Unknown Andersen fairy tale discovered
A local historian has discovered a previously unknown Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The sensational find was made in October by Esben Brage, who discovered the 190-year-old piece, titled ‘Tællelyset’ (The Tallow Candle), in the historical archive on the island of Funen, where the author was born. It is the first significant Andersen text to be discovered since the 1920s, when Andersen’s memoirs were discovered in the Royal Library. One Andersen scholar said the find was important because it appeared to be Andersen’s first fairy tale and because it indicated that he wrote such stories as a young man. Andersen’s works have been translated into about 125 different languages, a feat only bested by the Bible. – Politiken
EU gets new financial watchdog
After more than 13 hours of negotiations in Brussels yesterday, all 27 EU member states finally agreed to the rules for a new central European bank supervising system. While it is obligatory for the 17 eurozone countries to participate, Denmark and the other nine countries not using the euro can wait and freely choose whether they want to be part of it. The bank system is expected to be fully functional by 1 April 2014 and will have the power to take over any bank in the participating countries. Initially it will only concern banks with assets of more than 223 billion kroner, and if Denmark were to join, only between five and 10 banks would covered. – Børsen
Jobs returning home
The number of companies outsourcing jobs to low-wage countries is declining, according to Danmarks Statistik. Recently released figures indicate that between 2009 and 2011, one in five companies moved operations out of Denmark, which was less than between 2001 and 2006. The trend was most evident in the manufacturing and transport sectors, although the figures did not indicate the specific number of jobs that were being brought back to Denmark. According to the report, the lower cost of labour abroad was outweighed by higher transport costs, lower quality and a less stable supply chain. – Jyllands-Posten
Casualty wards brace for winter chaos
Casualty wards at the nation’s hospitals are preparing for a ‘perfect storm’ of slick roads, freezing temperatures and Christmas parties they fear could lead to a higher than normal number of injuries this weekend. According to Statens Institut for Folkesundhed, which studies public health, 65 percent of those suffering injuries at this time of year are men. The most common injuries are those sustained in falls, and 25 percent of the injured men are admitted with head injuries, compared with only 9 percent of injured women. Every tenth injury occurs on the way home, usually men falling on their bikes, and 8 percent of injuries occur while dancing. According to one doctor, many are injured because they underestimate the risk of cycling home on icy roads after Christmas parties. – MetroXpress
Weather
A mix of sun and flurries. Daytime highs around -2 C. Temperatures falling to -9 C overnight. – DMI
