Iceland Weekly News Roundup

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: The New App: Icebreaker The Reykjavík Grapevine has teamed up with Einar Stef of Hatari fame and cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson with a new app called Icebreaker, which helps you, navigate Reykjavík, and eventually, the rest of Iceland. It features information from The Grapevine’s Best of Reykjavík, information about event listings, happy hours, cheap eats and more. From Moby Dick To Moby’s Dick Whaling is back on the menu this year, although the current minister of the fisheries has stated that this will probably be the last summer of whaling, since the minister is proposing a new law outlawing the practice. The whaling season this year has received a lot of domestic and international attention, not least because anti-whaler Paul Watson has sent his vessel, Bandero, to intercept Hvalur hf.’s whale boats Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9, so for without luck. Footage of an employee of Hvalur hf. swinging a whale dick while being recorded on video, did neither make pro-, nor anti-whalers happy. Gasoline Prices In Iceland According to The Icelandic Competition Authority Icelandic oil companies have raised the prices for diesel oil by 50% since 2022 and 25% since 2022 and gasoline. The oil companies also raised their prices just prior to the so called milage tax in January of this year. The Icelandic Competition Authority also states that the price of fuel in Iceland has consistently been higher in Iceland than in 27 other European countries in the past decade. Amphetamine Two men are in custody following an attempt of importing 14 liters of amphetamine to Iceland via an Icelandic transport vessel in April. The two men got two crew to help out with the smuggling. Cocaine A 106 kilograms of cocaine were apprehended by the Icelandic authorities on a transport vessel named Koznitza, which arrived in Iceland on 22 June. The ship sailed from Brazil til Straumsvík in Hafnarfjörður, and was bringing materials for the Aluminum smelter located in Straumsvík. This is the largest amount of cocaine ever confiscated in Iceland and at least nine people have been arrested in association with the smuggling, of which at least three are Icelandic with a Romanian and Brazilians. One of the Icelanders arrested, Lárus Freyr Einarsson, was convicted of murder in Denmark in 2011, and arrested again in 2020 in relation to the production of amphetamines in a summerhouse in Kjós, near Reykjavík. Weed The police apprehended just under 800 cannabis plants at three different locations in Iceland recently. 200 plants were confiscated near the small village of Reykholt, and more in a summerhouse in Kjós. Maybe a different summerhouse than the amphetamines mentioned above, but we just don’t know. Fisheries Investing In Unrelated Businesses In Iceland Aðalsteinn Kjartansson has been writing investigative peaces for Heimildin on the investments of persons and companies who’ve made billions through the fisheries. The investments of the family of Guðbjörg Matthíasdóttir are extensive, and while holding a large stake in Iceland’s only daily newspaper, the family owns parts of import businesses, other media companies, and health industry companies. All of these investments, went underreported in a recent report on the investments of fisheries companies, the report was commissioned by the Icelandic Parliament. Ivanka Trump Visits Iceland Yeah. That happened. Who gives fuck. Human Trafficking And Prostitution, In Iceland The Icelandic police participated in a large international police operation in June, coordinated in 59 countries, targeting a Chinese crime syndicate which has been engaged in human trafficking and prostitution. Five purchasers of prostitution were arrested in Iceland, with another 45 recorded in the act on video, and 16 women, some of whom are believed to have been victims of human trafficking by said Chinese crime syndicate, were interviewed by the local authorities. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Grapevine’s Editor-in-Chief Bart Cameron, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: The Russian Spying Vessel Yuri Ivanov Within Iceland’s Exclusive Economic Zone Since a Nato exercise in the North-Atlantic in May, the Russian spying vessel Yuri Ivanov has been sailing within Iceland’s 200 mile Oceanic Exlusive Economic Zone, and is now west of Iceland, which is highly unusual. The Icelandic coastguard has been watching the vessel and the Icelandic Foreign Ministry says it poses no threat. Around 70-80% Of Iceland’s Farmsteads Do Not Engage In Traditional Farming The Agriculture University of Iceland held a seminar to discuss a new report on who owns farmland in Iceland. Around 600 farms are owned by estates of deceased farmer, and 13% of farms in Iceland are not in any use, while between 70-80% of farmland is generally not used for traditional farming. The report also points out that around 40 farms are owned by two foreign billionaires, one of which Jim Ratcliffe, is also the fourth largest holder of farmland in Iceland, behind the Icelandic state, municipalities and the Icelandic church. The report creates questions about whether or not current laws in Iceland on farms need modifications to deal with a changed reality in the use or - as in this case - the non-use, of farmland, and does actually suggest that changes should be made to the law to deal with specific aspects, such as unclear ownership, unclear use, foreign ownership, and better data collection with regards to use and ownership, citing numerous cases where such changes have been made in recent years in neighboring countries. Dettifoss Side Hiking Route Closed New research has revealed numerous fissures under one of the popular hiking routes from the west towards Iceland’s (and the whole of Europe’s) most powerful waterfall Dettifoss. Dettifoss is located in North-East Iceland, and is a popular tourist destination, made famous by its prominence in the opening sequence of Ridley Scott’s 2012 film Prometheus. New research has revealed that the area is a fissure zone under a hiking route called Fosshvammur, and the route has been permanently closed. Other hiking routes on the west side of the river in which the waterfall is located are safe, and so is the viewing platform on that side of the river. Two Tourists On Bikes Rescued By SARS Teams In The Highlands Tow tourists who were attempting to bike a well known highland road in the southern highlands of Iceland had to be rescued by SARS teams, when snowmelts got the better of them. The Federation of Icelandic Industries Warns Of Increased Indebtedness In The Construction Industry Not only that, the chair of the Icelandic Housing and Construction Authority says that apartments and neighborhoods have been planned for people that don’t exist. Housing prices have fallen in real terms, the number of apartments for sale has increased, and it is taking longer to sell properties, especially new apartments. The outlook is dire. Bubbi Morthens 70th Birthday Concert Last Weekend Bubbi played two shows for more than 10.000 people total in Laugardalshöll stadium this weekend. He dropped some comments between songs on inflation and said it was time to say either “yes” or “no”. While Bubbi didn’t explicitly mention the upcoming referendum on restarting negotiations with the EU on accession, the crowd non the less booed his statement. A few songs later he talked about his dismay about the importation of politics to Iceland that targeted minorities, before launching into his 1984 hit “Strákarnir á Borginni”, and important song for championing gay rights in Iceland in the 1980s. No booing was heard following the latter statement. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Grapevine’s Editor-in-Chief Bart Cameron, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Should Iceland’s National Poet, Jónas Hallgrímsson, Be Dug Up Jónas Hallgrímsson was a poet and writer who was born in 1807. In 1845 he died after falling down a flight of stairs in Copenhagen whilst drunk. For the past 30 years his birthday, 16 November, has been celebrated as The Day Of The Icelandic Language. In 1946 his remains were moved to Iceland and buried in a new Icelandic national burial ground in Þingvellir. Whether or not it were in fact his remains that were moved from Denmark and buried in Þingvellir remains shrouded in mystery. Not least because the main proponent for finding the remains and moving them was convinced he was in telepathic communication with Jónas, and that communication was the main source of figuring out where the remains were to be found. The ridicule surrounding that led to nobody else ever being buried on the location, and aside from the alleged remains of Jónas Hallgrímsson, another poet, Einar Benediktsson also rests in the sacral plot. Now, documentary makers want to dig up those remains and subject them to a DNA analysis to figure out whether it is in fact Jónas that was buried there, or — as was the popular joke in the 1940s — if it was in fact a Danish baker. A 4,5 Earthquake Just East Of Reykjavík Monday 1 June saw a 4,5 earthquake with over 1100 subsequent smaller quakes happen in a place called Svínahraun, just east of Reykjavík, near the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant. The area is geologically active, so this is in a sense not an unusual development, although such a large earthquake is rare. In other geologically related news, vulcanologists, geologists and the people of Grindavík are still waiting for the next eruption to matieralise near that town and the Blue Lagoon. However, new research on that volcanic system has indicated that even though the magma chamber under the Blue Lagoon has by now built up more magma than before all of the previous eruptions, an eruption might not take place at all. In Iceland, Your Name Can Now Be Snow Regularly, the Icelandic Naming Committee decides what names our children can and can not have. This week the committee decided that children can be named “Snjór” or snow, “Molly” and “Sifjar” to name a few. The names Mikhael and Danivaan were however rejected. Rapyd Lays Off 40 People, Citing AI One of Iceland’s few payment providers, Rapyd, announced recently that they have laid off 40 people, and replaced them with AI. In the past few years Rapyd has been experiencing some business problems, so the word on the street is that perhaps the whole AI framing is just a ploy to mask actual financial difficulties, or if not, perhaps these are the first AI related mass layoffs in Iceland Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Ten Since Municipality Elections, But No Majority Coalition Yet Formed In Reykjavík The big winner of the Reykjavík municipality elections was The Independence Party. The party’s slogan for the city elections was Strax-D or Immediately-D, yet 10 days after the election, with no new coalition in sight, voters may start to wonder what exactly “immediately” actually means. Iceland N-Korean Friendship Association Formed During Psychosis The founder of the Iceland - North Korean Friendship Association told visir.is she had been in a pshcosis when the association was formed. Mia Marcelina Alexa Guðmundsdóttir founded the association back in 2022 along with a Sunneva Náttsól. According to Mia, she at that point, she supported extreme interpretation of communism. She now says, in a op-ed she published on visir.is , that psychosis had caused her to support extreme, simplified ideology, which she does not support anymore. Icelandair Flights Keep Getting Cancelled Numerous Icelandair flights have been cancelled in the past days and weeks because of the airline being unable to get pilots to pilot their plains. While the pilots don’t explicitly say why this is, on the face of it it looks to be a part of a debate between the airline and the pilots that work for it, with regards to Icelandair possibly moving parts of their operations abroad, probably to get out of the baggage of paying Icelandic salaries to crews. Do The Icelandic Fisheries Own Everything In Iceland? A new parliamentary report addresses the ownership of Icelandic fisheries in other sectors of the economy. However, the report has been reported for being too limited in its definitions of what is and isn’t owned by the fisheries, and one parliamentarian said that the report only caught the “top of the Iceberg” that is that sectors ownership in Icelandic businesses. Nobody Wants A Ferris Wheel In Reykjavík, Again During the past few summers, a ferries wheel has been operated by Reykjavík’s harbor, to little enthusiasm by the locals, and what seems like little attendance. The mayor of Reykjavík has suggested that the ferries wheel should be put up yet again, but locals have started a petition to oppose the motion. The Synthetic Windpipe Scandal, Paolo Machiarini and Iceland A tort case filed by against the Icelandic state by the widow of Andemariams Teklesenbet Beyene, who had a synthetic trachea implant in Sweden in a procedure performed by Paolo Macchiarini in 2011, was concluded last week, with the widow winning the case Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Iceland’s Municipality Elections Elections were held in Iceland’s municipalities on Saturday. These elections take place every four years and unlike parliamentary elections have a wider voting base, since people who don’t have an Icelandic citizenship can vote in them. In Reykjavík, the ruling coalition in the city lost its majority. While no single party gained a pure majority, the Independence Party was the winner of the election landing 9 municipality seats, out of the 23 available with 32,9% of the vote. We discuss the election, and what it may mean for the current government and the upcoming referendum on continuing negotiations with the EU. Summer Vibes Today’s forecast expects up to 14 degrees celsius, meaning that today, Monday, may feel like summer in Iceland has begun, finally. AMOC Doomsday Prophecies May Effect Government Policy Halldór Þorgeirsson, the chairman of Loftslagsráð, or “The Climate Council” which is a council set up by Icelandic law to provide advice to Iceland’s government on the climate, has sent the government a memo, warning that the likelihood of the collapse of the so called AMOC in the North Atlantic, calls for immediate action by the Icelandic government. he AMOC is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — a system of ocean currents in the Atlantic that moves warm, salty water northward near the surface and cold, denser water southward at depth. The Gulf Stream is part of it. According to reporting on the AMOC the mean temperature in Iceland may drop by 9 degrees Celsius if the AMOC collapses, and that the odds of that happening by the end of this century are now so high, that something needs to be done — globally — if Iceland is not to become uninhabitable. The Council recommends that Iceland adopt the official position that the potential collapse of the AMOC is a national security issue, and start applying pressure internationally to reduce carbon emissions. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with an (un?)healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Grapevine editor-in-chief Bart Cameron, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in the past week. On the docket this week are: Elderly Man In Húsavík Prosecuted For Killing Five Minks According to a very brief report on visir.is . a man in his 70s has been charged for violating the laws against the protection of wildlife for trapping five minks and subsequently killing them. The Mink slaying happened near the town of Húsavík in North Iceland. The Reykjavík Mayor’s Credit Card “Scandal” And Upcoming Municipality Elections Outgoing Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir paid the city of Reykjavík back 28.000 ISK because of unauthorised use of the mayor’s credit card. This she did after the Icelandic media requested information about her card usage. The mayor was featured in a cover story here . Municipality elections will take place next weekend, learn about who’s running for office in Reykjavík here . There Will Be Violence - Anti-EU Discussion Heats Up In The Reykjavík Grapevine This publication interviewed meteorologist, university professor, and chairman of anti-EU group Heimssýn Haraldur Ólafsson for our latest cover feature . In the interview Haraldur suggests that the EU debate could become so heated that people might resort to violence. His comments went viral over the weekend after visir.is picked up on the comments. Romanian Hacker Steals Millions From Icelandic Arion Bank A Romanian man has been arrested in his home country for embezzling millions of krónur from the Icelandic bank , Arion. The man will be extradited to Iceland to face prosecution. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. Denmark’s Oldest Newspaper Refers To Icelandic Fishing Interests As An “Oligarchy” This past weekend Berlingske Tidende, Denmark’s oldest newspaper, ran a story it had been working on for months. The topic: the Icelandic fisheries industry. The conclusion: Iceland is an oligarchy. Man Fined For Hate Speech in Reykjanesbær A man in Reykjanesbær was ruled to pay a 100.000 ISK fine after expressing hate speech online. The hate speech in question was a comment the man made to a Vísir news story, the offender said that the “German showers” needed to be revived because of asylum seekers, and that the Greeks knew how to beat them into submission. Airplane Fuel Reserves in Iceland Good, Says Oil Executive According to Skeljungur’s CEO Þórður Guðjónsson, fuel reserves in Iceland are in good shape, though the closure of the strait of Hormuz is likely to affect that at some point this spring. Person Busted For Trying To Pay With An 11.000ISK Bill An undisclosed person tried to pay for products with an 11.000ISK bill. As no such nomination of the ISK exist, they bill was a forgery. Details on what person was to be found on the bill are yet not in the public. Former Foreign Minister To Become Ambassador To The UK Former minister of foreign affairs, Þórdís Kolbrún Gylfadóttir Reykfjörð, was appointed Iceland’s ambassador to the UK on April 20th. Þórdís has been a MP for the Independence Party since 2016, but her views of foreign policy have as of lately been more in line with the current coalition government, rather than her own political party. Windmills Show Up In Þorlákshöfn The first shipment of windmills for electricity production for Iceland’s state owned energy company Landsvirkjun has arrived by ship in the town of Þorlákshöfn. Recently, roads from Þorlákshöfn to the part of the highlands the windmills are destined to, have been strengthened for the move. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Grapevine editor-in-chief Bart Cameron, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in the past week. On the docket this week are: Pop Legend Björgvin Halldórsson Passes Björgvin Halldórsson passed on April 9th last week, a week short of his 75th birthday. Björgvin, or “Bo” may be a bit hard to explain to non-Icelandic audiences, but he started out as Iceland’s first teen pop-star in the late 60s, and went on to have a prolific music career and series of hits, along with becoming a larger-than-life character in Icelandic life. Eleven “parties” in the running in Reykjavík’s upcoming municipality elections. One “party” in the town of Vopnafjörður The municipality elections will take place for all municipalities in Iceland, on 16 May. Excitement seems to vary between places, as eleven entities turned in a candidate list for the elections in Reykjavík, while one such list of candidates was sent in for the elections in Vopnafjörður, east Iceland. Icelandair Pilot On Last Flight, “Hedgehops” Over Hometown Last Friday, an Icelandair passenger jet flying to Keflavík from Frankfurt, made a very low and unauthorized flyover over the Westman Islands. The pilot was celebrating his last flight, by flying low over his home town, and as is reported, much to the satisfaction of the passengers onboard, but to the chagrin of the residents of the Westman Islands. Man Wakes Up, Sees Notice Of Own Demise In Newspaper Sölvi Guðmundarson woke up last Friday to the unpleasant experience of reading about his own death in Iceland’s last remaining daily paper, Morgunblaðið. Government Announces Three Pronged Plan To Battle Inflation In short, the government announced that they’d be 1) lowering VAT on fuel from 25% to 11%, 2) more diligently watching changes in prices, 3) Spending 500 million ISK to increase access to EV charging stations. Opposition members were unsurprisingly unimpressed, but so were union leaders. New Report On The Town Of Grindavík, Advices Against Families With Children Moving To The Town. The report was met with little enthusiasm by some of the former residents of Grindavík. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Winter Still Rages - Flights Cancelled - Avalanches - Blizzards We’re having a bad case of the winters these days, making the past week seem like the week before. Most, if not all international flights to and from Iceland were cancelled on Friday, bunch of road closures due to blizzards and in some cases avalanches, such as in on the main road near the town of Sigufjörður in North Iceland. Power also went down in the Westfjords. Reynisfjara Black Beach Back In The News Westerly winds, that had already swept the sands of Reynisfjara beach westwards, leading to stories about the beach having disappeared or having closed, kicked in again last week, hitting the parking lot by the beach hard. Landowners are still betting on the usually prevailing easterly winds to return, with high hopes that this will mean the return to sand around the famous cave and basalt columns, so loved by tourists. Russian Oligarch In Super Yacht Barred From Docking In Iceland The yacht, named La Datcha is owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Tinkov. Tinkov is the founder of Russian internet bank Tinkoff, which is one of the biggest bank in Russia. Iceland The Second Happiest Nation On Earth, After Finland Yet again, Iceland scores high, but falls short of coming in number one, which falls, yet again, to the Finns. Big Explosion In Reykjavík A “Dust Explosion” blew a hole in a big industrial building in Reykjavík, killing one worker and injuring others. The workers had been wielding in a silo of a factory that manufactures animal fodder. The sparks from the wielding set fire to the dust in the silo, leading to an explosion. Interests Rates Go Up Interest rates were raised by the Icelandic Central Bank last Thursday from 7,25% to 7,5%. The Chairman of the Central Bank, cited inflation and the war in Iran in his reasoning for the raise. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: 500 Travelers Stuck In North Iceland Because Of A Blizzard While weather conditions remained fairly uninteresting in Reykjavík a blizzard closed the road between Reykjavík and Akureyri this Sunday, which meant that up to 500 people had to unexpectedly had to spend the night in various hotels and guesthouses, and for dozens, the local schools were opened up to shelter people. Nordic PMs Meet To Hang Out With Canadian PM Mark Carney The Nordic PMs met in Oslo on Saturday, along with Mark Carney, who’s stature in the international political landscape risen significantly over the past months, and dramatically after a speech he gave in Davos earlier this year. The speech in question was also probably on Iceland’s MP Kristrún Frostadóttir mind when she commented after the meeting, that “We have had concerns about Greenland, we have concerns about the situation in Europe regarding Ukraine, but we are not afraid. We also see this as a way to reshape alliances. Although we are not excluding anyone, we are also just broadening our horizons, and I think this group, together with Canada, shows that there are great opportunities out there." EU Debate Takes Over Icelandic Discourse The upcoming EU referendum has been heavily debated over the past week, and we’ve already had enough. Laufey Lín Performed For 36.000 Icelanders This Weekend With two concerts in a hall that takes 18.000 guests, Musical Superstar Laufey Lín, may have shattered a national record. Tourists Cause More Serious Road Accidents Than Drunk Or Young Drivers According to Reynir Bjarni Egilsson, of the insurance company VÍS, who said, last week that "There is often talk of perhaps dangerous groups such as young drivers and drunk drivers, but foreign tourists are causing more serious and fatal accidents per year than these groups that are most often discussed. We think it is well worth drawing attention to them in order to generate debate about whether it is possible to improve the framework around." Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. Iceland Roundup The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Icelanders To Vote On EU The government announced last week that a referendum asking whether or not Iceland should continue negotiations with the EU about what terms Iceland could join the union on. The referendum will take place on August 29th. Fish Washes Ashore In South Iceland, Locals Eat It The strange occurrence of perfectly edible fish washing ashore in the small fishing village of Stokkseyri made the news this weekend. Reasons are unclear, but getting fish into the pots of the locals, usually requires more work. Standardized School Tests Back After A 5 Year Absence Elementary schools in Iceland held the first standardized tests since 2021, last week. The Chancellor Of the Catholic Church In Iceland’s Great PR RÚV reported that the Catholic Church in Iceland was providing suppression therapy, which is illegal in Iceland. The Chancellor of the Icelandic congregation said, when queried on the subject that: “We must preach what the church preaches. It is that simple. [..]Whether it is legal or illegal, I know about these laws [..] Parliament does not dictates to me what I should say. I should say what the church tells me and what Jesus Christ proclaims." So much for secularism. Price Of Food Has Risen Faster Than Salaries The price of food in Iceland has risen by 7,8% since the last collective bargaining agreement was signed in March 2024 according to The Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ), and by 10% according to Statistics Iceland. ASÍ’s main economist, Ágúst Arnórsson, told visir.is that the price hikes could void the 2024 collective bargaining agreement. Middle East War — Oil Prices To Go Up In Iceland And adding fuel to the fire that is currently the high inflation in Iceland are expected price raises on gasoline. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: The Reykjavík Grapevine Was In The News The Reykjavík Grapevine was in the Icelandic news this past week because of layoffs at its editorial office. The layoffs, which are both sad and difficult for such a small, tight-knit workplace, were undertaken to ensure the future publication of the magazine. Give us a hand at support.grapevine.is Davíð Oddsson, Former Prime Minister Of Iceland, Dies At 78 Davíð Oddsson, former Prime Minister of Iceland, Mayor of Reykjavík, Governor of the Central Bank of Iceland, and Editor-in-Chief of Iceland’s daily newspaper Morgunblaðið since 2009, passed away yesterday, Sunday, March 1. He was 78. Reynisfjara beach Is Not Closed And Has Not Disappeared Reynisfjara beach was in the news recently for having “disappeared” and for being “closed”. Neither of which is true. The Reykjavík Grapevine went on location yesterday (video report forthcoming) to investigate. Half Of Tourist Say That Portrayal Of Icelandic Landscapes In Movies And TV Shows, Affect Their Decision To Visit Iceland A recent report reveled that half of all tourists that visit Iceland cite portrayal of Iceland’s landscapes in popular culture as affecting their decision to visit. 46% Of Icelanders Worried That The US Might Take Over Greenland A recent poll reveled that 46% of Icelanders are worried that the USA will take over Greenland, while 36% said they didn’t worry much about it, and 18% neither worried much nor little. Iceland’s Main Hospital Stops Using Icelandic Butter The main hospital in Reykjavik announced last week that it had exchanged the locally supplied dairy based butter Smjörvi in its cafeterias for the Italian Bertoli alternative. This caused some outrage. Keflavik Bound Flights Rerouted To Other Icelandic Airports Due To Weather Bad weather around Keflavik Airport last week led to flights to Iceland being rerouted to Akureyri and Egilsstaðir Airport. Political Party Lists Municipality Elections Announced Many of the political parties announced their running lists for the upcoming municipality elections this weekend. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. Brushfires On The Outskirts Of Reykjavík Sunday saw a massive brushfire near Elliðavatn, on the outskirts of Reykjavík. South Iceland has been having a dry spell and the brushfires spread as a result of that. According to Veitur, the company that takes care of providing water to the city of Reykjavik, the water supply to the city, located next to where the main brushfire raged, escaped the worst, but only because of a favorable wind direction. All of the fire departments in the Capital Area had to be called out to deal with the situation and to put out the fire. Over the weekend, two other brushfires had to be put out, one in Kjalanes, and another one in Norðlingaholt, both within the boundaries of Reykjavík Snowstorm On The South Coast The Road just west of the town of Vík, and all the way west to Seljalandsfoss, was closed for two hours during a snowstorm on Sunday, which both saw a truck drift drift off the road, closing it, and a bus with 27 tourists running of the road and into a ditch, nobody was hurt. Traffic was severely interrupted, and farmers in the general area of the south coast helped the SAR with tractors, in pulling out cars that had skid off the road or got stuck in snow. Kayak Turns Out To Be A Small Iceberg The Police in Reykjavík were called on location because of what was thought to be a kayak upside down in Skerjafjörður. After the police arrived on a boat with a drone, it turned out that the supposed kayak was a lump of ice. Skiing Slopes In Akureyri Overflowed The police had to be called out to control traffic in the ski area of Akureyri, Hlíðafjall. Icelandic schools had a winter break on Thursday and Friday, which saw thousands of parents take their kids skiing in the north. The caretaker of the skiing area was asked if he had any advice for the skiers. His reply? “No, but I’d like to point out to the municipalities to maybe not all have the winter break during the same week.” Reykjavík’s Emergency Rooms Still Overflowing This ongoing story has gone nowhere, although the Ministry of Health is reportedly trying to negotiate with a private health care company, Klínikin, for space for about 10-20 patients, of the around 100 spaces needed the elevate the overflow at the emergency facilities in Fossvogur hospital. Icelandic Easter Eggs Not news but the annual batch of chocolate Easter Eggs have hit Icelandic stores, so we sample one. Buy your Icelandic Easter chocolates at shop.grapevine.is Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Terrible Air Quality in Reykjavík The last few days, with cold and still weather, saw air quality in Reykjavík plummet. ADHD And Driving In Iceland An Icelandic attorney wanted to bring it to the attention of the public that every so often people in Iceland loose their driver’s license because they are taking ADHD medication. The reason, they don’t have a prescription. Horse And Tooth A person that bought a 13 year old horse wanted to return the horse because it had an extra tooth. The case was taken to consumer court, where the buyer lost. The court pointed out that the horse seems to have lived with the extra tooth for at least a decade without issue, and therefore the extra tooth was not enough ground for returning the horse. Progressive Party Votes New Chairman Over the weekend the Progressive Party, on of Iceland’s oldest political parties, voted for a new chairman. The winner was Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, a former MP and minister. Man. United Owner Says UK “Colonized by Immigrants” Jim Ratcliffe, billionaire owner of Manchester United, said publicly that the UK had been “colonized by immigrants”. The comment received a lot of pushback in the UK, for various reasons. One of which is that Ratcliffe doesn’t even live or pay tax in the UK, but in Monaco. The comments were thought to be quite ironic to Icelanders because Ratcliffe is the single biggest landowner in Iceland, after the state, municipalities and the church, having thus, in his own way, been “colonizing” Iceland. The Last Week In Healthcare The past weeks have been rough for the good name of the Icelandic Health Care system and Icelandic health in general. The emergency room in Reykjavík is so full that it pretty much doesn’t function. On top of that it turns out Icelanders are way too fat, and the minister is pondering to propose a tax on sugar. Lastly, a poll revealed that 83% of Icelanders want to put ban energy drinks, so kids can’t buy them. Cream Buns, Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday We consume cream buns and discuss the traditions surround the last days before lent in Iceland. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Preschool Problems In Reykjavík On Thursday it was reported that child in a preschool in Reykjavík suburb Breiðholt was left on the grounds alone, for its parent to find it there, when all of the staff had already left the premises. This story overlaps with all of the headmasters of Reykjavík’s 63 preschools telling the city that it has until the end of the month to solve the city’s preschool problems. Emergency Room Still Full At Reykjavík’s Main Hospital The chairman of the Medical Doctor’s association, told the news this past week that the situation in the hospital’s emergency rooms had never been worse, and currently a 100 patients are waiting in the overcrowded hospital for space in a nursing home. This comes after reports that seven health care employees got TB from a patient that died from that in January. Interest Rates Stay The Same, Inflation Roars The Central Bank announced last week that they would not raise interest rates, even though inflation has now been measured above 5,2%. If this trend continues, the collective bargaining agreements now in place might become void. . Epstein Files and Arctic Circle The release of the Epstein files has brought back a 2020 story on the fact that Ghislaine Maxwell spoke at the annual Arctic Circle Council in 2013 and 2014, and that there she met, and subsequently married the council’s co-founder Scott Borgerson. Reynisfjara Beach No Longer A “Beach” Heavy ocean currents, with easterly winds have all but swept the beach element of the famous tourist destination Reynisfjara beach, away. The famous basalt columns, one of the most photographed places in Iceland, are now directly exposed to the waves, with all the sand in front of them gone. The USA Has Access To All Icelandic Government Data Last summer, an Icelandic hosting service provider, Mörður Áslaugarson, pointed out in a Op-Ed on visir.is , that companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Apple are forced to hand all the data they have from Icelandic government institutions to the US government. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by guest host Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Handball, Handball, Handball The European Men's Handball Championship took place during the last two weeks of January in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, with the final matches being played in Herning, Denmark. The whole of Iceland seems to have been watching, with local media publishing pictures of empty Reykjavík streets during televised broadcasts of the Icelandic team playing. Iceland came 4th overall, loosing to Croatia in a match for the third place. Icelanders In The Epstein Flies The latest batch of Epstein files released by the US Justice Department, led to some newsprint being spent on the few Icelanders that appeared there, such as former First Lady Dorrit Moussaieff, her husband former president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former CEO of DeCode Genetics, Kári Stefánsson, and cab driver Kristján Jón Karlsson. As far as we know, non of these Icelanders had any real ties with Epstein. Iceland’s Laufey Wins A Grammy Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, the Icelandic musician and singer, took home her second Grammy for her latest LP A Matter of Time. The also received an Emmy for her 2024 album Bewitched. Gas Prices & Inflation Inflation in Iceland is now at 5,2%, which is “too damn high”. This may have the result of nullifying recent collective bargaining agreements, which in turn might tip the generally fragile Icelandic economy into turmoil. Iceland’s New Defense Policy. Icelands new defense policy was published last week, being immediately criticized for not taking into account the ongoing changes to the global world order. And what is the defense policy you may ask? It’s the same as the old defense policy, basically non-existent. Tesla’s Fail To Pass Inspections The 2021 model of Tesla’s are now due for their first law stipulated inspections, which they’ve been failing, specifically the Y model, of which 30% didn’t pass inspection in Iceland, whereas in Denmark 45% of that type of Teslas didn’t pass. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine ad man Örn Elvar Arnarson to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Trump Confuses Iceland And Greenland In Davos Speech In a long rambling speech in Davos on Wednesday, Trump repeated is demands for territorial sovereignty over Greenland and repeatedly confused Iceland and Greenland. America Tearing Itself Apart The news over the weekend from Minneapolis, where ICE killed the second US citizen in 3 weeks, keeps up the trend of the US descending into chaos, further questioning how countries such as Iceland should tackler their relationship with a country that in the style of a South-American dictatorship in the last century, uses paramilitary forces to kill its own citizens. “A Famous Man With No Experience” The Social Democrats held primaries for upcoming municipality elections in Reykjavík this weekend. The primaries saw current mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir, loose her bid to front the Social Democrats to former Independence Party member Pétur Marteinsson. Two Restaurants In Skeifan Argue Over Parking Two restaurants in Skeifan in Reykjavík, Istanbul Market and BK Kjúklingur, or actually, the owners of said restaurants, are feuding and threatening legal action because the owner of BK Kjúklingur tends to park his car, across the street, in front of Istanbul Market 900 People Legally Reside In Grindavík The town of Grindavík, formerly the home of 3.700 people, currently has 900 legal residents, but only 400 people actually residing in the town, demonstrating the effects repeated eruptions in the area have had on habitation in the town, whose future still remains somewhat uncertain, with another eruption predicted in the coming months. A Man Stabbed At Home By Black-clad Intruder, Who Turned Out To Be His Son In Law A man, sleeping naked in his bed, was woken by a black-clad individual who stabbed him. After having fought the intruder off, and thrown him out of his house, he described the man to the police, who picked the black-clad individual up soon after. The black-clad man turned out have a toy gun and a knife on him, along with drugs tucked in bubble gum wrappings. It also turned out that the assailant has a child with the stabbed man’s daughter. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: US Ambassador Makes An Impression US ambassadorial nominee Billy Long, made another joke, endearing him to the Icelandic nation prior to his arrival as ambassador. Last time he made the joke that he had wanted to manage ICE, but had been misheard by Trump and instead appointed ambassador to Iceland. Last week in congress, Billy was overheard joking that he was going to become Iceland’s first governor, instead of ambassador, as Iceland became the USA’s 52nd state. This did not vote well with the Icelandic public, presuming that Greenland would become the 51st state. Attempt At Soliciting Prostitutions Leads MP To Resign Guðbrandur Einarsson, an MP for Viðreisn (the Reform Party), has resigned from Parliament due to an attempted purchase of prostitution in 2012. He was questioned by police at the time but says he was never charged. He decided to step down after local news outlet Vísir planned to report on the case. Greenland Drama Continues In an effort to put pressure on fellow NATO allies in his continued effort of gobbling up Greenland, President Trump put tariffs on all the Scandinavian countries, Germany, France and the Netherlands, but not Iceland. Promoting suggestions that Trump simply forgot Iceland. Foreign citizens 20% of Iceland’s population Foreign citizens living in Iceland are now 83.950, or just above 20% of the total population. Five years ago, they were 15%. The proportion of foreign nationals living in some municipalities reaches almost 70%, that is 67,4% in Vík í Myrdal, 46% in Skaftárhreppur, and 39% in Bláskógabyggð. All these municipalities are in the South of Iceland, all are popular tourist destinations. According to Statistics Iceland, at least 44% of the people working in the tourism sector, are foreign nationals. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, Grapevine Editor-in-Chief Bart Cameron, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Prime Minister Says She Can Work With Icelandic Populist Party In an interview with Heimildin this weekend, PM Kristrún Frostadóttir discussed many issues, but the attention grabbing issue was her statement that she could work with Miðflokkurinn (Center Party) on immigration issues. Greenland Discussion Continues Iceland’s Prime Minister, US. President and almost everybody else has done little but talk about Greenland during the past week. We try to catch up on that. Icelanders Are The Fattest Of The Nordics In a survey conducted for 2024 and released last December, it turns out that Icelanders are the most overweight of all the Nordics. And out of the 80.000 Icelanders categorized as obese with a BMI over 30, more than 20.000, or 25% are taking GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy. We weigh in on the discussion. The US sizes a Tanker In Iceland’s Exclusive Economic Zone Last Wednesday, the US Navy apprehended an oil tanker, presumably on its way to Russia, within Iceland’s Exlusive Economic Zone, but not within its territorial waters. Icelanders Won’t Be Required To Undergo Medical Exam To Renew Drivers License Until They Turn 75 A new law has been proposed by the People’s Party to move a required medical exam for renewing Icelandic driver licenses from 70 years old to 75 years old. The Icelandic Word Of The Year Is Paid Parking (i. Gjaldskylda) We discuss the annual choice of “word of the year” in Iceland, which this time around was the word Gjaldskylda, or paid parking, which has led to numerous misunderstandings on social media. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: The Icelandic Annual End-Of-Year Skit Show The last joint cultural event all of Iceland collectively enjoy, to various degrees, takes place on New Years’s Eve. We try to explain what it is. Greenland and Venezuela Last night Iceland’s PM Kristrún Frostadóttir wrote on her Facebook “Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nothing about Greenland without Greenland. Iceland stands in full solidarity behind our friends.” This morning, Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, wrote an Op-Ed on visir.is saying, opening with “It is clear that the international system we have lived with since the end of the Second World War is shaking at its foundations. At work are what can rightly be called the threatening forces of history, generating uncertainty far beyond what we have been accustomed to and creating dangers that would have seemed implausible only a few years ago.” Both of these statements are responses the USA’s seizure of Venezuela’s president, and Trump’s subsequent comments about taking over Greenland. Gas Prices Drop By A Third The price of gas dropped by a third on the first day of the year, subsequent to changes in how the Icelandic state collects tax from automobiles. An Icelander Dies On The Front Lines In Ukraine A 51 year old Icelander, Kjartan Sævar Óttarsson, died on the front lines in Ukraine in and around the 20th of December, according to the man’s brother. Kjartan had travelled to Ukraine on December 7th from Gothenburg Sweden, and neither what he was tasked with on the front lines, nor what lead to his death, has been reported on as of yet. What’s Coming Up In 2026? The show’s host ponder what this new year will bring us. Support the show ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SUPPORT Donate to the Grapevine here: https://support.grapevine.is You can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store: https://shop.grapevine.is ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast. The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine’s goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland’s most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is