Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The move, led by Denmark’s Ministry of Digitalization, would set the age limit for access to social media but give some parents — after a specific assessment — the right to give consent to let their children access social media from age 13. Representational image.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Copenhagen:

In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland, some Danes are California dreaming, offering to buy the golden state and infuse it with a Nordic vibe and universal health care.

A satirical website has launched a petition for Denmark to buy America’s most populous state, with more than 200,000 people signing up to the idea so far.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Mocking Trump’s favourite slogan, the tongue-in-cheek petition urges Denmark to “Make California Great Again”, rewriting the phrase with letters from the Danish language.

“Let’s buy California from Donald Trump!” the site Denmarkification.com says, in a nod to “Californication”, a word the Red Hot Chili Peppers band immortalised with its 1990s hit song.

“Let’s be honest — Trump isn’t exactly California’s biggest fan. He’s called it ‘the most ruined state in the Union’ and has feuded with its leaders for years.”

“We’re pretty sure he’d be willing to part with it for the right price,” it says.

“We’ll send our bestest negotiators — Lego executives and the cast of Borgen,” it mused, referring to the Denmark-based global toy behemoth and the Danish-produced drama series, respectively.

“We’ll bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills, and organic smorrebrod to every street corner. Rule of law, universal health care and fact based politics might apply.”

“Hygge” is a word in Danish that describes a cozy atmosphere while “smorrebrod” is a multi-ingredient sandwich ubiquitous in the Nordic country and its neighbours.

Why would the Scandinavian country want the US state? For its sunny climate, tech industry and wealth of avocados, the site says.

And of course Disneyland, which it proposes renaming “Hans Christian Andersenland”, in reference to Denmark’s famed fairy tale writer.

“Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please.”

Whether Americans would want to offload the state is not much of a concern.

“Let’s face it — when has that ever stopped him? If Trump wants to sell California, he’ll sell California.”

On Wednesday at 11:45 am (0945 GMT), almost 207,000 people had signed the petition, which aims to gather 500,000 signatures.

Since late December, Trump has repeatedly reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, the vast Arctic island rich in natural resources.

Greenland’s leaders, backed by the Danish government, have insisted it is not for sale.

Local Greenland elections are scheduled for March 11. Amid concern over possible election interference, the Greenlandic parliament last week adopted a law banning anonymous or foreign donations to political parties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Copenhagen:

A piece of fossilised vomit, dating back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth, has been discovered in Denmark, the Museum of East Zealand said on Monday.

The find was made by a local amateur fossil hunter on the Cliffs of Stevns, a UNESCO-listed site south of Copenhagen.

While out on a walk, Peter Bennicke found some unusual fragments, which turned out to be pieces of sea lily, in a piece of chalk.

He then took the fragments to a museum for examination, which dated the vomit to the end of the Cretaceous era some 66 million years ago.

According to experts, the vomit is made up of at least two different species of sea lily, which were likely eaten by a fish that threw up the parts it could not digest.

“This type of find… is considered very important when reconstructing past ecosystems because it provides important information about which animals were eaten by which,” the museum said in a press release.

Paleontologist Jesper Milan hailed the discovery as “truly an unusual find”, adding it helped explain the relationships in the prehistoric food chain.

“Sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet, as they consist mainly of calcareous plates held together by a few soft parts,” he said.

“But here is an animal, probably some kind of fish, that 66 million years ago ate sea lilies that lived at the bottom of the Cretaceous sea and regurgitated the skeletal parts.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The notion of the United States purchasing Greenland has been a topic of discussion for months, but recent developments suggest that President Trump’s administration is more serious about the proposition than initially thought.

A “fiery” phone call between President Donald Trump and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has reignited the debate over Greenland’s future, with the US leader’s intentions remaining unclear.

Trump’s unwavering stance on taking over Greenland, despite officials’ repeated assertions that it’s not for sale, has left many in Denmark and Greenland reeling.

At the heart of Trump’s interest in Greenland lies its strategic importance for national security. The island is rich in minerals crucial for technology and defense, including rare earth elements used in mobile phones, electric vehicles, and weapons. With China dominating the global rare earth market, Greenland’s reserves have become increasingly vital to the US.

Trump has been wanting to take over the island nation of 56,000 people since his first term.

Greenland’s location, straddling the shortest route between Europe and North America, makes it a critical spot for the US military and its ballistic missile early-warning system. As China and Russia expand their influence in the Arctic, the US seeks to maintain its dominance in the region.

Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, told Fox that Trump has made it clear “the safety and security of Greenland is important to the United States as China and Russia make significant investments throughout the Arctic region. The President is committed to not only protecting U.S. interests in the Arctic but also working with Greenland to ensure mutual prosperity for both nations”.

“He was very firm,” a source told the Financial Times, describing Trump’s tone during the phone call. “It was a cold shower. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But I do think it is serious, and potentially very dangerous.”

The phone call was “fiery” with one official calling it “horrendous”, per the Financial Times.

The call “utterly freaked out” the Danes, one Danish official said. “The intent was very clear,” another official told the outlet. “They want it. The Danes are now in crisis mode.”

Trump’s aggressive pursuit of Greenland has been met with resistance from Denmark and Greenland. Frederiksen has emphasised that Greenland is not for sale, and its Prime Minister, Mute Edege, has reiterated that the island’s people do not want to be part of the US.

However, repeatedly, the US says that Greenland is important for its national security. Despite Frederiksen’s offer to increase the cooperation between Greenland and US on military bases and resources, Trump was aggressive and confrontational. Moreover he has not ruled out the possible use of military force in Greenland.

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month.

Residents of Greenland have also expressed their distrust of Trump and his intentions. “I don’t trust the guy,” Bilo Chemnitz, a resident of Nuuk, told The Washington Post. “I want Greenland to stay like it is.”

“I don’t like the way he talks about Greenland,” resident Ida Abelsen similarly told the Post.

The diplomatic relations between the US and Denmark have been put to the test, as Trump’s pursuit of Greenland continues to garner attention and criticism.
 

A wayward emperor penguin was released into the Southern Ocean, 20 days after he swam over 2,000 miles away from his home in Antarctica. He was released from a Parks and Wildlife Service boat on Wednesday. Notably, the penguin affectionately named “Gus,” made international headlines after being found on an Australian beach. The young penguin, estimated to be around three feet tall, was discovered by surfers on Ocean Beach on November 1. He was discovered looking weary but alive, marking a rare sighting of the species so far north.

According to ABC News, Gus is believed to have swum thousands of kilometres, possibly carried off course by ocean currents. Gus was taken in by local wildlife caretaker Carol Biddulph, who nursed him back to health. He was severely underweight, weighing only 47 pounds, compared to the average weight of 88 pounds for an emperor penguin.

Unusual encounter on a beach in Australia with an emperor penguin that is endemic to Antarctica $GUS pic.twitter.com/JwN5szdmoK

— SupaHotPonke (@ChrisCross6847) November 15, 2024

“I really didn’t know whether he was going to make it to begin with because he was so undernourished. I’ll miss Gus. It’s been an incredible few weeks, something I wouldn’t have missed,” Ms Biddulph said in a video recorded before the bird’s release.

Under Ms Biddulph’s care, Gus regained his strength, and his weight increased to around 55 pounds. He was fed a diet of pilchard fish, and by the time of his release, he was eating around 20 fish three times a day.

After a 20-day rehabilitation, Gus was released back into the Southern Ocean on November 21. He was taken to an undisclosed location, where he was placed in a ventilated pet carrier with an ice pack. Once released, Gus belly-flopped into the water and swam away without looking back.

“Magnificent. He just knew where he was supposed to be, didn’t give a backward glance and just disappeared. It’s just amazing. … He was ready for it,” Ms Biddulph said. 

Experts are still unsure how Gus ended up so far from home, but theories include getting caught in a current while searching for food or being blown off course by storms. While penguins are naturally curious and prone to wandering, they have never been known to travel as far as Gus did. 

Some also said the changing environmental conditions could have led to a scarcity of food and resources in Antarctica, forcing Gus to embark on an epic swim to Australia in search of sustenance.

Spain won the last edition of the Nations League after beating Croatia on penalties.© AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal thrashed Poland 5-1 thanks to a rampant second-half display on Friday to reach the Nations League quarter-finals, while already-qualified Spain beat Denmark. Roberto Martinez’s Portugal wrapped up top spot in Group A1 with a game to spare, securing their place in the next round in March. France, Germany and Italy are also already through to the last eight. Poland were the better side early on but failed to take their chances in Porto and the home side made them pay, netting four times in the last 20 minutes.

“We couldn’t impose ourselves on the game in the first half,” said Portugal goalscorer Rafael Leao.

“(Coach) Roberto Martinez’s approach in the locker room was important; it was the key to changing the pressure at half-time.” 

Ronaldo volleyed over from close range shortly before the interval, as Portugal failed to register a shot on target in the first half.

Dominik Marczuk almost broke the deadlock in the 58th minute, but Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa produced a brilliant fingertip save to deny him.

The hosts broke from the resulting corner to score less than 60 seconds later, as Leao powered forward before finding Nuno Mendes, then continuing his run to meet the Paris Saint-Germain full-back’s cross with a powerful header.

Portugal were awarded a penalty when Diogo Dalot’s strike flicked off Jakub Kiwior’s hand at point-blank range and was saved by Marcin Bulka.

Ronaldo stepped up to dink home a ‘Panenka’ spot-kick.

That goal ended any hopes Poland had of staging a comeback and Fernandes added a third for Portugal with 10 minutes left, crashing the ball in off the crossbar from just outside the box.

Pedro Neto also got on the scoresheet, collecting Ronaldo’s pass and rifling past Bulka at his near post.

There was still time for Ronaldo to double his tally and move onto 135 international goals, acrobatically volleying home Vitinha‘s cross from close range in the 87th minute.

Marczuk drilled in a consolation for Poland, but they can no longer qualify for the knock-out stages and will be relegated if they lose to Scotland next week.

In the other match in the group, Scotland gave their hopes of avoiding the drop a massive boost as John McGinn scored a late winner in a 1-0 victory over 10-man Croatia.

Petar Sucic was sent off in the first half, but Croatia almost hung on for the point they needed to qualify with Portugal, only for McGinn to strike in the 86th minute.

Spain roll on

European champions Spain stayed unbeaten in Group A4 with a 2-1 win over Denmark in Copenhagen.  

Luis de la Fuente’s visitors started strongly and went close to a 13th-minute opener when the in-form Ayoze Perez rattled the crossbar.

Spain took an early lead after Denmark carelessly gave the ball away on the edge of their own box.

Perez played in Mikel Oyarzabal who took an excellent first touch and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and in at the near post.

Villarreal forward Perez, who only made his international debut in June, doubled Spain’s advantage with a low, left-footed finish into the bottom corner after being picked out by Dani Olmo.

Gustav Isaksen pulled one back for Denmark late on, pouncing on a terrible mix-up between Fabian Ruiz and ‘keeper David Raya.

“A very, very happy night for me (with a goal and an assist), but the most important thing is going through top of the group,” Perez told uefa.com.

The other game in Group A4 saw Switzerland relegated by Aleksa Terzic’s late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Serbia.

Romania’s Group C2 game against Kosovo in Bucharest was suspended in injury time and then abandoned with the game goalless after the visiting players walked off the pitch following chants of “Serbia” from the home fans.

“The UEFA Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo has been abandoned. UEFA will communicate further information in due course,” said governing body UEFA on its website.

In League D, San Marino kept their hopes of an unlikely promotion alive as Nicola Nanni scored an injury-time penalty to grab a 1-1 draw with Gibraltar.

The accused’s lawyer said that his client accepted the ruling but that the four-month prison sentence was “a bit harsher than I had feared.“ File
| Photo Credit: AFP

A Danish court on Wednesday handed a Polish man a four-month prison sentence and ordered him deported for punching the country’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in June.

The 39-year-old, who Danish authorities have ruled cannot be named in the media, was immediately apprehended after the assault on June 7 in a Copenhagen square. “We have found you guilty of having punched the prime minister with a closed fist on the right shoulder,” Judge Jacob Scherfig told the man at the end of the trial Wednesday.

The man, who has lived in Denmark for five years, will be deported after serving his sentence. He was also banned from re-entering the Scandinavian country for six years.

During the two-day trial, he denied responsibility, saying he remembered coming face-to-face with the prime minister, whom he recognised, but not putting his hand on her. He said he believed the memory loss was the result of alcohol use, and the surprise of suddenly coming face-to-face with the prime minister.

Frederiksen, 46, underwent a medical examination after the incident and was diagnosed with a “contusion on her right shoulder and a minor whiplash injury”, her office said at the time. The man was convicted of violence against a public servant. He was also convicted of several counts of indecent exposure and fraud relating to other incidents.

Neither the prosecution nor the defence called Frederiksen as a witness during the trial, as the prosecution argued they could present a strong enough case without her testimony.

The accused’s lawyer Henrik Karl Nielsen said that his client accepted the ruling but that the four-month prison sentence was “a bit harsher than I had feared.“ He was calm, but he was, of course, disappointed that the length of the prison was four months,” Nielsen told AFP.

Nielsen added that it was not clear how much of the sentence was related to the assault on the prime minister and how much was due to the other charges.

– Safe streets –

Having already spent two months in pre-trial detention, the Polish man will serve another two months in a Danish prison before being deported. Frederiksen became Denmark’s youngest-ever head of government when she was elected in 2019, aged 41. She won re-election in 2022.

The attack was widely condemned by leading European politicians. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who ca led it a “despicable act which goes against everything we believe and fight for in Europe”.

It followed a spate of assaults on European politicians from across the political spectrum ahead of the European Parliament elections in June. On May 15, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot four times at close range as he greeted supporters after a government meeting. Several politicians in Germany had been attacked at work or on the campaign trail.

“We want a society where everyone, including prime ministers, can walk down the street safely and calmly without being harassed by others,” special prosecutor Anders Larsson told AFP ahead of the verdict on Wednesday.

Queen Mary of Denmark fell to the ground after being hit by an electric scooter during a royal engagement this week, as per a report in the New York Post. The 52-year-old was interacting with fans and supporters in Nuuk, Greenland alongside her kids, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, when an elderly man drove into the gathering. Queen Mary was left terrified by the experience and she lost her balance and momentarily fell to the ground. Her security personnel immediately sprang into action and stopped the scooter from going any further as soon as she got back up.

Video footage of the incident, going viral on social media, shows the Queen being struck while her two children stood just a few feet away. The Danish royal communications office later announced that Queen Mary had not been injured.

A witness told Sky News, “I could see how much it hurt her, her eyes watered immediately. It must hurt to be hit at that speed. The police immediately barricaded and removed her from the situation. It must hurt to be hit at that speed. The police immediately barricaded and removed her from the situation.”

Following the incident, the scooter driver claimed he was unsure of what caused the vehicle to lose control.

Meanwhile, Queen Mary was born in Hobart, Tasmania on February 5, 1972. She was working as an advertising executive in Australia when she met the then 34-year-old Frederik while out with friends at Sydney’s Slip Inn bar during the summer Olympics in 2000. As per a report in AFP, she only discovered later that he was the crown prince of Denmark and his group of friends was made up of other European royals — including his younger brother Prince Joachim and cousin Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark.

Following several covert meetings and a long-distance romance, the pair became engaged in October 2003 and were married in Copenhagen Cathedral on May 14, 2004. They are now parents to four children: Prince Christian, 18, who will one day succeed his father as king, Princess Isabella, 16, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 13.