Today in Denmark: A round-up of the latest news on Friday
Find out what's going on in Denmark today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.
No new agreement on Covid-19 restrictions
We wrote yesterday that the current schedule for lifting Covid-19 restrictions could be sped up, with the opposition Liberal party amongst those calling to bring forward later phases of the plan.
No decision has yet been made on the matter. Talks yesterday did not result in any new agreement, broadcaster DR reports. Today is a public holiday in Denmark so the negotiations will resume at the beginning of next week.
There is some suggestion that schools will fully open sooner than currently expected, with enough parties backing that move to form a majority, even if not supported by the government itself.
Ministers return from Rwanda trip as bill for offshore asylum centres tabled
Immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye and international development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen travelled to Rwanda this week to sign an agreement with the Rwandan government.
The trip had been surrounded by some secrecy, with the ministers initially refusing to speak to Danish media and only the Rwandan foreign ministry officially publicising it.
READ ALSO: Danish ministers visit Rwanda but stay quiet on agreement
The two ministers landed back in Copenhagen yesterday afternoon as the government tabled a new bill sub-titled “Introduction of the option to transfer asylum seekers for processing and possible subsequent protection in third countries”.
Commenting on the Rwandan trip for the first time, Tesfaye was still somewhat vague, declining to confirm the talks included discussion of an asylum centre. The government wants “discussions to take place in confidentiality”, he told DR.
We’ll have more on this story in a report later today.
Economic crime unit drops case against Danske Bank directors
Denmark’s economic crime unit SØIK has dropped potential charges for money laundering against three leading former directors of Danske Bank, Denmark’s largest bank.
The three directors, Thomas Borgen, Henrik Ramlau-Hansen and Lars Stensgaard Mørch were investigated in relation to a scandal involving large-scale money laundering at the Estonian division of the bank.
READ ALSO: US files lawsuit against scandal-hit Danske Bank
In a written statement to media including, SØIK said it had not uncovered “evidence that any individual has shown negligence to such an extent that it can be characterised as gross” and that the law had therefore not been broken.
The bank itself is still under investigation, however.
Rain and sun on extra day off work
Many people who work in Denmark have the day off today for the public holiday Great Prayer Day (Store Bededag). Keep an eye on our website for a look at why the Danish calendar includes this extra public holiday on a day when most other countries are going about their normal business.
The weather is likely to offer a mix of rain, sun and cooler temperatures, following the pattern seen throughout much of April.
It is likely to be the best weather of the three-day weekend, though, according to Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) forecasts.
“The Great Prayer Day holiday will continue this week’s somewhat cooler style. What is new is that a few showers will move in across the country,” DMI meteorologist Trine Pedersen told Ritzau.
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No new agreement on Covid-19 restrictions
We wrote yesterday that the current schedule for lifting Covid-19 restrictions could be sped up, with the opposition Liberal party amongst those calling to bring forward later phases of the plan.
No decision has yet been made on the matter. Talks yesterday did not result in any new agreement, broadcaster DR reports. Today is a public holiday in Denmark so the negotiations will resume at the beginning of next week.
There is some suggestion that schools will fully open sooner than currently expected, with enough parties backing that move to form a majority, even if not supported by the government itself.
Ministers return from Rwanda trip as bill for offshore asylum centres tabled
Immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye and international development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen travelled to Rwanda this week to sign an agreement with the Rwandan government.
The trip had been surrounded by some secrecy, with the ministers initially refusing to speak to Danish media and only the Rwandan foreign ministry officially publicising it.
READ ALSO: Danish ministers visit Rwanda but stay quiet on agreement
The two ministers landed back in Copenhagen yesterday afternoon as the government tabled a new bill sub-titled “Introduction of the option to transfer asylum seekers for processing and possible subsequent protection in third countries”.
Commenting on the Rwandan trip for the first time, Tesfaye was still somewhat vague, declining to confirm the talks included discussion of an asylum centre. The government wants “discussions to take place in confidentiality”, he told DR.
We’ll have more on this story in a report later today.
Economic crime unit drops case against Danske Bank directors
Denmark’s economic crime unit SØIK has dropped potential charges for money laundering against three leading former directors of Danske Bank, Denmark’s largest bank.
The three directors, Thomas Borgen, Henrik Ramlau-Hansen and Lars Stensgaard Mørch were investigated in relation to a scandal involving large-scale money laundering at the Estonian division of the bank.
READ ALSO: US files lawsuit against scandal-hit Danske Bank
In a written statement to media including, SØIK said it had not uncovered “evidence that any individual has shown negligence to such an extent that it can be characterised as gross” and that the law had therefore not been broken.
The bank itself is still under investigation, however.
Rain and sun on extra day off work
Many people who work in Denmark have the day off today for the public holiday Great Prayer Day (Store Bededag). Keep an eye on our website for a look at why the Danish calendar includes this extra public holiday on a day when most other countries are going about their normal business.
The weather is likely to offer a mix of rain, sun and cooler temperatures, following the pattern seen throughout much of April.
It is likely to be the best weather of the three-day weekend, though, according to Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) forecasts.
“The Great Prayer Day holiday will continue this week’s somewhat cooler style. What is new is that a few showers will move in across the country,” DMI meteorologist Trine Pedersen told Ritzau.
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