Latest news with #StineJacobsen
The Star
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sweden lowers national threat level
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden's security service said on Friday it had lowered the national threat assessment by one notch to "elevated" from "high", citing a gradual change in the overall situation. "The threat of attacks from violent extremism has been reduced for some time," Sweden's SAPO security police said in a statement. SAPO had raised the threat level to "high", the second highest level, in 2023 after Koran burnings by individuals in Sweden outraged Muslims in several countries and triggered jihadist threats. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen, editing by Terje Solsvik)
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Denmark inches towards ratifying US defence deal despite Greenland dispute
By Isabelle Yr Carlsson and Stine Jacobsen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's parliament on Friday took an important step towards ratifying a defence cooperation deal with the United States that expands the U.S. military's rights in the Nordic country despite a diplomatic dispute over Greenland. Recent opinion polls have shown significant opposition among Danes to the 10-year pact which, if ratified, would grant the U.S. military broad access to station troops and store equipment on Danish soil. U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence that the United States take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, for security reasons has soured relations between the two traditionally close NATO allies. The Danish and Greenland governments have both ruled out yielding the huge, resource-rich Arctic island to U.S. control. But despite the dispute, the Danish government, which signed the bilateral cooperation deal in 2023, when Joe Biden was U.S. president, has said it is critical to bolstering Denmark's defences at a time when Russia is regarded as an increasing threat to Europe due to its three-year-old war in Ukraine. On Friday the Danish parliament held the first of three readings of the bill before a final vote expected by end-June. A lawmaker representing Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's Social Democratic party defended the deal. "It would be decidedly unwise to push the United States away by throwing the most important defence agreement in many years straight into the bin," Simon Kollerup said. "The reality is that we have built the defence of Europe on our NATO membership," Frederiksen said in a similar message on Tuesday. "We want to hold on to that." The left-wing Alternative and Red-Green Alliance parties have indicated their opposition to the deal, though it is expected to pass thanks to support for the minority government's proposal from several other opposition parties. The deal does not cover Greenland itself, where the U.S. already enjoys wide access through a 1950s defence pact, or the Faroe Islands, another Danish territory in the North Atlantic. Finland, Sweden and Norway have also signed bilateral defence pacts with the United States in recent years.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shipping firm Maersk expects continued US growth but warns of rising uncertainty
By Stine Jacobsen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Danish shipping company Maersk ( has benefited from robust U.S. demand so far this year and expects that to continue, though the outlook could be clouded by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plans, it said on Wednesday. Maersk's regular global market outlook was published before Trump is expected to announce fresh tariffs later on Wednesday against nations that have duties on U.S. goods. "U.S. growth is (the) main scenario, but volatile geopolitics cloud economic visibility," the company said. Trump's new tariff plans have put the shipping industry on edge as it contemplates the possibility of suppressed transport demand in a brewing trade war. Maersk, one of the world's largest container shipping groups, cautioned that the looming U.S. tariffs could curb global trade flows despite the robust start to 2025. The company said it was monitoring early indicators of what could be slowing momentum in global supply chains. "With regard to tariffs, the situation remains unpredictable," Maersk said, adding that February data showed a continuing expansion of U.S. inventory levels. Ongoing and potential tariffs are causing shifts in inventory strategies, with some businesses accelerating imports and securing additional storage space, it added. The company highlighted declining U.S. consumer confidence over four consecutive months as a specific concern. "Consumers reacting to perceived risks and financial uncertainty can ultimately lead to cautious spending, which in turn can bring further ripple effects," it said, referring to U.S. influence on the global economy. The company's data showed that China's share of global container exports increased to an estimated 36% in 2024 from 32% in 2019.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Holdings nearly doubles earnings as Wegovy swells coffers
By Maggie Fick and Stine Jacobsen LONDON/COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk, nearly doubled annual income and investment returns to a record 8 billion euros ($8.66 billion) in 2024, it said on Wednesday. Fuelled by dividends from the company behind blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes treatment Ozempic, Novo Holdings is a life sciences investment powerhouse that manages assets for the Novo Nordisk Foundation, one of the world's biggest philanthropic bodies. "2024 was a very strong year for Novo Holdings, with our investment portfolio delivering its best ever performance," CEO Kasim Kutay said in a statement. The portfolio generated returns of 18% for the year, up from 9.4% in 2023, Novo Holdings said. Kutay said the company would focus this year on expanding its presence in Asia, with the opening of an office in Mumbai after significant investments already made in India last year. It now has 205 employees globally, its 2024 annual report said, up from 178 by the end of 2023. The portfolio comprises investments in life sciences and a broad range of assets - equities, bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity. It has controlling stakes in Novo Nordisk, in which it has 77% of voting shares, and Novonesis. In 2024 Novo Holdings invested 4.6 billion euros in life sciences targeting cancer, obesity and neurodegenerative disorders, adding 43 new companies while making 27 exits. Its biggest acquisition by far last year was of pharma manufacturing and services company Catalent for $16.5 billion, the largest healthcare buyout in 2024. It subsequently sold three Catalent manufacturing plants to Novo Nordisk for $11 billion to boost Wegovy production. However, total assets under management dropped slightly to 142 billion euros in 2024, from 149 billion in 2023, driven by a decline in Novo Nordisk's market value. Novo Nordisk's market value has roughly halved since July 2024, partly because of investor concern that it has lost its first-mover advantage in the fiercely competitive obesity drug market to U.S. rival Eli Lilly. ($1 = 0.9240 euros)
Reuters
11-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Novonesis to buy DSM-Firmenich's stake in enzymes venture for $1.6 bln
COPENHAGEN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Denmark's Novonesis ( opens new tab said on Tuesday that it had agreed to buy the stake of its partner, Swiss-Dutch chemical manufacturer DSM-Firmenich, in their joint enzymes venture for 1.5 billion euros ($1.55 billion). Get the latest news and expert analysis about the state of the global economy with the Reuters Econ World newsletter. Sign up here. Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik
