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.

Oslo- The third daughter of Norwegian Princess Martha Louise, daughter to King Harald and Queen Sonja, was christened Tuesday.

The christening of Emma Tallulah Behn was held in the Palace Chapel in Oslo in the presence of the king and queen as well as her parents, Martha Louise and writer Ari Behn.

Among her seven godparents were Norwegian Crown Princess Mette- Marit, Princess Alexia of Greece and her grandmother Marianne Solberg Behn.

Tallulah means leaping or running water in Choctaw Indian.

Ruhpolding, Germany - Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen clinched his first biathlon World Cup win of the season with victory Saturday in the men's 10-kilometre sprint in Ruhpolding, Germany.

It was an 83rd victory for record World Cup winner Bjoerndalen who had a comfortable advantage over Austrian Dominik Landertinger and overall leader Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway.

Bjoerndalen made no shooting errors on his way to a time of 23 minutes 25.8 seconds, 33.4 seconds ahead of Landertinger (no errors) and 35.3 seconds up on Svendsen
(one error).

Oslo - Olympic ski-jump champion Lars Bystoel of Norway has tested positive for doping, reports said Friday.

Bystoel told the weekly gossip magazine Se og Hoer that he "had tested positive" but said the substance was "not performance enhancing and was not taken in connection with a competition."

According to the weekly the 30-year-old has tested positive for THC, a substance found in marijuana.

The test was conducted in connection with a competition in November 2008.

Bystoel won gold in the normal hill event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.