Munich  - A German gas company, Bayerngas, confirmed Thursday that it would assist Iran's main oil company to develop filling stations that will supply cars with compressed natural gas (CNG).

Iran has the second-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is keen to use the gas to power transport. Most conventional petrol-powered cars can be adapted to run on natural gas.

Munich  - Apple said Thursday it has extended the movie downloads service of iTunes to Germany, with about 500 titles from Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, Sony Pictures and other US studios initially available.

Traditionally Apple delays new launches in its online services in Europe's biggest market well past the start date in the United States.

Berlin - European industrial production plunged by an annual 18.4 per cent in February, according to data released Thursday, amid dwindling inflationary pressures and signs that the global recession has tightened its grip on the region's economy.

The European Union's statistics office, Eurostat, said the sharp fall in industrial production in the 16-member eurozone followed a 2.3 per cent drop in February compared with January.

However, the month-on-month February fall was less than the 2.7 per cent drop predicted by economists.

Shanghai - Jenson Button will be out for his third straight season win at the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday now that his fast Brawn GP car has been declared legal.

The governing body FIA said on Wednesday that diffusers used by Brawn, Toyota and Williams meet F1 rules, forcing other teams to play catch-up which could take several weeks.

The diffuser is an aerodynamic feature which channels air out of the back of the chassis. It affects the car's downforce which in turn enhances speed and performance, allegedly making the car half a second faster than others over one lap than one without the diffuser.

Berlin - European car sales fell 17.9 per cent i

Sydney - An Australian previously jailed in Germany and Austria for expounding his view that there were no mass killings of Jews in World War II was convicted Thursday of contempt of court in Melbourne for continuing to publish anti-Semitic material on his website.

German-born former high school teacher Frederick Toben, 65, was the subject of a civil action by Jeremy Jones, a former president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, for defying a court order to stop publishing claims that the Holocaust never happened.