Berlin - German industrial production dropped sharply in October, data released Monday showed, adding to signs that the downturn in Europe's biggest economy was gaining momentum.

The Economics and Technology Ministry said output in the nation slumped month on month by a seasonally adjusted 2.1 per cent as a fast contracting global economy hits German industry.

Analysts had expected a more modest fall in October of about 2 per cent.

Helping to lead the October fall in output was a 3.1-per-cent drop in the production of capital goods such as plant and machinery.

Washington, Dec8 : Popstar Lily Allen has spoken in defense of Amy Winehouse, insisting there is a "clever and witty" side to the singer that the public fails to see.

Lily said that the singer might be battling her drug addiction but can hold herself together.

"I know Amy Winehouse very well and she is very different to what people portray her as being,” Contactmusic quoted Lily, as saying.

"Yes, she does get out of her mind on drugs sometimes, but she is also a very clever, intelligent, witty, funny person who can hold it together. You just don''t see that side. She gets a really hard time,” Lily added.

London, Dec 8 :Gemma Atkinson is thrilled to land the role of Peter Pan – and is learning to ‘fly’ for it.

The former Hollyoaks babe will be thrilling panto fans by soaring above the stage as the children’s favourite character.

Atkinson has been working so hard on her flying lessons that many people actually mistook her for a UFO.

“She’s been working very long hours rehearsing for Peter Pan and has the added pressure of learning how to fly,” the Daily Star quoted a pal, as saying.

Maputo - Mozambican police embarked Monday on a manhunt for the convicted killer of investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso after the killer escaped from a maximum security prison in Maputo on Sunday, a few years into his 30-year sentence.

The police have issued a countrywide alert after Anibal dos Santos junior, known as Anibalzinho, escaped with two other prisoners in broad daylight from their cells, and appealed for anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward.

Peshawar, Dec.8 :  The Pakistan and North West Frontier Province governments have ordered a probe into the attacks on three terminals of containers carrying goods for NATO forces.

Peshawar authorities were quoted by The News as saying that all three terminals have been sealed and a case has been registered in connection with the torching of Bilal Terminal.

Sources said that some unidentified miscreants last night hurled explosives on Bilal Terminal, which set the terminal afire, gutting scores of trucks and containers.

Brussels - The European Union's executive is to approve Monday French and Austrian schemes to recapitalize troubled banks after it updated its own rules on state aid, a top official said.

The European Commission has adopted a new set of guidelines on how EU member states should be allowed to rescue banks hit by the credit crunch, and following the move, "the commission will adopt the French recapitalization scheme today ... and will shortly approve the Austrian scheme," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said.