Business Diary: Ryanair gets its exposé in before the BBC

For months Ryanair has been aware that the BBC's Panorama has been conducting an investigation into its practices. So fed up is it with Panorama's refusal to promise chief executive Michael O'Leary an unedited interview that it has published all correspondence with the BBC. Let's just say neither side comes up smelling of roses.

'Panorama' must be holding its breath

The programme goes out tonight, by the way. Will it dare to accuse Mr O'Leary of describing his staff as "lemons.... we cut them in half, we squeeze the juice and then we throw them away"? The airline described the claim as "bizarre and desperate".

H ummer heading east

So Chinese auto group Tengzhong is buying Hummer from GM. Officials in China had voiced concern about the vehicles' eco credentials: odd given China's performance on green issues, but the deal has been cleared.

Number of the day

1.5%

The rate of growth Gordon Brown says the economy will now achieve next year, ahead of even the Treasury's own forecasts of 1.25 per cent, which officials are sticking to.