
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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The official Board of Human Names recently turned down requests for registering Malm and Adils as new Icelandic male names. Mosi, Svea, Eybjört and Korka were accepted.
According to Icelandic law regarding human names, given names in Iceland have to fit Icelandic grammar rules and be spelled in an “Icelandic way,” unless the name has belonged to the family of the child for generations.
Additionally, the name has to fit the sex of the name bearer and should not be a cause for bullying. Morgunbladid reports.
The board ruled that Malm did not sound “Icelandic enough” and that there is no established tradition for the name.
Adils was rejected on the basis of it originally being a surname, first registered in 1917, and it is not permitted to use surnames as given names in Iceland.
The board also denied a request to use the female name Gull, which translates to “gold,” but the male name Mosi, meaning “moss,” was accepted.
The exchange of power in Iceland took place yesterday when the government of Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson formally took over from that of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and ministers exchange keys.
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Mountaineer Leifur Örn Svavarsson became the first Icelander to reach the peak of Everest, the world’s highest mountain, by the North Face from Tibet just before sunrise yesterday morning.
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Iceland’s new government formally took power today following a state council meeting at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence.
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One of the last tasks of Steingrímur J. Sigfússon while in office as minister of industries and innovation was to issue a regulation on Monday extending the reserve for whales in Faxaflói bay, off Reykjavík in Southwest Iceland. The regulation took affect at midnight.
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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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The 11th Reykjavík Shorts & Docs. Catch it while it lasts!
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