IBT Staff Reporter

ATLANTA - Boeing Co said on Thursday its 787 Dreamliner would make its first flight by the end of this year, with initial delivery expected in the fourth quarter of 2010, and its shares shot up 8 percent.

NEW YORK - U.S. copper futures dipped into negative territory Thursday morning as a weaker open on Wall Street and lingering concerns about Chinese demand sapped earlier strength and pulled prices back down from the $2.90 a lb level.

Wearing flip-flops, khaki shorts and a green polo shirt, the new chief executive of bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc says he's getting a lot of work done from his massive villa overlooking the Adriatic.

Men and people of South Asian descent are more likely to have unfavorable perceptions of colon cancer screening, research from the UK shows.

NEW YORK - Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) said it has completed the previously announced transfer of 180,000 Ginnie Mae-backed mortgages from Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp to the bank's home loan servicing business.

New ultra-sensitive blood tests can rapidly detect when heart muscle is dying from a heart attack, even from the moment the patient arrives in the emergency room, according to two studies on Wednesday.

Stocks fell on Thursday as energy shares followed slumping oil prices lower and technology issues declined, putting the brakes on an August rally that has taken stocks to 10-month highs.

The former chief financial officer of Stanford International Bank pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges stemming from an alleged $7 billion fraud.

The number of problem U.S. banks and thrifts on an official watchlist rose sharply to 416 in the second quarter of 2009 from 305 in the prior quarter, as the industry recorded a $3.7 billion loss.

The chief executives of the biggest U.S. health insurance companies were called to testify about industry practices before a congressional hearing examining coverage, costs and claim denials.

South African mobile operator MTN wants to conclude a proposed tie-up with Indian partner Bharti Airtel quickly to end any doubt about the deal, but doesn't rule out interest in part of Kuwaiti firm Zain.

NYSE Euronext said on Thursday the trans-Atlantic stock exchange will buy NYFIX Inc for $144 million, to optimize trading efficiency.

Younger Americans are being exposed to worrisome amounts of radiation from medical scans that increase their risk of cancer, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

U.S. officials said the number of problem banks and thrifts on their watchlist rose sharply to 416 in the second quarter of 2009 from 305 in the prior quarter, as the industry recorded a $3.7 billion loss.

Time Warner Inc's AOL division named a former Time Warner Cable Inc executive as its chief financial officer ahead of the expected spinoff of the Internet unit later this year.

Facebook, the popular social networking website, agreed on Thursday to make changes to better protect the personal information of its users as a result of negotiations with Canada's privacy commissioner.

Boeing Co said on Thursday its 787 Dreamliner would make its first flight by the end of this year, with initial delivery expected in the fourth quarter of 2010, and its shares shot up 8 percent.

Irish airline Aer Lingus toned down its opposition to a deal with arch-rival Ryanair, saying on Thursday a tripling of losses, rapid cash burn and difficulties in raising funds threatened its independence.

Scientific advisers to President Barack Obama may have asked the government to speed up the availability of swine flu vaccines, but they are unlikely to be ready before October, the new head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

Coal Plc reported a sharply wider first-half loss on increased costs as it was hurt by challenges in both deep and surface mining and cut its deep mine production forecast for the year.

U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) is optimistic about a recovery in the U.S. economy but would continue to tread carefully by adopting cost-saving measures, a senior official said on Thursday.

Time Warner Cable Inc has signed up at least seven large media companies for a test that will offer television programs on the Internet to paying subscribers, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Tropical Storm Danny which formed at the east of the Bahamas yesterday has grown in strength as its winds reached 60 miles per hour compared to 45 mph on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported today.

Paulina Chmielecka, the former fiancée of TV reality star Ryan Jenkins said she, her friends and Jenkin's family are in shock after knowing Jenkins took his own life in the midst of accusations that he killed and mutilated his wife swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore.

The rape of some Iranian reformers who were jailed after a disputed presidential election has been proven to a parliamentary committee, a lawmaker was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Adapting to the effects of climate change such as floods and droughts is likely to cost two to three times more than the United Nations estimates, a report said on Thursday ahead of a major U.N. summit in December.

Lloyds Banking Group may sell parts of its business to reduce its reliance on Britain's government-backed asset protection scheme, shareholders familiar with the group's thinking said on Thursday.

The rival Koreas neared a deal to resume reunions of families separated by the Korean War at a rare meeting on Wednesday that follows conciliatory moves made by the North after it was hit by sanctions, reports said.

U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc is optimistic about a recovery in the U.S. economy but would continue to tread carefully by adopting cost-saving measures, a senior official said on Thursday.