Iceland to submit bill that could ban whaling in its waters

Iceland will submit a bill in February 2027 which could permanently ban whaling in its waters, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries to permit commercial whaling. Whaling in Iceland has been put under intense scrutiny since a …

Iceland Government to Propose Permanent Commercial Whaling Ban

Iceland’s government plans to put a permanent commercial-whaling ban before parliament in February 2027, turning an earlier commitment to legislate against the industry into a specific timetable for ending it. If passed, the bill would close the legal …

Trump Floated Making Iceland 51st State In Call With Then-PM Of Iceland In 2024

On November 26, four days before Iceland’s 2024 parliamentary elections, then-Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson was greeted by a phone call when he entered his home. It was President-elect Donald Trump. This unusual phone call came with an unusual …

Icelandair Carries Fewer Passengers but More Travellers to Iceland in August

Icelandair carried 577,000 passengers in August, a 5% decline from the same month last year. Connecting passengers fell 27%, while passengers travelling from Iceland increased 12%; Icelandair said eclipse demand contributed to strong traffic to Iceland. …

Zelenskyy Stops in Iceland for Talks on Air Defence and Energy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stopped in Iceland on Wednesday on his way to Canada, meeting Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir at Keflavík International Airport. The talks focused on Ukraine’s preparations for winter, particularly …

Iceland’s August Goods Trade Deficit Nearly Doubles to ISK 63.1 Billion

Iceland imported ISK 63.1 billion more in goods than it exported in August, according to preliminary figures from Statistics Iceland. Exports increased year-on-year, but imports rose much faster, driven especially by fuels, capital goods and industrial …

PISA 2025: Iceland Records Its Worst Results Yet

Icelandic 15-year-olds are performing below both the OECD average and their Nordic peers in reading, mathematics and science, according to the newly released PISA 2025 results. The figures continue a long-term deterioration in reading comprehension and …

Iceland set to be first high street brand to open in the Falklands

Trump suggested Iceland become 51st US state in 2024 call with then-prime minister

By Elías Thorsson September 10, 2026 U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger as he delivers remarks at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, U.S., September 10, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci Donald Trump raised the idea of Iceland …

Iceland to propose whaling ban, leaving Norway and Japan as last two countries to continue

COPENHAGEN — Iceland’s government will submit a bill in February to ban whaling, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only two countries in the world to continue commercial whaling. Whaling in Iceland has sparked years of protests from animal …