Europe Iceland The education system is not yielding the expected results according to OECD, which conducts the PISA assessments; Icelandic students receive high grades that don't accurately reflect performance, raising concerns about the country’s academic standards
Europe Iceland Photographer Pétur Thomsen has been named Artist Of The Year At Icelandic Art Prize 2025, the 8th edition, for his exhibition Settlement at Hafnarborg, based on a long-term project in which Pétur examines the coexistence of humanity and nature
Europe Iceland Icelandic teachers voted to approve a new four-year salary agreement, with 93% of votes in favour of the agreement that includes a 24,5% salary increase
Europe Iceland The draft of a new bill by the Ministry of Housing and Social Affairs would make significant extensions to the Icelandic parental leave system, particularly with regard to twin births or illnesses resulting from childbirth
Europe Iceland The Kindergarten Teachers' Association has announced an indefinite strike in all 22 kindergartens in Kópavogur starting 3 March
Europe Iceland Iceland Foods is reintroducing plastic trays in response to consumer dissatisfaction with vacuum-packed minced meat; vacuum-sealed packages were designed to contain 50% less plastic and reduce the retailer's annual consumption by 35 tonnes
Europe Iceland The use of tanning beds has steadily decreased: only 5% of people said they had used them in the past 12 months, compared to over 30% in 2004; the number of tanning beds has also decreased, with 86 beds in 2023, compared to 97 in 2020
Europe Iceland Fermented shark, an Icelandic delicacy, may become increasingly difficult to find due to a number of factors, including declining interest in the industry and rising costs
Europe Iceland The Kennel Club will officially recognise the Icelandic sheepdog as a purebred breed in April 2025; the Icelandic sheepdog can trace its roots back some 1.000 years and was even mentioned in a play by William Shakespeare
Europe Iceland The new Icelandic government that took office on Saturday has made it part of its programme to organise a referendum on EU membership by 2027, giving substance to a debate that is rather heated in the country
Europe Iceland Departures from Keflavík Airport reached 162.000 in November, an increase of 14.000 over last year, approaching the record levels of departures in 2018
Europe Iceland Artist Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir will represent Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 2026; also a poet and musician, she often mixes her disciplines to create complex works mirroring the complexity of contemporary times
Europe Iceland The entire parking lot of the renown thermal pool Blue Lagoon is now under lava, except for a few street lamps at the far end; the lava continues to flow along the defense wall west of the Blue Lagoon and alternative accesses will have to be assessed