Oslo  - Norwegian police used teargas Monday evening to disperse protesters who broke through barricades outside the Israeli embassy in Oslo.

Several hundred people had earlier assembled near parliament to protest against Israel's air strikes in the Gaza Strip.

The protesters then continued to the embassy where youths threw stones and fired fireworks at police cordons and the embassy building, broadcaster TV2 reported.

Police responded with teargas. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Recent research has shown that intake of chocolate, wine and tea in moderation can help in improving cognitive performance. Research team from Norway and the Oxford University collected data from 2,031 older people aged between 70 and 74.

The study subjects were asked to fill a questionnaire regarding their habitual food intake. Mental ability of study subjects was also tested.

Oslo - Norwegians should prepare for a drawn-out economic crisis, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said Friday.

The effects of the current financial crisis were likely to continue well into next year, he warned.

"Unemployment is increasing, many companies are struggling and the bank and credit markets are not functioning normally," he said.

Stoltenberg said the global economic situation was "serious" and the downturn was the worst in decades.

Oslo - The Norwegian central bank on Wednesday cut its lead rate a further 1.75 percentage points to 3.00 per cent, which was in line with market expectations.

The new cut takes effect Thursday, the central bank said.

The decision to lower rates was taken against the backdrop of weaker growth in Norway and internationally since the end of October, Norges Bank Deputy Governor Jan F Qvigstad said in a statement.

Meanwhile, "inflation is subsiding faster than expected," he added.

Oslo - Norway has decided to contribute a field hospital to the incoming United Nations mission in Chad, the Norwegian Defence Ministry said Tuesday.

The UN Mission known as MINURCAT II will also comprise neighbouring Central African Republic, and was due to begin as of March 15 next year when a European Union force leaves the region.

The UN mission was aimed at protecting civilians living in and near refugee camps, and also to protect aid workers in eastern Chad.

Oslo - A former Norwegian top diplomat who in 1985 was given a 20-year sentence for espionage failed Monday to get a new hearing.

Arne Treholt's appeal was rejected by the Norwegian Criminal Cases Review Commission which conducted a lengthy investigation, commission chairwoman Janne Kristiansen said. One of the five members on the panel favoured a new review, Kristiansen said.

The independent commission was created in 2004 and can order a review if "new evidence or new circumstances" come to light or if a criminal offence was committed by investigators, prosecutors, defence lawyer or others.