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TODAY IN DENMARK

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

Danish People's Party pulls out of 'energy island' agreement, three arrested after Nørrebro shooting, Kosovo ratifies prison deal, and other news from Denmark on Friday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
A police dog looks for clues after the shooting in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. Photo: Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix

Danish People’s Party pulls out of Bornholm Energy Island agreement

The Danish People’s Party has decided to withdraw from the cross-party agreement made in 2020 to set up a so-called “Energy Island” around Bornholm which would generate more than 3GW of a power, enough for 3.3m Danish households. 

“I believe that this kind of climate policy, where there is almost no limit to how many kroner in tax you can spend in the holy name of the climate, is completely irresponsible,” Morten Messerschmidt, the party’s leader, told DR.

The Danish People’s Party was one of nine parties to agree to build an enormous offshore wind farm around the island, agreeing to provide state support of 17.6bn kroner. 

The pledge to withdraw came after the party threatened to withdraw from the entire climate act if an expected CO2 tax on agriculture costs jobs.

The Climate Act is the framework for climate policy in Denmark, and key to its ambitions of cutting emissions by 70 percent by 2030.

Danish vocabulary: fuldstændig uansvarlig – completely irresponsible

Three arrested after shooting in Nørrebro

Copenhagen Police arrested three people on Thursday after two people were injured in a shooting in Nørrebro, Copenhagen.

“Their role in the case is currently being investigated. We currently have no further comments on the case,” Copenhagen Police said in a post on X. “The victims of the shooting are stable and out of danger. We will continue to be massively present in the area throughout the evening, be it in terms of investigation or security.” .

Michael Andersen told the Ritzau newswire that the first report of a shooting came in at 2.53pm

Danish vocabulary: skyderi – shooting 

Social Democrats slam Danish People’s Party for fake election test 

Denmark’s Social Democrats have called on the Danish People’s Party to withdraw a mock ‘who should you vote for?’ test, which highlights unpopular policies from the government parties recommends many who take it that they should vote for the far-right party. 

The party test, an ojective looking website called “valgtest.eu”, is one of the first three results that comes up when you search for valgtest, meaning “election test” and EU. More than 30,000 people have taken the test. 

“It is problematic that the Danish People’s Party buys a domain which can deceive the Danes into thinking that it is an objective election test. I think that is dangerous in a democracy where you already struggle with misinformation,” said Christel Schaldemose, the Social Democrats’ lead candidate in the elections. 

Danish vocabulary: hjemmesiden – home page

Kosovo ratifies deal on renting prison cells to Denmark

Legislators in Kosovo on Thursday ratified an agreement signed with Denmark to rent the Scandinavian country 300 prison cells to help ease overcrowding in the kingdom’s penitentiaries.

Under the deal Kosovo will be paid around 200 million euros ($220 million) over the next decade, with the funds helping improve the government’s correctional institutions and finance renewable energy projects.

“Eighty six have supported it, seven against and there were no abstentions, and one deputy did not participate in the vote at all”, said parliamentary speaker Glauk Konjufca following the vote in the 120-strong parliament.

Denmark’s justice ministry also confirmed the approval of the agreement.

The future inmates will be sent to a prison in Gjilan town — about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Kosovo’s capital Pristina.

The prison population in Denmark surged by nearly 20 percent since 2015 and reached more than 4,000 people by the start of 2021 — putting the occupation rate above 100 percent, according to official data.

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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

Denmark through in Euros but face daunting last-16 task, Copenhagen to close some forest kindergartens but save others, Wegovy approved in China and more Danish news on Wednesday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

‘Everything is possible’: Denmark unawed by Euros hosts Germany in last-16

Denmark defender Jannik Vestergaard backed his underdog side ahead of Saturday’s last-16 meeting with Euro 2024 hosts Germany, saying “everything is possible”.

Denmark drew 0-0 with Serbia in Munich on Tuesday but qualified second in the group after the parallel England-Slovenia Group C match finished with the same scoreline.

As a result, Denmark — who reached the semi-finals of the most recent Euros — will face hosts Germany in Dortmund on Saturday.

“Everything is possible,” Vestergaard told MagentaTV after the game.

“The Germans are a strong team. We need a really strong performance and to stop Germany from showing their best form.”

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand called Germany “one of the favourites” for the tournament but said he “had a good feeling about the game”.

“Playing against Germany (in Dortmund) with the Danish team, it couldn’t be better. It’s a great team but we’re a great team as well and when we play the big nations, we always step up,” said the 52-year-old.

Vocabulary: en god fornemmelse – a good feeling

Copenhagen Municipality makes decision on kindergarten cutbacks

A City Council (Borgerrepræsentation) meeting at Copenhagen Municipality yesterday resulted in 14 of 33 kindergartens being spared after they had earlier been earmarked for closure.

Eight of the kindergartens will be closed, the council decided, with the fate of the remaining 11 either undecided or coming down to a partial closure.

The decision was announced in a statement by the municipality after the Council meeting, the top level of decision-making procedure in the city government. The issue was sent to the Council after it failed to pass the lower committee stage, partly due to campaigns by parents against the closures during the hearing stage.

The closures are necessary to cut costs due to a declining number of children living in the capital, the municipality has said.

READ ALSO: Copenhagen forest kindergartens get delay on closure decision

Among the affected kindergartens and creches are several ‘forest kindergartens’, where children spend their entire day outside, including during winter. The concept has past been the focus of international media and praised for its potential learning and developmental benefits.

You can see the list of affected childcare institutions on the municipal statement and we’ll have a separate article with more detail on our website later today.

Vocabulary: daginstitution – daycare/childcare, including creche and kindergarten

Novo Nordisk says weight-loss drug Wegovy approved in China

Novo Nordisk’s flagship weight-loss drug Wegovy has been approved for use in China, the Danish pharmaceutical giant said.

The company — Europe’s largest by market capitalisation — confirmed to news agency AFP on Tuesday that Beijing had given the green light for the breakthrough treatment in people who are overweight or obese with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

It was not clear when Wegovy would be formally launched in China, where Novo Nordisk’s sales rose by 11 percent last year at constant exchange rates.

Its patent in the world’s second-most populous nation expires in 2026.

Based on the semaglutide molecule, Wegovy is seen as spearheading a revolution in the treatment of obesity, a major cause of ill-health across the developed world.

In the United States — the group’s largest such market — Wegovy has also been approved to treat heart disease in adults who are overweight or obese.

Vocabulary: godkendt – approved

One in four stocked up with ‘crisis’ water and food

A significant proportion of the Danish population has followed official advice to ensure they have enough supplies at home to get by for three days in the event of a crisis.

Around a quarter of households have stocked three days’ supplies of water after advice was issued by authorities earlier this month to keep stores in case of a crisis.

A survey for newswire Ritzau by the Voxmeter institute found that around a quarter have already followed the guidelines. Over 1,000 people answered the survey, which was conducted between 6 and 9 days after the announcement.

Some 26 percent said they have sufficient stocks of both food and water, while 72 percent said they did not in the survey conducted between June 21st-24th.

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