Amman - The Danish cartoonist who drew caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed three years ago which sparked worldwide protests by Muslims and a boycott of Danish products said he was ready to defend himself in an Amman court, Jordanian media reported Thursday.

"I would like to go to Amman to stand trial. However, what I fear is that I would be convicted in advance," Kurt Westergaard told the Jordan Times in an interview that was conducted in Copenhagen earlier this week.

On June 3, Amman Prosecutor Hassan Abdullat subpoenaed Westergaard and 20 other Danish journalists and editors involved in the republication of the 12 controversial images that were originally published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September 2005.

Copenhagen  - A majority of Danish voters oppose abolishing the country's opt-out on justice and home affairs from the European Union, according to a poll published Tuesday.

Denmark joined the bloc in 1973, but obtained opt-outs that include security and defence policy, justice and home affairs and the euro after voters initially rejected the Maastricht Treaty in a 1992 referendum.

A majority of voters - 39.4 per cent - opposed scrapping the opt- out on justice and home affairs while 30.1 per cent were in favour of dropping it, the survey by polling institute Catinet Research suggested.

The remaining 30.5 per cent of the 1,070 people surveyed were undecided according to the poll commissioned by Danish news agency Ritzau.

Copenhagen - Danish Queen Margrethe and her French-born husband Prince Henrik said Friday that they planned to watch broadcasts from the Beijing Olympics.

The royals currently on holiday at their estate Château de Cayx, southern France, told reporters about their interest in the Games.

"The TV is switched on in there," Prince Henrik said.

Queen Margrethe also said that she believed it would benefit Denmark if her son, Crown Prince Frederik, succeeds in his aim to be elected as member of the International Olympic Committee (ICO) next year.

The 40-year-old crown prince arrived earlier this week in Beijing.

Copenhagen - Increased sales of beer and soft drinks helped improve Danish brewer Carlsberg's second-quarter 2008 operating profit, the group said Tuesday.

The quarter's operating profit before special items was 3.15 billion kroner (658 million dollars), compared to 1.8 billion kroner for the corresponding business period in 2007.

Turnover in the quarter was 17.54 billion kroner, compared to 12.63 billion kroner in the second quarter 2007.

The group's share price increased 7 per cent in early morning trading on the report.

Copenhagen - Seven Danish Muslim associations were planning to appeal to Denmark's highest court over the publication of 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that sparked violent protests in 2006, r

Copenhagen - City halls across Denmark are reporting record marriage bookings for Friday, August 8, when many couples plan to tie the knot, a report said Tuesday.

The date is considered lucky as it translates into 08.08.08 while in China it symbolizes luck and wealth - and was chosen as the date for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the Jyllands-Posten newspaper said.

At Haderslev city hall in southern Jutland, the first of 28 couples were due to begin their marriage ceremony at 8 am, the newspaper reported.