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Firearms Discovered By Children On School Roof
On the evening of February 13, a group of children discovered wandering about Laugalækjarskóli primary school roof found a bag containing a gun, RÚV reports. The weapon was not loaded, and no ammunition was found in the bag. The school’s principal notified parents…
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Teachers’ Strike Ruled Illegitimate By Labour Court
On Sunday, February 9, the recent teachers’ strike was ruled illegitimate by the Labour Court (Félagsdómur), RÚV reports. The ruling was brought due to the accusation of the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities (Samband íslenskra sveitarfélaga), which claimed the Teachers’ Union (Kennarasamband…
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Heidelberg Looks To Húsavík For New Processing Plant
After being shown the door by the people of Þorlákshöfn, German building materials company Heidelberg has set its sights on Húsavík as the potential future home of its new processing plant. The company introduced their proposal to the Norðurþing municipal council on…
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Reykjavík Air Traffic Curbed
The Icelandic Transport Authority (Samgöngustofa) has directed the airport company Isavia — which manages the Reykjavík domestic airport — to curb air traffic on the east-west runway, RÚV reports. This is due to the Öskjuhlíð treeline. Planes are prohibited to land on…
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Red Weather Warning Extended — Hallgrímskirkja Struck By Lightning
As reported on Wednesday, Feburary 6, the Icelandic Met Office upgraded its weather warning across the country to the highest level. The office warned of a violent south and southwest storm with gale winds reaching 28-38 metres per second. On Wednesday evening,…
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Kópavogur Man Pinned By Car
Fire and medical emergency services were called to the rescue of a man in Kópavogur on the evening of February 3, Vísir reports. The man had been pinned by a car whilst repairing the vehicle’s undercarriage. According to Vísir, the man’s car…
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Airplanes Almost Crashed Due To Football Game
A crash between two airplanes over Iceland was narrowly avoided last February. The Safety Investigation Authority (SIA) has published the definitive findings of the incident, concluding that the on-duty air traffic controllers were distracted by a football match. The two planes were…
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Foreign Minister Claims Government Willing To Increase Relations With Greenland
Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said there is consensus within the government to increase relations with Greenland, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments hinting at annexing the country. Issues relating to Greenland were among the topics discussed at a government meeting on…
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Teachers To Resume Strikes
Icelandic teachers are yet again preparing for a strike. As reported in October, 2024, teachers in eight primary, secondary and pre-schools quit working after unsuccessful negotiations between union representatives and employers. In late November, 2024, strike actions were suspended by the state…
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Iceland Invests Most In Preschools Compared To Europe
Among 37 European countries, Iceland and Sweden were the top funders of public preschool services in 2021 in proportion to GDP, RÚV reports. According to the EU education network Eurydice, which published a report on preschool-level quality in Europe, Iceland invested 1,8%…
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Several Political Parties Wrongfully Received Public Funds
Several political parties have received millions in public funds despite not fulfilling the necessary conditions for monetary support. On January 21, mbl.is reported that the People’s Party (Flokkur Fólksins), led by Inga Sæland, has received 240 million ISK in public funding, even…
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Minister Meddles In Mysterious Shoe Disappearance
Labour and Housing Minister Inga Sæland allegedly meddled in a case concerning lost shoes, Vísir reported on January 27. The shoes were found, without the minister’s intervention. According to the story, Inga rang the headmaster of Borgarholtsskóli secondary school to enquire about…
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Samtökin ’78 Receive A Surge Of Requests From Americans
Iceland’s national queer association Samtökin ’78 have received a surge of requests from American queer people since Donald Trump was elected president, asking for information on how to relocate to Iceland. Many think their safety is threatened due to the Trump administration’s…
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Kópavogur Headmaster Urges Parents To Mind Their Manners
On January 22, the headmaster of Kópavogur primary school Hörðuvallaskóli sent a mass email to parents of the school’s students. In it, principal Sigrún Ólöf Ingólfsdóttir encouraged adults to mind their manners and language when communicating with the school’s faculty, RÚV reports. …
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No Replacement For Deceased Drug Detection Dog
Since July, 2024, the Suðurnes Police have not been able to use a drug detection dog during its monitoring of Keflavík Airport. The dog on duty suddenly died last summer, RÚV reports. In conversation with RÚV, Suðurnes Police Chief Úlfar Lúðvíksson said…
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First Child Born In Seyðisfjörður For 30 Years
The first child to be born in Seyðisfjörður for more than 30 years entered the world on January 20, Heimildin reports. The birth was expected on February 3, with the child instead delivered prematurely by a doctor and a midwife to a…
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Every Reykjavík Swimming Pool Rainbow Certified
Every single one of Reykjavík’s swimming pools have received the rainbow certification, as reported by a press release sent by city spokespersons. The colourful stamp of approval signifies Reykjavík’s commitment towards LGBTQ+ affairs. The certificate aims to make Reykjavík more inclusive towards…
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Construction Starts On Fossvogsbrú Pedestrian Bridge
On January 17, Minister of Transport and People’s Party MP Eyjólfur Ármannsson will ceremoniously break first ground on the Fossvogsbrú construction project, RÚV reports. The bridge is the first large-scale construction among many surrounding the Borgarlína transit network, and is estimated to…
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Several Absentee Ballots Not Delivered To Tally Stations
A delivery containing up to 25 absentee votes for the Alþingi election last November was not transferred to its corresponding tally station. As reported by mbl.is, the votes — which should have been counted in the South West constituency — were found…
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Independence Party Confirms National Conference Dates
The Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (Independence Party) commission has confirmed the dates for its upcoming national conference. The party’s next leader is expected to be elected at the event, following former leader Bjarni Benediktsson’s decision to step down and resign from politics. The convention takes…
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Infirm Child To Be Deported From Iceland
The Directorate of Immigration (ÚTL) has denied an appeal to postpone the deportation of a Venezuelan family, despite a scheduled surgery for a three-year old girl, RÚV reports. The child suffers from developmental dysplasia of the hip, and underwent a complex surgery…
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Reykjavik Residents Asked To Show Vigilance Against Bird Flu
In recent days, the City of Reykjavík’s Animal Control employees have been identifying and removing dead birds suspected of carrying avian flu. In a press release by the city, residents are asked to notify Animal Control of any dead or sick birds.…
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Record Volume Of Cannabis Confiscated In 2024
According to RÚV, the Icelandic police and Customs Office confiscated a record volume of cannabis in 2024. The amount totalled 283 kilograms, based on preliminary data. In 2023, 210 kg were confiscated; while 141 kg was seized in 2022 and 2021. A…