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Bush: Israeli-Palestinian Peace Possible Within Year

JERUSALEM (AP)--U.S. President George W. Bush is optimistic Israelis and Palestinians can reach an agreement before he leaves office in a year's time, Bush said in a newspaper interview published Friday ahead of his arrival in the region next week.

Czech PM: Govt Undecided On Level Of CEZ Share Sale - Report

PRAGUE (Dow Jones)--The Czech government has yet to make a final decision about whether it will seek additional revenues from a selldown of its stake in power company CEZ AS (BAACEZ.PR), the country's prime minister said in a newspaper interview published Friday.

MARKET TALK: Areva Talks Confirm Intent To Remain Solo -Dexia

Iran To Open Oil Bourse In February - Agency

Ukraine's Naftogaz In Technical Default, State Will Help

LONDON (Dow Jones)--The Ukrainian government has undertaken to provide state guarantees for debt payments to creditors by state-run gas supplier Naftogaz, which is in technical default on its $500 million 2009 Eurobond, Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko said.

UK Min Sees Legal Challenge To Nuclear Go-ahead

Gazprom Eyes 10% Of French Gas Market In 4-5 Years

PARIS (Dow Jones)--Russian gas monopoly OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) aims to take 10% of the French gas market in the next four or five years, its Deputy Chairman Alexander Medvedev told French daily La Tribune in an interview published Thursday.

Oil's Surge To $100 Unlikely To Affect Demand -IEA Official

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Oil's surge to $100 a barrel is unlikely to soften global oil demand any time soon or significantly change consumption patterns among key consumers, an official at the International Energy Agency said Thursday.

$100 OIL:OPEC Secy Genl Sees 08 Challenge;Blames Speculators

VIENNA (Dow Jones)--Ahead of oil prices hitting $100 a barrel Wednesday, OPEC's top executive predicted a respite from erratic oil price swings this year and expressed continued frustration at a market influenced as much by speculative trading as supply management.

Iranian Supreme Leader: No Benefit In Resuming US Ties

TEHRAN (AFP)--Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Thursday said that Iran has "no benefit" in resuming ties with the U.S. at the current time, state television reported.

Iran Supreme Leader: Country Will Keep Enriching Uranium

TEHRAN (AFP)--Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Thursday vowed the country wouldn't give up uranium enrichment, saying Iran should seek to have nuclear plants generating 20,000 megawatts of energy in 20 years.

Syria, Turkey To Set Up Oil Exploration, Devt JV

BEIRUT (Zawya Dow Jones)--State-owned Syrian Petroleum Co and Turkish Petroleum Co have agreed to set up an oil exploration and development joint-venture to operate in both countries, the official Syrian Arab News Agency SANA reported Thursday citing the Syrian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Soufian Allao.

EU: Sustained High Oil Price Level Will Impact EU Economy

BRUSSELS (Dow Jones)--Sustained high oil prices of around $100 a barrel will take a toll on the European economy in 2008, the European Commission's spokeswoman for economic and monetary affairs said Thursday.