Denmark forsaking their Afghan interpreters
The Afghan interpreters who are working for the Danish military in Afghanistan will not be offered protection once Denmark pulls their soldiers out in 2014, according to the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne). Hækkerup argued that the interpreters are generally hired from calmer parts of the country and that they are not employed by the Danish state, but rather by a private firm. Iraqi interpreters were offered special residency after the Iraq War began in 2003. – Berlingske
Advertised house sizes cannot be trusted
Home buyers in Denmark can never know for sure whether the home they are buying is advertised with the correct size specifications, according to consumer authority Forbrugerrådet. Homeowners measure their residences themselves and report the information to the building registry, Bygnings- og Boligregistret (BBR). BBR’s most recent inspection indicated that there are errors in the reported size of at least 30,000 homes. – Politiken
Foreigners scooping up low-paid jobs
Foreigners are taking over low-paid jobs to a degree that the jobs may never return to Danish hands, according to experts. Figures from Danmarks Statistik indicated that 27 percent of the foreigners working in Denmark earn fewer than 130 kroner an hour, while only 10 percent of Danes earn that amount. The stats encompass all foreign citizens working in Denmark, of whom the largest groups come from Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden. – Jyllands-Posten
Vestas’s reign is over
After 12 years as the world’s biggest wind turbine producer, Vestas finally conceded the top spot to American GE Wind in 2012, according to numbers from the analysis firm BTM Consult. Experts pointed to significant activity on the American turbine market, where GE Wind is strong, and to the fact that GE Wind produced 15 percent of all turbines sold in 2012. The ranking also indicated that Siemens climbed from ninth to third place last year, while second-placed Chinese firm Goldwind dropped out of the top five. – Ingeniøren
