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Escalating violence in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Iraq drove oil higher and sent class="mandelbrot_refrag"> stocks lower on Friday, putting a global equity index on track for its first weekly loss in five weeks. Wall Street was little changed, but U.S. averages were set for their first loss in four weeks, while European shares .FTEU3 were set to interrupt eight weeks of gains. The MSCI All World Index fell 0.2 percent and is down 0.5 percent for the week. Despite the decline in riskier assets, benchmark U.S. bond prices fell, pushing yields slightly higher. Sterling surged on Friday after the Bank of England hinted at an interest rate rise this year.   true       Financial class="mandelbrot_refrag"> markets ' focus was on the violence in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Iraq where Sunni Islamist militants have surged out of the north this week to menace Baghdad and want to establish their own state in Iraq and Syria. Preside

Suzuki Motor Corp Chairman Osamu Suzuki said it was unclear when an international arbitration court will rule on its 2-1/2 year dispute with Volkswagen AG over their failed partnership. _0"> Japan's No.4 automaker by global sales volume filed for international arbitration in November 2011, after Volkswagen refused to sell back a 19.9 percent stake in Suzuki it acquired in January 2010 for 1.7 billion euros ($2.3 billion). Earlier this month, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that a London-based arbitration court had wrapped up witness hearings and was expected to issue a ruling before the end of the year.   true       "It's unclear," the 84-year-old chief executive told reporters in Tokyo when asked about the likely timing of a ruling. Pressed on whether the two companies could reach a settlement, he said repeatedly: "We are the ones that took this to court." The two automakers agreed on a tie-up in December 2009, vowing to work tog

Executives from German carmaker BMW and U.S.-based class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Tesla Motors Inc met this week in a move which could lead to the creation of charging stations usable for different types of electric cars. BMW and electric carmaker Tesla are seeking ways to raise the popularity of battery-powered vehicles, which consumers have shunned due to their limited operating range, the scarcity of charging stations and the time it takes to recharge them. "Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electro-mobility and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electro-mobility on an international level," a BMW spokesman said in a statement on Friday.   true       BMW said the meeting had taken place on Wednesday but declined to comment in detail about the nature of the talks, or about which BMW executives had met with Tesla. In a conference call on Thursday, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said there had been talks with BMW abou

French bank BNP Paribas was warned in 2006 by a high-ranking U.S. Treasury official and in three reports by legal experts that it risked being penalized for breaking U.S. sanctions, according to Le Monde newspaper. _0"> Since France's biggest bank flagged the risk of a big fine in February this year, sources close to the affair have said it ignored early warnings of the risks it faced. They pointed out that the alleged offending transactions being investigated by U.S. authorities continued until 2009. The French newspaper's report, written as talks accelerate towards a possible $10 billion fine and other penalties, said Stuart Levey, then the U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, made a visit to Paris in September 2006.   true       The paper, drawing on the findings of its own investigation, said Levey met the bank's top officials, including Baudoin Prot, who has since become chairman, in its boardroom. Levey was there not to

The world's biggest would-be drugs merger hit a wall last month but speculation about smart ways that Pfizer could yet seal a deal with AstraZeneca remains intense. Even as talks fell apart last month, some in Pfizer's camp remained optimistic the transaction could be revived - and certain AstraZeneca advisers have not ruled out renewed talks. Under British takeover law, the UK firm can approach Pfizer at the end of August to discuss a sweetened bid, or Pfizer can try again in November. While the most obvious method for Pfizer to win AstraZeneca around might seem to be more cash, some class="mandelbrot_refrag"> hedge funds think the U.S. firm could structure payouts by tying them to the performance of key AstraZeneca drugs.   true       A so-called contingent value right, or CVR, was a winning formula for class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Sanofi in its 2011 battle for Genzyme and the tradeable product - promising additional payouts once future benchm

U.S. stock index class="mandelbrot_refrag"> futures pointed to a slightly lower on Friday as some positive corporate news supported markets, though ongoing violence in Iraq gave investors pause. * While both the Dow and S&P hit record highs this week, Wall Street has lately been pressured by concerns of slowing global growth and violence in Iraq, which has taken oil prices to their highest since September. The Dow and S&P 500 are on track for their first weekly decline after three consecutive weeks of gains. * The S&P has fallen for three straight days, its longest streak of declines since early April. However, it has dropped just 1.1 percent over that period, and many view the market's recent trend upward as intact.   true       * class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Intel Corp shares jumped 4.7 percent to $29.27 in heavy premarket trading a day after the Dow component raised its full-year revenue outlook, citing stronger-than-expected demand f