IBT Staff Reporter

A senior executive from Apple Inc will meet France's consumer affairs minister on Friday to discuss a number of incidents in which screens on some of its popular iPhones were reported to have shattered for no obvious reason.

Tim Gunn, fashion guru and urbane mentor to the budding designers on TV's

China Everbright Bank's 11.5 billion yuan ($1.68 billion) private share placement has been approved by regulatory authorities, furthering the bank's quest for an initial public offering.

(Reuters.com) -- Shares in American International Group soared 30 percent on Thursday after new Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche told Reuters he did not favor a fire sale of the bailed-out insurer's assets and that in a year people will say AIG is performing well.

Banks watchlist grows; AIG chief defeds holiday; First Flight Jump

PHILADELPHIA - U.S. government scientists have for the first time found chemical contaminants in drinking water wells near natural gas drilling operations, fueling concern that a gas-extraction technique is endangering the health of people who live close to drilling rigs.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military wants to speed production of 10 to 12 huge bunker buster bombs, the Air Force said on Thursday, amid concerns over suspected underground nuclear sites in Iran and North Korea.

A unit of energy giant Edison International (EIX.N) on Thursday was charged with violating U.S. clean air laws at its coal-fired power plants in Illinois by releasing massive amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere.

Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it is adding shifts at its truck plants in Michigan and Missouri in response to increased demand for its F-150 pickup trucks and Escape SUVs.

Swiss bank UBS currently has no plans to buy back toxic assets which were transferred to the country's central bank last autumn as part of a government rescue package, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

NEW YORK - Chemical shipments on U.S. railroads fell 10.1 percent last week, according to a report from the Association of American Railroads on Thursday.

Problem U.S. banks and thrifts on an official watchlist rose more than a third to 416 in the second quarter of 2009, as bad loans continued to bite, but regulators saw signs of stabilization in the industry.

SEATTLE - U.S. retailers could see sales in the 2009 holiday season decline from last year's dismal results or show only a slight increase, even in the best scenario, according to a new forecast.

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.

Problem U.S. banks and thrifts on an official watchlist rose more than a third to 416 in the second quarter of 2009, as bad loans continued to bite, but regulators saw signs of stabilization in the industry.

Oil prices fell for the third consecutive day on Thursday as upbeat U.S. economic data failed to stanch concerns over bulging stockpiles in the world's largest energy consumer.

Moody's Investors Service on Thursday lowered its ratings on Pulte Homes, Inc and Centex Corp further into junk territory, citing cash generation challenges the merged companies face through the end of 2010.

Democrats scrambled on Thursday to find a way to quickly fill the seat of Senator Edward Kennedy, and give them a crucial vote in the drive to win overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system, a top domestic priority shared by President Barack Obama and Kennedy.

What forecasters say will become Hurricane Danny will not evolve from its current tropical storm status until the early part of the weekend and there are no signs from forecasters that it will surpass Category 1, according to a report from AccuWeather.com on Thursday.

For centuries, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and her enigmatic smile have inspired as much speculation as admiration. Now she's ready to answer questions -- in Mandarin.

Microsoft Corp plans to slash the price of its high-end Xbox 360 video game console by $100, or 25 percent, stepping up the price war in the video game console market.

U.S. stocks slipped on Thursday, with energy shares falling alongside oil prices as investors tapped the brakes on an August rally that has taken the market to 10-month highs.

Dominick Dunne, the American author and journalist best known for his coverage of high-profile court cases such as the O.J. Simpson murder trial, died on Wednesday at the age of 83.

G20 policymakers meeting in London next week will likely pledge to maintain accommodative policies for as long as is needed, a G7 source told Reuters on Thursday.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday launched an inquiry to examine the state of competition in the wireless industry, taking a step that could lead to probes of other sectors.

The U.S. economy shrank less than expected in the second quarter, despite a record drop in inventories, and fewer workers filed new claims for jobless benefits last week, a sign the economy was starting to heal.

A top aide to accused swindler Allen Stanford entered the first guilty plea on Thursday in a $7 billion fraud case as Stanford was hospitalized with an extremely high heart rate.

Facebook agreed on Thursday to give its worldwide users better protection over their personal information as the result of negotiations with Canada's privacy commissioner.

SAN FRANCISCO - TiVo Inc (TIVO.O) reported a smaller-than-expected loss on Wednesday, as sales came in slightly better than Wall Street's forecast, and the digital video recorder maker announced new legal action against those it claims are using its technology without permission.