Riga - Citizens of the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be able to travel to the United States without visas from November 17, a senior US official said Wednesday.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff confirmed the date while visiting Riga. The announcement comes a day after making a similar announcement in Bratislava and two days after doing so in Prague.

"I am pleased to tell Latvians today that the first day of the new programme will be November 17, which is the day before Latvia's independence day, so it's a great opportunity to celebrate," Chertoff told reporters.

Riga - The three small Baltic stock exchanges stayed in positive territory Wednesday, with some excitement sparked by news of a takeover of a Lithuanian ceramic tile manufacturer.

Trading in the company, Dvarcioniu Keramika, was temporarily suspended after its price soared on the back of news that majority shareholder Cersanit, a Polish maker of bathroom furniture, would implement a mandatory takeover.

At the end of the day, Dvarcioniu Keramika shares had gained more than 26 per cent in value.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange was up 0.43 per cent, Vilnius was up 1.77 per cent, and Riga enjoyed a 3.57 per cent rise.

Islamabad - Pakistan said Wednesday that it does not intend to seek international help following the deadly earthquake that hit country's south-west Balochistan province, killing dozens of people and leaving thousands homeless.

"According to initial information the situation is localized so far. We can deal with it," Farooq Ahmed Khan, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority told reporters in Islamabad.

"If someone wants to provide assistance, it would be most welcome. But we do not want to make an appeal at the international level," he added.

Earlier, the European Union offered humanitarian help to Pakistan.

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.

Athens - Greek state carrier Olympic Airlines will cancel around 100 domestic and international flights on Thursday as air traffic controllers and flight crews launch a
24-hour strike in protest against government plans to privatize the airline.

The cancellations will cover approximately 100 flights to European destinations such as London, Rome, Brussels and Frankfurt, reports said. Some domestic flights would also be canceled.

Last month, the Greek government launched a tender to sell off the ailing airline, saying it would find new public sector jobs for its workers.

Officials have said Qatar Airways is among the investors interested in the sale but union leaders have pledged to halt the privatization.

Abu Dhabi - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, Abu Dhabi, on the last stop of his tour of Pakistan and the Gulf.