Business briefs

Strike could scuttle merger

Shareholder approval for an $8.9-billion merger between British Airways Plc and Iberia SA to create Europe's No. 3 airline was overshadowed Monday by the threat of new strikes at the British flag carrier. The two airlines revealed at concurrent shareholder meetings in London and Madrid that more than 99 percent of investors had voted in favor of the merger, which the pair hope will help counter falling demand from both business and leisure travelers in the wake of the global credit squeeze. But the Unite union announced after the shareholder meetings that it would be balloting thousands of cabin crew about whether to take further industrial action in a fractious and long-running dispute with the carrier's management about changes to pay and working conditions.

Applied DNA raises capital

Applied DNA Sciences Inc. of Stony Brook has raised $350,000 in capital by issuing short-term debt that can be converted to company stock, federal regulatory documents show. Applied DNA makes and sells genetic markers as anti-counterfeiting tools. Securities and Exchange Commission filings show the company sold the $350,000 in secured notes on Nov. 19. The filings indicate the company is seeking to raise as much as $3 million overall. Applied DNA products are used to mark luxury goods; and as secure identifiers on microchips for security-sensitive manufacturers, to ensure that foreign-made knockoffs aren't introduced into the manufacturing process. - Joseph Mallia

Kardashians cut card promo

The Kardashian sisters are seeking to cut ties with a venture that sold prepaid debit cards under their name after coming under attack for the card's high fees. The card, which launched three weeks ago, was aimed at young adults, the same group that watches the sisters' hit cable TV show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." An attorney for the sisters sent a letter Monday to parties affiliated with the card asking them to immediately stop using the names and images of the three sisters.

From staff and wires