Danish investigators invited the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nord-stream-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nord Stream</a> pipelines’ Russian operator to inspect and help recover an unidentified object found near the only remaining intact pipeline on Thursday.
Last week, the pipelines’ Swiss-based operator found the cylindrical object jutting over a foot out of the seabed during an inspection of the last intact pipeline, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-invites-nord-stream-operator-help-salvage-unidentified-object-2023-03-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. The other three pipelines that make up the Nord Stream network, which carries natural gas from Russia to Germany, were blown up in September in what several countries’ investigators have said was an intentional act of sabotage.
“With a view to further clarifying the nature of the object, Danish authorities have decided to salvage the object with assistance from the Danish Defence,” Denmark’s Energy Agency said in a statement Thursday. “The Danish Energy Agency has in that context invited the owner of the pipeline, Nord Stream 2 AG, to participate in the operation.”
Despite months of investigating, officials have yet to formally accuse anyone of blowing up the pipelines. German investigators have said the party of a yacht rented several weeks before the explosions is raising red flags. The mysterious crew, which rented the boat on September 6, has ties to Ukraine, investigators <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/nord-stream-pipeline-blasts-lead-to-ukraine-media-reports-germany/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissed questions that Ukraine’s government had been involved in the Nord Stream explosions.
“Although I enjoy collecting amusing conspiracy theories about the [Ukrainian] government, I have to say: [Ukraine] has nothing to do with the Baltic Sea mishap and has no information about ‘pro-[Ukraine] sabotage groups,’” Podolyak <a href="https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1633160394427494415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on social media.
Investigators say that the 50-foot-long yacht Andromeda, rented from a harbor in northern Germany, could have served as a staging point for divers to swim down to the pipelines on the bed of the Baltic Sea and rig them with explosives. The boat carried traces of explosives when investigators examined it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was under suspicion of ordering the sabotage early on, though no evidence has been found connecting Russia with the explosions. It is unclear what motive Putin would have to carry out the attack, and skeptics have pointed out that if Russia wanted the pipelines offline, it could have cut off the supply of fuel.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-441512">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Putin has dismissed reports that suggested Ukraine or pro-Ukraine militants were responsible for sabotaging the pipeline.
“One should always look for those who are interested. And who is interested? Theoretically, of course, the United States is interested,” Putin <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-nord-stream-blasts-carried-out-state-level-2023-03-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. The Russian president added that whoever was responsible needed state support to pull it off.
The United States has been pointed to as a potential culprit, earning early suspicion because of some of President Joe Biden’s past opposition to Nord Stream and his pledge to “stop it.” Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who won a 1970 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, but whose later journalism has been strongly questioned, reported in February that the United States sabotaged the pipeline with help from Norway.
The U.S. and Norway have denied Hersh’s <a href="https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream">report</a>, which has not been corroborated. “This is false and complete fiction,” White House spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told Hersh.

Nord Stream 2

Denmark Invites Nord Stream’s Russian Operator To Salvage Unidentified Object Near Pipeline

Denmark

Germany

Global Politics

Nord Stream Pipeline

Russia

Ukraine

United States

World

A 15th-century shipwreck discovered in the 1970s continues to reveal what was traveling with King John of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/denmark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denmark</a> and how the ruling class lived. The well-preserved Danish warship, a favorite of the king, contained exotic spices and numerous plant foods, according to a new study in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0281010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in late January.
The Gribshunden, also known as the Griffon, was known as King John’s “floating castle” and has produced many new finds since its discovery off the southern coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea. It is one of the <a href="https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/09/new-discoveries-at-famous-gribshunden-shipwreck/144710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best-preserved</a> shipwrecks from the Age of Exploration, which lasted roughly from the 1400s to the 1600s. This study, the first on the archaeobotanical material from the site, sheds light on the luxuries “limited to the elites.”
&#8220;This is perhaps the most thrilling haul of spices from a shipwreck because of its age, quality of the plant remains—exotic, expensive spices—and the remarkable state of preservation,” Brendan Foley, a <a href="https://www.ark.lu.se/en/person/BrendanFoley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">researcher</a> at the Lund University’s Department of Archaeology and Ancient History and co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/shipwreck-500-year-old-floating-castle-gribshunden-found-thrilling-haul-1780019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsweek</a>. “Beyond shipwrecks, this is certainly among the most fabulous discoveries of spices in any archaeological context, on land or sea.”
The study, which is based on a 2021 excavation campaign of the site, split the finds from the wreck into five categories: cereals, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, and spices and nuts. Beyond the five food categories, researchers also discovered henbane, which was used for medicinal purposes. Archeologists discovered all of the botanical remains in the sediment within a square meter unit near the ship&#8217;s stern, according to the study.
Among the many spices found are ginger, saffron, black pepper, clove, black mustard, and dill. Other finds, which the study explains could be eaten as snacks, used in baking, or in the main meal, include berries, grapes, flax, nuts, and cucumber. The fruits and vegetables were found as seeds. Berries, which are highly perishable when fresh, were preserved likely by drying, allowing them to be identified.
This new discovery shows that luxury foods for kings, queens, and other royals weren’t confined to land only. “The consumption of luxurious foods was a crucial aspect of King Hans’ and other monarchs’ presentation of themselves to their subjects,” the study states. It explains that many of these spices and foods, including saffron, ginger, and grapes, were not accessible to most people in that period due to cost and rarity.
King John, or King Hans in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-king-of-Denmark-Norway-and-Sweden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Danish</a>, ruled both Denmark and Norway and was on his way to Sweden to convince them to rejoin the Scandinavian union, thereby becoming king of Sweden as well. On the way to the summit in Kalmar, Sweden, in the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-500-year-old-atlantic-sturgeon-royal-danish-shipwreck-180975744/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summer</a> of 1495, the Gribshunden caught on fire after an explosion, sinking the vessel and all the luxury goods that were aboard. The ship was docked off of Great Oak Island, and while King John was not on board, several crew members <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-500-year-old-atlantic-sturgeon-royal-danish-shipwreck-180975744/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">perished</a>.
One of the possible reasons for the many items that were aboard the ship was to “demonstrate to the Swedish delegation the authority and wealth of his crown,” by showing off artillery, warships, soldiers, and other weapons, in addition to “soft power signifiers: coinage, artwork, splendid livery, and delicacies for feasting,” according to the study.
Foley <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/shipwreck-500-year-old-floating-castle-gribshunden-found-thrilling-haul-1780019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> the ship is &#8220;a well-preserved example of the enabling technologies that led to European domination of the planet after 1492.&#8221;

Skeleton Coast Shipwreck, Namibia

King’s 15th-Century ‘Floating Castle’ Shipwreck Reveals New ‘Thrilling Haul’

Archaeology

Europe

History

Archeologists believe they have discovered the remains of a thousand-year-old Viking hall in Denmark, the Historical Museum of Northern Jutland said in a December <a href="https://nordjyskemuseer.dk/vikingehal-fra-harald-blaatands-tid-dukket-op-ved-hune/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.
The remains were discovered as archeologists excavated the area before <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article270472347.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">constructing</a> a house in Hune, a small village in northern Denmark. Archeologist Thomas Rune Knudsen says the discovery is the biggest Viking Age discovery in over a decade.
&#8220;This is the largest Viking Age find of this nature in more than ten years, and we have not seen anything like it before here in North Jutland, even though it has only been partially excavated,&#8221; Knudsen, who is the excavation leader for the museum, said in the press release.
Knudsen believes that the hall was once a “prestigious building” that could have been used for political meetings and Viking guilds. The hall is 130 feet long and 33 feet wide, according to the museum. There are 10 to 12 oak posts that once helped support the roof. The posts, which measure 90 by 50 cm, are rectangular cross-sections.
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Remains of a Viking Hall Found in Denmark <a href="https://t.co/nlhtVoUytn">https://t.co/nlhtVoUytn</a> <a href="https://t.co/yS5RjA0U1K">pic.twitter.com/yS5RjA0U1K</a>
&mdash; Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gizmodo/status/1610356353603883008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Based on the style of the hall, archeologists believe it is from the time of King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, who <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harald-I-king-of-Denmark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> Denmark and Norway from AD 958-985. The press release says “for this reason the hall can tentatively be dated to the late Viking Age, i.e. last half of the 9th century or the very first part of the 11th century.”
Today’s Bluetooth, the wireless technology used to connect devices, is actually named after the Danish king. “Bluetooth” got his name from a dead tooth that appeared dark blue, according to the <a href="https://www.bluetooth.com/about-us/bluetooth-origin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bluetooth website</a>. During a 1996 meeting between Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia to standardize the technology, Jim Karach of Intel pitched the name Bluetooth as a temporary solution.
“King Harald Bluetooth…was famous for uniting Scandinavia just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link,” Kardach was later quoted as saying. Beyond uniting Denmark and Norway, “Bluetooth” is also known for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harald-I-king-of-Denmark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">converting</a> the Danes to Christianity.
Knudsen believes that there are likely more structures and houses within the vicinity of the hall, saying “a hall building of this nature rarely stands alone.” In addition to the discovery of the Viking hall, researchers believe they even know who the plot of land might have belonged to. The museum says they had previously found a raised stone measuring one and a half meters high. The stone, dated AD 970-1020, has an inscription, reading &#8220;Hove, Thorkild, Thorbjørn set their father Runulv den Rådnilde&#8217;s stone.”
&#8220;It is difficult to prove that the found Viking hall belonged to the family of Runulv den Rådsnilde, but it is certainly a possibility,” Knudsen said. “If nothing else, the rune stone and hall represent the same social class and both belong to society&#8217;s elite.&#8221;
Only half of the hall has been excavated, but archeologists have plans to resume operations in the new year when the weather improves. They will also use more scientific dating and are expected to release those results closer to the end of the year.

Remains Of Thousand-Year-Old Viking Hall Found In Denmark, Museum Says

Authorities in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/denmark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denmark</a> revealed on Tuesday that “powerful explosions” caused damage last month to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nord-stream-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nord Stream</a> pipeline system.
The pipelines, which carried <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> under the Baltic Sea from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a>, have been the center of geopolitical strife since the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasion of Ukraine</a>. Russia nixed shipments through Nord Stream 1 several weeks ago, while Germany blocked the adjacent Nord Stream 2 from beginning shipments days before the war started. Sweden and Denmark <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> damage to the pipelines on September 26 as the system operator confirmed that the destruction was “unprecedented.”
The Danish Police Intelligence Service released a <a href="https://politi.dk/koebenhavns-politi/nyhedsliste/pet-og-k%C3%B8benhavns-politi-neds%C3%A6tter-f%C3%A6lles-efterforskningsgruppe-i-sagen-om-gasl%C3%A6kager-i-%C3%B8sters%C3%B8en/2022/10/18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> announcing that preliminary investigations of the “crime scenes” confirm “extensive damage” to the pipelines caused by “powerful explosions.”
Denmark suggested that cooperation with the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, could be on the table as other countries carry out their own investigations. Swedish authorities said that evidence “has strengthened the suspicions of gross sabotage,” while the “continued preliminary investigation must show whether someone can be served with suspicion and later prosecuted.”
Footage shot by a Norwegian robotics company and <a href="https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/forsta-bilderna-fran-sprangda-gasroret-pa-ostersjons-botten/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> this week by the Swedish newspaper Expressen showed a massive tear in Nord Stream 1, with parts of the pipeline lodged in the seabed and over 50 meters of the system missing.
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<div id="attachment_451870" style="width: 992px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451870" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-451870 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616290-982x576.jpg" alt="" width="982" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616290-982x576.jpg 982w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616290-300x176.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616290-768x451.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616290-1536x901.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616290.jpg 2032w" sizes="(max-width: 982px) 100vw, 982px" />Gas leak causes bubbles on the surface of the water at Sea in Sweden on September 30 (Swedish Coast Guard Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)</div>
Meanwhile, the European Commission announced <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_6238" target="_blank" rel="noopener">details</a> of a proposal meant to increase security for infrastructure in the European Union. Ministers are encouraged to conduct stress tests on entities operating critical infrastructure while authorities in Brussels assume a “stronger support and coordination role” among member states and allies.
While some European ministers said Russia may have destroyed its own pipelines to increase gas prices, others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-fuels-suspicion-u-s-behind-nord-stream-sabotage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blamed</a> the United States for the damage, which caused natural gas to spew toward the surface of the Baltic Sea. Disabling the pipelines would remove the possibility of Germany caving to Russia and ending sanctions in time to import energy for the winter.
Footage of President Joe Biden threatening to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline days before the beginning of the war <a href="https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1574685985115607040?s=20&amp;t=exDoFSWQyGXDG_Cpl8TgOQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resurfaced</a> on social media after the pipelines suffered damage. The commander-in-chief had initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-sanctions-russian-owned-company-behind-nord-stream-2-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waived</a> sanctions against the Russian-owned company behind Nord Stream 2, although he reimposed sanctions shortly before the conflict began.
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<div id="attachment_451871" style="width: 992px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-451871" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-451871 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616157-982x576.jpg" alt="" width="982" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616157-982x576.jpg 982w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616157-300x176.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616157-768x451.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616157-1536x901.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/GettyImages-1243616157.jpg 2032w" sizes="(max-width: 982px) 100vw, 982px" />A fourth leak was reported on September 30 in the Nord Stream gas pipelines off the coast of Sweden (Swedish Coast Guard Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)</div>
“If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it,” Biden said earlier this year. After a reporter pressed him, Biden responded: “I promise you, we will be able to do it.”
The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline system threatens to worsen the energy supply crisis facing much of Europe. Natural gas shipments from Russia, which had already paused exports through Nord Stream 1 before the pipeline suffered damage, accounted for 40% of the European natural gas supply last year, a rate that had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> to 9% as of last month. Germany, the continent’s largest economy, has seen dependence on Russian natural gas decrease from 55% to 35%.
The European Union is currently weighing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-questions-russian-oil-price-cap-considers-making-fossil-fuel-companies-pay-a-solidarity-contribution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">various measures</a>, such as consumption limits, to help member states triage their power supplies through the winter. Several nations, including France and Spain, have already called for residents to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce</a> power consumption.

Denmark reports leak in Russian Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline

Danish Police Reveal Cause Of Nord Stream Pipeline Damage

Preliminary Investigation Shows Nord Stream Pipeline Destroyed By 'Powerful Explosions'

Oil and Gas

Sweden

Ukraine-Russia War

Royal family members said they are &#8220;saddened and in shock&#8221; after Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced she was removing the royal titles of several grandchildren because it&#8217;s best for their future.
In a <a href="https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/changes-in-titles-and-forms-of-address-in-the-royal-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the Royal House of Denmark, the 82-year-old monarch announced that four of her eight grandchildren will no longer be identified by their royal titles, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/29/denmarks-queen-margrethe-strips-grandchildren-of-prince-and-princess-titles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> reported.
The grandchildren will be identified as &#8220;His Excellency Count of Monpezat&#8221; or &#8220;Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat&#8221; starting on January 1, 2023, the outlet noted.
All four of Prince Joachim&#8217;s children: Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will maintain their places in order of succession. Joachim is currently the sixth in line to the throne.
Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg — the mother of Prince Nikolai and Prince Feliz made it clear she was &#8220;confused&#8221; by the move.
&#8220;We are saddened and in shock,&#8221; Prince Joachim&#8217;s ex-wife shared in a statement from her press advisor Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen, according to Danish magazine <a href="https://www.seoghoer.dk/kongelige/prins-joachim-prinsesse-marie-og-grevinde-alexandra-boernene-foeler-sig-udstoedt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Se og Hør</a>.
&#8220;This comes like a bolt from the blue,&#8221; she added. &#8220;The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.&#8221;
Margrethe, who is now the longest-reigning monarch after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/without-any-hesitation-we-booked-the-trains-to-be-here-thousands-fill-london-streets-to-pay-final-respects-to-the-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Elizabeth II&#8217;s death</a>, defended the move and said, &#8220;It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason,&#8221; <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20220928152771/queen-margarethe-denmark-breaks-silence-stripping-royal-grandchildren-titles/?utm_medium=social_media&amp;campaign=hellouk&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1664396218" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hello! magazine</a> noted.
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Denmark&#39;s Queen Margrethe II strips four grandchildren of royal titles <a href="https://t.co/U2uraLV78Z">https://t.co/U2uraLV78Z</a>
&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1575431590007676934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the statement from the Denmark royal household, it said that Her Majesty The Queen in 2018 &#8220;bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat.&#8221;
“In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult,&#8221; the message on the website read. &#8220;As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim&#8217;s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued.&#8221;
&#8220;Prince Joachim&#8217;s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.&#8221;
The statement concluded with a message that the queen&#8217;s move is in hopes that this will &#8220;create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.&#8221;
It is unclear from the report if the queen&#8217;s decision had any connection to the drama involving two of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren Prince Harry and Prince William, their spouses Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, and their children.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/palace-staff-nicknamed-meghan-markle-narcissistic-sociopath-says-bombshell-new-book" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palace Staff Nicknamed Meghan Markle &#8216;Narcissistic Sociopath,&#8217; Says Bombshell New Book</a>

Queen Denmark-2

‘Saddened And In Shock’: Denmark’s Queen Strips Grandchildren Of Royal Titles

Denmark’s Queen Strips Grandchildren Of Royal Titles

Celebrities

Entertainment

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry

Queen Elizabeth

Royal Family

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Talk about a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prince-harry-and-meghan-put-in-second-row-at-queens-funeral-harry-forbidden-from-saluting-her-casket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">royal</a> screwup!
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The British Foreign Office is red-faced and apologizing after inviting a Danish princess to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-in-the-bleachers-president-first-lady-seated-14-rows-back-at-queen-elizabeths-funeral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funeral of Queen Elizabeth</a>, only to rescind the invitation after realizing it was a mistake. The humiliating faux pas prompted an official mea culpa from the British Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office.
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<div>
“The FCDO has passed on their profound apologies to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/denmark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Danish Royal Household</a> through the Danish Embassy,” a spokesperson said.
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<div>
Princess Mary had been invited Monday’s funeral and was confirmed to attend, with the Danish royals RSVPing a week ago, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11230315/Foreign-office-apologises-Princess-Mary-Denmark-invited-Queens-funeral-MISTAKE.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Daily Mail reported</a>.
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<div>
“HM The Queen and the Crown Prince Couple [will be] present at the State Funeral of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/variety-delays-meghan-markle-cover-issue-out-of-respect-for-queen-elizabeth-ii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Elizabeth II</a>,” the Danish royals wrote.
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She wasn&#39;t invited to William &amp; Kate&#39;s wedding.
She is disinvited from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QueenElizabeth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QueenElizabeth</a>&#39;s funeral.
Poor Princess Mary ☹️
The British <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalFamily</a> is classless and rude!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotMyKing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotMyKing</a> <a href="https://t.co/PmHePgBI5K">pic.twitter.com/PmHePgBI5K</a>
&mdash; Murielle de Brazen-Hussy 🇫🇷 🇬🇦 (@Mu_Ri_Elle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mu_Ri_Elle/status/1571329595668045824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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But on Monday, the family followed up with a new statement that belied the royal indignity.
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“Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince” would do their mourning back home, a statement said.
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Some 2,000 heads of state and other leaders attended Monday’s service in Westminster Abbey, prior to the queen’s interment at Windsor Castle. The beloved monarch died September 8 at age 96 after a record 70-year reign. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden represented the U.S. at the event.
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The British Foreign Office on Tuesday confirmed to the Daily Mail that it sent an apology to the Danish Royal Household via the Danish Embassy. The mistake was deemed a “regrettable error” by the Foreign Office, which was pressed to send out hundreds of invitations in a short window.
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Each guest was officially allowed to bring one other person, and with Queen Margrethe and her son, Crown Prince Frederik, on the list, there was no “plus 1” for the prince. The Australian-born, 50-year-old princess was left behind.
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“There has been a regrettable error in the invitation from the British Foreign Office&#8217;s protocol,” The Danish Royal House said.
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Princess Mary, who married Frederik in 2004, is a high-profile figure in European circles, carrying out numerous engagements on behalf of her 82-year-old mother-in-law and serving on organizations including the United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organization, and the Danish Refugee Council.
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Still, the rules were apparently bent for other European royals. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, of the Netherlands, brought his mother Princess Beatrix, and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, of Spain came along with former King Juan Carlos I, who abdicated in 2014, and his wife Sofia.
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Danish royal watchers said the whole thing was embarrassing.
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“It&#8217;s really clumsy and unfortunate,” said BT&#8217;s royal correspondent Jacob Heinel Jensen. “It has meant that the Royal House must now say that a mistake had been made, and that is embarrassing.”
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Crown Prince Frederik And Crown Princess Mary Of Denmark Visit Germany

‘Clumsy And Unfortunate’: European Princess’ Invite To Queen’s Funeral Rescinded At Last Minute

'Clumsy And Unfortunate': European Princess' Invite To Queen's Funeral Rescinded At Last Minute

United Kingdom

A shooting at a Denmark shopping mall reportedly injured and killed multiple people at a location near a scheduled Sunday evening Harry Styles concert.
The incident occurred at the Fields Mall in Copenhagen, with law enforcement <a href="https://twitter.com/KobenhavnPoliti/status/1543636487966793728?s=20&amp;t=98EQG7cqDmGczY1IETXtrQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urging</a> shoppers and workers to shelter in place as they secured the area.
&#8220;More than one person is confirmed dead, and several people are injured,&#8221; law enforcement announced in a recent update.
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More than one person is confirmed dead, and several people are injured. If you are in Copenhagen, contact your relatives and let them know, that you are ok. Please forward our information, if you have friends or relatives in the area <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/politidk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#politidk</a>
&mdash; Københavns Politi (@KobenhavnPoliti) <a href="https://twitter.com/KobenhavnPoliti/status/1543677045749817346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In a <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-03/several-people-shot-at-copenhagen-shopping-mall-police-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a>, police inspector Søren Thomassen, head of the Copenhagen police operations unit, offered some preliminary information.
“We know that there are several dead” and “several injured,” Thomassen said. “We do not have information that others are involved. This is what we know now.”
A later update noted that one person had been <a href="https://twitter.com/KobenhavnPoliti/status/1543642468310306816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in connection with the shooting, with no information on the person&#8217;s identity. Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/reports-shooting-shopping-mall-copenhagen-danish-police-2022-07-03/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that the Danish police had arrested a &#8220;22-year-old Danish man&#8221; and could not rule out an &#8220;act of terrorism.&#8221;
The man reportedly carried a &#8220;hunting rifle,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62030919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> one witness, per BBC News.
Field&#8217;s is the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/03/world/europe/copenhagen-shooting-fields-mall.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest shopping center</a> in Denmark, the New York Times reported.
Videos on social media showed shoppers running from the shopping center.
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Fields 45 minutes ago 
1 person driven in an ambulance <a href="https://t.co/FtCHl41rD7">pic.twitter.com/FtCHl41rD7</a>
&mdash; Patrick (@_Mirror_man) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Mirror_man/status/1543637641345785858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Copenhagen Mayor Sophie Anderson provided a <a href="https://twitter.com/SophieHAndersen/status/1543646798631280641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brief update</a> on Twitter, noting that officials are still uncertain how many people are injured or dead, adding the city is prepared to help if local police call for assistance.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Shots were fired in a mall in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Copenhagen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Copenhagen</a>, in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Denmark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Denmark</a>. The Copenhagen police is treating this shooting inside the shopping center as a &quot;serious mass victim event&quot; and dozens of first emergency responders are parked outside the shopping center. All my support to Police. <a href="https://t.co/LtX63jvnGk">pic.twitter.com/LtX63jvnGk</a>
&mdash; Other Europe 🇪🇺 (@other_europe) <a href="https://twitter.com/other_europe/status/1543648994005598213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The location of the shooting is less than a mile from a venue scheduled for a concert by musical artist Harry Styles on Sunday evening. It is not yet certain whether the performance will be held as initially planned.
Styles wrote on Snapchat, ”My team and I pray for everyone involved in the Copenhagen shopping mall shooting. I am shocked. Love H.”
The <a href="https://www.hstyles.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tour</a> is one of his European stops of Styles&#8217; &#8220;Love On Tour.&#8221; Other locations include Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, and Budapest.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreakingNews</a> : Police confirm that multiple people were shot at Field’s Mall in Copenhagen, Denmark. Harry Styles is expected to perform in a nearby arena later tonight. <a href="https://t.co/jPnnLmbLl2">pic.twitter.com/jPnnLmbLl2</a>
&mdash; BRAVE SPIRIT (@Brave_spirit81) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brave_spirit81/status/1543639003987058689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The incident follows a string of mass shootings in the U.S., including a mass shooting of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May that led to a new gun safety bill signed by President Joe Biden last month.
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“God willing,” Biden <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/25/us/politics/gun-control-bill-biden.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “it’s going to save a lot of lives.”
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“When it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential,” he added.
This is a developing story. Updates may be added.
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Denmark mall shooting

Denmark Mall Shooting Leaves Several People Injured, Killed In Location Near Harry Styles’ Concert Venue

Denmark Mall Shooting Leaves Several People Injured, Killed In Location Near Harry Styles' Concert Venue

Law Enforcement

Mass Shooting

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced that the European nation will end nearly all of its pandemic restrictions on February 1, despite other European countries extending restrictions.
“We say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome the life we knew before” the pandemic, Frederiksen said, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-sweden-public-health-8650596378aa96b985665d3cf8a979b3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Associated Press. “As of Feb. 1, Denmark will be open.”
The prime minister also addressed the contrast between infection rates and the decision to return to pre-pandemic practices.
&#8220;It may seem strange that we want to remove restrictions given the high infection rates,&#8221; Frederiksen said. &#8220;But fewer people become seriously ill.&#8221;
Denmark has maintained strict requirements for mask-wearing on public transportation and in most indoor venues. Beginning next week, masks will only be required in hospitals, healthcare facilities, and homes for the elderly.
&#8220;According to Health Minister Magnus Heunicke, Denmark&#8217;s recent cases of COVID were more than 46,000 daily on average; however, only 40 people are in hospital intensive care units,&#8221; Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/denmark-end-most-covid-restrictions-welcome-life-we-knew-before-1673373" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Despite being among one of the first countries to shut down in early 2020, Denmark now stands apart as one of the first European nations to roll back restrictions.
Last week, the U.K. announced it was ending most of its pandemic restrictions as well. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/england-to-scrap-most-covid-restrictions-boris-johnson-announces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
Mandatory mask-wearing on public transportation and in stores, guidelines on working from home, as well as vaccine certifications will be ended next week. Johnson said that the rule making individuals prove recent recovery from a coronavirus infection or display a vaccine certificate to attend certain large events will stop, as well. 
The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/boris-johnson-announces-end-to-all-omicron-covid-restrictions-in-england">reported</a>, “The prime minister also told the Commons that the legal requirement on people with coronavirus to self-isolate would be allowed to lapse when the regulations expired on 24 March, and that date could be brought forward.”
Johnson also stated that students will no longer be required to wear masks at secondary schools. 
“From tomorrow we will no longer require face masks in classrooms and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas,” Johnson told the Commons.
</blockquote>
The two nations stand in strong contrast with other European nations that have extended COVID-19 restrictions.
In Austria, a new fine for the unvaccinated is set to begin.
&#8220;Austria’s lower house of parliament on Thursday approved a coronavirus vaccine mandate for all adults starting Feb. 1, with violators facing as much as $4,000 in fines,&#8221; The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/21/global-fines-unvaccinated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week.
Italy moved forward with a super vaccine pass starting January 10 that <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/italy-targets-unvaccinated-virus-restrictions-82177980" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires</a> &#8220;proof of vaccination or recovery from a recent infection required to enter public transport, cafes, hotels, gyms and other popular venues.&#8221;
In November, Greece announced the first age-specific European mandate that requires citizens 60 years old and above to be vaccinated. Failure to do so includes a fine.
&#8220;Authorities said those who failed to comply from Jan. 16 would face a recurring monthly fine of 100 euros,&#8221; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/greece-make-vaccinations-persons-over-60-mandatory-pm-2021-11-30/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Reuters.
Greece also &#8220;barred unvaccinated people from indoor spaces including restaurants, cinemas, museums and gyms as daily COVID-19 cases hit record highs,&#8221; in November, according to the report.

Denmark cafe

Denmark Ending Nearly All Pandemic Restrictions: ‘Welcome The Life We Knew Before’

COVID

Vaccines

Costa Rica and Denmark created a diplomatic alliance to discourage fossil fuel drilling.
The two countries formed the “<a href="https://www.beyondoilandgasalliance.com/#:~:text=the%20Beyond%20Oil%20%26%20Gas%20Alliance%20%28BOGA%29.%20BOGA,just%20transition%20away%20from%20oil%20and%20gas%20production.">Beyond Oil &amp; Gas Alliance</a>” to “gather a group of ambitious governments that are committed to delivering a managed and just transition away from oil and gas production.” The new group wants to deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement’s provisions regarding phasing out fossil fuel production.
The alliance’s goals are to:
<blockquote>Strengthen global climate ambition by aligning oil and gas production with the Paris Agreement goal of well below 2oC, pursuing efforts for 1.5oC.
Raise the issue of fossil fuel supply on the international climate and energy agenda, and promote dialogue on the need for a managed and just phase-out of oil and gas production.
Capture and leverage momentum from first movers on oil and gas phase-out and encourage others to take action, by providing a home for those new commitments.
Create an international community of practice that can support governments in delivering their commitment to a managed and just phase-out of oil and gas production.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/oil-and-gas-inside-the-diplomatic-alliance-to-keep-fossil-fuels-in-the-ground.html">CNBC</a> reports that Costa Rica and Denmark will seek to promote the treaty — which is legally binding — at United Nations climate talks in November. As Danish climate minister Dan Jorgensen recently argued: “There is no scenario in which we burn all the oil and gas that we can find and in which we stay below 2 degrees — and definitely not 1.5. It is just not possible, so we need to stop.”
A recent investor note from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/analysts-climate-alarmism-leading-people-to-have-fewer-children">Morgan Stanley</a> analysts said that the “movement to not have children owing to fears over climate change is growing and impacting fertility rates quicker than any preceding trend in the field of fertility decline.”
Indeed, the United States birth rate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/us-birth-rate-falls-another-four-percent-to-lowest-level-in-nearly-a-century">fell</a> by 4% in 2020 — reaching the lowest level since health officials started tracking it more than a century ago.
Morgan Stanley’s note was released shortly before the United Nations released a nearly 4,000-page climate <a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-latin-america-middle-east-africa-europe-1d89d5183583718ad4ad311fa2ee7d83">report</a> that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called a “code red for humanity.” As the AP summarized, the report “described five different future scenarios based on how much the world reduces carbon emissions.”
Among the possibilities are “a future with incredibly large and quick pollution cuts,” “another with intense pollution cuts but not quite as massive,” “a scenario with moderate emission cuts,” “a fourth scenario where current plans to make small pollution reductions continue,” and “a fifth possible future involving continued increases in carbon pollution.”

United Nations

Costa Rica And Denmark Recruit Other Governments To Discourage Oil And Gas Drilling

Climate Change

Soccer fans both in the stadium and watching at home were stunned on Saturday as they watched Denmark and Inter Milan soccer star, Christian Eriksen, collapse during his country’s group-stage match against Finland in the first round of the ongoing Euro 2020 tournament.
A few minutes before the end of the first half of the game, a throw-in was played toward Eriksen, who collapsed soon after. Players immediately ran to his side, and called for medical staff who rushed onto the pitch to deliver first aid.
UEFA — the governing body of European soccer — announced that the game was suspended as medical care was given to Eriksen, with the crowd looking on in shock as Eriksen appeared to receive CPR.
Eriksen received an outpouring of support both on the pitch and on social media. Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed in 2012 while playing for Bolton Wanderers after suffering cardiac arrest, tweeted in reaction to Eriksen’s collapse, “Please God.”
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Please God
&mdash; fabrice muamba (@fmuamba6) <a href="https://twitter.com/fmuamba6/status/1403755726779170829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“The fans are in shock — everyone in the stadium definitely is. I don&#8217;t think many people have left. They are just sitting there, not knowing what to do. Everybody is in shock,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/50940600/page/2">reported</a> Pat Nevin for BBC Radio 5 Live. “He is such an incredibly loved player, and a fabulously talented player. We hope and pray for good news.”
Later, UEFA announced on their Twitter account that Eriksen was “now in hospital and in a stable condition.”
“UEFA wishes Christian Eriksen a full and speedy recovery and wishes to thank both teams for their exemplary attitude,” the tweet added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The match had been suspended due to a medical emergency which involved Denmark&#39;s Christian Eriksen. The player in now in hospital and in a stable condition. 
UEFA wishes Christian Eriksen a full and speedy recovery and wishes to thank both teams for their exemplary attitude.
&mdash; UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/EURO2020/status/1403777380259409923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Danish Football Association also <a href="https://twitter.com/DBUfodbold/status/1403766834655080449">reported</a> that Eriksen was awake and awaiting more tests in hospital. John Murray reported for the BBC that the English Football Association released a messaging, saying &#8220;Our thoughts this evening are with Christian Eriksen and his family, and all connected with the Danish Football Union.&#8221; 
Tottenham Hotspur, Eriken’s former club team, also reacted on Twitter.
“All of our thoughts are with Christian Eriksen and his family,” they tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
All of our thoughts are with Christian Eriksen and his family. 🙏🏼 🤍
&mdash; Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/1403762190881001473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Later, the Danish Football Association announced that “Christian Eriksen is awake and his condition remains stable.”
“He remains hospitalized at Rigshospitalet for further examinations. The match against Finland will be played tonight. This happens after the players have been confirmed that Christian is okay. The match resumes at 20.30,” the Danish FA added.
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Christian Eriksen er vågen, og hans tilstand er fortsat stabil. Han forbliver indlagt på Rigshospitalet til yderligere undersøgelser.
Kampen mod Finland spilles færdig i aften. Dette sker efter at spillerne har fået bekræftet, at Christian er okay. Kampen genoptages kl. 20.30.
&mdash; DBU &#8211; En Del Af Noget Større (@DBUfodbold) <a href="https://twitter.com/DBUfodbold/status/1403774865186951177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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According to UEFA, the match was restarted “Following the request made by players of both teams.”
According to former Arsenal and England physiotherapist Gary Lewin, &#8220;The medical team will have gone into what we call the &#8217;emergency action plan.’”
&#8220;Every team and stadium has an action plan. The medical team will have tried to stabilize him on the pitch. I have to commend the players, the way they protected him and stood around him, I thought was incredible. It showed amazing team spirit,” Lewin continued. &#8220;Once the team have stabilized him, they would have got him into the cardiac position as soon as they possibly could. I think that&#8217;s obviously where he is now. I believe the early reports are he is conscious, so let&#8217;s cross our fingers.”
&#8220;The picture of him leaving the ground with oxygen, that&#8217;s another sign that whatever happened, the action taken by the medical team was very, very quick and very, very efficient,” Lewin added. &#8220;All I can say is what an amazing job they all did.&#8221;

Christian Eriksen

Soccer Star Christian Eriksen Stable After Collapsing During EURO Championship Game, CPR Given On Field

Soccer

Former Democrat President Barack Obama’s administration reportedly spied on U.S. allies in Europe and top European politicians – including German Chancellor Angela Merkel – by using Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service (FE).
“The findings are the result of a 2015 internal investigation in the Danish Defense Intelligence Service into NSA&#8217;s role in the partnership,” Reuters <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/u-spied-merkel-other-europeans-144355412.html">reported</a>. “According to the investigation, which covered the period from 2012 to 2014, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, including former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbrück.”
The alleged operation – dubbed “Operation Dunhammer” – allowed the NSA to obtain phone calls, texts, and chat messages to and from the official’s telephones.
Some of the reaction from European officials include:
<ul>
<li>Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg: &#8220;It&#8217;s unacceptable if countries which have close allied co-operation feel the need to spy on one another.&#8221;</li>
<li>French President Emmanuel Macron: “If the information is correct, then that’s unacceptable between allies, and even less so between European allies. We expect complete openness and a clarification of the facts from our Danish and American partners.”</li>
<li>French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune: &#8220;These potential facts, they are serious, they must be checked.&#8221;</li>
<li>Former German opposition leader Peer Steinbrück said it was &#8220;grotesque that friendly intelligence services are indeed intercepting and spying on top representatives&#8221; of other countries, adding: &#8220;politically I consider it a scandal.&#8221;</li>
<li>German government spokesman Steffen Seibert: &#8220;The federal government has taken note of the report and is in contact with all relevant national and international bodies for clarification. As a matter of principle, and you already know this, I would ask you to understand that the federal government does not openly comment on matters concerning intelligence activities.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Reports first surfaced that the Obama administration was spying on U.S. allies in 2013 when it was revealed that they had spied on <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/03/politics/germany-media-spying-obama-administration/index.html">Germany</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-wikileaks/obama-reassures-france-after-unacceptable-nsa-spying-idUKKBN0P32EM20150624">France</a>. The spying on France appears to have started during the latter years of former President George W. Bush’s administration.
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/31/europe/denmark-us-nsa-merkel-spying-intl/index.html">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Revelations that the US National Security Agency (NSA) tapped Merkel&#8217;s cellphone emerged in 2013 after former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden shared documents with The Guardian showing that a US official had handed the agency 200 phone numbers, including those of world leaders, for the agency to monitor.
The report did not name any of the 35 world leaders that were allegedly on in the list. However, few months after the initial reports, the <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/23/world/europe/germany-us-merkel-phone-monitoring/index.html">German government publicly said</a> it had information that suggested the US might have monitored Merkel&#8217;s cell phone. Germany&#8217;s Federal Prosecutor&#8217;s Office launched an investigation into the allegation, but <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/12/politics/germany-drops-probe-into-spying/index.html">dropped it in 2015</a>, saying it had uncovered insufficient evidence to launch a successful prosecution.</blockquote>
&#8220;The Danish government can and will not comment on speculation in the media concerning our intelligence services,&#8221; Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen said. &#8220;The position of the Danish government is clear &#8212; systematic targeting against our close allied partners is unacceptable. Clearly, that is a well-established principle that Danish authorities adhere to.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-INAUGURATION

Obama Administration Used Foreign Intelligence Service To Spy On U.S. Allies In Europe: Report

Obama Administration

<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-eyes-a-new-real-estate-purchase-greenland-11565904223">News broke</a> a couple of weeks ago that President Donald Trump is apparently interested in acquiring for the United States the barren, remote Arctic island of Greenland. Trump is hardly the first president to express an interest in acquiring the Danish semi-autonomous region for the United States. As Hank Berrien of The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50701/trump-considering-buying-worlds-biggest-island-hank-berrien">noted</a> at the time, the possibility of acquiring Greenland has been publicly floated by previous administrations: &#8220;President Harry Truman offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100 million in 1946&#8221; and &#8220;the State Department during the tenure of President Andrew Johnson considered buying Iceland and Greenland in 1867.&#8221;
At first blush, Greenland might not make a whole lot of sense as a potential acquisition object of the president&#8217;s affection. The island&#8217;s population is a whopping 56,000, and over three-quarters of the landmass of the largely politically autonomous island contains the world&#8217;s only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica. Overall, due to its harsh climate and sprawling terrain, Greenland is the least densely populated territory in the world.
But from a geopolitical standpoint, Trump is completely correct to seriously look into acquiring Greenland. Doing so, as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/opinion/politics/greenland-trump.html?action=click&amp;module=Opinion&amp;pgtype=Homepage">persuasively argued</a> in The New York Times earlier this week, would strongly redound to America&#8217;s national security interests. There are at least four main reasons why: Russia, China, energy, and Space Force.
Russia was the primary reason why Truman considered acquiring Greenland in the incipient stages of the Cold War. Greenland is a massive landmass that, from its upper Atlantic Ocean Arctic perch, looks down upon Iceland, Northern Europe, and Russia. Despite failing to formally acquiring the island, Truman and subsequent Cold War presidents used Greenland — eventually centered around Thule Air Base — as a strategic base to deter Russian (then Soviet) hegemony in the Atlantic. Today, a formally acquired Greenland would allow American presidents to install serious missile defense infrastructure — which would largely serve to deter Putin&#8217;s Russia, but could also serve to deter other would-be intercontinental ballistic missile hostile regimes, such as the theocratic Islamist regime in Iran.
China, as Cotton noted in the Times, has actually formally attempted numerous times to purchase naval and aerial infrastructure in Greenland over the past few years. While Denmark ultimately rebuffed each request, it is nonetheless harrowing to consider that the far-East nation of China — the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/47057/hammer-china-americas-greatest-21st-century-threat-josh-hammer">number one geopolitical threat</a> to the United States in the 21st century — has expressed so much interest in acquiring a military foothold on the outskirts of North America. The Chinese desire to acquire territory in Greenland accords with China&#8217;s over-arching recent <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/06/pompeo-arctic-china-russia-1302649">desire to expand its military presence in the broader Arctic</a>, more generally. The Trump administration has been concerned about China&#8217;s Arctic ambitions for awhile, and Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/06/pompeo-arctic-china-russia-1302649">reported</a> in May that the administration had already been worrying that Greenland was &#8220;vulnerable to encroaching Chinese influence.&#8221; An American acquisition of Greenland would therefore not merely allow for the imposition of missile defense materiel to deter Russia; it would also allow for a solidified stronghold to thwart the hegemonic ambitions of the world&#8217;s single most pernicious geopolitical actor, China.
Furthermore, Greenland is replete with all sorts of natural resources. The island has huge oil and natural gas reserves and many other reserves of rare-earth minerals that are indispensable to America&#8217;s tech and defense sectors. Despite the shrill cries of the enviro-statists and bovine flatulence-despising &#8220;Green New Deal&#8221; Jacobins, oil and natural gas will continue to power the American — and global — economy for the foreseeable future. And while the miraculous shale revolution has already made the United States one of the globe&#8217;s leading oil and natural gas producers, acquiring Greenland would only help more in fueling the literal and proverbial engines of the world&#8217;s preeminent macroeconomy. True energy independence — that constantly sought-after goal for every rational self-governing nation-state — would be that much closer for the United States, were it to successfully acquire Greenland.
Finally, it must also be said that the island of Greenland presents a highly intriguing potential base for the future U.S. Space Force that the Trump administration seems — at least if the president is re-elected — increasingly serious about establishing. The administration has not announced where Space Force would be based, but Greenland potentially makes a great deal of sense as a central hub. Wherever Space Force is based, there is sure to be no shortage of surrounding military infrastructure and high-grade weaponry. Greenland&#8217;s potential as a hub for Space Force would thus further solidify the island&#8217;s purpose vis-à-vis Russia and China alike — as a genuine deterrent to either arch-geopolitical foe&#8217;s potential desire to expand hegemonic ambitions into the northern Atlantic Ocean region.
Don&#8217;t believe the naysayers who claim that the Trump administration would be making a modern-day &#8220;Seward&#8217;s Folly&#8221; in acquiring Greenland. Just as the 1867 acquisition of Alaska has proven to be immensely beneficial for U.S. military, geopolitical, and energy interests, so too would a modern-day acquisition of Greenland redound to U.S. interests.

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