The decision comes after multiple Danish festivals—including Grøn Koncert, Kløften Festival, Bork Festival, and Bakkefesten—also cut the artist from their lineups. Trine Bang, Smukfest’s content director and a board member of the organizing Skanderborg Festivalklub, called the case a potential “benchmark” for future bookings, distinguishing it from past controversies over artistic expression.

“This case isn’t about statements or opinions but about threats and weapon possession—factors we’ve chosen to assess differently,” Bang told P1 Orientering. She acknowledged the complexity of such decisions, noting that the festival has previously hosted artists with criminal records, including Topgunn, who was convicted of assault in 2016.

Benny Jamz, who was Denmark’s fifth-most-streamed artist on Spotify last year, is appealing his conviction stemming from a March 2024 altercation with an ex-partner, during which he allegedly slashed her car tire with a knife. Though an appeal could overturn the ruling, Bang said the festival must act on the current verdict.

“We evaluate the situation as it stands now,” she said. “He has an unserved prison sentence, and while it’s under appeal, we must take responsibility for this year’s event.”

The rapper, who served a prior three-month sentence in 2022 for assaulting a nightclub bouncer with a liquor bottle, performed at Smukfest last year. Bang emphasized that the festival has no fixed rules for excluding artists with convictions but may reconsider bookings after sentences are served.

“Our strong principle is that artistic bookings are never automatically canceled due to legal cases,” she said, adding that future appearances by Benny Jamz remain possible. “This doesn’t mean someone can’t return after serving a sentence—just that we manage our brand in the festival’s best interest.”

Attempts by P1 Orientering to reach Benny Jamz for comment were unsuccessful.

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Jörgen Holmlund, a security specialist, described the breach—revealed Tuesday by Aftonbladet—as a serious incident, emphasizing that the consequences could have been severe had the intruder been an attacker rather than a reporter. “This could have gone very badly if it hadn’t been an investigative journalist,” he told SVT’s Aktuellt program.

The reporter, working for Aftonbladet, successfully infiltrated the prime minister’s network by volunteering under a false name for Birgitta Ed’s foundation, a charity linked to Kristersson’s wife. No additional security checks were conducted.

Holmlund warned that Sweden’s political leadership faces genuine threats, particularly given the country’s defense industry exports to Ukraine. Citing 502 recorded incidents last year—including sabotage and preparations for sabotage linked to Russia against European defense industries—he stressed that Swedish officials remain potential targets.

“If the goal is to disrupt our industrial production, political relations, or arms deliveries to Ukraine, then it is in Russia’s interest to target Swedish leadership,” Holmlund said. He urged authorities to treat the security lapse with greater seriousness, calling for immediate reviews to strengthen protections.

Kristersson, however, downplayed concerns in comments to SVT, stating he felt “very secure” with his current security arrangements.

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The brain relies on sleep to strengthen neural connections, consolidating memories and clearing space for new learning. “Memory doesn’t function as well when we’ve slept poorly,” Kornum said. Sleep is critical both before learning—preparing the brain to absorb information—and afterward, when it helps lock in what’s been learned.

Emotional control also weakens without adequate rest. Studies show sleep helps regulate mood, making it easier to manage frustration and interpret others’ emotions. “You’re more likely to lose your temper,” Kornum noted, adding that sleep can even dull the emotional intensity of traumatic memories over time.

Hormone regulation is another key function. During sleep, the body releases growth hormone, adjusts stress hormone cortisol (which naturally rises toward morning to prepare for waking), and fine-tunes other hormonal cycles. “Sleep keeps the body’s hormonal balance in check,” Kornum explained.

The effects extend beyond fatigue: poor sleep can heighten irritability, impair judgment, and leave gaps in recall—consequences familiar to many, particularly parents of young children.

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The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, examined the WAIS-IV test, a standardized IQ assessment adapted to Danish language and cultural norms. Researchers found that the test systematically underestimates the intelligence of bilingual individuals, even those born and raised in Denmark with high academic achievement.

Neuropsychologist Rune Nielsen, the study’s senior author, tested a group of Danish-born professionals—doctors, psychologists, and lawyers—of Arab descent, all with university-educated parents. Despite their qualifications, participants scored an average of 10 points lower than expected.

“Ten points is a significant margin,” Nielsen told DR. “If someone tests near 70 and then scores 10 points lower, they risk being misclassified as intellectually disabled. The consequences can be severe.”

The findings echo earlier criticism of Denmark’s use of culturally biased tests in child removal cases involving Greenlandic families, which prompted UN condemnation and the establishment of a special review unit. Now, lawyers warn that the same flaws may have affected cases involving other immigrant groups.

Jeanette Gjørret, an attorney specializing in child welfare cases, said her clients from diverse backgrounds consistently score abnormally low on such tests. “It’s striking that protections introduced for Greenlandic families don’t extend to others,” she said. “The state may be committing abuses akin to historical cases like the Sprogø girls.”

Anne Sofie Holm Petersen, another lawyer handling removal cases, noted that courts and child welfare agencies often prioritize test results over direct observations, such as supervised visits. “The system relies heavily on these tests, even when they contradict other evidence,” she said.

Gjørret called for a review of past cases, arguing that the new research removes any excuse for inaction. “Politicians must investigate whether children were removed based on flawed assessments,” she said. “We can’t perpetuate injustice just because we lack alternatives.”

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The assessment comes amid an energy crisis triggered by the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has already led to tens of thousands of cancelled flights and sharply higher ticket prices. While the agency expects fuel to flow “relatively normally” in the coming months, it warned that access could be restricted if tensions in the Middle East escalate.

“Sweden and Europe are heavily dependent on imports for this type of fuel, and significant volumes have already disappeared from the global market,” said Ella Kilim, head of energy preparedness at the agency. She noted that airlines may still cancel flights due to price spikes or local shortages, particularly on long-haul routes with multiple connections.

Asia remains the hardest-hit region, with travellers facing greater exposure to price hikes and disruptions. Kilim advised passengers to monitor travel updates, check foreign ministry advisories, secure travel insurance, and review consumer protections for air travel.

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The National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos) confirmed on June 5 that the number of open investigations had risen from 38 on May 21. Cases are distributed across eight of Norway’s twelve police districts: Oslo, Øst, Sør-Øst, Sør-Vest, Vest, Møre og Romsdal, Troms, and Finnmark.

In addition to the 45 active investigations, two cases are pending prosecution decisions. Five individuals have been identified as victims, while 15 are suspected of involvement. Of the suspects, ten are male and one is female, according to Kripos. Since the phenomenon emerged, 69 investigations have been launched across 21 case complexes, some involving the same individuals in multiple offenses.

Cases include allegations of producing and sharing sexual abuse material involving children, coercing self-harm, sexual violence, and other forms of severe exploitation. The average age of victims is 14.9 years, while suspects average 16.3 years. Twenty-nine cases have been closed without charges.

Oslo police are handling one of the two cases nearing prosecution, involving a male suspect charged with possession of sexualized images and videos of minors, online sexual abuse of a child under 16, coercion into self-harm, property destruction, and two counts of sexually offensive behavior.

Marte Heggli, head of prosecution in Oslo, emphasized the difficulty of uncovering such cases due to their occurrence in closed, inaccessible online forums. She noted that over half of similar cases reported in the U.S. in 2024 stemmed from tips by parents, underscoring the need for vigilance.

Other districts reported varying levels of involvement. Vest police confirmed ongoing investigations but declined to provide details. Sør-Vest police stated their two cases involved foreign nationals acting abroad, with Norwegian authorities cooperating with international counterparts as needed. Øst police, previously linked to three cases—including two male suspects and one female victim subjected to self-harm and sexual coercion—did not respond to requests for comment.

Finnmark police closed one investigation without charges, while Møre og Romsdal police concluded a case involving threats and coercion for personal information.

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Both sides abandoned a mediation proposal in late May, with the union calling the offer insufficient and employers deeming it too costly. Mediator Terje Sigurðsson confirmed to KVF that the parties had agreed to reconvene after reviewing Tuesday’s discussions, which concluded without public comment.

The current collective agreement expired on 1 October 2025. Negotiations have stalled repeatedly, including a failed mediation attempt on 26 May. Union chair Mary Antonsdóttir previously dismissed the proposal as inadequate, while KAF chair Per Martin Gregersen argued it was unaffordable.

Sigurðsson acknowledged the familiar impasse—“one side says it’s too little, the other says it’s too expensive”—but stressed that a resolution must eventually be found.

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The tower, which includes 25 social housing units, is intended to help address the capital’s housing shortage, according to Lord Mayor Sisse Marie Welling (SF). “Every month, more Copenhageners join the queue for housing, while fewer can afford the homes being built,” she said. “We need far more housing, and this project delivers it quickly.”

The decision comes despite criticism from architects and construction professionals, who argue the high-rise will do little to ease the housing crisis and will harm the climate. In an open letter to the mayor, signatories—including Mikkel Roesdahl of international firm Terroir—warned the tower’s scale would disrupt the area’s open character where the city meets the sea.

“A building of this size will alter the relationship between the city, the water, and the horizon in a way many of us consider incompatible with Copenhagen’s unique identity,” Roesdahl said.

The city council previously approved the local plan enabling the project, clearing the way for construction.

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Inspections have repeatedly found improperly stored waste—including construction debris, wood scraps, metal, and electronics—scattered across the resort’s grounds, some piled near a planned skating rink. Despite multiple cleanup orders, the site remains partially uncleared, with only one of several waste storage areas addressed since the first directive in autumn 2023.

Owner Juhani Eiramo was convicted in 2020 of aggravated environmental pollution for illegally burning and burying large volumes of waste between 2013 and 2018. Environmental authorities have continued to receive complaints about the resort’s waste management since the ruling.

The municipality’s environmental board will decide on the conditional fine—starting at €5,000 and increasing by €500 per month—during its Wednesday meeting. A final ruling is expected in September.

“We must trust the legal tools at our disposal,” said acting environmental chief Tommi Maasilta, acknowledging the slow pace of enforcement proceedings.

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The initiative, rolling out across social media and hospital walls, urges patients and relatives to “speak politely” to personnel, according to a report by Danish broadcaster DR. Rikke Vingaard, a union representative for nurses and radiographers, said incidents of staff being “shouted at, scolded, and insulted” have become increasingly common.

“Patients and visitors receive polite treatment from us—we expect the same in return,” Vingaard told DR. She acknowledged that long waits and delays often trigger frustration but stressed that “prioritizing one urgent case over another doesn’t justify abuse.”

The campaign, backed by the North Denmark Region, comes as staff report that repeated verbal attacks are eroding job satisfaction and, in extreme cases, leading to sick leave. “When it happens multiple times a day, it affects your desire to stay in the profession,” Vingaard said.

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