Iceland Ranks Number Two on Global Peace Index
Iceland ranks in second place on the Global Peace Index, a study that ranks 149 countries of the world based on how peaceful they are according to 23 indicators of […]
Public Employees Feel the Crunch
Employees of the Icelandic state will soon be undergoing a number of changes in an effort to balance the budget, including salary caps, Minister of Social Affairs Árni Páll Árna
Best Backyard Ever
“He is Árni Plúseinn and I am Árni Sveins. We made a film together.” The former, Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson, is an electronics programmer who moonlights as a member of popul
Government Signs Contract for New Data Center
Parliament approved yesterday a contract between the government and several private companies to build an electronic data center in Reykjanesbær. The Movement objected to the deal
Loses City Council, Wins Mayoral Seat
Lúðvík Geirsson now bears the distinction of having lost his seat on Hafnarfjörður town council after the elections, but winning back his mayoral seat thanks to an agreement b
Police Stop Little Girl with Piggy Bank
Police in Garðabær received a call early Saturday morning that a little girl was spotted walking down one of the town’s busiest roads with a piggy bank under her arm. [&hel
State Prosecutor Sees No Reason to Go After Oddsson and Others
State prosecutor Björn L. Bergsson told reporters that he sees no reason to initiate a criminal case against former Prime Minister and former Central Bank chairman (and current ed
Reykjavík Needs Henrik Björnsson And His Music
Singapore Sling are one of the finer constants of Icelandic music. Throughout the last decade, the band has consistently released stunning music and played jaw-dropping, death-affi
A Good Long Nap
The Icelandic Opera is a strange little room. It’s a stripped-down, baroque-style hall with creaky seats and clattering doors. Every tiny sound—from the worst coughing fit to s
Breaking Into The Mainstream
Literary IcelandOutside of the Sagas and Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness there is little known about Icelandic literature in the English-language literary world. For example, f
Delusions Of Financial Grandeur
As the Icelandic financial system came crashing down in the fall of 2008, Icelanders woke up to realize that the much-hyped “Icelandic economic miracle” had only been a mirage.
Kaupthing Investigation Spreads into British Business World
The Serious Fraud Office of Britain is currently investigating Kaupthing, and is now moving its attention into allegations of market manipulation committed by some of the bank̵
Polar Bear Idea Creates Controversy
Incoming mayor Jón Gnarr has long advocated the idea of adding a polar bear to the Reykjavík Zoo, but it has been pointed out that the money needed could be […]
Conservative Chairman Will Not Ask MP to Resign
Independence Party chairman Bjarni Benediktsson told reporters that he does not intend to ask fellow conservative MP Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson to resign from parliament for acc
Westman Islands: More Like ‘Best Man Islands’
Three weeks ago on the Westman Islands there was one day when Eyjafjallajökull’s ash fell so thick that everything outdoors was covered. Everything. But the Grapevine arrived in
Red Cross Revolution
“I can go crazy over an old coat,” laughs Helga Pálsdóttir. “If they fit and they’re of a nice fabric, I can go nuts,” she says, then pauses. “I will […]
Processions
It would be nigh on impossible to describe the complexities of Daníel Bjarnason’s debut album in 150 words, but suffice it to say it´s pretty powerful stuff. Processions ma
Melting Iceland Since 2005
To celebrate the five-year anniversary of me up and moving my ceramics workshop to Iceland from Ireland, I am curating a retrospective of some of my favourite pieces. The mission [
Four Spirits
God Returns To Iceland Part 3The Lord thought of Pompeii, and wondered why he had let it go at that. In no longer a time than it took to imagine […]
Jón Gnarr New Mayor of Reykjavík
At a press conference held atop a block apartment building in the working class neighborhood of Breiðholt, representatives from the Best Party and the Social Democrats have just a