News round up

Denmark records lowest number of suicides in 11 years

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Denmark registered 502 suicides in 2025, the lowest annual number recorded from 2015 through 2025, according to the Centre for Suicide Research.

The total included 370 men and 132 women older than 15. It was 91 lower than in 2024.

Denmark’s suicide rate fell to 9.9 deaths per 100,000 people, an 18 percent decline from 2015. The rate dropped 30 percent among women and 12 percent among men.

Erik Christiansen, research head at the center, linked the decline partly to a national action plan introduced in 2024 and greater willingness to discuss suicide.

“At one time it was believed that it was dangerous to talk about suicide because it could inspire doing it. Today we know that this assumption is incorrect,” Christiansen said.

Doctors asking people directly about suicide risk can help them receive support earlier, he added.

Merete Nordentoft, a professor, chief physician and member of Denmark’s Council for Suicide Prevention, said help had become more accessible.

Suicide prevention clinics in Denmark’s five regions received additional funding to offer consultations to more people with suicidal thoughts or previous suicide attempts.

Livslinien, Denmark’s national suicide prevention helpline, received about 28,000 inquiries in 2025, up from fewer than 16,000 in 2019. Current funding allows it to answer about half of them.

  • News round up

    Majority of Danes support temporary fuel tax cuts as diesel reaches record price

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    Most Danes want the government to temporarily cut taxes on gasoline and diesel as fuel prices reach unusually high levels, a Voxmeter poll for the Danish news agency Ritzau shows.

    In September, diesel reached a record 19.19 DKK per liter at gas stations.

    The poll found that 53.8 percent supported temporary tax cuts, while 33.3 percent opposed them. Another 12.9 percent did not know.

    Torben Kudsk, policy chief at FDM, Denmark’s main car owners’ organization, said rising prices were creating serious problems for motorists.

    “Fuel is historically expensive. As far as we can see, prices have not been higher in recent times,” Kudsk said.

    Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard of the Social Democrats said the government was monitoring the situation.

    “If energy prices continue to rise, and the situation develops further, we are of course ready to do more,” he wrote on Facebook. He did not describe possible measures.

    The poll also asked what should guide decisions on fuel taxes. A total of 39.2 percent said reducing motorists’ costs should come first.

    Another 27.2 percent said taxes should remain because of climate and environmental concerns, while 25.9 percent gave both issues equal weight. The remaining 7.7 percent did not know.

    The price increases have been linked to wars and conflicts causing a global fuel shortage.

  • News round up

    Danish and Greenlandic leaders travel to New York for expected Arctic security agreement

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    Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen traveled to New York on Sunday ahead of an expected security agreement involving Denmark, Greenland and the United States.

    The three governments expect to sign the agreement during the United Nations General Assembly in the coming week. It is intended to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

    Business Minister Martin Lidegaard, political leader of Denmark’s Social Liberal Party, said Frederiksen would sign the agreement with representatives of Greenland and the United States.

    Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of the Moderates is also attending the General Assembly.

    Greenland’s head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Foreign Minister Múte B. Egede said they were traveling to New York.

    “It has been a difficult time for many back home, and I know that there has been both concern and fear about what would happen to our country,” Nielsen wrote on Facebook.

    He said he hoped the agreement would bring greater calm to Greenland.

    Few details about the agreement have been released.

    Frederiksen said Friday that it “recognizes the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”

    US President Donald Trump described the agreement differently, saying it gives the United States “permanent control over security and all other necessities in Greenland.”

  • News round up

    Denmark records lowest number of suicides in 11 years

    ·

    Denmark registered 502 suicides in 2025, the lowest annual number recorded from 2015 through 2025, according to the Centre for Suicide Research.

    The total included 370 men and 132 women older than 15. It was 91 lower than in 2024.

    Denmark’s suicide rate fell to 9.9 deaths per 100,000 people, an 18 percent decline from 2015. The rate dropped 30 percent among women and 12 percent among men.

    Erik Christiansen, research head at the center, linked the decline partly to a national action plan introduced in 2024 and greater willingness to discuss suicide.

    “At one time it was believed that it was dangerous to talk about suicide because it could inspire doing it. Today we know that this assumption is incorrect,” Christiansen said.

    Doctors asking people directly about suicide risk can help them receive support earlier, he added.

    Merete Nordentoft, a professor, chief physician and member of Denmark’s Council for Suicide Prevention, said help had become more accessible.

    Suicide prevention clinics in Denmark’s five regions received additional funding to offer consultations to more people with suicidal thoughts or previous suicide attempts.

    Livslinien, Denmark’s national suicide prevention helpline, received about 28,000 inquiries in 2025, up from fewer than 16,000 in 2019. Current funding allows it to answer about half of them.

  • News round up

    Danish chef reaches final of World Paella Day Cup in Valencia

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    Danish chef Jimmy Holm of Aarhus was among 12 finalists competing Sunday to be named the world’s best paella chef in Valencia, Spain.

    Mexican chef Froilán Mújica won the World Paella Day Cup 2026, according to a live blog from organizer Visit València Foundation. Japanese chef Keisuke Mutsuura finished second.

    Holm has worked at the Spanish restaurants El Bulli and El Celler de Can Roca. He also owned the tapas restaurant Los Socios in Aarhus.

    He qualified for the final by winning the Nordic-Baltic semifinal in Denmark on June 11. That competition included chefs from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

    The Valencia final brought together chefs from Europe, Asia and North and South America. Seven judges assessed the dishes based on taste and presentation.

    Each finalist prepared an individual version of paella and selected the type of rice to use. The competition was held in tents at Valencia’s harbor.

    World Paella Day is held annually on September 20 to celebrate the dish and its origins in Valencia.

    Paella is a traditional Spanish rice dish originating from Albufera, south of Valencia. Farmers originally cooked it over an open fire using local rice and available vegetables.

    The dish takes its name from the large, flat pan used to prepare it. The pan allows the rice to form a thin, crisp layer.

  • Conservatives: Punish migrant parents for kids’ crime

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    Conservatives propose five-year citizenship and residency penalty for immigrant parents Immigrant parents could be barred from applying for Danish citizenship or permanent residence for five years if a child living at home commits certain serious crimes under a proposal from the Conservatives. The proposal would cover crimes against another person, including violence, rape and threats. […]

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  • 14,000 kids seek quick help for distress in new scheme

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    14,000 children seek help from Denmark’s new municipal mental health services Around 14,000 children and young people in Denmark have attended an initial consultation at new municipal mental health services over the past year, according to Local Government Denmark. From this year, all Danish municipalities are required to provide a low-threshold service aimed at helping […]

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  • Police resume issuing child background checks

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    Denmark resumes child protection certificates after crime register error Denmark will resume issuing child protection certificates after the process was suspended for more than two weeks because of an error in the country’s Central Crime Register. The Danish National Police announced on Friday that certificates could once again be issued after assessing that the consequences […]

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  • News round up

    Minister warns of new delay for Danish Kosovo prison

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    Denmark’s plan to send foreign prisoners sentenced to deportation to a prison in Kosovo has been delayed again.

    The 300 prison places are now expected to become available at the end of 2027 at the earliest and possibly not until the beginning of 2028, Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen informed the parties behind the agreement Friday.

    “I have been informed by the Danish Prison Agency that the construction of the prison in Kosovo is delayed, so the prison places can at the earliest be put into use at the end of 2027 and possibly not until the beginning of 2028,” Wammen said in a written statement to Ritzau.

    Denmark reached a political agreement in 2021 to lease 300 prison places in Kosovo to reduce pressure on Danish prisons.

    When the agreement with Kosovo was finalized, the first foreign nationals sentenced to deportation were expected to begin serving their sentences there in early 2023.

    The latest delay means the prison could open about five years later than originally planned.

    Wammen said the project remains an important priority for the government so “we can relieve pressure on the Danish prisons and get criminal foreign nationals sentenced to deportation out of the country.”

    “It must happen as quickly as possible, and I naturally would have very much liked for us to have long since begun sending inmates there. Therefore, I am of course far from satisfied that the project is further delayed,” he said.

    According to the Ministry of Justice, authorities in Kosovo have now emptied the prison of inmates.

    An agreement with a contractor was signed in July, and the renovation work is expected to take about a year.

    The project has previously been delayed by the approval process in Kosovo’s parliament, where opposition parties did not support international agreements.

    Danish prisons have faced overcrowding for years, adding pressure to make the Kosovo prison places available.

  • News round up

    The number of people injured in traffic accidents in Denmark increased in 2025

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    The number of people injured in traffic accidents in Denmark increased in 2025, while the number of deaths fell slightly, according to new figures from Statistics Denmark.

    Police recorded 2,832 people as injured or killed in traffic accidents during the year, an increase of 313 compared with 2024.

    The number of traffic deaths fell from 145 in 2024 to 143 in 2025.

    Denmark has now recorded fewer than 200 traffic deaths a year for 10 consecutive years. This is well below levels seen between 1965 and 1973, when more than 1,000 people were killed in traffic each year.

    Of those recorded in 2025, 1,732 were seriously injured and 957 suffered minor injuries.

    The number of injured road users increased across almost all forms of transport, with mopeds the exception.

    Injuries among people riding electric bicycles increased from 173 in 2024 to 211 in 2025. Nearly three-quarters of those injured in this group were aged 45 or older.

    The police figures do not show the full number of people injured on Danish roads because they only cover accidents reported to police.

    Hospital emergency departments keep separate records of traffic injuries. In 2024, they registered 29,589 injured people, more than 1,000 above the previous year’s figure.

  • News round up

    Denmark brings forward DKK 1.8 billion Ukraine aid package after Russian frigate fires flares at Danish helicopter

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    Denmark will bring forward and increase a military aid package for Ukraine to DKK 1.8 billion, days after a Russian frigate fired two flares toward a Danish military helicopter.

    Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of the Moderates and Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus of the Social Democrats announced the decision Friday after a meeting of the Danish Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committee.

    Most of the money will go toward air defense systems produced in Ukraine. The support had been requested by Ukraine.

    Løkke described the incident involving the Danish helicopter as a “severe Russian provocation.”

    “If they think they can provoke us into being restrained with our support for Ukraine, then they are mistaken,” he said.

    Ukraine has faced difficulties defending itself against Russian ballistic missile attacks because of shortages of suitable air defense missiles, including Patriot missiles produced by the United States.

    The decision follows an incident Monday involving a Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter and a Russian frigate in international waters off Gedser in southern Denmark.

    The Danish Defence said the helicopter was carrying out routine photographic surveillance of the Russian vessel when the frigate fired two flares toward it. One passed close to the helicopter.

    According to Bruus, the Russian ship did not establish radio contact with the helicopter before firing the flares.

    NATO has described the incident as an “irresponsible Russian act.”

    “This fits into a pattern we are seeing around Europe, where Russia is escalating and constantly testing boundaries. It serves the purpose of shaking our unity and our support for Ukraine, and that must not work,” Løkke said.

    Denmark summoned the Russian ambassador following the incident. Russia has said the Danish helicopter acted “provocatively.”

    “If the Russians think that they can rattle us by doing this kind of thing, then our counter-response is that we will step up our support for Ukraine faster than we had intended,” Bruus said.

    The captain of the Russian frigate has since received an award from Russia for his actions, according to the Danish report.

    Denmark has been a major supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. However, since December, Denmark has announced only one other major aid package in addition to Friday’s package.

    The Danish Ukraine Fund, which has financed much of the country’s support, has almost run out of available money. Further support would therefore require politicians to find funding elsewhere.

    So far, much of Denmark’s support has been financed through the government’s projected future fiscal surplus.

  • Suspicious package near US Embassy in Copenhagen found not to contain dangerous material

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    A suspicious package prompted a large police response on Dag Hammarskjölds Allé in Copenhagen’s Østerbro district on Friday morning. Copenhagen Police said officers had completed an initial examination of the package and had not found any dangerous content. The cordon on Dag Hammarskjölds Allé has therefore been lifted, police said. The package has been taken […]

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  • Denmark’s PISA school tests to be held every four years instead of three

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    Denmark will take part in the international PISA school survey every four years instead of every three, following a decision by the survey’s international steering group. The Ministry of Education confirmed the change to the education magazine Folkeskolen. The decision applies to Denmark and the other countries participating in PISA, which tests 15-year-old students in […]

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  • Autumn weather hits this weekend with rain and wind

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    Denmark is heading into a wet and windy weekend, with between five and ten millimeters of rain expected across most of the country and strong gusts possible on Sunday. “We say hello to a real autumn weekend with rain and bluster,” Klaus Larsen, duty meteorologist at the Danish Meteorological Institute, DMI, said Friday morning. “It […]

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  • Denmark to scrap cap limiting onshore wind turbines to by 2040

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    Denmark will remove a cap that would have limited the number of onshore wind turbines in the country to 1,850 by 2040. Climate, Energy and Utilities Minister Samira Nawa of Radikale Venstre, the Danish Social Liberal Party, has decided not to continue the cap, the ministry said in a press release. Nawa has held the […]

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  • News round up

    Denmark plans fivefold increase in fines for repeated violations of residency rules

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    Denmark plans to raise the fine for repeated violations of residency requirements to 100,000 DKK, Housing Minister Jacob Mark of SF, the Socialist People’s Party, told Jyllands-Posten.

    The current maximum fine for a second violation is 20,000 DKK, meaning the proposed penalty would be five times higher.

    “Cheating on the residency requirement is destructive to smaller towns and small island communities,” Mark said.

    “When a citizen buys a house, but chooses not to live there, the consequence is that lovely towns in beautiful surroundings turn into ghost towns, the local grocery store closes, and community life and neighborhood spirit die,” he said.

    Owners of homes intended for year-round use must ensure that the property is inhabited for at least 180 days a year. If they do not live there themselves, they can rent it out for permanent residence.

    Under current rules, a first violation can lead to a fine of up to 10,000 DKK, rising to 20,000 DKK for a second offense.

    Municipalities set the detailed rules for different types of housing. Holiday homes are generally exempt, while some properties can be designated as flexbolig, allowing a year-round home to be used as a holiday home.

    Several island municipalities, including Samsø, Ærø, Fanø, Bornholm, Læsø and Langeland, have previously called for stronger monitoring powers. They want to be able to check water and electricity use weekly when they suspect violations, rather than monthly.

    Mark said he has invited the island municipalities and Landdistrikternes Fællesråd, an organization representing rural areas in Denmark, to discuss possible additional measures.

  • News round up

    Aarhus to cut bus and light rail tickets to 15 DKK from 2027

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    Bus and light rail tickets in Aarhus will cost 15 DKK from 2027 under a new municipal budget agreement approved Thursday evening.

    Aarhus Municipality will allocate 35 million DKK a year from 2027 to lower ticket prices, TV 2 Østjylland reported.

    A consultancy firm had estimated that introducing 15 DKK tickets across the municipality could cost 122 million DKK, although the figure was uncertain.

    Mayor Anders Winnerskjold of Socialdemokratiet, Denmark’s Social Democratic Party, argued that the actual cost would be lower, and the City Council agreed.

    The budget agreement also notes that the national government plans to introduce free public transport for people under 22. Aarhus expects that measure to cover part of the cost of the cheaper local tickets.

    Since March, residents have already been able to buy 15 DKK tickets on three bus routes as part of a trial.

    The municipality has said the trial is intended to show how cheaper fares affect passenger numbers and what changes may be needed if more people choose public transport.

    The experience will also be used in planning for a permanent price reduction and for making sure buses and the light rail can handle more passengers.

  • News round up

    Controversial politician loses Copenhagen seat after residency case

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    Frie Grønne leader Sikandar Siddique has been removed from Copenhagen City Council after authorities ruled that he does not meet the requirement of living in the municipality.

    The City Council approved the decision Thursday, following a long dispute over Siddique’s residence.

    Siddique has called the case a “miscarriage of justice” by “the system” and said it had been influenced by Zionists, meaning supporters of the Jewish national movement and political ideology. Several parties rejected those claims during Thursday’s meeting.

    “I believe that it is quite damaging when an election is called into question by Sikandar Siddique’s statements, but also so-called experts,” Lord Mayor Sisse Marie Welling of SF, the Socialist People’s Party, said before the decision was approved.

    Before the November 2025 municipal election, Siddique registered a move from Herlev to Copenhagen so he could run in the capital.

    Copenhagen Municipality later cancelled his residence registration, citing, among other things, an unusually low electricity bill and a lack of documentation showing purchases near his registered Copenhagen address.

    Siddique appealed, but the Ministry of Research, Education and Digitalization upheld the municipality’s decision on September 8.

    His seat will now go to Frie Grønne’s first alternate, Asham Agha Nadeem, meaning the party keeps its mandate.

    Frie Grønne received nearly 7,000 votes in the election, including more than 3,000 personal votes for Siddique. Nadeem received 612 personal votes.

  • News round up

    Denmark’s oldest person enters list of Europe’s 10 oldest living people

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    Denmark’s oldest living person, Kirsten Schwalbe, has entered the list of Europe’s 10 oldest living people, TV Midtvest reported Thursday.

    Schwalbe turned 112 in March. She was born in Salling in 1914, a few months before the outbreak of World War I, and grew up with nine siblings.

    She married her first husband in 1938 and had three children. Today, she lives in her own home in Struer.

    Schwalbe has previously said that genetics may partly explain her long life. Four of her nine siblings also lived past the age of 100, she told Berlingske in 2024.

    She has also said that mood plays an important role in living a long life.

    Europe’s oldest living person is British woman Ethel Caterham, who is 117 and is also the world’s oldest living person.

    Schwalbe is not yet among the world’s 20 oldest living people, according to TV Midtvest.

    Meanwhile, a man in Costa Rica, Jose Flores, claims to be 119 years old. His age has not yet been confirmed, and specialists are reviewing documents to determine his date of birth.

  • Processing of Iranian asylum cases can resume

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    Denmark will resume processing asylum applications from Iranian citizens after pausing the cases in January because of uncertainty over conditions in Iran. The Danish Immigration Service lifted the suspension Thursday. However, it does not expect to begin calling applicants for asylum interviews until the first three months of 2027. The decision follows an August announcement […]

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  • Novo pays billions to access Danish pill technology

    ·

    Novo has entered a partnership with Danish pharmaceutical company Orbis Medicines to develop new oral treatments for cardiometabolic diseases. Under the agreement, Orbis could receive up to $1.4 billion, equal to more than 9 billion DKK, through several payments that include money tied to development milestones. Orbis could also receive royalties from any future sales […]

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  • Danish F-35 fighter jets land in Greenland for first time during NATO Arctic training

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    Two Danish F-35 fighter jets landed at Kangerlussuaq Airport in Greenland for the first time Wednesday, Denmark’s Armed Forces said. The aircraft are training over Greenland with US F-16s and Canadian F-18s as part of a multinational air operation. The exercise is part of Arctic Sentry, NATO’s military surveillance and deterrence mission in the region. […]

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  • Red-green bloc wins narrow victory in Swedish election

    ·

    Sweden’s red-green bloc won a narrow parliamentary election victory, taking 176 seats against 173 for the outgoing center-right government and its support party, final results showed Thursday. The two blocs were separated by 50,359 votes, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported. Socialdemokraterna, Sweden’s Social Democratic Party, remained the largest party with 28% of the vote. Its […]

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  • Unemployment rises for fifth month in a row

    ·

    Unemployment in Denmark increased for the fifth consecutive month in August, with 500 more people out of work, according to figures from the Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment. There were 94,100 full-time unemployed people in August after adjusting for normal seasonal changes. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.1%. From July […]

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  • Copenhagen restaurant Alchemist to close five months a year despite operating loss

    ·

    Alchemist, the two-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, plans to remain closed for five months each year while keeping its roughly 100 employees on the payroll. The restaurant says the time will be used to rethink how it operates and to develop its staff, according to a press release. Founder and head chef Rasmus Munk told Danish […]

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  • Danish and US fighter jets train over Greenland

    ·

    Two Danish F-35 fighter jets landed at Kangerlussuaq Airport in Greenland for the first time on Wednesday as part of a NATO training exercise in the Arctic. The Danish Armed Forces said the aircraft are taking part in training over Greenland alongside American F-16s and Canadian F-18s. The exercise is part of NATO’s Arctic Sentry […]

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  • Error in Denmark’s crime register blocks child certificates and delays hundreds of hires

    ·

    An error in Denmark’s Central Crime Register has prevented authorities from issuing child certificates for two weeks, delaying new hires at crèches, kindergartens, schools and other workplaces involving children. Child certificates are criminal record checks that employers are required to obtain when hiring people who will work with children and young people. They are intended […]

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  • News round up

    Moderates ministers want to scrap Aula in Danish schools

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    Three Danish government ministers from Moderaterne, the Moderates, want schools to stop using Aula, the digital platform used for communication between schools, daycare facilities and families.

    Ministers Monika Rubin, Christina Egelund and Jakob Engel-Schmidt made the proposal in a joint interview with Berlingske. They have not proposed an alternative to Aula.

    “An IT system has been created that sucks so much oxygen out of the school and the classroom that it is harmful to our children’s well-being and learning,” Engel-Schmidt said.

    Aula was introduced in 2019 to replace Skoleintra. Danish public schools and public and self-governing daycare facilities have access to the platform, where students, parents and employees can receive and share information.

    Rubin told DR that the amount of communication on the platform had become excessive.

    “More communication is not always better communication. 10,000 messages are sent on Aula per minute between half past seven and nine in the morning. It has gotten out of hand,” she said.

    According to Berlingske, Egelund said answering parents’ questions is not a core task of Denmark’s public schools.

    The proposal follows the latest PISA study, an international assessment of 15-year-old students’ performance in reading, mathematics and science, which showed a decline among Danish students.

    Other government parties have expressed skepticism about removing Aula.

    Nanna Bonde, education spokesperson for SF, the Socialist People’s Party, one of Denmark’s governing parties, suggested guidelines for the platform could be introduced instead, according to DR.

  • News round up

    Copenhagen apartment sales fall 36 percent in August

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    Apartment sales in Copenhagen fell sharply in August, while several other parts of Denmark saw more houses change hands than a year earlier, new figures from Boligsiden show.

    A total of 390 owner-occupied apartments were sold in Copenhagen Municipality in August, 36 percent fewer than in the same month last year.

    It was also the third-lowest number of apartment sales recorded in Copenhagen for an August since Boligsiden began collecting the data in 2011.

    “Significantly fewer owner-occupied apartments are being traded in Copenhagen, and there has been a clear shift in the otherwise hectic pace that we have seen for a long time in Copenhagen,” said Birgit Daetz, communications director and housing economist at Boligsiden.

    Across Denmark, apartment sales were 20 percent lower than in August 2025.

    Overall housing sales also fell slightly during the first eight months of the year compared with the same period last year, after seasonal changes are taken into account.

    Brian Friis Helmer, personal economist at AL Sydbank, said the apartment market was largely responsible for the decline, while sales of houses and holiday homes remained strong.

    Boligsiden recorded more sales of detached and terraced houses than a year earlier in South Jutland, West and South Zealand, North Jutland and Funen.

    House sales fell in Copenhagen, the Copenhagen suburbs and North Zealand.

    “Now, we see the activity spreading to other parts of the country to a greater extent,” Daetz said.

  • News round up

    Lego model of royal yacht Dannebrog sells for 60,000 DKK

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    A Lego model of the Danish royal yacht Dannebrog has been sold at auction for 60,000 DKK after spending 28 years at Legoland in Billund.

    The model was sold Wednesday by auction house Bruun Rasmussen for twice its estimated price of between 20,000 and 30,000 DKK.

    Legoland said the proceeds will be donated to the Mary Foundation, which works to combat social isolation.

    “We think it could be nice to donate the money to the Mary Foundation, now that it is the royal yacht ‘Dannebrog’ that we have had up for auction,” said Jan Mouritzen, head of Legoland’s model department.

    Bruun Rasmussen specialist Line Hjorth Langkjær said the model’s history at Legoland and the royal yacht’s place in Danish history had helped increase interest.

    It is the first time Legoland has auctioned an original model from Miniland, where landmarks are recreated in miniature using Lego bricks.

    The original Dannebrog model contains about 25,000 bricks. It was replaced after a new Copenhagen Harbour area opened in Miniland in July with an updated version made from 225,000 bricks.

    The real Dannebrog serves as the official and private residence of the Danish royal couple and other members of the royal family during summer cruises and official visits overseas.

    The Mary Foundation was established by then-Crown Princess Mary in 2007. The foundation said the donation will support efforts to combat bullying among children and loneliness among young people.

  • News round up

    Surgeon in Aabenraa performs Denmark’s first remote robotic operation on patient in Faroe Islands

    ·

    A patient at Landssygehuset in Tórshavn underwent surgery for an inguinal hernia on Wednesday while the surgeon performing the procedure was in Aabenraa, southern Denmark.

    The operation used robot-assisted telesurgery, with the surgeon controlling a robot in the Faroe Islands from an office in Aabenraa.

    It was the first time the technology had been used for an operation in Denmark and between two public hospitals in the Nordic region, Sygehus Sønderjylland, the Southern Jutland hospital, said in a press release.

    Chief physician Jan Krzak said the operation had a “highly satisfactory result.”

    “We have started out with a few selected patients with an uncomplicated inguinal hernia. The first step was to document whether the technology, safety, communication, and cooperation functioned stably in practice,” Krzak said.

    The operation is part of a project examining whether telesurgery could eventually provide treatment to patients who live far from major medical facilities.

    Elinborg Mortensen, chief physician at Landssygehuset in Tórshavn, said the technology could be particularly useful in the Faroe Islands, where many patients currently have to travel long distances for hospital treatment.

    “Therefore, it is interesting for us to investigate whether new technology can bring some of the expertise closer to the patients in a safe and controlled manner,” Mortensen said.

    A full surgical and anesthesia team was present with the patient in Tórshavn throughout Wednesday’s operation. The team was ready to take over if the technology or connection failed.

    Robot-assisted telesurgery has previously been used internationally, including for operations performed remotely between London and Gibraltar.

  • Ferry runs aground in West Jutland – no injuries

    ·

    The ferry between Thyborøn and Agger in northern West Jutland ran aground Wednesday morning, TV Midtvest reported.

    No one was injured in the incident, ferry operations manager Andreas Groth told the broadcaster.

    All ferry services have been suspended for the rest of the day, according to the operator’s website.

    It is not yet clear what caused the ferry to run aground.

    The coastal rescue service is at the scene, and divers are expected to inspect the ferry, TV Midtvest reported.

    There is currently no indication of when ferry services will resume.

    The ferry can carry around 22 passenger cars and about 100 passengers. It normally runs once an hour between Agger and Thyborøn, with the crossing taking about 10 minutes.

    The route is owned by Lemvig Municipality and Thisted Municipality and carries around 145,000 passengers a year.

    The ferry is about 45 meters long and 11 meters wide.

  • Novo partners with Anthropic to develop drugs faster

    ·

    Danish pharmaceutical company Novo has entered into a partnership with US technology company Anthropic to use artificial intelligence in the discovery and development of new medicines.

    Novo said it will use Anthropic’s Claude Science AI model to examine what the company described as “central challenges” in drug research.

    The agreement is part of Novo’s wider use of artificial intelligence. The company already works with OpenAI and Amazon on AI, according to Børsen.

    Novo CEO Mike Doustdar said the partnership reflects the company’s “ambition to become the world’s most AI-driven healthcare company.”

    “By joining forces with Anthropic, we will strengthen our research and development organization and advance our mission to deliver new, transformative healthcare solutions to people living with chronic diseases,” Doustdar said.

    Novo, which is behind medicines including Ozempic and Wegovy, said it plans to use Anthropic’s AI models to “scale AI across the entire company.”

    Claude will also be used to develop software internally.

    As an initial step, Novo plans to test Claude Science in specific research and development workflows.

    Novo told Reuters in May that it aims to use AI to reduce the time it takes to bring new medicines to market.

  • Russian captain honored for flares at Danish helicopter

    ·

    The commander of a Russian warship that fired two signal flares at a Danish military helicopter Monday has received an award for his actions, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

    The ministry said Wednesday that two flares were fired to prevent what it described as a “provocation,” Reuters reported.

    Russia identified the vessel as the Soobrazitelny and described it as a corvette, a relatively small and lightly armed warship. The Danish Armed Forces have described it as a frigate. According to TV 2, Russia and NATO countries use different classifications and standards for warships.

    The Russian ministry said the vessel was carrying out “operations in neutral waters,” according to Russian media outlet Tass. It did not specify what those operations involved.

    The ship’s commander was praised for his response during the incident, which the ministry said caused the Danish helicopter to leave the area shortly afterward.

    The Danish Armed Forces said Monday at 11:02 p.m. that one of the Air Force’s Fennec helicopters had been fired at with pyrotechnics in international waters off Gedser.

    According to the Danish Armed Forces, the helicopter was conducting routine photographic documentation of the Russian vessel at the time.

    Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin has previously described the helicopter’s actions before the flares were fired as “provocative.”

    He said the helicopter had carried out “dangerous manoeuvres” and that the Russian vessel had been unable to establish contact with it. He also said the communication problem was on the Danish side.

    Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus, a member of the Social Democrats, rejected that account.

    “I trust the Armed Forces. The fact is that there are plenty of ways to contact such a helicopter via radio and other things,” Bruus said.

    “There was no contact before these flares were fired, and that should have been done.”

  • Train traffic resumes between Skanderborg and Aarhus after disruption

    ·

    Train traffic between Skanderborg and Aarhus has resumed after a stopped train blocked the line Wednesday afternoon.

    DSB, Denmark’s national rail operator, said shortly before 2 p.m. that trains were running according to schedule again.

    Rejseplanen, Denmark’s national journey planner, showed that some trains had been canceled and several others were heavily delayed.

    “There may still be longer travel times and isolated cancellations until train staff are in place again,” DSB said.

    Passengers delayed by more than 30 minutes may be entitled to compensation under DSB’s travel time guarantee.

    Travelers delayed by 30 to 59 minutes can receive 50% of the ticket price back. Delays of 60 to 89 minutes qualify for 75%, while delays of 90 minutes or more qualify for a full refund.

    Passengers can choose between a ticket for a new journey on the same route or a cash payment.

    Applications for compensation can be submitted through DSB’s travel time guarantee scheme.

  • EU proposes social media ban for children under 13 and restrictions until age 18

    ·

    The European Commission will propose new age limits for social media on Thursday, including a ban for children under 13 and restrictions on personal accounts for those under 15. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan, called the “Kids Act,” during her annual State of the Union address on Wednesday. “We will […]

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  • Suspicious incident near Defense minister’s home

    ·

    Police are investigating a suspicious incident Wednesday morning on the street where Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus lives in Gladsaxe, north of Copenhagen, B.T. reported. Bomb disposal technicians from the military are at the scene, along with a Telemax robot used to examine potentially dangerous objects, according to the newspaper. The Ministry of Defense told […]

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  • Danish police get new app to detect misuse of disabled parking cards

    ·

    Danish police have received a new app that can scan disabled parking cards and check whether they are valid, as authorities seek to crack down on stolen, fake and invalid cards. The app was developed by the Danish National Police in cooperation with Danish Disability Organisations, an umbrella group representing people with disabilities in Denmark. […]

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  • EU wants Canada to become its first associate member

    ·

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that she wants Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union, as the two sides seek closer ties on defense, technology and trade. Von der Leyen made the proposal during her annual State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. […]

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  • News round up

    Greenland and Denmark agree on 1.2 billion DKK package for infrastructure and financial support

    ·

    According to a press release from the Danish Finance Ministry, Naalakkersuisut (the Government of Greenland) and the Danish government signed a partial agreement on Tuesday worth 1.2 billion DKK for investments in Greenland from 2026 to 2029.

    “The agreement means, among other things, that there will be a relief package for the Greenlandic citizens who are the most vulnerable economically,” the ministry said.

    The governments have also agreed to provide funding for Greenland’s utility sector. This includes water supply projects in Ilulissat and support for Nukissiorfiit, Greenland’s self-rule-owned utility company, to help develop the country’s energy infrastructure.

    Funding will also go toward operating Greenland’s new international airports, with the agreement including money for feasibility studies in 2027 for a new regional airstrip in Ittoqqortoormiit and a new deep-water port in Qaqortoq.

    “We are investing in initiatives that can be felt in the everyday lives of the Greenlandic people, and which at the same time support Naalakkersuisut’s work to develop a strong and sustainable Greenlandic society,” Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard said.

    The agreement follows another deal between Greenland and Denmark reached in February, which provided funding for Greenlandic patients to receive treatment in the Danish healthcare system.

    Both agreements stem from a framework agreement reached in September last year between Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

    Under that framework, the two sides agreed on a package worth 1.6 billion DKK for Greenland’s healthcare system, the deep-water port and a new airstrip.

  • News round up

    AL Sydbank removes account and debit card fees for all customers

    ·

    Around 100,000 AL Sydbank customers will no longer have to pay up to 600 DKK a year for an account, online banking access and a debit card.

    The offer was previously available to customers of Arbejdernes Landsbank. Following the merger of Arbejdernes Landsbank, Vestjysk Bank and Sydbank, it will now be extended to all customers of the new bank, AL Sydbank.

    “When we did the merger, we promised that you would be able to get an account, access to online banking, and a debit card without it costing anything,” said Svend Randers, AL Sydbank’s director responsible for private customers.

    “That is the promise we are fulfilling now, and it applies both to our existing customers who do not yet have those terms, and then of course the new customers who hopefully will join,” he said.

    Randers said the bank hopes the offer will attract new customers and encourage existing customers to stay.

    “And then of course we hope that in the longer term, it means that those customers will want to do more business with us when they eventually buy a home or car or save up for retirement or something else entirely,” he said.

    The change comes after AL Sydbank told customers this summer that several fees would change following the merger.

    According to a Mybanker analysis for TV 2, fees increased for between 55 and 60 percent of the bank’s services, depending on which bank a person previously used. Between 25 and 35 percent of fees decreased.

    Customers must have their NemKonto, the bank account used for payments from Danish public authorities, with AL Sydbank to qualify for the free account.

    The bank has not yet decided which debit card will be included.

  • News round up

    Lukas Graham withdraws from Ed Sheeran’s tour over Macklemore controversy

    ·

    Danish band Lukas Graham has pulled out of its remaining concerts with Ed Sheeran in the United States following a dispute over rapper Macklemore’s removal as an opening act.

    The band, fronted by lead singer Lukas Graham Forchhammer, announced the decision on Instagram.

    “Money does not give you the right to own the conversation. No one’s bank account should determine who is allowed to speak, and what suffering we are allowed to acknowledge,” the band wrote.

    Macklemore said Monday that he had been removed from the lineup for Sheeran’s U.S. tour because he had expressed support for Palestinians in Gaza on stage at an earlier concert.

    According to Macklemore, several U.S. stadium owners gave Sheeran an ultimatum over his participation in the tour.

    Sheeran has denied on Instagram that he was involved in the decision to remove Macklemore. The British musician said the decision was made by the tour promoter.

    Sheeran also said he had spent the past week trying to find a solution to the disagreement but had been unsuccessful.

    Lukas Graham said withdrawing from the remaining concerts was a difficult decision.

    “We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Regardless of where they live. Regardless of which flag flies over them,” the band wrote.

  • News round up

    AI use among Danish companies nearly quadruples in three years

    ·

    Nearly six in 10 Danish companies with more than 10 employees now use artificial intelligence, according to new figures from Statistics Denmark. That’s almost four times the share recorded three years ago.

    In 2026, 59 percent of these companies use AI, up from 15 percent in 2023. The share was 42 percent in 2025.

    The uses of AI include analyzing text, converting spoken language into machine-readable code, generating images and videos, and automating work processes.

    Dansk Erhverv, the Danish Chamber of Commerce, said it has seen AI move from being mainly a topic of discussion to a tool used in daily business.

    “Companies’ use of artificial intelligence is here to stay, and we can see that the large companies are the furthest ahead,” Frederikke Saabye, industry director at Dansk Erhverv, said.

    According to the business organisation, companies see greater efficiency as the main benefit of using AI. A lack of employee skills, knowledge and time are the biggest barriers to making greater use of the technology.

    IT-Branchen, an industry association representing technology companies in Denmark, said the wider use of AI also increases the need to consider issues such as quality, transparency and data security.

    “The more the technology spreads, the more important issues of quality, transparency, data security, and not least human judgment become,” IT-Branchen’s CEO Natasha Friis Saxberg said, adding that the development makes broader AI knowledge and training more important, including upskilling and continuing education for employees.

  • News round up

    Danish government plans tourist tax in Aarhus and Copenhagen

    ·

    The Danish government plans to charge tourists 20 DKK per overnight stay in Copenhagen and Aarhus and introduce a levy on cruise ships, according to government sources and a memo obtained by Børsen.

    The previously undisclosed measures would help fund tax cuts that the minority government will seek support for this autumn. The plans require backing from other parties, expected to come from the center-right opposition.

    The government wants to abolish the 7.5% intermediate tax on annual income between 641,200 DKK and 777,900 DKK. It also plans to remove the top-top tax on income exceeding 2,592,700 DKK.

    Corporate tax would fall from 22% to 19% over three years. The ceiling for share savings accounts would rise to 500,000 DKK over the same period, and taxes on shares would be reduced.

    Planned funding measures include keeping the duty on chocolate and sweets, reducing the research and development deduction for companies and raising taxes on dividends received by major shareholders.

    The government also wants to limit interest deductions to 150,000 DKK for individuals and 300,000 DKK for couples. Estates worth more than 10 million DKK would face a tax rate 15 percentage points higher than today.

    The tax cuts are not fully covered by higher taxes and duties. The government plans to use about 1.5 billion DKK from available public funds in 2027, rising to about 2 billion DKK in 2029.

    Denmark’s government consists of the Social Democrats, Socialist People’s Party, Moderates and Social Liberals. It does not have a parliamentary majority.

  • News round up

    Danish stocks fall for eighth trading day as higher oil prices push up interest rates

    ·

    Danish stocks fell for an eighth consecutive trading day Tuesday as rising oil prices and interest rates weighed on the market.

    At midday, the C25 index of major Danish companies was down 0.75 percent from Monday’s closing level. The index stood at about 1,845, down 70 points, or 3.7 percent, from its latest peak on September 3.

    Jacob Pedersen, an investment strategist at Danish bank Middelfart Sparekasse, said higher oil prices were pushing up interest rates.

    Denmark’s largest companies generally carry less debt than businesses in other countries, making rising rates less of a direct problem for them, Pedersen said.

    “But we cannot get around the fact that there is a risk in these rising interest rates in terms of the fact that it can drag some growth out of the economy, and that will also hit Danish companies,” he said.

    Slower economic growth could reduce company revenue. Higher interest rates can also make stocks less attractive compared with bonds, which offer higher fixed returns when rates increase.

    Pedersen said he did not expect an immediate major downturn in Danish shares. He described the market as strong because it has a large number of pharmaceutical and transport companies, which are less affected when consumers have less money to spend.

    However, widespread selling by nervous investors would also affect Denmark because much of its stock market is owned by foreign investors.

    “If everyone runs for the exit, it will also be felt in the Danish stock market,” Pedersen said. He added that such a decline would be driven more by market behavior than falling company earnings.

  • News round up

    Russian Ambassador claims that military helicopter provoked frigate before flare incident

    ·

    Denmark has rejected Russia’s claim that a Danish military helicopter acted “provocatively” before a Russian frigate fired two flares toward it Monday.

    Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin said Danish helicopters had repeatedly performed “dangerous maneuvers” near Russian warships.

    “The latest incident shows that the communication problems are not on the Russian navy’s side, but on the Danish side,” Barbin wrote to the Danish news agency Ritzau.

    Denmark’s Armed Forces said the frigate fired two signal or distress flares toward an Air Force Fennec helicopter in international waters off Gedser. The helicopter was conducting routine photographic monitoring of the ship.

    Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of the Moderates called Barbin’s account “a Russian excuse” and denied that Denmark had provoked the frigate.

    “What we do to monitor our own immediate area is completely legal, and it does not give the Russians any alibi whatsoever to start firing at us, even if it is only with flares,” Rasmussen told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

    Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus of the Social Democrats also said the helicopter had a legitimate reason to be there and was following normal practice.

    Barbin said Russia would investigate the incident. He also cited an alleged encounter on August 27, 2025, when a Danish helicopter flew low over the Russian warship Viceadmiral Kulakov near the German island of Fehmarn.

    The ambassador said that helicopter created a collision risk and failed to answer radio calls or warnings. Ritzau has asked the Danish Defense Ministry for comment on that allegation.

    Denmark has summoned Barbin to the Foreign Ministry for talks about Monday’s incident.

  • News round up

    Danish government orders police to register all potential crimes and end case shelving

    ·

    The Danish government will require police to register all potential crimes as criminal cases and end the practice of shelving reports without a proper investigation.

    The Justice Ministry announced Tuesday that it would implement all recommendations from the National Audit Office, Denmark’s independent public spending watchdog. The disputed police practice is known as “washing cases.”

    “Citizens must naturally be able to have confidence that the police handle their case properly and correctly, regardless of where in the country you live,” Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen of the Social Democrats said.

    “In the future, all potential criminal cases must be registered as actual criminal cases,” he added.

    The Public Accounts Committee, a parliamentary oversight body, strongly criticized police in May after receiving a National Audit Office report on the practice. Cases were reportedly shelved partly to save resources.

    The new government reshuffled senior police leadership in June. Top positions in the National Police and PET, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, changed hands.

    Several justice spokespersons in the Folketing, Denmark’s parliament, said they had no confidence in National Police Commissioner Thorkild Fogde after he said he did not know about the practice. Fogde was later removed from the position.

    The ministry did not say whether police would receive additional funding. Wammen previously said he was open to providing more money and noted that a multiyear agreement had already increased funding and training.

    The National Police and Director of Public Prosecutions must regularly report on future developments to the political parties behind that agreement.

    Two earlier State Prosecutor reports were not used because the National Audit Office identified issues they had missed, Wammen said.

  • News round up

    Trains return to schedule after damaged overhead wires near Sorø are repaired

    ·

    Train services between Fredericia, Odense and Copenhagen returned to their normal schedule at 10 a.m. Tuesday after damaged overhead wires near Sorø were repaired.

    Trains between Copenhagen Airport and Slagelse also resumed normal operations, Banedanmark, which manages Denmark’s rail infrastructure, and passenger rail operator DSB said on X.

    Banedanmark warned that some delays could occur while services restart. It advised passengers to check Rejseplanen, Denmark’s public journey-planning service, before traveling.

    The damage had caused cancellations and delays since noon Monday. Repair work covered the section between Ringsted and Slagelse.

    Banedanmark described the repairs as “extensive” and “very complex.” A support cable had fallen, and the equipment holding it had also been damaged.

    “These are just some of the damages we see on our traction power system,” Banedanmark maintenance director Nicolai Sigsgaard said Monday.

    Banedanmark received the first report of the problem at 12:45 p.m. Monday. Train traffic was then stopped completely while workers identified the cause.

    DSB and Banedanmark said passengers delayed by more than 30 minutes could use DSB’s travel time guarantee.

    DSB paid 67 million DKK in passenger compensation during the first six months of 2026, more than twice as much as during the same period in 2025.

    A delay of at least 30 minutes provides a new ticket for the same route or a refund of 50 percent of the ticket price. Passengers delayed by an hour can receive 75 percent and claim up to 75 DKK for food and drinks.

    Delays exceeding 90 minutes qualify for a full ticket refund.

  • News round up

    Danish man faces October court hearing over fatal assault at Copenhagen World Cup event

    ·

    A 31-year-old man held in custody over an assault that led to a Swedish man’s death at a Copenhagen World Cup event will appear in court on October 7.

    The hearing will begin at 1 p.m. at Copenhagen City Court, the Copenhagen Police prosecution service said Tuesday. A formal indictment has not yet been filed.

    The man is suspected of punching the 32-year-old Swede hard in the jaw or neck. The case falls under Section 244 of Denmark’s Penal Code, which covers less serious violence.

    The incident happened June 30 during a public screening at Islands Brygge of the World Cup match between Norway and Ivory Coast.

    The Swedish man fell after being struck, hit his head and later died from his injuries. He worked for the Swedish police but attended the event as a private citizen.

    The 31-year-old suspect, a Danish citizen who came to Denmark from Congo as an infant, has been held in custody since July 3.

    Two other men, ages 24 and 29, are also suspected of violence connected to the event.

    The 24-year-old Danish citizen is suspected of stomping on the Swedish man while he was lying down and hitting another Swedish citizen.

    The 29-year-old, a Somali citizen, is suspected of kicking the second Swedish man. Police have notified him of the charge by telephone and through his defense lawyer because they have not located him.

    Police have said the three cases will be handled separately because there is no evidence that the men acted together. Court dates for the other two men have not been announced.

  • News round up

    Danish parties support government response after Russian frigate fires flares near helicopter

    ·

    Danish political parties broadly support the government’s response after a Russian frigate fired two flares toward a military helicopter Monday, according to Denmark’s Armed Forces.

    Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus of the Social Democrats briefed party representatives Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, to discuss the incident.

    “It is completely the right thing to do,” said Inger Støjberg, leader of the Denmark Democrats, a Danish right-wing party.

    The Armed Forces reported the incident in a statement at 11:02 p.m. Monday. It said an Air Force Fennec helicopter was taking routine photographs of the Russian frigate in international waters off Gedser.

    The frigate fired two flares, which are normally used as attention signals at sea. One passed close to the helicopter.

    “It is obviously an escalation from the Russian side,” said Thomas Danielsen, defense spokesperson for Venstre, Denmark’s Liberal Party.

    Alex Ahrendtsen, defense spokesperson for the Danish People’s Party, urged calm.

    “Of course, we should not go to war with the Russians because of some signal lights that have been sent up,” he said.

    Bruus said both the frigate and helicopter had a right to operate in international waters and called the helicopter’s work normal.

    Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of the Social Democrats described the incident as serious but unsurprising.

    She said it was part of a pattern involving “an increasingly aggressive and assertive Russia” that is testing NATO and conducting hybrid warfare against Europe.

    “Russia wants to intimidate and sow discord. Our response is to stand closer together and strengthen the defence of Denmark and Europe,” Frederiksen said.

  • News round up

    Danish wastewater proposal reaches 50,000 signatures and moves to parliament

    ·

    A citizen proposal seeking tighter controls on untreated wastewater discharges has received the 50,000 signatures required for consideration by the Folketing, Denmark’s parliament.

    The proposal, titled “Discharge of untreated wastewater into streams, watercourses, fjords and the sea,” was published September 3 and reached the threshold 10 days later, the Folketing said Tuesday.

    It will now be submitted to parliament as a motion for a resolution.

    The proposal contains four measures. The first would require flow meters at every wastewater overflow in Denmark. Data from the meters would be published on a digital platform, allowing the public to see how much untreated wastewater is discharged.

    The second measure would require an authorized analysis company to take regular water samples and test them against 14 European Union requirements for chemical measurements.

    The proposal would also introduce a fee for discharging waste substances that are diverted around treatment plants without being treated. Its final measure would require every overflow structure to have a valid permit.

    The proposal received attention after Amanda Heitmann, a member of parliament for Venstre, Denmark’s Liberal Party, signed it.

    Venstre’s environmental spokesperson, Marie Bjerre, reprimanded Heitmann for supporting the citizen proposal.

    “As a political party elected to the Folketing, it is not our job to sign citizen proposals, but to take a position on the content,” Bjerre told Politiken, a Danish newspaper.

    Heitmann was also one of five Venstre lawmakers who recently went against the party line and voted against the fertilizer act in parliament.