Oslo - A Norwegian substance abuse clinic hired a clairvoyant after some of the patients experienced strange phenomena in the building, Oslo tabloid Dagbladet reported Thursday.

In addition to medium Lilli Bendriss, who has appeared on a Norwegian television programme called the Power of Spirits, a consultant was also hired, the report said.

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 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 - Norwegian telecommunications group Telenor on Wednesday posted an increase in pre-tax profit and sales for third- quarter of 2008 and unveiled plans to expand into India.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were 10 billion kroner (1.44 billion dollars), compared to 9.48 billion kroner in the corresponding business period of 2007.

Sales increased year-on-year from 26.6 billion kroner to 27.6 billion kroner, the group said.

Chief executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas said Telenor had 159 million mobile telephone subscriptions at the end of the quarter.

Baksaas said the business environment was "currently more turbulent, and we foresee a period with lower global growth."

Stockholm, Oslo - Markets in the Nordic region tumbled Friday, shadowing developments in main markets in Europe and Asia.

The Stockholm bourse general index OMXS was down 9 per cent early Friday afternoon on reports of flagging demand for trucks from Swedish heavy-vehicle makers Volvo and Scania.

Volvo shares were down some 20 per cent after its third-quarter report was published, while Scania was off 10 per cent.

Poor reports from investment banking group Carnegie and construction company JM also contributed to the negative trends.

JM said it planned to trim some 600 jobs from its 2,400-strong workforce.