Frankfurt  - Germany's Commerzbank AG and insurer Allianz SE said Thursday their boards are to meet Sunday amid mounting speculation of a merger between two of the nation's leading banks.

While an Allianz spokesman declined to comment on what the insurer's board members will discuss, the meeting in Munich is widely expected to agree to selling off its troubled banking offshoot Dresdner to Commerzbank for up to 9 billion euros (13.3 billion dollars).

Frankfurt  - German publishing house Deutsche Fachverlag (dfv) has acquired a 26-per-cent stake in Indian publishing group Images Multimedia, a spokesman for dfv has announced.

"The Indian market is still at the beginning of its development, and offers great growth opportunities," said Rolf Griesbach, spokesman for dfv's management in Frankfurt on Tuesday.

The Delhi-based firm owns nine trade journals, and specializes in fashion and consumer titles, employing some 140 staff. The company's revenues for the 2007-2008 financial year totalled 6.1 million euros.

Frankfurt/Vienna - Deutsche Lufthansa AG has officially entered the bidding process for Austrian Airlines, which is being privatized by the Austrian government, the German carrier confirmed Monday.

"We have officially expressed our interest," a spokesman for the the German said.

Andreas Bartels said, hours after the Sunday deadline for sending letters of interest to OIAG, the state-controlled holding that wants to sell its 42.8-per-cent share in Austrian Airlines.

Frankfurt  - Germany could be on the brink of a major shakeout in its fragmented banking industry with investors betting Monday on an announcement this week of an 8-billion-euro (12 billion-dollar) merger between two of the nation's leading banks.

Indeed, shares in Allianz SE jumped more than 1.0 per cent in early trading Monday on speculation that the German giant insurer could announce this week a deal to merge its troubled banking offshoot Frankfurt-based Dresdner with cross-town rival Commerzbank AG.

Frankfurt - A German Lufthansa AG airline collided with a bus on a Frankfurt airport runway, officials said Thursday.

Frankfurt  - German state bank KfW said Thursday that it had sold its stake in the ailing business bank IKB to the US private equity group Lone Star.