November 13, 2009: British Airways and troubled Spanish national airline, Iberia have reached a preliminary agreement on a merger; the merger will take place in 2010.  Under the agreement, BA would hold a 55% stake and Iberia a 45% stake in the new company.  BA already owns 13.5% of Iberia. The combination would create a carrier with over 400 aircraft and 200 destinations.

November 13, 2009: The European Court of Human Rights has the presence of crucifixes in the classroom violates a child's right to religious freedom.  The ruling centered on a case in Italy.  The Greek Orthodox Church, which is leading the charge against the ruling, fears that this precedent may impact other EU member states.

November 12, 2009: A report in the journal Science reported that the Greenland ice sheet is receding faster than in earlier years.  Were the entire ice sheet to melt, world oceans would rise by approximately eighteen feet.  The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects an increase in sea level of between 1 and 2 feet by the end of the century.

November 12, 2009: McDonald's Corporation [NYSE:MCD] announced that it will remodel 2000 of its restaurants and open 1000 new locations; spending will increase by $2.4 billion in 2010.  McDonald's November sales figures are expected on December 8th.