Senda inn efniNews in English
Provided by Iceland Review, Icenews and Reykjavík GrapevineIceland 'Lake Monster' Captured on Film?
Footage was captured of an obscure phenomenon yesterday which appeared to be swimming in the glacial river Jökulsá í Fljótsdal, east Iceland. People speculate whether this may be the notorious snake-like monster Lagarfljótsormurinn.
More
Nation Almost Evenly Divided Over PM Trial
The nation appears to be split more or less evenly over the question of whether to let the trial of former prime minister Geir H. Haarde continue or not. More
Former Landsbanki CEO Sues Over Pension Savings
The primary proceedings in the case of Sigurjón Þ. Árnason, one of Landsbanki’s two former CEOs at the time of its collapse in October 2008, against the bank over his pension savings are currently ongoing at Reykjavík District Court.
More
Man Severely Injured after Stabbing in Kópavogur
A man in his thirties underwent surgery at Landspítali, the national hospital, after being stabbed with a knife between 3 and 4 am this morning in Kópavogur, a neighboring town of Reykjavík. He suffered severe stab wounds.
More
More visitors to Iceland in January than ever before
Foreign visitors to Iceland have never numbered higher in the month of January than this year. Figures have been kept by Keflavík International Airport for over a decade and the Icelandic Tourist Board says that this January tops all before it. Some 26,000 foreign citizens departed from Keflavík last month; which is 3,900 more than [...] More
Reykjavik
E9 2°C
| Akureyri |  |
SW2 | 2°C |
| Kirkjub.kl. |  |
E14 | 4°C |
| Bol.vik | |
NE3 | 2°C |
| Egilsst. | |
N2 | 1°C |
| Stykkish. | |
NE12 | 1°C |
| Storhofdi | |
og0 | 5°C |
Exchange rates
 |
US dollar | USD | 122,72 kr. |
 |
Euro | EUR | 161,76 kr. |
 |
Pound sterling | GBP | 194,39 kr. |
 |
Canadian dollar | CAD | 122,83 kr. |
 |
Danish krona | DKK | 21,762 kr. |
 |
Norweigan krona | NOK | 21,127 kr. |
 |
Swedish krona | SEK | 18,29 kr. |
 |
Swiss franc | CHF | 134,26 kr. |
 |
Japanese yen | JPY | 1,6098 kr. |
Iceland Submits Pre-EU-Accession Economic Program
The Icelandic Ministry of Economic Affairs has handed in a Pre-Accession Economic Program to the EU Commission, as revealed yesterday. The report is part of Iceland’s accession process to the European Union.
More
Invincible (ESA)
I finally admitted that I had to invest in some new outdoor clothes. Now I feel immune from the whims of the weather gods.
More
DR journalists banned from India
India has stopped issuing visas to journalists of Denmark’s public broadcaster, DR, due to a 2010 documentary focusing on working conditions within the country’s textile industry. The dispute is thought to surround Blod, sved og T-Shirts (Blood, Sweat and T-shirts), a programme which followed a group of young Danes as they struggled to survive while [...] More
New Icelandic Coastguard cruiser probably needs repairs in Norway
Iceland’s brand new coastguard patrol ship, Þór – the biggest in the country and the service’s new flagship; has developed a persistent vibration in one of its engines and will likely need to go overseas for repair. Several attempts have been made to correct the unusual vibration in one of the Rolls Royce engines aboard [...] More
Americans: Wash Yourselves Before Swimming
A columnist reports on both foreign and local reactions to the ubiquitous Icelandic pool regulation to wash six separate body parts before getting into a public pool. More
Moonshine Operation Raided
A police raid of a private home in the Westfjörds uncovered some 60 litres of home-made spirits, with equipment to make even more. More
About One Third Support Government
While individual party support has changed little, voter dissatisfaction remains significantly high. More
Breivik play causes a stir
A Copenhagen theatre company has courted controversy after penning a play based on the convictions of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik. Café Teatret has used Breivik’s so-called ‘extremist manifesto’, published online shortly before he killed 77 people in Norway on 22nd July last year, as the inspiration for their drama Manifesto 2083. The play, [...] More
Icelandic Institute Receives Book of Wisdom as Gift
The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, which has a collection of ancient manuscripts, including the Icelandic sagas, recently received a donation of a rare book dating back to the 15th century.
More
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon a Wonder of the World
The Blue Lagoon in Iceland is among the world’s most remarkable places, according to National Geographic. It is included in a list of 25 locations around the globe in the magazine’s special edition on wonders of the world.
More
Police Officer Nearly Run Down by Speeding Driver
A police officer who was testing the speed of cars by Gullinbrú, the bridge leading to the Reykjavík suburb of Grafarvogur, on Tuesday evening, was almost run down by a speeding driver.
More
President Having A Fine Time In Antarctica
Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is traveling along the Antarctic coast with his wife, Dorrit Moussaief, and a number of global celebrities, to observe the effects of climate change. More
Rocks from Landslide Smash Windows of Truck
A truck driver, who was the first to arrive at the scene of a massive mudslide which had collapsed on the Ring Road by Þvottárskriður in southeast Iceland during a rainstorm at 4 am yesterday, was lucky to escape unharmed after rocks flew through his windscreen.
More
Video: Sea Accident Survivor in Television Interview
Eiríkur Ingi (Rikki) Jóhannsson, the sole survivor of the four-person crew of the trawler Hallgrímur SI, which sank off the coast of Norway last week, appeared in an interview on RÚV’s news magazine Kastljós yesterday.
More
Acquitted money launderer suing Iceland
A man accused of money laundering and then let off without charge is suing the Icelandic State and demanding an apology. “They haven’t kept their word to apologise,” says Heiðar Ásberg Atlason, the defence lawyer for Friðjón Þórðarson, who is suing the Icelandic state over allegations of money laundering. Friðjón was arrested in November 2008 [...] More
Iceland and its gays.
Interior Minister to Probe Police Response to Bomb
Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson considers the bombing on Hverfisgata near the Government Offices in central Reykjavík on Tuesday and the police’s late response to it to be serious.
More
Police still searching for Reykjavík bomber
Icelandic police are searching for a man (pictured) and a white Renault Kangoo van in connection to their investigation into the explosion and bomb which were found in central Reykjavík on Tuesday. The bomb, which was destroyed in a controlled explosion, did not turn out to contain high explosives; but was designed to look like [...] More
Berserk captain ‘in second Antarctic bid’
The Norwegian captain of the ill-fated ‘Beserk’ expedition is being hunted by New Zealand authorities as he allegedly makes his second attempt to reach Antarctica. Jarle Andhøy, 34, has apparently set out again, despite his last mission, which was branded foolhardy by many sailing experts, resulting in the presumed deaths of three crew members. New [...] More
Iceland's Economy Recovering Slowly
Al-Jazeera has done some rather frank reporting on the state of the Icelandic economy, positing that while things are slowly returning to normal, the recovery is not necessarily being felt on the street level yet. More
Late Reaction Of Police To Be Investigated
The late response of police to the scene where a homemade explosive was detonated behind the Prime Minister's office was likely due to police not understanding the seriousness of the situation, but will nonetheless be investigated. More
The Sun Rises In Ísafjörður
Residents of the northwestern town were pleased to see the sun make its first appearance in weeks, even if "officially" several days late. More
Mother of attacked Greek tourist can act as witness in Iceland court case
The Supreme Court of Iceland has upheld a Reykjavík District Court decision to allow the mother of a Greek man, who was the victim of a severe physical assault in central Reykjavík in May 2010, to act as a witness on his behalf. The woman is allowed to replace the man on the witness stand [...] More
Updated: Three lost sailors presumed dead, search called off
UPDATED 2nd February: The Icelandic sailor rescued late in January off Norway survived because of his floatation suit. His three crew mates from the sunken trawler were not so lucky and the Norwegian coastguard has called off its search. An interview has now been released. The trawler was called Hallgrímur SI-77 and was en-route for [...] More
Iceland Glacier Provides New Info on Little Ice Age
The so-called Little Ice Age began much earlier than originally believed, according to the conclusions of a study including at Langjökull glacier in the western highlands of Iceland in which Icelandic scientists participated.
More
Mistake by Police Causes Drug Case’s Dismissal
The Reykjavík Metropolitan Police have reviewed their work methods during questioning after the Supreme Court of Iceland acquitted a suspect in a drug smuggling case due to illegal evidence.
More
Police Release Photo of Bomber
Police have released photos they say may be of the man who planted a bomb near the Prime Minister‘s office yesterday morning.
More
Three Meter High Rock Collapses in River Swell
Iðuklettur, a three-meter high rock pillar which was the main landmark in the salmon-fishing river Stóra-Laxá í Hreppum, south Iceland, collapsed when the river cleared itself of ice after a period of rain and thaw on Monday.
More
Dhani Harrison to Wed Icelandic deCODE Chief’s Daughter
Dhani Harrison, the son of late Beatle George Harrison and his wife Olivia, is set to marry Sólveig Káradóttir, the daughter of Icelandic neurologist Kári Stefánsson, chief and co-founder of deCODE Genetics, in June.
More
Landslide Falls on Ring Road in Southeast Iceland
A huge mudslide fell on the road across Þvottárskriður, a stretch of the Ring Road between Höfn and Djúpivogur in southeast Iceland, around 4 am this morning and the road was closed until shortly before noon.
More
Icelandic sign language open to all on new website
Icelandic sign language is now, for the first time, available to everybody online. Iceland’s education and culture minister opened the new internet language learning portal today, which already contains over 1,200 signs. Thanks to the open sign language website SignWiki, Icelandic sign language is finally available to everyone in the world with a computer, smartphone [...] More
Ice is Slippery (UÞ)
And this is why God made ice cleats.
More
Westman Islands Consider Shipping Their Garbage Abroad
The impending shutting down of garbage incineration in the Westman Islands has prompted the idea of sending the garbage overseas to be burned instead.
More
Cheaper To Toast Bread Vertically Thanks To Tolls
Magnús Orri Schram, an MP for the Social Democrats, believes a number of reforms need to be made to Iceland's laws on what items are charged how much in fees when imported into the country. More
Everyone Encouraged To Wear Neckties In February
A movement begins this month to encourage both men and women alike to wear neckties on a daily basis, in the hopes of increasing their use the rest of the year. More
Police Seek Witnesses: Bomb “Not Just Fireworks”
A bomb went off close to the Government Offices of Iceland in central Reykjavík between 6 and 7 am yesterday morning. No one had been arrested as of yesterday evening and the police are calling for witnesses. “This was not a case of boys playing with fireworks,” commented Police Commissioner Stefán Eiríksson.
More
Björk to Teach Scientific Music to Kids in New York
A workshop based on Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk’s Biophilia project will be established in the New York Hall of Science in Queens next month to teach elementary school students how music and science can be integrated.
More
President of Iceland in Antarctica with Al Gore
President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is currently on an expedition with scientists and environmentalists in the Antarctica at the invitation of Al Gore, former US vice-president. The expedition began on Sunday and will end on February 6.
More
Failure in Pumps Caused Icelandic Ship to Sink
Seawater leaked into the Icelandic trawler Hallgrímur SI-77, which sank off the coast of Norway on Wednesday last week, causing both its steering gear and pumps to break down. Consequently the ship turned over on its side and started to sink.
More
Bomb in Reykjavík, City Center Closed
An obscure object, which was believed to be the remains of a bomb, was found outside Hverfisgata 4, close to the government offices, this morning. Bomb squads were called to the scene and a large area in the city center was fenced off.
More
Bomb Scare Behind Government Offices
At 9 o'clock this morning an object thought to be a bomb was discovered at Hverfisgata 4 behind the government offices. More
Bill Would Change Organ Donor Laws
A bill being introduced to parliament would make all Icelanders automatic organ donors, unless they specify otherwise before their deaths. More
Foreign Minister Assembles National Defence Team
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson has assembled a workgroup to outline Iceland's national defence strategy - a task that will prove challenging with no standing military. More
Halibut And Guillemot Disappearing From Menus
With protections or bans on both animals, halibut is disappearing from Icelandic restaurants, and guillemot is on the wane. More
Police Take Action On Hate Site
Reykjavík police questioned a suspect and seized a computer in connection with a racist website aimed at Icelanders and written in Icelandic. More
Oliver Closes, But The Dude Abides
The café and club Oliver closed its doors for good last Tuesday, but will be replaced in a few weeks by a new place themed on The Big Lebowski. More
Houses For Sale In Raufarhöfn For As Little As Nothing
A number of houses are being sold off in the municipality of Raufarhöfn in far northeast Iceland, with one house sold so far for zero crowns. More
Icelandic Hate Site Might Be Illegal
A website written in Icelandic and aimed at native Icelanders espouses racial segregation and white supremacy. However, Iceland has some very specific laws regarding such speech. More
Impending Arrival Of H&M Turns Out To Be Student Project
A banner up in the window of an empty store on Laugarvegur announcing the arrival of an H&M store turned out to be a university student project on the nature of happiness. More