CPH Post 24 October - 8 November 2018

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NEWS Artificial island planned for Copenhagen Harbour

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NEWS

Reunifications in shreds Government threatening to drastically cut them

TIME TO MAKE SOME WAVES

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Work permit joy for Americans Eleven other nationalities included in initiative to make it easier to obtain a work permit

BUSINESS Nordea now accused of money-laundering

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Caribbean in the city Rum and sunshine-infused evenings at Dexter’s

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VERY OTHER American living in Denmark has a nightmare residency story. They don’t say it, but they’re indignant they’re lumped together with all the other non-EU immigrants when it comes to work permit rules.

Many Danes will privately tell them they’re the right kind of foreigner, but that cuts no mustard with the red tape brigade.

Reduced by 88,000 BUT SALVATION has finally come with the news that workers hailing from 12 non-EU countries, including the US, will in future be able to earn less than is currently the case to obtain a work permit in Denmark: 330,000 kroner a year, as opposed to 418,000 kroner.

The other 11 countries are China, India, the US, Russia, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and Malaysia.

Help for workers “DANISH companies need the qualified labour they require – without us opening the door to those we don’t need. We must give companies reasonable conditions,” PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in his speech during the opening of Parliament on October 2.

The immigration and integration minister, Inger Støjberg, added that it will make it easier for companies to recruit workers from countries that Denmark already has a strong co-operation with.

Dansk Industri praised the plan, but Socialdemokratiet and Dansk Folkeparti were both sceptical. (CPH POST)

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Resignation over CV lie

Shooter flat revelations

NIKO GRÜNFELD had stepped down from his position as Copenhagen’s deputy mayor for culture following intense criticism of false information on his CV regarding his educational accomplishments as well as a 130,000 kroner refurbishment of his office.

On his CV, Grünfeld, a co-founder of Alternativet, claimed he had a master’s in positive psychology.

THE 2015 COPENHAGEN shooter, Omar El-Hussein, twice tried to rent a flat overlooking the Krudttønden theatre in Østerbro, the target of his first deadly assault, reports DR. However, both Airbnb landlords turned him down because his fake profile looked “strange”.

The media believes his actions suggest his attack was more preplanned than previously thought.

Storm risk heightened

Fraud hunt continues

THE HOT summer has increased the risk of violent storms during the autumn and winter, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. Already, there have been two – Johanne in early August and Knud in late September – and both had hurricane-strength winds. Some 44 percent of weather-related damage in 2017 was caused by storms, according to insurer Codan.

THE INTERNATIONAL search continues for Anna Britta Troelsgaard Nielsen, a 64-yearold woman accused of defrauding the state of 111 million kroner over a period of 16 years. Nielsen administered funding to fictional projects whilst working as a decision-maker at the Socialstyrelsen social authority. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK METROSELSKABET, the operator of Copenhagen Metro, has confirmed to CPH POST that all 17 stations on the new City Ring Metro line will be ready for next July’s grand opening, but that two won’t be fully-functional. Poul Henningsens Plads in Østerbro and nearby Østerport won’t be finished until the autumn of 2019 and the spring of 2020 respectively.

Introduced and banned ON THE very day that the US shared-vehicle company Lime made 200 of its electric scooters available for hire on the streets of Copenhagen, the municipality banned their use. With a maximum speed of 20 km/h, concerns were voiced about tourists using the app-operated scooters with limited knowledge of the highway code.

Capital a bicycle mentor

Lynetteholmen to include housing for 50,000 citizens, green areas and a beach CHRISTIAN WENANDE

T

HE GOVERNMENT and Copenhagen Municipality are teaming up to establish a brand new district on an artificial island located between Nordhavn and Refshaleøen in Copenhagen Harbour, which will include housing for 50,000 citizens, green areas and a beach.

The new district, which is provisionally named ’Lynetteholmen’, will connect the two districts of Nordhavn and Refshaleøen with a harbour tunnel that will continue on to connect to the existing E20 Øresund Motorway.

20 years away SOME 35,000 new jobs will be generated on Lynetteholmen, along with 15,000 on Refshaleøen. The district will have

Submariner unlikely to feature in tale that principally focuses on the investigation

I

A 26-YEAR-OLD Australian man is charged with running amok at Copenhagen Airport on October 3, smashing eight computer screens at the check-in stands, biting a security guard and throwing chairs around. The man, who has a history of mental illness, admitted to taking a cocktail of cocaine, MDMA and rohypnol, but has pleaded not guilty.

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Blixen’s bro’s bust ALMOST a century to the day after his heroic valour at the Battle of Amiens, the lesser-known brother of Danish author Karen Blixen has been given his own bust in Churchillparken.

Thomas Dinesen, who died in 1979, is one of just four Danish recipients of the Victoria Cross.

Thousands pay tribute AN ESTIMATED 30,000 people hit the streets of Copenhagen on October 5 to hold candlelight vigils and singalongs for Kim Larsen, who passed away aged 72 on September 30.

Large crowds also turned out in Odense, Larsen’s home for the latter part of his life.

No plan is an island, but build it and they will come

its own Metro stop and be fully protected against flooding, and construction is expected to commence sometime around 2035.

According to PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the island will cost

20 billion kroner and be selffinanced. The plan still needs to be approved by Parliament and the municipality’s citizenship representation.

Miniseries to depict Madsen murder NGRID and Joachim, the parents of the murdered Swedish journalist Kim Wall, have endorsed and contributed to a screenplay depicting the investigation into their daughter’s death, which is being written by the acclaimed Swedish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm.

The miniseries ‘The Investigation’ – which will be produced

by Miso Film in collaboration with CMore, Sweden’s TV4 and Denmark’s TV2 – will present the investigation through the eyes of the chief Danish investigator, Jens Møller.

Aussie amok at airport

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Close collaboration “WE DECIDED early not to let Kim be forgotten, and throughout this time we have worked closely with Jens Møller,” said Kim Wall’s parents.

“Our conversations with Jens and Tobias Lindholm have assured us that the story of the investigation of the killing of Kim will be told from the right perspective and with respect for everyone who loved and cared for Kim.” No more Madsen IT MIGHT be a relief to many that Peter Madsen will not have a central role in the miniseries – or even be depicted, although it is early days and the script is still

HASSE FERROLD

COPENHAGEN has joined the ‘Handshake’ program to mentor ten European cities that want to become more bicycle-friendly.

As part of the EU’s Horizon 2020-program, the Danish capital will pass on advice to Manchester, Riga and Helsinki.

The other two mentor cities are Amsterdam and Munich.

Copenhagen to build new island REGERINGEN.DK

Station delays

24 October - 8 November 2018

Zealand internet pledge TWO INTERNET providers, SEAS-NVE and NRGi, have been given 4.6 billion kroner to improve the coverage of people living in Region Zealand, where only 40 percent of homes have a high-speed connection, compared to a national average of 62.

Benched and binned TWO NEW waste sorting stations have opened in Christianshavn that integrate bins and rubbish-sorting into public seating. Located alongside Overgaden Neden Vandet, the one-year trial will target residents who do not have space to sort their rubbish at home.

No more closeups (outside jail)

Cork over rubber

in development.

But whatever happens, his story is over, as his lawyer has confirmed that he has given up hope of getting his life sentence overturned by the Supreme Court. (BH)

COPENHAGEN has unveiled the city’s first cork-based astro pitch in Tingbjerg. Made from the bark of Portuguese cork oak, it is a more sustainable option to traditional pitches, which employ polluting rubber pellets.

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24 October - 8 November 2018

‘Greener and richer’ P4G: Denmark rocks the boat for UN goals IRENE HELL IN NEW YORK

O

N SATURDAY October 20, Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen celebrated the launch of his Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) with heads of state from South Korea, Ethiopia, Vietnam and the Netherlands.

In co-operation with the World Economic Forum (WEF), P4G is mobilising projects and funding in support of the UN goals.

“We need to bring actors together in new ways,” urged Rasmussen during the recent Sustainable Development Impact Summit of the WEF in New York.

Counting down CONFRONTED with a chilling new UN report that points out that the global community has only 12 years left to limit the catastrophic effects of climate change, Denmark is gearing up.

“We take the lessons learned to other countries,” Rasmussen told CPH POST. During the UN General Assembly from September 24-28, Rasmussen mobilised eight other countries for his P4G initiative.

Together with WEF, the P4G will facilitate public private partnerships within key economic areas in order to deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement and on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.

A serious commitment P4G IS NOT just another “smile to the camera” event. Denmark seriously rocks the boat. In cooperation with Danish pension funds, the Danish SDG Investment Fund was recently topped up by 30 billion kroner destined for the poorest countries in the world.

Most heads of states moan their countries are too poor to take action on climate or other SDG goals. Denmark has proved them wrong. “It is possible to become greener and richer at the same time,” Rasmussen insisted.

“We are a living example of the fact that you can combine economic growth and sustainability.”

“Since I was a child I think we’ve doubled our wealth and at the same time we haven’t increased our emissions at all.

That is due to investing heavily

ALL PHOTOS: IRENE HELL

Can new partnerships save the planet as the world faces up to the stark new realities of climate change?

in renewables. On windy days, all our electricity is produced by wind turbines, and we are well on the way to reaching our goal of net zero emissions by 2050.”

In order to clear the way – and the air – Denmark is phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars and paving the way for about 1 million electric cars on the roads by 2030.

Great connections “THE WORLD is changing and transforming at a rapid speed,” observed WEF founder Klaus Schwab during the SDG Impact Summit.

Schwab might well be the bestconnected person of our time. His high-powered, high-priced and highly idealistic meetings, which combine making money and doing good, have gained him the trust of almost all heads of state, major institutions and universities as well as the global business community. The former business professor is one of the very few individuals who is received by the UN Secretary General during the General Assembly.

Schwab’s prestigious Davos Club of royalty, heads of state, billionaires and CEOs of billion dollar companies represents up to 80 percent of the world’s resources.

This makes Schwab and the WEF one of the most important UN allies – and potent allies are desperately needed in order to generate the 7 trillion dollars needed every year to achieve the SDG goals.

Drones and biodiversity SCHWAB’S vision for a better, more inclusive, fair, peaceful, just and sustainable world and his decades of preaching to the rich and powerful are bearing fruit.

During his SDG Impact Summit, 100 initiatives focused on climate change, sustainable development, closing the skills and gender gap, fighting disease, broadening the benefits of trade and protecting the planet’s dwindling biodiversity have been initiated.

A major one is the increased effort of the Tropical Forest Alliance. Jeff Seabright, the chief sustainable officer of Unilever, explained how the consumer goods giant is protecting the tropical rainforest by implementing the sustainable farming of palm oil. During a press briefing, he stated that other major organisations such as the Consumer Goods Forum are also urging their members to protect the

Making their voices heard (clockwise from top left): Al Gore, Klaus Schwab and Lars Løkke Rasmussen

planet’s resources.

On October 11, Indian PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Centre for 4th Industrial Revolution in Delhi. Run by the WEF, the centre will focus on how drones, AI and blockchain can improve the lives of 1.3 billion Indians. Starting in December, the state of Maharashtra and the WEF are starting the largest drone-mapping operation in history.

Assets and mobiles THE WEF Impact Summit was chaired by the Danish PM, Barbara Novick, the vice chair of BlackRock, the Indian mobile mogul Sunil Bharti Mittal, the chair of Bharti Enterprises and Bruktawit Tigabu, the CEO of Whiz Kids.

“We are seeing a shift in allocations. There is an increased interest in all different kinds of sustainable mandates. That includes green bonds – green cash actually,” Novick told CPH POST. “We feel that our job is to bring those products to market, make them available and educate investors on why they are good for their portfolio.”

The world’s biggest asset manager, BlackRock, has approximately 6.29 trillion dollars in assets under management. This green shift could be one of the most powerful tools for rescuing the planet.

Novick is confident that more and more asset owners are willing to pull their money out of oil and gas and put it into wind and solar: “As millennials age, we will see an increase in the acceleration of that trend.”

Tech kids MITTAL also believes in the young generation – and he holds faith in technology. His

mobile phone empire Bharti has contributed to the unparalleled economic rise of India in recent decades. “Technology is the solution,” Mittal said during a press briefing at the summit.

“It is firing up the SDG goals.”

He is confident that smartphones and computers can mitigate the absence of capital and click and chat people in Asia and Africa out of poverty: “When we put a phone in the hands of the poorest of the poor and connect them, we start to see the magic of technology and innovation come through,” he observed.

“In the next two or three years, almost everybody will have a smartphone in their hand.”

Nevertheless, he still believes in old-fashioned school books.

“We have over 300 schools in villages that are our foundation activities. We give free education, meals, computers and school uniforms to 300,000 children.”

All hands on deck MORE THAN 800 people participated in the WEF SDG Impact Summit. Many of them were activists and social entrepreneurs who have developed almost supernatural powers in order to prevent or mitigate catastrophes.

Her hospital ships in Bangladesh are already overloaded because they provide the only medical service for tens of thousands of people.

Now Runa Khan, the founder of the NGO Friendship, and her team work day and night in order to find a way – and resources – to take care of the Rohingya refugees.

“It’s time for all hands on deck. The world has to collaborate,” commanded California’s governor, Jerry Brown. “Climate

change does not recognise sovereignty, it occurs globally.”

That’s why Brown has just signed legislation setting a 100-percent clean electricity goal for his state and issued an executive order establishing a new target to achieve carbon neutrality – by 2045.

One planet INITIATED by French President Emmanuel Macron and orchestrated by Richard Attias & Associates, the One Planet Summit took place during the UN General Assembly and produced some major commitments.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor of California and ‘Green Terminator’, now flexes his muscles for climate action. His R20 organisation has convinced African leaders to commit 1.4 billion dollars to financing clean infrastructure projects in Africa.

Christophe Nuttall, the executive director of R20, explained that “the fund will work through subnational, especially city authorities.”

The One Planet Summit also stunned the world with another major commitment: 225 investors with more than 26.3 trillion dollars’ worth of assets under management committed to accelerating climate action.

Making the goals relevant WITH THE ability to provide solutions such as capturing CO2 from the air and reversing some of the catastrophic effects of carbon dioxide, there is no lack of financial resources to save the planet.

There is only a lack of action, knowledge and compassion.

That’s why the work of the UN, WEF and One Planet Summit are so vital.

NEWS

24 October - 8 November 2018

Good luck at Invictus

Curious or sceptical?

UNSPLASH

LAURA GEIGENBERGER)

The form: All together now

If in doubt ...

THE AUSTRALIAN and British embassies co-hosted a reception at Kastellet on October 5 to wish the Danish team competing in the Invictus Games good luck. The games, which give wounded, injured and sick soldiers the chance to compete in ten sports, began in Australia on Saturday. “The word ‘Invictus’ means ‘unconquered’.

It embodies the fighting spirit of wounded and injured soldiers and personifies what you have achieved since your injury,” the vice chief of defence, Lieutenant General Max Nielsen, told those gathered. “Sport is – and will hopefully continue to be – an important part of your rehabilitation.” (LG)

ONE OF our best read stories in October turned out to be a study of how Indian people tend to be curious, and Danes sceptical. Penned by Jinu Jayapalan, a cross-cultural trainer, it presents some amusing scenarios that illustrate the subtle difference between scepticism and curiosity, and how Indians are best off lessening their natural curiosity and trying to observe and learn the cultural traits of their new home.

One example sticks out: an Indian man asked a Danish woman: “Are you married?” “Yes” was the reply. “Do you have children?”

The Dane replied “No”. “Why not?” the Indian asked. At this point, the Danish woman ran out of answers. (JJ)

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Denmark plans reform

Bear attacks chopper

Good for oldies

THE UN General Assembly has voted in favour of allowing Denmark to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Its position will last from 20192021 and mark the first time that Denmark has had a seat at the highest human rights body.

The foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, is hopeful he can help reform the council.

ON OCTOBER 15, a helicopter was attacked by a polar bear at Sandersons Hope, a mountain in the northwest of Greenland. The bear smashed the grounded chopper’s windshield while apparently searching for food. All three passengers escaped unharmed (after locking themselves in a nearby cabin) as did the bear once the police arrived.

DENMARK is the 14th best holiday destination for people aged over 50, according to the Silver Years Travel Index, which assessed bucket list experiences, natural sights, activities, accessibility, history (Denmark fifth best) and safety (fourth). Japan topped the list, while Norway (also 14th) Sweden (16), Finland (16) and Iceland (29) all made the top 30.

Top performing passport

Trial begins in Lagos

Support for girls

DENMARK ranks sixth on the Henley Passport Index with visa-free access to 187 countries worldwide. Topping the list with 190 countries was Japan, while Singapore, Germany, France and South Korea completed the top five. Denmark topped the index from 2006 to 2009 and again in 2011 and 2012.

THE TRIAL of Peter Nielsen, the Dane accused of murdering his Nigerian wife and daughter, is underway in Lagos, and the prosecution has wasted no time.

Witnesses have testified there was a history of violence in the relationship and that the defendant had bruising on his forehead and hand the morning after the deaths.

DENMARK has pledged 547 million kroner to fund the worldwide education of girls in 2019.

In related news, Denmark has pledged 6.54 million kroner to boost the Libyan electoral process, 12.5 million kroner to help earthquake-hit Indonesia, and 2.3 million kroner to NATO’s capacity-building support to Tunisia.

Definitely Danish

Happy in EU

Serious food fraud

TWO DANISH slave ships that sunk in 1710 have been identified near Costa Rica. They were discovered in the ‘70s, but their nationality was uncertain until they were found to be carrying Danish bricks.

ONLY 14 percent of Danes would vote to leave the EU with 9 percent undecided, according to a Eurobarometer poll on behalf of the European Parliament – the sixth highest approval rate in the union.

DANISH company Jelex Seafood has sold salmon infected with the dangerous listeria bacteria to a customer in Spain by falsifying the listeria analysis, reports the TV2 program ‘Operation X’.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Family reunification ceiling in play PIXABAY

Consultancy approval

24 October - 8 November 2018

DESPITE the public’s poor perception, around 80 percent of municipal administration heads have said the work carried out on their behalf by consultancy firms offers great value for money, according to a Dansk Erhverv analysis. Some 85 percent said they had a very high level of satisfaction. In 2016, the municipalities paid consultancy firms 9.7 billion kroner.

The real price of a tan A CAMPAIGN has been launched aimed at youngsters who use solariums. Three out of every four cases of malignant melanoma skin cancer among the under-30s are caused by solariums, but although 60 percent know about the potential damage, they are willing to take the risk to get a tan. In unrelated news, secondhand goods sales have increased by 99.5 percent in four years.

More pressing concerns ONLY 11 people have been charged with breaking the ‘Burqa Law’, which forbids face-covering headgear in public, despite 88 reports being submitted since its introduction on August 1. In 19 cases, the police had tasks that were “more pressing”. In related news, a burial area for Buddhists has opened at Copenhagen’s Bispebjerg Cemetery – the country’s first.

Umbrella girl speaks out THE WOMAN at the centre of the ‘Umbrella Case’, who in March 2015 was filmed having sex whilst she was only 15, has spoken at length to Politiken about the impact on her life and how she has felt let down by the police’s slow reaction. This year, a number of court cases have been setting precedents ahead of the prosecution of over 1,000 people who shared the video online.

Cheap helmet con DANISH consumers have been warned that a website offering cheap Hövding airbag bicycle helmets is a con. Over 600 helmets have been ordered via the Danish website høvdinghjelm.dk this month at a price of 975 kroner – a 50 percent discount. Hövding, which is based in Malmö, has no knowledge of the operation.

Rat numbers exploding

Nation of landowners AROUND half of all Danes over the age of 20 own part of the builtup area of Denmark, according to Danmarks Statistik. Of those, 25 percent own more than one property. Men own more than women – in some built-up areas in Jutland, they own 80 percent of the properties. However, in Copenhagen, the spread is more or less equal.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

New legislation could make Denmark mostly unwelcome to immigrant families

Inspired by Germany, but with a few tweaks to ensure it will be in breach of European human rights legislation

who have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution – and government lawyers have evaluated that Denmark would be in breach of European human rights legislation if they go through with the plans.

suggesting Denmark needs to get “something in return from the German side”.

Inspired by Germany DRAWING inspiration from Germany, where there has been a ceiling of 1,000 family reunification approvals per month since August 1, it is believed the Danish limit would be around 70.

However, unlike Germany, the ceiling will also apply to ‘convention refugees’ – those

New deal on table MEANWHILE, Germany has submitted a draft agreement to Denmark that should make the bilateral handling of asylum-seekers under the Dublin Regulation more flexible, reports Kristeligt Dagblad.

The Dublin Regulation is an EU law defining member-states’ obligations regarding evaluating asylum requests from refugees arriving in Europe, and the two countries have been at odds with one another over the issue.

Both DF and Socialdemokratiet fear the agreement will bring more refugees and asylumseekers to Denmark, with S spokesperson Mattias Tesfaye

Benefits reduction IN RELATED news, DR has obtained official Immigration and Integration Ministry documents that show the government is in talks with DF to reduce the integrationsydelsen integration benefits.

Their proposal would reduce the integrationsydelsen benefits for single-parents from 12,000 to 10,000 kroner per month, and for parent couples from 10,000 to 9,000 kroner.

Last week Information published a survey by the Institute of Human Rights that concludes the current amount paid as integration benefits is barely enough to cover a family’s requirements for food, medicine and housing – and therefore in breach of the Danish constitution. (CPH POST)

Topping the rankings

Daycare shortage

Closer, safer, on order

DENMARK has been ranked third for adopting government e-payments by the Economist Intelligence Unit, behind Norway and France. It rated first for ‘B2G’ and ‘Social and Economic Context’. Separately, Denmark has topped the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index, finishing second for ‘Taxation’ and ‘Labour Rights and Wages’.

Germany and Finland completed the top three.

NOT A SINGLE municipality adheres to the recommended percentage of qualified pedagogues at their daycare institutions, according to Danmarks Statistik.

The BUPL trade union for the profession recommends 80 percent should be pros, but the highest rate nationwide is 72 in Billund. In contrast, Hørsholm and Hillerød score badly with 43 and 49, while the national average is 57.

A NEW GOVERNMENT proposal, ‘Closeness and Safety’, wants to make the police force more visible to the public. Among the 14 initiatives are more mobile police stations, more focus on response times, a better service for the 112 and 114 hotlines, and a service that enables the public to ‘order a police officer’ to learn more about how to prevent burglaries and safe behaviour online

W

ITH THE help of Dansk Folkeparti (DF), the government is considering a ceiling on family reunification cases in Denmark.

Last year, 7,015 family reunification permits were greenlighted in Denmark and up until the end of August 2018 there were 3,206 permits handed out.

The vast majority of the cases involved Syrians.

EXPERTS have warned that the mild autumn and hot summer will have given rats excellent breeding conditions ahead of their expected return to floors, walls and attics of buildings across Denmark this winter.

Given that rats become sexually mature after just three to four months, a female rate can potentially produce 2,000 descendants a year in the right conditions.

Luddite motorists FIVE OF the 20 new high-tech speed traps recently installed by the road directorate have been smashed up. The directorate said similar action had been seen overseas. In related news, two stones were dropped off a bridge onto cars travelling on the E45 motorway in east Jutland on October 11. Nobody was hurt. Some 30 cameras have been set up on bridges to try to catch the culprits.

MPs put off by priest A SECULAR opening of Parliament was held at the nearby Court Theatre on October 2 for 13 MPs who boycotted the official ceremony due to the involvement of controversial priest Morten Kvist. In 2008, he criticised Copenhagen Municipality’s decision to permit gay couples to be foster parents, claiming that some could be paedophiles.

Remembering the rescue ISRAELI President Reuven Rivlin and Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen were in attendance at a service at Gilleleje Kirke on October 11 to mark the 75th anniversary of the rescue of the Danish Jews. The pair laid a wreath at the port from which thousands set sail for Sweden on the nights of 1-3 October 1943. Only 474 of the estimated 8,000 Danish Jews were captured and 51 killed.

CLIMATE

24 October - 8 November 2018

Denmark eyeing greener future ... together

ONLINE THIS WEEK SIX ENGINEERING students from Aarhus University have designed a prototype flexible and modular solar cell pavillion that can be used in rural areas of Africa to provide both shade and green energy. The pavillion was displayed at the P4G Copenhagen Summit over the weekend. The next move is distributing them in Zambia.

Mammal massacre AARHUS University researchers estimate that human activity is so damaging to other mammals it will take 7 million years before evolution can restore the biodiversity of mammalian species, if mammal species continue to die at the current rate. The findings have been published in the scientific journal PNAS.

Co-hosting commission DENMARK is co-hosting the new Global Commission on Adaptation in The Hague, which over the next two years will focus on global climate adaption and present specific solutions, including getting the private sector more involved. Denmark will support the commission with 37 million kroner over the next two years.

Threat to killer whales

ONLINE THIS WEEK

HASSE FERROLD

Pavillion the attraction

New 38-measure climate proposal takes a stern approach to the future. But is it enough?

O

N OCTOBER 8, the government took a hard look at the climate challenge currently facing the world by ushering in a new climate proposal that includes a number of initiatives aimed at making Denmark climate-neutral by 2050.

The strategy, ‘Sammen om en grønnere fremtid’ (together for a greener future), contains 38 measures such as cleaner air in big cities, banning old diesel and petrol cars, cheaper electric cars, more environmentally-friendly cruise ships and better climate research.

“Denmark needs to maintain its position as a green pioneer.

By setting new standards for climate and the environment we will inspire others to act and influence the development in Europe and beyond,” said the energy and climate minister, Lars Christian Lilleholt.

Following his trip to New York (page 4), this was his baby to hold close

is incredibly important in the battle against climate change.”

Climate food labels THE MOST talked about measure was a proposal to mark all food products with stickers that show their environmental impact.

The new labelling will require a major collaboration with the retail

sector, and discussions have not yet started, according to Lilleholt.

Furthermore, concerns have been expressed whether the labelling will cloud other elements important to shoppers, such as the products’ nutritional value.

But while they were eager to celebrate their own climate exploits, a similar effort presented by the EU a day later failed to impress the Danes, who had hoped for a more ambitious plan to curb climate change.

In particular, Denmark wants more stringent changes to the transportation sector.

“We must send a very clear signal to the car industry that the green transition needs to be taken seriously by the transportation sector. A greener car park

Professor urges change

Danish takeover

Naked and fishy

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Shortlist of four THE ENERGY and Climate Ministry has shortlisted four locations for a huge wind turbine park announced in April. The 3,200 sq km park, which needs to be operational by 2030 to adhere to the government’s latest energy deal, will provide 800 MW of wind power. Meanwhile, 49 huge wind turbines, fully 187 metres tall, are on their way to the Horns Rev 3 windpark in the North Sea, which covers the electricity consumption of 425,000 households and is the nation’s largest.

Major summit in capital

Still time for change THE EU proposal will still need to be negotiated by the EU Parliament, Commission and Council in the coming days, so the Danes hope that a more ambitious agreement is still attainable. Denmark wants a CO2 reduction target of at least 40 percent.

The Danish concern comes in the wake of the release of a climate report authored by 91 scientists from 40 different countries that once again underlines the necessity to take urgent and unprecedented action if the rise in global warming is to be restricted to 1.5 degrees by 2100 – measured relative to conditions before industrialisation.

DANSK Industri, City Hall and DR Koncerthuset were among the venues when the Danish capital hosted the P4G Copenhagen Summit on Friday and Saturday (see page 4). Delegates from over 50 countries addressed issues of an environmental concern.

Smart charging DANSK Energi technical director Jørgen Christensen has suggested electric car owners should be incentivised to top up during night hours when domestic consumption is at its lowest ebb.

Danger of oil spils PIXABAY

OUR FISH’

PIXABAY

GERAINT ROWLAND/FLICKR

PIXABAY

Little to dance about

Stop burping, Ermintrude!

Make that 58 stations

Big enough for the porpoise

Not just an eyesore

A DANISH-LED study of killer whales suggests they could face extinction in 30-50 years due to a banned chemical that was common in 1940s construction materials. PCB was common in paint, cement, sealant and other building materials. It was banned in 1986 when it was revealed to have detrimental effects to human and animal health.

“It’s alarming that the pollutant was banned 30 years ago and still effects the ecosystem – even more so now that we know it threatens the killer whale with extinction,” study leader Rune Dietz from Aarhus University told Videnskab. (RM)

CATTLE is one of ‘agriculture’s sinners’ in terms of releasing climate gases – after all, a cow burp is about 25 times more potent than an equivalent CO2 emission and they account for 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the Danish agriculture sector. In order to counter the emissions, Jørgen E Olesen, a professor at Aarhus University, has told Ingeniøren that Denmark needs to “reduce cattle stocks and stop cultivating all carbon-rich lava soil in Denmark”. Current EU limits are not strict enough, he argues, and wholesale changes are needed worldwide. (LG)

DENMARK is taking over the 59 measurement stations that make up the Greenland GPS Network (GNET) from the US. Their geodata play a vital role in assessing the rate and impact of climate change on the island.

Denmark will take on the costs of running the stations, which were established around 10 years ago as part of a research project run by Ohio State University and DTU Space, and continue to share the data with the US. In 2016, GNET measurements helped prove that the icecaps melted at a 7 percent quicker rate than previously assumed between 2003 and 2013. (BH)

HOW DO you draw attention to the plight of an endangered species such as cod? By getting stark naked, apparently. Along with Hollywood stars such as Sean Penn and Josh Brolin and British celebrities such as Imelda Staunton and Cressida Bonas, a number of Danish actors have joined a campaign to pose with nothing but a strategically-placed fish to cover their modesty. Thure Lindhardt, Trine Dyrholm, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro, Iben Hjejle and Natalie Madueño have all appeared for the ‘Fishlove’ campaign, which was launched to stop overfishing in 2009. (SG)

OIL SPILLS are more damaging to the Arctic region than previously believed, according to research by the DTU and COWI. The study established that plankton – which underpins the food chain in the Arctic Ocean – is impacted by much lower concentrations of oil pollution than previously thought.

Meanwhile, an agreement has been signed in Ilulissat in Greenland designed to prevent unregulated fishing in the Arctic Ocean. The signatories are the EU, the US, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Russia, plus major fishing nations Iceland, Japan, China and South Korea. (SG)

READ THE REST OF THESE STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

8

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

24 October - 8 November 2018

More MS and blood infection cases – nobody knows why PIXABAY

Winter bathing diet trial A RIGSHOSPITALET study over the next four months will look into whether winter bathing three times a week can help obese people lose weight. The project, the first of its kind in the world, will look into whether cold shocks increase energy consumption and help activate the body’s healthy brown fat, which burns energy and produces heat.

Early puberty link AARHUS University researchers have discovered a link between women taking paracetamol headache pills during pregnancy and accelerated puberty in their daughters. The study of 100,000 women found there was no effect on boys. In related news, pills containing diclofenac increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20-30 percent, according to an Aarhus University Hospital-led study.

Carlsberg on the curve CARLSBERG is developing new types of malt barley as fears grow that climate change could cause beer prices to skyrocket across the planet. The grains, which have been developed in Oceania, will be resistant to extreme heat and drought, which new research carried out in Bejiing and Califonia suggests will lead to a 16 percent dip in production.

Pesticide replacement BIOTECH company Biophero has received 3 million euros to develop non-toxic biotechnology that could potentially replace pesticides and not be harmful to groundwater, reports Ingeniøren.

In related news, 3 percent less antibiotics were given to animals in 2017 – the equivalent of 3.4 tonnes. Usage has fallen by 14 percent since 2013. The problem was most acute in pork production.

Robot and AI moves THE GOVERNMENT has teamed up with Dansk Folkeparti to approve a new trial project involving self-driving delivery robots, which travel at 6 km/h and carry food, medicines and groceries to consumers’ doorsteps.

In related news, the government has earmarked 300 million kroner for digital development – particularly in the area of AI.

ONLINE THIS WEEK Need to be quieter A WORLD Health Organization report indicates that the traffic noise pollution limits of 58 decibels are far too high. It recommends reducing them to 53. Over 1 million people in the country’s biggest four cities live with noise levels of over 55.

Meanwhile, some municipalities want to introduce nighttime quiet zones where decibel caps for noisy vehicles are enforced.

Plastered smarter

The rate of multiple sclerosis on the Equator is virtually nil. Once again, nobody knows why

Doctors know who is most vulnerable, but can rarely identify the cause with certainty

N

OBODY can explain why there are 16,000 people struggling with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Denmark – the third highest-rate per capita in the world behind just San Marino and Canada.

“The most concerning thing is that we’ve seen a doubling of the number of people with multiple sclerosis in Denmark over the past 20 years and we don’t understand why,” Rigshospitalet doctor Finn Sellebjerg told DR.

turbances in their arms or legs.

Something in the water?

MEANWHILE, the public health institute has mapped the birthplaces of the sufferers and found that people born or raised in Thyholm, Esbjerg, Nyborg, Randers, Favrskov and Aarhus are 18 percent more likely to develop MS. Once again, no explanation was offered, although a researcher who was part of the project suggested that genetics and the environment, such as drinking water, possibly played a role.

Worryingly, the number of MRSA multi-resistant bacteria infections is also rising. In 2009 there were 722 registered cases of MRSA infections, but by 2017 the number had shot up to 3,579.

With a thousand faces SELLEBJERG suggested that doctors might become better at making a diagnosis, particularly of milder cases – which was not possible earlier.

MS is known as the illness with a thousand faces as it affects people in lots of different ways. Some feel extreme fatigue or have trouble concentrating, while others are confined to wheelchairs or have sensory dis-

Older more vulnerable?

JUST LIKE MS can strike out of nowhere, so can a bacterial blood infection, and the number of cases has risen by 30 percent since 2009 – up to 10,795 in 2017, according to a Danmap report compiled by Statens Serum Institut and the DTU. Again, researchers could not give an explanation, although a doctor attached to Statens Serum Institut conceded it might be because there are more older people generally.

Complacency reigns AND DON’T forget how dangerous the flu can be. Last winter, over 1,500 people died and 8,000 were hospitalised as a result of the virus, and doctors are urging vulnerable groups – the over-65s, pregnant women and sufferers from chronic illnesses – to get vaccinated as they accounted for 95 percent of the fatalities.

A number of surveys have revealed that those particularly at risk often don’t follow the vaccination recommendations because they “feel happy and healthy,” Dr Kamilla Grønborg Laut told TV2.

“But if you belong to one of the risk groups, there is a high probability that a case of the flu can become serious.”

Last year only 50 percent of the risk groups got vaccinated.

Proof in their wings

Worst in a century

Hangover hormone a hit

STATENS Naturhistoriske Museum is making a butterfly database of 2 million specimens that will provide insight into how nature has evolved – particularly in relation to climate change. In collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, it wants volunteers to help digitalise the images and data found on the labels of the specimens, which date back as far as the late 18th century.

THIS YEAR’S grain harvest of 6.5 million tonnes was the worst since 1983, although interest group Dafoko claims that if it was measured crop by crop, it would be the worst in a century. The news came a day after the government confirmed a 380 million kroner aid package for farmers who remain on the precipice despite the drought ending in August.

FGF-21 is called the ‘hangover hormone’ for good reason.

A Rigshospitalet-led study has established that not only does it alert the body that it has had enough to drink, but it also does its best to protect people from potential liver damage. The hormone is generally released by the liver two hours into a binging session – or after about six units of alcohol.

A NEW TYPE of ‘smart’ plaster containing a special sensor is being developed by DTU researchers. It alerts carers if a wound becomes infected so they can monitor its progress. This means it would no longer be necessary to remove the dressing to check the wound, which can allow more bacteria to enter. Post-op infections cost Danish healthcare over 1 billion kroner a year.

Improved venom antidotes RESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen and DTU have helped to manufacture a snakebite antidote that will be “more effective, more reliable and probably cheaper”, reports Videnskab.dk. The antidote, which has been made using human antibodies, has so far been successfully tested on the venom of the black mamba. Around 100,000 deaths are caused by snakebites every year.

Looking through time ANDERS Leth Damgaard’s hobby has been attracting media interest. The teacher buys amber in bulk to break apart and free the prehistoric beetles caught within, which he then names after famous Danes like Mads Mikkelsen. He describes the amber as “binoculars” through which to look back in time at 50 million-year-old bugs.

Younger organ donors PARLIAMENT has passed a bill permitting 15 to 17-year-olds to register as organ donors, but parents will continue to have the last word. Next month, a citizen’s bill proposing presumed consent will be presented to the house. Although 90 percent of Danes approve of donations, only 22 percent have granted their permission.

NEWS

24 October - 8 November 2018

ONLINE THIS WEEK

DANISH actor Lars Mikkelsen attributes his decision to get baptised and embrace Christianity to his lead role in the DR series ‘Herrens veje’ (‘Ride Upon the Storm’). His appearance as the provocative priest Johannes Krogh led to some profound considerations, he told P1 – namely that “faith as it is portrayed in the series is actually based on reality.”

Danes flying in NHL DANISH NHL player Mikkel Bødker has scored five points in his first six games at his new club, the Ottawa Senators. The 28-year-old winger is one of six Danes playing in the NHL. The others are Frans Nielsen, Nikolaj Ehlers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Frederik Andersen and 2018 Stanley Cup winner Lars Eller, who scored in the season opener for the Washington Capitals.

Mags “stupid” says rival PUNDITS believe Kevin Magnussen was lucky to get away unpunished after he moved to his right to prevent Monégasque driver Charles Leclerc from overtaking him on the fourth lap of the Japanese Grand Prix, resulting in a race-ending impact for all the cars. “Magnussen is and will always be stupid,” Leclerc said over his team radio.

Denmark well placed A 0-0 DRAW in Dublin leaves Denmark second behind Wales in their UEFA Nations League group, but with a game in hand. Denmark travel to Cardiff on November 16 and then host Ireland three days later. In related news, Christian Eriksen’s agent Martin Schoots has blamed a bad translation for the false report that the injured star had a chronic stomach problem.

Out of Women’s World Cup DENMARK have failed to qualify for the 2019 Women’s World Cup after losing 1-4 to the Netherlands over a two-leg playoff semi-final. A Nadia Nadim penalty at the start of the home leg reduced the lead to 1-2 … for all of 90 seconds. Ultimately, the Euro 2017 finalists will reflect on a players’ strike last autumn that forfeited their away tie at group winners Sweden.

Mikkel Bjerg is closing in on a legend’s record and he is still only 19

H

AS IT BEEN a while since Denmark produced a new world-class sporting star to rival the likes of Kevin Magnussen, Caroline Wozniacki and Christian Eriksen – both in terms of achievement and column inches?

GRANADA

Lars goes lord’s way

Is the next star of cycling Danish?

Already, he has notched up the second furthest distance in history. His attempt of 53.73 km was within 800 metres of Wiggins’s 54.52 km record.

Wiggins, who is now retired, will know full well that cyclists don’t tend to peak until their mid-20s. After all, the Brit was 32 when he won the Tour de France.

Bjerg is a world beater

Still only 19 STEP FORWARD Mikkel Bjerg, a new star of cycling, who at the age of 19 is already a two-time under-23s UCI World Championships time trial champion.

And now he is threatening to unseat the legendary Bradley Wiggins as the fastest man over one hour.

Waiting in the wings MEANWHILE, Michael Valgren, already 26, has taken the slow route to fame and success, but this past year has been a good one, with wins in both the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Amstel Gold Race.

The cyclist has accordingly made the shortlist for the prestigious Vélo d’Or award given out to the best rider of the season by French publication ‘Vélo

Brøndby’s world-best!

Mumford in town

Footy boosts gambling

BRØNDBY’S Polish striker Kamil Wilczek is ranked among the top ten best goal-scorers on the planet by clubworldranking. com. At present, he is ranked eighth, one place above Harry Kane. Ironically, the highest ranked Dane plays for a Polish club: Lech Poznan forward Christian Gytkjær, who is number 40.

MUMFORD & Sons are playing at the Royal Arena on May 17. Also gracing the Copenhagen venue are André Rieu (June 22), and Post Malone (March 2). Also in the capital, the Chippendales are taking over Falconer Salen (Sep 18), comedian Bert Kreischer is performing at Bremen Teater (May 3) and Basement are coming to Pumpehuset (Jan 18).

A FLURRY of wagers on the 2018 World Cup saw sports gambling revenue soar by 25 percent to 650 million kroner during the second quarter of 2018, according to Spillemyndigheden. Its market share increased to 39.7 percent, overtaking online casino games (32.9), as the gambling sector generated a total of 1.63 billion kroner.

Towers take title

Frank new Bees boss

Under-21s qualify

THE COPENHAGEN Towers beat the Triangle Razorbacks 23-22 on October 13 to win a record eighth Mermaid Bowl – one more than their opponents.

The Towers trailed in the fourth quarter before scoring a late touchdown to take the title.

ENGLISH Championship side Brentford has unveiled Thomas Frank as its new manager following the departure of Dean Smith to Aston Villa. Frank, 45, the assistant coach since late 2016, coached Brøndby from 20132016.

DENMARK’S under-21 side have qualified for the Euros for the third time in a row. A nervy 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands in Aalborg helped them to finish a point ahead of Poland. The 12team finals are in Italy and San Marino between June 16 and 30.

Ready for the eSuperliga

No freebies at Euro 2020

The complete refit

WHEN DENMARK gets a new Superliga next month, it won’t be the likes of Viktor Fischer attracting the fans. Instead, the competitors will be playing the popular game ‘FIFA 19’. The Danish Superliga has teamed up with eSports firm DreamHack and the media company Discovery Networks Danmark to launch a ‘eSuperliga’ – and every team in the real Superliga (bar FC Nordsjælland) will have a team taking part. The seven-week league kicks off on November 5. Representing FCK is former FIFA world champion August ‘Agge’ Rosenmeier. (CW)

FOOTBALL fans will be alarmed to find out that most of Euro 2020 won’t be shown on free-to-air TV. The Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group has picked up the exclusive rights, and it is only obliged to share some of the rights should Denmark qualify for the tournament.

The deal means the games will be broadcast on Nent’s Viaplay streaming service. Previously, the EBU distributed the rights to its members, DR and TV2. In the case of the World Cup, FIFA favours free-to-air broadcasters to please its sponsors, which tend to want the maximum possible exposure. (BH)

THERE are two conflicting guarantees about Danish ‘X Factor’ winners: 1/ their shelf life is short; 2/ their ignominy is eternal. The media loves to report when these singers, who held the nation like putty in their hands, return to civvy street – in the case of series four winner Sarah Skaalum, it was refitting kitchens whilst working at a hardware store. And just recently, she’s been in the newspapers again – this time regarding a different kind of refit. Sarah is no more.

Instead the former ‘X Factor’ champ is a man called Noah who is married and trying for a baby. (LG)

Magazine’, but with all three (British) Grand Tour winners nominated, he will be hardpushed to make the podium.

And Søren Kragh Andersen, 24, might join him next year if he can continue to notch up triumphs like the one he managed in the new-look Paris-Tours, in which he soloed his way to victory with 11 km left to ride. (CPH POST)

READ THE REST OF THESE STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

9

ONLINE THIS WEEK Stars in the making BORUSSIA Dortmund’s Danish attacking midfielder Jacob Bruun Larsen, 20, has been compared to his club captain Marco Reus after a number of impressive performances for the first team.

Meanwhile, Elias Sørensen, 19, has been banging them in for the Newcastle United under-21s side, scoring eight goals so far.

FCK on song in France FC COPENHAGEN were considered somewhat fortunate to win 2-1 away at Bordeaux in the Europa League with an injury time goal on October 4, as their hosts hit the woodwork three times and missed a penalty. A win at home against Slavia Prague on October 25 would leave FCK well placed to qualify for the last-32.

ESPN’s Superliga deal STATESIDE-BASED Danish football fans are rejoicing – yes, all seven of them – following the news that ESPN has picked up a rights deal to broadcast a weekly game from the Superliga in US.

Netflix most popular NETFLIX is the nation’s favourite streaming service, according to a Mikonomi.dk study. Blockbuster, which specialises in providing new film releases, was voted the worst.

City’s smallest capacity KIIN KIIN’S award-winning chef Henrik Yde is opening a new seafood restaurant with a capacity for just six diners – the smallest in Copenhagen. Guests will consume four courses served in different areas at Kiin Kiin 71.

Woz wins third title CAROLINE Wozniacki won the China Open on October 7 – her third title of the year and 30th of her career. The win helped her to qualify for the WTA finals, where she will be the defending champion.

Knock-off? Knocked out US RAPPER Desiigner punched an audience member at his concert at Train in Aarhus on October 3 after he was accused of being a “knock-off version of Future”, a rival performer.

10 BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Who’d be a bank in Denmark?

DANISH companies are failing to tap into labour resources in southern Europe, according to the Economic Council of the Labour Movement think-tank.

Only 1,578 Danish jobs are listed on the EURES job portal, well behind Sweden (51,066) and Finland (17,291). Ten percent of Danish companies are turning down orders due to a lack of labour, reports Dansk Industri.

ONLINE THIS WEEK KENNETH ALLEN

Missing out down south

24 October - 8 November 2018

Cannabis IPO STENOCARE, which imports, produces and sells cannabis oil in Denmark for medicinal purposes, will float on the stock exchange on October 26. Founded in 2017, it is the first company of its kind in Europe to launch an IPO. The company is confident the future legalisation of medicinal cannabis in other European countries will serve it well.

Novo eyes rival’s territory PHARMA giant Novo Nordisk intends to make treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, thus decreasing its reliance on diabetes treatments and bringing it into direct competition with Lundbeck.

Up until now, the three biggest Danish pharma companies – Novo, Lundbeck and Leo Pharma – have had no market overlap.

Plastic pledge THE BRYGGERIFORENINGEN brewers’ association has announced that 50 percent of their plastic must be recycled by 2025 – good news given that DI Business reports that Danish companies will exceed the EU’s plastic recycling target by 200,000 tonnes by then. A spokesperson added that the long-term goal is 100 percent.

EVERY third state worker whose job is being relocated out of Greater Copenhagen by the end of 2019 as part of Bedre Balance II, the government’s proposed second round of relocations, has already quit, according to a DR analysis of several governmental departments earmarked for the move.

In total, it is estimated it will cost the taxpayer 550 million kroner.

Mission accomplished!

Exports and shares down EXPORTS (excluding ships, aircraft and fuel) fell by 1.9 percent in August compared to the same month last year, while imports increased by 1.0 percent, according to Danmarks Statistik.

Meanwhile, the C25 index suffered its largest fall for two years on October 5, sliding down by 3.9 percent. Anbu (down 14.7), Novo Nordisk (-7.2) and Danske Bank (-4.6) were the biggest losers.

Worker drain in suction

More are choosing to STOP

First Danske Bank, now Nordea – how money-laundering is replacing hygge as this country’s new buzzword

D

ENMARK’S biggest banks, Danske Bank and Nordea, seem to be making a habit of sharing bad press.

First off, there’s the annual Voxmeter survey of the worst major banks in Denmark. Nordea won it this year, two places above Danske Bank, which held down bottom place in 2017.

And now there’s the money-laundering scandal, which started at the Estonian branch of Danske Bank last year and has now spread its tentacles to ensnare its biggest rival.

blower William Browder has reported Nordea to the Swedish police’s financial crime unit, EBM, and the Danish economic crime unit, SØIK. Allegedly, suspicious transactions worth over 1.1 billion kroner have taken place at 365 bank branches in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland – which is nothing new, apparently.

In 2015 alone, the Swedish financial authority fined the bank 50 million krona for insufficient efforts to combat money-laundering for the third time in just five years.

a ‘tax haven-free’ city.

And secondly, Russia’s financial monitoring service has remarked that it is strange that the Danish authorities have yet to ask Russia for help in the investigation, despite several of the account holders in question hailing from Russia.

Whistle blown twice THE ALLEGATIONS regarding Nordea also chiefly concern Russian clients. It has emerged that the Danish fraud squad has been pursuing a Russian who has used a company in Belize to wash around 322 million Norwegian kroner through Nordea between 2010 and 2013.

Furthermore, the US-born British financier and whistle-

Cutting their ties WITH NORDEA taking the flak, you would have assumed Danske Bank would have been keeping a low profile after it emerged it has probably laundered 1.5 trillion kroner in Estonia this century.

But no, the mud continues to fly. Firstly, Copenhagen Municipality said it would like to follow the recent example set by Copenhagen Business School and cut all ties as the bank’s image no longer fits the capital’s description of itself as

Investment bank link IN RELATED news, according to a document obtained by DR, a number of international investment banks are involved in the tax refund swindle that defrauded the Danish coffers out of over 12 billion kroner over a three-year period from 2012-15.

Among the investment banks reportedly involved are France’s BNP Paribas, Investec (South Africa), ED&F Man and Barclays (both UK), JP Morgan (US), Banco Santander (Spain), Macquarie (Australia) and Deutsche Bank (Germany).

And in other news, Jyske Bank has confirmed it will shortly not be possible to withdraw 1,000 kroner notes from the bank’s terminals. It will, however, still be possible to deposit the notes.

Domino effect?

All sails set to India

Facebook likes huge plot

FOLLOWING a failed attempt in 2015, Norwegian pizza chain Pizzabakeren is again expanding into Denmark with an outlet due to open in Greve on October 30. Some 40 more are planned over the next five years. But visitors won’t be using their Diners Club cards, as it is pulling out of Denmark from May 31, and also out of Norway and Sweden, due to “increasing regulation and competition”.

DENMARK hopes to capitalise by lending its expertise to India’s ambition to be able to produce 66 gigawatts of wind energy within the next four years – almost 15 times Denmark’s capacity. Denmark recently opened a research centre in the country. In related news, a Danish business delegation recently visited Nigeria with an eye on value chains in its food and agricultural sector.

FACEBOOK is eyeing a piece of land near Esbjerg to build a second data centre, reports Avisen Danmark. The proposed 250,000 sqm building, claims TV2, would be the size of 40 football pitches – and five times the size of its data centre in Odense, which is currently under construction. It would also, along with Apple’s facility in Viborg, be the joint largest data centre in Denmark.

THE NUMBER of manual workers with a pension pot worth more than 1 million kroner has increased by 1,800 percent since 2013, from 4,190 to 75,300, according to Pension Danmark (OD) and Industriens Pension.

PD administrative director Torben Möger Pedersen hailed the rise as “mission accomplished” following the introduction of pension pots for manual workers in 1993.

B&O joy in China LUXURY electronics manufacturer Bang & Olufsen saw its Q1 sales dip by 29 percent in the North American market, but was buoyed by 26 percent growth in eastern markets, including China and its lucrative middle-classes. This helped its gross revenue rise 2 percent to 601 million kroner and a pre-tax profit of 5 million kroner.

Flights to Newquay SAS IS introducing 17 new routes from Scandinavia next summer, including five from Copenhagen to the Cornish town of Newquay in the UK, Marseille in France, Catania and Florence in Italy, and Szczecin in Poland. The latter two routes will open in April, and the other three in June. Meanwhile, two Aarhus routes will open to Rome and the Portuguese city of Faro.

Ørsted snaps up rival SUBJECT to approval, Ørsted has acquired Deepwater Wind, a leading US offshore wind energy firm, in a deal worth 3.3 billion kroner. In related news, approval is being sought for a merger of Danish energy companies SE and Eniig, which would see a ‘supercompany’ supply electricity to 30 percent of Danish households and broadband to 42 percent of them.

BUSINESS OPINION

24 October - 8 November 2018

DANIEL K REECE MIND OVER MANAGING Daniel is the managing director of Nordeq Management (nordeqmanagement.com), managing cross-border investment projects with a focus on international corporate and tax law issues.

Educated as a lawyer, Daniel also teaches in the International Business and Global Economics department at DIS Copenhagen.

Daniel is passionate about mindfulness as a means of personal transformation.

2007, right?

WORKERS accept that automisation and cost cutting is necessary. However, in return for the reduction in hours available and in order to protect their pensions, they seek a living wage and a tax on the industries that are automising. These requests are refused.

In desperation, the workers start sabotaging the technology brought in to replace them.

The law is promptly changed to make this sabotage an offence punishable by death. In cases of mitigating circumstances, offenders are deported instead.

GARETH GARVEY UK-DK TRADE Gareth (gareth@bccd.dk), who has a passion for creativity and innovation in business, has been the CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark since the start of 2017. Gareth has a background in management consultancy working for Price Waterhouse, PwC Consulting and IBM, and he also teaches at Copenhagen Business School.

A multitude of possibilities THE BRITISH Chamber of Commerce in Denmark has been actively trying to keep our members, and all those interested in UK-DK trade, up-to-date with Brexit developments, providing direct and indirect channels for feedback to both UK-based chambers and the UK government.

There are so many different

NEXT ISSUE

Lessons to be learned THE PARALLELS with our current society are startling, both in terms of the background to the Luddite struggle, and the erosion of employment rights we are currently witnessing – particularly in developed western issues and areas to address – particularly as the outcome is still unknown. I subscribe to the UK government updates of which I am currently receiving more than 40 a week, covering issues from financial services to consumer rights in the event of a no-deal.

New layer of uncertainty BUSINESSES are used to dealing with uncertainty on a day-to-day basis, but Brexit has added another layer of uncertainty. Some smaller businesses have had to admit that they do not have the resources to develop contingency plans for all the potential scenarios and are hoping for a solution.

Others are considering moving registered offices and relocating staff to mitigate the risks they see. There are also companies actively developing new markets to mitigate any new

IN 2 ISSUES

Rage against the machine

economies where workers are increasingly ‘employed’ on zerohour contracts deprived of any meaningful employment protection.

Luckily for the modern worker, it’s doubtful that they will be deported to Australia or executed – or at least in the West – if they seek to disrupt the means of production.

As for the Luddites, it is time

to recognise them as campaigners in a struggle for the rights of workers during a time of change, as opposed to those who are scared of ‘progress’ – something that is useful for the modern political and business elites to remember when complaining about those who feel left behind by the current pace of automisation.

PIXABAY

M

ANY BRITS in Denmark breathed a half-sigh of relief when, in his speech opening the Danish Parliament, the Danish prime minister said he would “look after” Brits living and working here, regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

This statement, although non-specific, will do something to give the 18,500 British citizens living in Denmark and their employers some peace of mind.

Undeservedly notorious DYSTOPIAN sci-fi or reality? The answer is the latter. It describes the struggle of the Luddites: the English textile artisans who fought the automisation brought in by the introduction of the weaving machine. It happened over 200 years ago.

Since then, the Luddites have been given something of a bad name. Instead of being seen as the highly organised, articulate promoters of improved employment conditions that they were, they have become a by-word for those who are afraid of change, and best remembered as the workers who chose to smash the means of production rather than move with the times.

NORBERT KAISER

YOU ARE in England. There has been a long period of relative economic prosperity with wages slowly increasing. Then, two things happen. There is a huge economic recession caused not by domestic, but international factors. Also, the pace of change with regards to new technology increases rapidly.

11

tariff barriers that might arise.

Here to help WHAT BUSINESSES want is a speedy resolution, so they can get back to their core competences, developing innovative products and services, and continuing to develop the strong trade links between the UK and Denmark to the benefit of both countries.

At the chamber we keep ourselves up-to-date so that we can support our members with relevant information by pointing them in the direction of experts on relevant subjects.

We will also continue to provide relevant events, speakers and networking opportunities to enable them to be well positioned as the picture unfolds, as well as helping to promote and grow trade between the UK and Denmark.

IN 3 ISSUES

Brexit breeding uncertainty

Get in touch!

AS I MENTIONED earlier, there are approximately 18,500 Brits living in Denmark, of which many work for companies that are not members of the chamber. There are also a significant number of Danes working in the UK for British and Danish companies.

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IN 4 ISSUES

Living in an Expat World

Union Views

Startup Community

Danish Capital in 2018

The Valley of Life

Give Yourself a Chance

Economics Explained

21st Century Alchemy

12 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

24 October - 8 November 2018

Who can we trust these days?

N

Dodgy moral compass EVEN THE most liberal must acknowledge that mankind is incapable of controlling its moral compass when even the best brands are cheating as best they can. Our economic systems have never been this vulnerable, and they are being abused with the help of greedy lawyers, accountants, consultants and even hackers, who are penetrating firewalls just for the fun of it.

Still, it is a comforting thought that, although the bad guys will always be frontrunners in testing the systems, society is catching up – slowly but surely. Pull the tiger’s tail often enough and eventually, the tiger will appear.

In China, some rich people are building secure basement storage rooms for the money they stack there. They are afraid of banking it. More often, people showing sudden affluence are being called to the tax office to prove the legitimacy of their wealth. The Panama Papers are showing the way.

Forcing a change THERE is so much money at stake in the current tax return fraud scheme that nations will have to put aside their fear of upsetting banks and force them to operate on the side of the public good – even if some of them will go to the wall in the process.

Whilst waiting for the sheriff to take action, we unfortunately see that nations are looking down instead of up. The UK is struggling to find a tolerable way to Brexit Europe and Italy is ignoring the common budgetary goals. In Denmark, politicians are afraid to join the EU banking union, which is more necessary than ever before.

The EU seems to have lost perspective and is sealing the borders to enter Europe, while President Trump is considering a deployment of the US Army on the southern border to Mexico.

We see remedies but no solutions.

The general public is losing faith in elected politicians and increasingly supporting right and or left-wing groups, which are turning into parties with a lot of anger but few practical solutions.

Not that these are easy to come by. But the problems will not go away until nations realise they are unable to solve these issues on their own. That goes for the US and its president, too.

International solutions THE CLIMATE issue and migration can only be dealt with in an international context and through compulsory methods.

On top of this, we now have to catch up with the smart white collar criminals, which also demands international cooperation, as the culprits are international operators.

The really sad thing is that these people should have known better. The good thing is that they have stolen so much they can’t possibly have spent it all yet, and that in the digital world money leaves a trail that doesn’t go away.

So, bad guys, beware – the sheriff’s office has got a computer too. And when our prisons are freed up from cannabis salesmen after a liberalisation like the one Canada has just implemented, there will be ample room for the financial gangsters. (ES)

Straight, No Chaser An Englishman abroad, Stephen has lived and worked in Denmark since 1978. His interests include music, art, cooking, real ale, politics and cats.

D

R, THE DANISH state broadcaster, recently confirmed how many redundancies it will be making in the wake of the austerity measures agreed by Parliament. The cuts will reduce the organisation’s state grant by 20 percent up until 2023.

In human terms, 205 employees have been given notice, 64 have agreed to leave voluntarily and 87 posts have been freed up internally.

You may be thinking: “Who cares? I never watch DR anyway”, but the assault on DR is part of an worrying wider attack on so-called ‘elitist culture’.

Wrong kind of minimalism EVER SINCE Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s ”From social state to minimal state” battle-cry in 1993, right-wing politicians and economic liberals have been itching to do away with ‘experts’ in all fields. In the liberal pantheon the man in the street is king, and his view is as valid as that of any expert.

The flaw in that argument is that the expert has spent a considerable number of years in the academic study of a subject and hopefully has the latest research and figures at his fingertips, which Joe Bloggs does not.

But never mind. This reasoning enables people who ought to know better to impugn the integrity and research of scientists who, for example, promote the idea that climate change is manmade and has to be acted upon immediately. Their attackers are often serving vested interests such as heavy industry, agriculture or the fossil fuel industry (step forward Donald Trump).

Truly enlightened ART AND culture are equally vulnerable to this kind of attack.

Art has always provoked controversy – that’s one of its major strengths. It allows space for free thinking and confronting society, morals, values etc head on.

It can entertain, enlighten and – a dirty word here – educate.

1864

EVER TRUST a banker.

Our favourite aphorism has never been as relevant as today.

The latest news is that laundering money is secondary to the daylight robbery being carried out by the bandits in threepiece suits. It follows on from the car manufacturers being jailed for doctoring software to falsely register levels of exhaust fumes. And meanwhile, our local heroine, Margrethe Vestager, is handing out heavy fines to cartels in breach of EU competition regulations.

STEPHEN GADD

“We’re going to lose to spite a political party founded 129 years from now!”

Being creative people, artists tend to be in the ‘avant-garde’, leading the way rather than just reflecting current tastes. And maybe that’s why rulers, clergy and political movements have come down like a ton of bricks on art they didn’t approve of or couldn’t control.

Denmark is one of the most enlightened countries in the world when it comes to taxpayer-funded culture. As well as the state broadcaster, theatres, libraries, music schools and museums etc, a number of artists and writers are granted pensions or legacies to follow where their muses take them. This is surely the mark of a civilized society.

Drama or dross?

BUT INCREASINGLY, publicly-funded art is being used as a weapon in the political debate.

Dansk Folkeparti in particular has been extremely critical about a number of TV series it feels are promoting a false or misleading view of Danish history.

Referring to DR’s ‘1864’, a dramatisation of the events that surrounded the Danish defeat to Prussia in that year, DF’s Søren Espersen told Politiken: “We will not accept that 100 million kroner has been spent on a drama series that is a vendetta against DF.” The fact that the series was not a documentary cut little ice with Espersen.

Espersen also took umbrage at DR’s 2017 documentary ‘History of Denmark’. After accusing the broadcaster of peddling left-wing propaganda he told BT: “I don’t quite know how one ought to react to DR, but a good place to start would be the negotiations on the new media agreement due to start after New Year.” A threat or what?

Safety in painting cats LAST WEEK, Politiken carried an extensive interview with DF’s culture spokesperson, Alex Ahrendtsen. He stated that “if the electorate is to continue to give money to culture in future, then they must also be able to see a good reason for it.”

When asked what ought not to be funded, he added: “That I can easily tell you. It’s when some Nørrebro artist or thereabouts, whose work the public don’t understand, gets a large amount of money from the arts council.”

So budding artists be warned: if DF gets its way, you’ll need to drop all that abstract conceptual nonsense and get back to painting pictures of cats and crying infants if you want to be sure of a state top-up. And those hapless TV viewers without streaming or program packages will be doomed to watch endless reruns of ‘Midsomer Murders’ thanks to the new austerity regime.

Barbarism indeed.

SPECIAL FEATURE

23 October - 8 November 2018

13 ERIK SCHON

India is a colourful experience in every way. Every sense is continually being challenged with new impressions

Tamil Nadu – a carpet bombardment of mixed impressions

BY ERIK SCHON/ TRANSLATED BY STEPHEN GADD The first visit to India can be a heady experience as it was for the writer, who visited Tamil Nadu where the state offered both strong sensory impressions as well as violent self-torture

T

HE SWEET scent of jasmine dominates as I push past yet another of the countless small florists’ stalls lying side by side in the extremely narrow lane.

There are otherwise enough impressions clamouring for the attention of my senses.

Explosions of bright colours everywhere I look; the heavy, damp warmth, the salty pearls of sweat running down my forehead and the flies buzzing around my head.

But first and foremost, there

is the constant hum of the mass of humanity around me. Here, people are wheeling and dealing, laughing and arguing in Tamil, Hindi and English with a pronounced Indian accent. I’m in the middle of almost 9 million locals in the city of Chennai – previously known as Madras – on the south coast of India in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Two metres further on the picture changes completely.

Here, it smells of curry, garlic and bananas. A scooter squeezes through with its horn blaring at full volume and the masses part in a sort of synchronised movement, opening for the motorcyclist like a school of small fish avoiding a shark. The unwritten rules are new to me, and I get an extra honk before I realise that it is now that I need to jump out of the way. An elderly, almost toothless woman in a colourful green sari shouts something at me. I smile at her

and her angry expression immediately changes into something more accommodating.

It’s Sunday morning and even though the majority of Indians are Hindus, they have long ago adopted the Christian tradition of keeping Sundays free. The day of rest does not count, though, for this wholesale market for vegetables and flowers, which is busy all the time. The temples are never closed and the masses of flowers people take with them to pray are always fresh. Garlandmakers come to the market to buy flower heads to plait the traditional garlands that are so important in everyday Indian life. They use the garlands in the temple, for weddings and not least in their hair, as a natural sweet-smelling alternative to a deodorant or an evening bath.

The guide assures me that there are a lot more people here on a weekday. I believe him, but think to myself that the current density

of the crowd is actually more than enough to give me a clear impression of the atmosphere.

A fascinating anthill

THIS IS my first visit to this populous country. At a rough estimate there are around 1.3 billion people living here. You notice the crowds everywhere; not least because the population density is three times as large as that of Denmark. Here, there are people everywhere. But it is not at all as claustrophobic as I had feared. Probably mostly because Indians – or at least those we run into – are friendly, interested and extremely hospitable people.

I’m on a guided tour of Tamil Nadu. The programme is tight.

The minibus is driven by an experienced local Indian driver.

The traffic is – for want of a better word – spectacular. In fact, it is almost frightening. Here, they drive on the left and four lane roads often have at least six

or seven improvised lanes comprised of a chaotic mix of cars, tuk-tuks, lorries, ox carts and different types of motorcycle, the majority of which we would class as scooters. Loose cows and dogs cross the road as they feel like it.

A contempt for death is a clear prerequisite for getting along.

There are simply no gaps in the traffic, and road-users place a blind trust in their brakes and horns, that echo around the streetscape in a ceaseless honking concert. On one of the more trafficked streets in Chennai I counted 125 honks per minute – on a Sunday afternoon.

HOW TO GET THERE Air India flies directly from Copenhagen to New Delhi, from where you can take domestic flights to all the corners of India. The timedifference is a modest 3.5 hours.

14 SPECIAL FEATURE THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 October - 8 November 2018 ERIK SCHON

Flowers play an important part in Indian culture

The sight of numerous scooters transporting entire families with children balanced on a knife edge provokes an initial panic attack that, however, subsides after a few hours in the maelstrom. After a day or two the traffic experience becomes rather fascinating. It is perhaps not so surprising that Chennai is the city in the world that has the highest mortality rate from traffic. It’s also not surprising that by far the majority of the victims are motorcyclists or pedestrians. Here, 93 percent of all vehicles are motorcycles and only a miniscule number of people use crash-helmets. India is not really suited to ‘drive yourself ’ holidays. There, it’s been said.

As a tourist in a minibus you temporarily feel pretty safe. It’s actually extremely rare that there is any possibility for any of the many road-users to reach high speeds.

Pain and happiness

ON THE way to the next sight, we pass a procession in the street in front of one of Chennai’s poorer areas. We stop the bus and jump out. The sight that greets us is not for the faint-hearted. A large group of

people are taking part in a religious procession that is meant to demonstrate their willingness to sacrifice themselves for their faith. The means is pain. Selftorture. Deep body piercings without anaesthetic. In front of the procession is a middle-aged woman. She is dragging a large bundle of fresh green coconuts behind her on two ropes, that with coarse fish-hooks are fastened to the skin on her back.

Her expression is understandably tight-lipped but also focused and determined.

In her wake, the parade is dominated by men, women and children with heavy metal spikes driven through their cheeks. The sight is surreal. A number of the adults look happy and proud.

Several of the children appear brave but frightened and some look exactly as I would do in the same situation: frightened, tortured and unhappy … People attach banknotes to the spikes.

The collection goes to the temple and the penitents hope that their agonising sacrifice will grant them the favour of the gods.

It is actually painful to witness this tradition and I have to remind myself that I am a guest in a completely foreign cultural

circle. We are witnesses to an age-old ritual that primarily has only survived until the present day in this part of India. When I get back into the comfortable air-conditioned bus, I cross my fingers that the poor people really get the fair wind in their lives that they are hoping for ...

A few hours later, the picture changes completely. We are invited in to a Hindu Indian wedding. Broad white smiles light up everywhere you look.

Everyone is decorated with long flower garlands. The women are wearing beautiful silk saris and gold jewellery. A traditional Indian band fills the room with foreign-sounding tones at full blast. It’s a great honour for the bride and groom that we have come in, and they insist that we eat with them and are photographed together with the happy couple.

The contrast between this and what we experienced a few hours ago is enormous. You’re thrown between impressions of extreme poverty and unimaginable wealth. Smiles and laughter here. Blood and tears there. The scent of the flowers is replaced by the smell of fish. Or spices, or traffic, or tasty food. India is

an explosion of cultural impressions. Chaos and order. Modern and deeply traditional. It is exciting, intense, all-encompassing and exotic. But wherever we turn, we are met with open arms.

Indians are generally positive, curious and tolerant. People will gladly pose for a photo and expect nothing in return … and a lot of local selfies are taken with the pale-skinned visitors.

Tamil Nadu is obviously not a place that has been overrun by tourists – even though in reality, there is a lot to recommend it.

A rich past

ON THE fourth day we reach Thanjavur, where we are to visit ‘The Great Temple’ or the Brihadisvara Temple as it is really called. During the tour we’ve already seen quite a few temples, castles, memorials and museums. If I’m really honest, most of them look pretty much alike. But don’t misunderstand me: it is extremely interesting to visit an active Hindu temple – definitely an experience that shouldn’t be missed – but they often look very similar so

CHINA PAKISTAN New Delhi

INDIA

TAMIL NADU

SPECIAL FEATURE

23 October - 8 November 2018

43 ERIK SCHON

Like a human hedgehog – with the difference that the spines are turned inwards – this proud Hindu takes part in a street procession that is all about getting closer to the gods through pain

THINGS TO REMEMBER • Travel with a guide and driver. You won’t come out of the Indian traffic alive on your own.

• Avoid ‘travellers tummy’.

Only eat boiled or roast food. Drink only bottled water • Get out and about in Indian life. Markets, temples, local restaurants. Here was where I had the greatest experiences on my trip.

Every surface is carved with figures and symbols from the rich Hindu spirit world, supplemented with dozens of scenes of local daily life from 1,000 years ago. They seemed to have lived well in those days. Thousands of figures dance round the facade and stare at the visitors. The gigantic scale of the construction, the ancient feat of engineering and the unmistakable feeling of being part of the filming of an ‘Indiana Jones’ film almost takes my breath away. It takes a few minutes before I realise exactly what I’m in the middle of: a wonder of the ancient world on a par with the pyramids – just a lot more complex. Nonetheless, the whole thing was build in nine years – with primitive tools, artistic talent and an awful lot of raw muscle.

An hour into the guided tour, the guide draws my attention to one of the many mysteries of the place. One of the granite reliefs on the side of the tower stands out. An obviously different person – who both in dress and facial expression appears more European than Indian – surveys the scene from something that looks like a window. Nobody can explain why there is a wellnourished European with a soft hat lurking amongst hordes of typical Hindu gods. What the devil is he doing there? He was carved in granite almost 300 years before Marco Polo, as the first westerner, visited the King of Thanjavur. I admit that I share the unknown figure’s fascination

with this place and could easily spend a couple of days here. But the sun is on its way down and we leave the historic building just as it is looking its best in the evening light ...

ERIK SCHON

temples number three, four and five during a period of a few days easily bring even the most enthusiastic temple visitor to the verge of a cultural overdose … So I didn’t really have great expectations when the minibus headed out on the day’s temple visit.

When we got out in the midday heat, I realised immediately that my modest expectations would soon be put to shame.

This temple stood out markedly from everything we’d seen before.

Brihadisvara was built around 1,000 years ago. About 130,000 tons of granite were used to build it and all the enormous stone blocks were transported from a quarry more than 50 kilometres away from the building site. The temple tower itself shoots up almost 70 metres over the earth’s surface and the great dome on the top is a single massive granite stone weighing around 80 tons.

Even nowadays it would be considered an engineering challenge to hoist this into place ...

A foretaste

I DON’T know exactly what I’d expected when I sat down on the plane to India. But I do know that the experience was markedly different to anything that I’ve previously experienced.

India is a cultural, ethnic and religious melting-pot. A multi-cultural society, where differences – and toleration of things foreign – has been a completely natural part of everyday life for centuries. It is certainly one of the underlying reasons that Hindus are as open and curious towards strangers as they are. In a whole week’s travelling – often through extremely poor areas – our party of eight didn’t come across a single threatening or hostile Indian. Despite squeezing through the tightlypacked masses every single day, nobody had lost as much as a trouser button to thieves.

I’ve rarely had so many different impressions in such a short time. Mahatma Gandhi spent two years travelling round India sucking in experiences before he felt ready to represent the entire population in the Indian campaign for freedom.

I’ve spent six days in one corner of the country. This was an appetiser that cries out for more.

Much more.

Most Indian temples make the rainbow look pale in comparison

44

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 October - 8 November 2018

OPINION

24 October - 8 November 2018

ADRIAN MACKINDER

An Actor’s Life

Mackindergarten

17

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W

ELL WE did it. Three years into our Copenhagen life and we finally convinced one of those oh-sogenerous Danish banks to lend us the money to buy our own home.

You only move twice IT SAYS something about the current economic landscape that I have become a first-time homeowner at the tender age of 40.

My parents’ generation – you know, the baby boomers that financially screwed us over for life – bought a house in their early 20s. Fat chance these days.

One of the reasons we moved from the UK to Denmark was because we were as likely to afford property in London as I am able to spawn the malevolent cosmic hell beast Cthulu (although at times my son challenges that argument).

So now we have acquired a lovely little patch of grey in Amager, from where we can watch my homeland be ripped to shreds and hurled off a cliff by a very different beast: the foul, self-ingesting, lumbering, slow-witted leviathan known as Brexittimus Rex.

A view to a bridge IT’S ONLY been two months but I really like Amager. Sure, many of its inhabitants can often be found on the street at four in the morning screaming at pigeons, and a massive dog seems to own his own home right by Amagerbro metro, but its wide streets, stunning brownstone buildings and multicultural inhabitants lend the once unfortunately-branded ‘Shit Island’ a welcome reality often missing in other areas of Copenhagen.

Having lived for 20 years in London, I instantly feel more at home among people from different ethnic backgrounds. It makes a change from that particularly cold and unfriendly branch of the Aryan Master Race that dominates certain areas of the city. In Amager, I finally found my people: irregular, welcoming and out of their minds on gin.

Let’s just hope more people like me don’t seep across the bridges and gentrify the place.

I’d hate to see Amager lose its character. And by that I mean all those wonderfully grubby bodegas full of craggy old men with complexions the colour of a butcher’s apron.

Nightfall OF COURSE, the Tiny Dictator didn’t enjoy the move. We are now right in the depths of tantrum territory, where the slightest micro-change in air density will send our son into a rage berserk enough to intimidate Ragnar Lodbrok. Right now he is adjusting to having his own room along with a new routine due to simultaneously moving from vuggestue up to børnehave.

As you can expect, there’s been fallout.

And two months in, we still haven’t slept through. Every night he comes into our bed.

Every night. One particularly impressive effort saw him burst in at three in the morning, kick me in the face, urinate in our bed, then run out, turning on the light as he went. I mean, it’s fine when my wife does it, but for a child it’s just unacceptable.

So we muddle on. But life is good. We have more space, a fantastic Indian restaurant on the doorstep and an enormous supermarket that sells bottles of London Pride. Because, wherever we end up, we all need a taste of home, right?

ADAM WELLS

Straight Up

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ABOUT TOWN

24 October - 8 November 2018

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

Spanish ambassador Román Oyarzun Marchesi welcomed guests to his residence in Østerbro to celebrate his country’s national day on October 12. Among those in attendance were (left-right) Turkish ambassador Uğur Kenan İpek, Greek ambassador Efthalia Kakiopoulou and Polish ambassador Henryka Mościcka-Dendys

Israeli ambassador Benjamin Dagan and Swedish ambassador Frederik Jörgensen were among those in attendance at a memorial service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Rescue of the Danish Jews, which was held at Gilleleje Church on October 11 and also attended by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen

Polish ambassador Henryka Mościcka-Dendys was the proud host of a reception to mark Polish Armed Forces Day at her embassy in Hellerup on October 4, where she was joined by Captain Zbigniew Romanowski, the Polish defence attaché

Thai ambassador Vichit Chitvimarn took to the stage to address those gathered at Asia House to mark the 51st anniversary of ASEAN Day on October 4. Also present were Vietnamese ambassador Nguyen Truong Thanh (left) and Indonesian ambassador Muhammad Ibnu Said (centre left)

UAE ambassador Fatima Kamis Al Mazrouei was the host of a seminar addressing investment and trade opportunities in her country at Dansk Industri on October 9

Among the heads of state at the two-day P4G Copenhagen Summit, which concluded on Saturday, was South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was welcomed by Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen

24 October - 8 November 2018

COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

19

Ugandan ambassador Zaake Kibedi, the dean of the African diplomatic corps, held a farewell reception at the Hellerup Parkhotel on October 9, where he was joined by (left-right) Bangladeshi ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhit, Nepalese ambassador Yuba Nath Lamsal, [Kibedi], and Saudi ambassador Fahad Alruwaily

Some vegetables clearly benefited from the hot summer, as a new record was set for the country’s heaviest pumpkin in Tivoli’s annual competition. The winning entry was 589.4 kilos and grown in Ringsted, beating the previous mark by 104 kg. The Nordic record (Sweden, 2006) is 626 kilos, while the world record (Germany, 2016) is 1,190.5 kg

Icelandic President Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson (centre) paid a state visit to Denmark from October 9-10 to mark the 100-year anniversary of his country’s independence from Denmark. Among those making him feel welcome was Icelandic ambassador Benedikt Jónsson (left)

British ambassador Dominic Schroeder, Canadian ambassador Emi Furuya and French ambassador Caroline Ferrari were (left-right, right of statue) among the dignitaries present at the unveiling of the bust of Thomas Dinesen in Churchillparken on October 12 (see page 2 for more details)

British MP Stephen Kinnock, the husband of former PM Helle ThorningSchmidt, was a speaker at a conference concerning Brexit, which was organised by the think-tank Europa at Dansk Industri on October 8

The new French ambassador is Caroline Ferrari. Bienvenue!

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24 October - 8 November 2018

OUT AND ABOUT

Explore the world of the Bjarke Ingels Group at the ‘BIG ART’ exhibition. They have transformed a wing of the renowned art hall and dedicated it to collaborative works from manyDAKOTA signifiHIGGINS cant figures PHOTO: in the contemporary art world (Oct 21-Nov 13, 12:00-20:00; Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Cph K; 90kr)

Danskbureauet is offering expats living in Want to improve your photography and your Copenhagen another one-hour free Danish network in Copenhagen? This meetup will let you lesson to give them a taste of what they can offer into the secrets of getting killer pictures in the Copenhagen beautiful city whilst enjoying quality coffee (Nov PHOTO: JF WILLUMSEN MUSEUM(Nov 6, 11:00-12:00; PHOTO: ED RUSCHA & GAGOSIANInternational House Glydenløvesgade 11, Cph K; free adm; 3, 11:30-14:30; Café ART S Katz Frederiksholms Kanal 1, ihcph.kk.dk) Cph K; free adm)

SONG 1

IEROGLYPHS: SYMBOLIST DRAWINGS 1890-1910 Join other English-speaking expats for a relaxing ongoing, ends Aug 12; smk.dk stråla yoga class.

There ais period no better waysymto prepare This exhibition explores when for the weekend this calming bolism became an than important drivingexperience force be- (Oct hind in Denmark.

The works included will 26 art & Nov 2, 09:15-10:30; Absalon Church, Sønder feature artists such Willumsen, Jens Lund Boulevard 73, Cphas V;JF50kr) and Johannes Holbek. (OR)

ULLA JOKISALO & HILLA KURKI: THE LOG LADY ongoing, ends Aug 12; fotografiskcenter.dk Two Finnish photographers from different generations come together for this collaborative work. The two combine to present works that intend to get a dialogue started. (OR)

DECORATION OF THE MONTANA ROOM ongoing, ends Feb 2019; glstrand.dk Danish artist duo Randi and Katrine present Byens Bedste winner Improv Comedy CPH again their newest work, which aims to set a scene presents ‘Murder , a night of comedy inspired and narrative withof a Crows’ humoristic element.

This time the inspiration maby fi lm two noir draw (Oct 26 & Nov 2, from 20:00; the Frederiksholm caw.

(OR) ROSS MCPHERSON Kanal 2, Cph K; 100kr)

ICC

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NEWS ORESUND

COLOURS AND STRIPES ongoing, ends 13 Jan 2019; arken.dk The work of controversial Danish artist JF WiVERY llumsen is on display at Arken, portraying his strong use of colour and imaginative imagery.

The exhibition will feature works from the arSONG 1 tist’s seven-decade spanning career. (OR) ongoing, ends Dec 30; cphco.org Take a stab at improv amongst performers of all Hug the spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, Doug Aitken’s latest installation is a piece of skill levels Studenterhuset. improve an Indian woman who has travelled the world LOVE STORY video art at centred around theYou jazzwill standard ‘I your communication, and, of course, embracing overends Sep 38 million people. She spreads ongoing, 9; arken.dk Only Have Eyes For creativity You’. The hypnotic piece Candice Breitz’s latest video installation looks have features Hollywood stars23and offering a great time (Oct & singers 30, 18:00-20:00; love and happiness by bridging divides (Oct 23at the relationship between storytelling and Købmagergade their own interpretation.

(OR) 52, Cph K; free adm) 24; Brøndby Hallen; free adm) empathy and how we as listeners interact with

both a story and the person telling it. (OR) NEW ‘BAD’ PAINTING

ongoing, ends July 7; v1gallery.com DEAR PLANET This group exhibition showcases works that ongoing, ends Aug 26; arken.dk explore the concept of ‘bad’ painting. HonouArken launches its 2018 edition of the annual ring the 40th anniversary of the first bad painsummer installation. This year the focus will ting show, the art will challenge the existing be on the changing world and the effects of notions of art. (OR) climate change, and it will feature work from

Astrid Myntekær and Amalie Smith. (OR) THE MAGIC OF VINYL, TERROR & HORROR

ongoing, ends 19 Aug; denfrie.dk VERY Using vinyl, hi-fi equipment and furniture, this ongoing, ends Aug 18; louisiana.dk exhibition looks at the process of deconstrucyouexisting a future IT genius?

Start your coding This flea market will youfocuses prepare the of Areting The work of Ed help Ruscha on for symbols objects and creating something journey beginner’s workshop React at winter. post-WWII With woollens galore,society. it’s stacked with American The exhibition new. with The this exhibition is the work ofin Camilla will (Nov feature artist’s take on logos used in ScrollBar. Sørensen andand Greta Christensen beFood drink is laid on who (Novhave 1, 16:00essentials 4, the 11:00-16:00; Studenterhuset, Hollywood station come known for their idiosyncratic 20:00; Rued Langgaards Vej 7, Cph S;approach. free adm)(OR) Købmagergade 52,and Cphgas K; free adm)signs. (OR)

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21 The night that turned boat owners into millionaires HISTORY

24 October - 8 November 2018

ROSS MCPHERSON

T

HIS OCTOBER saw the 75th anniversary of the clandestine operation that helped thousands of Jews living in Denmark under the Nazi Occupation to escape to neutral Sweden.

Over 7,000 people were ferried across the water by Danish fisherman and sailors in an improvised moment of courage and defiance towards the Nazi occupiers. Many regard it as the single most heroic Danish undertaking of the war.

Others, however, temper pride with a recognition of the greed and avarice shown by some of the rescuers, who extorted exorbitant fees from the people they helped to escape.

The war years IN AUGUST 1940, Germany invaded Denmark despite its neutrality. The standing Social Democrat/Social Liberal government agreed to remain in office under the German Occupation – hoping to maintain a degree of national sovereignty and avoid conflict on Danish soil.

Denying any hostile intent, the Germans agreed not to intervene in domestic affairs.

A majority of the population supported the government’s position. Most were pro-British but willing to concede control in Europe to the Germans. A serious resistance movement was slow to develop.

During the course of the war, the German military presence weakened – a circumstance the

Danes took advantage of. The emerging resistance movement sabotaged critical installations such as factories and bridges, and people protested and assaulted German soldiers. This led to the Nazis declaring Denmark ‘Enemy Territory’ in 1942, leading to sweeping changes in the Nazi power structure presiding over Denmark.

German retaliation DR WERNER Best, the new German plenipotentiary with total authority to conduct operations on Hitler’s behalf, was introduced to Denmark and he quickly issued orders to begin preparations for ‘resettling’ the Jews. However, he warned that the action could lead to retaliation from the Danish population.

The German Occupation struck fear into the hearts of most Jews. Newspaper reports of persecution in Germany abounded, and many lived in a state of constant apprehension.

The government maintained a strong policy of opposing any racial legislation in Denmark.

The relative peace in the country and co-operation between the invaders and the invaded led to the Germans delaying any form of genocide in Denmark. However, in the middle of 1943 the Danish population underwent a major change of mood – from compliance to defiance. A huge protest movement began to form, putting an end to the co-operation policy.

On 29 August 1943, a military state of emergency was declared, and the Nazis ordered the Danish government to ban public assemblies, implement a curfew and introduce the death penalty. In a proud and defining moment the government refused.

FRIHEDSMUSEET

Stories of national pride and Danish courage also include dark moral questions about the value of human life

Martial law was declared and the Danish government disbanded.

A life-saving leak THE GERMAN operation against the Jews was scheduled for the night between October 1 and 2, but the plans were leaked

by Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, a German diplomat – who is today remembered as ‘den gode tysker’ (the good German) – and even

by Best himself – to his tailor on Istedgade. This leak would save thousands of lives and lead to Duckwitz being who is today remembered as ‘den gode tysker’ (the good German).

The leak also contained a list of 5,600 Jews living in Denmark, although the true figure was closer to 7,000. When high ranking figures in the Jewish community were informed, they quickly helped people go into hiding, resulting in only around 280 elderly or sick people being arrested.

The Danish police also refused to co-operate in the operation.

The national fight for values MANY DANES felt that the German action against the Jews was going too far. A lot of people offered to help their Jewish neighbours with hiding places, food and transport to the coast. The resistance movement, doctors, priests and university students all contributed to the rescue action.

The only hope for the thousands of Jews in hiding was to flee across the water to Sweden.

The journey across the Øresund in winter was often perilous and some lost their lives. Owners of fishing boats and other small craft played a pivotal role in the dangerous rescue operation, risking arrest or worse.

As well as leaking the plans,

Thousands made what can be a treacherous journey in October

Duckwitz also interfered to stop naval patrols and have searchlights turned off and directed away from escaping boats on the critical nights of October 1 and 2.

Over a period of two weeks, more than 7,000 Jews and their relatives escaped across the water to neutral Sweden. Around 190 were captured attempting to flee.

Approximately one fifth of the Danish Jews made their escape from the north Zealand fishing village of Gilleleje, with most villagers lending a hand.

However, it proved impossible to keep the action secret, and acting on an informer’s tip, the Gestapo came to Gilleleje on the night of October 5, arresting 80 people and halting further rescues.

The price of human life HOWEVER, the action had another facet. While some boat owners could be praised for their bravery and humanitarianism, others took to exhorting huge prices for the crossings. Amounts of 3,000 kroner per person, equating to half an average worker’s yearly earnings, were not uncommon – a

C O P E N H AG E N

monumental sum in those days.

Loosely established rescue organisations intervened by making provisions so that wealthy Jews would pay more, enabling those less privileged to afford the crossing. Several fishing boat owners constructed large mansions on the coast in the years immediately afterwards – buildings that became known locally as ‘Jew villas’.

The captured Danish Jews were deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto in Czechoslovakia.

The Danish king fought hard for his people, resulting in only 51 deaths out of the total number of Danish deportees.

World War II left its scar upon the world, leaving Europe torn in two. The stories of national bravery and historic accounts of suffering are endless and stories of hope through solidarity on a small scale can be lost in comparison. However, these local stories, like that of the evacuation of Jews to Sweden, stand as important signifiers that the individual is where change occurs. Although not all black and white, Danish bravery will be remembered.

18 th OCT. EDt ITION 24 h 2018 28 th

BLUES FILM: “SIDEMEN – LONG WAY TO GLORY” · WAYNE BAKER BROOKS [US] · NICK MOSS BAND [US] · NELLIE “TIGER” TRAVIS & THE TOP DOGS [US/S] · MS NICKKI & THE MEMPHIS SOUL CONNECTION [US/F] · KAI STRAUSS & THE ELECTRIC BLUES ALLSTARS [D] See full programme, venue and ticket information: www.copenhagenbluesfestival.dk

RISAGER & BALSGAARD · COPENHAGEN SLIM BAND · TRAINMAN BLUES · BILLY CROSS · TROUBLE CATS · MIRIAM MANDIPIRA & TROELS JENSEN · PAUL BANKS & GUSTAV LJUNGGREN · THE BLUES OVERDRIVE · FRIED OKRA · ROBERT JOHNSON TRIBUTE · J.TEX & · THE VOLUNTEERS · MANY MORE · BEER & BLUES FEST and many more ...

22 PERFORMANCE THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

24 October - 8 November 2018

PREVIEWS

Best seen in (That Theatre) company

THOMAS PETRI

CRAZY CHRISTMAS CABARET

LAURA GEIGENBERGER

Nov 13-Jan 5; Tivoli Glassalen; tickets: 170-385kr, londontoast.dk

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

A

Oct 24-Nov 24; Krudttønden, Serridslevvej 2, Cph Ø; 175kr; that-theatre.com

HALF-NAKED Russian president riding horseback, North Korean atomic bombs on standby and two years of the orange-faced American leader ...

Apparently, the world has been going ‘nuts’ for quite some time now. With so much going on all the time, it is difficult to stay on top of things at the end of the year, don’t you think?

Well, thank god then for London Toast Theatre and its ‘Crazy Christmas Cabaret’!

A

FOGGY marshland, an isolated house and a ghost seeking revenge for her dead child …

The stage play ‘The Woman in Black’ is an immaculate example of Gothic horror that builds to its climax with the slow purposeful precision of an Edwardian clock.

One of the West End’s longest-running plays, ‘The Woman in Black’ has been terrifying audiences in London since 1989, and now the shuddersome ghost story is returning to Krudttønden to chill the flesh of even the most hardened of Copenhagen’s horror fanatics – just in time for Halloween!

Exorcism in the theatre THE BLOOD-FREEZING plot sees Arthur Kipps, a middle-aged solicitor, hiring a professional actor to help him reenact and – hopefully – exorcise a ghostly event that befell him many years earlier with horrify-

Phantom of the Opera

Ian Burns, Benjamin Stender and ... you can’t see her

ingly tragic results.

Originally based on a 1983 published book by English author Susan Hill, the novel has since been adapted many times and into many genres – in 2012, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe starred in a Hollywood film adaptation in which he took on the role of Kipps.

Three words of advice IN COPENHAGEN, director Barry McKenna and actors Ian Burns, Benjamin Stender and

Slapstick & Slaughter

‘SLAPSTICK & Slaughter’ at Bådteatret was a perfectly staged show. Lots of thought and effort have clearly gone into every little detail. It’s hysterically funny, but comes with real depth that will make you think at the same time. Performers Jon Beedell and Richard Headon were in their element, whether it was popping out like weathermen from behind a huge abstract canvas that keeps moving around the stage, ripping pages from Marx’s ‘Manifesto’, acting out senseless dialogues or spinning a rusty iron hoop on an empty stage so that it upstages them. (LG)

Women of Surrealism

Cabaret

ART





PETER Secher Schmidt steals the show as Fagin at Albertslund Musikteater (ongoing until October 24). It’s hard to imagine a better rendition of the character. Also of note is Jacob Svensmark’s Bill Sykes who delivers a solidly menacing portrayal of the character, including a compellingly insidious delivery of ‘Mit Navn’ (‘My Name’). And plaudits too to the inventively manipulated set, which despite remaining essentially one structure throughout, convinces us of several others by way of minimal redressing and innovative lighting transitions. (MW)

THIS CURRENT exhibition at Kunstforeningen Gammel Strand (ongoing until January 20) carries on a trend by which, to their credit, galleries are trying to bring unjustly forgotten female artists back into the public consciousness. Here, we have interesting works by three surrealist painters: Denmark’s Franciska Clausen and Rita Kernn-Larsen and the halfNorwegian, half-American artist Elsa Thoresen, who was married to a Dane. Although they share a number of similarities, the three women’s styles and output are different. (SG)

READ THE REST OF THESE REVIEWS AT CPHPOST.DK

MUSICAL

CHRISTOF GLEIE



MUSICAL

Slapstick and satire FULL OF songs, silly gags, slapstick and satire, this staple of dry British humor has become an

The comeback is on!

THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE theatre has been performing its annual Christmas show featuring crazy characters, bizarre whims and hysterical jokes for a staggering 35 years.

While its return was uncertain at first, the theatre has confirmed its comeback to the Glassalen in Tivoli between November 7 and January 5.

MUSEUM SØNDERJYLLAND

THIS HISTORICALLY huge production of ‘Phantom’ at Det Ny Teater (ongoing until March 31) is must-see musical theatre. The late Maria Bjørnson’s sets are of a big, bold, garish, gothic themepark aesthetic and they ably show a considerable budget exploited to its bloated potential. Given all this eyepopping gothic sweetshop, it’s a credit to the cast that they aren’t upstaged. Sybil Glosted commands a powerhouse vocal at the heart of her full-blooded Christine and Tomas Ambt Kofod brings an equally committed muscularity to his titular menace. (MW)

COMEDY

REVIEWS

Back to entertain you!

all-time favourite with Danish audiences.

Its founder and creator, English actress Vivienne McKee, presents the phenomenal Phileas Fogg and his formidable aunt Lady Wilhemina Wobblebottom, who will take you around the world on a crazy rollercoaster ride.

Staking his entire fortune on a bet, Fogg’s bold ‘Brexit’ will take him from disunited Europe to inscrutable Asia, over enticing India and, to ‘trump’ it all, across star-spangled America and the Wild West.

Or simply put: ‘FOGG’S OFF!’ (LG)

OFFICIAL PRESS PHOTO



Christina Hildebrandt from the English-language That Theatre Company are taking on the task of presenting one of the most successful thriller plays ever written.

That Theatre has only one mission in mind: to scare the living daylight out of their audiences. Before taking the stage, the company has issued a warning: “Whatever you do – Don’t.

Come. Alone!”

Oliver!

DESPERATEMEN.COM

DET NY THEATRE

MUSICAL

Around the world in 800 jokes

 TOUCHINGLY sentimental, intoxicatingly decadent, this CTC production was an eclectic but ideal mix of risqué charm, bone-chilling sadness and riotous fun. Mixing dance, debauchery and desolation, it successfully elicited a cocktail of emotions. The best singing performance was hands down the Emcee, played by the brilliant Kristian Husted, whose eyes twinkled with madness as he watched the drama unfold with feigned remorse and malicious glee. He played his character so perfectly that one was left wondering if he’s actually bonkers in real life. (SM)

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Merger to be finalized by the 1st quarter of 2019 It is anticipated that the merger of and the related portfolio transfer will complete in the 1st quarter of 2019. It is subject to the appropriate regulatory consents, including the approval of the merger and portfolio transfer by regulatory authorities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The merger will be completed from the moment when records on completion of SEB Life Latvia are registered in the Commercial Register of the Republic of Latvia.

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The policyholders of SEB Life Lithuania do not need to take any action in response to this notification.

Rights and obligations of our customers However, any objections to the above portfolio transfer may be made within 2 months of the date of this notification to Legal Responsible, AB “SEB gyvybės draudimas” at its address for correspondence above or by sending an e-mail to draudimas@seb.lt.

Those policyholders who do not agree to the portfolio transfer will be entitled to terminate their insurance contracts within 1 month of the effective date of the merger and portfolio transfer, i.e. from the moment when records on completion of SEB Life Latvia are registered in the Commercial Register of the Republic of Latvia. Information on completion of the merger shall be published at the website of AB “SEB gyvybės draudimas” (www.seb.lt).

The policyholders of SEB Life Lithuania can also request additional information on the proposed restructuring by writing to AB “SEB gyvybės draudimas” at the address for correspondence above or by sending an e-mail to draudimas@seb.lt.

24 FOOD & DRINK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

24 October - 8 November 2018

All my days I will sing in praise of your soothing sun and welcome rum DEXTER’S Åboulevard 9AB, Cph K, open Wed-Thu & Sun 14:00-00:00, Fri-Sat 14:00-02:00, closed Mon-Tue; rum cocktails 7095kr; dextersbar.com ANNACLAIRE CRUMPTON

A

S THE DAYS in Copenhagen grow gloomier with the season, it can be hard finding escapes that channel the taste of summer. Dexter’s, a bar just across the Lakes from central Copenhagen, offers temporary Caribbean refuge and quality cocktails in an upscale atmosphere.

Opened in 2015, the bar takes its name from its owner, Dexter Ricketts. His charisma, ease under pressure and zeal are reflected in the bar: from the drinks to his friendly, loyal staff.

Dexter’s has a swanky interior complete with golden light streaming from low-hanging lamps onto the bar’s dark walls and pale wooden booths with plush red pillows. Its unique atmosphere helps to channel the bar’s sense of camaraderie.

Come to Caribbean church RICKETTS may have come to Denmark 20 years ago, but it has only been with the opening of his bar that he has truly brought a little bit of his Jamaican home to Copenhagen.

For many, it is an injection of spirit that had sorely been missing in the Danish capital, despite an ever-growing Caribbean and African community with few hangouts to call their own.

As one of his bartenders, Joshua Socrates, who himself has Jamaican roots, told me on the evening we visited: “It is kind of like our church.”

Nevertheless, the beauty of Dexter’s is that everybody is invited to the party. “I love people – people make me happy,” the owner says, gesturing at his bar and the multi-diverse range of patrons present on this early Thursday evening.

Throughout our visit, people come through the door smiling and ready to converse, contributing to the sense of a tight-knit community in the bar. And this is no fluke, confirms Ricketts. “As one of the rules of the bar states: ‘We encourage everybody to put away their phones and interact with the people in the bar.’”

Yo-ho-ho: 120 rums!

DEXTER’S sense of community is notable, but perhaps the most impressive thing it its selection of 120 different rums. Dexter’s imports varieties from all over the Caribbean, as well as beers from Africa and sodas especially from Jamaica.

The rums are displayed behind the bar. Lit from below, they range in colour from clear to the more familiar deep copper tones. Ricketts offers a monthly rum tasting at the bar and his expertise would serve any rum-lover well.

Dexter had us try his personal favourite: the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum. It is an impressive 63 percent alcohol (126 proof ) and the company that distils it is responsible for 90 percent of all rum sales in Jamaica.

Despite the alcohol potency, it hits the tongue smoothly with complex notes of banana, pineapple and orange balanced with subtle hints of brown sugar and cinnamon spice. It’s a truly enjoyable tot.

Cocktails with a sting DEXTER mixes his favourite

rum into one of his best-selling drinks: the Old Jamaican. A combination of rum, sparkling wine, mint, lime juice, cane sugar syrup and Angostura bitters, the flavours really accentuate the spirit.

Unlike its cousin, the mojito, in which the different flavours often muddle the essence of the rum, the Old Jamaican awakens the liquor, heightening its complex flavour profile. This was my favourite drink of the night.

We also tried ‘Ting with a Sting’, which features the same Wray and Nephew rum mixed with a popular grapefruit soda from Jamaica. “This drink will cool you down on the hottest day in Jamaica,” promises Ricketts. The cocktail was light and refreshing and the rum came through with a bang.

Those looking for a lighter cocktail can ask for the bar’s classic welcome cocktail, which they serve at private parties: a delicious mix of guava juice and sparkling wine. It’s the perfect starter drink and the tropical flavour of the guava and the sparkling wine go hand-in-hand to introduce the customer to the vibe of the bar.

Mixing all night long DEXTER’S has a monthly Sunday dinner with Caribbean food that is a whole community event.

The same catering is an option for private parties that Ricketts plans to a T, putting his well-mixed drinks and great bar interior on display for such occasions.

A great place to escape those stormy days in Copenhagen, Dexter’s offers amazing cocktails, a real sense of community and a unique drinking experience. It’s a bar where different cultures and classic Caribbean ingredients mix to guarantee a great Friday night out.

24 October - 8 November 2018

25

26 INOUT: EVENTS THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

24 October - 8 November 2018

In Denmark, October fest means the blues HE COPENHAGEN Blues Festival is back for another amazing five days of soulful, overdriven guitar tones. This will be the 14th annual festival since its inception in 2004.

This year’s festival will welcome a number of famous acts from America and Germany, as well as many local guitar heroes.

Take a trip down to some iconic Danish music venues to have a drink and listen to a truly timeless genre of music.

WHAT’S ON? THIS YEAR, the festival will begin with Cinemateket showing the great film Sidemen – Long Road to Glory, a movie documenting the lives and legacies of some of the genre’s biggest names (Oct 24, 19:00; Gothersgade 55, Cph K; 75kr).

Born and raised in Chicago, Wayne Baker Brooks (the son of Lonnie) is known for his combination of powerful vocals and hot guitar playing that crosses genre boundaries (Oct 25, 20:00; Bartof Station, Solbjergvej 3, Frederiksberg; 250kr).

Nellie ‘Tiger’ Travis, the ‘Queen of Blues and Southern

Soul’, who is also from Chicago, is gracing us with her amazing voice at BETA. Her music is a unique blend of ‘80s pop and traditional blues/soul (Oct 28, 15:00; Øresundsvej 6, Cph S; 220kr).

For a more contemporary, funky time, see German blues master Kai Strauss at Mojo Blues Bar with his band Electric Blues Allstars (Oct 26, 22:00; Løngangstræde 21C, Cph K; 80kr).

Strauss’s 2017 album ‘Getting Personal’ gave us an insight into his melodic playing and funky grooves. He is an all-round amazing guitarist and those Stratocaster tones are truly to die for. (RM)

Halloween at Tivoli ongoing, ends Nov 4; Sun-Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-24:00; Tivoli, Vesterbrogade 3, Cph V; tivoligardens.com Go exploring among the many beautiful decorations. The little ones can go on a treasure hunt and Halloween rides and whoop as Rasmus Klump creates Halloween fun on an open-air stage. (LG)

Kink Film Festival Oct 25, 19:30-22:30; Husets Biograf, Rådhusstræde 13, 2th, Cph K; 70kr A mixture of intimate, funny and hardcore short films celebrate all manner of kinkiness at this twohour film festival. After your fix of gay orgy fantasies and rubber fetish, you might be glad to know the bar will be open afterwards.

Spooky Symphony Oct 27, 19:30; DR Koncerthuset, Ørestads Boulevard 13, Cph S; 90-160kr, drkoncerthuset.dk Together with the Amager Children’s Choir, the Danish National Symphony is performing its take on centuries of music dedicated to Halloween. (AC)

Dans2Go Oct 23-March 18; Gamle Scene, Kongens Nytorv 9, Cph K; 200260kr; kglteater.dk The pick of the three pieces are Jiří Kylián’s Symphony of Psalms set to music by Igor Stravinsky is inspired by biblical texts, while My Daddy Loves Sugar So Much He Eats It With His Nose is a new piece by Oliver Starpov.

Carmen Nov 6-7; Gamle Scene, Kongens Nytorv 9, Cph K; 100-725kr The sultry señorita is back! Georges Bizet’s classic opera − full of steamy Spanish passion, eroticism, raucous stage scenes and familiar songs that will have you swaying on your haunches − was first performed in Paris in 1875 and it’s been wowing audiences ever since.

Mix Copenhagen Oct 27-Nov 5; various cinemas; mixcopenhagen.dk A regular fixture since 1986, this LGBT film festival packs a rich schedule of Danish and international movies. Mix also includes open-air screenings, stand-up comedy, parties, and an unmissable session of DIY sex toy making.

Copenhagen Book Forum Oct 26-28; Bella Center Copenhagen, Center Boulevard 5, Cph S; 150kr, under 12s: 60kr (free on Friday); bellacentercopenhagen.dk Meet local and international authors and publishers and enjoy an exciting program of interviews, lectures, book signings and new book releases. (LG)

Red Bull Silent Disco Oct 26, 20:30-03:00; Studenterhuset, Købmagergade 52, Cph K; free adm Choosing between two different channels, you and your friends can put your headphones on and dance the night away in a silent room filled with students from all over Copenhagen. (SM)

Ghosting Oct 26-Nov 10; Gamle Scene, Kongens Nytorv 9, Cph K; 200kr; kglteater.dk; bring a smartphone Inspired by the online practice of never interacting with somebody close to you again, Corpus asks how internet creatures such as ghosts and trolls manifest themselves physically.

Teater Tapas Oct 28 & Nov 25, 16:00-20:00; Teaterøen, William Wains Gade 18, Cph K Artists stage 15-minute performances of any style/ genre in English, Danish or without words. Every monthly get-together tends to have its own theme. And yes, tapas are served.

Pelle Erobreren Oct 25-Dec 9; Østre Gasværk Teater, Nyborggade 17, Cph Ø; 295-595kr, osterbroteater.dk You might remember this work better as Pelle the Conqueror, the 1988 Oscar-winning film, but you’ve never seen it like this: as a piece of musical theatre.

Copenhagen Coin Fair Oct 28; 10:00-16:00; Scandic Hotel, Vester Søgade 6, Cph V; 80kr, under-18s: free adm; cphcoinfair.dk The north’s biggest coin fair celebrates its 10th anniversary with coin dealers and participants from Scandinavia, Switzerland and Germany attending. (LG)

Blether – A Night of Storytelling Oct 23, 19:00; Galathea Kroen, Rådhusstræde 9, Cph K; free adm Leftfield Theatre is returning to the scene of its successful run of Queers to present an evening of storytelling. Performers are welcome to join, and no story will exceed 10 minutes.

Halloween street party Oct 31, 17:00-19:00; Jægersborggade, Cph N; free adm Join in the fun on Jægersborggade for an evening of Halloween-themed events, bites, drinks, competitions and more.

There’s plenty for both kids and adults to do! (LG)

Improv comedy nights weekly shows Wed-Sat 20:00, stand-up Sun 20:00; Frederiksholm Kanal 2, Cph K; 100-125kr The Byens Bedste winner Improv Comedy Copenhagen offers a staggering five English-language shows a week.

Copenhagen Blues Festival Oct 24-28; various times and venues; copenhagenbluesfestival.dk

T

ON SCREENS

24 October - 8 November 2018

27

Supersonic men: That’s why they call them Mister Fahrenheit BEN HAMILTON

W

HAT WAS the most watched film of the late 1960s? Was it, for example, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey? No, but you’re in the right area.

Or maybe The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Wrong again – but the right answer did have three central characters. It was a story of unbelievable heroism: the ultimate underdog wins the day movie. And no, Three Amigos didn’t come out until 1986.

In fact, this was probably the most watched film of all time.

Just to give you some perspective: Gone with the Wind with 202.1 million ticket sales has the cinema record, seeing off the original Star Wars by almost 25 million, with The Sound of Music, ET and Titanic completing the top five.

But three times as many saw this film – and there was only one screening, as 600 million people worldwide sat down (or went outside) to watch the 1969 Moon landing.

La La Land pedigree GIVEN the whole affair was carefully scripted like a movie – “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” is up there as one of the greatest lines ever – maybe it’s unsurprising that nobody had given the Apollo 11 mission the big budget treatment until Damien Chazelle.

The La La Land director is again joining forces with Ryan Gosling to give us First Man (84 on Metacritic; released on Oct 25), a film mainly told from the perspective of the astronaut who took that first small step, Neil Armstrong, with Claire

Foy lending strong support as his wife.

Most critics are impressed, and not just by the decision not to delay the release until next year to cash in on the 50-year anniversary. “You’ll know more deeply how it happened, what it meant and what it was, and why its mystery, more than ever, still lingers,” praised Variety.

But some found it a little dull. “There are stretches when it soars (argh, sorry) to cinema heaven (ack, sorry again),” noted Vanity Fair.

“But a lot of the movie has a curious drag, scenes repeating and repeating in slightly tweaked shapes until you just want to yell at the screen: ‘Get to the moon already!’”

May be good, may be bad NOW, NONE of us have ever said “Just blow, wind, anyway you like” – although a producer does remark to Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) during Bohemian Rhapsody (Not Released Worldwide; Nov 1) why the song goes on forever, to which the lead singer of Queen retorts: “Ask your wife if six minutes is forever.”

As you can imagine with a beloved singer and group, scrutiny has been intense regarding the casting of Malek (Mr Robot), particularly as many had been won over by the undeniable likeness of Sacha Baron Cohen, the first actor to be selected in the role, and then by Ben Whishaw, the second.

The director fallout has been even worse, with Dexter Fletcher coming in to replace Brian Singer after he went AWOL late last year and got sacked, although the X Men franchise director will

Repressed Armstrong could learn a thing or two from liberating Mercury about operating a joystick

retain the sole director credit as per Directors Guild of America guidelines.

It’s been “a long and bumpy road” with “a good deal of wreckage”, concedes Brian May with a line that wouldn’t look out of place in Queen’s most famous song.

Wisely, perhaps, unknowns have been cast to play the rest of the band, thus heaping all the pressure onto Malek’s hitherto capable shoulders, although the likes of Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander and Mike Myers are onboard to offer strong support.

Still, Fletcher brings a risk factor into the equation. At the time of his arrival, two-thirds of the film had been shot and his recent form (Eddie the Eagle) has been good enough to entrust him with Rocketman (a biopic of Elton John), even though he’s shown questionable taste during an acting career that has mostly been going nowhere since his breakout as a child star in the 1970s and 80s.

Salander without Stieg OVERALL, with First Man and Bohemian Rhapsody, this fortnight presents two really good

reasons to go to the cinema as opposed to waiting for the small screen – a rarity these days, it has to be said.

Elsewhere, English actresses dominate, with Foy popping up again to take over the role of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider’s Web (NRW; Nov 1), the first film to feature the Swedish hacker not based on material written by her creator Stieg Larsson. It might require a swallow or two to disassociate a heavily tattooed and pierced Foy from her repression among the processions in The Queen.

And former royalty, now in the where are they now bracket, Keira Knightley has two films coming out: Colette (74; Nov 1) and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (NRW; Nov 1).

The first is a biopic about the winner of the 1948 Nobel Prize for Literature, who started her career writing under her husband’s (Dominic West playing yet another creep) name.

And the second sees her play the Sugar Plum Fairy in an allstar cast including Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren. The pair last appeared together in RED, which does not bode well.

Banksy does moonwalking GIVEN the cinematic riches on offer, we’re only skimming through the new television releases.

Child snatch drama The Cry (C More, since Oct 13) starts well, but stalls somewhat in episode 2, while Black Lightning (Netflix, since Oct 16) shamelessly rips off Black Panther.

Nothing stands out among the even more teenage vampire bullshit on show in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Oct 26 on Netflix) or Legacies (Oct 26 on HBO Nordic), while Polish drug dealer miniseries Blinded by the Night (Oct 29) and espionage thriller Hackerville (Nov 4) – both HBO Nordic – probably won’t have English subtitles despite being marketed with English titles.

Murder drama miniseries The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair (Nov 1 on C More) looks promising, as does the documentary The Man who Stole Banksy (at cinemas from Nov 1).

Was the shredding of his artwork our Walking on the Moon moment? Or will we finally put Apollo 11 behind us and get to Mars?

FILMS IN ENGLISH We present some 50 films with English dialogue or subtitles every month.

See what’s on at cinemateket.dk or visit us in Gothersgade 55

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