Category: National
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The next two-day strike could cost tourism companies half a billion króna
The proposed two-day strikes of labor unions Efling and VR could cost tourism companies in Iceland up to half a billion króna, according to Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, director of the Icelandic Tourism Association. A new round of strikes has been announced for next Thursday, when employees of hotels and bus companies will stop work for two…
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Icelandair stock up 6% after Indigo Partners cancel WOW air negotiations
Shares in Icelandair Group rose by 5,8 percent yesterday, after the company announced that it had again started negotiations to acquire the Iceladic budget airline WOW air. The American private equity firm Indigo Partners, which has a controlling interest in the American Frontier Airlines and Chilean low-cost start-up JetSmart, announced this week that negotiations to…
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Indigo Partners cancel negotiations with WOW air
The proposed investment of Indigo Partners in Icelandic budget airline WOW air has been cancelled. The talks started after WOW air ran into financial difficulties last year. All negotiations between WOW air and Indigo Partners have been cancelled, and WOW air has subsequently started another round of discussions with Icelandair Group. “The parties aim to…
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Volcano Eruption risk level raised to Yellow at Öræfajökull
The Icelandic Meteorological Office has raised volcano eruption risk level to Yellow for Öræfajökull, an ice-covered volcano in south-east Iceland. New satellite images of Öræfajökull show that a caldera, measuring around one kilometer in diameter, has formed in the last few days on the glacier. Sulfuric stench has emanated from the Kvíá river, running from…
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Ragnar Þór elected president of Teachers’ Union
Ragnar Þór Pétursson has been elected president of the Icelandic Teachers’ Union. The vote started on November 1 and ended earlier today, with 10.675 teachers eligible to vote. Three candidates ran for the office and Ragnar won with 56,3% of the vote. Ragnar was born in Akureyri in 1976 and finished his studies in philosophy…
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Center-left coalition talks have ended
Talks between the center-left parties in Parliament to form a government coalition ended today. Leaders of the Left-Green Movement, Social Democratic Alliance, Progessive Party, and the Pirates had been in discussions since Friday to form a government following the general elections on October 28. According to Iceland Monitor, the Progressive Party decided to abandon the…
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Ásgeir Trausti kicks off Airwaves in Akureyri
The Iceland Airwaves music festival started in Reykjavík this week and this year the festival also takes place in Akureyri, the second largest urban area after the capital area of Reykjavík and only a one hour drive from Húsavík. The festival kicks off in Akureyri tonight with performances by Húsavík artist Ásgeir Trausti, Mammút, Hildur,…
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Over 7 million passengers through Keflavík Airport this year
The seven millionth passengers to travel through Keflavík Airport this year, Chris and Joanne Bradley, were greeted with gifts at the airport today. They were arriving to Iceland with with EasyJet from Belfast. The number of passengers at Keflavík is divided into arrivals, departures, and stopovers, each of which count as one passenger. Last year’s…
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Minister of Finance steps down as leader of Reform Party
Benedikt Jóhannesson, member of Parliament for North East and leader of the Reform Party has stepped down as party chairman. Jóhannesson founded the party last year and won 7 seats in the Parliament during last year’s election. According to the polls, it now looks like the party might loos all or all but one of…
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Iceland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time
A little over one year after sensationally knocking England out of Euro 2016, Iceland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time, following a 2 to 0 win over Kosovo at Laugardalsvöllur stadium in Reykjavík. Needing victory to guarantee top spot in European qualifying Group I, goals from Everton star Gylfi Sigurðsson and…