[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14211325

Robert Peston :

The Murdochs' evidence to MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport committee had its moments of drama, but few moments of revelation.

After today's hearing, many questions are still unanswered about who committed or ordered the alleged hacking and bribing, and who knew what when - not least of which are the uncertainties over who was aware in early 2007 of the smoking-gun, News-of-the-World emails that were passed to the lawyers Harbottle & Lewis, but not to the police til June 20 this year (see earlier posts for more on this).

That said, the Murdochs will probably be seen to have emerged bruised but not broken by today's ordeal - which is why the share price of News Corporation, the parent company, has risen.

As for James Murdoch, he was probably as polished and relaxed as was possible in the circumstances. Which may persuade the non-executive directors of British Sky Broadcasting, where he is chairman, to wait a while longer before deciding whether he should be asked to stand down.

For the Murdochs, and the tens of thousands of work for their companies, the full ramifications of the scandal won't be known for months if not years, till the results are in of all those investigations, by the judge who was appointed by the prime minister, and by the police.

Unfortunately .....

[arista]

[joeysteele]

After today, with much more still to be investigated and made known on this scandal,I feel this select committee has run its course.

They are now unlikely to get any major right and clear answers to anything and maybe its time to wind this up until the Judicial inquiry and police investigations are completed.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

After today, with much more still to be investigated and made known on this scandal,I feel this select committee has run its course.

They are now unlikely to get any major right and clear answers to anything and maybe its time to wind this up until the Judicial inquiry and police investigations are completed.

I agree, but it was worth seeing Ms Brooks squirm a little .....

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Omah

I agree, but it was worth seeing Ms Brooks squirm a little .....

It was indeed .

However I think it's a pity she had been able to watch the Murdochs time in the room before her, obviously she would have been briefed by them as to what line they would be taking but it may have developed some different responses from her had she not known what they had actually been asked and what they had actually then said to those questions.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14214197

0907:

Trevor Kavanagh, associate editor of the Sun, has his own take on the scandal, suggesting the media should focus more on the state of the global economy. And he says some critics are simply out to get Rupert Murdoch: "There will be those who won't be happy til the Murdochs are taken away in tumbrils to the guillotine."

..... and Brooks .....

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Omah

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14214197

0907:



..... and Brooks .....

Definately I agree with you again.
As for Trevor Kavanagh,I never take any notice of what he says, he is little more than a prejudiced dinosaur as to politics.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14214197

0944:

Reaction to the phone-hacking scandal is global. Here's Iranian daily newspaper Quds: "What happened in England has not only stigmatised English rulers and imposed irretrievable costs on the country, but has also made it crystal clear that the slogans of Western politicians to respect civil and human rights are simply a series of slogans ment to keep and stabilise their own power."

They have a point .....

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Omah

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14214197

0944:

They have a point .....

I'm usually inclined to agree with you Omar, but not this time. Seriously... Iran? They really aren't in a position to point the finger at the West when it comes to corrupt leaders and a dishonest press. They've even referred to the English, and not the British, which goes some way to demonstrate their grasp of international affairs. They've latched on to this story and used it for their own ends. And they aren't alone... Currently the whole affair is being used by a variety of people with a variety of agendas hoping to get one up on a variety of people. If we don't keep sight of what happened and at least try to find who is responsible we run the risk of the whole thing collapsing in a heap.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

I'm usually inclined to agree with you Omar, but not this time. Seriously... Iran? They really aren't in a position to point the finger at the West when it comes to corrupt leaders and a dishonest press. They've even referred to the English, and not the British, which goes some way to demonstrate their grasp of international affairs. They've latched on to this story and used it for their own ends. And they aren't alone... Currently the whole affair is being used by a variety of people with a variety of agendas hoping to get one up on a variety of people. If we don't keep sight of what happened and at least try to find who is responsible we run the risk of the whole thing collapsing in a heap.

Erm, by specifying Britain, by which I asume you mean Great Britain, I believe that you have excluded Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - did you mean to do that ?

Of course, Iran has "latched on to this story and used it for their own ends", but it doesn't mean they're wrong to point out that Western politicians are hypocritical - even the MPs sitting on the committes and the police conducting the investigations will, no doubt, have a certain number of axes to grind .....

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Omah

Erm, by specifying Britain, by which I asume you mean Great Britain, I believe that you have excluded Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - did you mean to do that ?

Of course, Iran has "latched on to this story and used it for their own ends", but it doesn't mean they're wrong to point out that Western politicians are hypocritical - even the MPs sitting on the committes and the police conducting the investigations will, no doubt, have a certain number of axes to grind .....

Okay, if we're going to thrash out the semantics, I meant the United Kingdom. But once again, we're detracting from the facts. And yes they are wrong to be pointing the finger. Have you never heard the saying that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Unless they're throwing them at female "adulterers" of course... which is something they still do in this country that is criticising our political process.

This whole thing has been hijacked by people with their own agendas and everyone with an axe to grind is busy grinding it. I'm not sure about all MPs but the ones I work with are being deluged - deluged -by an orchestrated campaign of emails, letters and postcards, all identical, and coming from people who are not constituents which means other, more important work is being neglected. They are overwhelmingly anti-Tory because people see this is an opportunity to kick the Conservatives. They conveniently forget that Gordon Brown also worked closely with Murdoch.

What people are failing to understand is that the whole world is watching the ridiculous pantomime this has become. They're also failing to understand who is actually responsible.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

Okay, if we're going to thrash out the semantics, I meant the United Kingdom. But once again, we're detracting from the facts. And yes they are wrong to be pointing the finger. Have you never heard the saying that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Unless they're throwing them at female "adulterers" of course... which is something they still do in this country that is criticising our political process.

This whole thing has been hijacked by people with their own agendas and everyone with an axe to grind is busy grinding it. I'm not sure about all MPs but the ones I work with are being deluged - deluged -by an orchestrated campaign of emails, letters and postcards, all identical, and coming from people who are not constituents which means other, more important work is being neglected. They are overwhelmingly anti-Tory because people see this is an opportunity to kick the Conservatives. They conveniently forget that Gordon Brown also worked closely with Murdoch.

What people are failing to understand is that the whole world is watching the ridiculous pantomime this has become. They're also failing to understand who is actually responsible.

ah, you mean Thatcher .....

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Omah

ah, you mean Thatcher .....

Okay, this is feeling like hard work. Enough.

[Omah]

1237:

A quick round-up of the main points from David Cameron:

With hindsight, he would not have hired Andy Coulson as communications chief
Mr Coulson is innocent until proven guilty
He was unaware of any advice given to Mr Coulson by former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis
The meetings with News International broke no rules
Staff acted properly in turning down a police briefing about the hacking scandal


1249:

A reminder of Labour leader Ed Miliband's arguments:

The PM ignored damning information about Andy Coulson on at least five occasions
No 10 refused a police briefing because the PM was compromised by his relationship with Mr Coulson
The PM is guilty of deliberate attempt to "hide from the facts" about Mr Coulson
Mr Cameron's conflict of interest led to resignation of Met Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson
Sir Paul felt telling No 10 about hiring ex-News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis would have compromised the PM

[joeysteele]

I find that Cameron has more sympsthy from Labour supporters I know than the Conservative ones after watching todays events.

I really feel Cameron will not win the next election though,if he would just say clearly,he made a mistake to appoint Coulson, the voters at large will at least have seen him admit that.
It was a mistake, clearly, but his saying that if Coulson has lied,if he has done wrong then he will apologise doesn't wash with most of the public interested in following this issue.
They want apologies now.

Labour should however turn their hands over and look at the palms,certainly for the first 10 years of their time in Govt, their hands were well soiled by the Murdoch empire,so much so they failed to achieve for people who had supported them in all the dark years the status and reforms they could have done with such massive overall majorities.
They failed to do so because they were running after the Murdoch press machine to stay with them.

Politicians often pay a heavy price for loyalty and friendship, Cameron feels he still owes some loyalty to Coulson and Coulson hasn't been charged or found guilty of anything yet.

Cameron is trying to be loyal and also fair.As I said elsewhere, people say they hate the brutality and coldness of politics and politicians,then when someone shows some loyalty and friendship in politics, people want the coldness and brutality to take over again.

Yeah, I feel sorry for Cameron here. I personally would stand by a friend in need.

[arista]

"Labour should however turn their hands over and look at the palms,certainly for the first 10 years of their time in Govt, their hands were well soiled by the Murdoch empire,so much so they failed to achieve for people who had supported them in all the dark years the status and reforms they could have done with such massive overall majorities.
They failed to do so because they were running after the Murdoch press machine to stay with them."




Yes this is the problem
Milliboy is like a Robot - talks only on this.

This Topic can go on and on
but other UK and Bankrupt €uro problems matter much more.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14219430

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband have all now published details of their meetings with newspaper editors, executives and owners over the past year.

If anyone cares to do an analysis .....

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14225676

Nick Robinson :

A friend in need is a friend…until they become a massive political headache.

David Cameron has always defended his decision to give Andy Coulson a second chance…to take the man who resigned as editor of the News of the World into Downing Street…to ignore those who warned it was a mistake… until - that is - today.

Declaring that with 20-20 hindsight he would not have offered him the job as director of communications could be seen as a statement of the blindingly obvious.

However it was enough to convince Tory backbenchers that their leader was capable of freeing himself from the hacking quagmire.

It will not satisfy those - including the Labour leader - who say the prime minister closed his ears to repeated warnings that Mr Coulson was at best political trouble and at worst involved in criminal activity. Something he strenuously denies.

Today the prime minister said he believed in an old fashioned principle - innocent until proven guilty - nevertheless he tried to separate his fate from that of his friend.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14242763

Evidence on phone hacking given to MPs by News International chairman James Murdoch has been called into question by two former executives at the firm.

Mr Murdoch told the media committee he was not "aware" of an email suggesting the practice went wider than a "rogue" News of the World reporter.

Former NoW editor Colin Myler and ex-NI legal manager Tom Crone said they "did inform" him of the email.

Mr Murdoch says he "stands by his testimony".

[joeysteele]

I didn't feel they,the Murdochs were telling all they knew, I said they were being evasive but bearing in mind all the other investigations to take place and which are already taking place by the Police, they had the door opened to them for them both to be evasive.

That's why really this select committe has run its course and in all likelihood can never get full and open answers to questions asked of anyone now.

[Omah]

http://www.channel4.com/news/former-...in-voluntarily

Channel 4 News films former News of the World newsdesk editor Greg Miskiw, mentioned in the notes of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, saying he will voluntarily return to the UK from the US.

Greg Miskiw, 61, was an editorial executive at the newspaper until 2005, during the time that the interception of voicemails messages is alleged to have been carried out by private investigators on behalf of the title.

Mr Miskiw was approached by reporters in Palm Beach in the southeastern American state and said that he had plans to fly back to London answer any questions police may wish to direct to him.

"I'm returning to the UK voluntarily," Mr Miskiw said. “My solicitor has been talking to the police for some time now, so I have in effect been in touch with the police. They know where I am, and they know I'm returning - that's all I'm saying."

Former NoW editor Andy Coulson and assistant editor Ian Edmondson have both been arrested and questioned by detectives with Operation Weeting about alleged phone hacking.

Mr Miskiw declined to answer a question about whether he himself had authorised the interception of voicemail message during his time at the newspaper. He also refused to answer questions about Mr Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive, who resigned from her post last week, days after the NoW was shut down.

Mr Miskiw's former partner was also arrested in Leeds last month in connection with the Met’s investigations into phone hacking.

Will he "spill the beans" .....

[joeysteele]

Loads more to come out on this one Omah, it's going to take years,the one thing the vast public interest has done and is doing, (as Livia,pointed out MPs are being inundated with the fury and questions as to this issue by their constituents and public generally),is ensure that the Police are now digging really deep into this, it will also ensure that the Judicial review leaves no stone unturned too.

These things cost a lot of money to do, at this time with cutbacks these investigations will have to be seen to have been worth every penny,the Police and Judicial review cannot afford now to miss a single thing or let people get away with lying in dealing with it.

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14245922

Labour MP Tom Watson says he will ask the police to investigate evidence given by News International chairman James Murdoch after it was called into question by two former executives.

[joeysteele]

Apparantly Strathclyde Police are looking into the case again of Tommy Sheridan where hiis conviction was greatly assisted by the evidence of one Andy Coulson.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

Apparantly Strathclyde Police are looking into the case again of Tommy Sheridan where hiis conviction was greatly assisted by the evidence of one Andy Coulson.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...-evidence.html

Mr Sheridan, a former socialist MSP, was jailed in January for himself committing perjury during a successful defamation action against the News of the World.

This "case" is getting ever more complex .....