Morning Briefing – Thursday, August 15

The Copenhagen Post’s daily digest of what the Danish press is reporting

Government cuts ties to Egypt
The Egyptian military’s bloody crackdown of protestors on Wednesday has led the government to cut ties with that country and withdraw funding for two development projects it is participating in there. The two projects, which receive 30 million kroner in total from Copenhagen, were established to help small companies seeking to hire new employees. Announcing the decision, the development minister, Christian Friis Bach (Radikale), said he would also call on the EU to take similar measures. “Doing so would be a signal that we take what’s going on very, very seriously. The bloodshed it utterly unacceptable,” he said. The foreign minister, Villy Søvndal (Socialistisk Folkeparti), urged the military to end the month-long state of emergency that followed the July 3 ouster of former president Mohammed Morsi. – Berlingske

Ferries: Øresund Bridge receives illegal subsidy
A decision by the Danish and Swedish states to lower tolls for lorries crossing the Øresund Bridge between the two countries amounts to an illegal subsidy, say two ferry lines. Stena and Scandlines, which operate ferries in the Øresund, have asked the European Commission to investigate the toll reduction, which was made in response to declining traffic over the bridge. The ferry lines argue that by lowering tolls, the two states have increased the risk associated with operating the bridge while at the same time extending the length of time it will take to repay loans issued to fund the bridge’s construction. – Børsen

PhD in carpentry? 
The decreasing popularity of vocational school among young people can be reversed by making it easier for carpenters, chefs, masons and other blue-collar workers to attend continuing education courses after receiving their initial qualifications. Morten Østergaard (Radikale), the higher education minister, said one way to do that was to make it possible for people who had studied at a vocational school to take university-level courses. Studies show young people view vocational schools as a dead-end, and Østergaard said changing entry requirements to university could encourage more people to learn a trade. – Jyllands-Posten

Tax officials to be investigated
Tax authority Skat has begun formally investigating four managers and two rank-and-file employees over complaints they abused their authority in a number of high-profile tax investigations. In what tax lawyers called an “unprecedented” move, the six had been asked to submit preliminary statements in July. – DR Nyheder 

Mine found on ‘clean’ beach
Police on Wednesday evening closed a section of beach near the coastal Jutland city of Esbjerg after a German tourist reported finding a landmine. The particular beach had been a minefield during the Second World War, but was declared safe last year after an extensive effort to remove the estimated 72,000 mines that had been laid there. – TV2 News

Friendly loss angers Olsen
National team coach Morten Olsen didn’t mince words after Denmark’s 3-2 loss to Poland in Gdansk on Wednesday. “Sorry I’ve got to swear. I hope the Poles don’t understand what I say, but that was fucking appalling.” Denmark outplayed Poland for much of the first half and led 2-1 at half-time, but were unable to keep pace in the second half. Olsen called the loss “unnecessary. We were better than them.” – Ekstra Bladet




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  • Internationals in employment set a new record: there are now 498,000

    Internationals in employment set a new record: there are now 498,000

    In the last 10 years, the number of internationals working here almost doubled, increasing from 258,500 to 498,000. They now represent 16% of the workforce

  • DTU named best technical university in the EU

    DTU named best technical university in the EU

    The Technical University of Denmark, located half an hour from Copenhagen, has topped a new ranking of over 200 technical universities in the EU, where it stands out particularly for its excellence in research, innovation and internationalism.

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend