Loma McNeese remembers her first time playing abroad The now-former New Mexico State forward and Tongan-American earned an opportunity to represent the Tonga national team at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands She had just won Conference USA Player of the Year with the Aggies and now had an opportunity to represent her heritage on an international stage and McNeese has sought similar unique experiences since McNeese recently turned professional and signed for Icelandic club HK Kópavogur in January She's long had professional ambitions and was on a two-month search for a team since NM State's 2024 season ended in November and McNeese prepared to return to NMSU to train and finish her last semester they fell in love with her and offered a contract The Aggies' goal-scoring queen is going pro "It was a last-minute type of thing," McNeese said "They needed a striker who can score goals and they watched my highlights and saw the type of striker that I am and I know that I can put the ball in the back of the net." McNeese made that a habit at NM State with a school-record 29 goals across her five-year collegiate career Her efforts earned WAC Player of the Year and Conference USA Player of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023 and she scored 10 goals in the 2022 season which saw the Aggies win the WAC and make the NCAA Tournament McNeese's love for soccer now takes her far across the pond "It's gonna be an adventure," McNeese said More: New Mexico State baseball is ready to defy doubters in 2025 season More: Every transfer, junior college and high school player signed to NM State football for 2025 McNeese is no stranger to leaving her comfort zone She moved over 1,500 miles from her Sherwood Her relationship with Aggies coach Rob Baarts who had scouted her as a youth player while at Portaldn McNeese had ambitious targets from the start She aimed to become a team leader and focal point focusing on improving her endurance and speed "She refocused herself on what she wanted to accomplish and that was be one of our best players," Baarts said "Her growth and maturity was an asset between her freshman and junior years.. When she accepted that part of it and committed herself to that role Baarts quickly recognized her talent. When she wasn't starting as a freshman, McNeese was one of the first players off the bench. Her role expanded as a sophomore in 2021 with 12 starts in 20 games before becoming a household name in the next three seasons, culminating in another 10-goal season in 2024 and her record-breaking goal against Louisiana Tech on Oct Teammates witnessed McNeese's growing confidence as the years went on so it's hard to make that name for yourself and it really showed through her play and her leadership with the team McNeese said she wants to do more things in her first season she didn't do in her first season at NM State She wants to be fitter when the first game arrives and stay after practice more to bond with her new teammates She's also finding ways to be more comfortable in Iceland Kópavogur teammate and former Penn State player Natalie Wilson stocked up on winter clothing and is learning Icelandic on Duolingo McNeese has the same ambitions she did as a freshman "I want to be the best striker in the league," McNeese said I want to make a name for myself almost right off the bat I want to come in this first pro season and start off right." McNeese leaves behind a lasting legacy at NM State as one of the Aggies' best-ever soccer players now a graduate assistant for NM State who coached McNeese in her last two seasons there's not much soccer that can be changed It's really about connection and your team chemistry.. I feel like her drive impacted the rest of the team McNeese is ready for another adventure abroad and wants to ride the professional boat as far as it takes her "I think right now is the time to do what I'm doing," McNeese said "I always thought maybe I should get my job first and start my adult life like a lot of people do.. But if I have the opportunity to continue to play this sport Feature Films Database Southern Mediterranean films database Scriptwriters European Film Schools Production Companies Distributors International Sales Submit a Film Industry Reports Co-Production Podcast Online Screenwriting Training Course Guided Course for Feature Film Writing Script Analysis Analysis of the potential of your series Cineuropa's Training Catalogue Film Festival Photographs Newsletter Photogalleries EUFCN Location Award Euro Film Fest 27 Times Cinema GoCritic! Advertise on Cineuropa Logos and Banners NOUVEAU CINÉMA MONTRÉAL 2024 Nouveau Marché “The film speaks to a very delicate subject – infertility – and how one deals with that” by Valerio Caruso 14/10/2024 - The director-producer duo behind the project selected for the Nouveau Marché in Montreal unpick their story set in 1960s Iceland Grímur Hákonarson and Sara Nassim, the director-producer duo behind the project 200 Kopavogur, selected for the Nouveau Marché in Montreal (see the report) Cineuropa: What are your motivations behind this project and why did you decide to work on this story?Grímur Hákonarson: I grew up in Kópavogur The town has an interesting history: in the 1960s There was a liberal kind of leftist government and everyone was allowed to go there and build their houses it was called the "California of the North" My father built a house there with his brother The inspiration for the story is personal; the main character is based on my father and the two brothers create some conflict between themselves and within the family It felt like an organic step to start collaborating further and this seemed to be a really good project to begin with GH: It’s a low-key and down-to-earth film with not much dialogue and it relies heavily on visual storytelling I would say it’s a perfect extension of my other films What are the main challenges from the perspectives of a director and a producer?GH: Well which presents challenges in recreating Kópavogur as it was back then whereas it used to have gravel roads and a rougher look Another challenge is finding the right actors; they’re mostly young and inexperienced SN: Grímur mentions a significant challenge in creating that atmosphere and life is vastly different from how it was in the 1960s Creating that environment will take a lot of detailed work and will have some costs associated with it The film also takes place over a period of several years so we're looking at how a neighbourhood that started almost from nothing grows into what it becomes over time The house and the surroundings are almost like a character in the film What are you looking for at the Nouveau Marché Have you had any good meetings or set up any collaborations?SN: We’ve met a lot of good people and potential partners but also in connecting with international professionals The film is a bit more expensive than a contemporary story GH: We’re also talking to people who can help us financially and creatively Those two elements need to align for a successful co-production structure What are the most natural countries for you to collaborate with Are there any countries you prefer to work with?SN: It really depends on the project We are experienced with co-productions because we have a need for that given the financing structures we work with We tend to collaborate a lot with the Nordic states Germany and Belgium; these countries have been strong partners for co-productions in recent years Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox 10/03/2025Production / Funding – Luxembourg Film Fund Luxembourg reveals the 17 beneficiaries of its latest round of funding 02/05/2025 Annegret Richter • Artistic director, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film“There’s no definition of which target group it has to be for; you can tell any story with stop motion” 02/05/2025 Sanja Božić-Ljubičić • CEO, Pickbox, Mediatranslations, Mediavision and NEM“We will always stay focused on the CEE region, a region that’s unique – it can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding” 30/04/2025 Mirko Goran Marijanac • Media sales executive, DeAPlaneta Entertainment“It’s all about using AI ethically, and making the most of its tools to boost efficiency in animation and distribution” 29/04/2025 Anne Pouliquen • Founder and Director, Futura Cinema“Futura Cinema acts as a bridge between cinemas, cultural innovation and technological solutions” 28/04/2025 Paulina Jaroszewicz • Distribution and marketing manager, New Horizons Association“What has changed in recent years is that we buy half of our line-up based on script – like for Carla Simón’s Cannes Competition title Romería” all interviews Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the most important daily or weekly news on European cinema Cannes 2025 Marché du Film AFCI runs its second annual Global Film Commission Network Summit at Marché du Film Festivals / Awards Czech Republic Czech Republic’s Anifilm goes sci-fi Distribution / Releases / Exhibitors Europe European Arthouse Cinema Day set to return on 23 November Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Indie Sales presents a three-star line-up at Cannes HOFF 2025 The Shadow and U Are the Universe win at Estonia’s Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival Crossing Europe 2025 Awards The New Year That Never Came and The Flats crowned at Crossing Europe Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Be For Films to sell Love Me Tender in Cannes Cannes 2025/Sponsored Latvia set to shine bright at Cannes, led by Sergei Loznitsa’s competition entry Two Prosecutors Las Palmas 2025 MECAS/Awards Manuel Muñoz Rivas and Joana Carro win awards at the eighth MECAS Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Playtime to present some high-impact and entrancing trump cards at Cannes Production / Funding Italy Shooting begins on Walter Fasano’s Nino, a portrait of scoring maestro Nino Rota goEast 2025 Review: My Magical World Market TrendsFOCUSA busy spring festival season awaits the European film industry. Cineuropa will continue to keep its readers up to date with the latest news and market insights, covering the buzziest events, including Cannes, Kraków, Karlovy Vary, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Annecy, Brussels, Munich and many others Distribution, Exhibition and Streaming – 02/05/2025Slovak crime-thriller Černák becomes the highest-grossing film in domestic cinemasThe second film in the saga about a local mafia boss, directed by Jakub Króner, outgrossed its first part, which dominated Slovak cinemas last year Animation – 30/04/2025Mirko Goran Marijanac • Media sales executive, DeAPlaneta EntertainmentDuring our chat, the exec shared key insights from this year’s Cartoon Next and touched on the current climate for the animation sector Jaśmina Wójcik • Director of King Matt the First The Polish director discusses her approach to taking on a 1920s children’s literary classic in an unexpected way Želimir Žilnik • Director of Eighty Plus The Serbian director discusses his deep suspicion of ideologies in relation to his irresistibly charming latest feature, which follows a man whose life spans three political systems Paulina Jaroszewicz • Distribution and marketing manager, New Horizons Association Cineuropa sat down with the Polish distributor to discuss her company’s strategy as well as the connection between its distribution line-up and BNP Paribas New Horizons Festival’s programme Lorcan Finnegan • Director of The Surfer The Irish filmmaker discusses his mystery-thriller, how he created the character with Nicolas Cage and his approach to the use of colours in the film Privacy Policy The images used on this website have been provided by journalists and are believed to be free of rights if you are the owner of an image used on this website and believe that its use infringes on your copyright We will remove the image in question as soon as possible We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that all images used on this website are used legally and in accordance with copyright laws About us | Contact us | Logos and Banners Mission | Partners | Team | Donations | Terms and conditions An attempted armed robbery at Austurbæjar Apótek in Kópavogur ended in failure after the store’s owner, Bergljót Þorsteinsdóttir, confronted the robbers and triggered the panic alarm, reports Vísir entered the pharmacy and demanded ADHD medication threatened staff while her accomplice searched the back room I pushed through and initially intended to go to the panic alarm at the back I figured I’d be quicker getting to the till,” says Bergljót Þorsteinsdóttir Bergljót pushed past the armed woman and managed to press the panic alarm at the till repeatedly shouting that the police were on their way The robbers fled empty-handed after just over a minute and a half inside the store Bergljót’s colleagues were visibly shaken by the incident “I was shaking like a leaf,” said pharmacy employee Adela Halldórsdóttir Pharmacist Brynja Jóhannsdóttir described feeling unsafe in the aftermath The case is now under police investigation. You can watch the video of the robbery attempt via Vísir Tourist Sexually Harassed In Blue Lagoon Tourist Held Hostage On May Day Culture Night Killer Sentenced To Prison Starbucks To Open In Reykjavík Soon Iceland At A Crossroads An Ode to Flateyri From Army Brats To Luxury Flats Police Officers Spied On Citizens For Iceland’s Richest Man Some 12 to 15 absentee ballots intended to be counted for the parliamentary elections last November were forgotten, Morgunblaðið reports The race was fairly close in the Southwest District and could have had an effect on the outcome The National Electoral Commission is expected to examine the case but it is uncertain whether a recount is in the cards The ballots in question arrived by mail at the offices of the City of Kópavogur on the day before election day no mind was paid to the arrival until December 2 it is believed that they could have influenced who was awarded the last parliamentary seat for the Southwest District the National Electoral Commission is expected to examine the matter Indriði Ingi Stefánsson, a former deputy MP for the Pirate Party, told RÚV that he was disappointed by the news but is not optimistic that a recount will be initiated The offices of the City of Kópavogur said in a statement that in light of this mistake they are changing their mail sorting process in order to prevent such a mistake from happening again In-depth stories and high-quality photography showcasing life in Iceland we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads may adversely affect certain features and functions Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Fire and medical emergency services were called to the rescue of a man in Kópavogur on the evening of February 3 The man had been pinned by a car whilst repairing the vehicle’s undercarriage The Capital Area Fire Department reported that the car was lifted as soon as its team arrived and the man rescued The individual was transported to a hospital The fire department claimed the victim sustained injury to his leg with no details available on the severity of his wounds Founded in 1959, Hagkaup (pronounced HOW-kup) is an Icelandic retailer with seven locations across the country But as I found out during a recent trip to Iceland the chain also offers items and experiences I've never seen in a US store before like an entire section filled with pick-your-own candy Grapevine Events: The Clock, Other-Grounds Film Festival, Icelandic Sorcery Festival & More There are suspicions that attempts have been made to introduce blue-coloured banknotes into circulation The banknotes originate from a robbery of a security van which took place in Kópavogur five weeks ago In late March, two individuals seized cases from a security vehicle transporting money in Kópavogur in the capital area were in the process of emptying slot machines at the Catalina restaurant in the Hamraborg area of Kópavogur In what appears to have been a meticulously planned robbery the perpetrators swiftly manoeuvred a Toyota Yaris at high speed towards the Öryggismiðstöðin vehicle they managed to snatch two cases filled with money and flee the scene The entire incident transpired in a matter of seconds According to the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police the amount stolen was estimated at ISK 10-20 million [$73,000-145,000 / €67,000-134,000] One of the cases was subsequently found empty in an open field in Mosfellsbær, with indications that a dye pack had exploded in the bag. As a result, the banknotes from that bag should be blue. As noted by Vísir the recovered banknotes are in denominations starting from ISK 500 Hamraborg Festival has been thriving on the fringes spearheaded and curated by Agnes Ársælsdóttir As they sunbathe on the porch of Bókasafn Kópavogs — “our office,” they joke — Jo and Agnes chitchat about the upcoming festival punk Hamraborg Festival scarf and shiny silver sunglasses “I’m wearing my running shoes all the time now They even have grips,” Agnes notes with a laugh who has been in Iceland since 2018 and part of Hamraborg Festival from the start their work explores hybrid gendered bodies internet narratives and radical queer intimacies writer and current student of curation who focuses on non-human life in her art The two emphasise that their ability to understand both the curator and the artist side of a festival is crucial to the way they work Agnes even jokes that they “think every artist should be a curator She goes on to poetically describe that the curator’s role “is to be the weight and to be the carrier so that artists can jump as high as they can and do their little twirls and falls and little things.” The core trio of the festival’s organising team describe their clear communication and collaboration: “our work dynamic is very intentional “It’s very interesting to get reacquainted on these terms to see all of the multiple sides of every corner that can be brought out with different pieces in different contexts,” Agnes shares when asked how it feels to return to Kópavogur’s Kársnes neighbourhood in this context A big goal of the festival is to interweave these corners of Hamraborg with each other “Some people never go across the street from here So it’s quite interesting and I think that’s also a goal we have in our curatorial practices to try and invite those groups to exchange also If you only come here for openings at Gerðarsafn you all of a sudden have an invitation to come to Catalina for concerts — and the other way around wandering purpose permeates their festival programme: events range from paper-making to a fashion show spanning locations from Y Gallery to Euromarket humbly saying “not to say that we’re inventing the wheel there’s so few chances to do these kinds of experiments Here we’re providing some kind of platform for that to happen.” “Being mindful about intergenerational dialogues that very much exist in Hamraborg we also try to accommodate different needs,” Jo identifies you also have workshops like interactive performances dedicated to younger folks and children and teenagers.” Throughout the interview both note a keen interest in social relationships and dynamics which informs how they think about the festival “what I like about Hamraborg Festival is that it’s a very socially-oriented art festival.” if you’re trying to build a community with people coming from different places We’re in a good collaborative relationship with Kópavogsbær where we apply every year for this festival and are very generously granted.” This year the team also received grants from Myndlistarsjóður (the Visual Arts Fund) and from Barnamenningarsjóður (the Children’s Arts Fund) of course — it’s something the three person team has to focus on year round “I think we are much more established right now and people do recognize the value of the festival more people are showing up to events and workshops and exhibitions,” Jo observes “I think what we’re so generously allowed to do with hosting this festival again and again is that you get to dwell and peek beyond the surface,” Agnes adds Jo notes that the first Hamraborg Festival was still “a big risk.” Blossoming from the Midpunkt venue that used to reside in Hamraborg Ragnheiður Sigurðardóttir Bjarnarson and Snæbjörn Brynjarsson are praised by Agnes and Jo throughout our interview The two also mention the book Með Hamraborgir á Heilanum (“With Hamraborg on the Brain”) A collection of writings about the area by nine different authors and edited by Snæbjörn and designed by Sveinn the book is “dedicated to the only true city in Iceland: Hamraborg.” a dudette,” is travelling from Poland for this year’s Hamraborg Festival specifically to put on a much anticipated fashion show When I ask Kamil for themes present in his work that echo themes found in the festival she presents a beautiful list: “Diversity for sure sharing that she sees “such life and joy and inclusiveness in the festival Inclusiveness not only of many types of people Jo also underscores the importance of inclusivity — specifically the purposeful inclusion of many queer artists in the festival — explaining that “this is something we were very intentional about this year to not only invite artists working with different art mediums and different art practices but also to invite different audiences and go beyond these binaries as well I think Hamraborg is a super queer and non-binary space Sveinn echoes Jo in his characterisation of Hamraborg “It still seems amazing to me how much character the place has,” he tells me from the super weird architecture to the vastly different people that hang around there Whether celebrating the one-of-a-kind area or how artists and appreciators can find their home in this hub it is striking how much respect everyone has for Hamraborg Summarising this mystic charm that keeps getting alluded to Kópavogur-native Agnes puts it perfectly: “I think these types of phenomena can only live in Hamraborg “Now it’s going to be the fourth time for the festival here in Hamraborg — a space to dream and bring people together,” Jo says with excited gumption as we reached the end of our interview “What kind of burst of togetherness can come if we burst these art bubbles And what can spring from that?” they wonder “What can happen if you allow yourself to submit to this fluidity?” Hamraborg Festival runs from August 29–September 5. Check HamraborgFestival.is and more links here News | Society | Explosion in Kópavogur Garage Capital-area police are investigating the causes of an explosion in a garage in the city of Kópavogur, just outside of Reykjavík, RÚV reports the fire department was unable to confirm that the explosion had been caused by a gas leak One alternate possibility is that a powerful backdraft during a fire could have caused the explosion There was one person in the home when the explosion occurred The damage caused by the explosion was considerable there had been a fire in the basement of the split-level garage but it had not reached the ground-level floor and in-depth stories delivered to your inbox every week A woman in her 40s was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of her six-year-old son and the attempted murder of her older son The ruling was confirmed on the morning of November 6 the child was found dead in the family’s home in Kópavogur He lived there with his 11-year-old brother and mother The woman was accused of laying a pillow over her sleeping son’s head until he was asphyxiated she attempted to force her older son’s face into his mattress The woman confessed but cited being not criminally responsible due to her situation and Kópavogur resident Pétur Eggertsson as we meet for coffee “It has everything I want — except concerts.”   the concert series Pétur is curating in his fight to change the lack of concerts in Kópavogur Kátt á línunni is taking advantage of the spacious venue/restaurant/bar Catalína Pétur’s curation of the series highlights a different genre each month — November’s was all about alternative rock and January zeroes in on experimental pop while electronic and punk will be featured in February and March When Catalína hosted the yearly Hamraborg Festival’s closing concert and amid a thinning out of grass roots spaces in Reykjavík “It was on everyone’s lips that night,” says Pétur “It was pretty obvious that this was a great venue.” The festival had booked Xiupill MSEA and Ghostigital — all household names in the scene at the moment You could say the same for Pétur’s curation of this series Nigel; and Juno Paul in the inaugural performance Katla Yamagata will be playing next on January 16 “This is a bit of a reminisce for me,” explains Pétur Having previously worked for the famed Kimi Records Pétur is curating Kátt á línunni with an eye firmly on the current scene “I actually reached out to Molinn [Youth Program] to see who’s doing stuff in Kópavogur that I need to know about because I think it’s important to have at least one local act,” he says of Katla Yamagata Probed more generally about his thoughts on the state of the grassroots scene Pétur smiles  instead of launching into the usual warranted but saddening monologue about the decline of venues it’s super exciting,” he says emphatically beginning a story about a recent December weekend that held some incredibly experimental back-to-back-to-back shows the scene right now is exactly what I wanted it to be when I was 20.’ So Pétur also became a co-curator of Hamraborg Festival for 2025 Asked whether he sees the music side of the festival grow as a result of this concert series I would love to see it — maybe not grow — but develop.”  Discussing Catalína as not just a live music venue we both noticed that the first concert included both people who came to Catalína for the concert and people who came to Catalína and found a concert Pétur hopes that more people will come intentionally to the concerts “I really want to see if I can get the locals to turn up to the shows Because there’s only been one concert so far Pétur is excited to see how the series changes particularly as the genres change each month to see what people are going to turn up for in Hamraborg Are they going to turn up for a club night or are they going to turn up for a rock show So I’m going to try out a few different things,” he says The next show is intended to be more musically accessible The three artists have been tasked with doing their own experimental take on pop songs if you’re looking for something with a little more bite the electronic February event “is gonna be way more out there.” There’s something for everyone within Kátt á línunni Kátt á línunni will take place on Thursday Entrance is sliding scale, with a suggested donation of 2500kr, and you can find more information on Facebook or Instagram @kattalinunni  A devastating fire in Kópavogur the day before yesterday killed six dogs, Vísir reports Five minutes after leaving she received a panicked phone call from her mother telling her that her house was on fire the smoke had spread to the upper floor and the whole house was full of black smoke,” said Erna It is believed that the fire was started by a lamp although this is still under investigation Erna could hear her dogs crying inside and tried to rush back in to save them “My mother managed to stop me before I went into the burning house to try to save my barking I would have gone in but it was just too late and it was good that someone stopped me,” said Erna Erna described the traumatic experience of watching the fire and waiting for assistance from the fire department: “After a calculation in my head It would be very unlikely that these small bodies would survive this … And the sounds of my dogs fighting for their lives the tormented screams of my six-week-old puppies I felt like no one was going to listen to me Imma and Lizzy were taken to the Animal Hospital and are doing well and there was also enormous damage to the home Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club You can also check out our shop that you can buy and have delivered right to your door Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A woman is in custody following the death of her six year old child on Nýbýlavegur in Kópavogur. The case is being investigated as a murder, Mbl.is reports “The woman is suspected of causing the death of the boy,” said Grímur Grímsson chief superintendent with the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police The woman lived on Nýbýlavegur with two of her children The other child is being taken care of by child protection services The father also lives in Iceland and has expressed his grief over his son’s death in a post on his Facebook page Both parents have lived in the country for three to four years and have received international protection as refugees in Iceland Police have not revealed the cause of death or why murder is suspected “We can only hold a person for 12 weeks in custody so we have the next few weeks to investigate,” Grímur said “I expect that we’ll question more people and bring some back into questioning This is to be expected in cases like this.” Grímur also did not reveal the time of death The only confirmed details are that the mother contacted police herself Wednesday morning and that when police arrived at the scene The case is very sensitive to the community The boy was a first grade student at Álfholtsskóli primary school and the school has subsequently activated its crisis response team A bat was found in Kópavogur, in the Reykjavík capital area, last week, RÚV reports It was quite weak when it was found and was put down in a laboratory at the Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur shortly after Bats are not native to Iceland and a veterinarian says it is unlikely they would be able to survive in the country The bat was found on Smiðjavegur street in Kópavogur He stated that person who found the bat did not know where it came from Vilhjálmur underlined that people should not touch or handle exotic animals if they come across them “They are of course known carriers of infectious agents and actually the most dangerous ones we know,” Vilhjálmur stated Bats are known to carry many types of rabies as well as Hendra viruses which have been transmitted from bats to horses and then humans in Australia and Southeast Asia probably three deaths in Australia from these viruses that came from horses.” Bats also carry the Nipah virus “And then we can mention that we’ve now been dealing with a bat virus for the last three years Vilhjálmur says that one or two bats are blown to Iceland on air currents per year but that most of the bats that arrive in the country probably do so on shipping containers He does not believe that bats could survive in the wild in Iceland It is not known whether the bat found in Kópavogur carried any diseases Samples from the animal are currently being analysed The 18-year-old has been part of Neil MacFarlane’s squad since October last year having joined for a temporary period from the Icelandic side The youngster made 23 appearances for the young Bees and found the net on five occasions during his time in West London Valgeir featured in a number of different positions for the side and has contributed a great deal this season in impressive wins over the likes of Aldershot Town and Maidenhead United as well as Under-23 sides from Chelsea and Arsenal Valgeir made an instant impression at the Club as he netted twice on his debut in the 6-2 win over Hendon FC in the London Senior Cup Discussing the impact that Valgeir has had on the side Brentford B Head Coach Neil MacFarlane said: “We couldn’t have asked any more of Valgeir From the moment he arrived with us he has given everything on an individual basis and from a team perspective He’s an amazing boy who has been unbelievable for the culture that we have at our Club and he’s a player who is always looking to improve himself by doing extras “I know that Valgeir has enjoyed his time with Brentford and we’ve certainly enjoyed working with him and helping him to improve I have no doubts that Valgeir will have a good career because he has the drive within himself to keep on improving every single day and we wish him all the best ahead of their new season.” Valgeir departs Brentford with the best wishes of everyone at the Football Club Patrons of the Kópavogur Library are now able to borrow tools and equipment, just like they borrow books and media. This weekend, the Munsafn RVK Tool Library opened Iceland’s first self-checkout tool library, called Hringrásarsafn. According to the press release, the initiative is “based on a Circular Economy approach to consumption, which tackles UN Goal 12.” Items listed in the website inventory undoubtedly vary from that at the much smaller Kópavogur branch but are indicative of the kinds of things that patrons will likely be able to borrow: tools like a circular saw set and more unexpected items like a digital projector The Hringrásarsafn in the Kópavogur Library is the only one of its kind at present but organizers have received a grant from the Ministry of the Environment to open more tool libraries in locations of the Reykjavík City Library in the future As the press release continues: “With more self-checkout libraries available in the future and resources which helps the planet and aligns with Iceland’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The launch of Hringrásarsafn also coincides with the European Week of Waste Reduction. Learn more about the Munasafn RVK Tool Library on their website, here, or on Instagram A six-year-old boy was found dead in his home in Kópavogur on Wednesday A woman in her fifties was subsequently remanded in custody who was a first-grade student at the Álfhólsskóli primary school in Kópavogur was found dead in his home on Wednesday morning A woman in her fifties was subsequently remanded in custody by the police have withheld further details at this time RÚV reported that the woman whose relation to the boy has not been disclosed The boy’s father expressed his grief over his son’s death in a post on his Facebook page the principal of the Álfhólsskóli primary school communicated with the parents of the schoolchildren informing them that the deceased was a student in the first grade The school has subsequently activated its crisis response team this team will focus on working with first-grade students as well as other students and staff members One enterprising hair stylist in Kópavogur has taken it upon himself to offer a service he believes is sorely needed, Vísir reports: haircuts without small talk took notice of repeated complaints on social media from people saying they didn’t appreciate being made a captive participant in a conversation they had no interest in having just because someone was cutting their hair “There’s always posts popping up on Facebook and Twitter where people are complaining that a barber never shut up,” he told reporters “So I thought to myself that their must be a market for removing this ‘uncomfortable factor’ that comes from having to ask someone to be quiet and I added this to our booking system.” this service–referred to as “the silent type”–has been very well received with “an unbelievable number of men” requesting it He added that he can relate to the discomfort of having a chatty barber feeling the pressure sometimes to think of something to talk about in the midst of an uncomfortable silence Styrmir says a person might order the silent type for any number of reasons “Maybe you had a rough day at work,” he said “Or you have a young child at home who isn’t sleeping It’s not actually my business why you would order ‘the silent type’; you just show up here and knock yourself out for thirty minutes.” lost a salary discrimination case at the end of January The Welfare Ministry’s Complaints Committee for Gender Equality judged it to have unlawfully paid one of its female employees 7% less than her male colleague the municipal government decided to lower the male employee’s salary instead of raising the female’s That’s one way to eradicate the town’s gender wage gap And a third would be to build a rocket and launch Kópavogur into the sun but apparently neither is likely to happen expressed her disappointment that the town “fulfilled the Complaints Committee’s decision by reducing the man’s pay rather than increasing the woman’s” and further said that she went home crying the day she heard what they were going to do What makes the town’s reaction even more frustrating is that the ruling specifically rejected the idea of reducing the male employee’s wages though no one should get credit for doing what is required by law did manage to place the small-minded decision in an even worse light when he responded to newspaper Morgunblaðið’s enquries about whether the town would reduce other employees’ pay We have to go over this and that process can possibly lead to us lowering someone’s salary but I certainly hope that will not happen.” If only someone had the authority to make sure it doesn’t The extra sad thing about his response is that he has often spoken of the necessity to eliminate wage disparity between men and women he said that the eradication of the gender pay gap was a priority he responded to a study which showed that Kópavogur was Iceland’s leading municipality in terms of equal pay by saying: “Compared to others though I suppose the patriarchy is a bit like a monster hunting humans in… sorry that analogy was such a stretch I just sprained my mind It is pretty annoying that this happens in a nation that prides itself on consistently topping lists that rank countries by gender equality Though it is a reminder that Iceland is still far from the ideal But Iceland gave the world the first female elected head of state Björk has been having her own issues with the patriarchy for In an interview with music website Pitchfork she discussed how the media has rarely given her full credit for her work Instead credit has gone to her male collaborators even if they only contributed in a minimal way since the only way to make music is to clang your testicles together Björk said she decided to speak because she wanted to “support young girls who are in their 20s now and tell them: You’re not just imagining things you have to say five times.” Support and encouragement is important which is yet another reason to dislike the municipal government of Kópavogur’s decision But the mayor said once that eradicating the pay gap was a priority Jófríður Hanna Sigfúsdóttir pointed out in an interview with state broadcaster RÚV that her case could discourage other employees from seeking just work compensation Agreeing with her is union leader Elín Björg Jónsdóttir head of the Federation of State and Municipal Employees who says that “it is unbelievable that women or people in general who seek fairness are being punished.” the country that tops gender equality rankings Things are okay compared to a lot of other places Politicians who speak of the necessity of eliminating wage disparity between men and women When President Kennedy promised that his country would put a man on the Moon American politicians did not settle for flying a kite Kópavogur Solves Gender Pay Gap By Lowering Man’s Income The town of Kópavogur lowered a man’s income after an equality complaint committee ruled that he couldn’t receive higher pay than a woman… The youth, they’re always up to something. And it’s no different in Kópavogur. Three young, creative minds collaborate to bring the Bermúda Art Festival to town The aim is to feature distinct and peculiar pieces that might not normally be showcased in a neighbourhood that isn’t necessarily known as the epicentre of the art world (no offense Graphic design and photography will be used in conjunction to better understand the town’s vacant spaces But the visual arts aren’t the only ones being represented—you’ll be in for an auricular treat as well Harpa Dís and Berlaug are amongst the performing artists Show your support for creative minds coming together in the name of art (I ask you At Grágata 3 (first floor) in Kópavogur on July 5 at 20:00 — Admission: Free Capital Area Police were called to Kópavogur at around 21:00 last night after reports of gunfire in Grundahverfi As many as five police cars were reported on the scene and one from the police’s special forces MBL reported that a gun shell was recovered at the scene and that the police officers believed that a shot was fired directly into the air but so far the police have only confirmed that they are investigating the matter usually ranked alongside algebra and hangovers as one of the main tormentors of secondary school existence became briefly fashionable amongst Icelandic teenagers in the late 1990s puzzled as adolescents delivered their homework filled out and on time But the real reason was six muscular thirtysomething German men who looked imposingly from the cover of their debut album ‘Herzeleid’ and “Du hast” became one of the songs of the summer of 1997 almost what Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” was to the summer of 2016 The height of Rammstein mania in Iceland was reached in 2000 when they graced our shores with a memorable concert in Laugardalshöllin The following year saw the release of ‘Mutter’ when they finally returned to play a sold-out show at Kórinn in Kópavogur a place well outside the outskirts of the outskirts of town This is the homefield of the Kópavogur handball club played Iceland’s biggest-ever indoor shows last summer The smell of manure inundates your senses as you enter a concert hall in the middle of nowhere This seems an appropriate setting for a Rammstein show for they soon set their keyboard player on fire Which anyone who has ever been in a band can surely relate to If you feel that all you need is a red guitar non-Icelandic speaking bands who can get a home crowd to sing along apart perhaps from Danish wonder Kim Larsen the Viking clap during the encores might have been better left out but there is a little dismay at how much is left out No “ Mutter,” no “Mein Teil,” no title song with its rather juvenile and slightly rapey “You have a pussy/I have a dick/So what’s the problem/Let’s do it quick.” Maybe it sounds better in German… The show barely clocks in at one and a half hours One feels that after having come all the way to Kópavogur the spectator should be entitled to a little more even accounting for a warm-up set by the band of the Health Minister (seriously) not that one) and it all ends with “Engel.” If brevity is the one complaint after a show And it’ s strange to think that all the people conceived just after the last Rammstein show here are now turning seventeen Let’s hope we don’ t have to wait another seventeen years for the next Rammstein visit Some Icelanders were quite astonished to receive an invitation to an epic BDSM party from none other than the Kópavogur rescue team, Vísir reports Members of the BDSM Society were offered a fair price of 1,000 ISK while non-members would have to pay a bit more Members of the rescue team who are fans of BDSM or those who had just always secretly wanted to try their hand at cracking a leather whip were soon disappointed to discover that it was in fact not the rescue team who had issued the invitation kinky rescue team member Magnús Örn Hákonarson had accidentally sent out the invitation to the party in the name of the whole team—a mistake which has not only blessed him with advice from friends to attend a Facebook course “Who has not sent a message or snap to the wrong person This just happened on the wrong page,” he told Vísir While Magnús Örn himself doesn’t seem to be too bothered with his slip reactions to the invitation have been mixed Most of the guests invited have reportedly responded to the accidental BDSM post with humour some have called for Magnús Örn to be expelled from the rescue squad The rescue team’s board has issued a statement to Fréttablaðið saying that “There are many people with different backgrounds and interests within the volunteer group People are engaged in all kinds of sports and hobbies and the rescue team’s board of directors will not distinguish these interests Magnús Örn announced he’d be more careful on Facebook and he hopes to not end up sending anything similar to his mother or grandmother the story might not end here—an incident like this has the best perquisites to end up in the Áramótaskaupið At least we at the Grapevine can’t wait to see it You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The town of Kópavogur lowered a man’s income after an equality complaint committee ruled that he couldn’t receive higher pay than a woman in the same job, RÚV reports The woman believes that the decision will discourage other town employees from seeking their rights What should people do when they react this way?” Minister of social affairs Eygló Harðardóttir said the town had gone against the committee ruling by lowering the man’s income. “The message to the employer was clear that they shouldn’t amend the pay this way.” RÚV also reports Ólafsson cited that the man had a university degree “We can never pay those that don’t have a university degree the same wages as those who have.” Exciting The bridge between Kársnes and Öskuhlíð will include a futuristic swimming pool which will boast an incredible view of the surrounding area In a few-years-time, people will be able to take a dip in a swimming pool located on a pedestrian bridge connecting Kársnes harbour in Kópavogur and Fossvogur in Reykjavík. The project is part of The Nordic Built Cities Challenge which consists of six independent competitions in “which six Nordic cities are looking for innovative and multidisciplinary solutions” to specific urban spaces an industrial area of about 15,000 square metres Anders Egebjerg Terp and Gunnlaugur Johnson includes two pedestrian bridges; one connecting Kársnes to Reykjavík in the north the other one connecting the area to Bessastaðanes in the south The bridge to Reykjavík will include a futuristic swimming pool which will boast an incredible view of the surrounding area Do you want to know more about this subject? Please send us a line at icelandmag@365.is Have you had an experience related to the contents of this article? Let us know! Join our weekly hand curated newsletter to have all the latest news from Iceland sent to you 2022 Torg ehf. Terms & Privacy In the wake of two Icelandic women being slut-shamed over the idiocy of some poorly-quarantining English football halfwits the Grapevine has put together this selection of recommended stories to help you better understand Icelandic women as a whole Konan við þúsund gráður/Woman at a Thousand Degrees The idea of a fucked up life takes on a whole new meaning when reading this novel about an absolutely lost woman trying to explain to her kids why she is so utterly messed up What Kamilla captures here is the brutal sarcasm of Icelandic women that can castrate a man with a few words so she just drinks vodka at Catalina and explains why she let that miserable stockbroker cum all over her Hm…perhaps I’m not explaining this very well The essence here is that Icelandic women are hilariously funny dangerously sarcastic on top of being weirdly straight forward This book is a must-read for everyone that has had a failed relationship and suffers from low self-esteem Or anyone who just wants to have a good laugh Auður has publicly defended the poor Icelandic girls that have been slut-shamed in Iceland and the UK for visiting the aforementioned English halfwits and she wrote a detailed article about all of the stupid things she did before we invented the smartphone You can find her account at Kjarninn and run it through google translate Even a bad translation can’t damage that article Two of the best female characters in Icelandic literature are Hallgerður Langbrók and Bergþóra Skarphéðinsdóttir Despite how epic they are in their own rights they are complete side characters in this Icelandic classic These women were nothing less than badasses and while the thick Vikings were hammering each other with rusty swords like idiots is that all of the women that appear in Njáls Saga end up convincing men to kill for them and being responsible for their own husbands’ deaths in one way or another It’s an amazing story, and we happen to sell copies of it, in English, here Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club You can also check out our shop The free bus on Route A will service Skólavörðuholt The free bus on Route B will service Perlan The free bus on Route C will service Laugardalur The international company Viad plans to invest USD 11 million in a geothermal lagoon and spa to be built on the ocean-front in Kópavogur, just south of Reykjavík, scheduled to open in 2021, Morgunblaðið reports The geothermal baths will have a view of the ocean and of the presidential residence at Bessastaðir With this investment, the company acquires a 51 percent controlling stake in the Icelandic entity Geothermal Lagoon ehf, that will operate the new lagoon. According to thinkgeoenergy.com Geothermal Lagoon ehf is also the developer and the owner of the lagoon property a subsidiary of Viad with expertise in building and operating world-class attractions will manage all aspects of the guest experience Viad is an experiential services company with two business units: GES and Pursuit the latter focusing on travel experiences in iconic places In 2017 Viad Corp acquired a majority stake in the Icelandic company Esja Attractions and is currently in the process of constructing FlyOver Iceland on Fiskislóð in Reykjavík FlyOver Iceland will be a virtual flight ride theater FlyOver Iceland will offer guests virtual flight experience over some of the country's most spectacular scenery Djair Parfitt-Williams and his Fylkir Reykjavík in the First Tier League in Iceland picked up their 4th win of the season and are in 6th place after their 3 – 2 win over HK Kopavogur at home Parfitt-Williams gave Fylkir the lead in the 16th minute and Valgeir Valgeirsson drew HK Kopavogur level with a goal in the 22nd minute Seven minutes later it was 2-1 to HK Kopavogur when Valgeirsson scored his second goal of the game Fylkir would draw level in the 55th minute when Arnor Gauti Ragnarsson scored and then Valdimar Ingimundarson converted from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute to earn Fylkir all three points Category: All, Sports Bermuda’s Zeiko Lewis scored for his HK Kopavogur team in the 28th minute in their 2 – 0 win over Leiknir Reykjavik “Feels good to score my first goal for the club @HK_Kopavogur Looking forward to many more wins and hopefully more goals for the club.” The Bermuda international and former New York Red Bulls player signed with the Icelandic team earlier this year. Zeiko Lewis scored twice for his HK Kopavogur team as they recorded a 4 – 1 win over Thor Akureyri in Iceland with the Bermudian footballer scoring in the 17th and 37th minutes of the match The Bermuda international and former New York Red Bulls player — who signed a contract in Iceland earlier this year – has scored three goals in the past week A man was found unconscious at a Kópavogur roundabout this morning after falling off a snow cat His ten-year-old son was uninjured in the accident According to police the man was driving the vehicle without a licence and neither father or son were wearing helmets The man is recovering at hospital and the boy is in his mother's care  Icelandic traffic laws state that driving such vehicles in urban areas is forbidden On the fast lane Iceland's oldest driver is a 102 year-old from Kópavogur suburb According to Mbl.is Iceland’s oldest motorist is 102 year-old Jón Hannesson from Kópavogur The seasoned motorist drives a 16 year-old Toyota which he has no intention to upgrade any time soon Jón says he loves the freedom the car gives and explains that it helps him go wherever and whenever he wants to He has no intentions of parking the car and intends to continue to drive as long as he has his health He was transported to a hospital immediately He is now in intensive care in the hospital and out of immediate danger The attacker left the restaurant after the attack but was apprehended by the police shortly after along with another man suspected of being involved The attackers are not connected to the victim and the attack seems to be unprovoked According to Grímur Grímsson, head police officer of the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police who was made famous in the case of Birna Brjánsdóttir the suspect have been interrogated today and police has interviewed a number of witnesses It will be decided later today if they will be put in custody though Grímsson thought it more probable than not Syn-Pro by SISIS Cricket Groundcare Machinery Kópavogur Puffins' Dushan Bandara has scored 308 runs from 9 matches Bandara is expected to be the top run scorer for the team in this match as well Abhishek Chauhan and Sathiya Rupan have been among the wickets for Kópavogur Puffins Botha and Nagarajan are the best in terms of strike rates and have picked up more than one wicket per match Derick Deonarain and Lakmal Bandara are the two batsmen to have scored the most runs for Reykjavik Vikings Deonarain has 155 runs from just 8 matches Bandara has also contributed with 16 wickets to go along with 248 runs from 11 matches Sadun Lankathilaka is their most prolific bowler with 15 wickets from 11 matches Prabhath Weerasooriya has also picked up 9 wickets from as many games googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-MPU2intext'); }); Let's have a look at the squads of both teams: Kópavogur Puffins - Abhishek Chauhan Who will win the toss? - Kópavogur Puffins Who will win? – Kópavogur Puffins Top Batsman (Runs Scored) – Dushan Bandara (Kópavogur Puffins), Derick Deonarain (Reykjavik Vikings) Top Bowler (Wickets taken) – Sampath Nagarajan (Kópavogur Puffins), Sadun Lankathilaka (Reykjavik Vikings) Most Sixes – Dushan Bandara (Kópavogur Puffins), Derick Deonarain (Reykjavik Vikings) Man of the Match –  Dushan Bandara Team Scores Batting first – Kópavogur Puffins 90+, Reykjavik Vikings 85+  Match Handicap Kópavogur Puffins Live Cricket Streaming ECS Iceland T10 2020 - bet365's live cricket streaming page which enables you to watch live cricket (BeGambleAware 18+)  Live Cricket Streaming from bet365 requires a funded account or for customers to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours *NB these predictions may be changed nearer the start of the match once the final starting teams have been announced and we will be running ‘In–Play’ features