Frankfurt - Despite deepening economic uncertainty, Germany's biggest bank Deutsche Bank AG said Tuesday it had a good start to 2009 and could return to profit this year.

"At the time of writing, I am pleased to report that we have made a good start to 2009," Deutsche Bank chief Josef Ackermann wrote in a letter to the bank's stockholders contained in the group's annual report.

Frankfurt - Gi

Frankfurt  - Bundesliga player Luiz Gustavo is being investigated by the German footba

Frankfurt - Lukas Podolski returns to the Germany set-up for upcoming qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Wales after being named Thursday in coach Joachim Loew's 23-man squad.

Arne Friedrich of Bundesliga leaders Hertha Berlin and SV Hamburg's Marcell Jansen also return while Rene Adler, Tim Wiese and Robert Enke will battle it out for the goalkeeping position.

Frankfurt  - Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim was on Monday fined by the German football federation DFB as it escaped a possible points penalty over a doping rule violation.

The DFB fined Hoffenheim 75,000 euros (97,000 dollars) and the club's doping official Peter Geigle 2,500 euros after players Andreas Ibertsberger and Christoph Janker arrived 10 minutes too late for a post-match drug test.

Frankfurt - German airline Lufthansa announced plans Monday to introduce short-time working for ground staff in response to dwindling passenger numbers caused by the global economic downturn.

The airline said 1,000 of its 31,000 employees in Germany would be affected by the move, but not those in the main hubs of Frankfurt and Munich.

Last month Lufthansa carried 10.5 per cent fewer passengers than in January.