Move over 'RocknRolla' there's a new contender in town for slickest movie of the year! Jar City is a chilling murder mystery from Iceland, adapted from Arnaldur Indridason's bestseller. When Reykjavik Detective Inspector Erlendur (Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson) investigates the murder of an old man, unnerving forensic discoveries lead to the deaths, 30 years apart, of two little girls, and a horrific secret is soon revealed.

Parallel tragedies gradually merge in a haunting film - one deals with Erlendur's relationship with his troubled daughter, the other with how the medical histories (and hereditary secrets) of a country's entire population are on a database for anyone with computer skills to peruse and misuse.

It's a real spellbinder with some very slick and atmospheric shots of Reykjavik. Surely this movie must be ripe for the Hollywood treatment?!

Unearth the secrets of Reykjavik for yourself with Discover the World, the world's largest tour operator to Iceland, and find out why Reykjavik is one definitely one of the coolest capitals on the planet.

• Icelandic women don’t take the husband’s name when they marry, chiefly because the husband doesn’t have a family name to take.
• Because they don’t have surnames, Icelanders are listed in the telephone directory alphabetically by first name.
• Because they don’t have surnames, it is not appropriate to call an Icelander by Mr. or Ms. Almost all Icelanders use the first name with everyone—including the president of Iceland.
• The English word geyser comes from Icelandic (perhaps the only Icelandic word imported into English). Geysir is the name of a famous geyser in Iceland (which, sadly, no longer erupts).
• The Icelanders speak the Icelandic language, which is used only in Iceland and among Icelandic expatriates—chiefly in Scandinavia and North America. Icelandic is very similar to old Nor
• There are only about 270,000 Icelanders in the country. About half of them live in the capital Reykjavik and its suburbs.
• Iceland is the world’s oldest democracy. Its parliament (Althingi) was founded about 1,000 years ago.
• Iceland has vast amounts of water—because it rains so much. Icelandic water is so clean and pure that it is piped into the city and to the kitchen taps in the home without any treatment (no chlorination needed).
• Urban Icelandic homes do not need a water heater or a furnace for heating. Steam and hot water are piped into the city from natural geysers and hot springs for use in homes and buildings.
• Because of its bountiful water supply and many rivers, Iceland has vast reserves of hydroelectric power. Electricity is so inexpensive that aluminum ore (bauxite) is shipped in to the country, made into aluminum, and the aluminum ingots are shipped out again. (Smelting aluminum requires vast amounts of electricity.)
• The weather in Iceland is not as cold as you might think. (Winter is a heck of a lot colder in Minnesota than it is in Iceland!) The climate is relatively mild because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf Stream. Average winter daytime temperature in Reykjavik is 31 degrees F. (−1 degrees C.)
• Iceland is very green, because there is so much water and the climate is mild. (There are not many trees however.) People like to say that Iceland should be named Greenland and Greenland should be named Iceland.
• Iceland lies just south of the Arctic Circle. Winter nights and summer days are long. On December 21 in the capital, the sun rises at 11:30 a.m. and sets at 3:30 p.m. On June 21 the sun sets about midnight and rises at 3:00 a.m. It never gets darker than twilight at night during the late spring and early summer.
• During a recent survey, Icelanders ranked the highest of all European countries in expressing general satisfaction with their lives.
• Icelanders rank near the top of world nations in the per capita rate of connection to the Internet.

Iceland is one the fastest growing incentive travel destinations in the world. It's success is largely down to location, accessible to companies in both Europe and North America, but also because of the unusual activities on offer and its unique landscape.

A popular way for companies to reward productivity and galvanise team spirit, incentive travel in Iceland is an attractive option for employers eager to get the best from staff in the future.

Hosting business events in Iceland is a great way to ensure they are unforgettable and unique. The volcanic island in the North Atlantic is an unusual, exciting and challenging location for any number of team building exercises and other corporate events.

The University of Iceland held a graduation ceremony recently for bachelor and masters students. At the ceremony two years ago, the rector announced the new goals for the university. In this year’s graduation speech she took the goals from 2006 even further.

Two years ago, Kristín Ingólfsdóttir, the rector of the University of Iceland announced that the university would aim at to be among the top 100 universities in the world before 2011, when the university celebrates its 100th anniversary.

More recentky she announced new and even more challenging goals. The university is still aiming for a seat on the top 100 list, but Ingólfsdóttir’s envisions going even further and now the goal is to get one of the university’s five faculties on the top ten list. Fréttabladid reports.

There has been a lot of discussion on how to fund such ambitious goals, with the central issue of whether the University of Iceland should charge tuition. According to Icelandic law, the state university may not charge tuition, but Althingi, the Icelandic Parliament, has made some changes in the legal framework surrounding universities so there is a legal possibility for charging school fees. However, the university’s administration has not yet made any decision on the matter. Ingólfsdóttir made no comments as to whether she would support the use of tuition.

Native Icelanders Björk and Sigur Rós are joining forcing to perform a free concert in their home country at the end of the month in a bid to increase recognition of the growing environmental issues and natural image of Iceland.

On June 28th, both rock acts will play an outdoors show in Reykjavik, Iceland at the Botanical Garden on Laugavegur. They will be accompanied by artists such as Ólöf Arnalds, who is also from Iceland, and a few other artists from outside of the nation. Björk told the Icelandic publication Morgunbladid that the country is behind in being environmentally-friendly and needs to start incorporating 'green thinking' into what it does. The building of more dams and aluminum factories is one factor that continues to hinder progress so new options should perhaps be considered, the 42-year-old musician stated.

Last year, Björk released her sixth studio record entitled Volta, which was nominated at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Sigur Rós are coming out with their fifth full-length album, Með suð ' eyrum við spilum endalaust (which means "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly" in English) at the end of this month on the 23rd of June. Meanwhile, Ólöf Arnalds released her debut album, Við Og Við, last year.

Find out just why Iceland is one of the 'coolest' countries on the planet by visiting www.discover-the-world.co.uk

Did you know that Iceland is the world's most peaceful country, according to an index measuring internal and external turmoil. Only one of the G8 states makes it into the top 10 of the survey, which was published this week.

Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, Iceland's foreign minister, welcomed her country's ranking by saying "We are very pleased that the index confirms the core values of a small democratic society ... which has never had a military and has effectively practised peace for hundreds of years," she said. "We can feel that other states also find this of importance and it is in fact a driving force in our first-time candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN security council."

While Iceland leads the field, Nordic countries again feature at the top of the index, which is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit from 24 indicators of external and internal measures of peace, including UN deployments overseas and levels of violent crime nationally. Denmark and Norway come second and third, followed by New Zealand and Japan, the G8's sole representative in the top 10.

Give peace a chance and find a more harmonious way of life by visiting the world's number travel company to Iceland, Discover the World, at www.discover-the-world.co.uk

Queenstown has been named the second most popular world destination, closely following Milford Sound in first place, by TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel community.

The inaugural TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards recognise inspirational travel spots and honour the most beloved destinations from around the world.

TripAdvisor’s 2008 Destinations Awards represent the opinions of millions of travelers. The winners were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor’s travelers’ favourite places and overall popularity on the online travel community’s website.

Vice President of Global Communications for TripAdvisor Michele Perry said the Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards are unique because they single out not just popular places but truly exceptional places that enthrall travelers and keep them coming back.

Destination Queenstown CEO, David Kennedy, said the award for Queenstown was testament to the quality of the town’s operators and the exceptional travel experience they delivered. The award was phenomenal recognition for Queenstown and the people who run businesses in town, showcasing Queenstown’s southern hospitality and delivering an inspirational experience.

Start planning your dream holiday to New Zealand now by visiting www.discover-the-world.co.uk where you will find one of the UK's most comprehensive guides to New Zealand together with a fantastic selection of travel options.

Next month Vatnajokull in Iceland will be designated the largest national park in Europe. It will cover more than three million acres (half the size of Wales), incorporating 13 per cent of the whole country.

Vatnajokull, in the south-east of the country, is a land of high plains, volcanoes, lava beds, sand flats, rivers, lakes and ravines. While some areas – such as the Detifoss waterfall, the most powerful in Europe – attract visitors, much of the park is a wilderness. Seven volcanoes, most of them active, are located under the Vatnajokull ice-cap, one of the largest glaciers in Europe.

A network of visitor centres, waymarked trails and rangers' stations is being built to improve accessibility. "National park status will protect the area against development, pollution and other human interference in order to preserve it for future generations," said Olof Yrr Atladottir, the director-general of the Icelandic Tourist Board.

Tourist officials estimate that the park could attract more than 40,000 new visitors each year.

Iceland is already anticipating an increase in tourist numbers as its currency, the krona, has fallen by more than 10 per cent against the pound in the past 12 months.

Travel with the World's number one tour operator to Iceland, Discover the World, and witness this amazing national park for yourself..!! For more information see www.discover-the-world.co.uk

Sweden has once again been rated as "the best place to be a mother in the world" by a U.S.-based charity in a report assessing the well-being for mothers around the world.

The report, released by the aid agency Save the Children Tuesday, illustrates where mothers fare best and where they face the greatest hardship.

Save the Children has done the assessments of such aspects as longevity, drinking water quality, matNorway ranks second on the list of 146 countries in the State of the World's Mothers' index, followed by Iceland which ranks third.

Among the top 10 countries on the list are also New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, Finland, Ireland, Germany and France.

The low-ranked countries include Niger, Chad, Yemen, Sierra Leone, Angola, Guinea Bissa, Eritrea, Djibouti, Mali and Ethiopia.

The organization releases its report annually since 2000 in a bid to arouse public concerns about life quality for mothers around the world.

Enjoy a holiday in Sweden, Iceland and New Zealand and find out for yourself just why these countries are unique. For more information visit www.discover-the-world.co.uk

There is something about the beauty and tranquility of Iceland that makes it the rightful setting for a spectacular tribute to John Lennon.

John Lennon changed the world in so many ways with his music and outlook on life and so now at last the world has a permanent and very spiritual reminder of his legacy.

Yoko Ono unveiled The Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavik, Iceland on October 9th, 2007. It will shine nightly every year from October 9th (John Lennon's birthday) through December 8th, the anniversary of Lennon's death in 1980.

To discover this and more for yourself visit www.discover-the-world.co.uk

The Swedish premium car brand, Saab, has created a truly all-encompassing brand experience that will open its doors to the public on the 11th February 2008.

Housed within the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, the Saab Move Your Mind room will allow the public to experience Saab – the brand, its spirit, tonality and core values through innovative design installations made wholly from ice.

Designed and created by Simon Padian, chief designer for Saab and Tjåsa Gusfors – a leading designer at the ICEHOTEL, specializing in ice and snow sculpture, the installation has been inspired by Saab’s core brand pillars - progressive design, responsible performance and sporty driver focus. By drawing inspiration from these core brand values and from the award-winning Saab Aero X concept car, the installation showcases Saab’s heritage in design innovation and independent thinking.

Simon Padian: ”The Move Your Mind room is designed to be a journey, a flow, a pulse which aims to disrupt and challenge the visitors perceptions of what is normal or expected. The installation is designed to create an audiovisual experience that defies the visitor’s senses. We hope that the public will find it thought-provoking and leave feeling more engaged with the Saab brand.”

Visitors will be encouraged to walk through an ice suite featuring key Saab brand messages and showcasing Saab’s design heritage. Highlights include an ice sculpted Saab Aero X and impressive light and sound sequences.

Discover the World, the UK's leading specialist tour opeartor to Swedish Lapland, features a range of 3 and 4 night holidays to the ICEHOTEL with the option of booking a unique Saab Ice Driving excursion.

For more information and to book please call 01737 218800 or visit www.discover-the-world.co.uk

History will be made at the South Pole tonight as a team of adventurers led by Corkman Pat Falvey is expected to make history this evening as the first Irish expedition to reach the South Pole. The four explorers embarked in November on a 1,100km trek through some of the harshest conditions on the planet. They have braved icy winds, sub-zero temperatures and freezing snowstorms and are finally expected to reach their destination today.

Mr Falvey is a world-renowned explorer who has led 59 expeditions worldwide. He is the only person to have completed the Seven Summits challenge twice.

In December 2008, thanks to Discover the World, you can also follow in the footsteps of Pat Falvey with your very own South Pole Adventure. A new 8 day ‘South Pole Adventure’, featured for the first time in the UK, provides a unique opportunity to fly, as part of small select group, from Punta Arenas across the Drake passage, beyond the Antarctic Peninsula to a base camp at Patriot Hills. From here a specially equipped ski aircraft (a DCH-6 Twin Otter – the perfect transportation for these conditions) will fly you across the plateau to the South Pole visiting the Scott-Amundsen base. Prices from £17,944 per person departing December 2008 and January 2009.

Building on the success of its unique and inspiring holidays to the far corners of the globe, Discover the World, the UK’s award-winning specialist operator of quality, bespoke holidays, showcase this and many other extraordinary adventures in a new collection of Polar Journeys, with departures from June 2008 to March 2009, in a new 70 page brochure. Incorporating the very best itineraries in the highest and lowest latitudes of the planet, the new brochure focuses on adventurous voyages and land based holidays that highlight the stunning landscapes of both the North and South Poles, natural beauty of Greenland and polar bear watching adventures in Canada.