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Abortion Proposal Discussed This Week
The Minister of Health, Svandís Svarvarsdóttir, will be tasked with making sure people who travel to Iceland to undergo abortions receive the proper healthcare, RÚV reports. Rósa Björk Brynsjólfsdóttir, who drafted the proposal in light of current events in Poland, will be…
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Complaints Made About Unmasked Bus Drivers
A total of 45 complaints have been made to Strætó about bus drivers not wearing masks in the capital area, despite the wearing of masks on public transport becoming mandatory in October. Vísir reports. Guðmundur H. Helgason, Stræto’s information officer, says that…
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New Military Base Is Out Of The Question
In Vísir yesterday evening, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir responded to the US Navy’s idea of building a permanent military base in Iceland, by calling the plans “out of the question.” As reported by the Grapevine yesterday, Katrín had previously ruled out permanent…
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Larger Income Subsidies to Be Law Within The Week
According to a report on Vísir today, changes to bills on income reduction and closure subsidies have been unanimously approved by the Economic and Business Affairs Committee. Óli Björn Kárason, chairman of the committee and parliament member for the Independence Party, says…
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Coast Guard Patrol Vessel For Sale
It has been announced over the weekend that the Coast Guard Patrol ship Ægir will be sold after 50 years of service, mbl reports. The ship, which lies in dock at Skarfabakki, was built in Denmark in 1968 and played a major…
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Proposal To Allow Europeans To Have Abortions In Iceland
A parliamentary proposal is being made by several MPs to allow those who are unable to have abortions in their home countries to have the procedure done in Iceland instead, Vísir reports. Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir, along with eighteen other MPs, are making…
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Kashmir The Raven Is Quite The Social Butterfly
A family in Vogar has raised three ravens in the past. The last one, Kashmir, has just flown the nest. In a Fréttablðið article, the family recalls some of their favourite memories of their feathered friends. Gunnar Júlíus Helgason and his family have always kept…
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Thousands Sign Petition Against Deportation Of Family
Over 14,000 signatures have been added to a petition against the deportation of a family from Senegal, Vísir reports. The two daughters, Regine Martha and Elodie Marie, who are just three and six, were both born in Iceland after their parents, Bassirou…
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US Embassy Accuses Icelandic Paper Of False Reporting
The US Embassy is accusing Fréttablaðið of spreading “fake news” after it published a story stating that COVID-19 had broken out within the Embassy building. The Embassy does not deny this, but added some assertions of their own that do not hold…
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Hopes To Raise Maximum Penalty For Child Pornography
A Reform Party MP has been working on a bill to increase the penalties for child pornography from a maximum sentence of two years to a maximum of six, Vísir reports. Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir, MP for the Reform Party, and a former…
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The Minister Reviewed: The Grapevine Interns Take On Icelandic Politics
‘Ráðherrann’ (‘The Minister’) tells the story of Benedikt Ríkharðsson, a populist MP who is elected Prime Minister following a radical attempt to re-engage the Icelandic public with democracy. His unconventional approach to politics divides Parliament whilst his bipolar disorder slowly begins to…
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Thirteenth COVID-19 Death
A patient has died in the last 24 hours at Landspítali, due to COVID-19, Vísir reports. An announcement was also made on Landspitalí’s website. This is the second day in a row that a patient has died of the virus, and the…
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Tourism Companies May Receive ISK 21.9 Million In Grants
Tourism companies may be able to receive a grant of up to 21.6 million ISK each, if the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs’ bill is passed, according to a report on RUV. Smaller tourism operators, guides and others will be able…
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House Fire Ruins Must Be Demolished
The Vestubær Residents’ Council has requested that the City of Reykjavík take action on the demolition of a house at Bræðraborgarstígur 1, which burned down in the summer, Fréttablaðið reports. The council presented the case at its meeting last week, stating that…
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Gods Of Iceland: Bragi, The Harp Playing Hipster
Superpowers: Eloquent as fuck. Weaknesses: May actually not have been a God at all. Modern Analogue: Hosts weekly poetry slams at the local book shop. Bragi was the God of Poetry, a hipster with a harp, the son of Odin (who wasn’t?)…
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Allegations Of Negligence At Ásbrú Refugee Camp
According to an article published by mbl today, serious allegations have come out about negligence and deprivation of liberty at the Ásbrú refugee camp. The Facebook status on the Refugees in Iceland Facebook page says “Things are not ok! For a week,…
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Iceland Removed From Grey List
Iceland has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s Grey List after satisfactorily completing measures against money laundering and terrorist financing, mbl reports. The FATF made the decision at their latest meeting, after an investigation was held last September. The announcement…
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Falcon Population In Iceland Declining
The falcon population in Iceland is likely to be at its lowest in two to four years, says the Institute of Natural History in an article by Fréttablaðið. It is estimated that there are currently three to four hundred pairs of falcons…
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Daði Freyr Will Represent Iceland In 2021 Eurovision
Daði Freyr will represent Iceland at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam next May, mbl reports. The song ‘Think About Things’ was originally chosen to be the song that represented Iceland in 2020, but, due to COVID-19, the contest, which was…
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Employment Rights Of Foreign Citizens To Be Increased
Six Left Green Party MPs have submitted a parliamentary resolution proposing that a working group be appointed to help increase employment rights of citizens from outside the EEA, EFTA and Faroe Islands, Vísir reports. The explanatory memorandum that was submitted alongside the…
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Iceland Hopes To Be Removed From Grey List
The FATF, an international group against money laundering and terrorism financing, will meet on Friday to discuss whether or not Iceland can be removed from their so-called ‘Grey List’, Vísir reports. The FATF’s (Financial Action Task Force) Grey List highlights the countries…
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An Influx Of Soldiers Arriving In Iceland
Around 500 to 600 US and Canadian soldiers are expected in Iceland over the next few weeks, due to COVID quarantine regulations, Fréttablðið reports. There are currently 250 US Air Force personnel in the country, who arrived in early October for NATO…
