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August 28th, 2014

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Across the (ultra) sound
An ultrasound clinic in Copenhagen estimates that around 300 pregnant Norwegian women visit every year to get a scan to detect if their foetus will have Down’s Syndrome – a service that is not offered in their homeland. The women express frustration that the test is not available in Norway.

Criticism of ransom payment
The English right-wing media has voiced criticism of the 15 million kroner ransom paid in June to Islamic State for the release of Danish national Daniel Rye Ottosen, who had been held for 13 months. Paying ransoms to terrorists is illegal according to US law, but that has not stopped the citizens of several European countries, including Denmark, doing so.  It is unclear whether any of the governments have contributed, but several have helped with negotiations – something the British and American governments steadfastly refuse to do. Ottosen, who is now heavily in debt, passed on a letter from murdered US journalist James Foley to his family, which he had memorised by heart.

Gang turnover rate high
Despite their reputation for being difficult to leave, the turnover rate at gangs is high, according to a report from the Justice Ministry. Most members do not stay much longer than three years, and every third member leaves on their own, even though they are often coerced or threatened by the gang in an effort to keep them.

‘Ghetto schools’ improving
The number of schools with high concentrations of bilingual students is dropping. Eight of the nine schools identified in a Jyllands Posten survey have managed to reduce their numbers as part of the government’s initiative to alter the composition of schools to improve student performance by spreading out bilingual students.

Decomposing civilization
Rapid climate change is threatening to destroy the remains of some of the first Greenlandic people. Preserved under a permafrost layer for over 4,000 years, the remains could thaw and decompose before they can be excavated, thus denying archaeologists a window into the past civilizations of Greenland.