There was a lively atmosphere in the Westman Islands today as The Puffin Run took place for the ninth time.

The time has come to abolish inheritance tax, according to Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, MP for the Independence Party, who has submitted a bill to Parliament proposing its repeal.

South Iceland Police have recorded an increase in pickpocketing near tourist attractions over the past week, according to a chief inspector. Authorities suspect that organized groups of criminals have come to Iceland specifically to carry out pickpocketing, but such groups have targeted the Golden Circle in recent years.

A long line of young people formed outside the Coppermine store at 44 Laugavegur this morning, where sales of highly sought-after clothing began at noon.

Weather conditions will be fairly good across much of Iceland on Labour Day, although wind and snow showers will affect some areas.

“I had conferences and other events booked this winter, and all of it has been cancelled,” says Einar Björn Árnason, a restaurateur in the Westman Islands, describing the situation in the local tourism industry.

Finance Minister Daði Már Kristófersson says price developments are moving in the right direction. No further emergency measures against inflation are currently planned, but the conditions underlying wage agreements are under pressure.

Lindex in Iceland has entered into a partnership agreement with Kvennaathvarfið, the Women’s Shelter to provide clothing for women and children seeking refuge at shelters in Reykjavík and Akureyri.

German sailors aboard a merchant ship off the coast of Iceland, when the Second World War broke out fled, made their way ashore in Reykjavík, and sought to avoid returning to Germany. The case was covered in the media at the time, but newly uncovered records from the National Archives shed fresh light on the events.

“There’s room for improvement,” says Vilhjálmur Birgisson, chairman of the Federation of General and Special Workers, when asked about the latest inflation figures, which show twelve-month inflation easing between months to 5.2%.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir has indicated she would reserve a kind of veto over a potential EU accession agreement, stating she would not put such a deal to a national referendum unless it meets her own standards.

A special pop-up dining event will be held at Hótel Geysir on Thursday, April 30 at 6:00 PM, where five professionals will join forces for a single evening.

Seismic activity that began in Bárðarbunga on Saturday has now subsided.

The annual “Big Plogging Day” took place across Iceland today, with hundreds of people heading out to clean up their local environments, both through organized events and on their own initiative.

A 24-year-old Icelandic man has reportedly died in a parachuting accident in Odense, Denmark. He was taking part in a jump with a skydiving club when his parachute failed to open properly, resulting in his death.

An earthquake measuring 3.2 struck Bárðarbunga around 2:30 PM yesterday. It was followed by several aftershocks.

The blockbuster Apex, the latest film by Baltasar Kormákur, premiered in New York on Wednesday evening, and the movie is released on Netflix today, April 24.

The first groundbreaking has recently taken place for a calcified seaweed processing plant by the Icelandic Calcified Seaweed Company at Langeyri near Súðavík in Álftafjörður. The factory will cover approximately 5,500 square meters. It is intended to harvest and process calcified seaweed deposits from Ísafjarðardjúp, drying them into powder and other products. These will then be exported to markets in mainland Europe and the Middle East.

Inflammation in the brain, previously thought to be harmful, may in fact be part of the brain’s natural healing process. This is the main conclusion of a new study published yesterday in the prestigious scientific journal Nature, led by Ragnhildur Þóra Káradóttir, professor of neurophysiology at the University of Iceland and the University of Cambridge.

Temperatures across the country will range between 5 and 13°C today, the First Day of Summer, according to the Icelandic Met Office forecast.

The mayor of Hafnarfjörður says the municipality will use the Icelandic Met Office’s long-term hazard assessment for planning and to ensure the safety of residents and infrastructure.

“The coffee beans are enough for ten cups, and hopefully a bit more. We’ve had coffee plants for a long time and grown them in a greenhouse here, where we also have banana plants. Coffee beans are a harvest many people find surprising to grow in Iceland. But with resourcefulness and knowledge, a lot can be cultivated,” says Guðríður Helgadóttir, head of the Horticultural College at Reykir in Ölfus.

Like other airlines, Icelandair has had to respond to a sharp increase in jet fuel prices due to the Iran war.

The weather has been pleasant for many people across the country today, even though it may not have been as noticeable in the southwest.

“Yes, this is quite remarkable,” says Gunnar Björnsson, executive director of the Icelandic Chess Federation, in an interview with mbl.is, referring to the fact that scoresheets from the so-called “Match of the Century” in chess, played by Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in Laugardalur in the summer of 1972, recently sold for around 20 million Icelandic krónur at an auction held by Sotheby’s.

Two towns, Hveragerði and Grindavík, are located in areas classified at the highest hazard level in a new long-term risk assessment by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, which examines the risk posed by volcanic eruptions and lava flows.

Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, MP for the Independence Party and Iceland’s incoming ambassador, says it is bittersweet to leave Alþingi after ten years in parliament.

Grandmaster and Icelandic chess champion Vignir Vatnar Stefánsson secured a place at the Chess World Cup yesterday with a dramatic victory over Israel’s Maxim Rodhstein.

Although sea ice and icebergs are now less common around Iceland than in the past—partly due to warming in the Northern Hemisphere, as across the globe, it can still be dangerous. Today, it is mainly fishermen and other seafarers who encounter sea ice.

“We’ll start drilling today or tomorrow and expect to drill here in the Westman Islands for about a month, taking core samples and analyzing them. After that, we’ll move the drill to Landeyjasandur and take samples there,” says Haraldur Pálsson, CEO of Eyjagöng, regarding exploratory drilling for a proposed tunnel between the mainland and the Westman Islands.

Warm temperatures and a sunny day are expected on the First Day of Summer next Thursday. In the days that follow, however, the weather gods may bring colder spells.

Police in Suðurnes are investigating a major drug case after a significant quantity of amphetamine was seized upon passengers’ arrival in the country.

The City of Reykjavík plans to allocate ten million ISK to support and strengthen live music venues in the downtown area. To achieve this, the Music Venue Improvement Fund will be revived after previously operating from 2020 to 2022.

Paid parking will be introduced at Egilshöll. Parking closest to the building will remain free, but only for up to 15 minutes. Other spaces will be free for up to three hours.

Just before 8:00 PM yesterday, the rescue teams Ingunn from Laugarvatn, Tintron in Grímsnes, and the Árborg Rescue Association were called out with the highest priority due to an injured individual at Davíðsgjá, located by the eastern side of Vatnsvík in Þingvallavatn.