Murdoch To Fly To London To Take Charge Of Phone Hacking Crisis

Murdoch To Fly To London To Take Charge Of Phone Hacking Crisis
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News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch is expected to arrive in London today to take charge of the developing phone-hacking crisis that is threatening to engulf his UK business.

Murdoch has kept a low-profile as allegations against the News of the World have mounted. The News Corp chief spent most of the week at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, and has declined to answer questions from journalists.

Murdoch is expected to arrive in Wapping hours after staff at the News of the World published the last edition of the newspaper. News Corp have not commented on Murdoch's agenda.

It was announced on Thursday that Sunday's edition of the News of the World will be its last after claims that it paid private investigators to illegally intercept the voicemail messages of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, bereaved military families and relatives of 7/7 bombing victims.

The paper also stands accused of paying thousands of pounds illegally to corrupt police officers.

Andy Coulson, former News of the World Editor and ex-chief media adviser to David Cameron, was arrested Friday and later released on bail until October. Clive Goodman, former royal editor of the paper, was also detained on Friday. He was jailed for four months in 2007 after he pleaded guilty to intercepting phone messages.

Police made a third arrest on Friday at a residential address in Surrey in connection with corruption and phone hacking. The 63-year-old man, who has not been identified, was released on bail until October on Saturday.

"Officers from the MPS' Operation Weeting together with officers from Operation Elveden arrested a man on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906," a police statement said.