Published June 16, 2006

The former Prime Minister and leader of the Progressive party, decided walk away from politics, leaving the rest of his party to fight it out in what promises to be a bloody battle for the party leadership. The recent events have further enhanced the party’s tailspin, one that can only end in a disaster. But why should we care? We are following the World Cup.

The reasons for Ásgrímsson’s departure are largely attribute to the dismal outcome in the recent mayoral elections. It is likely that he wanted no part of that downfall in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The reasons behind the party’s increasing unpopularity are considered to be its stance on flammable issues, such as the Iraq invasion. The party was a staunch supporter of the invasion, and the subsequent effort to quash ‘the insurgents’, a war that has cost the lives of 100.000 innocent citizens. The economy slowed down, or more accurately, came to a screeching halt, as inflation climbed with the speed of a Sherpa in the Himalayas. The nation’s trade deficit also reached an all-time high. Then there is the party’s eternal quest to dam the highlands and sacrifice the delicate Icelandic nature at the altar of big business. But why would we want to discuss these matters? I am far more interested in who takes the office pool.

Recently the Progressive Party took its paltry 6% support and its one representative and landed squarely in the center of City Hall as the eight member of the Independence Party. This might raise some questions about the health of democracy here in Iceland, but we are really too busy predicting who will come out of Group C in the World Cup.
This week, three prisoners at the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison, committed suicide, overwrought by the inhumane conditions, justified by a war that the Icelandic government chose to support despite the objections of 90% of the nation. But really, tell me, which player do think will score the most goals in the World Cup?

Last week, Alcoa revealed the best kept secret in recent memory – the rock-bottom prices for energy provided by the National Power Company to the aluminum production in Reyðarfjörður – a price that turns out to be so ridiculously low that not only is it eight times cheaper than the what the ordinary citizen has to pay for the same electricity, but it is also two times less than what Alcoa needs to pay for electricity in Brazil, a dirt poor country compared to Iceland. You might think this would force us to consider how our government values our nature, but thank god, we have the World Cup to take our mind of such insipid issues.

This issue, we take a closer look at the phenomenon called the Reykjavík Air Bridge, as Bart Cameron joins Singapore Sling on tour in the UK. We also explain the phenomenon in detail and talk to Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson of I Adapt, grueling veterans of the Reykjavík Air Bridge Program. We update you on the latest events in the life of t.A.T.u., the most awesome band in the world and bid our adieu to the Prime Minister. All this, and some more really cool stuff.

I would really want to keep this longer, but Germany is playing Poland, and the second half is about to kick off.