Oslo - Climate change poses the main threat to the world's polar bear population, the world's five biggest polar bear nations said Thursday.

Norway, Denmark/Greenland, Russia, the US and Canada all agreed in 1973 to sign an agreement protecting polar bears and their habitat.

But back then, hunting was regarded as the biggest threat to the bears.

Trondheim, Norway - Michael Greis enjoyed his second win of the biathlon World Cup season and the 11th of his career Thursday when the German claimed victory in a men's 10-kilometre sprint in Trondheim.

The three-time Olympic champion produced perfect shooting in the range to win in a time of 26 minutes 11.3 seconds.

Oslo  - Threats to polar bear populations, mainly due to climate change, were the topic of a three-day meeting that opened Tuesday in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso.

"Climate change has superceded hunting as the main threat to polar bears. We have to act to protect the habitat of the polar bear," Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim said in his opening remarks.

"Global warming has to be stopped if we are to succeed," he added.

Oslo - A small plane, parked in a hangar in northern Denmark, caused a scare Monday after it transmitted distress signals that were picked up by other planes, reports said.

Several planes flying over Kristiansand, southern Norway including a plane operated by carrier British Airways picked up the signals and alerted the southern Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre based in Stavanger.

Vikersund, Norway  - Anssi Koivuranta of Finland clinched the Nordic combined skiing World Cup title on Sunday with an eighth-place finish in the season-finale won by American world champion Bill Demong.

Koivuranta, 20, only required 29th place to clinch the title in the case that Norwegian rival Magnus Moan won, and all speculation ended when the Finn placed fourth in the morning ski-jumping portion.

Demong got his fifth season win by clocking 26 minutes 31.6 in the 10-kilometres cross-country pursuit, ahead of Norwegians Petter Tande (9.8 seconds behind) and Mikko Kokslien (10.3).

Vikersund, Norway  - World champions Austria overcame Finland Saturday to claim victory in a team ski-flying event in Vikersund.

The team of Martin Koch, Wolfgang Loitzl, Thomas Morgenstern and World Cup leader Gregor Schlierenzauer won with a combined total of 1543.5 points with Koch setting a large hill record of 216.5 metres in the first round.

However, Koch's record didn't last long as Harri Olli improved the mark in the second round with a jump of 219m to help Finland and team-mates Matto Hautamaki, Kalle Keituri and Ville Larinto to a total of 1,499 points.