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TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

The future of surrogate pregnancy in Denmark, whether women should be drafted, and sending Danish tanks to Ukraine are among the top news stories on Wednesday.

Published: 25 January 2023 08:36 CET

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

Surrogacy could see a boost in Denmark following the recommendations of a government advisory board. (Photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix)

Advisory group recommends relaxing surrogacy restrictions

The Danish Ethics Council, a government advisory body, officially recommends loosening restrictions on surrogate pregnancy, according to a press release.

Currently, while it’s legal to be a surrogate mother in Denmark, it’s illegal to receive fertility treatment (such as artificial insemination).

“Today, surrogacy cannot in practice take place in Denmark because the health professionals can’t help,” says Leif Vestergaard Pedersen, chairman of the Ethics Council.

The Council also suggests that surrogacy itself should be considered part of fertility treatment for the prospective parents — and covered by the national health.

READ MORE: Danish sperm banks want end to ban on home insemination

Unions: women in Denmark should also face military draft

Three trade unions representing Denmark’s armed forces say conscription should apply to men and women equally, broadcaster DR reports.

“As long as we only have conscription that includes men, women will be an afterthought. Someone who is not immediately considered as competent as men, and that is problematic,” Marie Sihm of the Association of Women Veterans told DR.

Parties: Denmark could send ‘best tanks’ to Ukraine

Party leaders tell DR they’re “open” to sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine to aid in the war against Russia, if the Danish armed forces can spare them.

Until now, Germany has blocked the donation of tanks to Ukraine due to concerns it could be seen as an escalation. That’s expected to end today, with Germany promising its own tanks for the war effort.

Defense minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen says Denmark has no “current plan” to donate tanks to Ukraine.

READ MORE: Danish military sends tanks on foreign mission for first time since 2003

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Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

UN committee faults Denmark for failing to probe ‘racist’ art exhibit

Denmark failed to take effective measures against racist hate speech when it dropped an investigation into an art exhibition depicting “racist hate images” nearly a decade ago, a UN watchdog said on Tuesday.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) ruled in favour of a Swedish man who filed a complaint against Denmark’s lack of action over a 2014 art exhibit in which he and other people of colour were depicted in a humiliating way that could incite racial hatred.

“It does not suffice merely to declare acts of racial discrimination punishable on paper,” committee member Mehrdad Payandeh said in the statement. “Criminal laws and other legal provisions prohibiting racial discrimination, including racist hate speech, must also be effectively implemented.”

The case was brought in 2017 by Momodou Jallow, the former spokesman for the National Association of Afro-Swedes and the national coordinator for the European Network Against Racism in Sweden.

He complained that Danish authorities had discontinued their investigation into an exhibit at a private gallery in Copenhagen three years earlier by Swedish street artist Dan Parks, who had already been convicted in Sweden for defamation and incitement to hatred.

‘Just delete it’: Danish police warn against allegation scam emails

Scam emails which include serious allegations and demands for large sums of money should be flatly ignored according to a Danish police special crime division.

The National Special Crime Unit (National enhed for Særlig Kriminalitet, NSK), which is concerned with fraud and cyber-crime as well as organised crime, issued advice on Twitter, saying it had been contacted by “many” members of the public over the fake emails.

“The recipients in these emails are accused of committing serious crimes,” NSK tweeted.

The emails include accusations of sexual assault against children and possession of child pornography.

They also claim that further action will be taken if the recipient fails to respond.

Danish vocab: slet dem blot – just delete them

Denmark demands tougher EU borders to prevent ‘migration crisis’

Eight EU nations including Denmark called on Brussels to significantly toughen the bloc’s borders to “prevent another large-scale migration crisis,” according to a letter seen by AFP ahead of a key summit.

The overall tone on migration has hardened in Europe since 2015-2016, when it took in over a million asylum-seekers, most of them Syrians fleeing the war in their country.

Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia sent the letter dated Monday to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel.

They said it was “high time” for a “comprehensive European… approach for all relevant migratory routes” to tackle irregular migration.

The letter called for “additional financial support” within the existing budget to enhance “relevant operational and technical measures for effective border control”.

Denmark to send decommissioned tanks to Ukraine

Denmark is to send Leopard 1A5 tanks which it had taken out of service to Ukraine, as part of donations to be made by several countries.

Tanks previously used by the Danish military are to be prepared and sent to Ukraine, broadcaster DR reported on Tuesday.

No specific number for the total number of tanks has been confirmed and the participating countries not specified.

But a three-figure number of older models could be donated once contributions from all countries are added up, according to the report.

A newer version of the tank, the Leopard 2 model, is currently used by the Danish military.

Denmark’s old Leopard 1A5 tanks were sold in 2010 to company FFG in northern German town Flensburg, where they are still located, DR reports.

The tanks are expected to be sent to Ukraine in the coming months.

Danish vocab: udfasede – decommissioned

Carlsberg expects ‘challenging 2023’ following Russia exit

Danish brewer Carlsberg warned Tuesday that 2023 would be another “challenging year” as it reported increased revenues but swung to a net loss owing to its exit from Russia.

“The development of the war in Ukraine and the impact on our business remain highly uncertain, as is the Covid-19 recovery in China, including consumer off-take during the Chinese New Year celebrations,” the company said in its earnings report.

Revenue for the global beer maker came in at 70.26 billion Danish kroner ($10.1 billion) for 2022, up 16.9 percent from the year before.

The revenue growth was just short of analysts expectations, who had pencilled in 70.43 billion kroner according to a Bloomberg survey and 70.44 billion kroner according to one by Factset.

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