Ofcom acts to cut home phone and broadband prices

  Ofcom wants to reduce the cost of connections provided by Openreach The cost of home telephone and broadband services could come down after telecoms regulator Ofcom moved to reduce the wholesale price. It has revised the list of rates that Openreach, which manages BT's network, can charge other providers for using its services.
In some cases, the wholesale price could fall by more than 10% per year.
The move could benefit companies such as TalkTalk and Sky, but not Virgin Media which uses its own cable network.
Under Ofcom's proposals the prices of two of the ways that BT's rivals get access to its network will come down.
The first, called Local Loop Unbundling, allows telecoms firms to site their equipment in BT exchanges and take over lines to customers.
Ofcom wants the price Openreach charges when an operator takes over these lines completely to drop by between 1.2 and 4.2% every year. Where lines are shared it wants prices to drop by between 11.6 and 14.6% every year. To illustrate the potential numbers affected, Ofcom said there were about 7.6 million unbundled lines in the UK.
The second, called Wholesale Line Rental, involves telecoms firms simply renting lines from Openreach. Ofcom wants the prices of these to drop by between 3.1 and 6.1% every year. There are about 6.14 million WLR lines in the UK.
The price changes are to be applied after taking inflation into account. This might mean that some prices creep upwards if inflation rises.
"Ofcom expects its proposed prices to lead to real term price reductions for consumers, as communications providers pass on savings to their landline and broadband customers," it said in a statement.
In response, BT released a statement which said: "BT invests more than any other company in the UK's communications infrastructure, so it is critical that it is able to achieve a fair rate of return in order to continue its investment in copper and fibre-based services."
It added: "Upon initial review, we are encouraged by Ofcom's recognition of this fact, but would question some of the underlying assumptions being used."
The communications watchdog said its proposals were the start of a consultation process that would end on 9 June. BT said it would raise its concerns with Ofcom during the consultation process.
The conclusions of the consultation will be published in the autumn.
Any price changes that result would come into effect towards the end of 2011 and be in place until March 2014.

Microsoft takes Google complaint to EU

  Microsoft claims that Google has tried to restrict its growth in the search market Microsoft is to take an anti-competition complaint against Google to the European Commission. The software maker claims that Google used its dominant position in the search market to restrict the growth of Microsoft services.
It cites a number of practices, including Google limiting the ability of Microsoft Bing to index web content.Google said it was not surprised by the move and would happily explain itself.

In a detailed blog, Microsoft's general counsel, Brad Smith, outlined the company's grievances.

He wrote: "Our filing today focuses on a pattern of actions that Google has taken to entrench its dominance in the markets for online search and search advertising to the detriment of European consumers."
The post goes on to list five different ways in which Google, according to Microsoft, has sought to control the search market.
Those are:

• Using technical measures to stop Microsoft's search engine Bing from indexing content on Google-owned YouTube.
• Blocking Microsoft Smartphones from operating properly with YouTube.
• Controlling access to online copies of out-of-copyright books.
• Limiting the ability of businesses to reclaim "their own information" generated through Google advertising campaigns for use elsewhere.
• Compelling leading websites to only use Google search boxes on their pages.

Heavy fines The European Commission launched an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive practices by Google last November, at the behest of several internet companies, including Ciao, a shopping site owned by Microsoft.

Microsoft's Bing search engine suffered because of Google's actions, it alleges

It is likely, if the Commission accepts the latest round of complaints from Microsoft, that they would be rolled into the same investigation.
For the Microsoft case to be accepted, the company would have to prove two things - firstly that Google was dominant in a particular market, namely search, and secondly that it had abused that position.
In a statement, Google said it would cooperate with any investigation.
"We're not surprised that Microsoft has done this, since one of their subsidiaries was one of the original complainants. For our part, we continue to discuss the case with the European Commission and we're happy to explain to anyone how our business works," is stated.
Penalties for companies found to have engaged in anti-competitive practices in Europe can be severe. The EC has the power to impose fines up to 10% of global earnings.
That will likely have a bearing on how the case proceeds, according to Mark Tricker, an antitrust lawyer with the law firm Norton Rose.
He told BBC News: "Once the Commission has formulated its claims then I suspect that Google will enter into a dialogue with them to address those concerns so it does not have to reach a judgement."
Role reversal Microsoft's position as accuser in an anti-competition case is something of a role reversal.
In the past, the world's leading software company has been the target of similar actions.
A 2003 EC ruling determined that Microsoft had unfairly advantaged its Windows Media Player software over other streaming technologies by embedding it into the Windows operating system.
It was fined £381m, followed by a further £194m in 2006 for failing to comply with elements of the original ruling.

Timothy Geithner seeks uniform exchange rate policy

  China is accused of keeping its currency artificially undervalued US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has kicked off the G20 meeting in Nanjing with a call for more consistency in international currency exchange rates. Mr Geithner said tight control of currency pricing by some countries was hurting global economy.
The United States and other developed nations have been critical of China's exchange rate policy.
The meeting is being attended by some of the financial world's biggest names.
Mr Geithner said that the Group of 20 nations was working closely to put in place a system that would streamline the exchange rates globally.
"We have been engaged in a multilateral effort in the G20 to establish stronger norms for exchange rate policy," he said.
There have been repeated calls for China to let the value of yuan appreciate against the US dollar. It has been accused of keeping the value of the yuan artificially low in order to help its exporters.

To achieve this objective, the concerned countries should have flexible exchange rate systems, independent central banks and permit the free movement of capital flows”

End Quote Timothy Geithner US Treasury Secretary

Beijing has maintained that a sudden appreciation of its currency will be detrimental not only for its export sector but for its overall economy.

Analysts say the scenario is likely to remain the same for the time being.
"China will be sensitive to discussing the yuan, especially on its own ground, but given what's happened in the world economy in the past few weeks, I think exchange rate complaints will be on the back burner," said Mitul Kotecha, global currency strategist at Credit Agricole.
Global currency China has been pushing for the yuan to become a global reserve currency.
That push got a big boost as the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, suggested that given the importance of emerging economies such as China to global growth, their currencies should be added to the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket.
His comments were backed by Mr Geithner who said he supported a change to the SDR composition.
"Over time, we believe that currencies of large economies heavily used in international trade and financial transactions should become a part of the SDR basket," he said.
However, Mr Geithner said that for that to happen, the countries would have to loosen their control on the currency.
"To achieve this objective, the concerned countries should have flexible exchange rate systems, independent central banks and permit the free movement of capital flows," he said.

Somali 'al-Shabab' suspect held in Canada

  Somali Islamist group al-Shabab has been linked to al-Qaeda 

Canadian authorities have arrested a man accused of seeking to travel to Somalia to join a militant group.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was stopped at Toronto Pearson airport on Tuesday, Canadian police said in a statement
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said he was bound for Cairo, then Somalia.
He planned to join al-Shabab, which the US and Canada consider a terror group, and "participate in their terrorist activities", police said.
The man was charged under federal law with attempting to participate in terrorist activity and with providing counsel to a person to participate in such activity, police said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said he would be identified when charges are formally laid in court on Wednesday.
Anti-terror police began investigating him in October, and arrested him without incident after learning he planned to travel to Somali to link up with al-Shabab, police said.
"The RCMP plays a critical role in the fight against global terrorism, and this investigation is an example of our dedication to this important cause," Inspector Keith Finn said.
"We will continue to work with partners to eliminate terrorist criminal activity in Canada and abroad."

China white paper highlights US military 'competition'

 

China says military competition in the Asia-Pacific region remains fierce China says the United States is increasing its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, which is becoming more "volatile".

It also says there has been a rise in operations directed against China.
The views were made in China's National Defence white paper, issued by the government.
The paper outlines the country's current views on security issues and gives an overview of its military forces.
Fierce competition In the document, released on Thursday, China gives a downbeat assessment of the regional security situation.
"Profound changes are taking shape in the Asia-Pacific strategic landscape. Relevant major powers are increasing their strategic investment," it says.
"International military competition remains fierce."
The document singles out the United States. According to China, it is reinforcing military alliances and getting more involved in regional affairs.
Beijing also says foreigners are now more suspicious of China - and have increased "interference and countering moves" against it.
Relations between China and the United States, particularly on military matters, have been strained over recent years.
That tension eased slightly following Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to the United States earlier this year.
But the potential for disagreement remains high.
"We admit that our military ties continue to face difficulties and challenges," said Colonel Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, at a press conference to launch the white paper.
No issue threatens the relationship more that US support for Taiwan, a self-governing island off China's eastern coast that Beijing considers its own.
"The United States continues to sell weapons to Taiwan, severely impeding Sino-US relations," says the white paper.
Col Geng made it clear that the two countries must respect each other's core interests. For China, that includes Taiwan.
"China is willing to work with the US, based on respect, trust, equality and mutual benefits," he said.
The United States and some of China's neighbours occasionally express their concerns about the ultimate aim of Beijing's military modernisation.
But the white paper reiterates that no one has anything to fear.
It says China's armed forced, known as the People's Liberation Army, are there purely to defend the country.
China, it says, has a strategy of "attacking only after being attacked".

Obama authorises covert aid to Libyan rebels - reports

  President Barack Obama has said the US is looking at all options in Libya 

US President Barack Obama has secretly authorised covert assistance to rebels seeking to overthrow Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, US media reports say.

He recently signed a document known as a "finding", allowing support to the rebel groups, Reuters news agency and ABC News said.
Such "findings" are a common way for the president to authorise covert operations by the CIA.
The CIA and White House have both declined to comment on the reports.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "I will reiterate what the president said yesterday - no decision has been made about providing arms to the opposition or to any group in Libya. We're not ruling it out or ruling it in.
"We're assessing and reviewing options for all types of assistance that we could provide to the Libyan people, and have consulted directly with the opposition and our international partners about these matters."
The latest reports come amid an ongoing debate about the legality of arming the forces opposed to Col Gaddafi, the BBC's Steve Kingstone in Washington says.
Mr Obama has said publicly the US has not ruled out arming the rebels. He has pledged US troops will not join the effort to eject Col Gaddafi.
'Intelligence gathering' The New York Times, citing American officials, said on Wednesday that the CIA has had operatives on the ground in Libya for several weeks. They are said to be gathering intelligence for air strikes and making contact with the forces fighting Col Gaddafi.
The newspaper says British intelligence and special forces are also involved.
The Associated Press news agency, quoting a US official and former US intelligence officer, said small teams of CIA operatives had been sent into Libya after the agency's station in the capital, Tripoli, was forced to close.

 

President Obama speaking on ABC News: "If we wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could''

Some of those operatives had been involved in rescuing the crew of an F-15E Eagle warplane that crashed in Libya a week ago, AP said.
Meanwhile, US officials told the Washington Post newspaper that CIA operatives had been sent in to gather intelligence on the identity, aims and progress of the forces opposing Col Gaddafi.
In interviews with US television networks on Tuesday, Mr Obama spoke of applying "steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means" to encourage Col Gaddafi to step down.
He said the US had not decided whether or not to provide arms to Libyan rebels in the future.
"It's fair to say that if we wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could. We're looking at all our options at this point," he told ABC News.

G20 pathologist Freddy Patel suspended

  The General Medical Council suspended Dr Patel for four months Pathologist Dr Freddy Patel has been suspended for four months by the General Medical Council. The allegations upheld related to his post-mortem examination of murder victim Sally White, who was murdered by Anthony Hardy in north London in 2002.
The GMC also said Dr Patel had been deliberately dishonest when making claims on his CV.
Dr Patel was previously criticised for his post-mortem examination of Ian Tomlinson who died at the G20 protests.
The GMC had earlier ruled that his fitness to practise was impaired having been found guilty of gross professional misconduct.
Bite marks In a post-mortem examination on Ms White, Dr Patel said injuries, including gashes to her liver and bite marks, could all have come from natural causes and there were no signs she was assaulted.
But the GMC said he had not considered all of the available evidence and failed to weigh up other likely reasons for her death.
The panel said Dr Patel had an "inflexible approach" to his autopsy conclusions and gave "superficial" consideration to the possibility she was asphyxiated.
The GMC panel said Dr Patel had been deliberately dishonest in claims made on his CV and had not given truthful evidence to an earlier panel hearing.
It said this was against the "fundamental tenets" of good medical practice.
Dr Patel conducted the original post-mortem examination on Ian Tomlinson but his suspension is nothing to do with this.
He concluded Mr Tomlinson died from heart disease but this finding was contradicted by another post-mortem examination which blamed abdominal bleeding.
An inquest into Mr Tomlinson's death is currently under way.

Irish banks stress tests results due

  The latest stress tests will take into account the emerging meltdown in the residential property sector The latest estimate of the cost of the Irish banking crisis is expected to be revealed later on Thursday with the release of bank stress test results. They are expected to show the banks need an extra 30bn euros (£26.3bn).
The Irish Central Bank has tested four lenders - Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, Educational Building Society (EBS) and the Irish Life & Permanent.
The latest capital injection is expected to leave all four institutions in majority government ownership.
Dublin already owns most of Anglo Irish Bank, Allied Irish Banks and the EBS following previous rescues of the banks.
Trading in the banks' shares has also been suspended for the day pending the stress tests results, which are due in the late afternoon.
Mortgage meltdown Money set aside from the EU-IMF bail-out money agreed in November is expected to be used to fund the latest recapitalisation.

The 85bn-euro bail-out deal at the end of last year was in response to the massive losses run up by Irish banks as well as the government's own swelling budget deficit. The deal divided the money into 35bn euros for propping up the banking system and 50bn euros to fund day-to-day government spending.

Until now, losses in the Irish banking system have stemmed from the collapse of a speculative bubble in the commercial property sector, where billions were borrowed from the banks to fund hotels and shopping malls.
However, the latest stress tests will focus instead on an emerging meltdown in the residential sector.
Mortgage-lender Irish Life & Permanent (IL&P), which has escaped the crisis thus far, had to suspend trading in its shares on Wednesday amid speculation it is about to be nationalised.
Some 5.7% of homeowners are at least three months behind with their mortgage payments.
The stress tests will assume a cumulative collapse in property prices of 62% - a level already reached in some parts of the Republic.
It will also assume the unemployment rate peaking at 14.9%, a projection criticised by some economists as too weak, given that the latest data puts the rate at 14.7% already.

Newly-elected Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, wants the banks' lenders to take a share of the losses

However, the Irish Central Bank has hired US hedge fund manager Blackrock to review this year's stress tests to increase their credibility.
It comes after a previous round of tests failed to spot serious problems at the banks shortly before some of them required financial support.
Haircuts If the latest bill determined by the stress tests is indeed 30bn euros, it would take the total amount poured into the Irish banks since the financial crisis began to approximately 75bn euros.
That is equivalent to almost half of the Irish economy's annual output, or about 17,000 euros per Irish citizen - a burden that the government sees as unacceptable.
The newly-elected Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, has been calling for the banks' lenders to share in the losses, but this is likely to be resisted by other European countries.

Counting the costs

Republic of Ireland's 2010 bail-out:

• 85bn euros total, of which:

• 45bn from EU
• 22bn from IMF
• 18bn from Irish state pension fund

• 35bn earmarked for banks
• 50bn earmarked for budget deficit

Support for Irish banks:

• 76bn euros recapitalisation, of which:
• 46bn to date
• 30bn expected

• 150bn euros short-term funding, of which:
• 70bn from Irish central bank
• 80bn from ECB

In the early stages of the banking crisis in 2009, the government issued a blanket guarantee of its banks' debts.

The Republic's European partners feared a default by Irish banks could trigger a Europe-wide banking crisis.
They insisted that Dublin continue to honour the guarantee as a condition of last year's bail-out - much to the anger of opposition parties that have now taken control of the government.
However, only about 21bn euros of the banks' remaining long-term debts are still covered by the guarantee, according to the Irish Central Bank.
That leaves some 40bn euros of debts that could potentially be given a "haircut", forcing creditors - including UK, US and German banks - to take losses.
The country's biggest mortgage lender - Permanent TSB, part of IL&P - is not covered by the guarantee, and is expected to be the first institution for which the government will try to negotiate debt relief.
As well as the government guarantee and capital injections, the Irish banks have also been the recipient of over 150bn euros of short-term financing from the Irish central bank and the European Central Bank (ECB).
The ECB is expected to convert some 60bn euros of that financing into more manageable medium-term financing following the stress test results.

UK questions Libyan foreign minister

  Moussa Koussa is quitting Col Gaddafi's regime, UK officials say Britain says it has not offered Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa immunity from prosecution following his unexpected arrival in the country. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Mr Koussa had resigned and the Gaddafi regime was "crumbling from within".
British officials are questioning Mr Koussa, a former head of intelligence who was close to Col Gaddafi.
The development comes as Libyan rebels continue to retreat from recently captured towns along the eastern coast.
A column of retreating rebel fighters came under heavy fire between Brega and Ajdabiya on Thursday. The rebels had earlier lost the key oil port of Ras Lanuf and the nearby town of Bin Jawad.
In the west, the rebel-held town of Misrata is still reportedly coming under attack from pro-Gaddafi troops.
On Thursday Mr Hague said Mr Koussa had flown to the UK of his own free will late on Wednesday.
"His resignation shows that Gaddafi's regime, which has already seen significant defections to the opposition, is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling from within," he told reporters.
"Gaddafi must be asking himself who will be the next to abandon him."
Mr Hague urged others close to Col Gaddafi to "embrace the better future for Libya".

 

The Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that Libya's foreign minister Moussa Koussa will not get immunity from prosecution

Earlier the Foreign Office said he had arrived at Farnborough airport, west of London, on Wednesday evening.
A spokesperson said: "Moussa Koussa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally - something that he is no longer willing to do."
UK intelligence officials hope that his deep knowledge of the Libyan regime will help bring about its early end, says BBC diplomatic correspondent Humphrey Hawksley.
Mr Koussa arrived in the UK on what is believed to have been a British military plane, our correspondent adds.
However, a Libyan spokesman denied that Mr Koussa had defected and said he was on a diplomatic mission.

Moussa Koussa's career

• 1979-80: De facto ambassador in London
• 1984: Assigned to the Mathaba, Libya's anti-imperialist centre
• 1994: Appointed head of intelligence
• 2009: Appointed foreign minister; reportedly resigns 30 March 2011 

Helping the rebels?

Meanwhile, US media reports say President Barack Obama has authorised covert support for the Libyan rebels.

The CIA and White House have both declined to comment on the reports.
Mr Obama and other coalition leaders have said they are not ruling out supplying weapons to the rebels.
The BBC's Ben Brown, in the eastern coastal town of Ajdabiya, says the rebels simply cannot compete with the discipline and firepower of Col Gaddafi's forces.
He says the current situation is a dramatic about-turn for the rebels who over the weekend had seized a string of towns along the coast and seemed to be making good progress, with the help of coalition air strikes.

---

In terms of the defection of Moussa Koussa, the view of many Libyans is that Col Gaddafi operates a one-man-band dictatorship, and the defection of a minister - while certainly not good news - is survivable for Gaddafi.
After all, this revolution is led by another defecting minister, Mustafa Mohammed Abdul Jalil, and Col Gaddafi seems pretty much to have shrugged off his defection.
What Col Gaddafi really relies on is an inner core of people who are led by his sons and other members of his family and clan. It is their loyalty that is really crucial.

Most reports suggested the rebels had fled back to Ajdabiya, and some witnesses said civilians had begun to flee further east towards the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

Maj Gen Suleiman Mahmoud, the second-in-command for the rebels, told the BBC that rebels forces needed time, patience and help to organise themselves.
"Our problem [is] we need help - communication, radios, we need weapons," he said, adding that the rebels had a strategy but fighters did not always obey orders.
Early on Thursday, Nato took sole command of international air operations over Libya.
The alliance says it has the means to enforce the UN resolution aimed at protecting civilians from Col Gaddafi's forces.
France and the US say they are sending envoys to Benghazi to meet the interim administration.
Earlier this week, an international conference on Libya in London agreed to set up a contact group involving Arab governments to co-ordinate help for a post-Gaddafi Libya.
Several thousand people have been killed and thousands wounded since the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule began more than six weeks ago.

Barclays records most complaints for banking services

Barclays recorded 294,891 complaints for its banking services in six months

Barclays has been named the UK's most complained-about financial institution during the second half of 2010.

According to figures from banking watchdog FSA, more than 294,891 complaints were made about Barclays during the period.
Runner up was Spanish bank Santander with just over 165,000 complaints for its banking services.
Barclays also restated its complaints numbers for the first half of 2010, up from 259,266 to 307,622 complaints.

The tide hasn't turned and this is simply because banks aren't treating their customers fairly”

End Quote Oliver Morgans Consumer Focus

The bank said it had raised the numbers in consultation with the FSA, after "we identified a need to adopt a tighter interpretation of when a complaint is closed."

Rising complaints total "Barclays is committed to reducing the number of complaints its receives and making substantial improvements to the overall service we provide customers," said Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclays' global retail banking.
The FSA said the total number of complaints received across the banking industry rose by 3% to 1.79m.
It means nearly 10,000 complaints about the sector are filed every day.
Complaints about controversial payment protection insurance (PPI) surged 63%, according to the FSA.
The figures showed Lloyds TSB was in third place with 89,811 complaints about its banking services.
Natwest came fourth with 87,271 complaints.
"Not only have total complaints risen to almost 1.8m, upheld complaint levels have increased too," remarked Oliver Morgans, from Consumer Focus.
He added it "suggests the tide hasn't turned and this is simply because banks aren't treating their customers fairly".
US move? Barclays took the top spot as reports surfaced, once again, that it is considering moving its headquarters to New York because of increased regulation in the UK.  said Barclays had had preliminary conversations with US regulatory officials on a move.
There has been increasing speculation that Barclays could transfer its base to the US since it appointed Bob Diamond, an American, as chief executive last September.
Barclays, which has been based in London for more than 300 years, has said its preference is to stay in London.
But chairman Marcus Agius said in August it and other banks had to consider where they were based as regulations shifted around the world.

Government-backed website in malware scare

  Victims would have seen a realistic-looking security warning A government-backed website, designed to champion the UK's start-up businesses has inadvertently linked users to malware, it has emerged. StartUp Britain, which launched on Monday, linked to a page hosting fake anti-virus programs, according to security firm Sophos.
It will be an embarrassment for the government, which has been widely promoting the initiative.
The link was removed shortly after launch, according to StartUp Britain.
It told the BBC in a statement: "There were some issues with a link on the website at the launch. This issue has been addressed and any links that were not operating as intended have been amended or removed."
Malvertising According to Paul Baccas, a senior threat researcher at Sophos, the link featured in an article about US investor Warren Buffet and took users to a fake banking site.
"It went to a third-party site, bankling.com, where users were redirected to a fake anti-virus page given a prompt saying their computer was infected and encouraging them to download a fix," he said.
In reality, the fix contained malware.
The exploit only affected users of Internet Explorer, including the most recent versions. Other browsers, including Firefox, were not affected.
The slip will be embarrassing for the government, especially as Prime Minister David Cameron had helped launch the site and the Number 10 website linked prominently to it.
Last month, the London Stock Exchange hosted booby-trapped adverts that asked visitors to download similar fake security software.
And this week, music streaming service Spotify apologised after 'malverts' were served to some of its users.
So-called malvertising is becoming a growing problem for businesses.

Google to be audited on privacy after Buzz complaints

  Google users who signed-up to Buzz found some of their contact details made public by default Google will be subjected to independent privacy audits for the next 20 years over charges that it "violated its own privacy promises". The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that the search giant wrongly used information from Google Mail users last year to create its social network Buzz.
The FTC ruled that "the options for declining or leaving the social network were ineffective".
"Google Buzz fell short of our usual standards," Google said in a blog post.
"While we worked quickly to make improvements, regulators unsurprisingly wanted more detail about what went wrong and how we could prevent it from happening again.
"Today, we've reached an agreement with the FTC to address their concerns."
That agreement will require Google to undergo a privacy review once every two years for the next 20 years.
"When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honour them," said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the FTC.
"This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honour its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations." End Quote US Federal Trade Commission

'Deceptive tactics'

Buzz's launch in February 2010 came under heavy criticism from users.

According to Google, the system was designed to bring together members' personal and private lives.
One widespread complaint was over a feature that allowed it to publicly list other Gmail contacts a user was most frequently in touch with.
While this feature could be turned off, the default setting was to leave it on - potentially revealing a user's contact with an ex-spouse, employer or similar.
The FTC said "deceptive tactics" were used to populate the network with personal data gained from use of Gmail, and that when users were given the change to opt-out of Buzz, they were still enrolled in some of its features.
For those that did decide to opt-in, the FTC says the implications of that were not made clear.
"Google also offered a 'Turn off Buzz' option that did not fully remove the user from the social network," it said.
The FTC said Google violated its privacy policy which stated: "When you sign up for a particular service that requires registration, we ask you to provide personal information.
"If we use this information in a manner different than the purpose for which it was collected, then we will ask for your consent prior to such use."

Google was fined for collecting personal information via wi-fi while taking pictures for Street View

The settlement means that the company must make greater efforts to ensure it obtains users' consent before sharing data in a way that is contrary to the privacy policy.
It must also "establish and maintain a comprehensive privacy program".
Latest blunder It is the latest in a line of privacy blunders from Google.
In November 2010, some users of Buzz sued the company over privacy violations.
Google settled that case by setting up an $8.5m (£5.2m) fund to support "organisations working on privacy education and policy on the web".
It apologised to users for insufficient testing of the service.
Earlier this month, the company was fined after mistakenly gathering personal data from unsecured wi-fi networks while taking pictures for its Street View service.
Reflecting on the latest settlement, Alma Whitten, Google's director of privacy, product and engineering, said: "We'd like to apologize again for the mistakes we made with Buzz.
"While today's announcement thankfully put this incident behind us, we are 100 percent focused on ensuring that our new privacy procedures effectively protect the interests of all our users going forward."

Irish Life withdraws its shares from Irish stock market

Irish Life & Permanent is the Republic of Ireland's largest provider of mortgages and private pensions

Irish Life & Permanent has withdrawn its shares from the Irish stock exchange ahead of a fresh round of bank stress tests.

There has been media speculation that more banks may have to be nationalised once the results of the stress tests are known.
Shares in Irish Life fell 44% on Tuesday to 41 cents a share.
The firm was the only lender to avoid a government bail-out after the financial crisis.
It is thought that Irish banks may need as much as 30bn euros ($42bn; £26bn) in additional capital, which would take the total amount injected into Irish banks since the financial crisis to approximately 75bn euros.

Irish Life said its shares would remain suspended until Friday.

Mortgage market
The Central Bank has carried out stress tests on four lenders - Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, the Educational Building Society, as well as Irish Life & Permanent.
"The Central Bank expects to announce the results for all the banks involved on Thursday evening 31 March and a full statement will be issued," Irish Life & Permanent said in a statement.
While the insurance arm of the group, Irish Life, is profitable, its banking arm, Permanent TSB is struggling because of its dependence on the troubled residential mortgage market.
Irish Life & Permanent is the Republic of Ireland's largest provider of mortgages and private pensions.

Obama sets out energy future for less dependency on oil

  President Barack Obama said it was time for America to "get serious" about its energy demands President Barack Obama has vowed to reduce US oil imports by one-third in little more than a decade. He said in a speech in Washington that America had to "get serious" about a secure and affordable energy future.
Higher oil prices are threatening to hamper US economic recovery and there is growing dissatisfaction among car drivers with pump prices.
Mr Obama said the US must move towards getting 80% of its electricity from non-oil sources by 2035.
"We cannot keep going from shock to trance on the issue of energy security, rushing to propose action when gas prices rise, then hitting the snooze button when they fall again," he said during a speech at Georgetown University.
Mr Obama said that presidents and politicians had for years promised energy independence through finding cleaner and more renewable sources.
Petrol prices in the US have shot up 50 cents a gallon this year, reaching a national average of $3.58 a gallon last week.
"We have to discover and produce cleaner, renewable sources of energy," Mr Obama said. "And we have to do it quickly."
After Mr Obama's speech, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell accused the Obama administration of trying to "lock up" US energy.
He said plans like that which Mr Obama outlined to develop alternative energy in the future did little to relieve present high petrol prices.
"The guy who's trying to make ends meet wants to know what you're going to do for him today, not 24 years from now," he said, quoted by the Associated Press.
"We need to look elsewhere for our energy. The problem is that Democrats don't want us to use the energy we have. It's enough to make you wonder whether anybody in the White House has driven by a gas station lately."
As well as increasing the use of alternative energies such as biofuels and making vehicles more efficient, Mr Obama said the US must raise domestic oil production.
An Interior Department report published on Tuesday said that more than two-thirds of offshore exploration licences in the Gulf of Mexico have yet to be acted upon by oil companies.
The department said that the sites could potentially hold more than 11 billion barrels of oil and 50 trillion cubic feet (1.42 trillion cubic meters) of natural gas.
Mr Obama also embraced an expansion of nuclear power, but added that there would be a thorough review of power plants to ensure any lessons from the crisis in Japan were learned.

Chris Huhne to meet oil firms over North Sea tax hike

  Aberdeen hosts the bulk of the UK's North Sea oil industry Energy secretary Chris Huhne will meet oil and gas firms on Thursday over the government's North Sea tax hike. It comes after two more companies joined Norway's Statoil in considering shelving North Sea investment projects.
Industry heads are angry at the surprise windfall tax on North Sea profits announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the Budget last week.
The move had "severely damaged investor confidence", according to Malcolm Webb, head of industry body Oil & Gas UK.
He said the industry considered the tax change was "ill-informed" and "constructed hurriedly and without proper thought of the potential impacts on investment, production and hence on energy supply and employment".
Under pressure Mr Webb had been demanding the meeting of the "Pilot" forum between the hydrocarbons industry and government that is now set to take place.
Several firms have been ratcheting up pressure on the government.
British Gas-owner Centrica is understood to be reviewing its current and future developments, while Valiant Petroleum also said it had cancelled a project worth up to £93m.
The CBI employers' group also added to pressure on ministers over the affair.
John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said: "It is not surprising that a number of companies are reconsidering plans for investment in the North Sea.
"The £2bn windfall tax is creating uncertainty for a sector which creates jobs and wealth for the economy, and already pays a significant amount of tax."
It comes after Norwegian company Statoil said on Tuesday that it had halted investments in two new oil and gas fields worth up to $10bn (£6.2bn).

Norway's Statoil is the majority investor and operator for the two North Sea heavy oil fields

The Mariner and Bressay fields, in which Statoil is the majority investor and operator, have combined reserves of 640 million barrels of oil.
Any cancellation of investment projects is likely to affect employment in the UK, particularly in Aberdeen, which hosts many oil companies and their suppliers.
"By impacting the investment opportunities for operators, it is inevitable that the supply chain will feel the effects and the jobs we work so hard to sustain could be jeopardised," said Bob Keiller, chief executive of oil services company PSN, which employes over 2,500 people in the UK.
'Perfectly reasonable' The chancellor has called the tax rise "perfectly reasonable" in light of rising oil prices, which would boost oil companies' profits.
If the oil price falls below $75 per barrel for a sustained period, he promised the Treasury Select Committee on Tuesday he would reverse the North Sea tax rise. Last Updated at 30 Mar 2011, 20:00 GMT

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Mr Osborne denied that Statoil was cancelling its investment, saying the firm "just want to talk to us about their investment plans".

But Statoil spokesman Baard Glad Pedersen said the tax hike could render the two oilfields economically non-viable.
They were first discovered 30 years ago, but were not developed until now because the heavy crude oil they contain is expensive to extract and commands a lower price in international markets, he said.
Statoil decided to develop the fields in 2007 at a time when the oil prices had risen substantially.
The oil price is even higher now, but Mr Pedersen says the company makes investment decisions based on a long-term price forecast that ignores short-term fluctuations such as the recent run-up due to events in Libya.

[The tax hike] was plucked out of thin air at the last minute to try and get the government off the hook”

End Quote Dame Anne Begg Labour MP for Aberdeen South

He declined to tell the BBC what the long-term price forecast used was, and whether this was above or below the $75 threshold for the windfall tax promised by Mr Osborne.

Aberdeen rebels Meanwhile, two Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs rebelled against the coalition government's North Sea tax hike when it came up for a vote in the Commons on Tuesday night.
Malcolm Bruce and Sir Robert Smith - both of whom represent constituencies in Aberdeenshire - voted against the measure.
"It's easy to look at the bottom line and say that they can afford [the tax]," said Mr Bruce, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland.
"What is not acceptable is the sudden and abrupt change," he added, claiming the government had broken a promise not to change the tax regime it made to one firm when it decided to invest in the North Sea.
But the government was "sitting down with oil companies on a field-by-field basis" to ensure that economically marginal investments are not pulled as a result of the tax decision, according to Conservative MP Mark Menzies.
The government won the vote by 334 to 13, with most Labour MPs abstaining, and only the Scottish National Party voting against as a bloc.
The SNP had no problem with oil and gas paying its proper share, according to MP Eilidh Whiteford, but the government needs to make sure it is not disincentivising companies that are sometimes making a risky investment decision.
Two Labour MPs, Anne Begg and Frank Doran - also from Aberdeen - opposed the measure.
Ms Begg accused the coalition government of having "plucked [the tax hike] out of thin air at the last minute" and said the consequences on the less profitable gas industry had not been thought through.

Gang war probe after girl, five, shot in Stockwell shop

 

 

London's youngest gun crime victim, a five-year-old girl, is shot in Brixton

A five-year-old girl and a shopkeeper have been injured in a shooting at a grocery store in south London.

Police were called to reports of shots fired in Stockwell Food and Wine shop in Stockwell Road on Tuesday night.
The man, aged 35, and the girl are both in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
Police said the victims were thought to have been caught in the firing line of a gang who were targeting two youths sheltering in the shop.
Officers from Operation Trident, which focuses on gun crime in the black community, are investigating.
The shooting happened at about 2115 BST. No arrests have been made.
The girl, who was visiting relatives, was hit in the chest. She cannot be named as not all her family have been informed of her injuries.
The shopkeeper, who lived above the store, was shot in the face. The victims were not related.
Eyewitness Kirubakaran Nantheesbaran said: "One of her family members was keeping her on his lap and he was giving pressure to her heart because she was suddenly flat.
"She couldn't talk and she couldn't breathe but I didn't see any blood on her body, just a small injury on her chest."
'Terrible incident' The Metropolitan Police (Met) said: "It is believed two black youths ran into the shop shortly before the shots were fired.
"The youths had been chased from Broomgrove Road, across Stockwell Road, and into the shop by three other black youths on bicycles.
"Once the youths on bikes were outside the shop, one of them fired shots into the shop front."

It is incredibly shocking, I think the whole community at the moment is numb and horrified, and rightly so”

End Quote Councillor Peter Robbins Lambeth Council

Lambeth Borough Commander, Nick Ephgrave, said: "My thoughts and prayers are with the girl, the man and their families.

"The investigation in to this shooting is being led by operation Trident, but Lambeth officers were in attendance at the scene and continue to provide support to the investigation.
"Whilst exact details of what happened remain to be established, what is clear is that two innocent bystanders have been caught up in a violent attack on other persons."
Police said the victims were both believed to be Sri Lankan. They have put on an increased police presence to reassure the public.
The parade of shops remains cordoned off and Stockwell Green Court, an access road behind the main road, has also been sealed off.
'Gangs and guns' Councillor Peter Robbins, of Lambeth Council, said: "It is incredibly shocking, I think the whole community at the moment is numb and horrified, and rightly so.
"There is a fairly well-known problem with gangs and guns in Lambeth, it is something that the council and the police are working together incredibly hard to solve.
"Obviously, there is always more you can do and incidents like this really bring that home."
Barny Stutter, who co-owns nearby Brixton Cycles, said the shopkeepers belonged to a "very tight" community.
He said: "We are absolutely disgusted with what's happened.
"This area has recovered from a bad reputation built up in the media but we love to live and work in the community."
He also said staff working in fast food shops in the area were regularly hassled by youths.

Libya foreign minister 'defects'

  Britain says Moussa Koussa is quitting Colonel Gaddafi's regime Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa is in Britain and "no longer willing" to work for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, the Foreign Office says. He flew into an airport near the capital earlier on Wednesday.
He has subsequently spent hours talking to British officials.
His apparent defection comes as rebels in Libya are retreating from former strongholds along the eastern coast as Colonel Gaddafi's forces advance.
The rebels have now lost the key oil port of Ras Lanuf and the nearby town of Bin Jawad, and are also in full retreat from Brega. In the west, the rebel-held town of Misrata is still reportedly coming under attack from pro-Gaddafi troops, reports say.
'Own free will' A British Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Moussa Koussa arrived at Farnborough Airport on 30 March from Tunisia. He travelled here under his own free will.
"He has told us that he is resigning his post. We are discussing this with him and we will release further detail in due course.
"Moussa Koussa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally - something that he is no longer willing to do.
"We encourage those around Gaddafi to abandon him and embrace a better future for Libya that allows political transition and real reform that meets the aspirations of the Libyan people."
A senior US administration official, speaking to AFP News agency on condition of anonymity, said: "This is a very significant defection and an indication that people around Gaddafi think the writing's on the wall."
Earlier, British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that five Libyan diplomats were being expelled from the country.
He told MPs that the five, who include the military attache, "could pose a threat" to Britain's security.
About-turn The BBC's Ben Brown in the eastern coastal town of Ajdabiya says the rebels simply cannot compete with the discipline and firepower of Col Gaddafi's forces.

BBC's Ben Brown on consequences of arming rebels

He says the current situation is a dramatic about-turn for the rebels who, over the weekend, had seized a string of towns along the coast and seemed to be making good progress with the help of coalition air strikes.
Most reports suggested the rebels had fled back to Ajdabiya, and some witnesses said civilians had begun to flee further east towards the rebel-held city of Benghazi.
Maj Gen Suleiman Mahmoud, the second-in-command for the rebels, told the BBC that rebels forces needed time, patience and help to organise themselves.
"Our problem we need help - communication, radios, we need weapons," he said, adding that the rebels had a strategy but fighters did not always obey orders.
He also said allied liaison officers were working with the rebels to organise raids.
Human Rights Watch has accused Col Gaddafi's forces of laying both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines during the current conflict after a discovery of what it said were dozens of mines on the eastern outskirts of Ajdabiya.
Covert action France and the US say they are sending envoys to Benghazi to meet the interim administration.
And an international conference on Libya in London has agreed to set up a contact group involving Arab governments to co-ordinate help for a post-Gaddafi Libya.
The US and Britain have suggested the UN resolution authorising international action in Libya could also permit the supply of weapons.
This message was reinforced by British Prime Minister David Cameron in Parliament on Wednesday.
"UN [Security Council Resolution] 1973 allows all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas, and our view is this would not necessarily rule out the provision of assistance to those protecting civilians in certain circumstances," he said. "We do not rule it out, but we have not taken the decision to do so."
Meanwhile, US media reports say President Barack Obama has authorised covert support for the Libyan rebels. The CIA and White House have both declined to comment on the reports.
Several thousand people have been killed and thousands wounded since the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule began more than six weeks ago.

'Wonder Woman' Costume Gets an Upgrade

The "Wonder Woman" costume, before (left) and after

When "Wonder Woman" announced that Adrianne Palicki had been cast in the title role, buzz on the superhero show quickly shot through the roof. But then fans got a look at the ill-advised costume. Outrage quickly ensued. And hell hath no fury like a comic fan outraged.

The anger stemmed from Wonder Woman's shiny, rubber-like pants and high heels. It looked like a cheap version of a "sexy" Halloween costume. Fans cried out -- this is no way for a superhero, especially one of the most beloved of all time, to dress.

The blogosphere immediately went into cynical overdrive. Commenters on EW's article speculated that the show would be canceled in a matter of weeks. SlashFilm wrote that the outfit did little to inspire confidence in the show's prospects.

Apparently the producers of the show were listening. Some photos of the actress on the set have surfaced, and eagle-eyed fans quickly spotted the changes to Wonder Woman's threads. The shiny pants have been replaced by a more natural-looking fabric. Her footwear has gone through a transformation as well. The bright boots, which were once blue, are now red. And, even more important, no more high heels.

But even though some of Wonder Woman's outfit has changed, much of it remains the same. The red bustier is still intact as are her trademark tiara and lasso of truth. Time will tell if these modest changes to Wonder Woman's threads have a positive effect on the show when it premieres on NBC this fall.

Ms. Palicki is probably best known her work on the acclaimed TV series "Friday Night Lights."  And though she isn't well known, fans seem to be pretty supportive of her taking up the tiara. That includes Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the beloved (and campy) TV show from way back when. Carter even liked the original outfit, saying: "What's not to like! Adrianne [Palicki] looks gorgeous."

Syria: Protests in Deraa, Damascus, Hama and Homs

 

The BBC's Lina Sinjab says protests look likely to continue - the amateur video in this report has not been verified by the BBC 

Gunfire has been heard during a fresh protest march in the Syrian city of Deraa, reports say.

The marchers had attended funerals for some of the 25 protesters shot dead on Wednesday by security forces.
Demonstrations were also reported in the capital, Damascus, and in a growing number of towns and cities, including Hama and Tall.
Opposition activists had called for nationwide protests after Friday prayers, following a week of unrest.
The city of Deraa, south of Damascus, has become the centre of a serious challenge to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
'Peaceful, Peaceful' Some of the protesters started a fire under a bronze statue of his father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, witnesses reported.
More than 40 people are thought to have been killed in the town in a week of protests, although it has been hard to verify the accounts.
Unconfirmed reports on Friday said another group of protesters trying to reach Deraa were killed in a nearby village when security forces opened fire.
A human rights activist told AFP news agency the deaths occurred in Salamen village. A witness told the al-Jazeera television channel at least 20 had died.
In Damascus, hundreds marched on King Faisal Street chanting: "Peaceful, Peaceful, God, Syria, Freedom".  

The situation has escalated today, with demonstrations across the country.
Thousands of protesters are marching in Deraa, chanting for freedom.
They are criticising a presidential adviser who said they were protesting because they were hungry. "Deraa people are not hungry, we want freedom," they are saying.
In Damascus, one demonstration was broken up by security forces. Many people were arrested and protesters brutally beaten.
Earlier, we tried to visit Deraa but we were stopped by security forces and sent back to Damascus.
I think the worse it becomes, the more anger there is.
The barrier of fear has been broken in Syria and people don't want to be silenced any more.
Things could have been solved peacefully but after the violence last week and again today, it feels like a betrayal of yesterday's promises.

This protest was broken up by security forces and many were arrested, reports say.

Another protest reported to the BBC by an eyewitness took place around al-Rifai near Qasar Sousah Square.
Supporters of Mr Assad were also staging protests in the capital, and clashes erupted between the two sides.
In the central city of Hama, hundreds of people were said to have gathered on the city streets to chant "freedom".
In 1982, the Syrian army put down an uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama. Rights groups believe that tens of thousands of civilians were killed when large parts of the city were destroyed in the military assault.
In Tall, witnesses quoted by the Reuters news agency said about 1,000 people had rallied to show their support for the Deraa protesters, and were chanting slogans denouncing members of the ruling Assad family.
Demonstrations which ended violence were also reported in the cities of Latakia and Homs. One person was killed in each place, the Associated Press news agency quoted an activist as saying.
There were also protests in Banias and Dahel, AFP reported.
Changes promised On Thursday, the Syrian government said it would consider political reforms, including the possible ending of emergency laws introduced in 1963.

The government also said it would put on trial those suspected of killing several protesters in Deraa.
Mr Assad later ordered the release of everyone arrested during the "recent events", state media said.
Presidential spokeswoman Bouthaina Shaaban blamed outside agitators for whipping up trouble, and denied that the government had ordered security forces to open fire on protesters.
But she said this "did not mean mistakes had not been made".
The US has urged Syria to stop attacking protesters.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Washington was deeply concerned at what was happening.
"We strongly condemn the Syrian government's attempts to repress and intimidate demonstrators," Mr Carney said.

'Sleeping' US air traffic controller suspended

  Reagan National Airport is just across the Potomac River from the White House and the US Capitol

An air traffic controller who was unavailable to help two jets land at a busy Washington DC airport has been suspended, an official has said.

The planes landed safely, despite being unable to make contact with the control tower early on Wednesday.
The lone nighttime controller at Reagan National Airport had fallen asleep, the Associated Press reported.
In response, regulators have ordered that two controllers be on duty on the midnight shift.
The jets carried a total of 165 people.
"As a former airline pilot, I am personally outraged that this controller did not meet his responsibility to help land these two airplanes," Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Randy Babbitt said.
The FAA has launched a national inquiry into tower staffing, officials said.
Fatigue concerns Aviation officials told US media the overnight shift at the airport was typically manned by a single controller.
The jet pilots were unable to raise the airport control tower on the radio as they approached to land. The efforts of other controllers elsewhere to reach the tower by telephone failed as well.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that in response he had directed the FAA to put two controllers on the midnight shift at Reagan National Airport.
Former National Transportation Safety Board member John Goglia told the Associated Press the incident raised troubling concerns about air traffic controller fatigue.
"It's worse when nothing is going on," he said.
"When it's busy, you have to stay engaged. When it's quiet, all they have to be is a little bit tired and they'll fall asleep."

TNK-BP blocks BP Russian Arctic venture with Rosneft

  Russia lays claim to potentially extensive oil deposits within the Arctic sea bed 

Russian shareholders of TNK-BP have blocked BP's Arctic exploration deal with state-owned Rosneft.

"We won," said a spokesman for the oil joint venture's Russian shareholders.
A Swedish arbitration panel in London agreed that the Arctic deal violated a previous agreement between them and BP made when they set up TNK-BP.
BP said it was disappointed at the decision, and hoped it could still go ahead with a share swap agreed with Rosneft as part of the deal.
However, the UK firm faces an effective deadline for breaking the deadlock of 14 April, according to the BBC's business editor, Robert Peston.
That is the date on which BP's agreement with Rosneft must be consummated by, or else it will expire.
'Strategic alliance' 

The oil giant signed the controversial new deal with its Russian state-owned counterpart in January, in order to exploit potentially huge deposits of oil and gas in Russia's Arctic shelf.

But TNK-BP's Russian shareholders claimed BP broke an agreement to inform them of any other Russian oil business deals.
The "strategic global alliance" with Rosneft would have seen the UK and Russian firms exchange expertise in exploring the region.
As part of the deal, the pair had agreed that Rosneft would take 5% of BP's shares in exchange for approximately 9.5% of Rosneft's shares.
It is this share exchange that is said to have particularly upset TNK-BP's Russian shareholders.

The Alfa-Access-Renova (AAR) consortium, which represents the Russian shareholders, won a High Court injunction in London last month that put the BP-Rosneft deal on hold until the dispute could be resolved by arbitration.

It was hoped that the joint venture might be given a role in the Arctic exploration deal, but TNK-BP's shareholders failed to agree on this.
The arbitration panel has now ruled that the temporary injunction "should continue" according to BP.
"Wilfully ignoring the provisions of the shareholder agreement was a serious misjudgement by BP that has severely damaged the relationship between the TNK-BP shareholders," said Stan Polovets, chief executive of AAR.
"It has also harmed BP's reputation in Russia," he added. "We expect [BP chief executive] Bob Dudley to make every effort to rectify the situation and rebuild the trust that has been lost between BP, AAR and the management of TNK-BP."

Eurozone sets bail-out terms as Portugal fears increase

Many analysts believe Portugal is in denial about its need for rescue aid. European leaders have agreed a restructuring of a financial bail-out fund that they hope will resolve the bloc's debt crisis. Eurozone ministers bowed to German demands to renegotiate the time-frame for contributions to the massive fund.
But the deal was overshadowed by concerns about Portugal and a growing row that the UK may be forced to contribute to a financial bail-out.
Portugal says it does not need aid, but many analysts say Lisbon is in denial.
The eurozone debt deal follows months of negotiations.
"We decided a comprehensive package of economic measures... Today almost all the strands of this enterprise have come together," European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said.
The new plan provides for the creation of a permanent fund, the European Stability Mechanism, to help troubled eurozone countries.

A major sticking point was the speed with which countries had to pay cash into the 700bn-euro (£615bn) fund. The agreement requires 80bn euros of cash provided by eurozone countries in five equal annual instalments. There will be a further 620bn euros in guarantees.

Originally, eurozone finance ministers agreed to put 40bn euros into the fund immediately it is created in 2013.
There had been expectations that the two-day summit in Brussels would agree a resolution over rescuing Portugal's stricken economy.
But Portuguese ministers said they had no intention of following Greece and the Irish Republic in tapping the bail-out fund.
Even so, analysts believe it is only a matter of time before other countries are forced to provide support to the ailing economy.
'Furious' UK Prime Minister David Cameron refused to respond to suggestions that Britain may have to pledge billions of pounds to any emergency funding.
He said: "It's not right to comment and speculate on another country's finances, and I'm not going to do that."
He has faced angry calls from his own Conservative MPs to refuse to contribute British money towards a bail-out.
"Can I remind you that we have just had an austerity Budget?" said former frontbencher Bernard Jenkin in the Commons on Thursday.
"Can you imagine how absolutely furious British voters would be if it turns out that the British taxpayer has to continue contributing to the bail-out of euro countries, even though we are not a member?"
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso insisted that member states had not discussed bailing out Portugal.
"We [EU leaders] expressed confidence in the capacity of Portugal to overcome the current situation and also to find the funding the country needs in the months to come."
The financial markets are also worried as Portugal must repay a large chunk of debt to lenders in April.
On Friday, Standard & Poor's downgraded Portugal's credit ratings by two notches to BBB and warned it could cut it further.
S&P followed a two-notch cut by Fitch on Thursday.

Nato takes over Libya no-fly zone

  

Click to play

Anders Fogh Rasmussen explains the handover to Nato 

Nato says it has agreed to take over responsibility from the US for enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya.

Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said talks would continue on giving Nato a "broader responsibility", with a decision possible in the coming days.
There have been differences of opinion about whether attacks on ground troops should form part of the action.
British jets have launched missiles at Libyan armoured vehicles near Ajdabiya during a sixth night of allied raids.
The UK government said Tornado aircraft fired guided Brimstone missiles at Libyan military units close to the town, where there has been fierce fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi.
'Consensus decision' The handover of the no-fly mission to Nato could come as early as this weekend.

---

The rebels are trying to push on into Ajdabiya, but it's got pro-Gaddafi forces on both sides. In the middle are civilians, who are running out of food and water and have very little electricity, we're told.
Ajdabiya is blocking a rebel advance further west along the coastal highway into Sirte and ultimately to Tripoli. There's been more fighting here today. Rebels have been pounding Gaddafi forces' positions. We drove up the road earlier and shells were fired from pro-Gaddafi forces in our direction. One shell landed just a few hundred metres from us.
It's still pretty much military stalemate for the time being on the ground. Rebels say if there were some more coalition air strikes against Gaddafi forces around Ajdabiya, then they could perhaps take the city in just a day. But the UN mandate is to protect civilians, not for the allies to provide close air support for the rebels.

Mr Rasmussen said all of Nato had agreed to the move, including Turkey, which had expressed doubts over strikes on a fellow Muslim country.

"The fact is that in Nato, we take all decisions by consensus and the decision we are taking today to enforce a no-fly zone is also taken by a consensus, which means that all 28 allies support that decision," he told the BBC.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed Nato's decision.
The US initially agreed to lead enforcement of the UN resolution, but made clear it wanted only a limited role and would hand over responsibility as soon as possible.
The handover to Nato became bogged down when Turkey made clear its view that action should focus directly on enforcing the no-fly zone and arms embargo, rather than allowing continuing strikes against ground forces.
The resolution authorises the international community to use "all necessary means" to protect Libyan civilians, but the phrase has become open to different interpretations.
Nato ambassadors are also discussing a plan which would see Nato in charge of all military aspects of the action against Libya.
The BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels says it is understood that the entire operation would be overseen by a council of ambassadors and ministers from Nato countries, and importantly, Arab states which support the action.
But it is not clear what power such a council would have and whether it could veto particular military missions, our correspondent adds.
UAE joins allies The allies' efforts to recruit Arab countries to avoid an all-Western military presence received a boost on Thursday as the United Arab Emirates agreed to send 12 planes to help enforce the no-fly zone.
Qatar has already contributed two fighters and two military transport planes to the coalition and is expected to begin flying patrols over Libya this weekend.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the UN-mandated military operation was proving effective in protecting civilians, telling the BBC that he believed it would prevail over Col Gaddafi's forces.
"It has deterred further aggression of military campaign by Libyan authorities and it was able to protect the civilians in Benghazi and some other areas," he said. "But we'll have to see. I believe that the superiority of the military power will prevail."
There were explosions heard late on Thursday around the capital, Tripoli, and there have been reports that French aircraft bombed a Libyan base deep in the desert.
French officials also confirmed they had destroyed a Libyan military plane which had flown in breach of the no-fly zone.
The G-2/Galeb, a training plane with a single engine, had just landed when it was hit by a missile fired by a Rafale jet, a spokesman said.
It was the first such incident of its kind since the operation began.
Fresh fighting has meanwhile been reported in Misrata, scene of a bitter battle for control which has lasted for many days.
Further east in the strategically important city of Ajdabiya, residents described shelling, gunfire and houses on fire.
One report said rebels were moving closer to the city but remained out-gunned by pro-Gaddafi forces.

Japan investigation into nuclear plant radiation leak

  Two nuclear plant workers remain in hospital An investigation is under way in Japan to establish the source of a radiation leak at the quake-hit nuclear plant, which left two workers in hospital. The plant's operator says dangerously high radiation levels recorded in water at one reactor raise the possibility its core has been damaged.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the situation was "very unpredictable".
It is two weeks since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan's north-east. The official death toll has passed 10,000.
More than 17,440 people are missing.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been made homeless; an estimated 250,000 people are living in emergency shelters. Food, water and fuel are in short supply.
The Japanese government has put the rebuilding cost at $309bn (£191.8bn).
Safety measures In a televised address, Prime Minister Kan said: "The current situation is still very unpredictable. We're working to stop the situation from worsening. We need to continue to be extremely vigilant."
He also thanked the workers, firefighters and Self-Defence Forces for "risking their lives" to try to cool the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano has said a rigorous inquiry is under way to establish the cause of a leak at the plant, after tests showed water in reactor 3 had radiation levels 10,000 times higher than normal.
Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency has reiterated its position that it believes the reactor may have been damaged but it is going no further than that, says the BBC's Mark Worthington in Tokyo.

The agency has denied any suggestion that the reactor core may have cracked, Kyodo news agency reports.

The two affected workers, who remain in hospital, had reportedly not been wearing the correct protective boots and had ignored a radiation alarm at the plant.
A revision of safety measures has been ordered.
The government has asked people still living within 20-30km (12-18 miles) of the nuclear facility to leave voluntarily. Until now, residents in the zone had been advised to stay indoors.
"It is desirable that they voluntarily evacuate. I cannot rule out the possibility that the government will issue an evacuation order for this area if the radiation level goes up further," Mr Edano told a news conference.
Hundreds of thousands of residents were evacuated from within a 20km radius of the plant in the days after its vital cooling systems were knocked out by the tsunami.
Work is continuing at the stricken plant to restart the cooling equipment at the six reactors to avoid a meltdown.
In another development, two Japanese tourists who arrived in China on a flight from Tokyo are being treated in hospital for high radiation levels.
It remains unclear how the two may have become contaminated as neither traveller is reported to have been within 240km of the Fukushima plant, says our correspondent.
Meanwhile, Chinese news agency, Xinhua, has reported that abnormal radiation levels have been detected on a ship arriving from Japan to Xiamen port in Fujian province.
Food fears Japan has banned shipments of foodstuffs grown in several prefectures around the damaged nuclear plant.
People in Fukushima prefecture have been told not to eat 11 types of green leafy vegetables because of contamination worries.
Prime Minister Kan apologised to the affected farmers and business owners, saying he recognised the "great damage" to their livelihoods".
Importers of Japanese products are finding low levels of radiation in some food stuffs, however the amounts found do not pose a health hazard.
Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said it had found small levels of contamination in Japanese mustard, parsley and two other plants imported from the prefectures of Tochigi, Ibaraki, Chiba and Ehime.
China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other Asian importers have already placed bans on some imports of vegetables, seafood and milk products.
Australia, the European Union, the United States and Russia have followed suit.
The Fukushima plant is 250km north-east of the capital, Tokyo.
Radioactive iodine was detected in Tokyo's water supply earlier this week. Levels have since fallen, but remain high in other areas of northern Japan.

Yemen tense as capital Sanaa sees huge rival rallies

 

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A BBC correspondent, who is not being named for security reasons, said the atmosphere was tense and anxious in the capital 

Tens of thousands of people are attending rival mass rallies in Yemen's capital Sanaa, a week after some 50 people were shot dead at a protest.

Protesters predicted their biggest rally yet to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Mr Saleh told a rally of his own supporters he was ready to hand over power, but only to "safe hands".
Soldiers fired in the air to hold back Saleh loyalists when they tried to march on the opposition rally.
In his speech, the president - who has been in office for more than three decades - condemned bloodshed but also urged his supporters to "stand firm".
He earlier denied that government forces had played any part in the shooting of demonstrators last week.
Amnesty International has warned the government against any further use of "deadly force", saying: "The government cannot just shoot its way out of this crisis."
Confrontation fears Both the government and opposition have set up checkpoints in Sanaa and the streets are full of armed men.
There is real fear of a new confrontation, a BBC correspondent reports from the city.

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Mr Saleh is clearly running out of things he can offer the opposition but he still has plenty of military might and he has vowed to protect himself.
His speech on Friday was rather vague. He has offered to step down before, so it still looks like a stalemate.
The Western concern is that any chaos could be exploited by al-Qaeda, which has a presence in Yemen.
The opposition are calling the new rally a Friday of Departure but one student activist told me that Friday of Uncertainty would be more appropriate.

According to an AFP news agency report, Friday's crowds number in the hundreds of thousands.

President Saleh, dressed in a smart suit and sunglasses, took the microphone before a huge crowd.
"We don't want power but we need to hand power over to safe hands, not to sick, resentful or corrupt hands," he said.
"We are against firing a single bullet and when we give concessions, this is to ensure there is no bloodshed," he added.
"We will remain steadfast and challenge them with all power we have."
Some Saleh loyalists were carrying guns and waving traditional Yemeni daggers at Friday's rally, Reuters news agency reports.
Others rode motorbikes with large posters of Mr Saleh affixed to them, waving flags and playing patriotic music.
"No to chaos, yes to security and stability," banners read.
Mr Saleh has said the unrest risks taking Yemen into civil war. Several senior officials have left his side to go to the opposition.
'This butcher'

Anti-government protesters have been demonstrating for more than a month

In another part of the city, on a square near the university where protesters have been camped out since February, tens of thousands gathered for an anti-Saleh demonstration.
An Associated Press news agency report estimated that the crowd there was bigger than the rally in support of the president, despite attempts by the authorities to restrict access to the city centre.
Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for Mr Saleh's removal and waved red cards emblazoned with the word "leave".
Affrah, a protester and blogger in Sanaa, told the BBC the president could step aside earlier if he chose: "He keeps repeating that violence will happen, chaos will happen. It's really not going to happen, he's the one who will start it."
She said she was determined to carry on fighting for democracy even though she had received threats.
"Someone... sent me a [Facebook] message giving me private details about my mother, my sister and telling me that apparently I don't want to live in security.

Middle East unrest: Yemen

• President Ali Abdullah Saleh in power since 1978
• Population 24.3m; land area 536,869 sq km
• The population has a median age of 17.9, and a literacy rate of 61%
• Youth unemployment is 15%
• Gross national income per head was $1,060 (£655) in 2009 (World Bank) 

"Nevertheless, I am continuing. We deserve a better life than this, we deserve a better life full of democracy and freedom and people speaking their minds without any kind of fear or any kind of limitation."

Student Abdullah Jabali, 33, told Reuters at Friday's rally that he did not believe Mr Saleh's promises to stand down within a year.
"I came here to get rid of this butcher because he killed our comrades," he said.
On Wednesday, Yemen's parliament passed sweeping emergency laws giving the security forces far-reaching powers to detain suspects and prevent demonstrations.
Amnesty International responded on Friday by saying: "After the horrific killing of dozens of protesters last Friday, it is incredibly disturbing that Yemen's leaders have given the security forces more powers through a new emergency law instead of reining them in."
Yemen is one of a number of countries in the region that have seen unrest since the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia were ousted in popular revolts.

Are you in Yemen? Are you involved in the protests? What do you think about the demonstrations? Send us your comments and experiences.