Stories for December 4th 2008

Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
British Airways exploring potential merger with Qantas

British Airways announced it is exploring a potential merger with the Australian flag-carrier Qantas Airways. However BA warned there was “no guarantee that any transaction will be forthcoming”.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Argentina Playboy bunny campaigns for whales in Chile

Argentine top model Vanesa Carbone cat-walked topless in front of the Japanese embassy in Santiago de Chile to protest Japan's indiscriminate whale hunting and the use of animal skins in human clothing.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Uruguay estimates 3% economic growth next year

Uruguay's economic team announced on Wednesday the government's estimates for the next twelve months admitting that the world recession will reach the country but growth rate in 2009 will be in the range of 3%, “above the average of the last fifty years”.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Export financing and incentives for Argentine fisheries

Argentina announced an 80 million US dollars support plan for the fishing industry to help pre finance exports with a special credit line from Banco Nacion which acts as a development bank.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Cruise vessel with 122 pax and crew trapped in Antarctic ice

The Panamanian flagged cruise vessel Ciudad de Ushuaia, with 122 people on board, called for help Thursday after getting stuck in the ice, suffering a fuel leak and letting in a “minimal” amount of water, the Argentine Navy said in Buenos Aires.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Open letter to Argentines from new UK ambassador

The new British ambassador in Argentina presented her credentials on Wednesday to Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana and simultaneously published an open letter in the embassy's site saying how privileged she was to be in Buenos Aires underscoring the many coincidences between UK and Argentina. Her message included an implicit message on Falklands “there are differences of policy and opinion between the UK and Argentina on some important matters”.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Falklands dedicates new stamp issue to five penguin species

The five species of breeding penguins in the Falkland Islands will soon be winging their way through letter boxes, appearing on a new issue of postage stamps – Breeding Penguins – which were released this week by the Falkland Islands Post Office.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
UK has lowest rates in 57 years: 2%; retailers want more

The Bank of England cut interest rates on Thursday by one percentage point, from 3% to 2% - the lowest level since 1951. The move, which followed a dramatic cut in November, has been welcomed by many commentators who said the cut should help the slowing economy.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
Commons office raid: Home Secretary stands by the police

United Kingdom's Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has defended the decision to call in the police to investigate leaks from the Home Office. In a Commons statement, Mrs Smith again insisted she had no prior knowledge that Tory frontbencher Damian Green was about to be arrested in connection with the inquiry.
Thursday, December 4th 2008 - 20:00 UTC
ECB lowers rate to 2.5%, but cautions about further cuts

European Central Bank President Jean Claude Trichet said on Thursday cutting interest rates too low or too fast could leave policy makers with few options to respond to a deepening recession.