Ben Hamilton
November 10th, 2017

Share

It has been confirmed that the well-known Sudanese political cartoonist Khalid Albaih will be moving to Copenhagen.

He is resettling in the Danish capital as part of the ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network) program, in which many municipalities worldwide provide protection to artists whose freedom of speech is threatened in their home country.

Albaih will be in Copenhagen for a two-year period. Examples of Albaih’s work can be seen on his aptly-named Facebook page ‘Khartoon!’

Renovating Nyborg Castle
With the help of the AP Møller Fonden, Realdania and Nyborg Municipality, some 351 million kroner will be spent on renovating Nyborg Castle on Funen, it has been confirmed. Initially built almost 1,000 years ago, the renovation will include a restoration of the original royal rooms, the construction of a new bridge and a 10-metre elevation of its watchtower so it stands 22 metres high. The contract will be fulfilled by Cubo Architects and JAJA Architects, who are due to complete the work by 2020.

A choice of punishments
The troubles of Zentropa producer Peter Aalbæk continue, as it has emerged that he likes to punish his young employees by giving them a smack if they make a mistake at work. Described as students on three-year contracts by Danish media, several have stepped forward to reveal the practice, which tends to follow a choice: either be smacked on the behind or be sent down to Aalbæk’s farm in Herfølge for a prolonged period. While Aalbæk smacks the female workers, a gay colleague, Peter Ahlén, takes care of the male offenders.

READ MORE: Who is … Peter Aalbæk

Third best country at speaking English as a foreign language
The Danish are the third best speakers of English as a foreign language, according to the latest survey by Swiss-based company Education First. The nation once again trailed the Dutch and the Swedes, with the Norwegians and Finns completing the top five. Sceptics might question why South Africa and Singapore featured in the survey, given that English is an official language in their countries, and wonder how accurate the results are, given the survey tends to be taken by volunteers who are interested in language learning.

READ MORE: Danish language much harder than Norwegian and Swedish, argue linguistics experts

Second best country at being good
Denmark is the second best country in the world, or rather it came second out of the 163 countries included on the Good Country Index compiled by an independent policy advisor who assessed seven main categories: Science & Technology, Culture, International Peace & Security, World Order, Planet & Climate, Prosperity & Equality, and Health & Wellbeing. Essentially it assesses countries according to how much good they contribute to the world. Sweden ranked first and the Netherlands, the UK and Germany completed the top five. The US finished 21st and Libya last.