Berlin - The European Central Bank (ECB) is likely to face growing pressure for further rate cuts after data released Thursday showed unemployment in the
16-member eurozone rising and inflation remaining at low levels.

While the European Union's statistics office said in a preliminary report that inflation in the eurozone came in at 0.6 per cent in April, it also released data showing unemployment ticking up to 8.9 per cent in March as the global recession hits the currency bloc's

labour market.

Mannheim, Germany - Shares in German chemical giant BASF surged Thursday - despite the company reporting a steep drop in 2009 first quarter sales and profits, as the economic slowdown began to bite.

At 12.2 billion euros (16.1 billion dollars), sales were 23 per cent lower than in the first quarter of 2008, primarily due to persistently weak demand, the company said in a statement.

Hamburg - Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath is refusing to comment on reports he is set to take over at fellow Bundesliga club Schalke from next season, Kicker sports magazine reported Thursday.

He was quoted by Kicker as telling the magazine Wednesday evening the reports appeared to be an attempt to damage him and Wolfsburg.

"I ask myself who has an interest in publicising this now... I don't at all see why I should comment on such rumours," he said.

Frankfurt - A German government car scrappage scheme has pushed sales of Japanese-branded cars in Germany up by a third, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) branch in Frankfurt said Thursday.

To encourage new-car sales, the German government is paying owners of old cars 2,500 euros in subsidy to send them to the wrecker.

First-quarter new registrations of Japanese brands in Germany were just under 120,000 vehicles, 31 per cent more than in the comparable quarter of last year, Andreas Meckel, the JAMA chief in Frankfurt, told reporters.

Berlin - All of a sudden, someone breaks out in a rash, the eyes burn, the nose starts to run and the skin itches - a cat is on the prowl.

Allergies to pets are widespread. But if an allergy occurs, people do not always have to get rid of their pets, said Sabine Merz of Germany's federal veterinarian association in Bonn.

People, who already have a pet and have experienced some kind of allergic reaction to it, can try changing their daily routine. And for people with serious allergies, there are alternatives as some animals rarely trigger reactions.