Germany claims more time is needed on BAE-Eads merger  Sales
pitch: Eads is showing off its AAS-72X scout helicopter in
America, hoping to win an army contract.  The German government
is pushing for the deadline for discussions over the proposed
BAE Systems and Eads mega-merger to be put back as political
issues threaten to overwhelm the deal.  Thomas De Maziere, the
German defence minister, said this morning that there were too
many details to be ironed out in the highly-charged £30 billion
merger to formalise a deal by the tight 10 October deadline. The
UK Takeover Panel set that date for an announcement, 28 days
after news was leaked of the talks to create a pan-European
aerospace and defence champion.  Noting that the Panel can grant
an extension, De Maziere said: “Perhaps we need more time. It
depends on the answers for our questions and so I think we need
more time.”  Those “questions” are likely to involve the
political influence that the German and French governments can
wield over the combined group.