Reykjavík Municipal Court on Thursday ordered a journalist and two editors of DV, an Icelandic newspaper issued three times a week, to pay 400 thousand ISK, (3.000 USD, 2.400 €) to soccer star Eidur Gudjohnsen  (previously with Chelsea, Barcelona and Tottenham, but now with Fulham) for writing about his financial matters. The three, editors Reynir Traustason and Jón Trausti Reynisson (father and son) and journalist Ingi Freyr Vilhjálmsson, were also ordered to pay a 150 thousand ISK fine to the state.

Gudjohnsen’s lawyer, Heidrún Lind Marteinsdóttir, was happy about the result and said the court’s decision was a lesson for the media. Vilhjálmur H. Vilhjálmsson, solicitor for and brother of Ingi Freyr Vilhjámsson, bowed to Marteinsdóttir, but said this was only half time and the court’s decision would be appealed to the Supreme Court.

According to Morgunbladid the article about Gudjohnsen appeared in DV and the paper’s website the same day. The article spoke of Gudjohnsen’s debts in various banks and his investments in Turkey and Hong Kong. The article also claimed that Gudjohnsen had gotten loans through his soccer pals who now worked for banks. Furthermore, the paper wrote about his salary at the Monaco soccer club.

The defense held that the articles had been to inform the public of how banks in Iceland had provided loans. The collapse of the banks was the direct result of loans, such as these.
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The Icelandic Film and Television Academy (IKSA) announced its nominations for the 2011 Eddas, the Icelandic Film and Television Awards, last week. The movies Brim, Órói and The Good Heart received the most nominations.

The nominations in the main categories are as follows:

Best film:Brim by Zik Zak films, Órói by Kvikmyndafélag Íslands and The Good Heart by Zik Zak films.

Best fictional television program: Réttur 2 by Sagafilm, Hlemmavídeó by Sagafilm and Mér er gamanmál by Blunden production.

Best documentary: Feathered Cocaine by Markell, Future of Hope by Edison moving pictures, Sweet Chili Films and Raven Films, Gnarr by Allskonar myndir, Höllin by Mont and Med hangandi hendi by Krumma film.

Best director: Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson in Brim, Baldvin Z in Órói, Baltasar Kormákur in Inhale, Dagur Kári in The Good Heart and Gunnar B. Gudmundsson in Gauragangur.

Best actress: Hreindís Ylva Gardarsdóttir in Órói, Jóhanna Vigdís Arnardóttir in Réttur 2, Lauren Hennessy in Clean, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir in Brim and Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir in Sumarlandid.

Best actor: Atli Óskar Fjalarsson in Órói, Brian Cox in The Good Heart, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson in Rokland, Ólafur Egill Egilsson in Brim and Pétur Jóhann in Hlemmavídeó.

Many of the films that were nominated are currently being screened at Bíó Paradís in downtown Reykjavík.

Kópavogur is Iceland´s second largest municipality, with almost 31 thousand inhabitants. Situated just south of Reykjavík and by most considered to be a Reykjavík suburb, the town has long been ruled by a coalition of the Independence party and the Progressive party. Former mayor Gunnar Birgisson was forced to resign after his opponents had uncovered that the municipality had done business with a company owned by his daughter.

The current mayor was hired after a new majority took over in 2010. In the story in Fréttabladid mayor Pálsdóttir said that specialists had told her that as long as it was not stipulated in her contract that the car should be used only by her, close family member can also use it.

The president of the town council Hafsteinn Karlsson said that he thought it natural that mayor Pálsdóttir use the car provided to her by the town. “Of course we expect that car to be used for the municipality,” he said.

It was revealed that the daughter had used the petrol station credit card that was provided by Kópavogur, “but only in exceptional cases,” according to the mayor.
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