Missing 15-year-old girl found in Hungary after 2 days

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After being missing for over two days, a 15-year-old girl from Hedensted in Jutland was found alive at a location in Hungary, Southeast Jutland Police announced Thursday evening. The girl had been wanted in Denmark and internationally after last being seen at her residence on Tuesday morning.

Her location was discovered through a collaboration between Hungarian police, Europol, and Southeast Jutland Police. Police expressed relief that she was found alive, stating their main focus is returning her safely home to Denmark.

Authorities are now investigating whether a criminal offense was committed in connection with her disappearance. Due to the ongoing investigation, police currently have no further information regarding the case or her condition.

  • Greenland municipality imposes temporary alcohol ban

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    The Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut, has introduced a temporary ban on the sale and serving of alcohol in the southern Greenlandic municipality of Kujalleq.
    Naalakkersuisut writes this on Friday, when the ban took effect, in a press release.
    The ban comes following a request from the municipal council in Kujalleq.
    – The purpose of the temporary closure of alcohol sales and serving is to eliminate the threat to children’s welfare and the safety of the population.
    – Furthermore, Kommune Kujalleq has expressed concern and insecurity among the municipality’s population in recent times as a result of the fatal incidents that are a direct consequence of alcoholic beverages, the press release states.
    It is not specified further which alcohol-related incidents have taken place in the municipality.
    Malene Vahl Rasmussen, who is mayor of Kujalleq, confirms in a post on Facebook that she has asked Naalakkersuisut to temporarily halt the sale of alcohol in the municipality.
    – Based on the negative consequences that alcohol consumption has on our surroundings, we can no longer defend the way we use alcohol, she writes.
    In a press release, according to the Greenlandic media outlet Sermitsiaq, she elaborates further.
    – We can no longer stand passively by and watch the negative consequences that alcohol consumption has on our surroundings, and merely wait for another serious incident to happen in our society, the mayor writes according to the media outlet.
    The ban on the sale and serving of alcohol will last until the executive order is repealed, it is stated.
    Thus, it is not clear how long the ban will remain in effect.
    It is not the first time that an alcohol ban has been introduced in parts of Greenland.
    At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a ban was introduced for a period on the serving of alcohol with an alcohol percentage above 2.25 percent in Nuuk, Kapisillit, and Qeqertarsuatsiaat.
    At that time, it happened with the justification that they wanted to protect children who were at home during the pandemic.
    RITZAU

  • Professor: Old IT makes universities hacking targets

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    Danish universities hold vast amounts of personal data while some continue to rely on ageing IT systems that may not meet modern security standards, a cybersecurity professor warns following the major attack on DTU.

    Old IT systems combined with large amounts of sensitive personal data make Danish universities particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, according to Jens Myrup Pedersen, professor of cybersecurity at Aarhus University.

    His warning comes after the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) revealed Friday that hackers had gained access to its user database and extracted a large amount of data.

    “Universities possess a very large amount of personal data,” Pedersen told Ritzau.

    “And then it is my impression that several universities have quite a few older systems that probably do not have the security level one can expect in 2026.”

    Pedersen stressed that he cannot comment specifically on the quality of DTU’s IT security.

    But he said the attack raises important questions about how universities protect access to sensitive information.

    “The question is which accounts have had access to all this personal data, and how well they are protected,” he said.

    Another key question, according to Pedersen, is whether university IT systems can detect when unusually large amounts of data are being extracted and trigger an alarm before the damage becomes more extensive.

    Universities face a ‘very high’ cyber threat

    The problem extends beyond DTU.

    Danish universities have been targeted by hackers several times in recent years, while a 2025 assessment from the Danish Agency for Societal Security (Styrelsen for Samfundssikkerhed) rated the cybercrime threat against Danish universities as “very high”.

    Universities can be attractive targets because they combine extensive personal databases with large and complex IT environments used by thousands of students, researchers and employees.

    The latest attack has brought renewed attention to whether security measures have kept pace with that complexity.

    More than 200,000 potentially affected at DTU

    As previously reported by The Copenhagen Post, more than 200,000 people could be affected by the DTU attack.

    Unauthorised parties compromised several DTU user profiles and used them to access the university’s user database. DTU says a large amount of data was extracted and that the information involved could include CPR numbers, home addresses and telephone numbers.

    The university has not yet determined exactly what information was taken or how many people are affected.

    The incident has been reported to the Danish Data Protection Agency (Datatilsynet), while the National Special Crime Unit (NSK) is in contact with DTU about the case.

    It has not been disclosed who is suspected of carrying out the attack.

    Source: Ritzau

  • G7 releases oil reserves – could it bring down Denmark’s record-high diesel prices?

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    Diesel prices in Denmark have climbed to record levels. Now the G7 countries are releasing up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves in an attempt to ease pressure on global energy markets.

    Danish motorists could see some relief from record-high diesel prices after the G7 countries agreed to release emergency fuel reserves.

    The move was announced Friday following a meeting of G7 leaders and will see up to 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil released over the next four months.

    The release will be coordinated through the International Energy Agency and is intended to increase supply and help stabilise energy prices.

    For Denmark, the move could take some of the pressure off diesel prices, according to Jens Nærvig Pedersen, senior commodities analyst at Danske Bank.

    But motorists should not expect prices to return to normal immediately.

    “It is not the grand solution that can cause prices to fall again,” Pedersen told Ritzau.

    “It does not solve the supply crisis in the oil market, which is primarily due to the conflict in the Middle East.”

    Diesel has hit a Danish record

    The price of diesel at Danish filling stations reached a record DKK 19.19 per litre in September.

    The additional supplies from G7 reserves could help cushion the market, Pedersen said, but they cannot fully replace the supplies currently missing from the Middle East.

    “For us to get lower and more normal prices again, a solution must be found to the current supply crisis,” he said.

    The G7 announcement has already had an impact on international energy markets, with oil prices beginning to fall following the decision.

    Why is the G7 releasing its reserves?

    The decision follows mounting concern about global fuel supplies and sharply rising prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

    It also comes after US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of stopping US diesel exports to Europe.

    Europe is heavily dependent on imported diesel, making any restriction on US exports potentially significant for European supplies and prices.

    Following the G7 agreement, Trump said Friday that he would not impose a diesel export ban.

    The G7 countries have also agreed not to introduce restrictions on energy exports between member countries.

    What happens to Danish fuel prices now?

    The release of emergency reserves increases the amount of oil and diesel available on the market and could therefore put downward pressure on prices.

    But the underlying problem remains the shortage of supply caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

    That means Danish motorists could see some relief at the pump without necessarily seeing a return to the prices that prevailed before the current energy crisis.

    The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Source: Ritzau

  • World Cup assault suspect convicted in separate case

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    Next week, a 31-year-old man is to appear in court in a case concerning violence against a Swedish man, who later died, at a big-screen event at Islands Brygge.
    However, that is not the only case of violence the 31-year-old is involved in.
    On Friday, at the Court in Svendborg, he was sentenced to three months of unconditional imprisonment for violence against another inmate in Nyborg State Prison in 2022.
    B.T. and TV 2 report this.
    In the case, two men of similar age have also been convicted. They have likewise received three months in prison, writes B.T.
    The three men were charged with having assaulted an inmate in the prison with numerous punches and kicks to the face.
    The victim suffered a concussion and broke both his nose and a rib, according to the indictment.
    The three men were charged under the severe violence section, but were only found guilty under the mild violence provision – section 244.
    It is also under this section that the 31-year-old man is charged when he appears in court next week in the case from Islands Brygge.
    In that case, he is charged with having struck a 32-year-old Swedish man with a powerful punch.
    The Swede died three days later.
    The violence took place at a big-screen event at Islands Brygge in Copenhagen on 30 June at around 20:45. A screening of the football World Cup was held here.
    According to the case’s indictment, the 31-year-old man at one point stood up on a bench, from where he, with a powerful overhand throw, threw two beer cans in the direction of a group of people – including the 32-year-old Swede.
    Immediately after, the 31-year-old man dealt the Swede the powerful blow.
    The blow hit the Swede on the left side of the head/neck, after which he fell to the ground.
    Because of the blow, the Swede suffered, among other things, a rupture of the artery, which meant that the man later died.
    In the case, charges have also been brought under section 247 of the penal code, which pertains to the 31-year-old man having previously been convicted of crimes against the person. Among other things, he has a conviction for attempted murder.
    If one is convicted under section 247, the sentence can be increased by up to half.
    A prosecutor in the case has previously stated that the man charged with violence faces between eight and ten months in prison.
    RITZAU

  • Lidl to invest more than 100 million DKK renovating all Danish stores

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    Lidl plans to renovate all its supermarkets in Denmark under a new store concept, investing more than 100 million DKK over the coming business years.

    The German-owned supermarket chain said the redesign would improve the use of space, create a consistent appearance and make shopping easier.

    Changes will include allocating more space for products on shelves.
    Lidl has tested the concept through renovations at several locations. The first store to open after the official introduction of the concept began operating in Holbæk on September 27.

    More renovated stores are expected to open in the coming months.
    “The goal is to have all stores in Lidl Denmark renovated within the next few years,” said Mads T. Nielsen, Lidl’s development, property and sales director.

    He said customers had responded positively to the test stores and newly built locations using the same design.

    Individual supermarkets will close completely while renovation work is underway.

    Lidl has more than 170 stores across Denmark and expects the full renovation program to take between two and four years.

    The chain also plans to continue opening locations as it works toward having more than 200 supermarkets in Denmark.
    Lidl opened its first Danish store in 2005.

  • Suspected female wolf pup killed in traffic near Karup and sent for examination

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    A suspected female wolf pup has been killed in traffic on Hessellundvej near Karup, Danish authorities said Friday.

    The Agency for Green Land Restructuring and Water Environment confirmed the incident to regional broadcaster TV Midtvest.

    The Danish Nature Agency, which manages state-owned natural areas and wildlife matters, collected the animal Friday morning.

    Officials believe it is a wolf and likely a female pup. The animal will be examined at the University of Copenhagen, though the specific purpose of the examination has not been disclosed.

    Authorities could not provide further details about the collision Friday afternoon, including whether the driver involved contacted them.
    Other wolves killed in traffic have previously been found and examined in Denmark.

    Five dead wolves were examined in January, including three that had been struck by vehicles. The results were sent to the Natural History Museum Aarhus, which monitors Denmark’s wolf population and collects documentation.

    “Through the autopsies, we gain an important understanding of the wolves’ health and way of life,” research director Kent Olsen said in January.

    The examinations can include DNA testing and provide information used for research and wildlife management.

    Wolves returned to Denmark in 2012 after being absent from the country for about 200 years.

    The wolf is a protected species in Denmark and the country’s only apex predator.

  • Old systems and extensive personal data make universities vulnerable to hackers, expert says

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    Universities can be attractive and vulnerable targets for cyberattacks because they store large amounts of personal information and may rely on outdated computer systems, a Danish cybersecurity expert said.

    Jens Myrup Pedersen, a cybersecurity professor at Aarhus University, spoke after the Technical University of Denmark, known as DTU, reported a data breach Friday.

    “Universities hold a very large amount of personal data,” Pedersen said.
    He added that several universities appeared to use older systems that might not meet the level of security expected in 2026.

    More than 200,000 current and former DTU users could be affected by the attack, the university said.

    Unauthorized people compromised several DTU user profiles to gain access to its database and retrieved “a larger amount” of information.
    The exposed data could include CPR numbers, which are Denmark’s personal identification numbers, as well as home addresses and telephone numbers.

    DTU has not yet determined exactly what information was taken or how many users were affected.

  • Copenhagen parties seek investigation into possible police report over Sikandar Siddique’s residence case

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    Four center-right parties in Copenhagen want officials to investigate whether Free Greens leader Sikandar Siddique should be reported to police over his residence registration.

    Venstre, the Conservative People’s Party, Liberal Alliance and the Danish People’s Party submitted a proposal to Copenhagen’s municipal council, which will consider it October 8, DR reported.

    The parties want possible forgery and false testimony investigated. They also seek an assessment of whether Siddique should repay his council pay or face a fine under Denmark’s residence registration law.
    Siddique denied wrongdoing and called the proposal “theater to get attention.”

    Before the November 2025 municipal election, Siddique registered a move from Herlev to Copenhagen, allowing him to run.

    Copenhagen authorities later canceled that registration, and the Digital Affairs Ministry upheld the decision. Elected council members must live permanently in the municipality.

    Siddique lost his eligibility but had already been voted out. Free Greens alternate Asham Agha Nadeem will take the seat, allowing the party to retain its council mandate.

    The residence dispute began before the election when Ekstra Bladet reported that Siddique still owned a Herlev home where his wife and children lived.

    He had registered himself at an 18-square-meter room in a shared Copenhagen apartment.

    Siddique maintains that he moved from Herlev to Copenhagen before the election.

  • Denmark to see sunshine Saturday before clouds and rain return Sunday

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    Denmark will have periods of rain and sunshine this weekend, with Saturday expected to bring the best weather, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute, the country’s national weather service.

    Friday began cloudy as a slow-moving front brought scattered rain across central Denmark.

    Conditions were expected to clear gradually, with sunshine reaching Jutland first, followed by Funen and parts of Zealand during the afternoon.

    Some areas of Zealand could remain cloudy because of the front’s slow movement. Friday’s temperatures were expected to reach 15 to 18 degrees Celsius.

    Saturday will begin with fog and haze in many places before clearing to sunshine across most of the country.

    “The weekend starts foggy and hazy in many places, but it will clear up so that most will get sun,” meteorologist Mette Wagner said.

    Temperatures could reach 19 degrees, making Saturday suitable for outdoor activities.

    A second weather front is expected to enter northwestern Denmark during Saturday afternoon, bringing scattered rain.

    The front will move slowly southeast Saturday evening and overnight.
    Sunday will be cloudier, with rain in some places. The rainfall is not expected to be heavy, and breaks in the clouds may occur during the day.

    Temperatures will fall slightly Sunday, reaching between 14 and 16 degrees.

  • Copenhagen Airport records busiest September with 3.2 million passengers

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    Copenhagen Airport handled 3.2 million passengers in September, its highest total for that month.

    The number was four percent higher than in September 2025, the airport said Friday.

    “The peak season no longer ends with the summer vacation,” commercial director Peter Krogsgaard said. “In September, we had almost as many travelers as in the summer months.”

    About 270,000 passengers traveled between Copenhagen and Norway, making it the largest country market.

    Spain followed with 255,000 passengers, while routes to and from the United Kingdom carried 245,000.

    London, Stockholm, Oslo, Amsterdam and Paris were the five most popular destinations.

    Demand also increased for direct routes between Copenhagen and the United States.

    Those flights carried 140,000 passengers, an increase of eight percent from September 2025.

    Krogsgaard said both direct traffic and the number of American visitors to Denmark had increased.

    Copenhagen Airport is Denmark’s only airport offering direct flights to and from the United States. Some American passengers visit Denmark, while others continue to destinations elsewhere in Europe.

    The airport expects about 1.1 million passengers during Denmark’s October school holiday. More than 115,000 travelers are expected on the busiest days.

    Spain, Italy and France are the most popular southern European destinations, with about 220,000 passengers expected around the holiday period.

  • Petrol-only cars fall below half of Denmark’s passenger vehicle fleet

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    Cars powered only by petrol now account for less than half of Denmark’s passenger vehicle fleet, according to figures from bilstatistik.dk.
    Petrol-only cars make up 49.98 percent of registered passenger cars, down from 65 percent at the end of 2020.

    The category does not include hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles because they use more than one source of power.

    Over the same period, electric cars have increased their share of the Danish fleet. They now account for 24.3 percent of passenger cars.

    Mobility Denmark, the main association representing Denmark’s automotive industry, said the figures showed how quickly the country’s vehicle fleet was changing.

    “Pure petrol cars have for decades been completely dominant on Danish roads. Now they make up less than half of the passenger car fleet,” CEO Mads Rørvig said.

    “That says something about how strongly electric cars have moved in a few years,” he added.

  • Lego Foundation invests 200 million DKK to strengthen Danish teacher training

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    The Lego Foundation will invest 200 million DKK over five years in efforts to attract and retain more teachers and educators in Denmark.

    The funding expands a partnership with Danske Professionshøjskoler, the association representing Denmark’s six university colleges.

    The colleges will develop an action plan explaining how the money will be used to increase enrollment in teacher and educator training programs and help graduates remain in those professions.

    “It is not a task for the Lego Foundation to define the concrete efforts,” foundation CEO Sidsel Marie Kristensen said. “They know much better than us what it takes to solve it.”

    The initiative builds on cooperation that began in 2018.

    The foundation cited shortages of qualified teachers and educators, falling academic performance in public schools and an increasing number of children excluded from school communities.

    “Skilled teachers and educators are completely crucial for children’s well-being and learning,” Kristensen said.

    A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that teacher shortages remain a problem in Denmark.

    The latest PISA study also showed historically weak results among Danish 15-year-old students.

    The foundation’s total support for Danske Professionshøjskoler has now reached 565 million DKK since 2018.

    The Lego Foundation is a Danish commercial foundation that owns 25 percent of the Lego Group.

  • Danish justice minister wants prosecutors barred from wearing religious and political symbols in court

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    Danish prosecutors should follow the same rules as judges and be barred from wearing visible religious or political symbols during court hearings, Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen said.

    “Neither Muslim nor other visible religious symbols must be allowed to weaken the public’s confidence that what takes place in Danish courtrooms is objective,” Wammen of the Social Democrats told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

    Since 2009, Denmark’s Administration of Justice Act has prohibited judges and lay judges from wearing religious or political symbols during hearings. The rule does not currently apply to prosecutors.

    The debate began after Zahra Sediqi, a prosecutor with the State Prosecutor in Viborg, wrote on LinkedIn that she was proud to be Denmark’s first prosecutor to wear a headscarf.

    Dennis Flydtkjær, immigration spokesperson for the Denmark Democrats, said wearing a headscarf did not necessarily make a prosecutor biased. However, he said there should be no doubt about objectivity in court.

    The Danish People’s Party has also criticized the different rules for judges and prosecutors.

    The Association of Public Prosecutors said it did not understand the attention directed at Sediqi and supported her unconditionally.
    The association said she had followed all current rules.

    Denmark’s prosecution service confirmed that it has no internal rule preventing employees from wearing a hijab at work.
    Sediqi has not commented.

  • Danish online banking fraud cases fall 51 percent from 2023 peak

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    Reported online banking fraud in Denmark has fallen sharply as banks improve detection and customers become more aware of scams.

    Banks registered 2,571 cases during the first half of 2026, according to Finans Danmark, the main association representing Danish banks.
    That was 51 percent fewer than during the first half of 2023, when reported online banking fraud reached its highest level.

    Scammers attempted to steal 74.7 million DKK during the first six months of 2026. Actual losses totaled 38.1 million DKK, almost 16 percent less than during the previous six months.

    More than half of the reported cases caused no financial loss.
    Jens Myrup Pedersen, a cybersecurity professor at Aarhus University, linked the decline to stronger fraud detection and greater public awareness.

    He said banks had become better at identifying suspicious transactions and limiting the amount customers could transfer.

    More than half of the cases involved contact fraud. In these scams, criminals call or otherwise contact victims while pretending to represent a bank, the police or another authority.

    Consumers should remain alert when callers pressure them to act quickly, said Malene Gøttge Rasmussen.

    “If you are just the slightest bit skeptical, hang up,” she said. “Better once too often.”

  • EU countries to discuss coordinated response to rising fuel prices after US pressure

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    European Union countries will meet Friday to discuss a coordinated response to rising fuel prices, a European Commission spokesperson said, according to AFP.

    The meeting follows pressure from the United States for Europe to help increase diesel supplies and lower prices.

    US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News he was “very confident” that Europe would cooperate.

    “Now is the time for a coordinated release of diesel stocks,” Wright said, citing the coming harvest and winter seasons.

    The US government particularly wants France and Germany to release diesel from strategic reserves, AFP reported.

    Washington has also threatened to ban diesel exports if European countries do not act, three unnamed sources told Reuters.

    Europe has become more dependent on fuel imports from the United States since it banned Russian fuel following the invasion of Ukraine. The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has also disrupted supplies from the Middle East.

    US President Donald Trump has considered an export ban to reduce American fuel prices before the November midterm elections.
    However, Trump said Wednesday that such a ban could instead push prices higher.

    The average US diesel price has reached $6.39 per gallon, equal to about 42.52 DKK. A gallon is approximately 3.7 liters.
    Diesel cost an average of $3.70 per gallon one year ago, according to AFP.

  • Denmark loses 4-2 to Portugal despite twice equalizing in Nations League match

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    Denmark lost 4-2 to Portugal in the Nations League on Thursday after twice equalizing before 35,951 spectators at Parken in Copenhagen.
    Portugal played without Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the national team camp Wednesday and traveled to Madrid.

    Joao Cancelo opened the scoring after 13 minutes, moving through the Danish defense and lifting the ball over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
    Mikkel Damsgaard equalized for Denmark in the 24th minute, finishing a team move at the far post.

    Two minutes later, Goncalo Ramos restored Portugal’s lead after receiving a through ball from Bruno Fernandes.

    Rasmus Højlund made it 2-2 seven minutes into the second half. Damsgaard supplied the pass, and Højlund chipped the ball over Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

    Højlund then performed Ronaldo’s well-known goal celebration, prompting spectators to respond with its familiar “Siiuuu” chant.
    Portugal went ahead again 12 minutes later when Vitinha headed in another assist from Fernandes.

    Substitute Joao Felix scored Portugal’s fourth and final goal.
    Denmark competed closely in general play but could not match Portugal’s finishing.

    Brian Riemer’s team now has three points from its opening three Nations League matches, following one victory and two defeats.
    Denmark will next play Wales away on Sunday.

  • Nearly 189,000 people enter lottery for 45,000 Copenhagen Half Marathon places

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    A total of 188,522 people have entered a lottery for 45,000 places in the 2027 Copenhagen Half Marathon, organizer Sparta Atletik & Løb said Thursday.

    “This shows how effectively Copenhagen and the city’s dedicated spectators draw in running enthusiasts from all over the world,” CEO Dorte Vibjerg said.

    Sparta Atletik & Løb, a Danish athletics and running organization, began drawing names after registration closed overnight. The first successful applicants will receive emails on October 5.

    The race had 35,000 registered participants this year. Organizers increased capacity to a record 45,000 for 2027 but said they could not accept every applicant without affecting safety and quality.

    “We would so like to invite everyone to the party,” Vibjerg said. “But we do not want to compromise on quality.”

    Entrants could register alone or in groups of up to three. Groups will either receive places together or not be selected.

    Successful applicants will have 48 hours to buy a ticket, which costs 795 DKK plus an administration fee.

    Tickets were previously sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers introduced the lottery to give all applicants an equal chance.
    Similar systems are used for major European running events, including the Berlin and London marathons.

    The Copenhagen Half Marathon, also called CPH Half, will take place September 19, 2027.

  • Electric cars reach record 88.8 percent of Danish new-car registrations

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    Denmark registered 20,206 new passenger cars during the past month, an increase of 13 percent from the same month last year, according to bilstatistik.dk.

    Electric vehicles accounted for a record 88.8 percent of registrations. Excluding commercial vehicles, their share reached 97.5 percent.

    Tesla’s Model Y was the best-selling car with 1,226 registrations, followed by the Model 3 with 1,073. The Skoda Elroq placed third, while Toyota’s bZ4X and C-HR+ completed the top five.

    Ilyas Dogru, chief consultant at FDM, Denmark’s main car owners’ association, said Tesla traditionally registers imported Model 3 vehicles at the end of a quarter.

    He said Tesla’s offer of zero-percent financing also increased demand by giving buyers savings worth tens of thousands of kroner.

    Mobility Denmark, the Danish automotive industry association, criticized government plans to raise taxes on some electric cars in 2027.

    Electric cars currently face tax above a price of 419,300 DKK. The proposed threshold is 366,200 DKK.

    Under the proposed budget, a car costing 400,000 DKK would face a tax of almost 25,000 DKK from New Year.

    FDM expects some buyers to complete purchases before the higher tax takes effect, potentially increasing sales during the final three months of the year.

  • Danish woman fined 200,000 DKK and restricted from keeping dogs over animal mistreatment

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    A 59-year-old woman from South Funen has been fined 200,000 DKK for irresponsible treatment of dogs and puppies.

    The Court in Svendborg also barred her from handling dogs in the future, with an exception allowing her to own and care for one dog.

    Authorities inspected the woman’s property five times between spring 2024 and spring 2025, Funen Police prosecutor Frederik Bendixen said.
    “It has been established that there was irresponsible treatment during each of these five visits,” Bendixen said.

    The case involved Pomeranian dogs that were kept in cages that were too small, among other problems.

    During one inspection, authorities found 29 dogs at the property. The woman also lacked permission to operate a commercial dog business.
    Authorities removed all the dogs during their final inspection.

    Some were euthanized, while others were transferred to animal shelters or sold, according to the prosecutor.

    The woman was also convicted of selling a puppy before it was eight weeks old.

    Prosecutors had requested a fine of 250,000 DKK.

    The court considered that the woman had previously been convicted of irresponsible treatment of animals when deciding her sentence.

    The woman pleaded not guilty. It is not known whether she will appeal the verdict. The ruling was delivered last week, but the court’s written record was completed Thursday.

  • Legislation for departure centers outside the EU is now in place, says Immigration Minister Morten Bødskov

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    European Union countries will adopt legislation Thursday allowing the creation of departure centers outside Europe, Danish Immigration Minister Morten Bødskov said.

    “Europe must strengthen the external borders,” Bødskov of the Social Democrats said before an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.

    The centers would hold rejected asylum seekers sent from Europe while authorities arrange their return. Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Greece are seeking agreements with non-EU countries to begin transfers next year.

    Bødskov said the five countries had made progress during talks Thursday morning.

    EU ministers will also discuss a sudden arrival of migrants in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa.

    Bødskov said Spain partly contributed to the situation by offering legal residence to undocumented migrants. Spain originally expected about 500,000 applications, but more than 1.1 million people applied by the June 30 deadline, according to Euronews.

    He said the EU remained vulnerable to sudden large arrivals and needed stronger external borders.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner recently proposed measures including closer cooperation with neighboring countries, improved monitoring and stronger action against human smugglers.

    The plan would also strengthen deportations and allow visa restrictions or economic pressure against countries refusing to accept the return of their citizens. Bødskov said departure centers could support that effort.

  • More than half of Danish school classes report student violence during school year

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    More than half of Denmark’s school classes experienced physical violence between students during a school year, a government report found.

    Research firms Epinion and Als Research prepared the report for the Ministry of Children and Education.

    The problem was most common in early primary school, covering kindergarten through third grade, and in classes where students had additional support needs.

    Three-quarters of early primary classes reported violence or disruptive behavior among students during the year.

    Physical violence most often occurred outside lessons when games, sports or jokes got out of control, the report said. Only seven percent of incidents involved deliberate and planned violence.

    In many classes, one or two students were responsible for the physical violence.

    The report also examined threats and harassment, including insulting language and threats delivered verbally or digitally.

    Verbal or digital threats of violence occurred at least once a month in 34 percent of school classes.

    “The extent of violence in primary and lower secondary school is worrying, to say the least,” Education Minister Magnus Heunicke of the Social Democrats said.

    “School must not be a place where either students or teachers fear to be,” he added.

    Heunicke said some children had not received the support they needed. The government plans to propose legislation giving teachers more options to intervene.

  • Prosecutors seek prison sentence and nightlife ban for Danish man over fatal punch at World Cup event

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    Danish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence and temporary nightlife ban for a 31-year-old Danish man accused of punching a 32-year-old Swedish man who died three days later.

    The incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. on June 30 during a public screening of the football World Cup at Islands Brygge in Copenhagen.

    According to the indictment, the defendant stood on a bench and threw two beer cans toward a group, hitting one person. He then allegedly punched the Swedish man on the left side of his head or neck.

    The victim fell and suffered a ruptured artery. He died on July 3.

    The defendant is charged under Section 244 of Denmark’s Penal Code, which covers less serious violence. Prosecutors also cited Section 247 because he has previous convictions for crimes endangering others, including attempted murder.

    That provision can increase a sentence by up to half.

    A prosecutor previously said the Danish man could face eight to 10 months in prison. The indictment does not specify the requested sentence.

    The nightlife ban would prevent him from entering bars and designated nightlife areas between midnight and 5 a.m. for a set period.

    The trial begins October 7 at Copenhagen City Court. The defendant has been held since early July and denies guilt. His identity is protected by a court order.

  • Vietnamese president to visit Denmark for talks on green solutions, health and trade

    ·

    Vietnamese President To Lam and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, will make a state visit to Denmark from October 19 to October 21.

    King Frederik and Queen Mary will host a gala dinner for the Vietnamese presidential couple at Christiansborg Palace on October 19.

    To Lam and Ngo Phuong Ly will be accompanied by ministers, senior officials and a business delegation, the Danish Royal House said.
    The visit marks 55 years of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam. It will focus on shared interests including green solutions, health, food and trade.

    It will be the third state visit hosted by King Frederik since he became king, following visits from Iceland and Egypt. The Danish royal couple has made eight state visits abroad.

    The Royal House, the organization supporting Denmark’s monarch and royal family, also highlighted the family’s connection to Vietnam.

    Prince Henrik, King Frederik’s father, spent the first five years of his life in Vietnam when the country was part of French Indochina. His family returned to France in 1939. Henrik spoke Vietnamese, Chinese, French and Danish. He died in 2018.

    Frederik and Mary last visited Vietnam officially in 2022, when they were crown prince and crown princess.

    Vietnam is a socialist republic led by the Communist Party. To Lam serves as both president and the party’s general secretary, considered the country’s most powerful position.

  • News round up

    New rules guarantee young Danes mental health treatment within 30 days

    ·

    Denmark’s regions are taking responsibility for treating 18- to 24-year-olds with mild to moderate anxiety and depression under a new patient right taking effect today.

    Young people in the target group who are referred by their doctor must now have treatment started within 30 days.

    The change was passed by the Folketing, Denmark’s parliament, in December 2025 as part of an agreement on a 10-year plan for psychiatric care.

    Previously, young people could receive a referral for free treatment from a psychologist with a provider number, but waiting times varied considerably.

    “Some had to wait half a year to be seen, while others could be seen the next day,” said Jane Alrø Sørensen, secretary general of Bedre Psykiatri, a Danish association for people affected by mental illness and their relatives.

    “By introducing it as a patient right, everyone is guaranteed help within 30 days,” she said.

    The regions can provide treatment at their own facilities or through private providers with which they have agreements. Treatment can include individual psychologist sessions, group programs or online courses.

    Sørensen said offering different types of treatment could better meet patients’ individual needs.

    “Mental illness can develop just as quickly as any other illness. So early intervention is the key to thriving,” she said.

    Bedre Psykiatri plans to monitor whether patients receive treatment within the required 30 days and whether the treatment is at least as good as under the previous system.

    Region Østdanmark has previously estimated that around 9,500 young people in its future area will be referred for treatment each year.

  • News round up

    Pandora expands manufacturing footprint with new factory in Vietnam

    ·

    Danish jewelry company Pandora is expanding production beyond Thailand for the first time in decades with a new facility in Ho Chi Minh City.

    The factory opens Thursday following an investment of just under 1 billion DKK. Once fully operational, it is expected to employ 7,000 people and increase Pandora’s current production capacity by 50 percent.

    The facility will eventually be able to produce 60 million pieces of jewelry annually, although production will be increased gradually as demand grows. Around 700 of the potential 7,000 positions have initially been filled.

    Pandora CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier said the company chose Vietnam partly to reduce its dependence on a single production market.

    “The reason why we are looking toward markets other than Thailand is that we want to create greater resilience and flexibility and avoid being dependent on a single market,” she said.

    She added that Vietnam, like Thailand, has a strong tradition of jewelry manufacturing, giving Pandora access to workers with relevant skills.

    Pandora makes its jewelry by hand, making access to employees who can be trained to meet the company’s craftsmanship standards important, de Pablos-Barbier said.

    “We have not built the factory with a view to the next quarter, but instead with a view to the next decade,” she said.

    The company expects to add employees and equipment as demand increases.

    De Pablos-Barbier said she particularly expects future growth from consumers in the U.S. and Asia. The U.S. is currently Pandora’s largest individual market, while Asia is among its fastest-growing markets.

  • News round up

    More Danes continue working after reaching state pension age

    ·

    A record 17.5 percent of Danes who reached the state pension age worked enough to qualify for the first senior bonus in 2025, according to ATP.

    ATP, Denmark’s statutory pension and labor market pension administrator, said 11,351 people received the first senior bonus last year. That was up from 9,592 people in 2024.

    In previous years, around 14 to 15 percent of people reaching the state pension age qualified for the first bonus.

    “The state pension age is not necessarily the time when one stops working, and we can see that a larger share continues after that age,” ATP Group Director Maria Damborg Hald said.

    Employment Minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen welcomed the increase.

    “It is great that so many seniors want to keep contributing. We need that if we are to continue to create growth and prosperity in Denmark,” she told Ritzau in a written statement.

    The senior bonus is a tax-free lump sum available to people who continue working after reaching the state pension age. Generally, a person must work at least 1,560 hours over 12 months to qualify.

    The first-year bonus is 56,327 DKK, while people who continue working sufficiently during the second year can receive 33,517 DKK.

    ATP paid 546.4 million DKK in first-year bonuses in 2025, compared with 446.3 million DKK in 2024.

    Just under 6,775 people also received the second senior bonus in 2025, almost 3,400 more than the previous year.

    In 2029, the two bonus amounts will increase to just under 65,900 DKK and 39,100 DKK, respectively.

  • News round up

    New organ donation method surpasses expectations three years after Danish rollout

    ·

    Denmark has reached 100 organ donors using a method introduced three years ago, exceeding initial expectations for the number of people who would donate this way.

    The method, known as donation after circulatory death, or DCD, allows organs to be retrieved after a person’s heart has stopped beating and breathing has ceased, the Danish Health Authority said.

    Since its introduction in 2023, 100 people have donated 210 organs through DCD. Authorities had expected the method to result in about 35 additional donors annually once fully implemented.

    “This involves several hundred organs that would not otherwise have been able to be donated,” Danish Health Authority chief physician Camilla Krogh told Ritzau.

    Previously, major organs could only be donated in Denmark by people who had been declared brain-dead and were being kept alive artificially. New technology has made donation possible from some patients who cannot be declared brain-dead but whose ventilator treatment is discontinued.

    Of the 210 organs donated through DCD since 2023, 187 were kidneys.

    During the first half of 2026, 46 people donated organs after being declared brain-dead, while 20 donated through DCD.

    Between 400 and 500 patients have been on Denmark’s organ transplant waiting list each year over the past decade, with most waiting for a kidney.

    By the end of June 2026, 1.9 million Danes had actively registered their position on organ donation.

    Under a consent model introduced last year, everyone over 18 is automatically included in the Organ Donor Register, but individuals must still actively record their decision on whether to donate.

  • Royal Run 2027 sells out more than 100,000 spots in under three hours

    ·

    All 102,500 spots for Royal Run 2027 have sold out less than three hours after ticket sales opened on Wednesday.

    The races in Vordingborg, Silkeborg, Thisted, Haderslev and Copenhagen/Frederiksberg will take place on Whit Monday in 2027.

    According to the Danish Sports Confederation, Danmarks Idrætsforbund, and sports organization DGI, this was the fastest sellout in the event’s history.

    Thisted was the first host city to sell out, with all 10,000 available spots taken in just under two hours.

    Royal Run will have fewer participants in 2027 than this year, when 112,450 people took part. The 2026 edition sold out in four hours, which was also a record at the time.

    Copenhagen/Frederiksberg has hosted Royal Run every year since the event began in 2018. Thisted, Silkeborg, Haderslev and Vordingborg will host it for the first time in 2027.

    “That all start numbers are once again snapped up in such a short time says something about the place Royal Run has gained among Danes,” DGI chief executive Jens Otto Størup said.

    Royal Run was first held in 2018 to mark King Frederik’s 50th birthday, with 70,938 people registered.

    Participants can choose between three distances: one mile, five kilometers and 10 kilometers.

  • Thousands of Home Guard soldiers to take part in major exercise across Jutland and Funen

    ·

    Military vehicles and armed Home Guard soldiers will be visible in several towns across Jutland and Funen from Thursday to Sunday as part of a large planned exercise.

    Police in South and Southern Jutland, Southeast Jutland and East Jutland said residents should not be concerned by the increased military presence.

    The exercise, called Blåtand, is expected to involve several thousand Home Guard soldiers, according to Colonel Peter Fausing, regional commander for the Home Guard in Regional Command West.

    “It is one of the largest exercises in recent times here in Denmark,” he told Ritzau.

    The exact number of participants is uncertain because the Home Guard is made up of volunteers. Around 6,500 active Home Guard soldiers are based in Jutland, on Funen and on nearby islands.

    The exercise will focus on cooperation between the Armed Forces and other emergency authorities. Soldiers will practice tasks including guarding areas and setting up cordons in support of the police.

    Training will take place in both towns and rural areas.

    Military activity is expected in places including Odense, Middelfart, Aabenraa, Kolding, Vejle, Aarhus, Grenaa, Frederikshavn and Samsø.

    The Home Guard is Denmark’s voluntary military emergency preparedness organization.

  • Green groups challenge government claim that 2035 climate target is on track

    ·

    Environmental groups and climate experts are challenging the Danish government’s claim that it has demonstrated a path to meeting its 2035 climate target.

    Climate Minister Samira Nawa has said the government considers the path to an 85% emissions reduction by 2035 to be demonstrated, even though current measures are projected to deliver only an 80% reduction.

    “It is demonstrated because there is enough time to make the decisions, and because there is enough time to handle the risks that may arise on the way towards 2035,” Nawa said.

    Greenpeace and green think tank Concito argue that this differs from how the term has previously been used in Danish climate policy.

    “That is stretching the definition of demonstrated,” Concito chief economist Torsten Hasforth said.

    Greenpeace political campaign lead Christian Fromberg said additional policy would be needed before the target could be considered demonstrated.

    “Of course, that target has not been demonstrated yet. That will require new policy,” he said.

    The Climate Council has previously assessed possible pathways toward an 85% reduction target, while stressing that reaching a higher target would require additional measures beyond policies already adopted.

    The government has proposed an 85% target for 2035, which would go beyond Denmark’s current 2030 target of a 70% reduction.

    Enhedslisten climate spokesperson Rasmus Vestergaard Madsen also said the final 5 percentage points still needed to be backed by concrete measures.

  • 4 years on, Danish-Greenland history projects unveiled

    ·

    More than four years after Denmark and Greenland agreed to examine their historical relationship, researchers have presented the first four subprojects in the investigation.

    The projects will focus on adoptions, people who were legally registered without a father, school and language policies, and settlement and working conditions, Greenlandic broadcaster KNR reported.

    “We are beginning with four important projects, which each shed light on concrete decisions and their consequences,” research leader Tenna Jensen said in a press release cited by KNR.

    The Danish government and Naalakkersuisut, Greenland’s government, agreed to launch the investigation in June 2022.

    The decision came after reporting by Danish broadcaster DR on the so-called IUD case, in which thousands of Greenlandic women and girls had contraceptive devices fitted without their knowledge or consent.

    The investigation will examine major decisions and events since World War II and their consequences for Greenland’s population. Its stated purpose is to provide a basis for reconciliation with the past.

    Possible areas of research mentioned earlier included the closure of Greenlandic settlements, adoptions and Greenlandic children sent to Denmark.

    The investigation is based at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, and citizens are expected to be involved in the work.

    Denmark originally allocated 45 million DKK to the project. Under the terms of reference, the investigation should, as far as possible, be completed within five years of the agreement between the university and the research leader.

  • Danish economy grew 0.9% in second quarter after sharp upward revision

    ·

    Denmark’s economy grew by 0.9% in the second quarter of the year, according to new figures from Statistics Denmark.

    The estimate was revised upward by 0.6 percentage points compared with the previous calculation for the quarter, published in August. Statistics Denmark said the change followed an update to the data used in the calculation.

    Gross domestic product, or GDP, measures the size of a country’s economy. Denmark’s GDP was 5.7% higher in the second quarter than a year earlier.

    Las Olsen, chief economist at Danske Bank, said the revision puts Denmark’s annual growth rate at the high end compared with other countries.

    “This largely reflects a strongly increasing production among Danish companies abroad, and this is of course not least Novo, which is producing significantly more medicine than previously,” he wrote in a comment.

    Erik Bjørsted, chief economist at Dansk Metal, a Danish trade union representing workers in industry and related sectors, also pointed to strong economic activity but said employment is a better measure of the economy’s health.

    “The GDP figures can fluctuate a lot from quarter to quarter and are subject to considerable uncertainty,” he wrote.

    “But when companies continue to hire more employees, it is a clear sign that the Danish economy continues to do well.”

    Employment increased by 0.2% in the second quarter, according to Statistics Denmark.

  • Severed cable disrupts train traffic between Odense and Fredericia

    ·

    Several trains between Odense and Fredericia were cancelled Wednesday morning after a cable was severed on western Funen, causing delays and signal problems.

    The disruption affected regional train services, while other trains operating in the area could also face delays, according to P4 Trafik.

    DSB, Denmark’s national passenger rail operator, deployed replacement buses for the cancelled regional trains.

    It remains unclear when normal train services will resume.

    Banedanmark, the state agency responsible for Denmark’s railway infrastructure, is working to repair the damaged cable.

    At around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, Banedanmark told Ritzau that repair work was relatively far along, but problems with the railway signals remained.

    As a result, authorities could not yet say when train traffic between Odense and Fredericia would return to normal.

  • Danish prisons reach record overcrowding as inmate numbers exceed capacity

    ·

    Danish prisons are more overcrowded than ever, with 4,650 inmates currently held in facilities designed for 4,300 people, according to Fængselsforbundet, the Danish prison officers’ union.

    The average occupancy rate has reached a record 105.4%, up from 102.7% last year.

    Overcrowding means prisons have to create additional capacity by installing bunk beds in cells or converting hobby rooms, visiting rooms and offices into accommodation.

    Vejle Arrest, a remand prison, has recorded an average occupancy rate of 135% this year.

    Jan Bruun, a union representative at the prison, said the situation is putting pressure on the facility as cells fall increasingly into disrepair.

    “We spend a lot of time finding room for inmates, swapping around when a double cell does not work between two inmates, and moving again when some have letter and visiting controls lifted,” he said in the union’s statement.

    Hillerød Arrest has had an occupancy rate of 140% in recent months, placing additional demands on staff. At Randers Arrest, occupancy has averaged 115% this year, with the local union representative reporting more conflicts among inmates.

    The pressure could increase further as tougher sentences introduced under Denmark’s penal reform take effect.

    Half of the increased penalties for violence and rape came into force in February, while further increases are due to take effect in January.

  • Polish airports briefly suspend flights during Russian attacks on Ukraine

    ·

    Air traffic at two Polish airports was briefly suspended Wednesday morning as military aircraft operated in Polish airspace during Russian attacks on Ukraine.

    Poland’s aviation authority, PANSA, said flights at Lublin and Rzeszów airports were suspended before resuming at 7:10 a.m.

    Poland’s military operational command, RSZ, said it had activated forces including ground-based air defense systems and radar surveillance.

    “These measures are preventive in nature and are intended to secure and protect the airspace, particularly in areas bordering the threatened regions,” RSZ said.

    Poland borders Ukraine, where Russian attacks overnight killed at least three people and injured seven in and around Kyiv, according to local officials cited by Reuters.

    Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed and four injured in the capital. Fires damaged private homes, a shop and a warehouse.

    Kyiv regional governor Timur Tkachenko said a child was killed and three people injured in the surrounding region, where homes, warehouses and cars were hit.

    There were also reports of Ukrainian attacks inside Russia.

    Private homes were reportedly damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Samara region, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev. The region, about 1,100 kilometers southeast of Moscow, is an important oil-producing area.

    Reuters said it could not independently verify the reports.

  • Higher winter electricity tariffs set to take effect across Denmark

    ·

    Many households in Denmark will pay higher electricity grid tariffs during peak evening hours from Thursday as the country’s grid companies switch to winter rates.

    The higher tariffs apply between 5 PM and 9 PM, when demand puts the greatest strain on the electricity grid. The aim is to encourage customers to move flexible electricity use to other times of the day.

    “Electricity consumption in Danish households is significantly higher in the winter period, and we feel that in the power grid. Therefore, with the tariffs, we give customers an incentive to use electricity wisely,” said Lise Bering, CEO of grid company N1.

    N1, which is owned by Danish energy company Norlys, supplies electricity to more than 800,000 households and businesses.

    Its grid tariff between 5 PM and 9 PM will rise to 99 øre per kilowatt-hour until March 2027, compared with 43 øre during the summer period. Between midnight and 6 AM, the tariff remains at 11 øre.

    Bering recommends moving flexible electricity use, such as charging an electric car or running a washing machine, away from peak hours.

    Doing so can reduce individual electricity bills while easing pressure on the grid, she said.

    “The more efficiently we can operate the existing power grid, the smaller the need becomes for new investments in the electricity grid, which are ultimately paid for by the consumers,” Bering said.

    Winter tariffs vary between grid companies. At Cerius, which operates much of the electricity grid east of the Great Belt, the tariff between 5 PM and 9 PM will be 129.75 øre per kilowatt-hour from October 1.

  • Denmark introduces new measures to crack down on phone scams

    ·

    Danish telecom companies will be required to block calls from abroad that falsely appear to come from Danish phone numbers under new rules expected to take effect in 2027.

    The Danish Agency for Digital Government announced the planned rules as part of efforts to make it harder for fraudsters abroad to disguise their calls.

    The practice, known as spoofing, involves manipulating caller ID so that a call appears to come from a different phone number. Fraudsters can use the method to make calls originating abroad look as though they come from Denmark.

    According to the agency, the number of such calls has increased in recent years. It said Danish phone numbers can create greater trust among recipients than foreign numbers.

    Under the new rules, telecom companies will be able to determine whether the Danish phone number displayed by the caller is actually located in Denmark.

    If the number is located in Denmark but the call using it can be traced to another country, the caller ID will be considered falsified and the call must be blocked.

    The agency said the system will not detect and stop every scam call.

    “But it is expected to make it significantly harder for the fraudsters to pretend to call with Danish numbers,” the agency wrote.

    The executive order containing the new rules has been sent for consultation and is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027.

    Telecom companies will then be required to introduce the necessary technical measures in their systems to comply with the rules.

  • September records Denmark’s highest raw electricity prices since December 2022

    ·

    Low wind and limited sunshine combined with high gas prices pushed Denmark’s raw electricity prices to their highest monthly level in nearly four years, according to energy company OK.

    The average raw electricity price in September was 1.07 DKK per kilowatt-hour east of the Great Belt and 1.05 DKK west of it. VAT, taxes and tariffs are added to those prices.

    By comparison, prices averaged 0.62 DKK east of the Great Belt and 0.54 DKK west of it in September last year.

    “Unfortunately, there has not been enough wind and sun to push prices down in September,” said Troels Skipper, commercial manager at OK.

    He said high gas prices caused by geopolitical unrest had influenced electricity prices for much of the month.

    Despite the increase, OK said Danish consumers’ bills will not be higher than last year because the electricity tax has been reduced to the EU’s minimum rate in 2026 and will remain there next year.

    Prices also varied significantly during September. On September 14, electricity cost more than 5 DKK per kilowatt-hour for short periods, while several weekend days had hours when prices were around zero.

    Skipper encouraged consumers to follow electricity prices and adjust their consumption when possible.

    “This will also be important over the winter, where we will see more large fluctuations in the electricity price. But the fluctuations thus also provide an opportunity to lower one’s electricity bill,” he said.

    The average electricity price has exceeded 1 DKK per kilowatt-hour during four weeks so far in 2026, including two weeks in September.

  • News round up

    Danish People’s Party ready to give its party leader a salary increase

    ·

    Morten Messerschmidt is set to receive additional pay from his party after its executive committee unanimously approved a chairman’s fee Friday.

    Messerschmidt has led DF, Dansk Folkeparti, the Danish People’s Party, since 2022. The party said the fee is intended to bring his pay in line with what previous DF chairmen received.

    The exact amount has not yet been decided. Messerschmidt will negotiate it with party secretary Kenneth Kristensen Berth.

    “I haven’t had the negotiation with Morten yet, but I imagine that it is going to be 400,000-450,000 kroner a year,” Berth told Ekstra Bladet.

    DF group chairman Alex Ahrendtsen told Berlingske that the additional pay reflects Messerschmidt’s work for the party.

    The decision comes as DF is polling at 12.5 percent in the latest Voxmeter poll for Ritzau. The Social Democrats are the only party polling higher. DF received 9.1 percent in the general election in March.

    After DF lost 11 seats in the 2022 general election, the party removed a chairman’s fee funded by members. Former chairman Kristian Thulesen Dahl had received about 30,000 DKK a month in such payments.

    Other Danish party leaders also receive additional pay from their parties on top of their salaries as members of Folketing, Denmark’s parliament.

    Conservative People’s Party leader Mona Juul receives 25,000 DKK a month, while Liberal Alliance leader Alex Vanopslagh and Denmark Democrats leader Inger Støjberg each receive 40,000 DKK a month.

  • News round up

    Denmark plans new animal welfare agency, more inspections and tougher penalties

    ·

    Denmark’s government will establish a new animal welfare inspection agency and increase inspections by 50% under an emergency package presented Tuesday, following criticism of enforcement failures and a backlog of about 1,500 follow-up visits.

    The package would also raise the maximum prison sentence for the most serious animal welfare offenses from two years to six. It will cost 160 million kroner annually once fully phased in.

    “It is no secret that it has not been good enough as it has been until now. Therefore, we are presenting a series of initiatives,” Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen said at a news conference at his ministry.

    Wammen said livestock owners would pay for the strengthened inspections. Visits will generally involve two inspectors instead of one, and more will take place without advance notice.

    Although recent scrutiny has focused on conditions at Danish pig farms, the measures also cover other livestock, including cattle and poultry.

    The package follows sharp criticism in April 2026 from the National Audit Office, which scrutinizes public spending and administration. A Justice Ministry review published in early September found that about 1,500 follow-up inspections from 2025 and the first half of 2026 remained outstanding.

    Responsibility for animal welfare inspections moved to the Justice Ministry when the new government took office. The ministry will establish an independent agency to carry out inspections, with more staff intended to help clear the backlog and improve enforcement.

  • News round up

    Denmark adds 5.6 billion kroner in support for hydrogen pipeline to Germany

    ·

    Denmark’s government and several parties in parliament have agreed to provide an additional 5.6 billion kroner in operating support for a planned hydrogen pipeline from Jutland to Germany, while easing financial requirements for producers.

    The funding comes on top of 10.9 billion kroner already allocated to the project. The agreement means the state will take on more of the financial risk while the hydrogen market is still developing.

    “We are entering the project with open eyes. The hydrogen market is still immature, and a hydrogen pipeline is a large project with several risks,” Climate, Energy and Utilities Minister Samira Nawa said in a press release.

    The pipeline would run from Esbjerg through Veerst, near Egtved, to the German border. Its route resembles the number seven, giving the project its Danish name, Syvtallet, or “The Figure Seven.”

    It is intended to allow Danish companies to produce green hydrogen using renewable energy and sell it to German businesses. German industrial companies could use the hydrogen to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from their production processes.

    Germany has committed to supporting five hydrogen projects in Denmark with a total of 12 billion kroner in German state and European Union funding. The public support is intended to help the industry develop.

  • News round up

    World’s largest ship by gross tonnage passed under Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge

    ·

    Pioneering Spirit, the world’s largest ship by gross tonnage, passed under Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge at 12:55 p.m. Tuesday, nearly three hours later than planned as it waited for a required gap in other southbound traffic.

    The construction vessel traveled at 5.4 kilometers per hour during the passage.

    “Apart from us just needing to have a few pieces in place, everything went according to plan,” said Jimmy Westermann, head of VTS Storebælt, the vessel traffic service for the Great Belt.

    The ship had been scheduled to pass at 10 a.m., but needed a two-hour window clear of other southbound traffic under the bridge before it could proceed.

    Before the passage, Westermann said the vessel had already been lowered in the water using ballast to reach the required draft, the distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull.

    “The ship is ballasted down to the draft it needs to have and is ready out there, so it is the two-hour clearance window we are missing,” he said.

    Registered in Malta, Pioneering Spirit is 382 meters long and 124 meters wide. It is built to transport, install and remove offshore oil drilling platforms.

    Its gross tonnage is 403,342. Gross tonnage measures the volume of a ship’s enclosed spaces.

    Planning the passage involved checking both the ship’s draft and its height above the water to ensure it could pass safely beneath the bridge, which has a clearance of 65 meters. The vessel had a draft of 19.9 meters during Tuesday’s passage. It also passed under the bridge in 2018.

    The ship’s next destination is Rostock, Germany, according to the ship-tracking website VesselFinder. Its previous port call was at Rotterdam Maasvlakte four days earlier.

  • News round up

    Government plans DKK 22 billion extra for defense in 2027

    ·

    The Danish government plans to allocate an additional DKK 22 billion to the Armed Forces in 2027 as part of its upcoming budget proposal, according to Berlingske.

    Defense investment is then expected to increase to around DKK 40 billion in 2030.

    The government expects Denmark to meet NATO’s target of spending 3.5 percent of GDP on military defense before 2030. According to NATO figures cited by Berlingske, Denmark is already spending 3.4 percent of GDP on defense in 2026 when funding from the Ukraine Fund is included.

    Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard said the government’s first budget would require cuts in some areas to finance other priorities.

    “There is something we need to have a little less of, so that in return we can invest in the community, in welfare, in security, and in a competitive business sector,” he told Berlingske.

    Economic and Interior Affairs Minister Pia Olsen Dyhr said support for Ukraine would continue to form part of defense spending in the coming years.

    “This is both about defending Denmark and Europe, while at the same time we also protect welfare. The Danish economy is strong enough to do both,” she said.

    Taxation and Growth Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said continued donations to Ukraine would require support from the Folketing, Denmark’s parliament.

    NATO members agreed in 2025 to increase the alliance’s military spending target to at least 3.5 percent of GDP, replacing the previous 2 percent target.

  • Train services return to normal after fallen overhead wire near Sorø

    ·

    Train services between Zealand and Jutland are expected to return to normal Tuesday morning after Banedanmark repaired a fallen overhead wire near Sorø.

    The damage had caused cancellations, fewer departures and longer travel times since Monday afternoon.

    “Normal service can be resumed on both tracks as planned today at 10:00,” Banedanmark wrote on X early Tuesday. The rail infrastructure operator said it was still investigating the cause.

    The wire fell on the westbound track between Sorø and Slagelse, leaving only one track available for trains.

    InterCityLyn and InterCity services between Copenhagen and Esbjerg continued to run, but with longer journey times and fewer departures. DSB also deployed replacement buses between Ringsted, Sorø and Slagelse.

    Banedanmark continued to advise passengers Tuesday morning to check Rejseplanen, Denmark’s public transport journey planner, before leaving.

    The incident comes only about two weeks after another damaged overhead line near Sorø caused cancellations and delays.

    Banedanmark said it is now investigating why overhead wires have fallen on the same stretch twice within a relatively short period.

    “We are, of course, well aware that this is not the first time we have found a fallen overhead wire on the same stretch within a relatively short period of time,” Banedanmark maintenance director Nicolai Smidt Sigsgaard said Monday.

  • Gender pay gap in Denmark narrows for first time in three years

    ·

    The pay gap between men and women in Denmark narrowed last year for the first time in three years, according to new figures from Statistics Denmark.

    In 2025, women earned on average 12.3 percent less than men, compared with 12.9 percent in 2024.

    Statistics Denmark has tracked the pay gap since 2004, when the difference was 16 percent. It fell to 11.9 percent in 2020, but then widened again in 2023 and 2024 before declining last year.

    Mads Moberg Reumert, chief economist at pension company Danica, said the development also matters for retirement savings.

    “Salary is the factor that matters most for the size of pension savings,” he said. “Therefore, the development in pay gaps is also one of the most important things to keep an eye on if you want less economic inequality between men and women as retirees.”

    Helle Dalsgaard, head of advisory services at pension company Sampension, also called the decrease positive, while stressing that women still earn “significantly less than men.”

    She said women’s growing educational advantage over men could support higher wages over time. She also pointed to rules on earmarked parental leave, which have led more men to take leave, as another factor that could improve women’s finances.

    “After a few years with bumps in the road, the development once again went in the right direction last year,” Dalsgaard said.

  • German military drone makes first test flight of its kind over Denmark

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    A German military surveillance drone is flying over Jutland on Tuesday in what the Danish Defence says is the first test flight in Danish airspace involving an unmanned military aircraft of its size.

    The German Heron TP weighs more than five tons, is 13 meters long and has a wingspan of 26 meters. It is flying at an altitude of about seven kilometers, sharing airspace with manned aircraft.

    The drone belongs to the German air force, the Luftwaffe, and is being remotely controlled by a pilot at a military base in Schleswig, Germany.

    The roughly two-hour flight begins at the Danish-German border in South Jutland, continues over eastern Jutland to Aalborg and then returns to Germany over western Jutland.

    During the flight, the German pilot remains in contact with Naviair, which manages air traffic in Danish airspace. Denmark’s Civil Aviation and Railway Authority has approved the safety procedures for flying the drone beyond visual range, including procedures for a possible loss of control or radio connection.

    The test is part of preparations for the Danish air force to receive its own General Atomics MQ-9B unmanned aircraft in 2028. They will operate from Aalborg Air Base under Squadron 729 and will be used, among other tasks, for patrol and surveillance over Greenland and the North Atlantic.

    Brigade Commander Hans Peter Andersen called the flight “yet another important step toward receiving our own unmanned aircraft in the coming years.”

  • Copenhagen district nears ban to petrol cars

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    A majority in the Climate, Environment and Technology Committee at Copenhagen Municipality approved a new plan Monday afternoon.

    According to it, the city has moved a step closer to introducing a zero-emission zone in part of Vesterbro, where petrol and diesel vehicles would generally not be allowed to drive.

    “It is really good that Copenhagen is now getting its first zero-emission zone. It is good for the climate and for reducing local air pollution,” Kristine Ammitzbøll-Bille of De Radikale, the Danish Social Liberal Party, told TV 2 Kosmopol.

    The proposal was originally larger but was changed after 768 consultation responses from residents, businesses and interest groups.

    Around 80 percent of the responses were either critical or reserved about the plan.

    The revised version exempts all of Vesterbrogade, the area around Copenhagen Central Station, Skelbækgade and part of Halmtorvet.

    Residents of Vesterbro who have parking permits for areas outside the zero-emission zone will also be able to apply for exemptions allowing them to drive and park fossil-fuel cars inside the zone.

    The adjusted zone will cover Inner Vesterbro, apart from the areas that have been exempted.

    The proposal must now be approved by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency before it can go to Copenhagen’s Borgerrepræsentation, the city council, for final approval.

    A final vote is expected by the end of 2026.

  • Fewer trains between Copenhagen and western Denmark until Tuesday morning

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    Fewer trains will run between parts of Denmark until at least 10 a.m. Tuesday after an overhead wire fell between Sorø and Slagelse.

    Banedanmark, the state-owned company responsible for Denmark’s railway infrastructure, said Monday afternoon that repairs were underway.

    DSB, Denmark’s national passenger rail operator, said InterCityLyn and InterCity trains are still running between Copenhagen and Esbjerg, but passengers should expect longer travel times.

    Although the overhead wire fell on the westbound track, trains can still use the other track.

    Replacement buses are also running between Ringsted, Sorø and Slagelse. DSB said earlier Monday that it had ordered 50 buses.

    The disruption was initially expected to last until 8 p.m. Monday, but Banedanmark later extended the estimate until 10 a.m. Tuesday.

    A train that stopped beneath the fallen wire also had to be evacuated. Another train was connected to it and pulled it to the nearest station.

    Banedanmark said it would investigate why overhead wires have fallen repeatedly on the same section. A damaged overhead line near Sorø also caused cancellations and delays in mid-September.

    “We are well aware that this is not the first time we can see a fallen overhead wire on the same section within a relatively short time,” Banedanmark maintenance director Nicolai Smidt Sigsgaard said.

    Another overhead wire was also torn down at Copenhagen Airport on Monday, causing reduced service and delays.

    DSB and Banedanmark are advising passengers to check Rejseplanen before traveling.

  • Electric cars above DKK 366,000 could become more expensive in Denmark from 2027

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    Electric cars costing more than DKK 366,000 could become more expensive in Denmark from 2027 if the government allows a current registration tax exemption to expire.

    The proposal is part of the financing for the government’s upcoming budget bill, four ministers told Berlingske.

    Electric cars currently benefit from lower registration taxes than petrol and diesel cars. A gradual increase in the tax was originally planned from January 2026, but the previous government and the Conservatives postponed it by one year.

    If the exemption is not extended again, higher taxes will therefore take effect from the beginning of 2027.

    The additional revenue would help finance government plans including free dental care, lower taxes and changes to agriculture.

    An expert group is currently examining possible changes to car taxation, including models for permanently removing registration tax on electric cars. Its recommendations are expected in the second half of 2026.

    DI, the Confederation of Danish Industry, Denmark’s main business and employers’ organization, criticized the government’s plan.

    Thomas Sørensen, director of DI’s automotive branch, called it an “own goal to let taxes on electric cars rise from the new year.”

    According to FDM, Denmark’s main association for car owners, a VW ID.4 Style could cost around DKK 10,300 more in tax, while a Tesla Model Y Long Range with all-wheel drive could face an increase of nearly DKK 28,000.

    Mobility Denmark, an industry association representing the automotive sector, also criticized the proposal.

    “Danes have embraced the green transition, and now the government wants to make some of the popular electric cars tens of thousands of kroner more expensive. It simply does not add up,” CEO Mads Rørvig said.

  • Study finds young women more likely than young men to cross sexual boundaries due to pressure to perform

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    Young women are more likely than young men to take part in sexual acts they do not want because of pressure to perform, according to a new Danish study.

    Sex & Samfund, the Danish Family Planning Association, conducted the study with polling company Voxmeter among people aged 15 to 25.

    More than one in three young women said they had pretended to enjoy a sexual act more than they actually did because they felt pressure to perform.

    One in six said that pressure had led them to do something they did not want to do.

    “We know from previous studies that many young women are afraid to say no during sex because they are afraid of the reaction they will be met with,” Sex & Samfund Secretary General Majbrit Berlau said.

    Among young men, fewer than one in 10 said they had shown more enjoyment during sex than they actually felt. About 4.7 percent said they had agreed to do something they did not want to do.

    According to Berlau, most young people understand that sex requires consent and should be mutual, but they can still struggle to express and respect boundaries in practice.

    “You can be so focused on doing well for the other person or living up to certain expectations that your own desire and your own boundaries fade into the background,” she said.

    Sex & Samfund said the findings show a need for better knowledge about sex and sexuality.

    Sex education is one of young people’s preferred sources of information, but one in three said they did not find the teaching useful.

    Young people also rely heavily on friends and social media for information about sex, while one in three cited pornography as a source.