Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: The New App: Icebreaker The Reykjavík Grapevine has teamed up with Einar Stef of Hatari fame and cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson with a new app called Icebreaker, which helps you, navigate Reykjavík, and eventually, the rest of Iceland. It features information from The Grapevine’s Best of Reykjavík, information about event listings, happy hours, cheap eats and more. From Moby Dick To Moby’s Dick Whaling is back on the menu this year, although the current minister of the fisheries has stated that this will probably be the last summer of whaling, since the minister is proposing a new law outlawing the practice. The whaling season this year has received a lot of domestic and international attention, not least because anti-whaler Paul Watson has sent his vessel, Bandero, to intercept Hvalur hf.’s whale boats Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9, so for without luck. Footage of an employee of Hvalur hf. swinging a whale dick while being recorded on video, did neither make pro-, nor anti-whalers happy. Gasoline Prices In Iceland According to The Icelandic Competition Authority Icelandic oil companies have raised the prices for diesel oil by 50% since 2022 and 25% since 2022 and gasoline. The oil companies also raised their prices just prior to the so called milage tax in January of this year. The Icelandic Competition Authority also states that the price of fuel in Iceland has consistently been higher in Iceland than in 27 other European countries in the past decade. Amphetamine Two men are in custody following an attempt of importing 14 liters of amphetamine to Iceland via an Icelandic transport vessel in April. The two men got two crew to help out with the smuggling. Cocaine A 106 kilograms of cocaine were apprehended by the Icelandic authorities on a transport vessel named Koznitza, which arrived in Iceland on 22 June. The ship sailed from Brazil til Straumsvík in Hafnarfjörður, and was bringing materials for the Aluminum smelter located in Straumsvík. This is the largest amount of cocaine ever confiscated in Iceland and at least nine people have been arrested in association with the smuggling, of which at least three are Icelandic with a Romanian and Brazilians. One of the Icelanders arrested, Lárus Freyr Einarsson, was convicted of murder in Denmark in 2011, and arrested again in 2020 in relation to the production of amphetamines in a summerhouse in Kjós, near Reykjavík. Weed The police apprehended just under 800 cannabis plants at three different locations in Iceland recently. 200 plants were confiscated near the small village of Reykholt, and more in a summerhouse in Kjós. Maybe a different summerhouse than the amphetamines mentioned above, but we just don’t know. Fisheries Investing In Unrelated Businesses In Iceland Aðalsteinn Kjartansson has been writing investigative peaces for Heimildin on the investments of persons and companies who’ve made billions through the fisheries. The investments of the family of Guðbjörg Matthíasdóttir are extensive, and while holding a large stake in Iceland’s only daily newspaper, the family owns parts of import businesses, other media companies, and health industry companies. All of these investments, went underreported in a recent report on the investments of fisheries companies, the report was commissioned by the Icelandic Parliament. Ivanka Trump Visits Iceland Yeah. That happened. Who gives f**k. Human Trafficking And Prostitution, In Iceland The Icelandic police participated in a large international police operation in June, coordinated in 59 countries, targeting a Chinese crime syndicate which has been engaged in human trafficking and prostitution. Five purchasers of prostitution were arrested in Iceland, with another 45 recorded in the act on video, and 16 women, some of whom are believed to have been victims of human trafficking by said Chinese crime syndicate, were interviewed by the local authorities. 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You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it’s not sponsored content. www.grapevine.is
