According to police, at least 6,000 people turned out to this afternoon’s protest in front of Parliament House
(Alþingishúsið) in the Icelandic capital. It is therefore the biggest economic protest so far, with some two percent of the entire nation in attendance. Read the full story

Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, Icelandic Foreign Minister, says she is hopeful the negotiations currently underway in Brussels to work out a satisfactory settlement with the British and Dutch governments over Icesave compensation can be completed tonight or tomorrow, MBL.is reports. Read the full story

The opinions and “facts” reported in the Icelandic and international media on the current situation in the Icelandic economy have been almost as varied as the opinions and “facts” expressed on online public comment forums over the last few days.

The only real fact we know is that nobody really knows what’s going on Read the full story

The registered rate of unemployment in Iceland was 1.9 percent in October – or 3,106 people. This was an increase of 877 people on the September rate, according to MBL.is. At the same time last year there was 0.8 percent unemployment, or 1,315 people. Read the full story

The ongoing delays in loan decisions from both the IMF and the Nordic countries to Iceland are caused by their desire for more details of Iceland’s economic recovery plan.

Reports in the Wall Street Journal quote Ikka Kajaste of the Finnish Ministry of Finance as saying that Iceland will need to provide Read the full story

Neither the Icelandic Minister of Finance nor the Minister of Trade was aware of the problems facing Icesave, a daughter company of Landsbanki Bank, MBL.is reports.

The head of the country’s Financial Supervisory Authority said at the weekend that Bjorgvin G. Sigurdsson, Minister of Trade was not Read the full story

The Icelandic Eimskip container ship, Dettifoss set off for the European mainland late last week totally full. The ship is stopping at Reydarfjordur and the Faroe Islands on the way. Unusually for ships leaving Iceland, Dettifoss was loaded with many diggers and other construction machinery, MBL.is reports. Read the full story

An article by Philip Lane, Professor of International Macroeconomics and Director of the Institute for International Integration Studies (IIIS) at Trinity College Dublin:
Iceland is undergoing a traumatic financial crisis. This column argues that the main anchor for its recovery strategy should be EU membership and entry into the euro area. Read the full story

In a Interview to the online media MBL.is the Icelandic prime minster Geir H. Haarde said that unprocessed loans from other countries are stopping the IMF finalising its loan to Iceland, not political pressure from other EU countries.

According to news there have been rumours that the IMF is being pressured by some EU nations to not process the loan until Iceland has agreed to the terms made by the UK and the Netherlands in regards to the Icesave accounts. Read the full story

A decision on whether or not Iceland will receive its requested loan from the IMF has been delayed again for two days. The decision is now expected on Monday.

The Icelandic PM says he is entirely confident that the USD2.1 billion loan will be granted, and that a wider 6 billion dollar rescue package will be agreed upon as a result.

The delay is blamed on IMF coordination with the Nordic countries. Some sources claim the IMF is waiting for the Nordic countries to commit money beforehand; while others claim the Nordic countries are waiting for the IMF’s confirmation before they pledge support. Read the full story