting For Mythical Creatures In The Furthest North
Hat? Check. Parka? Check. Gloves? Check. Some people might tell you that September is still technically summer. Some people would be wrong—at least when talking about Iceland. So, what can we do instead of sunbathing? How about some troll hunting? North Of…
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Peeling Off The Plastic Wrap For “Plastic Free September”
Breaking a habit is hard. No one becomes an environmentalist overnight. Where would you even start? “It’s easy to get gloomy,” says Kolbrún Haraldsdóttir, an educator and co-organiser of the campaign “Plastlaus September” (Plastic Free September, in English). But despair isn’t going…
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Hacker Attack At Icelandic Company
A large and sophisticated hacker attack at an Icelandic company has caused the level of uncertainty to be activated for the first time in the telecommunications sector. In an interview with RÚV, Hafsteinn Baldvinsson, an expert at CERT-IS, called what happend a…
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Protected House On Skólavörðustígur Demolished
During construction yesterday, a protected house from 1922 on Skólavörðustígur was demolished. According to a report by RÚV, a construction representative from the City of Reykjavík said that there was no permit to demolish the house and that the building representative only…
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Constitution Hunt Under The Hashtag #Where?
The public is on the hunt for the new constitution under the hashtag “#Hvar?”, in English “#Where?”, posting pictures on social media of themselves looking in various places around Iceland. It’s been eight years since a referendum on a new constitution was…
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Still Large Parts Of Iceland Without GSM Connection
There are still large parts in Iceland where mobile phones can’t make a GSM connection. RÚV reports that despite thousand of visitors each year, areas like Vöðlavík in the Eastfjords have no GSM connection, which becomes problematic when, for example, tourists run…
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Alcohol Prices Higher In Iceland
The price for alcohol is higher in Iceland than in all the other European Union and EFTA countries. According to statistics published by Eurostat, in 2019 the price of alcoholic beverages was 165% higher in Iceland than the average in the European…
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Number Of Women In Icelandic Film Industry Declining
The number of female Icelandic filmmakers has decreased since 2009, according to research by Guðrún Elsa Bragadóttir, a doctoral student and lecturer in film studies. Guðrún discloses her findings in her chapter on women in the Icelandic film industry, written for Palgrave…
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Longest Icelandic Love Letter Four Meters Long
The longest Icelandic love letter measures four metres in length and originates from around 1900, when a young couple corresponded between Reykjavík and Copenhagen. Rakel Adolfsdóttir, curator of the Icelandic Women’s Museum in Víðsjá, presented the letter and talked about its history…
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Industrial Hemp Thriving In Grímsnes
Industrial hemp is growing and thriving in the south of Iceland, specifically in Grímsnes, where the conditions for cultivating the plant seem to be ideal. The cultivation and import of industrial hemp was approved by the Minister of Health earlier this year…
