REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelanders will elect a new parliament Saturday after disagreements over immigration, energy policy and the economy forced Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to pull the plug on his coalition government and call early elections. This is Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis devastated the economy of the North Atlantic island nation and ushered in a new era of political instability. Opinion polls suggest the country may be in for another upheaval, with support for the three governing parties plunging. Benediktsson, who was named prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, struggled to hold together the unlikely coalition of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement. Iceland, a nation of about 400,000 people, is proud of its democratic traditions, describing itself as arguably the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was founded in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the country. Here’s what to look for in the contest. How does the election work? Voters will choose 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will allocate seats both by regional constituencies and proportional representation. Parties need at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight parties were represented in the outgoing parliament, and 10 parties are contesting this election. Turnout is traditionally high by international standards, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 parliamentary election. Why now? A windswept island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland normally holds elections during the warmer months of the year. But on Oct. 13 Benediktsson decided his coalition couldn’t last any longer, and he asked President Halla Tómasdóttir to dissolve the Althingi. “The weakness of this society is that we have no very strong party and we have no very strong leader of any party,’’ said Vilhjálmur Bjarnson, a former member of parliament. “We have no charming person with a vision ... That is very difficult for us.” Why is Iceland's politics so fractured? The splintering of Iceland's political landscape came after the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted years of economic upheaval after its debt-swollen banks collapsed. The crisis led to anger and distrust of the parties that had traditionally traded power back and forth, and prompted the creation of new parties ranging from the environment focused Left-Green Alliance to the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy and individual freedoms. “This is one of the consequences of the economic crash,’’ said Eva H. Önnudóttir, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland. “It’s just the changed landscape. Parties, especially the old parties, have maybe kind of been hoping that we would go back to how things were before, but that’s not going to happen.” What are the issues? Like many Western countries, Iceland has been buffeted by the rising cost of living and immigration pressures. Inflation peaked at an annual rate of 10.2% in February 2023, fueled by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While inflation slowed to 5.1% in October, that is still high compared with neighboring countries. The U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.6% last month, while the European Union’s rate was 2.3%. Iceland is also struggling to accommodate a rising number of asylum-seekers, creating tensions within the small, traditionally homogenous country. The number of immigrants seeking protection in Iceland jumped to more than 4,000 in each of the past three years, compared with a previous average of less than 1,000. What about the volcano? Repeated eruptions of a volcano in the southwestern part of the country have displaced thousands of people and strained public finances. One year after the first eruption forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, many residents still don’t have secure housing, leading to complaints that the government has been slow to respond. But it also added to a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by Iceland’s tourism boom. Young people are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder at a time when short-term vacation rentals have reduced the housing stock available for locals, Önnudóttir said. “The housing issue is becoming a big issue in Iceland,'' she said. —— Kirka reported from London. Marco Di Marco And Danica Kirka, The Associated PressMaximus contract with CMS for Medicare services cancelled; shares drop
None
This story is part of the November 24 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories . Malabar Coast, Arabian Sea. There’s romance enough just in the names. I’m rattling along in a rickety local bus (no windows, driver perched on the springs of a seat that long ago lost its padding) towards Kochi in Kerala state, south-west India. The city, once known as Cochin, was a relatively sleepy place in the 1960s. Since then, the population has exploded from a manageable 250,000 to more than 31⁄2 million. What you’ll see today is a colonial-era district, Fort Kochi, surrounded by a vast Indian city of shopping malls, high-rise apartment blocks and motorways – pumping with life and energy 24/7. Traditional Kathakali dance on New Year carnival in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. Credit: Getty Images Fort Kochi was a significant trading port long before the local raja (king) negotiated a deal with the Portuguese in 1500. He got the worst of the arrangement, slowly losing power to his erstwhile ally. The Portuguese built a fort, hence the name, and held on to the territory for the next 163 years before losing it in turn to the Dutch. The British wrested it away in 1795, holding on to the growing town until India gained its hard-won independence in 1947. It’s no surprise Kochi is a major tourist attraction. It’s small enough to navigate around easily and is packed with the magnificent architecture of three successive colonial influences alongside Indian, with the whole lot surrounded by sea. With an international airport well serviced by flights from Australia, Kochi is a great place to begin your Indian adventure, especially if you’re a first-time visitor to India. Kerala is considered a politically and socially progressive state relative to the rest of India. It’s also one of the wealthiest and this is evident in Kochi. It’s a city of fine restaurants, hipster cafes, boutiques packed with original designs and a surprisingly large number of art galleries, many housed in exquisite, well-maintained colonial buildings. The city is home to the government-supported Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which has had quite an impact on the art world since its inception in 2012. The sixth edition gets underway in December this year. Wander in the narrow, winding lanes edged by buildings in the Dutch and Portuguese styles housing shops, cafes and private homes. Drop in for coffee at Kashi Art Cafe. Stroll with the locals at sunset on Kochi Beach, dine at a waterfront restaurant watching the boats coming and going across the harbour. There’s a wide range of accommodation here, from luxury hotels to modest guesthouses. Take a state-of-the-art electric ferry to the wharf near the iconic Chinese fishing nets and next door to the gorgeous Brunton Boatyard Hotel, which began life as a British colonial shipyard on the waterfront. Stay here, or pop in for a drink or a meal on the promenade. Loading Nearby, tucked down a quiet, flower-filled lane, you’ll find SeaCoast Inn. This newly built, mid-range guesthouse is owned by Kochi local Shaan. The former IT executive has drawn on his own international travel experience to organise this attractive residence in a way that works for foreign visitors while still being essentially Indian. It’s pristine, well designed and full of lovely artisanal furnishings and fittings that reflect the Portuguese heritage of the area. Fort Kochi is not nearly as busy as many Asian cities with similar attractions. There’s still a homely feel to it, easygoing and genuine. My first day in Kochi, I lunch at Qissa cafe and find myself gravitating back there often during my stay. On one visit, as I step out into the street to take a phone call, I notice I’ve left my bag at my table. I’m about to double back when the waiter, a young man with the delicate beauty typical of the people of this region, his abundant black hair hauled into a topknot, makes me a sign: “No worries, I’ve got my eye on it, go do what you need to do.” Kochi is still that sort of place. WHEN TO GO: The winter months between October and February are comfortable and mild. DON’T MISS: A kathakali performance at the Cochin Cultural Centre’s theatre. FURTHER AFIELD: Rent a houseboat for the day or overnight and explore the Kerala backwaters. Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up here for our free newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Sunday Life Holidays India Most Viewed in Lifestyle LoadingDallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy gave his thoughts about receiving a vote of confidence from team owner Jerry Jones this week. McCarthy was asked about Jones saying during a radio appearance, "I don't think that's crazy at all" that he would receive a new contract to remain the team's head coach beyond the 2024 season. "Why are you laughing?" McCarthy asked reporters (0:40 in video). "Crazy? I mean... I really haven't talked about it all year, so I'm definitely not going to start on a short week and an important division game. But I'm not going to throw away positive vibes either, so keep 'em coming. That's all good. But, yeah, that's not something I'm really focused on." This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .Canadian freestyle skier star Mikael Kingsbury is juggling both moguls and fatherhood. The 32-year-old Olympic and world champion from Deux-Montagnes, Que., opens his World Cup season Saturday in Ruka, Finland, with partner Laurence Mongeon and their infant son Henrik in tow. Henrik was born Aug. 25. “It changes your life, that’s for sure,” Kingsbury said Tuesday from Ruka in a media conference call. “Get used to waking up in the middle of the night, but at the same time, it is the most beautiful thing in the world. “It brings a beautiful balance to my career.” While Kingsbury acknowledges there are great hockey players named Henrik, he says the inspiration for the name was his niece liking a boy named Henrik in her kindergarten class. “I always liked the name anyway,” Kingsbury said. “Laurence and I agree it fits his face. “I didn’t ski as much this summer because I wanted to be home and I wanted to be present. We’re five weeks on the road for the start of this season, so I couldn’t see myself doing five weeks without seeing my kid. “I would have missed my family too much, so I brought them on the road for three weeks.” Regarded as the most dominant moguls skier of all time, the Canadian achieved another significant milestone last season when he surpassed Swedish alpine skier Ingemar Stenmark for the most all-time World Cup victories by a male athlete in any ski discipline. Kingsbury embarks on his 16th World Cup season with a career 90 victories. He’s finished in the medals in 129 of 151 career World Cup starts. But while Kingsbury claimed last season’s dual moguls crown, Japan’s Ikuma Horishima challenged Kingsbury’s reign by claiming his first crystal globe in moguls. “The mindset is still the same. The goals are still the same,” Kingsbury said. “Coming into the season, I want to focus on one race at a time. That’s how you get to a crystal globe. “The main focus is being consistent, staying healthy to start the season, try to get the momentum of the start and stay healthy until the end of this season. “I usually start strong, and I can finish very strong, and that’s how you win crystal globes.” Kingsbury won an Olympic moguls gold medal in 2018 and silver in both 2014 and 2022. Dual moguls makes its Olympic debut in 2026 in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Kingsbury has swept both moguls and dual moguls gold medals in three straight world championships. He’ll attempt the double a fourth time March 18-21 in Engadin, Switzerland. “Henrik and my family now are my priority and skiing comes second, but I know I can still win,” Kingsbury said. “It’s going to be different. My family is going to be home and it might be a bit more difficult, but at the same time I see a lot of positive in being a dad. I feel way more relaxed on the mountain.” One secret to Kingsbury’s success has been his durability. His only major injury hiccup so far was fracturing two vertebrae in his back training in Ruka ahead of the 2020-21 season. Kingsbury sat out the first three World Cups and won the fourth upon return to action. He’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning, so quality training, not quantity, is important to him. “As I get older, I cannot do too much, but I’ve got to do the right amount and make sure I can peak in 2026,” he explained. “The challenge is going to be the best dad I can and the best skier I can and try to manage in the middle. It’s never going to be perfect, but I’m to do as best as I can and make sure I’m ready in 2026. “I feel fortunate for all the team (members) that I have around me, teammates, and all the coaches and staff that are working with me. They’re going to make my life easy when it’s going to be difficult.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.