News from Iceland - NFI

15/06/2026

NFI - 15, June 2026

“Two fires burned within him: the fire of sorrow and the fire of happiness.”

A doctor of economics believes that adopting the euro could lead to unemployment among Icelanders, and the costs would therefore far outweigh the benefits. He says unemployment is very expensive for the nation and has a heavy impact on young people.

Anibal Hernandez is one of the owners of the Exit nightclub, which was closed down in a joint operation by the Metropolitan Police and the tax authorities on Saturday night. He says his business has not been smooth sailing since the closure and that the doormen who now work there do not work for the security service that was targeted in the operation.

Today MPs approved a bill to increase the salaries of elected representatives and civil servants by 3.5 percent in July, rather than the planned 9.7 percent. The salaries of elected representatives have generally been updated once a year in line with the average salary increase for government employees that year. The plan was to increase wages by 9.7 percent.

Dilja Mist Einarsdottir, a member of parliament for the Independence Party, has serious concerns about relations between Iceland and the United States. She asked Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir about the state of affairs in that regard, and the answers Dilja Mist received did not help to alleviate her concerns, not at all.
The Board of Directors of Community Residences hf. has appointed Thordís La Thorhallsdóttir to the position of Managing Director of the company. The Board's decision is based on a prior assessment by the Advisory Qualifications Committee. The Qualifications Committee's conclusion was that Thordís Loa Thorhallsdottir was considered to best meet the qualification requirements set out in the advertisement for the position.

Rurik Gslason aka Sexy Ru returned to social media after filming a movie, so his fans will be happy to get to follow him more closely now.

Those who were involved in a collision on the highway near Lake Mývatn yesterday were foreign tourists. This is what Heimir Harðarson, the chief of police for the Northeastern Iceland region, said when asked. Three people were injured in the two-car collision, i.e. the drivers of the cars and one passenger. The cars were badly damaged and undriveable after the collision.

14/06/2026

NFI - 14, June 2026

“The safest thing is to burn the books.”

Three entertainment venues were closed in joint operations by the police and the Tax Office last night and into the night. The venues are in Hafnarfjorður and Reykjavik, but the operation targeted a security company operating at the venues.

The earthquake swarm that began last night at 10:00 PM following an earthquake measuring 4.8 in magnitude has not been accompanied by any volcanic activity so far. More than two hundred and fifty earthquakes were measured from 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM, of which eleven were above magnitude three.

Temperatures could reach twenty degrees in Southwest Iceland today and afternoon showers are likely, but it will be slightly cooler in foggy weather along the north and east coasts. Light variable winds or sea breezes and generally very calm weather today. Temperatures will drop to around six degrees in the northeast corner.

More people are in favor than opposed to Iceland starting accession talks with the European Union, according to a new survey conducted by Maskína for DV. A total of 44.5 percent of respondents said they were in favor of talks, while 39.4 percent were opposed. At the same time, 14.6 percent said they didn't know and 1.5 percent refused to answer.

Ragnar Edvardsson, an underwater archaeologist at the University of Iceland's Westfjords Research Center, says the search for the Cape Ship, which sank off Langanes in the 17th century with valuable manuscripts and other treasures on board, could take many years. He has led the work to demarcate the search area, which will begin exploring this summer.

FH has come top of the Women’s Best League. It became clear after today's results, where FH defeated Vikingur 2-5 in Víkinn while Breiablik lost to Stjornunn (The Star) in Kopavogur.

12/06/2026

NFI - 12, June 2026

"Life is a sacrifice.”

Work has begun within the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education to amend the media law. One of the main proposed changes is that podcasts will no longer be required to register as media. Thus, podcasters appear to have won the war with the Media Commission, which has been raging for several months.

The city council yesterday agreed to reject a portion of a dinosaur skeleton that the Leap Lab organization wanted to donate to the city. The donation comes at a considerable cost.

The weather will be playing tricks on people all over the country this weekend, but this morning the temperature in Patreksfjordur was measured at seventeen degrees. A meteorologist tells no newspaper to look at it and the swimming pool director expects guests to take over the sun beds today.

Ingolfur Samúelsson was a member of a group of six people who were removed from a Transavia flight for being drunk. He denies that anyone in the group was drunk and plans to seek justice. "This is just miserable, I have to admit it," Ingolfur says in an interview with a news agency. The group had a flight booked from Akureyri to Amsterdam.

The Metropolitan Police Chief has charged a man with assaulting a boy in Salalaug (Hall Swimming Pool )Kopavogur in 2023. The indictment against the man states that the man grabbed the boy's neck and pushed him backwards, causing the boy's neck to bend backwards and making it difficult for him to breathe.

The football couple Barbára Sol Gisladottir, a player for Icelandic champions Breidablik, and Karl Fridleifur Gunnarsson, a player for Icelandic champions Vikingur R., shared great news on social media that they are expecting a child.

The City Council agreed at its meeting yesterday to terminate an agreement with the Mobile Home Owners Association for the use of approximately 3,900 square meters of land in Gufunes. It has been two months since the agreement was signed.

11/06/2026

NFI - 11, June 2026

“Not me were the last words of the little yellow hen.”

Armann Thorvaldsson, CEO of the investment bank Kvika, has requested to resign at the end of next year after almost 10 years of employment with the company.

The World Cup starts today, Thursday, June 11, but among those who have sat down, discussed among themselves and finally predicted how the tournament will end are the girls at the clothing store Kjolar og konfekti (Dresses and Candy). Six dresses in the colours of the flag adorn the store's window, and the owner says she has never seen so many men stop by the window to admire the dresses.

The police in the capital area are investigating the physical assault of a child on two other children at a bus stop in Hlidar Reykjavik. The child is believed to have used a belt in the attack.

A group of members of the Come Together Array Party and non-partisan Come Together Array people protest the government's departure point in a post on Vísir's website.. 55 sign the article and protest the legislation and demand that its implementation be stopped. They say the "sharp right turn" in the party's policy has not been discussed at its level and is, in their opinion, in contradiction to its main policy and fundamental views.

The CEO of Bonus Superstores says that despite the introduction of self-service checkouts, they cannot reduce the number of employees and therefore product prices will not decrease. The markup on products is already so low that if product prices were reduced by three percent, the company would be close to bankruptcy.

A threat was received at the Hagkaup (Ecobut) office in Skútuvogur in Reykjavík today. Police were notified and subsequently ordered employees to evacuate the office. The National Police Commissioner's Special Unit assisted police in the case.

10/06/2026

NFI - 10, June 2026

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

Heimssyn (World Vision), a pro-European independence movement, has sent an open letter to the board of the Icelandic National Broadcasting Corporation and its director Stefán Eiriksson, in which the organization airs its concerns about the European debate on the state-owned broadcaster.

Love is blooming alongside vegetation for many couples these days. Rap ​​legend Erpur Eyvindarson, also known as Blaz Roca, had a wonderful time in Florence with his beloved Lisbet Ros, a DJ. A rising star Saint Pete, whose real name is Pétur Mar Gudmundsson, and artist and model Hrafnkatla Unnarsdottir are also head over heels in love, as Hrafnkatla posted beautiful photos of them on Instagram last week in sunny places.

Snorri Pall Sigurdsson has been appointed CEO of Distica. He comes from Alvotech where he held various management roles.

Rev. Gudni Mar Hardarson has been appointed as the embassy chaplain in Denmark and pastor of the Icelandic congregation there. He has been prominent within the church and a mourner for, for example, musician Björgvin Halldorsson and Bryndís Klara Birgisdottir, who died of her wounds after a stabbing attack at the Culture Night in 2024.

Footballer Adam Palsson has tied the knot with Monika Birta Baldvinsdottir. The couple have been dating for a while now, but revealed their love on Instagram over the weekend.

The Makeup artists Halla Thorarinsdóttir and Skjoldur Eyfjorð are aiming for big things in the Icelandic cosmetics market and will soon launch their own brand, Just Makeup.

The Minister of Justice's controversial bill on a departure center has become law. In a departure center, foreigners will be able to be deprived of their liberty due to a decision that they must leave the country or while a case that may lead to such a decision is pending. A number of humanitarian organizations have criticized the bill, particularly because it allows the deprivation of liberty of children. However, such deprivation of liberty is subject to strict restrictions.

Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world for the nineteenth year in a row, according to an analysis by the Australian Institute for Economics and Peace, IEP. The institute has published a report since 2007 in which it analyzes the most peaceful countries in the world and those with the most conflict.

09/06/2026

NFI - 9, June 2026

“Two fires burned within him: the fire of sorrow and the fire of happiness.”

Vilhjalmur Arnason has informed the Speaker of the Althing of his resignation, having taken up his duties as mayor of Reykjanesbaer on June 2. Vilhjalmur has been a member of parliament for the Independence Party for the Southern Constituency since 2013 and was the deputy chairman of the parliamentary party.

Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson will be among the participants in this year's U.S. Open golf tournament after making it through a playoff tonight. He is the first Icelander to secure a spot in the men's U.S. Open.

Adalsteinn Leifsson, former State Mediator, will step in as State Mediator for a few days while State Mediator Astradur Haraldsson attends a Nordic consultation meeting of mediators.

Police in the capital area used an electric weapon last night but ultimately did not have to use it. A report was received of an ongoing burglary, but the person who reported it was arrested.

A group of people consisting of twelve members of the Socialist Party of Iceland object to the call for a meeting and the decisions made at the party's general meeting that took place over the weekend, June 6–7, and say it was planned in secret.
The actors Armundur Ernst Backman and Ellen Margret Baehrenz have put their apartment on sale, located on Grandavegur in the West of Reykjavík. The 99 square meter apartment is priced at 88.9 million ISK. The couple have created a beautiful home in the apartment with their two sons. Beautiful floating floors in the living room and kitchen look great against the light wood and white furnishings. The apartment has a calm atmosphere, while plants and white and light tones add to the home.

08/06/2026

"When everything is turned upside down, everything works out somehow, even if many doubt it for a while.”

07/06/2026

06/06/2026

NFI - 6, June 2026

“No one should offend the poets, their revenge is shame.”

Production of the first mass-produced Icelandic car is beginning. It is described as a cross between a minibus and a super SUV. The first units are expected to be delivered in twelve months.

The Voice of the Young People has reported on a embezzlement case within the party that arose early last year. Suspicions arose that Saevar Thor Birgisson, then a municipal councillor and the party's treasurer, had siphoned off considerable funds and the matter was reported to the police. The Voice of the Young People has had representatives in the Grindavik municipal council for the past two electoral terms.

There is progress in wage negotiations between Icelandair and the Icelandic Commercial Pilots' Association (FÍA), according to the state mediator.

An individual in the capital area was charged last night for "abusing" his pet, as described in the Capital Area Police's summary of the night's activities.

The Icelandic Aircraft Engineers' Association, FVFI, has called on Icelandair executives to abandon their plans to move specialist and technical jobs out of the country in a letter to the company. A statement from the company says that these are valuable jobs and people who have extensive knowledge of the company's fleet.

The British crime novelist Ann Cleeves showed up unannounced at Penninn Eymundsson's bookstore in isafjordur and offered to sign books. Cleeves, who has been translated into Icelandic 21 times, was traveling on a cruise ship that stopped in the town.

05/06/2026

NFI - 5, June 2026

“The safest thing is to burn the books.”

Margret Fridriksdottir has been ordered to pay a fine of 200 thousand isl/krona to the state treasury for her comments about District Judge Barbara Björnsdóttir. It was not required that the comments be declared null and void, and they stand. Among other things, Margrét called Barbara a "libertine slut”.

More than half of the population is satisfied with the work of Halla Tom, the President of Iceland. Satisfaction with her work has increased so far this year.

Eleven employees have been laid off at Kvika Bank after it launched a streamlining measure. The total number of full-time positions has been reduced by eighteen so far this year.

The Southern Slaughterhouse (SS) intends to stop halal slaughtering of lambs.

A number of well-known figures from Icelandic society are planning to open a new café in Reykjavík's west end, where the Kjotborg (Meat City) store will be located until later this month. One of the prospective owners says that they are a group of friends who have long had the idea of ​​ensuring that something would be done in the premises if Kjotborg (Meat City) were to close.

The Country Court has upheld the district court's ruling acquitting the Icelandic state of all claims by nine protesters, who believed the police had used unnecessary force at the Skuggasund protest site in 2024.

Alvotech's share price rose by 22 percent after the company announced that it had resubmitted applications for marketing authorization in the United States for analogues of Simponi, Simponi Aria and Eylea.