Nye Borgerlige leader Pernille Vermund recently claimed in Parliament that only 50 people died as a result of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

The pro-nuclear power MP was debating climate minister, Dan Jørgensen, regarding the safety of the fuel source. 

He was quick to take issue, pointing out that far more died: somewhere between 4,000-9,000.

Fact checking
The DR current affairs forum Detektor asked the MPs to cite their claims.

Vermund attributed her figure to a 2006 article on TV2 that cited The Chernobyl Forum, while Jørgensen referred directly to The Chernobyl Forum.

It turns out that Vermund’s 50 were all emergency workers directly killed by the blast, whereas Jørgensen was including those who died as a result of the fallout. 

Municipality to purchase controversial island to thwart right-wingers
Vordingborg Municipality intends to buy the island of Lindholm, the island identified by the former blue bloc government in 2018 as a great location to house rejected asylum-seekers and convicted foreigners. Vordingborg Mayor Mikael Smed, who is a member of Socialdemokratiet, told DR that his municipality wants to make sure the plans never take shape.  “There are still some in the blue parties who think that it is a good idea to have an exit centre on Lindholm,” he said. “So if we are to exercise some timely care, we must ensure that it is as difficult as possible at all.” The plan was apparently included in the 2019 budget to gain the support of Dansk Folkeparti. 

READ MORE: Australia, Devil’s Island, Alcatraz … Lindholm

Ruling expected regarding continued imprisonment of former PET head
Østre Landsret is expected to soon make a ruling regarding the continued imprisonment of Lars Findsen, the former head of the PET intelligence agency, who has been in custody since December 9 for leaking “highly classified intelligence”. All other details remain shrouded in secrecy for now, and the media have been barred from attending the two-day hearing. Findsen, 57, potentially faces 12 years in prison should his case go to trial. 

Britta Nielsen’s children fail with bid to be heard in Supreme Court
The appeal of the three children of convicted fraudster Britta Nielsen will not be heard in the Supreme Court, it has been decided. The Østre Landsret high court added six months onto their sentences at their first appeal.  Samina Hayat is serving four years, Jimmy Hayat three years, and Jamilla Hayat two years. Mother Britta is serving six and a half years for embezzling 117 million kroner from the state. She should be released in 2026.

Enhedslisten happy to pocket severance pay former mayor doesn’t need
City Hall’s Enhedslisten representation has controversially pocked 500,000 kroner after its former mayor, Ninna Hedeager Olsen, said she did not need the severance pay after stepping down at the end of the year. Olsen, who was mayor for technology and the environment, is an associate professor at Københavns Professionshøjskole. Enhedslisten spokesperson Anders Jonassen rejects claims it is double standards to receive taxpayer money. “It’s the same rule for all parties,” he told DR. During Olsen’s four-year stint as mayor, she took extensive sick leave after a man was found guilty of raping a woman in her bed. He was later acquitted.

MPs want more transport choices for nightlife revellers following murder
Preben Bang Henriksen, the legal spokesperson for Venstre, has told media that the recent abduction of Mia Skadhauge Stevn in Aalborg has highlighted the need to banish unlicensed taxis. Known to prey on nightlife spots, it is not the first time one has been involved in a crime. Instead, Henriksen wants more licenced taxis and buses to service the needs of the nightlife community. Stevn’s death was confirmed by the authorities on Saturday, six days after her disappearance. The 22-year-old’s last sighting was getting into what was probably an unlicensed taxi. 

Another batch of illegal mink found
Some 119 illegal mink were recently discovered at a former farm in northeastern Djursland, according to Fødevarestyrelsen, the veterinary and food administration. Hobbyists are permitted to keep mink, but the number discovered, and the location, suggests this is the third case of commercial breeding to be discovered since the nation’s 17 million mink were culled in November 2020. 

Rise in households, but not a considerable jump in single ones
New arrivals know how difficult it is to find a residence in Denmark, and that’s despite there being 16 percent more households than a generation ago: 2,788,291 compared to  2,397,075 in 1997, according to Danmarks Statistik. It would be easy to presume there are more single households, but they only accounted for a slightly larger share: 40 percent compared to 37. Two-person households accounted for 33 percent each time, and the number of households with three or more fell from 33 to 30 percent. Households with children fell from 31 to 28 percent.

Rise in ferry crossings compared to last pre-pandemic winter
Ferry bookings for the winter holiday are through the roof, reports Molslinjen. Compared to 2020, the last winter holiday not affected by corona, there have been 78 percent more bookings on its route linking Kalundborg to Samsø, while Kattegat crossings have soared by 38 percent. 

Opening of Aalborg super hospital postponed until 2024
The construction of New Aalborg University Hospital, a new super hospital in the north Jutland city, has been postponed by six months. It should be operational by 2024, according to the regional council. Costs have reportedly spiralled by 141 million kroner of late. 

Water levels rising in Wadden Sea as rain clouds descend on country
Ahead of heavy rain forecast for Denmark today and tomorrow, DMI has warned that water levels are rising in the Wadden Sea. The southern part of Denmark is most likely to feel storm-strength wind when gales strike the country tomorrow, but the severity will not be as bad as expected. There will be more rain though.  

New flight from capital to Bornholm just in time for return of Folkemødet
Norwegian intends to open a flight route between Bornholm and Copenhagen from June 15. It will leave the Danish capital a day before the Folkemødet politics festival begins. Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays until August 14. 

Fewer home sales last month compared to January 2021
Far fewer homes were sold in January: just 7,014 compared to 9,522 in the same month in 2021, according to Boligsiden. In January 2020, 6,584 homes were sold.