Tokyo - Sharp Corp on Thursday reported a 35.3-per-cent fall in its net profit for the April-September period from a year earlier due to slow mobile-phone sales and price reduction in liquid-crystal-display televisions.

The Japanese home electronics company logged a net profit of 28.01 billion yen (287.73 million dollars) and an operating profit of 50.76 billion yen for the first six months of the business year that runs through March 31.

Operating profit fell 35.8 per cent year-on-year.

Sharp reported sales of 1.56 trillion yen, which was 4.8 per cent lower than the previous year's figure.

Vienna - The price for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose by 2.23 dollars Wednesday, as the weaker dollar buoyed oil markets, according to data released by OPEC on Thursday.

One barrel (159 litres) of OPEC crude stood at 58.13 dollars on Wednesday, up from 55.90 dollars on the previous day.

The oil price rebounded as interest-rate cuts in the United States and China on Wednesday led to a depreciation of the dollar, Vienna-based analysts JBC Energy said.

Hero Honda Motors, the country's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has signed an agreement with Andhra Bank to offer financing support for buyers of their products.

Hero Honda and Andhra Bank have teamed up to support two-wheeler buyers, including in the rural parts of the State.

The company claims that buyers can avail themselves of loan up to 90 per cent of the road price of the vehicles. The tie-up is particularly aimed at those in the farm sector, salaried employees and institutional customers.

Lahore, Oct 30 : Noted Pakistani ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan was admitted in Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi last evening after his health deteriorated.

owing to his deteriorating health, Express News reported.

The singer was hospitalised following a lung ailment, reported the Daily Times.

Hassan’s family has requested the nation to pray for his health, added the paper.

Affectionately called Khan Sahib, Mehdi Hasan has been bestowed with the title "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal". He is a legendry Pakistani Ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood.

Berlin - German unemployment fell more than expected in October, defying the economic gloom facing the nation, data released Thursday showed.

After dropping by 29,000 in September, seasonally adjusted unemployment fell by another 26,000 to 3.151 million in October, Germany's Federal Labour Office said.

Analysts had expected the numbers out of work in Europe's biggest economy would drop by 10,000 in October amid signs Germany's labour market has so far managed to escape the fallout from the financial crisis triggered by the global credit crunch.

Brussels - The European Commission on Thursday approved Sweden's financial rescue package, which involves the state providing up to 1,500 billion Swedish kroner (201 billion dollars) in debt guarantees to banks and other lenders.

The plan's approval by the European Union executive came just three days after it was officially received in Brussels.

"This decision shows that when member states follow the commission's guidance on overcoming the financial crisis, they can obtain rapid approval," said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.