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PLAY Airline Announces 150 Job Openings
Newcomer low-cost airline, PLAY, has announced 150 new job openings for the spring and summer next year, MBL reports. Of the newly listed positions, the airline is seeking to recruit 50 pilots and 100 flight attendants on both a long-term and summer…
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Avalanche Risk Very Unusual For September
All major mountain roads in the Westfjords are closed today due to impassability and risk of avalanche during the storm, RÚV reports. Geir Sigurðsson of Vegagerðin in the Westfjords says that the risk of avalanche in September is unique. [su_pullquote]The next issue…
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Minister Of Foreign Affairs Addresses UN General Assembly
Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development of Iceland, addressed the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Vísir reports. Due to the pandemic, participation in the the session took place both online and in person. The…
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Naming Icelandic Cattle, From Katla to Kartöfluupptökuvél
Guðmundur Jóhannesson, a consultant in cattle breeding for the Icelandic Agricultural Center (Ráðgjafarmiðstöð landbúnaðarins), recently penned an article for Bændablaðið on the naming of Icelandic cows. Not just numbers, but names While various data has long been recorded on the breeding of…
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Epidemiologist Concerned About Spike After Weekend Activities
Chief epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason is concerned there will be a spike in Covid-19 infections after the weekend due to a lackadaisical attitude regarding disease control measures, Fréttablaðið reports. Special events over the weekend are the basis of the added concern. The Men’s…
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Key Role Of School System In Strengthening Icelandic Language
The Icelandic school system is a key actor in improving the image of the Icelandic language, according to the opinion of the Icelandic Language Committee (Íslensk málnefnd) as stated in their annual opinion on the state of the language, Vísir reports. The…
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25 Reports Of Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour In Four Years At HÍ
The University of Iceland (HÍ) has received 25 complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence between 2017-2020. This was uncovered in response to an information request from Kjarninn. These incidents range from complaints between staff, between students or between staff and students,…
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Guest Dies At Sky Lagoon
Police were called to Sky Lagoon around 18:00 on Tuesday to attend to an unconscious guest. Resuscitation attempts began immediately and the man was transported to Landspítali where he was pronounced dead, Vísir reports. Police are investigating the matter, reviewing CCTV footage…
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COVID Roundup: 35 Domestic Cases Yesterday, 20 Outside Quarantine
35 new domestic cases of the coronavirus were detected yesterday, according to the latest data from covid.is. Of those, 15 were quarantined at the time of diagnosis. 7 people are currently hospitalised with the virus, with 3 in intensive care. 337 people…
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Orange Weather Warning Over Most Of Iceland
The Icelandic Met Office has issued an orange alert for a majority of the country today, with only Breiðafjörður and parts of the northern regions remaining under a yellow warning. Rain and high winds of 15-23 m/s with potential violent gusts around…
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Geldingadalir Eruption Now The Longest Of The Century
The Geldingadalir volcanic eruption is officially the longest-lived of the 21st century, RÚV reports. The world turned their attention to Iceland on March 19, 2021 when the eruption began. That was 181 days ago. Until today, the longest eruption at Holuhraun lasted…
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Icelandic Woman Sues Man Over Non-Disclosure Of HIV
An Icelandic woman has brought a lawsuit against a man claiming he neglected to inform her of his HIV-positive status before engaging in intercourse. The pair had a sexual relationship for three years, prior to which the male contracted HIV and was…
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Dill Maintains Michelin Star
Dill Restaurant is holding onto their Michelin Star for the second year in a row, reports Vísir, maintaining its place as the only Icelandic restaurant with this recognition. Located at Laugavegur 59 in Reykjavík, Dill is dedicated to serving its guests a…
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Elif Shafak Receives Halldór Laxness International Literature Prize
Elif Shafak, award-winning British-Turkish author and human rights activist, has received the Halldór Laxness International Literature Prize, reports RÚV. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir presented Elif with the award at the biannual Reykjavík International Literary Festival on Saturday. The Halldór Laxness International Literature…
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Tourists Rescued From Cabin At Fimmvörðuháls
Two tourists were rescued in Southern Iceland yesterday after one was injured while breaking into a cabin to seek shelter from inclement weather, reports Vísir. The pair had been hiking across Fimmvörðuháls, a trail which lies between two glaciers, Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull,…
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Gay Men & Others May Soon Be Allowed To Donate Blood
Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Minister of Health, has submitted a draft for an amendment to the Regulation on the Collection, Treatment, Preservation and Distribution of Blood. The current regulation allows for discrimination in blood donation based on sexual behaviour by instituting a lifetime ban…
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Interest In Pokémon Grows In Iceland
The popularity of Pokémon cards is on the rise in Iceland, Gunnar Valur G. Hermannsson, the owner of PokeHöllin, a small store selling playing cards in Glæsibær, told told Fréttablaðið. Popularity in Iceland The Pokémon franchise was created by Japanese company Satoshi Tajiri…
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Air Travel Continuing To Rebound
Icelandair welcomed more then 264,000 travellers in August this year, a sharp rise from the 80,000 the airline transported during the same period in 2020. Of the total number of customers last month, 241,000 of them were international travellers. That’s a rise…
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Changes In Askja Volcano
The Icelandic Met Office is reporting on land level changes at Askja—a volcano that is part of Dyngjufjöll mountains—citing a shift of five centimetres since the beginning of August this year. Regular measurements have been taken at the site since 1983, showing…
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Culture Pick: The Reykjavík Literary Festival
The biennial Reykjavík International Literary Festival is slated to take place from September 8th to the 11th in two historic buildings at either end of Tjörnin. During the day, interviews will be conducted at Nordic House while the evenings will highlight author…
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A Little Old, A Little New And A Fabulous View: Luxury Meets History In The Golden Circle
Your GPS announces you’re nearing your destination. You drive past sheep lazily napping in tufts of luscious moss as rain gently patters your windshield. The buzz of the city begins to wash away. The absolute serenity of your new surroundings starts to…
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Well, You Asked: An American Abroad
Icelanders love to know what others think of Iceland. Well, you asked — and an American newcomer answered. Is living in Reykjavík all it’s cracked up to be? After spending years dabbling in the dream of living in Iceland — here I…
