Iceland

Iceland may fast-track vote on joining EU

Iceland's government is considering holding a referendum on EU relations as early as August, according to two sources cited by news publication Politico. Reykjavik had pledged to hold the vote…

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Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time after record heat

Mosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the first time after the country experienced record-breaking heat this spring. Insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason encountered the mosquitoes over several nights last week…

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Iceland gets new government under Social Democrat Frostadottir

Iceland's president presented a new government under Social Democratic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir that aims to cut inflation and interest rates and hold a referendum on European Union membership by…

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Iceland’s pro-EU parties lead in polls ahead of snap election

Iceland's voters will head to polls on Saturday in a snap election that could potentially steer it towards seeking European Union membership, an issue that has divided the country for…

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Iceland PM dissolves parliament and calls elections

Iceland's Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson announced the end of the country's governing coalition on Sunday and called for elections to be held on Nov. 30, Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported.In…

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Halla Tómasdóttir to be sworn in as Iceland’s seventh president

A feminist entrepreneur who started an investment fund with the musician Björk at the height of Iceland’s 2008 financial crisis and gave a TED talk on applying “feminine values” to…

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Iceland prime minister resigns to run for president

Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir announced her resignation and said that she will run for president, a ceremonial post that is mostly above the daily political fray. It was not…

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Iceland volcano erupts again, spewing fountains of lava

A volcano in Iceland erupted on Saturday for the fourth time since December, the country's meteorological office said, spewing smoke and bright orange lava into the air in sharp contrast…

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Seismic activity wanes in Iceland but eruption alert remains

By Johannes Birkebaek Icelandic authorities said they were still on alert for a volcanic eruption in the southwest Reykjanes peninsula, although the odds were falling after a drop in seismic…

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WATCH: Thousands evacuated as Iceland braces for volcanic eruption

Some 900 earthquakes hit southern Iceland on Monday, authorities said, adding to tens of thousands of tremors that rattled the region in recent weeks as the country braces for what…

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Iceland prepares for volcanic eruption in coming days

By Jacob Gronholt-pedersen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Icelandic authorities said they were preparing for a volcanic eruption in the southwest of the island in the coming days after a series of…

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Nordic countries to cooperate more on returning migrants to countries of origin

By Johannes Birkebaek COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The Nordic governments intend to step up their cooperation to return immigrants without legal residence in the region to their countries of origin, ministers…

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Iceland hit by thousands of small earthquakes in volcano warning

By Johannes Birkebaek A seismic swarm has hit the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland with more than 5,500 small earthquakes in the last days, raising the prospect of a volcanic…

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Iceland resumes fin whale hunting

Iceland's government announced it will resume hunting fin whales after a two-month halt, but with new guidelines aimed at killing them as quickly as possible to reduce suffering. Iceland resumed…

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Iceland faces rising risk to financial stability, central bank says

(Reuters) - Risks to financial stability in Iceland have increased because of worsening external conditions, and the balance of risk is tilted to the downside, the Nordic country's central bank…

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Volcano erupts near Iceland’s capital in seismic hot spot

(Reuters) - A volcano has erupted on a mountain near Iceland's capital Reykjavik after days of rising earthquake activity in the area, the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said. Images and…

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Missing tourist plane found at bottom of lake in Iceland

Authorities in Iceland have found a small plane at the bottom of a lake two days after the aircraft went missing with three tourists and a pilot on board. The…

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Iceland will have a male-majority parliament after all, election recount shows

Iceland looked to have elected a woman-majority parliament but a recount of votes on Sunday showed there will still be more men than women in the chamber, state broadcaster RUV…

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UPDATE – Women candidates win majority of seats in Icelandic election

COPENHAGEN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Iceland has voted more women than men into its parliament, a first in Europe, in a national election that saw the ruling left-right coalition strengthen…

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Iceland holds general election

Icelanders vote on Saturday in an election that could have a messy outcome with a record nine parties likely to enter parliament, making it difficult to find common ground on…

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UPDATED: Britain in post-Brexit trade deals with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein

Britain has reached post-Brexit trade agreements with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the countries said on Friday. The three countries, which are part of the European Economic Area allowing them access…

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Iceland takes first step to reduce bank ownership after 2008 collapse

Iceland intends by next month to launch an initial public offering (IPO) of wholly state-owned Islandsbanki, taking the first step to reduce its significant ownership in the sector. Islandsbanki was…

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Iceland proposes tighter border controls to ease domestic COVID-19 curbs

Iceland’s government said it would propose tightening some of its border controls in order to ease domestic COVID-19 restrictions. Passengers entering Iceland from countries with high infection rates - 1,000…

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Photo story – Volcano eruption in Iceland

A volcano erupted near Iceland's capital Reykjavik on Friday, shooting lava high into the night sky after thousands of small earthquakes in recent weeks. The eruption occurred near Fagradalsfjall, a mountain…

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Updated – Volcano erupts near Iceland’s capital

A volcano erupted near Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, on Friday, shooting lava high into the night sky after thousands of small earthquakes in recent weeks. The eruption occurred near Fagradalsfjall, a…

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Quaking in their beds, sleepless Icelanders await imminent volcanic eruption

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Icelanders are yearning for some undisturbed shut-eye after tremors from tens of thousands of earthquakes have rattled their sleep for weeks in what scientists call an unprecedented…

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Strong 5.6 quake rattles Iceland

A powerful earthquake struck Iceland on Wednesday morning with the tremors being felt in the country's capital, Rekjavik, with the public warning of "several aftershocks". According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre…

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Iceland’s debt to rise as pandemic shaves a fifth off next year’s budget

Iceland will increase its public debt because the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are forecast to cut its fiscal budget by almost a fifth next year, the government said. The…

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COVID-19 antibodies present in patients four months after recovery -study

Antibody levels against the novel coronavirus rose and then held steady for up to four months in more than 90% of recovered COVID-19 patients in Iceland, according to a study…

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Estonia adds Iceland, Netherlands, Poland and San Marino to self-quarantine list

Four European countries, Iceland, the Netherlands, Poland and San Marino, have been added to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' list of countries of origin for travellers arriving in Estonia who…

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Iceland’s president easily wins re-election

Iceland's President Gudni Johannesson won a landslide election on Sunday, according to partial results, after the European country became the second to hold polls since coronavirus lockdowns were lifted. Since…

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Iceland prepares to welcome tourists back in June

Iceland this week eased its lockdown rules and venues were allowed to reopen. Social distancing is now advised rather than required, and many took the first opportunity in six weeks…

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Iceland to test tourist arrivals with the aim to restart tourism by June 15

Holidaymakers arriving in Iceland will be given the choice of a coronavirus test or a two-week quarantine under plans to restart tourism to the island nation. The Icelandic government said…

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Iceland doesn’t exclude isolating island

The option to close Iceland due to the spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, is constantly being reassessed, in accordance with new risk assessments, mbl.is reports. A task group from…

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New coronavirus infections in Antwerp and Rome, cases in Iceland and Andorra

In Italy, Monday saw the first case of the coronavirus in the capital Rome as a policeman tested positive for COVID-19 at the capital's Spallanzani Hospital. The man's movements and…

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Photo Story: Severe winter storm wreaks havoc across Iceland

A handout photo made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of a satellite image showing a winter storm hitting Iceland. Iceland's worst winter storm of the year…

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Iceland and Norway agree to deepen their cooperation in climate action with the EU

Climate change is a global threat and demands global action: the more countries join forces, the bigger the chances we can master this major challenge of our generation. The European…

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Photo Story: Italian Air Force F-35s during NATO Air Policing

A series of photos of the Italian Air Force multirole combat aircraft F-35 during defence operation Air Policing led by NATO in Keflavik Air Base, Iceland. NATO Air Policing is…

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EBU fines Iceland’s Hatari for display of Palestinian scarves during Eurovision final

Iceland has received a fine from the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest after their band displayed scarves with Palestinian flags during the contest's final in Israel. The contest's organisers,…

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The US, the EU, Iceland, and Norway Sign Agreement To Remove Time Constraints on Air Carrier Leases of Aircraft with Crew

The United States, the European Union, Iceland, and Norway signed an agreement to remove one-sided time constraints on U.S. air carrier leases of aircraft with crew in the lucrative U.S.-EU…

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