UK Parliament to grill Cameron over News Corp scandal

World

UK Parliament to grill Cameron over News Corp scandal

Close

UK PM has cut short Africa visit to face question session over News Corp phone hacking scandal

20 July,2011 12:37 pm

Prime Minister David Cameron faces lawmakers Wednesday at an emergency parliament session on Britains spreading hacking and bribery investigation, a day after media mogul Rupert Murdoch accepted no responsibility for wrongdoing in the scandal that is threatening some of Britains most powerful people.Under pressure over the widening crisis, Cameron cut short his Africa trip and returned home late Tuesday to appear before the parliamentary question session he called. Camerons former communications chief, Andy Coulson a former editor at the now-defunct tabloid News of the World is among several people who have been arrested in the scandal.In a three-hour grilling Tuesday, 80-year-old Murdoch insisted he was at fault only for trusting the wrong people at the News of the World, and noted that the newspaper made up a tiny portion of his vast media empire.Murdoch appeared confused and flustered in the beginning of Tuesdays parliamentary hearing, turning frequently to his son James for answers. But he soon regained his trademark cool.He said he had known nothing of allegations that staff at the News of the World tabloid hacked into cell phones and bribed police to get information on celebrities, politicians and crime victims, and that he never would have approved such horrible invasions of privacy.In the face of lawmakers suggestions that his organization encouraged such behavior, he was unflappable even after a protester rushed at him in the middle of the hearing.He stayed seated when the man tried to throw a foam pie at him. A News Corp. attorney partially blocked the attack and Murdochs 42-year-old wife, Wendi Deng, slapped the prankster. After the protester was arrested, the billionaire simply shed his splattered suit jacket and continued answering questions.The scandal has captivated audiences from America to Murdochs native Australia, and theres more to come only a fraction of the nearly 4,000 people whose information was hacked are known and the police investigation appears to be widening. Murdoch has already shut the News of the World, given up on buying a major British satellite television company and accepted the resignations of two top executives because of the scandal.He said he had no plans to resign but expressed contrition on behalf of News Corp.s British newspaper division, News International.