Vienna

Vienna - The price for crude oil pro

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.

London - Energy giant British Energy has rejected a takeover bid worth 12 billion pounds (24 billion dollars) by French firm EDF which had been expected to carry out a massive renewal of nuclear energy plants in Britain, it was reported Friday.

The deal would have involved the sale of most of Britain's outdated nuclear power stations to the French state-owned energy firm, and was the centrepiece of the British government's future plans for a revival of nuclear energy.

A deal was expected to have been announced Friday. But according to reports, EDF said in a statement that conditions were not right for it to proceed with the deal.