The airlines are hoping to reach a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department before the trial, due to begin Nov. 25, paving the way for a deal that would create the world's largest air carrier, the sources said. - Russian energy companies Novatek and Gazprom Neft are ready to raise their offer to $4.9 billion and fight Rosneft for gas assets owned by Italy's Eni and Enel, Kommersant newspaper reported. Competition for SeverEnergia, which has assets in northern Russia's Yamal-Nenets region, increased last month when state-owned Rosneft, the world's largest oil company by output, signed a deal to acquire Enel's stake in the gas producer for $1.8 billion.