Telecom entity Telenor Group has reported that it has managed to register a seven fold profit rise in the second quarter ended June 30.

The company has also informed that its business in Asia has been significant and it has a major contribution to the rise in the net profit.

The company has posted a net profit of $9.49 billion for the quarter that ended in 30th June, 2010. Last year's net profit was $1.37 billion for the same quarter.

What if a windmill floats? Answering the above is a windmill with a turbine spin of 80-metre blades which generates an output of 2.3-megawatt across the southwest coast of Norway floats on the sea.

This floating windmill an invention of Siemens AG was built for Statoil ASA, an energy company based in Stavanger, Norway states how the windmill functions.

It works on a buoyant steel cylinder extending 100 meters below the surface with support of three heavy cables that cling on to the ocean floor.

It purchased Norway's automated handling solutions developer ODIM ASA, defense power technologies' company Rolls-Royce said on Monday.

It will integrate ODIM's Canadian sensor handling technologies development units Spectrum Ltd. and Brooke Ocean Ltd. units into its naval marine operations in a move to strengthen its market presence, Rolls-Royce has said.

Obesity increased the risk for fibromyalgia, but exercise decreased fibromyalgia risk, researchers in Norway have said.

Women who reported exercising four times per week had a 29 percent lower risk of fibromyalgia compared with inactive women, study leader Paul Mork of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim have found.

Mork said in a statement, "Similar results were found in the analysis of the summary score combining information on frequency, duration and intensity of exercise; women with the highest exercise level had a somewhat lower risk than inactive women."

Researchers have found that a person who has lung cancer in Norway or Sweden is much more likely to survive than a person in Britain.

Lung cancer survival in England, Norway and Sweden from 2001 to 2004 using data from lung cancer registries in all three countries was analyzed by researchers at King's College, London.

Yara has declined to raise the bid for Terra Industries and has moved out of the bidding process.

Chief Executive of Yara, Joergen Ole Haslestad said in a statement that the takeover may be very beneficial for the company, but no way is it going to raise the price of its bid.

He said that the takeover at current valuations is very attractive, but they make lesser sense if the bid price is increased to the level of rival bidding.

Norway is on its way to finance World's biggest Wind turbine. As per Norwegian utility Lyse and ship designer Inocean, "The Norwegian-built turbine will be tested on land for two years before getting it shipped out to the windy North Sea as under the Sway project which involves oil and gas producer Statoil"

Dissimilar to this most offshore wind projects where turbines rests on the seafloor, new Sway turbines will float. This would result in further development to offshore where winds are stronger and more consistent.

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.