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Saturday, 27 February 2010 18:22 |
 The Icelandic negotiation committee in the Icesave case has left for London again. When a part of the delegation from Iceland had landed in Keflavik yesterday had the English committee contacted the Icelandic delegation and apologized about how the discussions had gone and asked for a "secret" meeting today.
Contacted them with "an apologetic tone"
At the last meeting of the Icelandic negotiation committee with the English committee, had the English committee said that they do not have the authority to look at the ideas of Iceland, but put great pressure on the Icelandic committee to review the latest offer of England and Netherlands in depth. That had not been approved by the Icelandic committee so the discussion went nowhere.
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 18:45 |
 None of those who own the largest claims on Glitnir want to permanently own 95 percent part of Islandsbanki. The liquidating committee of Glitnir has so put the bank into the sales process and has put the Switzerland bank UBS to be the consultant in the sale. The bank is thought to be worth 100 billion króna.
The future project of the liquidating committee of Glitnir will include maximizing the value of the assets of Glitnir, collect and repay to the lenders. There has been great success but the liquidating committee has already closed branches and subsidiaries or sold them in ten countries and in most of these branches have all of the commitments in the country they were located in been paid in full. |
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:46 |
 It looks like there will be more recession this year than was expected last fall, according to the reviewed forecast of the economic department of ASI. In the forecast is expected that the recovery of the economy will be slower than thought before.
The reason is that there is great uncertainty about large industry projects and ASI says that the looks is that those will be delayed at least till next year which would cause that the recession this year will be greater and the unemployment even greater. |
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:40 |
 Around 63,7% of the nation are rather or very against allowing casinos in Iceland. On the other hand are 71% of men under thirty supportive the idea. This is what the results of the survey of MMR shows.
According to the results of the MMR seems to be a considerable difference of the stand of the answerers based on age and gender. So there were 46% of men who said they were supportive of allowing casinos but only 26% of women. |
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:23 |
 The parliament approved today changes of the legislation about forced auctions, so the decision about forced auctions of residential property will not be made until after three months.
By doing this is the debtors given a chance of using this time to look for available resources to get control of their payment problems before the forced auction is needed.
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:10 |
 The government has decided to grant 88,5 million króna for domestic programs for radio and television.
In question is a leftover from the culture fund of radio stations and the funds will be distributed according to the distribution regulations of the fun. There will be two distributions. One of them will be this year, and the other next year.
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 13:54 |
 There will be more wind and so expected to be more snowdrift in the capital area when the day passes and into the night, says Elisabet Margeirsdottir weather reporter at 365 midlar.
Elisabet warns people from traveling in the capital area if not needed when the night falls. Elisabet says that there will be less snowfall in the south west corner when the day passes. On the other hand may be expected more snowfall in south-east Iceland tonight.
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:05 |
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 It is expected that Siv Fridleifsdottir parliamentarian of the progressive party, speaks for a bill regarding ministers to step down from Althingi while they are in ministerial office.
Siv set the bill forward as well as other parliamentarians from the progressive party, independence party and popular front party. It has been served five times before. In a report with the bill says that it is intended to sharpen the three parts of the government.
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Friday, 19 February 2010 06:04 |
 Einar Gunnarsson, undersecretary of the ministry of foreign affairs, and Kristjan Guy Burgess, assistant of the minister of foreign affairs had a meeting with Sam Watson, who runs the embassy of the United States of America here in Iceland since there has not been set a new ambassador.
In a confidential document which was sent from the embassy to the American government, and published at the website Wikileaks last night, is a reference by Einar that if things go the worst way possible in the Icesave case could Iceland become bankrupt next year. |
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Friday, 19 February 2010 04:30 |
 JP Lawyers have been assigned to take care of the official process of the security company Securitas. The company is the largest asset of the bankrupt estate of Fons, company formerly owned in majority by Palmi Haraldsson. The plan is that the new owners take over Securitas around March 20th this year.
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 21:41 |
 Voting outside Iceland because of the referendum on March 6th 2010 will start tomorrow, on January 28th. In the announcement from the ministry of foreign affairs says that the voting outside Iceland will be held in all of the embassies of Iceland abroad and the main offices of Iceland in New York, Winnipeg, Shanghai and Thorshavn in Faeroe Islands.
"There is also a possibility to vote outside Iceland by an agreement with the election managers of Iceland abroad, according to the list attached. It is expected that there will be voting in 235 locations in 84 countries."
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 18:13 |
 There were various theft cases in the capital area yesterday but theft cases are nearly daily as was said in the announcement. From what the police says are the most common items cosmetics and clothing but the thieves are of all age and both sexes.
"We are almost to the point where nothing surprises the police anymore when it arrives at the scene and finds children, youths or elderly persons who have been caught stealing. |
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Tuesday, 26 January 2010 06:30 |
Ambassador of Germany, Dr. Karl-Ulrich Muller, was found dead in his vehicle in Nordurardalur in Skagafjordur yesterday.
Muller left Reykjavik on Sunday and was on his way North. The police and rescue teams searched for him yesterday but his car was found with the help of the rescue helicopter of the coast guards.
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Thursday, 21 January 2010 20:13 |
Landsbankinn sold industrial housing at Grensasvegur for more than forty percent less than the house was bought for three years ago. The square meter was sold for close to 50 thousand króna. Scrap value, says a certified real estate agent, but not uncommon in this situation.
The newsroom took a look into this case and got a copy of the sale contract. Fridrik Hansen engineer bought the properties in 2006 for close to 132 million króna in the purpose of turning the house into a hotel.
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Thursday, 21 January 2010 19:16 |
 The news anchor Elin Hirst and the program managers Thura Tomasdottir, Elsa Maria Jakobsdottir and Johanna Vilhjalmsdottir have been laid off from RUV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. They received the announcement today but they will be announced formally tomorrow according to the sources of Visir.
Tomorrow will be bloody at the RUV since there are plans to lay off close to twenty employees according to the sources of Visir.
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Monday, 18 January 2010 23:10 |
 There was no result during the meeting of the government and the opposition, but the meeting was over recently.
The meeting started around eight pm and was held at the government offices. This is the second meeting which the government has with the opposition but there are attempts to get a united result in the Icesave case.
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Monday, 18 January 2010 21:29 |
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 On February 4th are three representatives of the Attac-association in Iceland, Einar Mar Gudmundsson writer, Bjarni Gudbjornsson historian and Gunnar Skuli Armannsson doctor meet representatives of the Norwegian government in an open meeting in Oslo according to an announcement from the association.
Also are representatives of the Norwegian attac-association going to attend the meeting, but they have organized the meeting with the Icelandic division. The title of the meeting is "Should the IMF leave Iceland?"
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Monday, 18 January 2010 19:21 |
 The teachers association of Iceland decided during its board meeting on Friday to deposit eleven thousand euros or around two million króna into the fund raising account of the international association of teachers in support for Haiti.
The funds are going to be used to reconstruct education and school work and support students and teachers in the country. This amount equals to that each member of the teachers association if Iceland, as well as working teachers and retired teachers, pay one euro to the heal and reconstruction process in this tormented country.
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Monday, 18 January 2010 14:07 |
 The special D.A. does not expect that the result in the cases which the office has now been investigating will be ready until the end of this winter. Then there will be possible to take a decision regarding if there will be issued lawsuits or not.
Olafur Thor Hauksson, special D.A. says that there are a few cases that are at a more advanced stage than other. "But they can easily get more complicated so this could change. |
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Monday, 18 January 2010 09:07 |
 Steingrimur J. Sigfusson minister of finance, who was in an interview with the Swedish dagbladed this weekend, never said in the interview with the reporter that the case is too complicated for it being possible to be voted about in the referendum. Domestic as well as the foreign media covered the case yesterday and there was a reference to the lead-in of the Swedish reported who was interpreting Steingrimurs words.
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Friday, 08 January 2010 11:51 |
 Bjarni Benediktsson, chairman of the independence party said at the parliament this morning that there would not be much of a disagreement on the main matters of the bill about the referendum.
He said on the other hand that it is very surprising that it seems to be surprising to people, especially the government, that the president had forwarded the case to the nation. He criticized the government for not taking advantage of the events of the last days to promote cause of Icelanders. |
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Thursday, 07 January 2010 10:28 |
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 The government passed a bill yesterday of their behalf about the referendum because of the decision of the president to reject to confirm the legislation of the parliament.
Special legislation will be set around the elections and the parliament will process the bill on Friday. As is known are no law at hand about the execution of a referendum and so will be needed to set a special legislation now.
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Tuesday, 05 January 2010 11:18 |
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 Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of Iceland, announced today that he has decided to reject the recently set legislation about the government responsibilities because of the Icesave commitments.
"The nation will now have the power and responsibility in its hands," said Olafur Ragnar amongst other in his statement. "It is my hope that this will lead to permanent reconciliation."
According to a clause in the constitution will the legislation be valid, but the national election will determine its final value. |
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Monday, 14 December 2009 20:33 |
 It has now been decided by the city council that disabled college and university students now have to pay half price for the transportation service of the disabled, but it has been free for the last two years.
The bus fees of the non disabled students were free as well but this was an experimental project for two years.
The non disabled students also have to pay half fees.
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Monday, 14 December 2009 15:02 |
 Foreign debts of private parties are higher than thought before, and so the debt ratio of Iceland is higher than it was during the first review of the economic plan of Iceland and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It is between 307-350%.
The delegation of the IMF says that the debts of the government is lower than was thought during the first review of the economic plan of Iceland. It is mostly because there is much less expense from reconstructing the bank system than was expected at first. The controlling parts are that foreign claim owners have taken over the largest part of Arion bank and Islandsbanki, which reduces the financial contribution of the government into the banks.
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Monday, 07 December 2009 22:28 |
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The dispute about the processing of the Icesave bill within the financial budget committee of the Parliament has been solved. The committee is now reviewing the comments by the opposition and will retur the result before the votes are to be made about the bill, possibly next week. The English law firm Mishchon de Reya will be reviewing the case.
The second discussion of the Icesave case was continued at 9pm tonight. A pause was made of the parliament meeting at 9.59 and the discussions started again at 10.19pm. |
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Friday, 04 December 2009 08:00 |
 Olafur Jon Leosson, truck driver, took his own life recently because of financial problems and unemployment. His family is mourning a good man and say that it is horrible to think about that he saw no other way out of the problems. The family believes that increased compassion of the financial company Lysing hf, would have saved his life.
"This was an enormous shock, really hurt," says Gustaf Jokull Olafsson who recently lost his father, Olafur Jon Leosson after committing a suicide. |
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Monday, 30 November 2009 05:30 |
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 Higher taxes on fuel which has been planned to set on this new years means that the expenses of running a private car will cost the family 60 thousand króna more than a year ago.
If looking at income taxes will each family need to earn 100 thousand króna wages more to be able to continue to use the car as they are used to, which many can not change.
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Sunday, 29 November 2009 11:42 |
 The congress of merchant sailors and fishermen union of Iceland are warning the government about all plans to change the sailor tax discount.
"It is unbelievable that during this depression period where sailors are intended one of the main roles in the reconstruction of the society are plans about cutting back on their deals. Sailors are not going to tolerate the intervention of the government in their deals and terms," says in the resolution.
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Sunday, 29 November 2009 10:17 |
 At four PM are the Christmas lights on the Oslo tree on Austurvollur to be lit. Besides the Christmas lights will Ketkrokur, the Christmas chimes of the support union of disabled and paralytic 2009, decorate the tree. Ketkrokur is the fourth chime in the Santa series of the support union but the former chimes of the union have decorated the tree for the past years.
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Friday, 20 November 2009 18:23 |
 New Kaupthing bank will change its name tomorrow into Arion bank. The bank says that the new name is brought from Greek ancient histories and refers to amongst other for perseverance, co-operation and comeback. There was a competition about the new name amongst the employees of the bank and the name was chosen out from close to three hundred suggestions.
In theannouncement from the bank says that the new name brings a new policy and values. The guiding light of the bank is professionalism, progress, care and loyalty where the customer is the foreground. |
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Friday, 20 November 2009 13:34 |
 The contamination surgeon general is estimating that around 60 thousand persons have been infected by the so called swine flu here in Iceland. Over 50 thousand persons have been vaccinated here in Iceland, especially patients in the so called priority groups, pregnant women and people in security and key jobs of various types. There are so around 110.000 persons now immune for the influenza or around a third of the nation.
Around 20 thousand doses of the vaccine against the influenza are expected to Iceland this weekend and they will be distributed immediately to the health clinics. |
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Friday, 20 November 2009 11:42 |
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 The police of Sudurnes has now been searching high and low for the car of Sigridur Bjork Gudjonsdottir, police chief of Sudurnes, which was stolen yesterday. Visir reported about it this morning that the car of the priest of Keflavik church had been stolen but the priest is the husband of Sigridur Bjork.
The car is a Volvo s60. Keflavik church was broken into yesterday and the thiefs got the keys to the car there. According to the information from the police in Keflavik is the town being searched in hopes of finding the Volvo owned by the police chief and the priest.
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Tuesday, 17 November 2009 18:29 |
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 The special D.A. has demanded the grounding of the assets of Baldur Gudlaugsson, former undersecretary of the ministry of finance, in relations of an investigation of alleged insider trades of Baldur when he sold his shares in the Landsbanki just before its collapse. This is the first time that a special D.A. uses such authority.
According to the sources of the newsroom has the office of the special D.A. now grounded the assets of Baldur Gudlaugsson because of the sales amount of the shares in Landsbankinn which Baldur Gudlaugsson sold on September 17th 2008, but he sold his shares in the bank for close to two hundred million króna. The grounding is for the same amount Baldur sold his shares for.
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Monday, 16 November 2009 15:04 |
 The Christmas tree which is a gift from the people of Oslo to Iceland this year was cut down with a festive ceremony today. Those who were at the ceremony were amongst others Sigridur Duna Kristmundsdottir, ambassador of Iceland in Norway, and Margit F. Tveiten ambassador of Norway in Iceland. The lights on the tree are to be lit during a festive ceremony on Austurvollur on November 29th. This year have 58 years past since the people of Oslo gave Iceland their first Christmas tree.
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Monday, 16 November 2009 12:39 |
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 Ossur Skarphedinsson minister of foreign affairs signed today in Brussels an agreement about the European Union opening an embassy office in Iceland.
It will in fact be an embassy but the word embassy office is used since this is a union of nations, not an independent nation.
The embassy office will be opened because of the membership application of Iceland to the Europan Union and it is a tradition for that to be done in the nations that apply for membership. |
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Wednesday, 11 November 2009 17:28 |
 Ragna Arnadottir minister of justice and human rights has set a work group to see what chances are at hand within the valid law and international co-operation to intensify surveillance on foreigners and insure that the authorizations that are at hand are being used to eradicate organized crime here in Iceland.
In an announcement from the ministry says that this is about both the foreigners who are using their rights about free travel according to the contract about the European economy zone and those who are outside of that right. |
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Tuesday, 10 November 2009 19:44 |
 People who want to strengthen their finances have started to take a look in to their mouths and sell the gold from their teeth, says Magnus Steindorsson businessman. Magnus trades with gold and his business is going very well these days since the ounce of gold has reached over 100 thousand króna from what Magnus says.
"One woman came here and took out her tooth and asked how much she could get for the gold from that tooth," said Magnus in a conversation with Reykjavik afternoon chat show today. |
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Monday, 09 November 2009 10:11 |
 The former chairman of the popular front party and minister of foreign affairs, Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, says that she has a hard time forgiving herself regarding the great collapse and for causing the anger which was around in the community at that time. This is said in an interview which the television show host Solvi Tryggvason took with Ingibjorg and will be aired on Wednesday night.
Solvi repeats after her: "I think the anger is a very negative force and is one of the things I blame myself for and is probably what I have the hardest time forgiving myself about regarding the collapse and having participated in calling out all the anger which came out in the community."
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Thursday, 05 November 2009 15:17 |
 The bomb squad of the national coast guards was called out yesterday to take a look at a buoy which drifted ashore in Skardsfjara close to Kirkjubaejarklaustur. When looked at more closely was clear that this is a Russian tapping buoy but there was also found close to the buoy a Russian sailing buoy with a thermometer and salt gage from a submarine which is used to measure salt and soundspeed in the ocean. It says on the website of the national coast guards that sailors were not in danger from these objects. The age of these buoys are unknown.
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Thursday, 05 November 2009 09:01 |
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 The policy rates lower today by one percent. The money policy committee of the central bank of Iceland has decided to lower the interests in the credit accounts of deposit institutions by 0,5 percent down to 9%.
In the announcement says that the maximum amount for weekly auctions of balance bonds for 28 days will be increased from 25 billion króna into 30 billion króna with 9,5% minimum interests and 10,25% maximum interests. That includes a 0,25% raise of maximum interests.
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 09:32 |
 The directorate of labor received two announcements about group layoffs in October, where 34 persons would lose their jobs. This is from construction and the reason is lack of projects.
This is less than in September but at that time were four announcements about group layoffs to the directorate of labor. In total were 110 persons who lost their jobs during those layoffs. |
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 09:14 |
 In total were 633 thousand passengers to Iceland through Keflavik airport in the first 10 months of the year, compared to 806 thousand passengers in January-October 2008. This is a 21,4% reduction.
From what the national registry says were 714 thousand passengers who arrived in Iceland for the past 12 months, till the end of October, and that is 22,6% reduction from the 12 months before that.
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Tuesday, 03 November 2009 19:02 |
 The loans which 10 children were issued from Glitnir to purchase shares in the initial capitalization funds auction of BYR roughly two years ago are in total 180 million króna. The children got interest payments for 86 million króna which were taken directly to pay up the loans which are thought to be illegal.
According to the information from Islandsbanki were 10 loans issued for children who were not of legal age for the initial capitalization auction of Byr in December of 2007. The youngest child was at that time 1 year old and the oldest 17 years old.
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Tuesday, 03 November 2009 18:36 |
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The government receives roughly 600 billion króna bill if the emergency legislation is reversed. That could cause serious problems for the government.
The work report of the work group of the IMF about the matters of Iceland was published today. The main concern is the great debts of the national economy. Despite the fact do the employees of the fund that the debts are still manageable as the process of paying it up will be quite quick. |
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Friday, 30 October 2009 14:45 |
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 Most swine flu cases here in Iceland for the past days and weeks have been diagnosed in young children between 0-9 years old. This is a noticeable change from July and August where most of those who got sick were between 15-30 years old. This was included in the documents which Gudrun Sigmundsdottir senior physician of the office of the contamination surgeon general has collected. In the announcement from the surgeon general says on the other hand that the cases in the age group 15-30 is reducing.
The numbers from the virus department of Landspitali hospital and the absense registry of the elementary school in Mentor also show this increase of cases for children. The absense of students in the elementary schools of the country increased greatly in October.
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Thursday, 29 October 2009 12:11 |
 There are examples of that Glitnir has issued children very large loans to purchase in the initial capitalization of Byr savings fund. A twelve year old child was issued a loan for six million króna. Tens of capitalization owners of the bank are preparing lawsuits on Islandsbanki because of these loans.
This was published in the trades newspaper today. Glitnir financed 30 billion króna capitalization increase of Byr during the fall of 2007. In the paper says that Islandsbanki has taken over the loans after Glitnir collapsed and so is the preparation of the lawsuit turned towards Islandsbanki. |
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009 22:23 |
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 Because of financial problems has the province of Alftanes requested the participation of the surveillance committee of the financial matters of districts. It is the evaluation of the majority of the district administration of Alftanes that if nothing is done, or any measures taken regarding the finances of the district fund will the district end up in serious payment problems.
In the meeting of the district council tonight was approved in the first discussion the suggestion of the majority of the district council to take this route. For the past weeks have finances of the district been analyzed.
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009 22:10 |
Steingrimur J. Sigfusson minister of finance says that the payment of the foreign loans will be paid with the loans that are issued following the review of the International Monetary Fund today if needed. He says that the exchange rate of the króna will not be manually controlled by intervening the currency market. This was said in the later evening news of the national television this evening.
The INternational Monetary Fund processed today the first review of the economic plan of Iceland. The review has been stalled for eight months but originally was supposed to be made in February this year. England and The Netherlands used their powers against the matter while the Icesave dispute was unsolved.
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009 16:48 |
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 Review of the economic plan of Iceland was approved in the meeting of the central administration of the International Monetary Fund at 5pm today. So the government could expect the payment of the loans from the fund soon.
The loans are for 21 billion króna. After Icelanders have received that loan will the loans from the Nordic nations follow shortly after.
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According to the first numbers, which were published from the referendum regarding the Icesave legislation, have nearly everyone said no. Compared to the numbers which were published shortly after 10pm in all constituencies had 93,1% of voters voted against the legislation and 1,6% with it.