Latest news - Iceland Monitor

Immigrants Represent 15.5 Percent of Iceland’s Population

10:09 GMT Data published by Statistics Iceland yesterday show that January 1, this year, the number of immigrants living in Iceland was 57,126.

Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir, speaking to reporters this morning.

Iceland to Fully Lift Domestic COVID-19 Restrictions in Two Phases

yesterday COVID-19 restriction in Iceland will be lifted in two phases, the first one beginning at midnight.

Specialist from the Icelandic Met Office installing equipment on Askja volcano.

Could Askja Erupt Sometime Soon?

yesterday The Icelandic Met Office is closely monitoring the situation in Askja volcano.

Iceland Has Lowest Poverty Rate Among OECD Countries

yesterday Iceland has the lowest poverty rate among OECD’s 38 member countries.

Three Times as Many Tourists as Last Year

18 Oct Nearly three times as many foreign tourists visited Iceland via Keflavík International Airport in the summer, compared with the summer of 2020, or about 304,000.

‘Greatest Northern Lights in Decades’

18 Oct “Those were some of the greatest northern lights in decades.”

Winter Arrives Suddenly: Numerous Cars Off the Road

18 Oct Winter’s sudden arrival in many parts of Iceland yesterday created problems for numerous drivers, who were caught by surprise.

Award-Winning Photos of Flight

17 Oct The winner of mbl.is’ Photography Contest, held this summer, is Einar Rúnar Sigurðsson.

Reykjavík Edition Receives Its First Guests

16 Oct The newly constructed five-star hotel next to Harpa concert hall, The Reykjavík Edition, received its first guests Tuesday.

Double-Arm Transplant Recipient Moves Fingers: Video

15 Oct The Icelandic man, Guðmundur Felix Grétarson, who in January became the first patient in the world to undergo transplant surgery of both arms and shoulders, posted a video on Facebook Wednesday, showing incredible progress.

Magnús Scheving introduces the plans in Borgarnes yesterday.

LazyTown Experience Park Planned in Borgarnes

15 Oct Plans were announced yesterday to build an experience park in the town of Borgarnes, West Iceland, based on the children’s TV series LazyTown and on the history of Borgarnes.

Harpa concert hall and conference center.

Arctic Circle Assembly Opens Today

14 Oct The 2021 Arctic Circle Assembly opened today at Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík.

Webcam at Eruption Site Can Be Deceiving

14 Oct It’s been nearly a month since scientists last noticed activity in the Fagradalsfjall eruption, Southwest Iceland.

Woman Dies in Apartment Fire in Hafnarfjörður

14 Oct A woman in her sixties died in a fire in an apartment building in Hafnarfjörður, just south of Reykjavík, overnight.

Pilot Whale Carcasses Transported by Þór

13 Oct The carcasses of 53 pilot whales, which beached October 2 in Melavík cove in the Strandir region of the West Fjords, were successfully transported on board the Icelandic Coast Guard ship Þór yesterday afternoon.