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Watch an audio slideshow of how traditional Icelandic rhubarb stew is made. Rhubarb is one of the few vegetables that grows effortlessly in Iceland and for that reason it used to be a highly-valued addition to the traditional diet of fish and lamb.
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In the first two months of 2013, 53 individuals applied for asylum in Iceland, compared to ten in the same period last year. Out of the 53 asylum seekers, 30 are Croatian citizens, who have been given express treatment.
Keflavík International Airport. Photo copyright Icelandic Photo Agency.
“It means that their applications are being prioritized above other applications,” Þorsteinn Gunnarsson, lawyer at the Directorate of Immigration, told Morgunblaðið. When asked how long it will take to process each application, he stated, “We try to aim for 90 days.”
Croatia will obtain European Union membership on July 1, 2013. “If more people [from Croatia] will apply for asylum we won’t manage to process them by July 1,” Þorsteinn stated.
The average processing time of applications for asylum was 275 days in 2012. Currently more than 180 individuals are awaiting a response from the authorities.
Kristín Völundardóttir, head of the Directorate of Immigration, said the directorate is lobbying for more manpower so that applications can be processed more quickly.
ESA
The Identification Committee of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police is working on the identification of a body swept up on the beach at Kaldbaksvík in Strandir, the eastern West Fjords, on Saturday. The body was found by travelers in the area.
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Outgoing Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir stated that The Simpsons episode which was dedicated to Iceland and premiered on Sunday had definitely served as good promotion for the country.
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The party council of the Independence Party and central committee of the Progressive Party have been called to separate meetings tonight to discuss the planned coalition of the two parties in Iceland’s next government.
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Trips to the top of Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur (aka Hvannadalshnúkur), have proven popular this year, according to Icelandic Mountain Guides. Hvannadalshnjúkur is a peak on Öræfajökull in South Iceland measuring 2,109 meters in height.
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The 2013 April-May issue of Iceland Review & Atlantica has been released. Packed with informative and entertaining stories, highlights include an interview with outgoing Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and the people who know her best, a photo essay of ice caves in Europe’s largest glacier and a colorful feature on life in the West Fjords.
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REVIEWS
The 11th Reykjavík Shorts & Docs. Catch it while it lasts!
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Artist couple Nína Ivanova and Ómar Smári Kristinsson explain why they decided to settle in the West Fjords’ capital.
Reykjavík Queer Choir’s annual spring concert takes place on Friday, May 24.
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