IceNews, Daily news from Iceland, Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

Iceland government shake up confirmed, Dutch war games company happy

An Icelandic cabinet meeting at the official presidential mansion of Bessastadir has ended and the reshuffle of the government is now official. One departing minister made his last official act to approve a Dutch application to bring old Russian fighter jets to Iceland for international war games.

Iceland’s ‘favourite comedy show’ saved at the last minute

Spaugstofan, Iceland’s most famous weekly comedy sketch show, will not be consigned to history as had previously been reported. Despite being dropped from RUV for monetary reasons, the show’s creators this week signed a deal to move over to rival station, Stod 2.

Details of alleged Norwegian bomb plot revealed

Norwegian police discovered the makings of a bomb lab in an Oslo apartment when arresting a suspected al-Qaida cell last month, according to reports. An investigation by the Associated Press (AP) has revealed that authorities had been tracking the group for a long time after intercepting emails between them and an al-Qaida operative in Pakistan. [...]

Boeing Dreamliner in Iceland for testing

The new Dreamliner, also known as the Boeing 787, is currently stationed at Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport for testing in side winds. This is only the second time the brand new aircraft has left the USA.

Bonus founder removed from Icelandic supermarket board

31 August 2010

The co-founder of Iceland’s Bonus supermarkets, Johannes Jonsson, has been removed from the board of Hagar following a decision by Arion Bank that both parties’ best interests are no longer served by working together.

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Posted in Business, Faroe Islands, General, Iceland, MBL3 Comments

Facebook fibbers making Helsinki police blue

31 August 2010

Police in Finland’s capital have issued advice about ‘Facebook crime’, as complaints about online pranksters are keeping cops busy. Hannu Kortelainen, of the Helsinki police, has revealed that gripes about the popular social networking site come flooding into the station on a daily basis.

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Posted in Finland, General, MBL, Technology0 Comments

Volcanic ash and its impact to be discussed at aviation conference Iceland

31 August 2010

The Eyjafjallajokull and Aviation conference, organised by the Keilir Aviation Academy in cooperation with ICAO, IATA and others, will take place between September 15th and 16th 2010. Aviation leaders, experts and policy-makers from all over the world will gather at Keflavik Airport in Iceland to discuss what lessons have been learnt from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption.

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Posted in Business, Environment, General, Iceland, International, Leisure, Travel0 Comments

World’s biggest sailing ship on way to Iceland

31 August 2010

The world’s biggest sailing ship is currently on its way to Iceland, according to Russian news website, Ria Novosti. The ship is called Sedov and is a three-masted barque.

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Posted in General, Iceland, International, MBL, Politics, Travel1 Comment

Icelandic Forestry Association celebrates 80th birthday

30 August 2010

Interest in forests and the growing of trees in Iceland has increased since the economic crisis hit, according to the head of the Icelandic Forestry Association. There is now forest growing on over 20,000 hectares all over Iceland. The organisation celebrated its 80th birthday at Thingvellir yesterday. (more...)

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Posted in Environment, General, Iceland, MBL1 Comment

Topless nurse advert gets pulses racing in Denmark

30 August 2010

The Danish Nurses’ Organisation has had an online advertisement yanked, after the images of randy medics using unconventional methods to revive patients were deemed too racy. The nurses’ union pulled the commercial from the YouTube website, calling the ad a “slip-up” and saying it “went over the line”. (more...)

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Posted in Denmark, General, MBL, Marketing and Consulting, Technology2 Comments

Iceland’s puffin stock in crisis

30 August 2010

If the patterns of recent years continue, Iceland's Westman Islands could lose their famous puffin colony altogether. The reason is a collapse in the sand eel population. (more...)

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Posted in Environment, General, Iceland, MBL2 Comments

Norwegian oil fund excludes ‘unethical’ Israeli companies

29 August 2010

Two Israeli firms have been excluded from Norway’s USD 450 billion sovereign wealth fund for building Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land. Both the Africa Israel Investments holding firm and its construction subsidiary Danya Cebus have been blacklisted by the Norwegian Ministry of Finance. (more...)

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Posted in Business, Energy, Environment, General, International, MBL, Norway, Politics2 Comments

Electricity shock for Reykjavik residents

29 August 2010

The debts of Reykjavik Energy went down by ISK 12 billion (USD 99.5 million) between the first and second quarters of this year due to the strengthening krona. Despite that, the company is to increase its prices to consumers by 28.5 percent. (more...)

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Posted in Business, Energy, General, Iceland, Lifestyle, MBL, Society0 Comments

Council workers complain about gay toy art

29 August 2010

Council employees in Denmark have demanded that a picture of two toy figures simulating gay sex be removed from their offices. According to news website lokalavisen.dk, workers at Roskilde Town Hall are in uproar over the cheeky artwork which shows two ‘Duplo’ men getting friendly in a public park. (more...)