Iceland

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Volcano Triggers Evacuation of Iceland Tourist Attraction

Volcano erupted for the 3rd time since December

(Newser) - A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the third time since December on Thursday, sending jets of lava into the sky and triggering the evacuation of the Blue Lagoon spa, one of the island nation's biggest tourist attractions. The eruption began at about 1am Eastern along a nearly two-mile...

Iceland Volcano Erupts Again, Lava Heads Toward Town

At least one home has been set on fire so far

(Newser) - A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the second time in less than a month on Sunday, sending lava snaking toward a nearby community and setting at least one home on fire, the AP reports. The eruption, which began just before 8am local time, came after authorities evacuated the town...

Iceland's Feared Eruption Begins
Iceland Volcano Puts
on Spectacular Show
UPDATED

Iceland Volcano Puts on Spectacular Show

Eruption near Grindavik comes weeks after town was evacuated

(Newser) - The summary has been updated with new details. A volcano has erupted in southwestern Iceland, sending a flash of light into the evening sky and spewing semi-molten rock into the air in a spectacular show of Earth's power in the land known for fire and ice. The eruption Monday...

Iceland Hit by Another 800 Quakes Overnight

Scientists detect sulfur dioxide, which indicates magma is near the surface

(Newser) - Iceland has been getting rattled with hundreds of minor earthquakes per day in what meteorologists think portends a coming volcanic eruption, and they don't appear to be slowing down. As CBS News reports, the island nation weathered 700 temblors on Tuesday, then another 800 between midnight and dawn Wednesday....

Iceland's 'Intense Wave' of Quakes Could Mean Something More

Island nation declares state of emergency, shutters Blue Lagoon, warning of possible volcanic eruption

(Newser) - Officials have declared a state of emergency in Iceland and are scrambling to evacuate a southwestern coastal town after what CNN describes as an "intense wave of earthquakes"—and they fear it all portends yet another hit from Mother Nature. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, there were...

Bjork's New Single Is Part of Her Larger Mission
Bjork Releases
Single to Fight
'Frankenstein
Mutants'
CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Bjork Releases Single to Fight 'Frankenstein Mutants'

Iceland's most famous star has put out 'Oral' to help raise funds to fight salmon farming in her home country

(Newser) - Bjork is putting out a new single—but she didn't make it solely to indulge her creative and musical sensibilities. The 57-year-old Icelandic singer is using "Oral," put together with Spanish singer Rosalia and released Thursday, to raise funds to "help fight fish farming in Iceland,...

Icelandic Women Are Going on Strike Tomorrow

The country's prime minister is joining them

(Newser) - Icelandic women are going on strike Tuesday, and Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir doesn't plan to be an exception. "I will not work this day," she told mbl.is , adding that she doesn't expect female cabinet members to work either. This will be the first full-day women'...

Escaped Farm Salmon Pose Huge Environmental Threat

Thousands of farmed fish escaped in Iceland in an 'environmental catastrophe'

(Newser) - Thousands of farmed salmon broke out of a pen in Iceland this August, but don't start cheering for the escapees. The farmed fish pose great risk to the area's wild salmon, whose numbers have shrunk over the decades, according to the Guardian . Harm to wild fish comes from...

That Lava May Look Cool, but Iceland Says Stay Away

Authorities warn tourists away from erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano, which is spewing toxic gases

(Newser) - Authorities in Iceland on Tuesday warned tourists and other spectators to stay away from a newly erupting volcano that's spewing lava and noxious gases from a fissure in the country's southwest. The eruption began Monday afternoon after thousands of earthquakes in the area, meteorological authorities said. This one...

Iceland Yanks Its Whale Hunt
Iceland Yanks Its Whale Hunt

Iceland Yanks Its Whale Hunt

Suspends its annual hunt until the last 2 weeks of the season, in a likely death knell

(Newser) - Iceland is one of three nations left on the planet that still hunts whales commercially, and it looks like it may be bowing out of that small, controversial group on a humanitarian basis. As AFP reports, Reykjavik announced it's suspending the annual whaling season—which runs from mid-June to...

Iceland Is Granting Citizenship to Pussy Riot Members

Russian protest band honored with Woody Guthrie Award

(Newser) - Two members of the Russian protest and performance art band Pussy Riot are on course to become citizens of Iceland after fleeing their homeland. Maria Alyokhina and Lucy Shtein are on a list of people to receive fast-tracked citizenship through parliamentary decree, reports Iceland Review . After Russia invaded Ukraine last...

This Is the Happiest Nation on Earth




This Is the
Happiest
Nation on Earth

This Is the Happiest Nation on Earth

The honors go to Finland, per annual World Happiness Report; US comes in 15th

(Newser) - It may be cold in the Nordic countries, but residents' hearts are warm. At least, that's what the 10th annual World Happiness Report found during this year's ranking of 137 nations. Per the Verge , the report—which uses study data and self-assessed life evaluations—found that we've...

Iceland Cops Foil 'Unprecedented' Terror Plot

Police seize firearms, ammo apparently meant to be used in terror attacks, a rare phenomenon in that nation

(Newser) - A raid Wednesday in and near Reykjavik turned up not only a mess of firearms and ammunition, but also the discovery of an alleged terror plot that was apparently foiled. Gunnar Horour Garoarsson, a spokesman for Iceland's national police force, announced that four native men, all believed to be...

Iceland's Horse 'Blood Farms' Come Under Fire
Inside the Push to Stop
Iceland's 'Blood Mare' Practice
in case you missed it

Inside the Push to Stop Iceland's 'Blood Mare' Practice

Calls are rising to stop allowing farms to extract hormone from pregnant mares

(Newser) - As far as alleged animal abuse goes, this is likely a practice you haven't heard of—and, if campaigners have their way, you won't in the future. The Guardian reports on a growing call for Iceland's harvesting of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG) to be banned. As...

Famed YouTube Skateboarder Dies in Plane Crash

Bodies of Josh Neuman, 3 others found in Iceland's second-largest lake

(Newser) - American skateboarder and YouTube star Josh Neuman is one of four people confirmed to have died in a small plane crash in Iceland. The bodies of the 22-year-old, the pilot of the Cessna 172, and two other passengers were discovered Sunday in Lake Thingvallavatn—Iceland's second-largest lake, some 30...

Woman Spends 4 Hours in Plane Bathroom After Testing Positive

She took rapid test after getting sore throat on Icelandair flight

(Newser) - A Chicago woman ended up in the Mile High Quarantine Club after she tested positive for COVID-19 on a flight between Newark. NJ, and Iceland. Marisa Fotieo told the Today show Wednesday that she went to the bathroom and took a rapid test when her throat started to hurt during...

Scratch That: Iceland Just Misses Electing a European First

Women did not actually take a majority of parliament seats in Iceland's election

(Newser) - Update: After a recount, it was determined that Iceland actually did not elect the first-ever European parliament with a female majority Sunday. Initial results showed women won 33 of the 63 seats, but the recount showed the true number of wins for female candidates was 30, or 47.6% of...

Facility in Iceland Is Now Sucking CO2 From the Air

It's the world's biggest carbon capture plant

(Newser) - The world's biggest carbon capture plant is now sucking CO2 from the air in Iceland—and while the amounts involved are relatively tiny compared to the massive scale of the world's emissions problem, its builder says it is a step in the right direction. The plant, built on...

5 Fascinating Places You Aren't Allowed to See
5 Fascinating Places
You're Prohibited
From Visiting
in case you missed it

5 Fascinating Places You're Prohibited From Visiting

Business Insider rounds up unique, forbidden places around the world

(Newser) - You may be looking for a remote spot, far from people, for your next travel destination. But Business Insider wants to remind you that some far-off places are better left alone—particularly if you want to avoid charges or, worse, death. Five unique, forbidden places:

In Iceland, Shorter Workweek an 'Overwhelming Success'

Workers who put in 35-36 hours instead of 40 were happier, more productive, per 4-year experiment

(Newser) - Iceland always seems to fall near the top of most "happiest nations" lists, and this experimentation with a shorter workweek may have just cemented its spot. For four years, between 2015 and 2019, more than 1% of the nation's workforce (2,500 workers or so) from all types...

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