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Iceland Well-Represented At CrossFit Games
Iceland will be well-represented at the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games, which begin today, July 27th in Madison, Wisconsin. Among the competitors at this year’s games are the Icelanders Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson and Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir. Katrín is notable for having won the…
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Body Of John Snorri, Icelandic Mountaineer, Found On K2
The search for Icelandic mountaineer John Snorri’s body seems to have been successful, with three bodies being found on the slopes of K2 yesterday. The two other bodies are suspected to be his companions Muhammad Ali Sadpara and Juan Pablo Mohr. According…
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Stricter Border Controls To Come Into Effect Today
As of today, July 27th, stricter rules will be enforced at the border. The tightening up comes in the wake of a resurgence of COVID cases in Iceland, with 70 to 80 new cases per day over the weekend, a sharp increase…
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The Great Seal Census Attracts Volunteers
On Sunday, July 25th, the Icelandic Seal Center conducted its seal census in Vatnsnes. The Icelandic Seal Center, located in Hvammstangi, began the seal census in 2007 and last conducted one 5 years ago. The seal census was begun in response to…
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Weekend Weather: Did You Pack A Jacket?
We hope you packed your jacket, because the weekend is looking to be a rainy one. According to the Meteorological Office, rain is expected for most of the country over the weekend. Heavy rain is expected in the southwest, with lighter showers…
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Joining Rest Of Nation, Volcano Goes On Vacation
A recent report by University of Iceland geologists indicate that the eruption may be showing sign of slowing down. The report, written by Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, Sæmundur Ari Halldórsson and Joaquin M. Belart, is largely based on measurements made on the 19th…
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Krummi, The Katla Raven, Speaks Out
Rebecca Cathrine Kaad Ostenfeld operates a small animal rescue on her farm, Hólar, near Búðardalur. This farm, however, has a secret: among the various horses, dogs, chickens, and even guinea pigs, can be found a star from Baltasar Kormákur’s most recent series,…
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National Team Player Gylfi Sigurðsson Released On Bail, Denies Charges
Icelandic national team footballer Gylfi Sigurðsson was arrested in the UK, where he plays for premier league team Everton, on Friday, July 16th. The charge against him is for a child sex offence. According to reports from Fréttablaðið, Gylfi has since been…
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Guðlaugur Hermannsson, Liberal Democratic Candidate, Bows Out
Guðlaugur Hermannsson, former candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party, has withdrawn his candidacy in the upcoming election in wake of embezzlement allegations. According to Fréttablaðið, the allegations concern fraud of unemployment funds amounting to 7.7 million ISK. Guðlaugur is supposed to have…
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All Systems Go For Þjóðhátíð Among Rising COVID Cases
Þjóðhátíð, the annual music festival in the Westman Islands, is still set to be held despite recent increases in COVID cases. In a recent statement to RUV, Hörður Orri Grettisson, chairman of the festival committee said: “We are determined to hold this…
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Recent Poll Shows Shifting Attitudes Towards Socialism, Capitalism
A poll conducted by Market and Media Research for the Socialist Party, lasting from July 8th to 14th, has revealed shifting attitudes towards socialism and capitalism, Stundin reports. The survey was conducted online and involved some 945 Icelanders. Respondents showed the following…
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Car Rental Prices Soar During Shortage
A shortage in rental cars has caused prices to spike in recent weeks, states Morgunblaðið in a recent report. Contributing to the shortage are the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a busier tourism season than expected. Due to reduced tourism season last year,…
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Meteorological Office Issues Air Pollution Warning For Greater Reykjavik Area
The Meteorological Office of Iceland issued an air pollution warning for the capital area on Sunday connected to the eruption. The warning follows increased measures of sulfur dioxide and sulfates in the air. These increased amounts are not connected to the most…
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New Sleep Study Seeks Participants
Sleep Revolution, a 4-year research project featuring nearly 40 international partners from both industry and the academy, is looking for participants in a new study aimed at updating research methods around sleep apnea. Led by Dr. Erna Sif Arnardóttir, Assistant Professor at…
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Meteor Likely Size Of Small House, Reports Engineering Firm
The meteor that detonated over southern Iceland on Friday, July 2nd, was likely 7m in diameter, approximately the size of a small house. In a post on Linkedin, Vatnaskil Consulting Engineers have calculated that “the meteor most likely exploded at 10:42 pm…
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Valdimar Jóhannsson Film, Dýrið, Well Received At Cannes
Icelandic film director Valdimar Jóhannsson’s latest film, Dýrið, has been receiving much buzz at Cannes. The drama, written by Sjón and Valdimar Jóhannsson, stars Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason as a couple who come face-to-face with the supernatural. “Dýrið,” meaning “The…
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Mystery Crabs In Gerði
Residents of the Gerði neighborhood have been visited by a unique guest in recent weeks. Fréttablaðið reports that crabs have been surfacing in gardens in the district, leaving many wondering what the creatures are doing so far from the sea. Many have…
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Drone Footage at Fagradalsfjall Reveals Beautiful Skylight
Sigurður þór Helgason, owner of DJI Reykjavik, has discovered a beautiful “skylight” in the lava at the eruption site. Sigurður stated to Morgunblaðið, that “I witnessed this when I went with some scientists, Ármann Höskuldsson and Helgi Kristín Tómasdóttir, with the Coast…
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Concerns Of Understaffing At Landspitali Remain Unaddressed
Concerns regarding understaffing and lack of space at Landspítali hospital have largely remained unaddressed in the wake of several formal complaints by medical specialists. Stundin reports that on May 6th, a letter signed by specialists at Landspítali, excluding chief physicians, was sent…
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Move Over Gawker Hill: A New Favorite Vantage
The ever-shifting landscape of the eruption has a new scenic vantage: Langahryggur, or “long-spine,” a ridge overlooking the eruption. Accessible by Route C and approximately an hour from the parking lot, Langahryggur provides an overview of both the eruption and the lava…
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New Reports On Wealth Inequality Paint Unclear Picture
A recent report by the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce is cause for some optimism. Despite the pandemic, a 3.9% increase in disposable income was seen from 2019 to 2020. However, there may be some flaws in the Chamber’s reasoning, a prominent economist…
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Downtown Reykjavik Loses Power, Chaos Avoided
Restaurant patrons across downtown Reykjavik were mildly inconvenienced yesterday, July 12th, when locations in Laugavegur, Ingólfsstræti and Austurstræti lost power. Breki Logason of Orkuveita Reykjavíkur stated to Fréttablaðið that the cause of the outage was unknown, but that answers were being sought.…
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Hands Off The Chips: Salmonella Found In Banana Chips From Tiger
Banana chips are a great, fun snack to bring along on your next hiking trip, providing a rush of sugar and vitamins when you really need to bang out a couple more kilometers. But you know what’s not a great hiking companion?…
