Alitalia survives

Alitalia aims to be reborn as a slimmed down airline in just weeks, a government official said on Saturday, after once-reluctant pilots' unions agreed to a rescue plan by a group of Italian investors.

The breakthrough deal with pilots followed overnight, government-brokered talks and was a major victory for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who was elected in April promising to save Alitalia from buckling under massive debt and losses.

>>>read more