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Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Find out what's going on in Denmark today with The Local's short roundup of the news in less than five minutes.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
The royal ship 'Dannebrog' at the harbour at Fredrikshavn on Wednesday. Photo: Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix

Police report calm response to extended bar opening hours

Last night saw an easing of coronavirus restrictions come into effect, permitting bars and cafes to stay open until 2am. Closing time under the outgoing restrictions was midnight.

Police districts across the country said they have not noticed any initial change in the behaviour of drinking establishment patrons, according to broadcaster DR.

But Funen Police said they have been in contact with a number of bars who have decided to wait before making use of the new provision because they were unclear about whether the rules actually took effect from last night (Wednesday going into Thursday) or tonight.

Euros matches in Copenhagen did not cause Covid-19 spike, health authority says

Covid-19 infection data following Euro 2020 matches in Copenhagen show that large events can be hosted in a corona-safe manner, experts have said to DR following the publication of data related to the matches hosted at Parken stadium.

According to the Danish Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed), 152 people were infected with coronavirus through attending the matches. As such, they are not classed as ‘super spreader’ events.

“This has shown that these matched were manageable. It’s shown that it was not irresponsible to host the matches at Parken,” Aarhus University virologist Søren Riis Paludan told DR.

All of Denmark’s three group stage matches took place in Copenhagen, as did the last-16 clash between Croatia and Spain.

Two arrested for throwing wood from bridge

Central and West Zealand police have arrested two young men who are suspected of throwing wood from a footbridge near the town of Ringsted, news wire Ritzau reports.

The men are suspected of throwing a piece of wood on to one of the town’s ring roads, causing a truck driver to brake sharply.

Such dangerous antisocial behaviour near busy roads has been reported relatively often in various parts of Denmark in recent years and has previously had fatal consequences.

READ ALSO: Danish police look for clues after latest motorway bridge attack

Queen Margrethe visits the Faroe Islands

The Queen is on an official visit to the Faroe Islands from today until Monday.

According to Her Majesty’s official schedule, the Danish monarch will be officially welcomed at Tórshavn today before visiting the Faroese parliament, Lagtinget. The Faroe Islands is a self-governed autonomous territory within the Danish kingdom.

READ ALSO: Goodbye Denmark? Faroese weigh pulling free of Danish grip

Queen Margrethe is also due to stop by a number of other towns and bygder (villages) on the Faroe Islands where she will be presented with elements of the local culture, environment and gastronomy.

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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Danish parties agree to raise abortion term limit, Novo Nordic, Maersk and Vestas post results, colder weather to return, and other news from Denmark on Friday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Danish parties agree to raise abortion limit to 18 weeks 

Denmark’s government has struck a deal with four other parties to raise the maximum gestation period at which a foetus can be aborted from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, in the first change to Danish abortion law in 50 years. 

The government struck the deal with the Socialist Left Party, the Red Green Alliance, the Social Liberal Party and the Alternativet party. 

“In terms of health, there is no evidence for the current week limit, nor is there anything to suggest that there will be significantly more or later abortions by moving the week limit,” Sophie Løhde, Denmark’s Minister of the Interior and Health, said announving the deal. 

Danish vocabulary: abortgrænsen – abortion limit 

Colder weather to return on weekend 

Friday will be the last day in the current spell of 20C temperatures, with colder, rainier weather returning on the weekend.  According to the Denmark’s state forecaster DMI, a cold front will arrive in Denmark on Friday evening, bringing rain, colder temperatures of 7C-12C overnight and local thunderstorms. 

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, temperatures will be between 13C and 18C, with rain in some places, with sunnier weather expected from Tuesday.  

Danish voabulary: en byge – a shower

Vestas, Maersk and Novo Nordisk report results

Novo Nordisk reported soaring profits, Maersk falling ones, and Vestas, the world’s number one wind turbine maker, posted a loss, as Denmark’s biggest companies posted results for the first three months of the year. 

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk reported more soaring profits Thursday on the back of its anti-diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Its net profit reached 25.4 billion kroner ($3.6 billion) in the first quarter, a 28 percent jump from the same period last year, the company said in a statement.

Vestas said on Thursday it had swung to a 75-million-euro ($80-million) loss in the first quarter and warned “geopolitical volatility” would continue to cause uncertainty. Revenue fell 5.2 percent to 2.68 billion euros in the first three months of the year, compared to the same period a year earlier. Its net loss followed a net profit of 16 million euros in the first quarter of 2023. The value of its order backlog reached a record high €61 billion.

Maersk profits plummeted as Yemeni attacks closed off its vital Red Sea route, with the company reporting a net profit of $177 million in the first three months of the year, a 13-fold drop from the same period last year. 

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