Maybe it would be best for both Jón Bjarnason and the whole country if he were to move to Grímsey, an uninhabited island in the West Fjords.
more
The new Dreamliner, Boeing 787, landed at Keflavík International Airport yesterday morning for test flights in side wind. According to the airport’s information officer Fridthór Eydal, the airplane will be in Iceland for test flights for about a week.
more
Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of a hike to Hraunsvatn lake in Öxnadalur valley in north Iceland, which lies at a height of 490 meters, interlocked between two steep mountains and a small glacier with a view of the majestic Hraundrangar peaks.
more
Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland’s best hidden gems.
more
Norwegian-French magistrate Eva Joly, famous for her global fight against financial corruption, was hired as a consultant to Iceland’s Ministry of Justice yesterday to assist on the investigation into the events leading up to Iceland’s economic collapse.
Joly has already expressed her opinion on the office of the special investigator and prosecutor, Ólafur Thór Hauksson, and his position towards the attorney general, Morgunbladid reports.
“He should be completely independent. There shouldn’t be any intervention with his work. It is very tempting to try and influence it and point the investigation in another direction when it is approaching someone who is close to oneself,” Joly said.
Joly added that it was a “joke” that the special investigator only has four assistants. Hauksson agreed, saying that it is time for reinforcement and that he will hire another police officer from the unit of economic crimes next Monday.
Hauksson will also issue an estimate soon on how much manpower his office requires until the end of 2009. According to the budget bill, ISK 50 million (USD 444,000, EUR 350,000) will be allocated to his office this year and the current facilities have room for 12 employees.
“I don’t think this investigation can be undertaken with less than 20 people,” Joly commented.
Minister of Justice Ragna Árnadóttir said it is important to listen carefully to Joly’s advice regarding sufficient manpower.
In terms of the position of the special investigator towards the attorney general, they are on different administration levels, Árnadóttir explained. The attorney general is the highest-ranking prosecutor in Iceland, but if that person proves unfit, he or she must step down.
“If Eva Joly has certain ideas on how this arrangement should be changed, we will certainly examine them carefully,” Árnadóttir said.
Hauksson said he has not felt he lacked independence. His wishes had been complied with at the Ministry of Justice and the attorney general had not interfered with his investigation. He said he appreciates Joly’s advice but wants to be careful about changing the administration.
According to the Norway Post, Joly received international recognition for her fight against corruption in relation to the Elf oil company case and the bank Credit Lyonnaise in France. She has also worked as an adviser to the Norwegian Development Aid Agency (NORAD) and Norway’s Ministry of Justice.
Click here to read more about the office of the special investigator and prosecutor.
The second issue of the print edition of Iceland Review 2010 has just been published. Entitled “Under the Volcano” the magazine dedicates 20 pages, words and pictures, to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier which made headlines all over the word. New subscribers will receive the book 2010 Eruptions as a gift and all subscribers are part of a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
more
Dadi Gudbjörnsson's art with its smiley faces, Aladdin's lamps, gleaming hearts, blue mountains and psychedelic flora of unearthly origin reminds me of the cheesy R.E.M. song “Shiny Happy People”. The sugar-sweet naivety fails to amuse me but I must admit it infects my mood with delirious joy.
more
Former President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir turned 80 on 15 April this year and Mayor Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir—in making her an Honorary Citizen of Reykjavík to mark the occasion—observed that Finnbogadóttir’s life was interwoven with that of Reykjavík. In June 1980 Finnbogadóttir made history when she became the world’s first democratically elected female head of state.
more
Today, August 30, and tomorrow is your last chance to visit the exhibition “Eau De Parfum” by Andrea Maack at the Spark Design Space in Reykjavík. In the exhibition space, Maack introduces three perfumes that are the result of her collaboration with French perfumery apf aromes & parfums.
more