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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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In the first two months of 2013, 53 individuals applied for asylum in Iceland, compared to ten in the same period last year. Out of the 53 asylum seekers, 30 are Croatian citizens, who have been given express treatment.
Keflavík International Airport. Photo copyright Icelandic Photo Agency.
“It means that their applications are being prioritized above other applications,” Þorsteinn Gunnarsson, lawyer at the Directorate of Immigration, told Morgunblaðið. When asked how long it will take to process each application, he stated, “We try to aim for 90 days.”
Croatia will obtain European Union membership on July 1, 2013. “If more people [from Croatia] will apply for asylum we won’t manage to process them by July 1,” Þorsteinn stated.
The average processing time of applications for asylum was 275 days in 2012. Currently more than 180 individuals are awaiting a response from the authorities.
Kristín Völundardóttir, head of the Directorate of Immigration, said the directorate is lobbying for more manpower so that applications can be processed more quickly.
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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REVIEWS
The 11th Reykjavík Shorts & Docs. Catch it while it lasts!
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Artist couple Nína Ivanova and Ómar Smári Kristinsson explain why they decided to settle in the West Fjords’ capital.
Reykjavík Queer Choir’s annual spring concert takes place on Friday, May 24.
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