
Watch an audio slideshow of how traditional Icelandic rhubarb stew is made. Rhubarb is one of the few vegetables that grows effortlessly in Iceland and for that reason it used to be a highly-valued addition to the traditional diet of fish and lamb.
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Björk Eiðsdóttir, mother of 15-year-old Blær Bjarkardóttir who is suing Icelandic authorities to have her name officially approved (she’s known as ‘girl’ in the National Registry), states her daughter is optimistic she will win the case—the principal proceedings took place at Reykjavík District Court yesterday.

The Icelandic Naming Committee rejected the name Blær as a woman’s name on the basis that it is classified as a man’s name and according to the Icelandic laws on human names, names cannot be unisex.
“She told the judge that she loves her name and that it has not caused her any problems except in official matters,” Björk told visir.is. Björk also served as a witness, as did a lawyer of the Naming Committee.
“My lawyer submitted evidence showing that there’s a precedent for a name both being male and female,” Björk added.
A verdict is expected by the end of this month.
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ESA
One of the last tasks of Steingrímur J. Sigfússon while in office as minister of industries and innovation was to issue a regulation on Monday extending the reserve for whales in Faxaflói bay, off Reykjavík in Southwest Iceland. The regulation took affect at midnight.
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The Identification Committee of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police yesterday completed its investigation of human remains found by travelers on the beach Kaldbaksvík in Strandir, the eastern West Fjords, on Saturday.
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The government of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir will formally step down after a state council meeting with President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson at his residence Bessastaðir at 11 am today. At 3 pm, the new government of Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson will attend a state council meeting and afterwards formally take power.
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Air traffic was grounded at Keflavík International Airport for up to two hours this morning due to a failure in the flight data system. Due to the delay, many passengers missed their connecting flights.
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The 2013 April-May issue of Iceland Review & Atlantica has been released. Packed with informative and entertaining stories, highlights include an interview with outgoing Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and the people who know her best, a photo essay of ice caves in Europe’s largest glacier and a colorful feature on life in the West Fjords.
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The 11th Reykjavík Shorts & Docs. Catch it while it lasts!
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