Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Monday
Major tailback on Copenhagen access motorway, record number of forced adoptions last year, bumper profits for banks and more news from Denmark on Monday.
Accident causes major tailbacks heading into Copenhagen
An accident on the E20 motorway, also known as Vestmotorvejen or “West Motorway”, has resulted in a very long queue in the direction of Køge and Copenhagen this morning, broadcaster DR reports.
The accident happened between exits 34 and 33 and involved several vehicles according to the report. Up to 10 kilometres queuing can mean delays of 65 minutes, the Danish Roads Directorate said around 7am.
Alternative routes, including route 14 (Roskilde) and 150 (Lellinge) are also congested.
Vocabulary: nødsporet – hard shoulder / emergency lane
READ ALSO: How to decode Denmark's old-fashioned motorway names
Record number of children forcibly adopted in 2023
A record number of children were taken from parents by authorities last year and placed with adoptive families, according to figures provided to media Zetland by authority Ankestyrelsen.
The total number of forced adoptions, 51, is the highest in recent history according to the report. The figure was 37 in 2022, 29 in 2021 and 30 in 2020, and just 1 in 2016.
An annual report from the Danish Adoption Board (Adoptionsnævnet) shows that many of parents whose children were removed from them last year have cognitive impairments such as autism, learning difficulties and ADHD.
Zetland connects the trend to a 2014 law change which allows municipalities to remove children from parents if neglect is considered “probable”, rather than “proven”.
Vocabulary: tvangsadoptere – forcibly adopt / remove child from parents
Second bank registers huge 2023 profit
Increasing revenues from interest were partly to thank for Nordic bank Nordea, which made a profit of around 37 billion kroner last year according to an annual report from the company, published this morning.
The bottom-line result is 18 percent higher than in 2022. Takings from interest rates amounted to 55 million kroner last year, a 32 percent increase.
The strong Nordea results come after Danske Bank, Denmark’s biggest lender, last week returned a profit of 21.3 billion kroner, its highest ever. Danske Bank also cited interest as the driving factor behind its bumper year.
Vocabulary: hidtidig – until now / up to now
Queen Margrethe wins Denmark's best costume 'Oscar'
Queen Margrethe on Saturday won Denmark's equivalent of an Oscar for best costume designer.
The 83-year-old Queen, who abdicated last month, was honoured with a Robert Award for her work on the Netflix film "Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction", an adaptation of a book by Danish author Karen Blixen, best known for her memoir "Out of Africa", and directed by Bille August, one of the Scandinavian country's most acclaimed filmmakers.
The ex-monarch was not present at Saturday's award ceremony in Copenhagen. The film's producer, Marcella Dichmann, accepted the prize on her behalf.
Vocabulary: at være tilstede – to be present
READ ALSO: Denmark to get own version of 'The Crown' about Queen Margrethe
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Accident causes major tailbacks heading into Copenhagen
An accident on the E20 motorway, also known as Vestmotorvejen or “West Motorway”, has resulted in a very long queue in the direction of Køge and Copenhagen this morning, broadcaster DR reports.
The accident happened between exits 34 and 33 and involved several vehicles according to the report. Up to 10 kilometres queuing can mean delays of 65 minutes, the Danish Roads Directorate said around 7am.
Alternative routes, including route 14 (Roskilde) and 150 (Lellinge) are also congested.
Vocabulary: nødsporet – hard shoulder / emergency lane
READ ALSO: How to decode Denmark's old-fashioned motorway names
Record number of children forcibly adopted in 2023
A record number of children were taken from parents by authorities last year and placed with adoptive families, according to figures provided to media Zetland by authority Ankestyrelsen.
The total number of forced adoptions, 51, is the highest in recent history according to the report. The figure was 37 in 2022, 29 in 2021 and 30 in 2020, and just 1 in 2016.
An annual report from the Danish Adoption Board (Adoptionsnævnet) shows that many of parents whose children were removed from them last year have cognitive impairments such as autism, learning difficulties and ADHD.
Zetland connects the trend to a 2014 law change which allows municipalities to remove children from parents if neglect is considered “probable”, rather than “proven”.
Vocabulary: tvangsadoptere – forcibly adopt / remove child from parents
Second bank registers huge 2023 profit
Increasing revenues from interest were partly to thank for Nordic bank Nordea, which made a profit of around 37 billion kroner last year according to an annual report from the company, published this morning.
The bottom-line result is 18 percent higher than in 2022. Takings from interest rates amounted to 55 million kroner last year, a 32 percent increase.
The strong Nordea results come after Danske Bank, Denmark’s biggest lender, last week returned a profit of 21.3 billion kroner, its highest ever. Danske Bank also cited interest as the driving factor behind its bumper year.
Vocabulary: hidtidig – until now / up to now
Queen Margrethe wins Denmark's best costume 'Oscar'
Queen Margrethe on Saturday won Denmark's equivalent of an Oscar for best costume designer.
The 83-year-old Queen, who abdicated last month, was honoured with a Robert Award for her work on the Netflix film "Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction", an adaptation of a book by Danish author Karen Blixen, best known for her memoir "Out of Africa", and directed by Bille August, one of the Scandinavian country's most acclaimed filmmakers.
The ex-monarch was not present at Saturday's award ceremony in Copenhagen. The film's producer, Marcella Dichmann, accepted the prize on her behalf.
Vocabulary: at være tilstede – to be present
READ ALSO: Denmark to get own version of 'The Crown' about Queen Margrethe
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