Iceland Monitor

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000
“There must be consequences” — Police union chair sounds alarm on officer safety
Fjölnir Sæmundsson, chairman of the National Union of Police Officers, says he is deeply concerned about the working conditions and safety of police officers in Iceland. He also suspects that the young men who recently threatened an officer at h...

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000
Trial begins in Krýsuvík murder case
The main proceedings have begun in the case of Sigurður Fannar Þórisson, who stands accused of killing his daughter, Kolfinna Eldey, near Krýsuvíkurvegur Road in September.

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:49:00 +0000
Investors face heavy losses as PLAY founders launch buyout bid
Two of the largest shareholders in Icelandic airline PLAY, CEO Einar Örn Ólafsson and Deputy Chairman Elías Skúli Skúlason, have announced plans to launch a takeover bid for all outstanding shares of the company at a price of 1 ISK per share,...

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 18:11:00 +0000
Missing hiker found on Esja
The hiker who had been missing on Mount Esja has been located, according to Heimir Ríkharðsson, station manager with the Capital Area Police, in a statement to mbl.is. He did not have information on the man’s condition at the time of discovery...

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 17:02:33 +0000
Men arrested after threatening police officer at his home
Four men were arrested in the early hours of Monday morning by Capital Area Police and members of the National Police Commissioner’s special forces, after allegedly showing up at a police officer’s private residence in Reykjavík over the week...

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:26:00 +0000
Search underway for missing hiker
Search and rescue teams from the capital area were dispatched shortly after 9 p.m. last night to search for a missing hiker near Mount Esja, according to Hinrik Wöhler, acting spokesperson for ICE-SAR, in a statement to mbl.is.

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 22:45:00 +0000
Paving work scheduled for Tuesday night in several locations
Weather permitting, road paving operations are scheduled to take place Tuesday night at several locations along Reykjanesbraut (Route 41).

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000
Not a designated tourist site, says local official after fatal accident
"It’s deeply sad and upsetting that this keeps happening. Those responsible for safety measures need to take a serious look at this,” says Ásta Stefánsdóttir, municipal manager of Bláskógabyggð, in an interview with mbl.is following ...

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:18:00 +0000
Fake driver’s licenses mailed to Iceland
Customs officers at Keflavík International Airport intercepted 43 counterfeit foreign identity documents sent to Iceland by mail during 2023 and 2024 — the vast majority of them fake driver’s licenses.

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 20:14:00 +0000
Thousands flock to Gamla Bíó for Icelandic Tattoo Convention
The Icelandic Tattoo Convention returned for its 18th edition this weekend — and by all accounts, it was a major success.

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 18:00:00 +0000
Sweating, singing, and healing by Lake Apavatn
A group gathered yesterday by Lake Apavatn to participate in a sweat ceremony led by the artist Þorlákur Hilmar Morthens—better known as Tolli. Known for his work introducing sweat rituals into Icelandic prisons, Tolli has long promoted the ce...

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 16:44:00 +0000
Fatal accident at Brúará River
Rescue teams in South Iceland and a swift water rescue unit from the capital area were called out following an accident in or near the Brúará river yesterday. A Coast Guard helicopter was also dispatched to the scene.

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 13:22:00 +0000
Birdsong returns and the ground turns green in the North
After a fierce northerly storm earlier in the week, conditions have calmed in North Iceland—bringing signs of summer once more. The ground has turned green again and birds are singing, a welcome change from the hail and sleet that battered the r...

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 18:15:00 +0000
Frostadóttir: “Big Words Were Spoken”
A heated exchange took place in Alþingi yesterday when Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, chairwoman of the Independence Party, accused Víðir Reynisson, chair of the General and Education Committee, of unlawfully interfering in the asylum case of Colom...

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:30:00 +0000
Taxpayer funds spent on empty houses for asylum seekers
A significant number of properties rented by the Directorate of Labour for individuals applying for international protection are currently unoccupied, raising concerns about the misuse of public funds.

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 11:38:00 +0000
Isavia closes coffee shed dubbed “Northernmost mosque in the world”
Isavia, the company that operates Keflavík International Airport, has closed a small coffee shed used by taxi drivers after it came under scrutiny for poor maintenance. The decision follows recent media attention in which the shed was referred to...

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:25:00 +0000
Activists charged for protest aboard Hvalur whaling ships
Environmental activists Sahar Babaei and Elissa May Phillips have been formally charged for their protest aboard the whaling ships Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9 in September 2023. The two women, protesting the operations of Hvalur hf., boarded the vessels...

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:28:00 +0000
Landslide in Neskaupstaður and rockfall in Siglufjörður cause no damage

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0000
Sheep brought indoors due to severe weather
“It’s a hassle having to keep the sheep inside, but that’s how it has to be until conditions improve,” says Benedikt Arnbjörnsson, a farmer at Bergsstaðir in South Þingeyjarsýsla, in an interview with mbl.is.

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0000
“Why is the Icelandic Government choosing to remain silent?”
A heated exchange unfolded in Alþingi yesterday as Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, chairwoman of the Independence Party parliamentary group, challenged Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir on Iceland’s position regarding a recent joint statement o...

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