Pressure mounts on the Government of the United Kingdom to stop the Murdoch/BSkyB deal

Sky News logo is visible on the screens of television in an electrical store in Edinburgh, March 3, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/David Moir

LONDON | Sun July 10, 2011 7: 14 am EDT

London (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron came under increasing pressure on Sunday to stop Rupert Murdoch's bid for the pay-TV operator BSkyB, at least until that an investigation into the hacking of telephone to newspapers of the media mogul has been completed.

Opposition leader Ed Miliband said that it require the issue to a parliamentary vote this week if Cameron did not.

"It must make clear that BSkyB could not move forward until that the investigation is complete," says Miliband programme Andrew Marr BBC.

"I hope that it changes its position on the issue." I don't want to have to force a vote. »

Pressure had too many members of the Government, the Liberal Democrats coalition junior partner, who are traditionally less cozy relationship with Murdoch.

Liberal leader Simon Hughes said he would be willing to back to work for the agreement is reserved and urged others to do the same - LibDems staged for a major test of the unity of the coalition.

Murdoch News Corp. (NWSA).(O), more great conglomerate of news of the world, made a 14 billion for 61 percent of the profitable pay-TV operator BSkyB (BSY.)(L) that it has not already.

Murdoch flew in London Sunday to try to save the agreement after a phone-hacking scandal has caused a public outcry and forced to close the news of the world, the first British book, he bought in 1969.

Cameron ordered an investigation by the judge on the allegations of telephone hacking but has resisted so far calls late attempt to Murdoch to buy back BSkyB.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said he understood the concerns of the public in the expansion of the Murdoch empire, but the Government had to operate within the law.

"The Government cannot simply change the rules mid-term." If we did we would probably taken to the Court and we would probably lose, "he told Sky News."

Previously, those who seek to know if the Murdoch should obtain the green light focused on the question of whether it gives him too much power on the media in Britain. News Corp also owns two dailies and another Sunday paper.

But the allegations of telephone hacking prompted the UK media regulator Ofcom said that it will examine if News Corp directors are "just and appropriate" people to run BSkyB.

BSkyB shares lose more than 7 percent Friday on the growing doubts that the agreement would go through.

(Statement by Christina Fincher, editing by Tim Pearce)

Portugal, said not under pressure to take bailout (Reuters)

Lisbon (Reuters) - Portugal denied Sunday that he is under pressure by the France and the Germany to find a rescue of Brussels and the IMF to mitigate concerns its debts, such as the Greece and the Ireland before it.

Saturday, the German magazine Der Spiegel said that the Germany and the France want to Lisbon to accept a plan of international rescue as soon as possible in order to prevent the spread of the eurozone debt crisis.

But a spokesman for the Portuguese Government has denied any these pressures by saying that the country is concentrated on the stimulate economic growth.

"Story (Der Spiegel) has no foundations, it is wrong," said the spokesman.

With Germany, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance stated: "Germany is not push someone to accept a bailout."

Investors are increasingly concerned that Portugal will be unable to fund itself in the markets of debt, forcing them to obtain funding from abroad instead of this.

Last week, Reuters poll showed most economists expect Portugal need for a rescue plan.

(Reporting by Axel Bugge, Brian Rohan;) (Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Portugal pressure two seek EU and IMF aid: source (Reuters)

Brussels (Reuters) - pressure grows on the Portugal of Germany, France and other countries of the eurozone to request financial assistance from the EU and the IMF to stop block debt crisis from spreading, a source of higher euro area said Sunday.

Preliminary discussions on the possibility to ask for help if its cost of the financing markets become too high for Portugal were held since July, said the source.

No. formal talks on aid began again, a number of sources of eurozone said, but pressure was rising in the Eurogroup, which brings the eurozone finance ministers.

"France and the Germany indicated in the context of the Eurogroup Portugal should apply to aid sooner rather than later," the main source said, adding that the Finland and the Netherlands have expressed similar views.

Earlier Sunday, a spokesman for the Portuguese Government refused to report German magazine that Lisbon was under pressure from Berlin and Paris to seek an EU rescue plan and the Monetary Fund International.

Many policymakers hope EU and IMF funding for the Portugal would ring fence the debt crisis in euro area, including the Greece and the Ireland were already taken orchestrated.

Assist in Lisbon would protect the Spain which could be the next in line, but whose funding must extend the capabilities of current aid euro zone at the edge.

"The real battle will be the battle of Spain - but, I think we have much more chance of success," said the source.

Asked to estimate the possible size of a program that Portugal would need, said the source:

"More than 50 billion euros and less than 100 billion euros, say between 60 and 80 billion, but it is off the coast of headlines, because we do not know the needs of the Portuguese banking sector."

Portugal is considered by many economists as the device of the euro area are more likely to follow the Ireland and the Greece as it seizes to cut its debt and borrowing costs.

"Portugal do the has not asked - you cannot force someone to wants something," a second main source of eurozone said. "Arithmetically strictly speaking, it is not necessary, but because the nerves of some market players, it may be useful."

Pressure on Lisbon to ask for help has increased since Portuguese paper yields rose last week to levels that many regard as non-viable, the first source said.

Already there was pressure on Lisbon to request financial assistance before a mid-December EU leaders Summit, but without effect, the first source said, because the Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates opposes such an approach.

"He y still memories at the IMF program Portugal 1970s and the loss of sovereignty that it entails," said the source.

When the Portugal may be forced to turn to the European Union and the IMF to help, the first source replied that this depended on developments in performance of the position of Socrates and how much pressure the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were willing to apply.

Portugal takes his first auction of bond of the year, next week, offering $ 1.25 billion of euros of paper maturing in October 2014 and June 2020.

"This auction will be closely monitored," said the source. The Portuguese bond yields of five years on the secondary market is 6.43 crafts paper percentage and 10 years at 7.26%.

Document in five years is already higher than the cost of financing that Portugal would get in the EU and IMF assistance, said the source.

"They had a difficult week markets", a third source of eurozone said, referring to the thrust of the yields on good Portuguese primary auctions last week and the evolution of the secondary market.

"The question is whether they can raise what they need in the first half of the year with the longest delivery end of the curve." «View the calendar occupied in the first quarter, it's a challenge", said the third source.

The first source also noted that Lisbon was already a step ahead with the reforms that are part of a potential assistance program, the Portuguese Government should apply for it.

Recent reforms of austerity of the Portugal, part of the 2011 tough budget have been worked on in cooperation with the European Commission "as a program of aid, but without funding", said the source.

(Statement by Jan Strupczewski, editing by David Stamp)