Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany  - A German orchestra which is to perform at the Vatican Wednesday believes it is the first ever conducted by a woman to perform for a pope.

The Brandenburg State Orchestra of Frankfurt an der Oder is be headed by Inma Shara at the event, which marks International Human Rights Day.

Germany has two cities named Frankfurt. Shara and her 92 musicians come from the smaller Frankfurt, which is on the Polish border.

Frankfurt - German football has enjoyed a successful year despite the lost Euro 2008 final and some problems off the field, German football federation (DFB) supremo Theo Zwanziger said on Monday.

"We have had great sports highlights," said Zwanziger.

The men's national team reached the Euro 2008 final in Vienna which it lost to 1-0 to Spain. Joachim Loew's team then started the qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup with three wins and a draw, while the women's team won Olympic bronze in Beijing and qualified for the 2009 European championship.

Frankfurt, Germany - Enthusiasm for the internet is cooling, said German futurologist and trend analyst Matthias Horx.

"It's becoming increasingly apparent that virtual worlds can replace actual ones only up to a point," he said in Frankfurt during an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"A small but growing group of people who had a strong affinity to the internet and digitalization are dropping out now," remarked Horx, noting that many companies had declared e-mail-free days. He cited studies showing that some 2.6 million people regard themselves as "ex-onliners," having cut down on their digital communication to enhance the quality of their lives.

Frankfurt - Deutsche Boerse, the company that runs the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, is in merger talks with the New York Stock Exchange company, the news magazine Der Spiegel said Saturday.

NYSE Euronext of Wall Street is the world's biggest operator of financial markets.

A spokesman for Deutsche Boerse declined comment on the Spiegel report that its chief executive, Reto Francioni, presented a report last week to his executive board on a possible merger.

Frankfurt - The European Central Bank

Frankfurt/Hamburg - TSG Hoffenheim are playing almost perfect football going into Friday's Bundesliga topper at Bayern Munich, according to their sponsor Dietmar Hopp.

But Hopp, 68, a German billionaire co-founder of software giants SAP and former striker at the club, won't be on hand for the hyped game as he is on holiday in Florida.

Tensions between the leaders Hoffenheim and the champions Munich rose when Munich general manager Uli Hoeness suggested that Hoffenheim's players were earning more than the club said.