■ Internet
Google offers free wireless
Google ended months of speculation late Friday afternoon by submitting a proposal to offer a free wireless Internet service to the city of San Francisco. The proposal, which is one of a range of proposals being submitted both by large communications firms and small start-ups, is in response to a TechConnect program proposed by the city's mayor, Gavin Newsom, this year. Newsom has positioned the program as a way to offer universal and affordable broadband Internet access to the city's residents and businesses. In recent months, speculation about Google's plans as an Internet service provider has reached a fevered pitch. However, the company said on Friday that it did not yet have plans to roll out free nationwide Internet services. Instead, it called its proposal to San Francisco an opportunity to learn about offering a range of location-based services.
■ Textiles
Brazil, China fail to agree
Negotiations between Brazil and China about the restriction of Chinese exports to Latin America's largest country ended without any agreements, Brazilian Trade and Development Minister Luiz Furlan said on Friday. The talks took place in Beijing but Furlan left the Chinese capital after saying the negotiations hit a last-minute impasse, Brazil's Agencia Estado news agency reported. Brazil, which has been hit by a flood of cheap Chinese imports, earlier this year proposed that China limit exports on some products. Such a move would prevent the possibility of Brazil hiking tariffs on import tariffs for Chinese goods. Furlan was quoted by Agencia Estado as saying that "an accord was 99 percent closed" when the Chinese introduced last-minute changes. Both countries left open the possibility of renewed talks, the news agency reported. The talks focused on Chinese exports of textiles, shoes, toys, tires and auto parts.
■ Banking
Italian governor probed
Prosecutors have notified the embattled governor of the Bank of Italy that he is under investigation for his role in a takeover battle between two banks, and that they plan to question him, his lawyer said on Friday. Governor Antonio Fazio was formally notified on Friday, lawyer Franco Coppi said, partly confirming several days of news reports based on anonymous sources. Coppi said, however, that he would advise Fazio to think carefully about whether to answer prosecutors' questions, given what he said was the recent spate of leaks and unconfirmed reports that appeared in the media concerning the case. "The only way to avoid all of this is to keep quiet," Coppi told reporters. The lawyer declined to say what exactly Fazio was suspected of, although Italian news agencies had reported that the central banker was being investigated for abuse of power.
■ Auto industry
EU ends exclusive contracts
EU rules ending exclusive contracts between carmakers and dealers went into effect yesterday, allowing dealers to set up shop anywhere in Europe. The EU head office said many carmakers had already eliminated location clauses from distribution agreements with dealers that had restricted where the dealers could do business. Firms that have not done so now risk antitrust charges from the EU or national regulators. Car prices vary widely across Europe. For example, German buyers pay 30 percent -- or 2,700 euros (US$3,250) -- pretax more on average than Finns for one of Europe's most popular cars, the Fiat Punto.
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