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.

Copenhagen - Danish mountain biker Klaus Nielsen was Tuesday given the go ahead to replace Peter Riis Andersen at the Beijing Games.

Andersen, 28, was dropped Monday from the Danish Olympic team after testing postive for the blood-booster EPO.

The National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) on Monday named Nielsen to replace Andersen.