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- Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced on Friday the construction of new 42 billion Danish kroner production facilities in Kalundborg, northwest of Zealand. According to the company, the investment and expansion will create up to 3,000 jobs, with 800 positions expected in 2025 and construction nearing completion in 2029. (Image of the project below)
- During week 46, starting tomorrow, Monday, the police will conduct a traffic campaign to monitor the behavior of car and motorcycle drivers near schools to ensure that drivers comply with the rules allowing children and school students to pass safely to their schools, following several reports of speeding and inattentive driving near schools.
- According to a press release from the real estate agency chain EDC, an international hacking group carried out a breach in which a large amount of customer data was stolen, including the social security numbers of approximately 100,000 customers, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and any copies of passports, driver's licenses, and insurance certificates. The statement clarified that nothing was observed to indicate that the stolen data was being offered for sale, such as on The Dark Web. EDC encourages people who have bought or sold a home through the EDC real estate agency chain to be aware of any suspicious or unusual activity in their bank or email accounts.
- All officers at the Vejle police station have declared a vote of no confidence in Police Chief Jørgen Abrahamsen due to his conduct in connection with a number of complaints reported by various media outlets, as reported by DR on Friday, citing Frihedsbrevet and Vejle Amts Folkeblad. The police chief of Southeast Jutland had recently announced the disbanding of the so-called special patrol, composed of plainclothes officers, in response to critical media coverage of the conduct of some officers. For example, the newspaper Politiken described several cases in an article titled, “They call the officers the beating squad. And there’s a very good reason for that,” according to DR. In an internal memo, the police chief was accused of undermining “the authority, legitimacy, and use of force of the Danish police” and of legitimizing the idea that “a small group of people, with the press as their mouthpiece, can attack an entire police department,” the source added.
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has asked Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard to investigate whether pro-Gaza demonstrations in Denmark encourage terrorism and whether pro-Gaza demonstrators can be punished. She described the behavior in Denmark as “worrying” and asked Hummelgaard to clarify how the police and prosecution are using criminal law to protect against incitement to terrorism and support for terrorism. The letter was also sent on Thursday to the Danish Parliament’s Judicial Committee and to all party leaders. Frederiksen’s letter to Hummelgaard stated that ”the demonstrations here (in Denmark) are fueled by the conflict, and it is clear that there are people in Denmark who have not embraced our Danish values, and this worries me greatly,” according to Danish media. The report must be completed and sent to the Prime Minister’s office by November 16.
- The Eastern High Court on Wednesday rejected Ahmed Samsam's lawsuit against the police and intelligence services (PET and FE), and his lawyer immediately announced an appeal to the Supreme Court. However, several opposition parties stated that the Eastern High Court's decision "changes nothing" and declared their intention to pursue a full investigation into Samsam's case before a new commission. Samsam maintains his innocence of terrorism charges and membership in the ISIS terrorist organization, asserting that he was an informant for the police and intelligence services. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard responded that no further investigations should be conducted into Samsam's case, stating that the Supreme Court's ruling closed the matter. The Eastern High Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by the young Danish man of Syrian origin, Ahmed Samsam, against the police and intelligence services, in which he sought confirmation that they had treated him as an informant between 2012 and 2014. Samsam completed his prison sentence and was released on the same day the court ruling was issued.
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her aide Barbara Bertelsen are in an unenviable position, as all eyes are on them following the dropping of charges of leaking highly classified information against former intelligence chief Lars Findsen and former defense minister Claus Hjort in separate cases. Both men have stated on various occasions that the prime minister's aide had a hand in bringing the cases. One expert described it as the biggest political scandal. As a result, eight opposition parties from both the blue and red wings (right and left) issued a statement demanding a comprehensive investigation into the entire process, which began about a year ago when the charges were brought against those figures. They also demand an investigation into whether the prime minister and her aide played a role in bringing or dropping the cases.
- Despite Jakob Ellemann-Jensen's announcement of his resignation from all his positions and his final retirement from politics, as he left the position of Deputy Prime Minister, the position of Minister of Economy, as well as the position of leader of the Venstre party, whose popularity has declined significantly after entering the government with the party's historical arch-rival, the Social Democratic Party, nevertheless, following pressure from the parliamentary opposition parties, an independent investigation will begin into the scandal of the Israeli arms deal with the Elbit company, in which Jensen gave parliament incorrect information, including the need to quickly vote to approve the deal within hours due to time constraints. It was later revealed that there was a window of months to discuss and vote on the deal, especially since the Israeli arms company was on the blacklist due to the use of its weapons in wars against Palestinians in the past. It should be noted here that this issue dates back several months, i.e., before the current Israeli war on Gaza, but the announcement of the investigation came recently.
- Pro-Palestinian violence in Gaza, including marches, demonstrations, and vigils, continues daily or almost daily in Denmark. Participants are demanding condemnation of Israel for killing civilians and protection for civilians and children from all forms of aggression, including collective punishment such as killing, displacement, and deprivation of basic necessities like electricity and fuel. (Image of the ad circulating for week 46 is below.)
- According to DR, Israel is using Danish equipment in its weapons used in the air strikes in Gaza. A Danish arms company supplies key parts for F-35 fighter jets. According to Mark Schack, a lecturer in international law at the University of Copenhagen, speaking to DR, the export of Danish weapons may be illegal. He said: “There are now very serious accusations that Israel is committing war crimes, and the seriousness of the situation confirms that Denmark is taking a legal risk when it allows the export of weapons parts to a country known to have compliance challenges.”.
- A year after the general election in Denmark, which resulted in the formation of an ultra-center government, the SVM coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, and the Moderate Party, a recent poll showed a significant decline in the government's popularity among voters.
- Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen visited Jerusalem and Ramallah on Sunday, where he met with his Israeli counterpart and expressed Denmark’s support for Israel and its right to defend itself, noting the importance of international law. He then met with his Palestinian counterpart, offering condolences for the Palestinian civilian victims and announcing Danish aid to the Palestinian civilian victims, amounting to 125 million Danish kroner.
