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19 Candidates for Multicultural Committee
With an upcoming conference on immigration issues this Saturday, the city of Reykjavík has announced that great interest has been shown in a proposed ‘multicultural committee”, and 19 candidates have stepped forward for a seat. As reported last week, city hall is…
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US to Help Iceland Fight Money Laundering
A statement sent to the press from the US embassy in Iceland announces that the US government will begin working with Icelandic authorities in the fight against money laundering. The statement reads as follows: “In cooperation with Icelandic law enforcement organizations, the…
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73% Support Protesters
73% of those polled by Gallup said they support the recent round of protests, all of them for mixed reasons. Only 13% of those polled said they were against the protests, and 14% had no opinion. The trend Gallup observed was that…
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Water Level Rising, No Sign of Volcano
While water flowing down from the Gígjukvísl area continues to rise, there is as yet no sign of a volcano, but there are indications of geothermal activity behind the flooding. As has been reported, seismic activity was reported in the Grímsvötn area…
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National Court Not Coming Together Before New Year
The national court that is to try former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde for neglect and mismanagement that contributed to the banking collapse of 2008 will not be convened until next year. While Fréttablaðið is reporting that preparations are under way, sources…
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Government Support At All-Time Low
Support for the Social Democrat/Leftist-Green coalition is now measuring lower than it has ever been, but the conservatives hold steady. According to the latest Gallup poll, the two parties combined only have the support of 30% of the nation, down by 10%…
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Glacial Flooding Increasing, Knocks Out Power
Flood waters created by melting glacial ice have been steadily rising, and knocked out the power in one southeastern Iceland town. As reported, seismic activity in the Grímsvötn region, as well as increasing melting of glacial ice, has led scientists to speculate…
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New Volcano Likely
A new volcano is likely to soon erupt in Iceland, according to an Icelandic geologist who spoke to RÚV. Tremors have been reported around the Grímsvötn area of southeast Iceland over the weekend, and the glacial ice atop the mountains has begun…
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Former Grapevine Editor Becomes Editor of Eyjan
Former Grapevine editor Sveinn Birkir Björnsson has been hired as the editor of news aggregate website Eyjan.is. He replaces outgoing editor Þórfinnur Ómarsson. Birkir told Eyjan he was “excited to take on the project,” adding that “Eyjan is one of the most…
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“Differences of Faith Should Create Love”
Two representatives of a relatively recent Muslim group in Iceland spoke to Vísir, emphasizing what they consider to be Islam’s real message: peace and love. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Society of Iceland plan to hold a conference in the middle of November to…
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Reykjavík Wants to Hear From Foreigners
City hall is asking for input from the city’s immigrant residents by inviting them to an open meeting next week. The meeting, entitled “Let’s Talk!”, will take place at the Reykjavík City Theatre (also known as Borgarleikhús) on Saturday, 6 November, from…
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Rise in HIV Leads to Free Clean Needle Programme
A significant and recent rise in the number of HIV+ Icelanders has led to the Red Cross initiating a programme that will offer free clean needles to Reykjavík’s drug addicts. According to national health statistics, five people were diagnosed with HIV at…
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Do Not Have to Learn Christianity in School
A statement from the Ministry of Education outlines their legal opinion on the recent conflict that has arisen between Reykjavík churches and public schools. As has been reported, the Human Rights Committee of city hall recent drafted a proposal that would ban…
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Transgendered Organisation Calls for Change in Language
A group advocating for the rights of transgendered people have called upon the state broadcasting service RÚV to change the language they use in describing the transgendered. The group, The Pink Fist, have asked that RÚV use the word “transfólk” (self-explanatory) instead…
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Flateyri Avalanche Survivor Recounts Experience
A survivor of the Flateyri avalanche of 1995, which claimed 20 lives, talked about her rescue with Bæjarins Besta magazine. “I don’t remember when it happened,” said Margrét Kristjánsdóttir in the interview. “I must have been knocked unconscious, possibly by a blow…
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Iceland Not So “Green” After All
New statistics indicate that not only do Icelanders release more CO2 than other Scandinavians; Iceland is the only country in the region that has not reduced greenhouse gas emissions but rather increased them. According to the Nordic Statistical Yearbook 2010, Icelanders emit…
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HALLDÓR LAXNESS AND THE CIA
In 1946 Halldor Laxness’ epic novel Independent People was published in America. The publication and the success of the novel in the United States caused Laxness and Iceland to become of interest to both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central…
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Filling the Klink & Bank Gap
With 140 artists working under the same roof for almost two years, Klink & Bank was 5,000 square metres of artistic energy. Later, the house was sold. What happens now? On the second day of my first visit to Reykjavík, I visited…
