Italian jinx

For some reason, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been trying hard to meet PM Manmohan Singh since July but something always seems to get in the way. He wanted to meet the PM on the margins of the G8 summit in Hokkaido, but Singh8217;s schedule was just too tight. After repeated requests, India could find a slot for the two PMs to meet on the margins of the UN General Assembly last month but Berlusconi had to cancel his visit to New York due to the crisis arising out of Alitalia, the country8217;s national carrier, going bankrupt. Promptly, a fresh request has arrived for a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Summit in China this November.