Icelandair said Friday it would order two of the Boeing Co.’s new 787s as part of a plan to expand its long-range routes. The order for the 787-8 model airplanes is valued at $240 million at list prices, although airlines often get a substantial discount. The airplanes are to be delivered in 2010, two years after the fuel-efficient, twin-aisle jet is to enter service. Boeing spokeswoman Yvonne Leach said the company has logged 64 firm orders for the 787, previously called the 7E7. The company also has announced tentative commitments for another 129 jets.

Washington Post profits surge 21%

Fourth-quarter profits at The Washington Post Co., which owns The Herald, surged 21 percent, fueled by growth in all divisions, the media company said Friday.

EU checks up on Microsoft

European Union antitrust regulators are consulting with software rivals of Microsoft Corp. to see whether the industry giant is complying with last year’s landmark EU ruling against it, officials said Friday. The EU Executive Commission is hearing from software companies through this week and will then decide if additional punishment is necessary. EU antitrust regulators fined Microsoft a record $654 million when they ruled in March that Microsoft abusively wielded its Windows software monopoly and locked competitors out of the market.

Ex-WorldCom chief may testify

Lawyers for former WorldCom chief Bernard Ebbers told a judge Friday they expect him to testify in his own defense Monday at his federal accounting fraud trial. In a meeting with the judge overseeing the case, defense lawyer Brian Heberlig said, “I think there is a very high probability that Mr. Ebbers will testify Monday.” Ebbers, 63, is charged with orchestrating the $11 billion fraud at WorldCom. He faces charges of fraud, conspiracy and making false regulatory filings.

Economy growing at a rapid pace

The economy clocked in at a 3.8 percent growth pace in the final quarter of 2004 – faster than initially thought – and is now cruising at that speed or better. That could be good news for jobless people hoping for companies to increase hiring. In the newest reading on the economy’s fitness, the gross domestic product exceeded a previous estimate of a 3.1 percent annual growth for the October-December quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday. GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States.

From Herald staff

and news services