IBT Staff Reporter

Boeing Co said on Friday it now expects delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner in the middle of the first quarter 2011, owing to a delay in engine availability.

American International Group Inc has scrapped plans to sell a strategic stake in its Asian life insurance business, AIA, ahead of its initial public offering, a source familiar with the process said on Friday.

Rightmove , the country's most visited property website, posted 40 percent higher first-half profit, beating analysts' expectations, as more homebuyers and sellers used its site to navigate what remains a challenging market.

Malaysia has lowered the crude palm oil production forecast to 17.8 million tons from 18.1 million tons due to the La Nina weather that is disrupting harvesting cycles.

Major new energy issues are about to transform still further the strategic balance of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, with foreseeable consequences for the global energy market over the coming decade. Soon-to-be-evident new wealth in the Red Sea/Horn of Africa region will transform the intensity of conflict there, which in turn will affect not only the region, but the world's most important trading route: the Red Sea/Suez sea line of communication (SLOC).

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 are flat to 0.1 percent firmer, pointing to a slightly higher start on Wall Street ahead of U.S. GDP data and a major speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Copper and other base metal prices rose up to 5 per kg in the non-ferrous metal market on Thursday on continued buying by stockists on industrial demand amid firming trend at the London Metal Exchange.

The FTSE 100 <.FTSE> index is seen falling on Friday, retreating after gains in the previous session, as investors awaited GDP releases from both the UK and the United States and a major speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Rejecting demand for a total ban on iron ore exports from some States, Indian government said states need to take stringent steps to prevent illegal mining. Replying to a debate on illegal mining in country's upper house of the parliament, Mines minister B K Handique said Merely because state governments are not able to prevent and stop illegal mining, we should not ban export of iron ore.

Global oil prices reversed trends in Asian trade Friday and dropped below $73 a barrel as the market awaits for more clues from US Fed chairman's scheduled speech later today. Light sweet crude for October delivery was seen trading at $72.99 a barrel at 12.00 noon Singapore time while Brent crude was at $74.69 a barrel in London.

DuPont has begun production of polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) polymer resin, a critical raw material used to make high-performance DuPontTedlar polyvinyl fluoride film to support solar energy industry, at its Fayetteville Works facility.

Australia, one of the world's largest wheat exporters, said its exports to China have already tripled this year. According to Australian Wheat Board (AWB), demand from the world's most populous nation in the nine months ended June 30 totalled 740,000 tonnes, of which 80 per cent was in bulk and 20 per cent in containers, or about 7 per cent of total wheat shipments.

International Grain Council on Thursday further slashed global wheat output estimate for 2010-11 by 7 m tones to 644m tones. In its latest report, the IGC however said wheat consumption will hit a record despite soaring prices because of a dearth of alternatives in Russia.

Junk silver coins may be the next gold rush for those looking for an affordable way to hedge against the global finacial market. Gold investors who are savy on precious metal investment have been discovering the value of junk silver and are buying up the coins in bulk quantites, according to Regal Assets, a precious metals investment advisor.

Boeing Co has pushed back delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner by several weeks due to a delay in the availability of a Rolls-Royce engine which is needed for the final phases of flight testing.

Japan opened up its gallows for the first time to domestic media on Friday, a move that could spark public debate over executions in a country where a hefty majority supports retaining the death penalty.

Any solution provided by Research in Motion, makers of BlackBerry smartphones, must pass through field trials to satisfy India's security concerns, a senior government source said on Friday.

Japan's core consumer prices fell for the 17th straight month in July on an annual basis in a sign that deflation remains deeply entrenched, boding ill for a fragile economy faced with a surging yen.

A grenade exploded in central Bangkok, seriously wounding a security guard, police said on Friday, the third such incident in a month during a state of emergency across Thailand's capital.

North Korea's number two leader has told former U.S. President Jimmy Carter that the reclusive state is committed to denuclearising the peninsula and resuming six-way talks, the North's state news agency said on Friday.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday mocked rumours that he was suffering from cancer as wishful thinking by his squalid enemies.

Mexican troops fanned out in the remote countryside near the Texas border on Thursday as they hunted the perpetrators of the worst massacre in the country's escalating drug war.

North Korea's number two leader has told former U.S. President Jimmy Carter that the reclusive state is committed to denuclearising the peninsula and resuming six-way talks, the North's state news agency said on Friday.

Australians are betting that a minority government expected to be formed in the next few weeks will not last a full term and fresh elections will be called in 2011, an online bookmaker said on Friday.

Any solution provided by Research in Motion, makers of BlackBerry smartphones, must pass through field trials to satisfy India's security concerns, a senior government source said on Friday.

BHP Billiton's chief executive flies to North America this week to mount a charm offensive to woo Potash Corp shareholders, as a potential Chinese rival bidder reiterated it was closely watching BHP's $39 billion (25 billion pound) offer.

Businessman Asil Nadir flew back to Britain on Thursday, 17 years after he fled while awaiting trial on theft charges stemming from the collapse of his Polly Peck business empire.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Thursday mocked rumours that he was suffering from cancer as wishful thinking by his squalid enemies.

Thirty-three miners trapped for 21 days in a Chilean mine may get videos of Maradona and other soccer greats to beat boredom as they face several months deep underground until they are dug out.