Last Week in Denmark (16.08 - 22.08) Episode 26
Your favorite weekly newsletter is back! Tragedy of Afghanistan; Government changes; Wildfires
Editor HQ
“Last Week in Denmark” is back in operation for season 2. :) After a long, but well-deserved vacation the team is ready to deliver once again, the weekly newsletter to your doorstep every Sunday before noon.
Updates: We will continue to use Substack, until we find the money that will allow us to move to a European-based platform. In that regard, we made an application for funding to the Danish Ministry of Culture. We will find out in early November if it is approved.
Public Health HQ
Status: 74,4% of the population has been vaccinated (4.353.824 people). 67,3% of the population has received the second vaccine shot (3.940.951 people). 83,3% have received Pfizer/BioNTech; 12,2% Moderna; 3,5% AstraZeneca and 1,1% Janssen. The region with the highest vaccination rate - North Denmark.
Corona infection status: There is an average of 900 new infected people every day. 116 people are hospitalized. The five municipalities with the highest rate of infection are: Albertslund, Høje-Taastrup, Ishøj, Brøndby and Hvidovre. Check out more data here.
Travel Guidelines: The ministry of Foreign Affairs, updates every week (on Saturday) the travel guidelines, by dividing the world into three colors (red, orange and green). This week there will be no changes in the travel guidelines as the ministry is busy with the evacuation in Afghanistan.
Danish Politics HQ
Government changes: Joy Mogensen resigned as minister of culture and church affairs. The Canadian-born former mayor of Roskilde also decided to end her political involvement. Why? Leading through the pandemic and losing an unborn child have taken a toll on her.
The new minister of culture and church affairs is Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen. Her previous role as minister of higher education and research has been taken over by Jesper Petersen. Ane Halsboe is a close ally of prime-minister Mette Frederiksen (they align ideologically inside the party) and she has been assigned as the new minister of culture, due to the prime-minister's interest in the future of the Danish media.
National Unit for Special Crime: The ministry of Justice made a law proposal that will strengthen the power of the state against money laundering and terrorism financing. If the law passes, a National Unit and a Public Prosecutor for Special Crime will be established.
Danish Economy HQ
The economy has recovered: According to the Danish National Bank, the Danish economy is expected to be in a mild boom in 2023. The data from Statistics Denmark shows that the Danish GDP (gross domestic product) grew by 2,2% in the period of April-June 2021. At the moment, the Danish GDP is at a higher level than before the pandemic.
The world's largest takeaway platform (outside of China) is the company Just Eat, which was founded in Kolding, Denmark (2001). The company is present in 24 countries and collaborates with over 580,000 restaurants. Their revenue increased 52% in 2021 compared to 2020.
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
OnlyFans: The British company announced that they will ban pornographic content on their platform from 1st of October. However, nude photos and videos are not covered by the ban.
The World in 2021 HQ
Special focus on Afghanistan
Stage: In the heart of Asia, at the crossroads of the Silk Road, there is a mountain land, slightly bigger than France, known as the “graveyard of empires”. From Alexander the Great, to the Mongols, British, Soviets and now Americans, each has tried to conquer and tame the land of the snow leopard, without success.
A rough and dangerous land, that is home to an ethnically diverse population (31 million) that speaks at least 2 languages (Dari and Pashto mainly). While almost 5 million people live in the capital, Kabul. Most of the people still follow the tribal lifestyle (in the rural areas or nomadic).
Known for opium (90% of world production of heroin), saffron (most expensive spice in the world) and carpet weaving (traditional afghan carpets are mind blowing), Afghanistan has also held the title of the largest refugee-producing country in the world, until Syria happened. Why? Well, according to Global Rights, almost 90% of the women have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse or forced marriage.
The Afghans (mainly the Pashtuns) follow the Pashtunwali, which means hospitality, the provision of sanctuary to those seeking refuge, revenge for the shedding of blood, tribal solidarity and high regard for personal honor.
Conflict origin: Afghanistan has been the playground (1979-1989) of the global struggle between capitalism and communism. The Soviets intervened in the favor of the ruling government, while the Americans financed anti-communist, radical islamists rebels. In 1989, the Soviets decide to withdraw leaving the country in the hands of the islamist rebels.
Until 1996, different rebel groups fought in a civil war for the right to govern the country. From the struggle, the “Taliban” group emerged victorious. However, the civil war didn’t stop there, as the other groups reorganized as the “Northern Alliance” and continued the struggle.
The Taliban: 1994, in Kandahar, mullah (spiritual guide) Mohammad Omar started the militia group together with 50 students (Taliban means students in Pashto). Financed by Pakistan, they were driven by the belief that communism should have been replaced with Islamic law after 1989. They conquered Kabul in 1996 and kind-of won the civil war, mainly because of support from the terrorist organization al-Qaeda (led by the infamous Osama Bin Laden). Today, there are 200,000 Taliban fighters.
Life under Taliban: Especially bad for artists (paintings, photography, movies with actors and instrumental music banned), women (not allowed in school, not allowed to work - with exception of healthcare, male company and burqa at all times in public) and LGBT-people. If rules were broken, the punishments included public flogging and execution.
American invasion: After the September 11 attacks (2001), the United States decided to invade Afghanistan in order to capture Osama Bin Laden and the rest of the al-Qaeda militants. By the end of 2001, the Taliban lost control of the country. However, they continued a form of guerilla warfare from the mountains until today. For the next 20 years, the United States invested 2261 billions to maintain the occupation in Afghanistan.
American retreat: On 29th February 2020, United States (President Trump) and the Taliban signed a conditional peace deal in Doha (Qatar). President Trump promised that in less than a year, the US troops will retreat. The plans to retreat didn’t change under President Biden, and on 15th August 2021, the Taliban took over the capital (Kabul). In advance of the US withdrawal, Biden had reportedly concluded that it was an “unwinnable war” and a situation without “a military solution.”
Denmark’s reaction: This week, the Danish government evacuated hundreds of Danes and Afghans (who worked for Denmark in Afghanistan). Also, the government decided to donate 100 million dkk to the Red Cross and UN to help Afghan refugees.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: On 19th of August 2021, the flag of the Afghanistan Republic was replaced with the Islamic Emirate flag, marking the end of one regime and the beginning of another one. At the same time, an anti-Taliban coalition formed in Panjshir Valley with the aim to restore the Republic of Afghanistan.
At the moment: Thousands of Afghans trapped in the capital are trying to escape Afghanistan, by means of air. The scenes at Airport Hamid Karzai are absolutely horrifying. In the same time, the Taliban have started a PR offensive to paint themselves as less-scary than imagined.
Further on: According to the British Minister of Defense, the “NATO forces are unlikely to return to Afghanistan”.
European Union HQ
Wildfires: Wildfires burning across southern Europe in the last month — whether sparked naturally by lightning, or by arsonists — have been fanned by drought and extreme heat. On Wednesday 11 August, Italy might have recorded Europe's highest temperature ever as Sicily hit 48.8 degrees Celsius. States affected - Italy (fires have been burning across the island since July), Cyprus (daily alert for forest fires since June), Greece ("natural disaster of unprecedented proportions”), Spain, France and Turkey.
Spain: The northern Spanish city of Gijón has cancelled its century-old bullfighting festival. The Socialist party had decided at its most recent congress to do away with the 133-year-old Begoña bullfighting festival, citing growing opposition among the city’s residents. Is this the beginning of the end for bullfighting in Spain?
Poland vs. justice independence: The Polish government decided to drop the political commission that can investigate and punish judges for the verdicts they pass, in order to respect a ruling from the European Court of Justice.
Poland vs. Holocausts survivors: Poland passed a law that limits property restitution to Jewish Holocaust survivors. Israel responded by recalling its top diplomat from Poland.
Poland vs. freedom of media: The Polish authorities did not renew the broadcasting license for the Discovery-owned and government-critical channel TVN24. The American company got instead a Dutch license which will allow it to continue broadcasting in Poland.
Team HQ
Curator: Narcis George Matache / Proofreader (English/Polish): Monika Elend
Marketing & Distribution: Cristian Pașcalău
Romanian-version team: Diana Popa, Delia-Claudia Sima, Oana Elena Tănase
Polish-version team: Monika Elend, Pawel Kubulus, Kajetan Domski, Miguel Oliveira
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