MP announces he is quitting Moderates on podcast

A lawmaker from the Moderate party, Jeppe Søe, announced on newspaper BT’s “Q&Co” podcast that he is leaving the party.

He called “a week and a half of disgustingness” the reason for his decision.

The party was last Friday reported to work health and safety authorities by former staff over claims of harassment and bullying. Moderate leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen subsequently announced an external psychologist would be brought in to help.

Søe then told media he was not happy with his party’s decision, calling for a full independent inquiry.

“I can’t be a part of this. It’s not possible,” he said on the podcast in response to a question about reports a Moderate representative has contacted the new employer of a former staff member.

Søe was a founding member of the party when it was started by former prime minister Rasmussen in 2021.

Vocabulary: modbydelig – ddisgusting

Steering wheels stolen from dozens of cars in Jutland

A large number of cars in and around Aarhus have been broken into and had their steering wheels stolen. 

The unusual theft type has occurred on 52 occasions since July, East Jutland Police said.

Volkswagen Polo owners have particularly found themselves targeted, but owners of BMWs, Volvos and Fiats have also been on the wrong end of the break-ins.

Police have appealed for witnesses who may have seen or heard something about the thefts, which have happened all over the city including in the Brabrand and Risskov areas.

Earlier this year, a spate of wing mirror thefts in the city was eventually traced to two men from Lithuania, who were arrested in Sweden and charged for several offences.

Vocabulary: rat – steering wheel

Men’s national team take win in first match under stand-in coach

The Danish men’s national team sealed an impressive 2-0 win over Switzerland last night in its first match under new temporary coach Lars Knudsen.

Patrick Dorgu and captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg scored late goals for the home side in Copenhagen.

Switzerland finished the match with nine men as both Nico Elvedi and Granit Xhaka were sent off in the second half.

“I probably couldn’t have dreamt it better,” Knudsen told DR.

The new coach took the helm last month after Morten Wieghorst withdrew on sick leave due to stress. Wieghorst had himself only just been appointed interim coach following the resignation of Kasper Hjulmand after Euro 2024.

Vocabulary: en drømmestart – a dream start 

Denmark to allow police to use facial recognition

Police are to be allowed to use facial recognition to speed searches for faces and objects in video and image materials when investigating specific cases, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement yesterday.

An agreement between the government, the Socialist People’s Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti, SF), the Denmark Democrats and the Conservative party is to allow the new use of technology in law enforcement.

The agreement does not apply to real-time facial recognition.

“The police will initially be able to use facial recognition in cases involving serious violent crime and matters concerning national security,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in the statement.

Denmark has seen an ongoing debate about whether police should be allowed to use facial recognition following a spate of gang-linked shootings involving teenage suspects from Sweden.

Vocabulary: ansigtsgenkendelse – facial recognition