Aaron Hathaway
July 31st, 2017

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Kim Kielsen’s reign will soon be over (photo: Johannes Jansson)

Incumbent Kim Kielsen will continue his role as chairman of Greenland’s Siumut party, the resident Social Democrats of Denmark’s orbital northern neighbours.

Winning 48 of 67 votes from his party, Kielsen fended off challenger Vittus Qujaukitsoq, whose 19 votes fell a long way short of his surname’s score in Scrabble.

Push for independence …
Kielsen’s victory promises a continued push for Greenlandic independence from Denmark, though perhaps at a slower rate than his challenger.

Qujaukitsoq advocated a higher-risk, accelerated secession, while Kielsen supports a moderate, peaceful approach.

As long as it is comfortable
However, Kielsen may need to convince Greenlanders of a sustained quality of life once the island is untethered from Mother Denmark.

According to a poll from Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, 78 percent of respondents would oppose independence if it meant a dent in living standards.

Sweden sweating over Danish gang’s expansion over Øresund
Police in Malmö and Helsingborg proceed with unease at the prospect of receiving noisy new guests: the Danish street gang Loyal to Familia. The gang, established in Copenhagen in 2013, confirmed to Ekstra Bladet its intention to expand operations across the Øresund strait. Swedes, however, need not be concerned – at least that’s what Loyal to Familia leader Shuaib Khan wrote in an email to the tabloid, promising to grow a brotherhood without any criminality.

France seeks extradition of Bandidos war chief
French lawmen have called for the return of a so-called ‘war minister’ in the Bandidos biker gang, who is currently serving a life sentence for his role in a 2015 triple murder in Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg neighbourhood. If the French courts get their way, the Bandidos member will stand trial in Marseilles and could face a stay behind French bars – once he’s served his life sentence.

Danish actor goes international in ballbuster ‘Atomic Blonde’
Joining the ranks of the brothers Mikkelsen, Danish actor Roland Møller is on his way to greater international prominence with his supporting role in American action flick Atomic Blonde starring titular blonde (Geiger reading unknown) Charlize Theron. Møller, who rose from a troubled youth to appearances in native Danish productions such as ‘Northwest’ and ‘Land of Mine’, has grand roles slated for the near future. Keep an eye out for Møller alongside Liam Neeson in 2018 action-thriller ‘The Commuter’, as well as beside Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek in the upcoming remake of classic prison drama ‘Papillon’.