Ruggiero, who knows Eastern Europe well and backed Russia's entry into the WTO, is reported to disagree. In the messy jostling for Cabinet posts, Ruggiero, one of the few independents chosen, came under fire for being an outsider, a candidate reportedly imposed on Berlusconi by the president and Italy's traditional industrial elite. Berlusconi also rejected Bossi's loud demand that his top aide, Roberto Maroni, be made speaker of Parliament's lower house, and later withdrew Maroni's nomination as justice minister because of his past tangles with prosecutors over his advocacy of northern Italian secession. Weekend reports said chief executive Rod Eddington is seeking to resurrect the tie-up with his counterpart Leo van Wijk. BA played down the reports but said it was still interested in principle in a merger.
Latest reports suggest the two believe they can rapidly agree the financial details of a merger.
A deal would give the enlarged group a second major travel hub in Europe at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to add to BA's strong position at Heathrow. It would also create Europe's largest airline, and the third largest airline in the world. Eddington is also heading to the US to hold talks with new transport secretary Norman Mineta and American Airlines chief executive Don Carty. The spokeswoman said BA was keen to continue to deepen its ties with American Airlines with a view to establishing an alliance. Syria marks first anniversary of Hafez Assad's death Scheduled radio programs were replaced with eulogies and state-run newspapers carried front page pictures Sunday of the late President Hafez Assad, who was remembered one year after his death as an Arab leader who stood up to Israel.