Berlin  - German Chancellor Angela Merkel was publicly non-committal Wednesday over Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's reported interest in becoming secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Rasmussen, who visited her in Berlin, has been described in the news media as a candidate to succeed Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as the highest official of the alliance from August this year.

Copenhagen- Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S on Wednesday posted a 52-per-cent jump in operating profit for 2008 despite lagging beer sales at the end of the year as it completed the acquisition of British brewer Scottish and Newcastle PLC

The group's operating profit before special items was 7.9 billion kroner (1.3 billion dollars), compared with 5.2 billion kroner for 2007.

Turnover increased 34 per cent to 59.9 billion kroner while net profit was 2.6 billion kroner.

During the year, Carlsberg's beer sales increased 3 per cent, of which acquisitions accounted for 33 per cent of the growth, it said.

Copenhagen - Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday downplayed speculation he was bidding for the post of NATO secretary-general, saying he was "not a candidate for any international post".

Speaking at a news conference the eve of a trip to key European capitals, Rasmussen was asked repeatedly if he planned to seek support as future head of the defence alliance during talks in London, Berlin and Brussels.

"I am not a candidate to any international post, and it is my intent to stay on as prime minister of Denmark," Rasmussen said.

Copenhagen- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is this week due to visit key European capitals, renewing speculation that he was aiming to secure support as future secretary-general of the defence alliance NATO.

Rasmussen has refuted such speculation in the past, saying he still had unfinished work in Denmark and was intent on seeking a fourth term as premier.

Last year, Rasmussen said he would have a busy schedule visiting foreign capitals to shore up support for a successful outcome of an international climate conference to be held in Copenhagen in December.

Copenhagen - The remains of what is believed to have been the world's oldest mute swan have been found in Denmark, researchers at Copenhagen University said Friday.

The dead ringed bird was discovered on December 25 near the town of Korsor on the island of Zealand by swan expert Pelle Andersen- Harild.

The leg ring was sent to the Copenhagen Bird Ringing Centre at the Zoological Museum at Copenhagen University where records suggested that the swan had been ringed on February 21, 1970, at Heikendorf near Kiel in northern Germany.

Copenhagen - A two-day conference hosted by Denmark on how to halt arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip opened on Wednesday, the Dutch foreign ministry said.

The meeting was organized in conjunction with the United States to review how international help could be offered to prevent weapons smuggling, legal issues as well as charting the routes used by smugglers. It includes officials from the United States, several European Union member states and Norway.

Preventing the flow of arms to Hamas-controlled Gaza was one of the conditions Israel demanded on ending its 22-day offensive on Gaza last month.