Phone Hacking Live Blog

UK Prime Minister David Cameron to face questions in parliament's emergency session over phone hacking scandal, a day after Rupert Murdoch and other News Corporation executives face parliament committee over their role in the fiasco.

In a further blow to Rupert Murdoch, a $2 billion takeover bid by an Australian pay-TV business part-owned by his News Corp is expected to be blocked by the country's competition watchdog.

The bid by Foxtel, in which News Corp has a 25 percent stake, for rival Austar will create a pay-TV monopoly, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said. Austar shares plunged as much as 20 per cent.

The commission insisted its preliminary finding had nothing to do with the phone hacking scandal engulfing News Corp in Britain, which prompted Murdoch to abandon a separate pay-TV deal to fully take over British firm BSkyB .

As the debate is continuing in the UK Parliament, a poll by Ipsos MORI for Reuters on Wednesday showed
Britons' satisfaction with David Cameron had hit a record low, but other factors are involved.

Observers say that unless it is proved that Cameron knew Andy Coulson the former Number 10 Downing Street advisor had been involved in phone-hacking, the Prime Minister will live to fight another day.

Rupert Murdoch's pie-thrower and victim of a severe slap by Wendi Deng, the wife of Murdoch, Johnnie Marbles explains in an article on the UK based newspaper the Guardian.

 

Believe it or not, I even worried about Rupert Murdoch's feelings. You see, I really don't hate 80-year-olds and, at the end of the day, Rupert Murdoch is just an old man. Maybe what I was trying to do was remind everyone of that – that he is not all powerful, he's not Sauron or Beelzebub, just a human being, like the rest of us, but one who has got far too big for his boots."

As the debate is continuing in the House of Commons, the BBC says a private jet is on a runway at Luton Airport, News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch is about to leave the country.

 

 

The leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband urges the House of Commons to look at the bigger picture.

 

"This issue does not directly concern our jobs and living standards but it does concern something incredibly important on which all else depends - and that is the fabric of our country. We do not want to live in a country where the depraved deletion of the voicemail of a dead teenager is seen as acceptable."

News Corporation reveals its decision to stop paying Glen Mulcaire's legal fees came after a meeting of its Management and Standards Committee this morning.

In a statement, it says: "The MSC is authorised to co-operate fully with all relevant investigations and inquiries in the News of the World phone hacking case, police payments and all other related issues across News International, as well as conducting its own enquiries where appropriate."

 

David Cameron gives an honest assessment of the British media:

 

The left over-estimates the power of Mr Murdoch, the right overdoes the left-leaning of the BBC, but both of them have got a point - and never again should we let a media group get too powerful.

David Cameron starts the special parliamentary debate on the UK phone hacking scandal.

Cameron says there is a problem of public confidence between the relationship between media organisations, politicians and police.

We must have a sensible look at plurality and cross-media ownership.

Hasanpatel

AlanFisher

On a seperate note, Wendy Deng, wife of Rupert Murdoch is being driven away from her Central London apartment after a day of questionings, a plate of foam and one mean slap.

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