Denmark

10 August 2023; MEMO: A Danish anti-Islamic and ultranationalist group escalated attacks Wednesday on the Quran, despite wide-ranging condemnation, reports Anadolu Agency.

Members of the Danske Patrioter, or Danish Patriots, burned copies of the Muslim holy book in front of the Turkish, Pakistani, Algerian, Indonesian and Iranian embassies in Copenhagen.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Days of heavy rain triggered landslides and flooding in mountainous southern Norway, where authorities said Wednesday they were considering blowing up part of a dam at risk of bursting to prevent downstream communities from getting deluged.

The Glåma, Norway’s longest and most voluminous river, is dammed at the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant, which was under water and out of operation. Police said a controlled explosion before the dam fails would allow officials to control the flow of water.

COPENHAGEN, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Denmark is tightening border controls to boost domestic security and prevent unwanted individuals from entering the country after recent Koran burnings, the government said, following a similar decision by Sweden this week.

Authorities fear revenge attacks after anti-Islam activists in Denmark and Sweden burned and damaged several copies of the Muslim holy book in recent months, inciting outrage in the Muslim world and demands that governments ban such acts.

03 August 2023; MEMO: Seven Danish opposition parties, on Thursday, voiced objection to the government's efforts to make it illegal to burn copies of the Quran, arguing that legislation would be an unacceptable restriction on freedom of expression, Reuters reports.

Outrage in the Muslim world over desecration of the Quran in front of embassies of Muslim countries in Denmark and Sweden has prompted both governments to say they will look for ways to legally restrict the burnings.

COPENHAGEN, July 24 (Reuters) - Two protesters set fire to a copy of the Koran, Islam's holy book, in front of the Iraqi embassy in the Danish capital on Monday, risking a further deterioration of relations between the two countries.

Protests have raged across Iran and Iraq after Denmark and Sweden allowed the burning of the Koran under rules protecting free speech. Protesters in Iraq set alight the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday.

COPENHAGEN/OSLO, July 11 (Reuters) - A volcanic eruption in Iceland close to the capital Reykjavik is slowing and gas pollution is easing, experts said, but residents should still keep clear of the volcano which has been spewing out toxic gas.

The eruption has decreased considerably, the Icelandic Met Office, Vedur, said on Tuesday, adding people should keep out of the restricted eruption site.

COPENHAGEN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A new "Smart Store" was launched in Denmark on Thursday, showcasing technologies running entirely on sustainable energy sources.

The Smart Store is in Nordborg in the west of the country, and uses heat capture and reuse technology which allows for a reduction of up to 90 percent in heating costs.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway announced Wednesday it approved 19 oil and gas projects on the Norwegian continental shelf, saying the total investments are worth over 200 billion kroner ($19 billion).

“The projects are also an important contribution to Europe’s energy security,” said Terje Aasland, Norway’s minister for petroleum and energy.

Norway was the only net exporter of oil and gas in Europe, he said, adding, “By carrying out these projects we ensure new production from the latter half of the 2020s, so that we can maintain high Norwegian deliveries.”

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Nearly 36 million people in Europe may have had long-lasting health problems from coronavirus infections they got during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization’s regional director said Tuesday.

Dr. Hans Kluge said “long COVID” remained “a complex condition (that) we still know very little about” and “a glaring blind spot in our knowledge.”

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived Wednesday in Oslo with the Norwegian armed forces saying it gives them “a unique opportunity to further develop cooperation and work more closely with our most important ally, the United States.”

The nuclear-powered ship USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed personnel on board. The Norwegian armed forces has said any boats must stay a half-kilometer (half-mile) away from the aircraft carrier and a no-fly zone was created over the area where the aircraft carrier was.