According to the Althingi banking report, of the twelve public figures legally allowed to respond to allegations ahead of time and have their opinions included in the final document, all placed the blame with others. Read the full story

Three Icelandic media men owed over ISK 100 million (USD 790,000 at today’s rate) each when the banks collapsed. Loans connected to Bjorn Ingi Hrafnsson, former Reykjavik city councillor and owner of Pressan.is news service amounted to ISK 560 million (USD 4.4 million) at the end of September 2008. Read the full story

In 2007 and 2008, a third of all loans from the three big Icelandic banks went to people already indebted to the banks and unable to pay their debts. Read the full story

The Russian government has decided to approve a loan to the Icelandic government up to 64 billion Icelandic kronur (500 million USD). According to the Russian news source, Vedomosti, Assistant Secretary of Treasury in Russia Dmitry Pankin approved this today. Read the full story

According to the National Treasury of Iceland, locally known as Seðlabanki Ísland, the Euro (EUR) has reached over 180 Icelandic kronur. The exchange rate index is now at 233.23 according to the National Treasury. The krona decreased about 1 perfect yesterday and even less this morning. The Pound is now at 208kr, Danish krone is at 24kr, and the US dollar is at 130kr.

Credit and debit card use in Iceland has reduced considerably so far this year. Household credit card turnover rates dropped about 13.8 percent from January to May this year, whilst the debit card turnover dropped nearly 0.3 percent around the same time. The total turnover on domestic credit and debit card use between January and May fell about 7.5 percent. Read the full story

At The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies we have recently published a report about “Opportunities in crisis”. The report is written for our member companies and for their use only.

But times are extraordinary; and extraordinary solutions should therefore be applied. Read the full story

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ICELANDIC PM OFFICE:

Today, the International Monetary Fund published a report: “Review Under the Emergency Financing Mechanism”. The review was part of the IMF’s Emergency Financing Mechanism procedures, which were used to expedite the approval of the Stand-By Arrangement with Iceland on November 19, 2008. Read the full story

Frettabladid reports that two young residents of Iceland’s Westman Islands, Sunna Georgsdottir and Anna Mary Gudmundsdottir found four pufflings Sunday evening and took them for weighing at the Westman Islands Museum of Natural History.

Everyone who finds pufflings wandering the islands should take them for weighing as part of the Puffling Survey – scientists’ way Read the full story