“These changes will not be without controversy,” said Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Minister of Environment, Energy, and Climate, during a presentation on a planned overhaul of Iceland’s system for health inspections, pollution control, and food safety monitoring.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office has received no reports of landslides in East Iceland overnight. Yesterday, however, several minor slides occurred in stream channels in Seyðisfjörður, Norðfjörður, Eskifjörður, and Fáskrúðsfjörður.

The Liberal Reform Party (Viðreisn) is preparing to field candidates in more municipalities in next year’s local elections.

Google Maps has now “reopened” Reykjanesbraut to traffic, after the road had been marked as closed on the app for the past 24 hours.

An error in Google Maps, or unclear road signage from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin), has caused confusion among drivers using Google navigation, with the app showing that Reykjanesbraut is closed near Straumsvík.

Police in Bulgaria are searching for Ólafur Austmann, an Icelandic man in his fifties, who has not been seen since August 18.

About 20 employees of the airline Play were laid off this week. Birgir Olgeirsson, Play’s communications officer, told mbl.is that the layoffs affect staff across the company.

Immediate action is needed to prevent the collapse of the Gulf Stream. If the world waits too long, it could be too late. Iceland would feel the effects acutely, as the country would experience significant cooling.

A fairly strong earthquake swarm has been occurring off Reykjanestá since around 5 a.m. this morning, with the largest quake, magnitude 3.3, measured at 4:48.

At 12:46, an earthquake of magnitude 3.1 was measured near Seltún in Krýsuvík.

The town festival Í túninu heima in Mosfellsbær opened yesterday and will run throughout the weekend. The festival has become a tradition, with residents themselves creating the atmosphere by inviting people into their gardens, hosting street barbecues, and organizing a variety of events.

Requests for assistance from Icelandic police in investigations abroad are common in cases where Icelandic servers are used to host illegal activities.

A towering iceberg, measuring up to 75 meters high, came into view for the crew of TF-EIR, the Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter, yesterday. For comparison, Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík stands 74.5 meters tall.

Shortly after midnight, rescue teams in the Skaftá region were called out after a hiker lost his way near Úlfárdalsker.

Rescue teams from Dagrenning in Hvolsvöllur and the Air Rescue Team in Hella were dispatched on the highest priority yesterday morning after reports of a car stuck in Markarfljót, near Gilsá on the Emstrur route. Five people were in the vehicle.

The ATM stolen from Íslandsbanki’s Þverholt branch some days ago was found near the hot water tanks at Hólmsheiði the day before yesterday, following police investigation.

The municipal council of Mýrdalshreppur has repeatedly pointed out the need for stronger sea defenses in the area where heavy surf has caused damage near Vík í Mýrdal. The Icelandic Road Administration (Vegagerðin) has, however, seen no reason to act. If nothing changes, coastal erosion will continue and eventually cut through Route 1.

Significant damage has occurred near Vík í Mýrdal due to heavy surf during the night and morning. A sheep barn was washed out to sea, and a recently built seawall has broken apart.

The Independence Party is currently polling as the largest party in Reykjavík’s city council, according to a new Borgarviti survey by Maskína, with 29.2% support. This marks an increase of nearly four percentage points since the last poll in June, when support was roughly the same as in the previous election.

The courtroom of the South Iceland District Court is packed this morning as the main proceedings in the so-called Gufunes case began at 9:15. The defendants are gradually arriving at the courthouse.

An unusual ship has docked in Ísafjörður: the floating research station Tara Polar Station, which has been undergoing trials in the Arctic Ocean, arrived on Saturday. Ísafjörður residents will not be the only ones to see the odd-looking vessel; according to a written statement from the Tara Ocean Foundation, which operates the station, Tara Polar Station is scheduled to arrive in Reykjavík on the morning of September 3. It will remain there until October 20 before setting sail for Finland.

A high-pressure system is over the North Sea, while a low lies to the west and southwest of Iceland, steering warm and humid air toward the country today.

Culture Night was officially opened at noon yesterday. Reykjavík was full of life, with Arnarhóll turning into the biggest dance floor in the country.

The Reykjavík Marathon’s fundraising record is expected to be broken today, with around 250 million ISK already collected for charity.

“We are looking at every possible way to keep this open, but I am not optimistic,” says Þórhildur Ólöf Helgadóttir, CEO of Iceland Post, in an interview with mbl.is about the difficulties and uncertainty now facing parcel deliveries to the United States.

The best weather today will be in North and East Iceland, where skies will be mostly clear and temperatures could reach up to 21°C. In the west, it will be cloudy with light showers in some areas. Temperatures nationwide will range between 13 and 21°C.

“Ivan Burkert has cycled from Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, where he set off on July 25, riding through Poland, Germany, and Denmark,” Jirka Hynek told mbl.is. Hynek is Burkert’s assistant and press officer. Burkert is currently touring Europe and Iceland on a so-called penny-farthing bicycle.

A man in his fifties was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in the theft of an ATM in Mosfellsbær, in which heavy machinery was used to carry out the crime.

This year’s Reykjavík Marathon, taking place next Saturday, is set to break records for participation.

A one-minute silence will be held during the Tónaflóð concert on Culture Night to honor Bryndís Klara Birgisdóttir, who was fatally stabbed at the festival last year. Guests are also encouraged to wear pink, Bryndís’ favorite color, in her memory.

A man who suffered a cardiac arrest while hiking in Reykjadalur in the summer of 2023 is now searching for the young woman who helped him by calling Iceland’s emergency number, 112.

The program for Reykjavík Culture Night will end an hour earlier than in previous years, and security will be stepped up with the aim of making the event more family-friendly.

An earthquake was felt at 18:10 yesterday in the capital area. Its epicenter was located about 4 km south-southeast of Helgafell in Hafnarfjörður.

Powerlifter Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson — better known worldwide as The Mountain — has challenged billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the platform X and founder of OpenAI, to create a strength-training robot.

A rockfall occurred earlier today near Holtsnúp under Eyjafjöll, at almost the same spot where a fatal accident happened in March this year.