Copenhagen - An eight-week long strike by Danish nurses and other health workers ends this weekend after a wage agreement was announced late Friday.

The Health Confederation that organizes nurses, midwives and laboratory personnel accepted a 13.3-per-cent pay rise for the coming three-year period, despite earlier demanding a 15-per-cent hike.

The municipal and local government association (KL) that organizes employers welcomed the settlement that means work will resume as normal as of midnight Saturday.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand patients have suffered during this, so I am very happy we have agreed," KL head Bent Hansen told reporters.

Copenhagen - As initial tallies suggested Irish voters had rejected the EU reform treaty, the Danish government Friday said it "regretted" the result.

Both Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller added that they "respected" the Irish vote.

Rasmussen added that he wanted to wait for Dublin's assessment of the outcome before deciding on Denmark's planned referendum on its current opt-outs from the European Union.

Denmark also wanted to discuss the outcome with other EU members, Rasmussen told reporters.

Copenhagen  - The Danish parliament Tuesday approved an increase in the funds newly-wed Prince Joachim receives from the public purse.

Copenhagen - As the Danish government mulls a possible referendum date on Denmark's opt-outs from the European Union, a new survey published Monday suggested a dead heat over introducing the joint European currency, the euro.

A Gallup poll commissioned by the Berlingske Tidende newspaper indicated that 47 per cent of voters want to introduce the euro while 45 per cent were against replacing the krone.

Just two weeks ago a similar poll indicated 52 per cent favoured introducing the euro while 40 per cent were against, the daily said.

In a key speech last week, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Denmark was "harmed" by the opt-outs and the government was considering a referendum.

Islamabad  - Internet postings attributed to al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for this week's suicide car bombing at the Danish embassy in Islamabad that left six people dead.

Copenhagen