Oslo - Swiss-based Stadler Rail Group was selected Tuesday to deliver new regional trains worth 4 billion kroner (739 million dollars), Norwegian train operator NSB said.

"This is NSB's largest single contract to date and a historic deal," NSB chief executive Einar Enger said in a statement.

The Norwegian train operator was to buy 50 trains consisting of five cars each from the Swiss group, and had an option for a further 100 trains known as Flirt (Fast, Light, Innovative, Regional Train).

Oslo  - British director Peter Brook was Monday named winner of the International Ibsen Award, the jury headed by Norwegian actress and director Liv Ullmann said.

The new prize, worth 2.5 million kroner (460,000 dollars), was in recognition of Brook's "successful demonstration that all significant theatre has a unique ability to bring people together."

Brook, 83, has directed numerous stage productions and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House in London. He has also been involved with film and television work.

Oslo - Turnover and profits increased in second-quarter 2008, shipbuilding group Aker Yards said Friday attributing the development to increased activity at its yards.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) totalled 72 million kroner (13.8 million dollars). In the corresponding business period of 2007 the group posted a loss of 162 million kroner.

Turnover for continuing operations was 7.92 billion kroner, up 31 per cent on the corresponding business period 2007.

Oslo - The remains of a Norwegian climber who was killed on the K2 mountain in the Himalayas should stay on the mountain slopes, his father said in an interview published Monday.

Rolf Bae's family said it was "difficult" to know that his remains would stay on the mountain but said they did not want other people to risk their lives to find the body.

"We have talked a lot about this. We don't want other people to put themselves in danger to try to find him. Rolf is gone, no matter what we do," Jakob Bae told the Stavanger Aftenbladet newspaper.

Oslo - Norwegian energy giant Statoil Hydro's second-quarter earnings were boosted by record-high oil and gas prices, the group said Friday.

Net income was 18.91 billion kroner (3.68 billion dollars), up 36 per cent on the corresponding business quarter in 2007.

Turnover increased 34 per cent to 170.6 billion kroner, the group said, noting that net operating income surged 74 per cent to 62.6 billion kroner.

"The second quarter result is primarily influenced by high oil and gas prices," Statoil Hydro chief executive Helge Lund said in a statement.

Oslo - A man was arrested Wednesday after threating to detonate a homemade bomb