Iceland Review

Iceland’s Handball Team Plays Poland Next at Olympics

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

After a nerve-wracking final round in the preliminary men’s handball competition at the Beijing Olympics, it became clear yesterday that Iceland will play Poland in their first game of the quarter finals early tomorrow morning.

Break-Ins Increasing in Iceland

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Capital Region Police received reports of 202 cases of breaking-and-entering in their jurisdiction in July this year, an increase from 161 cases compared to the same month last year.

Quakes Rattle North-Icelandic Island Again

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Two sharp earthquakes, measuring 3.7 and 3.8 points on the Richter scale, occurred near Grímsey, Iceland’s northernmost inhabited island, yesterday. Islanders have been shaken by several series of earthquakes recently.

Delay to Constructions Expensive for Reykjavík City

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Reykjavík City has to pay ISK hundreds of millions in compensation for delay to a land-use plan to Valsmenn hf., the company in charge of developing Hlídarendi, the area belonging to Valur football club.

Couple with Three Children Wins the Lottery

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

A couple with three children from the Reykjavík suburb of Breidholt hit the jackpot when they won ISK 65 million in National Lottery on Saturday, one of the highest winnings in the history of Icelandic lottery.

So You Think You Can Dance? Winner in Iceland

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Dancer Sabra Johnson, winner of the third season of the popular American reality show So You Think You Can Dance?, is currently in Iceland to teach participants in a course held during a “Dance Festival” in Reykjavík next week.

Minority Backs New Coalition in Reykjavík City

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:40:47 GMT

In a new opinion poll by Fréttabladid daily, 26.2 percent of participants support the new Independence Party-Progressive Party majority coalition in Reykjavík City Council—the fourth coalition to serve this term—which was forged last week.

Iceland Enters Quarter Finals in Handball at Olympics

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:38:35 GMT

The Icelandic men’s handball team tied 32-32 with Denmark at the Olympics in Beijing on Saturday when Snorri Steinn Gudjónsson scored four seconds before the end of the game, securing Iceland’s place in the quarter finals.

Historical Saga Farm Excavated in Iceland

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:34:57 GMT

An extensive archeological project on behalf of the National Museum of Iceland is currently taking place in southwest Iceland. A farm is being excavated where saga hero Egill Skalla-Grímsson is believed to have lived.

Icelandic Film Receives Award at Swiss Festival

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:33:00 GMT

The new Icelandic comedy Back Soon by director Sólveig Anspach, which premiered in Iceland on August 6, received the Variety Piazza Grande Award at the 61st annual Locarno film festival in Switzerland yesterday.

New 90-Meter High Waterfall in Iceland

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:31:11 GMT

A new 90-meter high waterfall was created in Hafrahvammagljúfur canyon in Iceland’s eastern highlands yesterday as a byproduct of the dam in Kárahnjúkar—an overflow of the man-made Hálslón lagoon. The waterfall is known as Kárahnjúkafoss.

International Conference on Volcanoes Held in Iceland

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:29:38 GMT

An international conference on volcanology, attended by 900 members of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) begins in the University of Iceland today and lasts until August 22.

UNIFEM Iceland Fights Violence against Women

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

The Iceland branch of UNIFEM launched an initiative on Thursday entitled “Say NO to Violence against Women,” as part of an international UNIFEM project launched in New York in November last year in cooperation with goodwill ambassador Nicole Kidman.

Iceland’s Oldest Fisherman Catches 1,800 Kilos

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Egill Kristjánsson, the 88-year-old captain of Blikanes ÍS from Sudureyri in the West Fjords and Iceland’s oldest working fisherman, sailed ashore this week with 1,800 kilos of cod that he had caught after one day of fishing earlier this week.

Tourism Pioneer Takes an Accidental Swim

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Tourism pioneer Jón Eiríksson, better known as Jón Drangeyjarjarl or “Earl of Drangey” island on Skagafjördur fjord in north Iceland, fell into the ocean by accident after ferrying tourists to the island, but managed to swim back ashore on his own accord.

“Country Days” Celebrated in Northwest Iceland

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:05:00 GMT

The spirit of the “Wild West” will dominate the atmosphere in the small town of Skagaströnd in northwest Iceland this weekend during its annual “Country Days” festival, celebrated by locals and visitors with music and dance.

Ram Groping Tournament Held in Iceland

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

The seventh annual Icelandic championship in ram groping will be held on Sunday in the Sheep Center in Saevangur near Hólmavík in the Strandir region, the eastern part of the West Fjords peninsula. Admission is free.

Street Festival in Downtown Reykjavík

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Skólavördustígur, the road leading from Hallgrímskirkja church to Laugavegur, Reykjavík’s main shopping street, will reopen after renovation today. A festival will be held to mark the occasion with singing and dancing in the streets.

Reykjavík Majority Coalition Terminated for Third Time

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:53:22 GMT

The Independence Party-Liberal Party majority coalition in Reykjavík City Council came to an end last night when leader of the Independence Party Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir and leader of the Progressive Party Óskar Bergsson announced their cooperation.

Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Child Abuse

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:49:29 GMT

Reykjavík District Court sentenced a man in his mid-thirties to six years in prison yesterday for serious and repeated sexual violations against his stepdaughter. This is one of the longest sentences for child abuse perpetrators have been given in Iceland.