The foreign minister is in talks with Norwegian authorities over an Islamic group who recently purchased a building Reykjavík which they intend to turn into a Muslim cultural centre, as they also attempted to build a mosque in northern Norway. The group…

A recent proposal submitted to parliament calls upon the Icelandic government to sue the United Kingdom for damages in international court for use of the so-called “terrorist law” against Landsbanki in the fall of 2008. As Grapevine reported, British Secretary of State…

Toshiki Toma, a priest of the national church who specializes in working with immigrants, said that a radio host who scolded a foreign caller for not speaking Icelandic was “very insulting”. The incident in question happened on Monday, also known as The…

New genetics research shows that up to 350 Icelanders could be descended from Native Americans. Masters student Sigríður Sunna Ebenesardóttir, working with Agnar Helgason at deCODE, determined that for the most part, Icelanders can trace their heritage to Britain matriarchically, and to…

Town council of Garður, located in Suðurnes, has asked Minister of Justice and Human Rights Ögmundur Jónasson to support Dutch military advisers ECA Program setting up operations in Iceland. A statement from the council to the minister reads in part, “Preparations for…

Magma Energy CEO Ross Beaty announced yesterday that he was looking to sell up to 25% of his almost total ownership of HS Orka to an Icelandic company, in the hopes of quieting opposition to the company’s presence in the country. Reuters…

Yesterday’s morning raid of numerous Icelandic businessmen could reach the most powerful men in the country. The special prosecutor told reporters that market manipulation and fraud was at work. As reported yesterday, suspects have been arrested by order of special prosecutor Ólafur…

A parliamentary proposal calls upon a work group to be assembled and given the task of coming up with a way to better protect the rights of women from outside the European Economic Area who end up victims of spousal abuse. As…

RÚV is reporting that nine suspects have been arrested by order of special prosecutor Ólafur Hauksson (above) in connection with the bank Glitnir (now Íslandsbanki), and that the offices of tycoon Jón Ásgeir Jóhanneson at 101 Hótel were among those raided. Also…

A church council voted in favour of forming a special committee to investigate the response to and work of the national church in the wake of accusations of sexual abuse made against former bishop Ólafur Skúlason. As has been reported, a number…

A proposal put forward at a recent meeting of church officials calls for a work group to look into the possible effects of separation of church and state on the church itself. Eyjan reports that the work group intends to submit its…

Of those eligible to vote, only about half say they intend to do so for the upcoming constitutional assembly. On 27 November, elections will be held for the constitutional assembly – a legislative body comprised of people not currently in positions of…

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange intends to create an independent media company in Iceland, with help both domestic and from abroad. Journalist Kristinn Hrafnsson, who has been a spokesman for Wikileaks for the foreign press, told Vísir that operations are still in the…

British Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox apologized to Iceland through the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten for the previous government’s use of what has become known as “the terrorist law” in seizing Landsbanki’s assets in autumn 2008. As many in Iceland remember,…