Oslo (Norway), Dec. 10 : The United States President, Barack Obama, on Thursday accepted the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in a special award ceremony

“I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations -- that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice,” said Barack Obama during his Nobel Prize speech.

Oslo, Dec 10 : US President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday at a ceremony in this Norwegian capital.

The prize was awarded to Obama in October for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

"Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize... my accomplishments are slight," Obama said in his acceptance speech at Oslo's City Hall.(DPA)

Oslo, Dec 10 - US President Barack Obama arrived early Thursday in Oslo, where he later was to accept the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The president was accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama and welcomed by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Kaci Kullmann Five, deputy chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The highlight of Obama's visit will be his receipt of the coveted prize and delivery of an acceptance speech at Oslo City Hall.

Oslo, Dec 9 :Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was Wednesday selected as winner of "dictator of the year prize", students at Oslo University said.

The Iranian leader was chosen from 11 candidates - selected by human rights experts - including North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, and Myanmar's General Than Schwe.

Beitostolen - Norway's Marit Bjorgen claimed victory in the opening cross-country race of the season Saturday, a 10-kilometre freestyle event in Beitostolen.

Bjorgen was the clear winner in Norway in a time of 24 minutes 48.3 seconds, finishing 29.2 seconds ahead of Sweden's Charlotte Kalla. Anna Haag, also of Sweden, came home third, 37.2 seconds adrift of the winner. (dpa)

Oslo - Suspected Somali pirates arrested by Norwegian naval forces would be sent to Kenya to stand trial, the Norway's Defence Minister Grete Faremo said Wednesday.

Faremo told the Bergens Tidende newspaper that even if conditions in Kenyan detention centres were not comparable with those of Norwegian prisons, trials would not be held in Norway.

The move was in line with that of the European Union, although Norway is not a member of the 27-nation bloc.

Monday, U.S.-based Cisco Systems, Inc, along with postponing the offer period for Norway's Tandberg ASA, also increased its cash offer for the same to 170 Norwegian kroner a share from NOK153.50 a share offered earlier.  

Cisco explained that the new offer represents the final price for this transaction. However, the company, if fails to get the wanted 90% level of acceptances; may also withdraw the offer.  

Tandberg's shares are valued at around NOK19 billion ($3.41 billion) by the raised offer.

Oslo  - A lithography by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch was stolen late Thursday in a break-in at an art dealer in Oslo, police and media said Friday.

"It is a unique hand-coloured print," Pascal Nyborg who runs the art dealership told broadcaster NRK. He declined to state its value.

According to Nyborg the thief or thieves apparently did not touch any other works, and smashed one of the front windows opening on to the street.

A van used in the break-in was found a few blocks away from the art dealership and is being investigated by police.

Oslo - A Norwegian journalist and his Afghan interpreter who were kidnapped a week ago in eastern Afghanistan have been freed, the Norwegian foreign ministry said Thursday.

The November 5 abduction took place near the Pakistan border, the ministry statement said, saying the reporter himself had initially contacted the Norwegian embassy in Kabul about the kidnapping.

There were no details if ransom had been paid.

Oslo - Norwegian King Harald and Queen Sonja are not expected to meet with the increasingly frail former South African president Nelson Mandela during a state visit to South Africa later this month, reports said Thursday.

The royals had hoped to pay a courtesy call on Mandela, 91, during their November 24-27 visit, the Oslo daily Aftenposten said.

The Norwegian embassy was however informed it was "not possible" when it approached the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Marie Borgyad of the Norwegian foreign ministry told the newspaper.

Oslo - Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store arrived Wednesday in Afghanistan for an unannounced two-day visit including talks with President Hamid Karzai, the Foreign Ministry in Oslo said.

"Afghanistan needs an effective, legitimate and inclusive leadership," Store said in a statement, adding there was also need for better coordination of international efforts.

Karzai was recently declared the winner of the August presidential election.

Oslo - Norway's government pension fund has seen a third-quarter gain of 13.5 per cent to 325 billion kroner (57 billion dollars) on the back of rising share prices, fund managers Norges Bank said Tuesday.

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund - Global, was worth some 2.54 trillion kroner at the end of the quarter, the central bank said.

The fund invests income from the country's petroleum and gas riches with entities outside of Norway for the country's future health and pension expenditure.

The popular saying, extreme of everything is bad, is applicable in case of physical workout also. It is a known fact that physical workout is necessary to keep body fit, but exercising daily to the point of exhaustion can also create problems.

Recent study has shown that extreme workout can create problem in starting a family. Excess of physical exercise drains the energy, from a woman’s body energy, needed for a successful pregnancy. Extreme exercising can also amplify the risk of fertility problems by three-fold.

Oslo - Helping Afghans claim their future was the main theme of a meeting between NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in Oslo Friday.

"The way forward is that the Afghan people and government take responsibility for security in Afghanistan," Rasmussen said. "Our mission in Afghanistan ends when Afghanistan is capable to take charge of its security. That is what we will help with."

Oslo  - Norwegian energy giant Statoil's net income increased by 6 per cent in the third quarter of 2009 despite lower oil and gas prices, the state-owned group said Wednesday.

Net income for the quarter was 6.6 billion kroner (1.1 billion dollars) compared to 6.3 billion kroner for the corresponding quarter 2008.

Net operating income declined 40 per cent to 28.3 billion kroner, while year-on-year revenues fell 30 per cent to 122 billion kroner, Statoil said.

Oslo/Belgrade - Cooperation between authorities in Serbia and Norway has resulted in the recent arrest of several suspects in the Scandinavian country, Norwegian police said Tuesday.

Norwegian police have cooperated "extremely well" with Serbian police on the matter, Norwegian police prosecutor Havard Kampen said in a statement to the German Press Agency, dpa.

Citing the ongoing investigation, the Norwegian Criminal Investigation Service declined to go into details about the suspects or what crime they were suspected of planning.

Oslo/Belgrade - Cooperation between authorities in Serbia and Norway has resulted in the recent arrest of several suspects in the Scandinavian country, Norwegian police said Tuesday.

Norwegian police have cooperated "extremely well" with Serbian police on the matter, Norwegian police prosecutor Havard Kampen said in a statement to the German Press Agency, dpa.

Citing the ongoing investigation, the Norwegian Criminal Investigation Service declined to go into details about the suspects or what crime they were suspected of planning.

Oslo - Norway had as of Thursday registered a higher number of swine flu cases and fatalities than its Nordic neighbours, sparking speculation of a possible mutation of the A(H1N1) virus.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health reported Norway has registered 13 deaths, neighbouring Sweden has to date had two, and Denmark none.

The institute however said that tests so far have shown that the virus was the same as in neighbouring countries.

Oslo  - Norwegian telecommunications group Telenor reported higher third-quarter net profits Thursday and said it has added 4 million mobile phone subscribers to its business.

Net profit from continuing operations was 4.1 billion kroner (722 million dollars), compared to 3.49 billion kroner in the corresponding business period 2008.

Sales in the quarter were 24.3 billion kroner, compared to 23.4 billion kroner in third quarter of 2008.

The group has some 172 million mobile subscribers worldwide.

Oslo - A random spot check by Norwegian customs officials resulted in the find of 14 baby pythons and 10 albino gecko lizzards strapped to the would-be smuggler's body, reports said Monday.

The incident took place Sunday when a man arriving with a passenger ferry from Denmark was stopped for a spot check. When customs officials found a box containing a tarantula in his luggage, they decided to search him more thoroughly.

The man then admitted that he was carrying other reptiles, a customs official told the regional Faedrelandsvennen newspaper.