News from Iceland - NFI

News from Iceland - NFI News from Iceland, aka NFI, tells news from Iceland in English.

It is a service for people who don't speak the Icelandic tongue but wants to follow news from this island in the middle of nowhere.

09/08/2026

NFI - 9, August 2026

“Old wounds heal badly.”

Sigurður Reynaldsson, CEO of Hagkaup, says that cosmetics have become an increasingly large part of the company's total turnover in recent years. He says that great emphasis is placed on ensuring that all products comply with Icelandic and European regulations. He warns against cosmetics sold on the so-called "gray market”.

Teitur Atlason, a former substitute city council member,, has had enough of the spate of burglaries currently raging in and around downtown Reykjavík. This afternoon, his garage was broken into while his wife was home. He is calling on the police to take action and bring those responsible to justice.

About six to seven hundred Icelanders who have lived abroad for a long time will not be able to vote in the referendum on August 29, despite having requested to be put back on the electoral register. The new electoral register takes effect on December 1st each year. That date was overturned for the last parliamentary elections, but not this time.
Ragnar Arnason, professor emeritus at the University of Iceland, accuses the rector of obstructing the dissemination of information to the nation about Iceland and the European Union by posting a planned lecture by Dr. Carl Baudenbacher. The rector of the University of Iceland says that special rules apply to the university's banquet hall, but that another hall is available for the lecture. A planned lecture by Carl Baudenbacher, former President of the EFTA Court, on Iceland's possible membership of the European Union has been moved from the University of Iceland's auditorium. The lecture was due to be held on August 10th. The reason is believed to be that the lecture was considered too political.

There was a lot of congestion on the bus system in the capital area yesterday, as many people headed to downtown Reykjavík where the Pride Parade was taking place. In the Haaleitis district, a packed bus drove by without stopping to let passengers in at a stop, but according to an eyewitness, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir was among those who couldn't get on the bus.

07/08/2026

NFI - 07, August 2026

“ At the beginning one should consider the end.”

A festival area is now being built in Hellissandur where the aim is to welcome thousands of foreign and domestic guests to the music and event festival Iceland Eclipse. A weather machine is expected to ensure good weather. The organizer says that everything has been thought of. People will be shuttled to shops and swimming pools, and pick-up is carefully planned during and after the event.

"The European Union is not a box of chocolates where we can go and pick the best pieces and say no to the rest," says Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir, chairwoman of the Independence Party. Guðrún says the path taken by the government parties is sad and that the EU debate is primarily intended to cover up the state of the economy.

Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, has posted photos of her family's trip to Iceland. They stayed in the country in June. vanka Trump and Jared Kushner, her husband and senior adviser to the US president, arrived in Iceland at the end of June and stayed here for several days. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this and said the couple was in Iceland on a private mission.

Aslaug Arna Sigurbjöonsdottir, a former member of parliament and minister, has been hired by Icelandic technology company Fenris Creations, formerly known as CCP, as head of artificial intelligence, based in London.

A very strong northeasterly wind is forecast in the mountains in the northwest and west of the country today and elsewhere in the south and west of the country tomorrow. Such winds can be dangerous for vehicles that are most vulnerable to wind, according to a meteorologist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

04/08/2026

NFI - 04, August 2026

“Every story must be told as it unfolds.”

Siggi Storm says that the weather forecast for the weekend has largely been accurate and that Akureyri residents can enjoy themselves. Organizers in North Iceland are unhappy and want to say that premature statements have scared away visitors. "I was a little hurt by this, but that's just life.” Says Siggi.

Jón Ferdínand Estherarson, chairman of the Socialist Party of Iceland, says the party's board takes it very lightly that a new Maskín poll shows that almost 80 percent of Socialist Party supporters want to continue accession negotiations with the European Union. The Socialist Party has declared its opposition to Iceland's possible membership in the European Union, calling it, among other things, “anti-socialist.”

Travel photographer and influencer Asa Steinarsdottir is known around the world for her stunning photographs of Icelandic nature. Asa has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram and over two million followers on social media in total.

People on bicycles and e-scooters frequently cycle against traffic on Hverfisgata in Reykjavík, but not everyone seems to realize that there is a one-way street on each side of the street. The chairman of the National Cyclists' Association says that road markings need to be added to the street. The number of one-way bike lanes in the city is set to increase in the coming years, according to the City of Reykjavík.

Three Colombian travelers whose families had not heard from them in almost a week have been detained in Iceland since their arrival on suspicion of importing drugs.

02/08/2026

NFI - 2, August 2026

“A good verse (song/poem) is never sung too often.”

The Icelandic Animal Welfare Association says it is essential that actions regarding mink in Mosfellsdalur be carried out humanely and that if it is necessary to kill the animals, it is carried out in accordance with animal welfare laws.

The Icelandic Coast Guard and the National Police Commissioner's special forces boarded the Paul Watson organization's ship Bandero this evening and took control of the ship. Its captain was arrested.

A climate law expert says the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on state obligations regarding climate change is a milestone and of great importance for Iceland. The opinion calls for a changed legal perspective and the outcome could have implications for Iceland's climate goals, the return of asylum seekers and potential oil exploration in the Dreki area.

Three Icelandic representatives will receive the NOMEX organization's Top 20 Under 30 - Nordic Music Biz recognition for 2026: Atli Freyr Hjaltason, Aurora DiRienzo and Francesca Stoppani. They will receive the recognition at a ceremony at the By:Larm music festival in Oslo next September.

A summer house at Veidilund by Lake Thingvallavatn was completely destroyed in a fire this evening. The Arnescounty Fire Department was notified of the fire at 9:20 p.m. and the house quickly became ablaze. "When the first firefighters arrived on the scene, the house was actually fully engulfed in flames, so they immediately started protecting the vegetation around the house and keeping the fire under control. All the water had to be transported to the scene by tanker trucks," says Láaus Kristinn Gudmundsson, acting fire chief of the Arnes County Fire Department.

The National Police Commissioner's special unit assisted the police in Northeastern Iceland in a police operation on Glerargata in Akureyri last night, a stone's throw from Akureyrarvollur (Football Field) where the FM95Blo concert was taking place at the same time.

29/07/2026

NFI - 29, July 2026
“A bookless man is blind.”

Hundreds of mink were released into the wild at Dalsbu (Valley Farm) in Mosfellsbaer, the last mink farm in Iceland, last night. Helga Skowronski first reported the news in the Facebook group Ibuar í Mosfellsdalur.
The mayor of Mosfellsbaer advises residents to keep their animals indoors while an investigation is underway into the incident at Dalsbu last night, where hundreds of minks were released from their cages. Residents and breeders in Mosfellsdalur and the surrounding area are deeply concerned after hundreds if not thousands of minks escaped from their cages this morning. Police are investigating a break-in at the farm, but it is suspected that the same individuals who broke into a pig farm in May and a chicken farm in June are involved.

Entertainer Audunn Blondal opened the restaurant Fossinn in Fossvogur this spring and says the first few months have been successful. "It's starting well and there's a lot of excitement and atmosphere, but it's about ten times harder than I thought it would be," says Audunn.

The reality star Patrekur Jaime threw one of the most talked-about parties of the year last weekend. It's been ten years since he shot to stardom on the Aeði (Madness)nseries, and he celebrated the milestone with many famous Icelandic people.
HS Orka has acquired Múlivirkjun and thus the limited liability company Múlivirkjun hf.

The company operates a hydroelectric power plant located on Snæfellsnes Peninsula, more specifically in the Eyja- og Miklaholtshreppur district. This is the company's first hydroelectric power plant in West Iceland.

27/07/2026

NFI - 27, July 2026
“A wise man once said that next to losing its mother, there is nothing more healthy for a child than to lose its father.”

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 was measured at Nesjavellir at twenty-five minutes to one last night.

A man is currently in custody on suspicion of a serious assault on his common-law wife, allegedly committed the night after he was sentenced to a year in prison for violence against the same woman.

Farmers regularly suffer damage from foxes, but there is no incentive for them to report such damage, and it is also complicated.

The European Union's stance towards Iceland appears to have hardened significantly in recent months on fisheries issues. The EU's member states appear to be making little if any concessions on the matter, and give the impression that disputes will be negotiated with full force.

The Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate has published on the government consultation portal a draft bill for the implementation of the European Union's CBAM regulation, which establishes a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM system). The CBAM system imposes duties on imports of aluminium, iron, steel, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity from countries outside the EEA.

The weather gods have been teasing the residents of the capital region lately, but they finally allowed them to get some sun this weekend. The stars poured out into the open air, sc****ly clad, enjoying a refreshing drink and the warmth.

24/07/2026

NFI - 24, July 2026

“Rarely is a single wave isolated.”

The Ministry of Education and Children's Affairs has published a draft bill on changing children's outdoor play time on a consultation portal. It proposes that outdoor play time for ten to twelve-year-old children be extended by one hour, to 9 p.m., during the winter.

The weather played tricks on residents of the capital area yesterday afternoon, but as evening approached, the sky took on a whitish-yellow color and a mysterious mist settled over it. Meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson says in a post on his website Bliku that it is most likely smoke haze from forest fires in Canada.

A boy riding a bike was hit last night. The bike is practically useless, according to police, and the boy is badly injured. He was fine, though.

The fire department was called out when a fire broke out in a small house. The fire was extinguished quickly. The small house was apparently unoccupied and no one was injured. A report of a brush fire was also received, but it turned out to be a fire that had been started in a fireplace in the garden.

The ferry Baldur is sailing in Breiðafjordur again today after sailing between the mainland and the Vestmannaeyjar Islands for the past few weeks. Jakob Björgvin Sigridarson Jakobsson, mayor of Stykkisholmur, says local businesses have taken a big hit due to the ferry's absence.

Two young girls believed they were trapped inside Egilssholl (The Hall of Egill) after closing time last night. They had gone to the bathroom after a movie and were unable to get out of the hall. Police officers assisted the girls, who managed to get out through the emergency exit.This is what police officer Hildur Rún Bjornsdottir says.

23/07/2026

NFI - 23, July 2026

“It's too late to fill the well once the child has fallen in.”

The jewelry store Prakt will close in the next few months after a fire broke out in their premises on Laugavegur. Behind Prakt is the goldsmith couple Sigridur Edda Bergsteinsdottir and Thorbergur Halldorsson, or Edda and Beggi as they are known in everyday speech.

The Foreign Minister says that if she had to pursue everything that was wrongly attributed to her, she would do little else. That is why a misunderstanding in a two-week-old news story about the EU referendum was not corrected until yesterday.

The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) considers it necessary to respond and provide explanations regarding alleged deficiencies in the recording of monitoring data regarding whaling.

The American pop star Olivia Rodrigo recently spent some time in Iceland, causing quite a stir among her Icelandic fans. The singer landed in Keflavík early on Thursday morning, July 17, after an overnight first-class flight with Icelandair from Portland.

Traffic congestion has formed at the new intersection of Arnarnesvegur and Breidholtsbraut. The mayor of Kopavogur says the situation is unacceptable, but the Icelandic Road Administration points out that this is a temporary arrangement. Full experience will not be gained until more lanes have been opened and the traffic light control is fully operational.

22/07/2026

NFI - 22, July 2026

“I won't go anywhere, because I don't want to be a corner woman”.

“There is a spate of burglaries in town and now our place has been broken into for the second time in a short period of time,” says Valgeir Gunnlaugsson, co-owner of Pizza 107. This time, a small window in the main entrance was broken. The first time, however, a large window was broken, which caused more chaos and debris around the break-in. “The last time, the thief went straight to the wine cooler and stole alcohol. He was clearly thirstier. This one, however, was more polished, went straight to the cash register and took the money. The other one was like some kind of after-party, but this one was more “professional”. He knew exactly what to do, turned the cash register over, unplugged it and then just walked out.”

The ship Bandero, owned by the Paul Watson Group, is heading towards Iceland again. The ship is located "deep" southeast of the country, but the Icelandic Coast Guard estimates its arrival in the Icelandic exclusive economic zone very soon.

Love affairs fraud have been particularly common in Iceland in recent weeks, according to information from banks. The team manager at Bjarkarhlid says that too few people who fall victim to love affairs fraud seek help. Victims can lose their homes and end up in debt worth millions. Dating fraud occurs when an unscrupulous person forms a romantic or friendship relationship with someone online with the aim of defrauding the person of their money or personal information.

The Independence Party is measuring 25 percent support in a new Maskína poll and is the largest party in the company's polls for the first time since the 2024 parliamentary elections. The Come Together Array is measuring close behind with 24.4 percent.

The Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir says she has not discussed the possibility of permanent exemptions for Iceland from the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, and denies suggesting such a thing. "I never said that, I have not spoken to Rob Jetten," Thorgerdur says in an interview with The Morning Paper, but the minister has drawn much criticism for the comments she is now denying.

The director of the Icelandic National Heritage Institute is asking the city to move quickly before demolishing the spectator pavilion at Laugardalslaug (Swimming Pool). The pavilion has great preservation value from the perspective of Iceland's cultural history, but he notes that the structure will not be rebuilt unless it is given a new role. He wants Laugardalslaug (Swimming Pool) to continue to be defined as a public facility for city residents, and not become "like some hotel pool in Tenerife."

21/07/2026

NFI - 21, July 2026

“ At the beginning one should consider the end.”

The French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was hesitant when asked whether France's position on Iceland's possible accession talks with the European Union (EU) had changed or remained unchanged since 2010, but said that a long time had passed since then and much had changed in the world. The European Affairs Committee of the French Parliament then supported Iceland's application with reservations, emphasizing that transitional provisions and deviations from the EU's rules should be kept to a minimum. No permanent exemptions were envisaged.

The South Iceland police have closed an investigation into the death of a woman in her nineties at the Hraunbudir nursing home in the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, which began in January of this year. An autopsy report has revealed that there is no basis to continue the investigation.

Netvís has opened a special reporting portal where the public can report suspicious content online in the run-up to the referendum on EU negotiations. More information chaos is expected online as it gets closer.

About a fifth fewer Americans passed through Keflavík Airport in June than in the same month last year. The CEO of the Icelandic Tourism Association says it is possible that their visits to Iceland are decreasing.

Embla Medical, formerly known as Ossur, reported a profit of ISK 4 billion in the second quarter of the year. This was an increase of 39 percent compared to the same quarter last year. The company's CEO says the growth was primarily driven by strong organic growth in prosthetics and the good performance of new products.

Alexander Sindrason, owner of stilistinn.is, has long had a passion for fashion and personal style. In his work, he helps people find their own style, build confidence, and feel good about what they wear. Alexander describes his style as confident and comfortable, with a touch of sexiness. He prefers quality and personality over fleeting fashion trends, and is particularly fascinated by garments that have a story.

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