The curious parking techniques and fashion-forward outfits are just a few ways Iceland is sure to leave an impression on an outsider.
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Icelanders are still feeling the consequences of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Yesterday a dark mist was lying over Reykjavík. Visibility was limited and people complained of a strange smell. Doctors advised those who are allergic or have weak lungs to stay inside.
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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of a hike to Hraunsvatn lake in Öxnadalur valley in north Iceland, which lies at a height of 490 meters, interlocked between two steep mountains and a small glacier with a view of the majestic Hraundrangar peaks.
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Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland’s best hidden gems.
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The resolution committee of the old Kaupthing Bank, which has now been nationalized, has decided to sue British authorities with support from the Icelandic state for seizing Kaupthing’s subsidiary in the UK in October 2008.
British authorities seized the control of the deposits of Kaupthing Edge on October 8 and afterwards a moratorium was put on the payments of Kaupthing’s subsidiary in London, Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander, Morgunbladid reports.
Kaupthing headquarters in Reykjavík. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
“We believe that it is of great importance to find out whether laws in the UK were violated, damaging Icelandic interests,” Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde said at a press conference yesterday.
The Kaupthing resolution committee has until 4 pm tomorrow to file the lawsuit. According to Haarde, the Landsbanki resolution committee has a longer time limit to decide whether British authorities should also be sued for freezing the bank’s Icesave deposits in the UK, Fréttabladid reports.
Haarde said four British law firms have worked on reviewing the case with Kaupthing and that one of these law firms will represent the bank.
The prime minister emphasized that Kaupthing’s case is not at all related to the agreement on the Icesave deposits, which is being worked on by Icelandic and British authorities on political grounds. The lawsuit will neither strengthen nor weaken Iceland’s position in the Icesave negotiations, he claimed.
Haarde added that the resolution committee of Kaupthing, and the committees of the other nationalized banks, have the right to seek their legal rights and protect the interest of the banks they represent and the interests of the banks’ loan granters.
“There is nothing unusual about people seeking their rights. It is just part of our constitutional state, both here and in Britain, and I believe that everyone, right-minded people in Britain, would admit that people have the right to do so,” Haarde said.
Haarde does not fear the outcome of Kaupthing’s case against British authorities. “I have reasonable faith in British courts,” he said. The prime minister added that Kaupthing’s case may also be taken to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
In regards to how much the lawsuit could potentially cost the Icelandic state, Haarde commented, “Sometimes it can be expensive to seek one’s rights. But there is also a question of whether the outcome of this case could lead to a compensatory case against the British state and then all ideas of cost would naturally change.”
The prime minister said he could not estimate how likely it is that Kaupthing will win the case against British authorities.
Click here read more about Kaupthing’s preparations for the lawsuit and here to read more about Landsbanki and Icesave.
The second issue of the print edition of Iceland Review 2010 has just been published. Entitled “Under the Volcano” the magazine dedicates 20 pages, words and pictures, to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier which made headlines all over the word. New subscribers will receive the book Puffins as a gift and all subscribers are part of a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
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Future of Hope is an aptly named documentary directed by Henry Bateman about what some people are doing to shape the future of Iceland, hoping that above all, the crisis will ultimately strengthen the country.
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There can’t be many novels that are heralded as being “a purification for body and soul” recommended to “those who enjoy experimental cookery” (review of November Rain in DV newspaper) and “as beautiful as a painting from the golden age” (review of The Offspring by Danish newspaper Politiken). However, Reykjavík based writer, Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir, has attracted such attention not to mention literary prizes.
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Have a laugh this week by visiting Hafnarborg, the Hafnarfjördur Centre of Culture and Fine Art, where the exhibition “Humor in Icelandic Art” is currently running. The exhibition consists of works by contemporary Icelandic artists from different generations which deal with humor and irony.
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