Oslo - Norwegian police officers Thursday staged a nationwide strike in protest against changes in regulations for working hours.

The 90-minute strike was called by the Norwegian Police Federation.

Union leaders said they were angered that they were not allowed to take part in negotiations concerning changes to working hours, and that police officers were forced to have shorter time off periods posing a possible threat to their health.

In the west coast city of Bergen, police officers called for Justice Minister Knut Storberget to resign, local media reported.

Oslo - Norwegian police officers were to stage a brief nationwide strike Thursday in protest against regulations for working hours, the main police union said Wednesday.

The Norwegian Police Federation and justice ministry have failed to settle differences over new regulations concerning working hours and time off.

The union was also angered that they were not allowed to take part in negotiations concerning these changes.

Oslo- Olympic ski-jump champion Lars Bystoel of Norway faces a four-month ban after testing positive for doping, the agency Anti-Doping Norway said Wednesday.

The agency's disciplinary body recommended the ban after a test conducted in connection with a competition at the end of November
2008 revealed traces of cannabis.

A panel in the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sport has yet to confirm the ban, a spokesman for Anti-Doping Norway told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Oslo - Norway on Tuesday said it was deeply concerned over the situation for civilians in Sri Lanka after the recent government offensive against Tamil rebels.

Earlier Tuesday, some 200 Tamils gathered outside the foreign ministry in Oslo calling for an end to the fighting.

"Norway condemns the ongoing warfare in Sri Lanka and the unacceptable suffering for civilians," Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement.

Oslo- Norway on Monday launched an economic package totalling 20-billion-kroner (2.9 billion dollars) to counter the effects of the global downturn and growing unemployment.

Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen told parliament the package was to "contribute to sustainable growth" and described it as "the most ambitious fiscal stimulus" in over 30 years.

The government forecasts zero growth this year - while the budget in October 2008 had estimated the economic growth at 2 per cent.