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 - Norwegian aluminium group Norsk Hydro Wednesday said it was to write down assets worth 3.5 billion kroner (520 million dollars), citing "deteriorating market conditions and high input costs."

The cost was to impact the group's fourth-quarter 2008 results, which were due to be published February 18, the group said.

The group was also to reduce production.

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.

Oslo- The Norwegian Foreign Ministry distanced itself Wednesday from an e-mail sent by a Norwegian diplomat comparing Israel's offensive in Gaza with events in World War II and the persecution of Jews.

"We have clearly stated that the content does not represent Norway's official view," Foreign Ministry spokesman Haakon Svane told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The female diplomat, based in Saudi Arabia, sent an e-mail from her official foreign ministry account with some 40 photos from Gaza paired with World War II images.