A young Icelandic couple had to pull over to the side of the road after receiving a phone call that changed their lives.

A Scottish birdwatcher traveled to Iceland specifically to see the American Tree Sparrow in Kjós today.

The lawyer representing an Icelandic man in his eighties who was extorted out of approximately ISK 108 million by Icelandic extortionists says he has never encountered a case of this magnitude in Iceland.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was noncommittal when asked whether France's position on Iceland's possible accession negotiations with the European Union has changed since 2010 or remains the same. He noted that many years have passed and that the world has changed considerably in the meantime.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is expected to arrive in Iceland today. During his visit, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. While not listed on the official agenda, Iceland's potential membership in the European Union could well be discussed.

A new Finnish-style sauna was officially opened in Ísafjörður over the weekend, marking the completion of a two-year construction project.

Hljómskálagarðurinn park is once again hosting the Street Food Festival this weekend, featuring more than 40 food trucks and vendors serving a wide variety of street food from around the world.

Rescue teams from across southwest and southeast Iceland, from the Capital Region to Höfn in Hornafjörður, were called out yesterday after a tourist failed to return from a hike.

Hjörleifur Davíðsson, one of the owners of Kölski, is a proud native of the Westman Islands. He recalls skipping school in the 10th grade to work the fishing season at Vinnslustöðin and Ísfélagið. Today, he and his business partners are developing bespoke suits made from a unique wool sourced from the Westman Islands.

A cyclist who was injured in Glerárdalur near Akureyri yesterday was pronounced dead after arriving at Akureyri Hospital at 8:20 p.m.

A Coast Guard helicopter airlifted an injured man from Glerárdalur to Akureyri Hospital after all rescue teams in Eyjafjörður were called out on an F2 emergency response, along with police and ambulance personnel.

A major emergency response is underway in Glerárdalur, southwest of Akureyri. All rescue teams in Eyjafjörður have been called out, along with police and ambulance personnel.

One of Hnappadalur's salmon fishing gems, the Haffjarðará River, richly rewarded one of its most loyal visitors of more than fifty years a few days ago.

Iceland's Rare Birds Committee will determine whether the sighting of the American Tree Sparrow in Kjós will be officially confirmed. The committee has not been convened specifically because of the bird's appearance, as it normally reviews and confirms rare bird records for the entire year at the end of the year.

The Street Food Festival, held in partnership with the European Street Food Awards, will take place in Hljómskálagarður Park in Reykjavík this weekend, July 17 to 19. The festival has established itself as Iceland's largest food event and will offer a wide range of activities for the whole family.

Iceland's Ministry of Education and Children has introduced plans for legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from using social media.

There is plenty of activity in Borgarfjörður Eystri these days, with beautiful weather drawing both locals and visitors to the area. Hotels are fully booked, the campsite is busy, and hundreds of cruise ship passengers visited the village today.

Iceland's all-time temperature record was set at Teigarhorn in 1939, when the mercury reached 30.5°C (86.9°F).

Iceland had the highest upper secondary school dropout rate in Europe in 2025, according to official data from the European Union's statistical office, Eurostat. The figures show that 16.7% of Icelanders aged 18 to 24 had left upper secondary education without completing it.

The number of foreign citizens living in Iceland has grown at a faster rate than the number of Icelandic citizens since December 1, 2025, according to new data from Registers Iceland.

A total of 43 burglary and theft cases have been reported to police between July 1 and today, including 20 in downtown Reykjavík.

A pickup truck towing a caravan was caught by strong winds on Holtavörðuheiði today, causing the caravan to overturn and come to rest on its side across the road, while the pickup became stuck in the roadside shoulder for quite some time.

An American Tree Sparrow is currently staying in the Kjós area of southwest Iceland. The species has never before been recorded in Iceland and has only been seen once previously in Europe, about a decade ago in Scania, Sweden.

Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir appears to have taken home more than just memories of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ceremonial rifle and a handshake with U.S. President Donald Trump from her trip to Turkey. Online, hundreds of thousands of Turks have flocked to her Instagram account, showering her with praise.

The vessel Bandero has left Iceland's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, according to a spokesperson for the Icelandic Coast Guard.

Preparations for next month's total solar eclipse in West Iceland have been underway for nearly three years, according to Sigríður Ó. Kristjánsdóttir, managing director of the Westfjords Regional Development Office, commonly known as Sirrý. Now, she says, much depends on the weather forecast.

A new bridge over Breiðholtsbraut opened to traffic this morning, along with new traffic lights at the intersection of Arnarnesvegur and Breiðholtsbraut.

Many people are expected to travel to North and East Iceland this weekend, where the forecast calls for sunny weather and temperatures of up to 27°C (81°F).

American singer-songwriter Jewel recently visited Iceland and thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the country, even though the weather was less than ideal during her stay.

Many residents of the Capital Region have recently noticed advertisements at bus shelters bearing the message: "Operation 86: Stop Whaling."

Isavia's plans to build a 200- to 400-room hotel at Keflavík International Airport do not align well with the future vision for tourism on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Several of Iceland's salmon rivers have been producing particularly strong catches in recent days. Among the standout rivers are the Þverá/Kjarrá system in Borgarfjörður, the Jökla River in East Iceland, and the Haffjarðará River in Hnappadalur.

If the forecast holds, East Iceland is set to enjoy hot temperatures and sunshine next weekend.

Last Saturday, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph published an article about whaling in Iceland. The story included interviews with Kristján Loftsson, CEO of Hvalur hf., Haraldur Ólafsson, chairman of Heimssýn, and a person identified only as "a spokesperson for the Icelandic government."

"In reality, it's nothing short of vandalism," says Birna Mjöll Atladóttir, owner of Hotel Breiðavík near Látrabjarg in Iceland's Westfjords, after three large tour groups canceled more than 75 room bookings for the days surrounding next month's total solar eclipse.