Friðrik Ólafsson, Iceland’s first chess grandmaster and a longtime public servant, passed away on April 4 at the age of 90 in the palliative care unit of the National Hospital.

Inflation and seismic activity continues on the Reykjanes Peninsula. In the last 24 hours, about 550 earthquakes have been recorded on the peninsula and out to the Reykjanes Ridge.

Ingvi Steinn Jóhannsson, newly elected chairman of the Icelandic Customs Association and Chief Customs Officer at Keflavík Airport, has praised customs officers for their professionalism and efficiency following the seizure of 20,000 counterfeit OxyContin pills—a drug shipment that, instead of oxycodone, contained nitazene, a dangerously potent synthetic opioid.

Daði Már Kristófersson, Iceland’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, has responded to the U.S. government’s decision to impose a 10% import tariff on Icelandic products, calling the move “not good news” — but also noting that Iceland may have fared better than many of its trade partners.

A powerful earthquake struck near Kleifarvatn Lake at 6:03 pm yesterday, shaking the southwest corner of Iceland and being widely felt in the capital area. A series of aftershocks followed, several of which were also felt across the region.

The April 1st eruption, which began at 9:44 a.m., officially ended at 4:45 pm the same day, making it the shortest eruption in the ongoing Reykjanes Peninsula eruption series that began in March 2021.

Seismic activity in connection with the April 1st magma flow remains persistent, with 80-120 earthquakes occurring every hour, according to the latest statement from the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

The 70-year-old man arrested in Grindavík yesterday on charges of threatening rescue workers with a firearm denies any wrongdoing and is now considering legal action.

There has been no volcanic activity on the fissure at Sundhnúkagígar since midday yesterday. However, embers continue to smolder in the newly formed lava, and the area remains unstable and hazardous, according to a statement from the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Two significant earthquakes were recorded near Reykjanestá shortly before 5 p.m. today, with the largest measuring 5.3 in magnitude, according to Jóhanna Malen Skúladóttir, a natural hazard specialist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The magnitude of the smaller tremor is still being assessed.

Despite the apparent subsiding of the eruption, seismic activity remains strong, with continued tremors detected in the northeastern section of the magma corridor, according to Benedikt Halldórsson, director of natural hazards at the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

A man who brandished a firearm at two rescue workers during the evacuation of Grindavík this morning was arrested at the scene, according to senior police officer Gunnar Schram of the Suðurnes Police.

The ongoing volcanic eruption at the Sundhnúkagígar crater row continues to intensify, with the eruption fissure now stretching approximately 1,200 meters and expanding southward.

A significant earthquake swarm is currently underway along the Sundhnúkagígar crater row, with clear signs that magma is moving beneath the surface. GPS data and pressure measurements in boreholes indicate that a magma run has begun, increasing the likelihood of a volcanic eruption.

An eruption has begun on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the eleventh in just over four years and the eighth since December 2023.

A volcanic eruption broke out just north of the Grindavík defense wall at 10:00 AM this morning, following an intense earthquake swarm in the area. While the eruption was anticipated, its initial strength has come as a slight surprise to experts.

The proximity of the volcanic fissure to Grindavík can be seen in the video that a mbl.is photographer recently captured from the air.

The Icelandic Red Cross has launched the 3dagar.is campaign (3 days campaign) to encourage citizens to be better prepared for emergencies.

Four domestic cats have mysteriously disappeared from Kársnes in March, raising concerns among pet owners in the area. Residents suspect the animals were deliberately taken and relocated to another municipality, sparking widespread worry and frustration.

A tragic accident occurred today on Iceland’s Ring Road near the Eyjafjöll mountains when falling rocks struck a vehicle carrying three foreign women. The driver did not survive.

Kristófer Daði Davíðsson, Maren Eir Halldórsdóttir, and Eva María Jónsdóttir are first-year police science students with a shared background in Western Iceland. Davíðsson is from Borgarfjörður, Halldórsdóttir from Hvanneyri, and Jónsdóttir from Akranes. Aged 21, 22, and 24, respectively, they are on the path to realizing their long-held dreams of becoming police officers.

“Technology evolves so rapidly that we cannot predict its consequences. The landscape could be entirely different in a year or two. This is a very serious issue,” warns Ragnar Jónasson, author and vice-chairman of the Icelandic Writers’ Association.

“Finding themselves as artists in the community has been incredibly empowering for our participants. Instead of focusing on their illness, they have been creating, discovering their artistic identity, and simply enjoying the process. Moving the project out of the hospital and into a public space was key in bridging connections between people. Our partners feel the same—it is truly rewarding to see how much participants enjoy being among peers. We witness a significant transformation in them after taking part in Kúnstpása.”

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, seismic activity intensified overnight near the Sundhnúkagígar crater row and the Grindavík area. Around ten earthquakes were recorded near the magma tunnel, prompting heightened vigilance among monitoring teams.

Iceland’s education system is not yielding the expected results despite significant investment, according to Andreas Schleicher, head of education at the OECD, which conducts the PISA assessments. Schleicher argues that Icelandic students often receive high grades that do not accurately reflect their performance, raising concerns about the country’s academic standards.

Europe has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine, making it clear that trade sanctions against Russia will remain firmly in place. This was the key message from a high-level summit in Paris, where leaders from 27 European nations gathered to discuss ongoing aid for Ukraine, ceasefire negotiations, and long-term security measures.

Volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson cautions that it is impossible to predict if or when another eruption will occur on the Reykjanes Peninsula, as the assumptions previously used to forecast eruptions are no longer reliable.

A new survey by Maskína for Vísir shows the Independence Party leading with 24.3% support, making it the largest political party in the country. The Social Democratic Alliance has gained ground, while the Liberal Reform Party remains stable and the People's Party sees a decline.

The notorious Venezuelan criminal organization El Tren Aragua has established “connections to Iceland,” according to a recent report by the news commentary program Þetta helst, on RÚV, the National Broadcasting Corporation.

In a groundbreaking initiative, 16,000 people in Iceland have been invited to take part in a major study on quality of life after cancer.

Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Minister of Industry and Trade, and Daði Már Kristófersson, Minister of Finance, introduced a proposal today to amend the law on fishing fees, which includes adjustments to the registered catch values for both demersal and pelagic fish.

The ongoing inflation and frequent earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula suggest that a new eruption may be imminent, according to Páll Einarsson, professor emeritus of geophysics at the University of Iceland. "The inflation continues, and earthquakes are occurring correspondingly. Everything points to a magma run before too long," Einarsson stated when discussing the current situation.

“There was something that happened in 2023. That was the biggest increase in violent crimes and criminal offenses we’ve seen. All the numbers went up,” says Páley Borgþórsdóttir, police chief for the Northeastern Police. She explains that while authorities had hoped for a reversal, the situation has not improved.

The Icelandic Fisheries Industry Association (SFS) has strongly criticized the government’s plan to double fishing fees, a proposal set to be presented today. According to the association, the move will lead to job losses, reduce state revenue, and ultimately harm the country's fisheries sector.