Author: Jelena Ćirić

Many more Icelanders say they are sympathetic to Palestine than Israel, according to a recent survey conducted by Maskína and reported on by RÚV. Participants were asked whether they sympathised more with the Palestinian cause or the Israeli cause, or equally with both. The responses indicated that 72.5% sympathised more with Palestine. Of those respondents, 54.4% stated they sympathised much more with the Palestinian cause while 18.1% stated they sympathised somewhat more with Palestine. A total of 9.5% of respondents stated that they sympathised more with Israel than Palestine. Of those, 6.1% stated they sympathised much more with Israel and……

Coastal fishing boats brought in some 12,500 tonnes of fish last summer, with a value of over ISK 5 billion [$36.8 million/33.6 million]. Nearly 94% of the coastal fish catch was cod, with the remainder being mostly saithe. The data is based on preliminary figures from the Directorate of Fisheries, as reported by Statistics Iceland. Not enough quota for independent fishermen Iceland’s current coastal fishing system was implemented around 15 years ago with the aim to give smaller, independent fishermen a path into the industry. It is not based around a quota system like open-sea fishing is in Iceland and……

The Icelandic government has reopened applications for equity loans, a press release states. The loans are meant to help first-time buyers and those who have not owned property in the past five years enter the real estate market. Equity loans are part of the government’s measures in support of collective agreements on the labour market, with the goals of tackling rising housing costs. Loan for up to 20% of property price Equity loans are a way to enter the real estate market for those who are able to pay monthly instalments on housing loans but have difficulty saving up for……

A new 3D map of Iceland has been released to the public with a resolution of 2.5 metres [8.2 feet], Vísir reports. It was created by the company Loftmydnir ehf. using data gathered over 30 years. The map is the first 3D map of Iceland of such high resolution and quality. “There, you’re looking at all of Iceland in a great amount of detail for the first time,” explains Karl Arnar Arnarson, Loftmyndir’s CEO. “You could compare it to putting a sort of net over the whole country. The size of the mesh is 2.5 metres and that’s something that’s……

One-fifth of Icelanders would choose Denmark if they could move to whichever country they wanted, Vísir reports. Spain is in second place, with one in ten Icelanders saying they would like to move there. Norway, Italy, the US, and Sweden round out the top six. The data comes from a poll conducted by Gallup. The results showed that people over 60 and between 30 and 40 years of age were most excited about moving to Denmark. Spain was most popular among those over 50 as well as those between 30-40 years old. Respondents under 30 were more excited for the……

Authorities are considering the construction of a new neighbourhood in Southwest Iceland for former residents of Grindavík, now evacuated due to a series of eruptions. Most Grindavík residents say they want to stay on the Suðurnes peninsula. Similar projects were carried out following the 1973 Heimaey Eruption. Árni Þór Sigurðsson, the director of the construction committee on Grindavík issues, stated in a RÚV radio interview this morning that the group is currently working on a housing action plan. Many former Grindavík residents, including families with children, seniors, couples, and individuals, have yet to find permanent housing. A survey shows that……

Iceland has seen a significant drop in the arrival of asylum seekers and applications for asylum have dropped by more than 50% year on year, RÚV reports. The biggest drop is in applications from Venezuela. Just over 1,400 asylum seekers came to Iceland in the first eight months of 2024, compared to nearly 3,000 during the same period in 2023. Most come from Ukraine, nearly 1,000. Iceland has granted Ukrainians temporary visas since the Russian invasion of the country began in February 2022. See also: Justice Minister Seeks to Extends Protection for Ukrainians Asylum applications from Venezuelans have dropped dramatically:……

An Icelandic man is in custody, believed to have killed his daughter, RÚV reports. The man was arrested yesterday evening north of Kleifarvatn lake, south of the Reykjavík capital area. Police have released only minimal information about the case. According to RÚV’s sources, the man called the police himself to inform them that his young daughter was dead at the scene. Police found the girl’s body and arrested the man, who is suspected of having caused her death. Police have remained tight-lipped about the case, sending media a brief press release this morning that stated that the investigation is in……

The driver and passengers of a bus that caught fire near a Westfjords tunnel last Friday all managed to escape the vehicle safely. Responders say they shudder to think what could have happened if the fire had broken out inside the single-lane tunnel. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) considers the accident serious and is reviewing the safety of the tunnel in such situations, RÚV reports. The bus was very close to the tunnel entrance on the Ísafjörður side when the fire broke out. The driver, guide, and 59 passengers, all cruise ship guests, escaped safely. The bus was……