The number of gyrfalcons in Northeast Iceland has increased by a third since last year, according to a survey conducted in a research area monitored by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History in the region. The area covers 5,300 square kilometers and contains 88 known gyrfalcon territories, 35 of which were found to be occupied.

“This is a good day. We have now reached the point where this is in the hands of the nation. Either we enter these negotiations, seek a good agreement and then see what happens, or we put the discussion about the European Union aside, at least for the time being.

“Iceland is at its most beautiful today,” economist and CEO Halldór Benjamín Þorbergsson told mbl.is outside Hagaskóli just moments ago.

Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, remembers King Harald of Norway, who died early this morning, in a post on Instagram.

According to a new Gallup poll, 51.6% intend to vote against continuing Iceland’s European Union accession talks, while 48.4% intend to vote in favor.

A new approach to buying property was presented at the autumn meeting of the Housing and Construction Authority yesterday morning, where the state of the housing market was the main focus.

The foreign tourist who fell into the Jökla river at Stuðlagil is reported by Polish media to have been a Polish citizen.

Twelve-month inflation measures 5.6%, rising slightly from last month, when it stood at 5.3%.

The Reykjavík Metropolitan Police Commissioner has charged Sema Erla Serdaroglu with violating laws on public fundraising.

The Reykjavík City Executive Council today approved a proposal from the mayor for extensive changes to the organizational structure of the Department of Welfare and the Department of Education and Recreation. The new organizational structures will take effect at the beginning of next month.

An earthquake swarm that occurred along the Reykjanes Ridge yesterday has ended. Around 200 earthquakes were recorded during the swarm.

Wages in Iceland are now among the highest in Europe and, indeed, among the highest more broadly.

An earthquake swarm has been ongoing on the Reykjanes Ridge since shortly after 3:30 a.m., when a magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck.

Divers found the body of a foreign tourist who fell into the Jökla river at Stuðlagil yesterday. The body was found shortly before 10 p.m., close to where he had fallen into the river.

Claudia Goldin, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University, will be one of two keynote speakers at a conference hosted by Reykjavík University’s Department of Business Administration and Economics tomorrow.

Emergency responders at Háifoss do not believe there is reason for serious concern about visitor safety at the waterfall, even though three accidents have occurred there so far this year, including one fatal accident, and visitor numbers have increased more than tenfold since the winter.

An earthquake swarm northwest of Reykjanestá began shortly after 4 a.m. last night. Around 50 earthquakes have been recorded, with the largest measuring magnitude 2.6.

The research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough is currently docked in Reykjavík Harbor as part of a major international research expedition investigating the effects of melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet on the North Atlantic and the Earth’s climate system.

Friends and designers Halldór Karlsson and Atli Geir Alfreðsson recently launched the clothing brand Lost Horse, selling handmade cowboy hats, shirts and bandanas inspired by classic Western style.

A variety of events and entertainment will take place in downtown Reykjavík today to mark Culture Night. Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir will officially open the festival at 12:30 p.m. on Klapparstígur. A diverse program will take place throughout the city center from morning until evening, including the Reykjavík Marathon, concerts, dance performances, art exhibitions, outdoor karaoke and family events.

Around 60 rescue workers took part in a major rescue operation on Fimmvörðuháls yesterday after a hiking group cro

Icelandair has completed the acquisition of a 49% stake in the company that holds the Maltese air operator’s certificate formerly belonging to airline Play.

More than 15,000 participants are now registered for the Íslandsbanki Reykjavík Marathon, which takes place on Saturday, and the full and half marathons are close to selling out.

Relatives are looking into whether there is a legal avenue to appeal the police decision to discontinue the investigation into an unusual case, a decision that was upheld by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Culture Night in the capital area looks set to be a wet one tomorrow, with around ten millimeters of rainfall expected during the day.

Eyjagöng ehf. has signed an agreement with Norwegian consulting firm Norconsult to carry out a comprehensive cost and feasibility assessment for the construction of a subsea tunnel between the Icelandic mainland and the Westman Islands.

The Icelandic Institute of Natural History is proposing that the ptarmigan hunting season be extended by a total of 11 days this year compared with last year. The institute has submitted its proposal to the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate.

At a meeting of Reykjavík’s Executive Council today, the mayor presented a proposal for a special subsidy on meal services for low-income senior citizens. Under the proposal, those whose income falls below a defined threshold would pay ISK 1,500 per meal instead of ISK 1,900.

Strætó services will operate very differently on Saturday because of Culture Night, traditionally one of the busiest days of the year. Most routes will run more frequently throughout the day, and free shuttle buses will operate between Laugardalshöll and Hallgrímskirkja, while several routes will also be altered because of road closures.

Opera singer and composer Alexandra Chernyshova had an unforgettable experience in Vatnshellir Cave on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula over the weekend when she sang for a small group of tourists. She knew only that it was a special VIP group, but when the lights came back on after her performance, she realized that none other than Hollywood star Nicole Kidman was among the audience.

The Iceland Chamber of Commerce believes it would be safe to reduce mandatory pension contributions from 15.5% to 12% of wages. It also believes that income above a certain level should be exempt from mandatory pension contributions once an employee’s savings have reached a level sufficient to ensure an acceptable standard of living in retirement.

Shannon Mann, one of the crew members of Bandero, a vessel operated by the Paul Watson organization, has returned home to Saskatoon, Canada, after being deported from Iceland along with other crew members. She is also reported to have been issued a re-entry ban.

Mayor Hildur Björnsdóttir could be seen at Austurvöllur today celebrating Reykjavík’s 240th anniversary in the sunshine and presenting the program for Culture Night, which will be held in downtown Reykjavík on Saturday, August 22.

“There are certainly some developments and occasionally some ongoing comments on the political front, but we have always had an extremely strong relationship at all levels with the US government and the US military, and that relationship has even grown stronger in recent months and years.”

The housing market is facing difficult conditions. High interest rates are making it difficult for developers to finance projects, leaving them with unsold apartments.