Oslo - Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit's physician has advised her to cancel public engagements for the coming two weeks, the palace said Monday.

The princess sustained a minor concussion after falling down some stairs during a visit to Ukraine last month, and has since been on sick leave.

The medical recommendation means that the princess will miss out on the upcoming functions to mark the 60th birthday of Britain's Prince Charles.

Oslo - Norwegian energy giant Statoil Hydro's third-quarter net income fell 57 per cent, the group said Monday, citing a stronger US dollar rate that pushed up tax rates.

Net income for the quarter was 6.3 billion kroner (937 million dollars), compared to 14.6 billion kroner in the corresponding business period of 2007.

Net operating income increased 31 per cent to 47 billion kroner, while turnover was up 35 per cent to 170 billion kroner, the group said.

Oslo - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili held talks Wednesday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg that touched on Tbilisi's aim of joining NATO in future.

The two also discussed developing energy cooperation and Norwegian support for various reform programmes, Stoltenberg told a joint news conference.

Concerning Georgia's prospects of joining NATO, Stoltenberg said "the door is open," citing the decision taken by NATO leaders at a summit in Bucharest in April.

"What we are discussing is the timetable, the development and reforms that are needed in Georgia," Stoltenberg said, adding that NATO and Georgia were in "close dialogue."

Oslo - Norwegian telecommunications group Telenor shares dropped Wednesday after the group unveiled plans to expand into India in connection with its third-quarter report.

The group's share price was off some 15 per cent at midday on the Oslo bourse, since the Telenor management said it would need a cash injection of 12 billion kroner (1.7 billion dollars) for the pending expansion into India.

Telenor planned a rights issue - a way of issuing new shares - next year, chief executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas told analysts after announcing that Telenor had signed a deal to secure a 60-per-cent controlling stake in Indian group Unitech Wireless.

Oslo  - The Norwegian central bank on Wednesday cut its lead rate a further 0.50 percentage points to 4.75 per cent.

Oslo - British actor Michael Caine is to co-host the upcoming Nobel Peace Prize Concert along with US actress Scarlett Johansson, organizers said Wednesday.

Caine, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor, appeared with Johansson in the 2006 movie The Prestige.

He was knighted in 2000, the same year he won an Oscar for best supporting actor for Cider House Rules.