Iceland

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Iceland Most Peaceful Nation
 Iceland Most Peaceful Nation 
May 20, 2008 6:44 PM CDT

Iceland Most Peaceful Nation

Cuba and Libya beat America

(Newser) - Iceland is the world's most peaceful nation, says a new ranking of 140 countries, Reuters reports. Other findings of the Global Peace Index:
  • The US ranked 97th, below Libya, Cuba, Chile, and Belarus.
  • Iraq finished last, edging out Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Israel.

Could the Credit Crunch Sink a Whole Country?

Iceland frets about collapse as interest rates spike to 15%

(Newser) - The global credit crisis has spelled disaster for banks and hedge funds, but now worry is mounting that an entire country could go under. Yesterday the central bank of Iceland was forced to raise its interest rate 1.25 percentage points to 15% at an emergency meeting, reports the Financial ...

'Grump' Finds Happiest Places
'Grump' Finds Happiest Places
Feb 13, 2008 1:40 PM CST

'Grump' Finds Happiest Places

Author places Bhutan, Iceland at the top of his most joyous locales

(Newser) - When self-described grouch Eric Weiner packed his bags and set off to find personal bliss, one might've expected him to head for tropical weather or lavish settings. Au contraire, CNN reports: Weiner’s favorite countries were frigid Iceland and underdeveloped Bhutan. He found the most content people were those who...

Chess King Bobby Fischer Dies
Chess King Bobby Fischer Dies
Jan 18, 2008 7:24 AM CST

Chess King Bobby Fischer Dies

Troubled genius dies in Iceland at age 64

(Newser) - Chess master Bobby Fischer, who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned Russian Boris Spassky in 1972, has died at age 64 in Iceland, the AP reports. Fischer is considered by many to be the greatest chess player ever, but his genius for the game was often overshadowed by...

Björk Attacks New Zealand News Photographer

Leaps on photog and rips shirt in half

(Newser) - Icelandic pop star Björk leaped on a news photographer, knocked him to the ground, and ripped his shirt in half as she arrived in Auckland for a concert tour, reports the New Zealand Herald. The volatile singer “grabbed the back of my black skivvy and tore it down...

Prank Caller Gets Dubya's Digits
Prank Caller Gets Dubya's Digits
Dec 12, 2007 2:40 PM CST

Prank Caller Gets Dubya's Digits

Impersonating Iceland's president earns 16-year-old promise of a call back

(Newser) - As prank calls go, Vífill Atlason’s call to the White House is in select company. Posing as Iceland’s president, the 16-year-old says he managed to schedule a phone meeting with President Bush, though Icelandic police tracked him down before that could happen. White House spokesmen say Atlason...

UN: Iceland Best Place to Live
UN: Iceland Best Place to Live
Nov 27, 2007 1:21 PM CST

UN: Iceland Best Place to Live

Sub-Saharan Africa, it turns out, not so great

(Newser) - Iceland has inched out longtime champ Norway as the best place in the world to live, and sub-Saharan Africa is the worst. The UN list, out today, ranks countries by real per-capita GDP, education, and life expectancy. The US ranked 12th, down from 8th last year, as relatively low life...

Rich Nations Break Climate Vow to Poor

$1.2B pledge to developing countries is mostly forgotten

(Newser) - Several of the world's richest nations have forgotten about a $1.2 billion pledge to help developed countries cope with climate change, the Guardian reports. The group has doled out less than $185 million so far to help them plan for global warming, defend against floods, and boost conservation. "...

Sigur Ros' Film Stirs, Tunes Safe
Sigur Ros' Film Stirs, Tunes Safe
Nov 8, 2007 3:20 PM CST

Sigur Ros' Film Stirs, Tunes Safe

Icelandic rock gods' Hvarf/Heim is an awesome doc, even if music underwhelms

(Newser) - Icelandic rock gods Sigur Ros look stunning in their gorgeous new documentary Heima, which followed the band on last year’s whirlwind homecoming tour. The wilderness provides the perfect backdrop to their experimental post-rock and "homespun laissez-faire philosophy,” says LAist’s glowing Joshua Pressman, and "their national-hero...

Don't Even Go There!
Don't Even Go There!
Aug 15, 2007 11:44 AM CDT

Don't Even Go There!

Don't fly away yet! That packaged deal may be too good to be true.

(Newser) - Before you pack your bags, check out Foreign Policy's list of the five most overhyped tourist locales:
  1. Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt: Famous beach and diving locale actually tacky and overcrowded.
  2. Ibiza, Spain: Hippy haven and hedonistic paradise turned into dirty and pricey hole.

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