Shameful phone hacking scandal forces change inside the Murdoch bunker

 

A community with a voracious appetite for scandal, it does appear we are experiencing Murdoch news fatigue. Like frogs in boiling water, we are losing sensitivity to the barrage of sensational News Corp instalments flowing from the phone hacking affair. On Tuesday, two former News International managers - head of legal affairs Tom Crone and News of the World editor Colin Myler - told a British parliamentary committee that James Murdoch had been made aware of widespread phone hacking despite his written statement to the contrary. The testimony was another milestone in the series of explosive revelations of systemic criminal phone hacking which had been going on for years but allegedly covered up by a corporate and police conspiracy. Advertisement: Story continues below Since the hacking affair was blown open, there has been a myriad of developments from the company, government and police - many of them astonishing. Much of this is highly significant to the Murdoch empire, and the ramifications have been difficult to digest. This shameful episode has changed the News Corp organisation and Rupert Murdoch's management style. In a corporate sense, the decision by Murdoch to undertake a $US5 billion ($4.7 billion) share buyback is, on its own, momentous. Aggressive expansion of the News Corp empire has been a hallmark of Murdoch's modus operandi. The decision to undertake a capital management program that allocated cash to shareholders rather than to acquisitions marks a major departure. The focus of News Corp's strategy in the past has been on raising funds and using available cash to expand, and avoiding the dilution of Murdoch family control. This was never more evident than in the creation of News Corp non-voting stock and the move to domicile the company in the lax regulatory jurisdiction of Delaware. The only other incidence of Rupert Murdoch bowing to outside pressure was in the early 1990s, when the Pittsburgh Bank famously forced News Corp to the brink of bankruptcy by threatening to block the rollover to a new debt package. News Corp has otherwise been run by Rupert Murdoch and in his way. The notion of appeasing minority shareholders is new to Murdoch, as is divorcing the hard-wired nepotism.

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Amelia Hill was questioned under caution by police in an inquiry into alleged leaks of information from Operation Weeting

. Photograph: Katherine Rose

The National Union of Journalists and a respected media watchdog have criticised the questioning of a Guardian journalist in an inquiry into alleged leaks of information from Operation Weeting, the investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World.

It emerged on Wednesday that Amelia Hill, a reporter involved in a number of the Guardian's key phone-hacking revelations over recent weeks, was questioned under caution several days ago in a case that raises concerns about attempts to criminalise contact between journalists and off-the-record sources.

Last month a 51-year-old detective constable was arrested in connection with alleged leaks from the Scotland Yard phone-hacking investigation. At the time there were reports that the officer had passed information to the Guardian, but the newspaper said it had "no comment to make on the sources of our journalism".

Michelle Stanistreet, the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said that there was "a vital journalistic principle at stake here" and that "it is outrageous that an allegation of off-the-record briefings is being treated as a criminal matter".

She added: "There is a clear distinction between legitimate off-the-record interviews and the illegitimate payment of bribes."

Martin Moore, the director of the media watchdog the Media Standards Trust, said that in the light of the phone-hacking scandal it was becoming "increasingly important to sustain and defend journalism in the public interest". He said that it was "not the time to be threatening public interest journalism" by the police moving to question reporters such as Hill.

The Guardian said in a statement: "We can confirm Amelia Hill has been questioned in connection with an investigation into alleged leaks." The newspaper argued that the case could have lasting repercussions for the way journalists deal with police officers. The statement added: "On a broader point, journalists would no doubt be concerned if the police sought to criminalise conversations between off-record sources and reporters."

Although the paper said it would not comment on any specific confidential source, a spokesman said Hill had never paid a police officer for information.

The police investigation into leaks from Operation Weeting has been going on for several weeks.

Meanwhile, Raoul Simons, 35, the deputy football editor of the Times, became the 16th person to be arrested as part of the phone hacking enquiry.

Simons, who had joined the Times from the Evening Standard in August 2009, is understood to have been arrested at 5.55am on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. He was released on police bail until a date in October.

He was not arrested by prior appointment. He was taken to a north London police station and questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept voicemail messages, contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Hill's police interview comes amid growing pressure to clamp down on contacts between officers and journalists following the News of the World phone hacking scandal, which has spread out into wider allegations of police corruption.

Emails from News International allegedly imply that journalists on the now closed Sunday tabloid bought copies of Buckingham Palace's private phone directory from a royal protection officer.

Following those revelations, an inquiry by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is examining "alleged corruption and abuse of power" in police relationships with the media, and Elizabeth Filkin, the former parliamentary commissioner for standards, heads a group drawing up a framework for how police officers handle their relationships with reporters. Both inquiries are considering whether communication between police officers should be officially monitored and recorded by a press officer.

The questioning of Hill has similarities to a case police mounted against Sally Murrer, a reporter on the Milton Keynes Citizen, and a former Thames Valley police detective, Mark Kearney, which was thrown out. Kearney had been accused of leaking information to Murrer. The collapse of the case was widely seen as a victory for journalistic freedom.

It was reported meanwhile that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World and the prime minister's former personal communications director, is refusing to appear before a Commons select committee that is investigating phone-hacking.

His solicitors have written to the culture, media and sport committee declining an invitation to appear, citing "concerns" about "parallel inquiries and investigations and the publicity generated by them".

He has consistently denied knowing that phone hacking took place but last month a previously unseen letter from Goodman emerged that claimed phone hacking was "widely discussed" at editorial conferences until Coulson banned mentions of it. Goodman's letter also claimed that Coulson had offered to let him keep his job if he agreed not to implicate the paper in hacking when it came to court.

Coulson resigned from the News International paper in 2007 after its former royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed on phone-hacking offences.

It also emerged yesterday that MPs on another committee have been told that News International asked a technology firm, HCL, to delete emails and other documents 13 times since 2009.

Technology company HCL, which provides services under contract to News International, informed the Commons home affairs committee in August that it was aware of the deletion of hundreds of thousands of emails on nine occasions between April 2010 and July 2011, but said it did not know of anything "untoward" behind the requests. Yesterday, HCL's solicitor, Stuart Benson, contacted the committee again to say that a further four requests had come to light - one of which related to the deletion of emails from an inbox of a user who had not accessed his account for eight years.

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The new Libya won't trust Britain so easily now | News

 

The documents revealing the cosy relationship between top British and Libyan intelligence officials are embarrassing not just because they confirm Britain's rendition of Islamist terror suspects, including Abdel Hakim Belhadj, the Transitional National Council's new security commander in Tripoli, but also because they lend credence to Britain's reputation as a slippery operator in the Middle East. David Cameron's support for the TNC was meant to gain souk cred by tying Britain's banner to the spirit of the Arab Spring. Cameron has said the new documents should be examined by the independent Detainee Inquiry, chaired by Sir Peter Gibson. They show how keen Tony Blair was to bring Gaddafi into the fold following Saddam Hussein's fall in April 2003 and to trade an end to Libya's pariah status in return for help in the war against terrorism. There was little wrong with that. What is sickening is the extent to which Britain sought to ingratiate itself by delivering up Gaddafi's opponents. No less disturbing is the manner in which Britain's cosying up to Gaddafi has been represented as a mistake by misguided individuals, for which institutions such as the London School of Economics have suffered. Perhaps the most fascinating new document was sent on March 18, 2004 to Musa Kusa, head of Libyan intelligence, by Mark Allen, MI6's director of counter-terrorism, who crowed about Belhadj's rendition while arranging a forthcoming visit by Blair to Libya. A week later Gaddafi welcomed the British PM in his Tripoli tent (as requested by Allen for publicity reasons). It is difficult to say who was the greater showman: the unctuous Blair or Gaddafi joking how his Third Universal Theory, the basis of his Green Book, paved the way for Blair's Third Way politics. Within two months, Allen was pipped as the next MI6 head by John Scarlett, who, two years earlier, as chief of the Joint Intelligence Committee, had backed Blair's argument that Saddam had dangerous weapons of mass destruction. Allen left the SIS shortly afterwards. For Middle East watchers, an interesting outcome has been these glimpses of intelligence machinations in this most secretive of regions. A Le Carré of the al Qaeda conflict will surely follow. It is Cameron who now has to deal with the practical consequences. The ultimate fate of Gaddafi and his family is out of his hands. But Britain has tough decisions to make about other players, including Musa Kusa, who defected from Libya in March, came to Britain, and was last heard of in a Qatar hotel. In 1980 he was expelled from Britain for advocating the murder of Libyan dissidents. For this and his wider role in Libyan terrorism, many powerful voices argue that he should be tried in Britain. But, even at this stage, it may be that he has too much to reveal. More immediately, the Prime Minister needs to assess the role of former Islamists such as Belhadj in the new regime and take appropriate measures. It will not be enough to kick the rendition issue into the long grass by referring it to the Gibson inquiry, which has yet to begin its work. If David Cameron hoped for an easy ride in post-Gaddafi Libya, these papers have disabused him of that notion.

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former MP Margaret Moran, who is to face 21 charges in relation to claims she made for parliamentary expenses.

File photo of former MP Margaret Moran, who is to face 21 charges in relation to claims she made for parliamentary expenses. Photograph: Michael Stephens/PA

The former Labour MP who claimed for dry rot treatment on a home more than 100 miles from her constituency will be charged with fiddling her expenses by more than £60,000, prosecutors said today.

Margaret Moran, one of the last politicians investigated over the scandal, will appear before magistrates facing 21 charges relating to her parliamentary claims.

Moran, former MP for Luton South, will appear before City of Westminster magistrates' court on 19 September, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

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police have released images of 28 suspects they want to question about serious street disorder that “wreaked havoc” across Northern Ireland

The police have released images of 28 suspects they want to question about serious street disorder that “wreaked havoc” across Northern Ireland.

Detectives from a specialist public order inquiry team are hoping the public will help them identify the men in these images as part of their investigations into rioting in east Belfast and Ballyclare during June and July.

Three people were shot during three nights of sustained sectarian violence at an interface on the Lower Newtownards Road in Belfast in June.

In Ballyclare six officers sustained whiplash when a hijacked bus rammed a police vehicle during riots that erupted after Union and paramilitary flags were removed from lampposts in July.

Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said the response from the public appeals to date had been “positive”.

A second tranche of photographs will be released on Thursday showing suspects police want to speak to in connection with rioting in north and west Belfast during July.

Last month all of Northern Ireland’s main news organisations wrote to the PSNI Chief Constable to protest at having to hand over riot footage of trouble in east Belfast.

The letter highlighted to Matt Baggott the “genuine fear that terrorists and rioters will target the media whom they perceive to be evidence gatherers for the State” if the PSNI continues to demand the disclosure of material gathered for news purposes.

The PSNI has declined to comment on the source of these latest images.

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Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans

 Giant saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne was captured in a remote Philippine village following a spate of attacks on humans and livestock, officials said Tuesday.

The 21-foot (6.4-metre), 1,075-kilogramme (2,370-pound) reptile may have eaten a farmer who went missing in July, along with several water buffaloes in the southern town of Bunawan, crocodile hunter Rollie Sumiller said.

A crocodile also bit off the head of a 12-year-old girl in Bunawan in 2009, according to the environment ministry.

Josefina de Leon, wildlife division chief of the environment ministry's protected areas and wildlife bureau, said it was likely the biggest crocodile ever captured.

"Based on existing records the largest that had been captured previously was 5.48 metres long," she told AFP.

"This is the biggest animal that I've handled in 20 years of trapping,"

Sumiller added, estimating the male to be more than 50 years old.

"The community was relieved," he told AFP, but added: "We're not really sure if this is the man-eater, because there have been other sightings of other crocodiles in the area."

The team, employed by a government-run crocodile breeding farm, began laying bait using chicken, pork and dog meat on August 15, but the reptile simply bit off both meat and line the it was skewered on.

An eight milimetre (0.31-inch) metal cable finally proved beyond the power of its jaws and the beast was subdued at a creek on Saturday with the help of about 30 local men.

The local government decided against putting down the reptile and will instead use him as the main attraction at a planned nature park in the area.

"He's a problem crocodile that needs to be taken from the wildlife so that it can be used for eco-tourism," Sumiller said.

Crocodylus porosus or estuarine crocodile is the world's largest reptile that usually grows to five or six metres long and can live up to 100 years.

While not considered an endangered species globally, it is "critically endangered" in the Philippines, where it is hunted for its hide to feed the fashion industry, de Leon said.

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Grilling for phone hack witnesses

 

Four former News International executives will face a fresh round of questioning from MPs over the phone-hacking scandal. The Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee will quiz the News of the World's former editor Colin Myler and ex-legal manager Tom Crone after the pair publicly challenged evidence given by James Murdoch over his knowledge of the illegal practice. News International's former director of legal affairs Jonathan Chapman and Daniel Cloke, former group HR director, will also appear before the committee as the probe into the scandal is resumed following the summer recess. Mr Myler and Mr Crone have been summoned before MPs for the second time after publicly disputing claims made by Mr Murdoch earlier in the Parliamentary inquiry. The News International chairman told the committee he was not made aware of an email in 2008 indicating that the practice of illegally intercepting voicemails was not confined to a single "rogue" reporter. But the two former Sunday tabloid executives insist that they told him about the message in June of that year. The panel of MPs could now recall Mr Murdoch "depending on their evidence under questioning". Committee chairman John Whittingdale said the latest round of questioning was an attempt to uncover the truth in the "continuing difference in the accounts of James Murdoch and Tom Crone and Colin Myler about whether or not James Murdoch was aware of the so-called 'for Neville' email". The 2005 email contained transcripts of hacked phone messages and was headed "for Neville", in an apparent reference to the News of the World's then-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck. Its existence came to light in April 2008 when Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor brought a damages claim against the paper over the interception of his voicemail.

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Bogus pensions adviser jailed over £1.9m transfer fraud

 

bogus financial adviser who fraudulently manipulated his “clients’” pension funds to avoid paying tax of over £1.9m has been jailed at Hull Crown Court for three years. Colin Pearson (pictured), who previously worked for the Food Standards Agency and held a McDonalds franchise, claimed to be a financial adviser and persuaded his "clients" to release over ₤3.4m from their pension funds. Pearson completed UK pension transfer forms on behalf of his clients to falsely claim funds were going abroad to avoid paying tax due on the pension withdrawals, said HMRC. His fraudulent actions netted him commission payments of over £377,000. He provided fake documentation to register two overseas pension schemes before submitting the fake documents to ensure the funds were released without suspicion or delay to bank accounts he controlled. On occasions he even made telephone calls to the UK pension companies posing as the policy holder. On one call he disguised his voice with a Cypriot accent giving the impression he was calling from overseas. To add further legitimacy to the scam, he used articles from the internet to create a PowerPoint presentation to sell the scheme to unsuspecting UK clients, HMRC added. He then took a cut of the funds before passing the balance onto the pensioners. In total, Pearson persuaded over thirty UK pension holders to make unauthorised transfers of £3.4m to avoid paying tax of £1.9m. The value of the funds released was estimated as £3,440,143, of which £2,997,018 was returned to "clients". He also released his own pensions, valued at £74,619.08. In total approximately £377,608 was taken as commission. He used the proceeds of his scam to maintain a lavish lifestyle, driving expensive cars and owning luxury homes both in the UK and Cyprus. Bob Gaiger from HM Revenue & Customs said: "Whilst Pearson was living a life most people could only dream of, he left the individuals he conned out of pocket and without the pension funds they expected. "HMRC will not tolerate this type of blatant fraud and will investigate and prosecute those found to be involved in stealing from the public purse. If you have any information about tax fraud please contact our 24 hour hotline on 0800 50 5000". On sentencing Pearson, His Honour Judge Richardson QC, said: "You are branded a criminal, your life is utterly destroyed, and you are totally dishonest in your deceitful actions."

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SFO probes banks over asset-backed security sales

 

The Serious Fraud Office is conducting an examination into banks and their offering of asset backed securities, as part of a ‘scoping exercise’ to see if products have been misrepresented to UK clients. The watchdog said it is consulting with relevant ‘people in the city’ as part of its broad-sweeping investigation into any potentially fraudulent sales of asset backed securities. A spokesperson for the SFO said: ‘We are conducting a scoping exercise into UK banks about all asset backed securities.’ Although the watchdog said this examination has been going on for ‘some time’, it would not clarify whether it was targeting any particular types of asset backed securities. After 2008, asset backed products such as collateralised debt obligations and mortgage backed securities came under fire for arguably sparking the financial crisis. As part of the exercise, the SFO is making inquiries into Goldman Sachs, including the ‘Timberwolf’ deal, a mortgage security underwritten by the bank in 2007, which has been scrutinised by lawyers in the US, according to the Financial Times. Earlier in the year, the SFO said it was looking into exchange-traded funds, as a 'potential threat' to market stability and as a form of asset-backed security which could follow the path of CDOs.

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A TURKISH waiter suspected of killing two British women is believed to be older than he has claimed

Recep Cetin, arrested for slaughtering Marion Graham and Kathy Dinsmore,from County Down, Northern Ireland, had said he was 17. But prosecutors insist he is older.They claim he is concealing his real age in the hope of avoiding a severe sentence. He will face a much lighter punishment if tried as a minor.Cetin is thought to have killed the women after one refused to let him marry her daughter.Both of the women, who were in their 50s, were taken to a forest where they were stabbed and had their throats slit.

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Marion's daughter Shannon, 15 - with whom he had been having a relationship - raised the alarm after the pair vanished from the family's holiday home in Kusadasi , Turkey.

Raymond McGuinness, Ms Graham's ex-partner and the father of Shannon, arrived in Turkey along with Ms Graham's son David yesterday.

He said: "We've identified the bodies and my main concern now is my daughter.

"We're going to arrange the flight home as soon as possible.

"There was always something that was not quite right."

The alarm was raised on Thursday when the waiter, said to have been in a distressed state, arrived for work in a Kusadasi restaurant.

 

Murdered ... Marion Grahon and Kathy Winsmore

Barcroft Media

He claimed he had suffered a cut to his hand trying to fight off kidnappers who had bundled the two women into a van.

 

Mr McGuinness said: "He told Shannon that he had tried to stop the kidnappers and he had a cut on his hand and that's how he suffered it."

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Police and prosecutors have alleged that members of the Boardman Street Boys, including Fields, were responsible for the Aug. 28, 2010, shooting outside Sam's Discount Party Store at 1205 W. Dickman Road.

Despite objections from the defense, Battle Creek police told a jury Thursday the city has several gangs including one involved in an alleged homicide last year.

Officer Tyler Sutherland, a member of the department's Gang Suppression Unit, said the Boardman Street Boys are responsible for several shootings and other crimes and show typical characteristics of a street gang.

Taking the stand Thursday in the Calhoun County Circuit Court murder trial of Brandon Fields, 18, Sutherland discussed in general terms the characteristics of gangs.

He said gangs are generally three or more people "who create power and profit through violence and crime."

A member of GSU for two years, Sutherland said gangs have weapons, claim an area or turf in the city and usually have a rivalry with another gang.

"They are always looking for an opportunity to show how powerful they are," Sutherland said.

He said gang members will use any reason to attack other gang members or other residents to exert their influence and create fear.


Police and prosecutors have alleged that members of the Boardman Street Boys, including Fields, were responsible for the Aug. 28, 2010, shooting outside Sam's Discount Party Store at 1205 W. Dickman Road.

Larry Carter, 36, was killed and two other men, Brandon Davis, 29, and Josh Mitchell, 23, were wounded. Investigators said the victims were unarmed when they were confronted outside the store and Fields and at least two others began shooting because of some perceived disrespect.

Two other men are awaiting trial.

"No disrespect goes unanswered," Sutherland told the jury. "That is the code of the gang."

The jury will return Tuesday when Circuit Judge Allen Garbrecht told them they are expected to hear the final witnesses, closing arguments, legal instructions and then begin their deliberations.

Defense Attorney Virginia Cairns objected to Sutherland's testimony, noting that the prosecution does not have to present a motive and that a general discussion of gangs was merely to prejudice the jury against Fields.

"They want to poison the well, drive the hammer," Cairns told the judge. "If this is permitted it is not a fair trial. It is designed to convict this young man by painting him with a stripe he doesn't have."

Fields denied to police that he was a member although he told officers he spends all his time with other members.

And Sutherland told the jury that Fields has a tattoo of a "B" and that gang members would not allow a non-gang member to have a gun or take them to the scene of their crimes.

After the jury was dismissed for the day, Cairns told Judge Garbrecht that during her cross examination of Sutherland, Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Kabot was drawing a picture of her which was seen by at least one of the jurors.

"I am shocked and it is most inappropriate. It is absolutely demeaning. I do not merit that type of low treatment and I want this on the record."

Garbrecht said he was not aware of Kabot's drawing and Kabot said it simply was doodling he frequently does at his table.

"I always draw pictures and it was and it wasn't her. It was not demeaning and it did not portray her in a negative light. It wasn't anything that was intended to offend."

"It got a reaction from at least one of the jurors," Cairns said.

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Any criminal trial which arises from the phone hacking investigation is likely to be subjected to a media blackout

If prosecutors decide to charge several people over the allegations surrounding former News of the World journalists, all the defendants would be tried at the same time, The Daily Telegraph has been told.
The parallel police inquiries into phone hacking and police corruption means any trials are likely to be delayed until the spring of 2013 as detectives sift through thousands of documents.
But because of the risk that one or more of the possible defendants could face trial relating to both inquiries, the media is likely to be banned from reporting any of the evidence in any of the trials until all have been concluded.
The phone hacking scandal took yet another twist yesterday when a Scotland Yard detective was arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential information about the inquiry to The Guardian.
It is thought that the arrest follows a series of online articles in The Guardian which disclosed the identities of people who were about to be or had just been arrested. The identity of the 51-year old detective constable has not been disclosed. He was arrested on Thursday by the anti-corruption unit of Scotland Yard and bailed to return next month.

In a statement, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, who is leading the phone hacking investigation, said: “I made very clear when I took on this investigation the need for operational and information security. It is hugely disappointing that this may not have been adhered to.”
The police investigation into the News of the World has increased in size and scope over the past few months and is now one of the biggest criminal inquiries in Britain. There are more than 60 officers working on the investigation.
On Thursday, officers also made another arrest, of a former News of the World employee. Dan Evans, 35, a feature writer, attended a London police station and was held for questioning on suspicion of conspiring to unlawfully intercept voicemails. Mr Evans was suspended by the News of the World after the interior designer Kelly Hoppen, stepmother to the actress Sienna Miller, brought a damages claim alleging that he tried to hack into her voicemails in June 2009.
The now-defunct tabloid and lawyers for the journalist have said an extensive investigation found no evidence to support her claims. It is thought that Scotland Yard arrested him over separate phone hacking allegations.
Mr Evans joined the News of the World in 2005 and has been suspended since April 2010. He is the 14th person to be arrested on suspicion of involvement in phone hacking.
A well-placed source told the Telegraph that any defendants charged with phone hacking are expected to be tried together, though any trial is unlikely to begin before the spring of 2013 because of the sheer volume of evidence the police still have to go through.
The source added that if there was a trial over phone hacking, and if any of the defendants also faced charges over police corruption, lawyers would be likely to ask for a reporting ban to avoid prejudicing any subsequent trial.
Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective imprisoned for phone hacking, has been ordered by the High Court to disclose who at the News of the World asked him to listen to voicemails on the mobile phones of Elle Macpherson, the model, and Steve Coogan, the comedian. Mulcaire will have to comply with the request by September.
A News International spokeswoman said: “We are fully co-operating with the police investigation and we are unable to comment further on matters due to ongoing police investigations.”
A spokesman for Guardian News & Media said: “We note the arrest of a Scotland Yard detective on suspicion of misconduct in a public office relating to unauthorised disclosure of information.
“On the broader point raised by the arrest, journalists would no doubt be concerned if conversations between off-the-record sources and reporters came routinely to be regarded as criminal activity. In common with all news organisations, we have no comment to make on the sources of our journalism.”

 

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News International’s controversial decision to alter a critical letter submitted to a parliamentary inquiry was not directly demanded by the police, the Daily Telegraph can reveal.

The company has been accused of a cover-up after it gave MPs a significantly redacted version of a letter, written by Clive Goodman, the former royal editor at the News of the World.
The revelation came as David Cameron admitted he would not have employed Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, if he had “known then what I know now”. James Murdoch, the chairman of
News International, also faced calls to resign over the scandal.
The Goodman letter, sent four years ago, alleges that a secret deal was agreed in which he would keep his job if he did not “implicate” other members of the tabloid paper’s staff. He also alleged that editors at the tabloid, including Andy Coulson, supported phone hacking.
On Tuesday News International claimed that the document was altered at the request of Scotland Yard. However, their explanation came under scrutiny after a much fuller version of the same letter was released by law firm Harbottle & Lewis.

 

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Ed Miliband has blamed the riots that swept English cities on a "me first" culture - and accepted Labour must share the blame for creating it.

The Labour leader said his party had failed to tackle inequality and not paid enough attention to morality.

And he linked the riots to a wider collapse in social responsibility exemplified by the banking crisis and MPs expenses scandal.

He said he would set up his own riots inquiry if David Cameron failed to act.

'Sick society'
Mr Cameron has not ruled out holding a public inquiry - but has said he wants MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee to complete its investigation first.

The prime minister has also spoken of a collapse in personal responsibility and has claimed parts of Britain were not just "broken" but "sick".


Ed Miliband
Labour leader
He told the BBC's North West Tonight crooked bankers and MPs deserved to be punished - but their behaviour should not be used as an excuse for lawlessness.

"We need responsibility right through our country - responsibility is the most important word in politics.

"But it cannot be used as an excuse - that was law breaking, that was looting, that was thieving.

"It's no good trying to blame that on someone else. All irresponsibility should be punished."

In a Commons statement on Thursday, the prime minister vowed to "restore a sense of stronger sense of morality and responsibility".

But he rejected Mr Miliband's call for a public inquiry, saying MPs were already listening to their communities - and the home affairs committee was holding an inquiry which should "do this work first".

Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the breakdown in social order that occurred this week showed many people had lost their sense of right and wrong and there was a "me first" culture.

"There is an issue which went to all our souls - this is an issue not just about the responsibility and irresponsibility we saw on the streets of Tottenham.

"It's about irresponsibility, wherever we find it in our society.

"We've seen in the past few years MPs' expenses, what happened in the banks, what happened with phone hacking."

'Usual suspects'
And he admitted that Labour had not done enough to tackle deep-rooted moral problems during its 13 years in power.

"I deeply regret that inequality wasn't reduced under the last Labour government. But we did great things to tackle inequality in our society," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We did better at rebuilding the fabric of our country than the ethic of our country."

He urged the prime minister set up a public inquiry in the next few days, adding: "We have got to avoid simplistic answers.

"There's a debate some people are starting: is it culture, is it poverty and lack of opportunity? It's probably both."

Mr Miliband said that if Mr Cameron does not agree to set up an inquiry "I'm going to do it myself".

Speaking to a group of young people in Brixton, south London, Mr Miliband said the inquiry should not just take evidence from the "usual suspects" but should also include people from communities affected by the rioting.

The Commons home affairs committee will begin its inquiry on 6 September, with London Mayor Boris Johnson set to be its first witness.

Committee chairman, Labour MP Keith Vaz, said: "We will be looking at police tactics, we will be looking at the operation of gangs, we will be looking at mobile communications, and we will be revisiting some of the issues we have looked at in the past, such as the inquiry into the G20 protests.

"This will be a thoughtful and measured inquiry."

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Winehouse's ex-hubby to tell all in book

Amy Winehouse's ex-hubby Blake Fielder-Civil is cashing on the Winehouse fever by penning a tell-all book about the late singer' tumultuous life. Reportedly Fielder-Civil, who is currently in jail for burglary and possession of an imitation firearm, has enough material and inside



According to sources, "Blake's been planning to write a tell-all on Amy since she became famous. When they were together he'd film her, but there are many hours and footage he hasn't released."

Buzz is that, 'the scheming opportunist' is waiting for a good monetary deal before turning biographer.

The former video runner, who has been blamed for introducing Amy to heroin and crack cocaine, married Winehouse in May 2007 after an on-off romance. But the relationship was doomed from the beginning and the couple parted ways after two years.

 

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Celebrities react to shock news that Amy Winehouse is dead

Following the tragic news that Amy Winehouse was found dead at her North London home this afternoon, social networking sites have been inundated with fans paying tribute to the talented star.

Amongst the thousands of Twitter messages from distraught fans, celebrities have been reacting to the news.

Singer Ricky Martin Tweeted: “i just found out. I feel pain. I feel anger. Rest beautiful girl rest. You are free! #RIPAMY”

Pixie Lott simply wrote: “R.I.P Amy Winehouse such a talent you will be missed ♥”

Estelle said: “RIP Amy. ******* off twitter for the day.”

Siva Kaneswaran, of boyband The Wanted, had recently met Amy. He told fans: “Very sad news. May her soul finally rest in peace. Feel so privilege to had met such a talent just a few days ago. #RIPAMY xxxx”

Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton added: “Can not believe the news. Amy was a special girl. The saddest news.”

X Factor vocal coach Yvie Burnett said her thoughts were with Amy’s family: “Thank you everyone who messaged me about Amy. Feel so sad for her family.”

 

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Phone hacking also rife under Piers Morgan at Mirror, claims ex-reporter

Phone hacking was not confined to the News of the World but was widespread at other newspapers, including the Daily Mirror, a former Mirror reporter has claimed.

James Hipwell, who worked as a financial journalist under the editorship of Piers Morgan, said the practice was "seen as a bit of a wheeze" and offered to give evidence to the public inquiry into hacking ordered by David Cameron.

Hacking also took place at other titles in the newspaper group, including the People, he alleged.

"You know what people around you are doing," he told the Independent. "They would call a celebrity with one phone and when it was answered they would then hang up.

"By that stage, the other phone would be into [the celebrity's] voicemail and they would key in the code, 9999 or 0000. I saw that a lot."

He added: "It was seen as a bit of a wheeze – something that was slightly underhand but something many of them did. What a laugh.

"After they'd hacked into someone's mobile, they'd delete the message so another paper couldn't get the story. There was great hilarity about it."

Piers Morgan, a former editor of the Mirror, and the News of the World, has strenuously denied any link to the phone-hacking scandal.

Hipwell said he had chosen to speak out as he was sick of all the "lies".

The death of phone-hacking whistleblower Sean Hoare fuelled his decision to talk about what went on, he said, condemning the way the former News of the World journalist had been treated as "disgraceful".

Trinity Mirror denied its journalists had broken the law. A spokesman said: "Trinity Mirror's position is clear. Our journalists work within the criminal law and the PCC (Press Complaints Commission) code of conduct."

Trinity Mirror added that Hipwell's claims were "totally unsubstantiated".

Hipwell was jailed for six months in February 2006 for pocketing nearly £41,000 by repeatedly purchasing low-priced stocks, recommending them to readers in the Mirror's City Slickers column and then quickly selling them as values soared.

 

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Coroner's report says suspect's death was cocaine-related

Rapides Parish Coroner’s Office report has ruled that the February death of a mentally ill Alexandria man in police custody was accidental, probably from a combination of his schizophrenia and a high level of cocaine he ingested before he was arrested.

Though Robert Ricks was stunned by a Taser twice for five seconds or less on Feb. 5 – once by an Alexandria police officer and once by a Rapides Parish sheriff’s deputy – the Coroner’s Office said Ricks most likely died from “excited delirium,” a result of “schizophrenia and cocaine (acting) in concert” and leading to his death.

Rapides Parish District Attorney James “Jam” Downs said the coroner and State Police reports, released by his office Tuesday, clear Alexandria police who arrested Ricks on Feb. 5 and clear Rapides Parish sheriff’s deputies who helped carry Ricks to a jail cell as he resisted.

Downs said his office would not pursue criminal charges.

“The rush to judgment that Robert Ricks was deliberately Tasered to death by police officers is without substantial support in the independent investigation by the Louisiana State Police,” Downs said in a statement.

“Although it is obviously a relief to our department and our officers, this is not a time to rejoice,” said Loren Lampert, Alexandria public safety commissioner. “Our thoughts and our prayers go out to the Ricks family for their loss.”

According to a report by State Police investigator Melissa Welch, who interviewed 32 witnesses including firefighters, paramedics, police officers, deputies and others, Ricks was combative and resisted police who responded to a call by Ricks’ grandmother, Maxine Jones.

Jones called paramedics before 10 p.m. Feb. 5 to her Applewhite Street home to help her with her grandson, Ricks, who had been released a few days earlier from Crossroads treatment center, a mental health facility.

Paramedics and firefighters, who also respond to medical calls, later called in Alexandria Police officers. According to the State Police report, a Fire Department captain remembered Ricks from another incident in September or October 2010, when Ricks tried to cut his own penis off and refused treatment.

 

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Hip-Hop Mogul Linked to Tupac Shakur Shooting Arrested on Drug Charges

Hip-Hop music executive James Rosemond has been taken into custody by U.S. Marshalls and DEA agents in New York City. Though he was recently accused of orchestrating the 1994 shooting of Tupac Shakur, the co-founder of Czar Entertainment was apprehended on charges unrelated to the accusations made by convicted felon Dexter Isaac.

The 46-year-old was arrested Tuesday, June 21 on suspicion of running a cocaine trafficking ring that operated on both the West and East coasts. Federal authorities had been searching for the music mogul, who has worked with recording artists like The Game, since warrants were issued for his arrest on May 17.

James' manhunt came to an end after a foot chase in Manhattan. The New York Post reported that the man who is also known as Jimmy Henchman spotted federal agents at around noon when he walked out of the W Hotel in Union Square. In his attempt to evade them, he walked north and ran for several blocks before being tackled at 21st Street and Park Avenue.

James has appeared in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody without bail. According to Reuters, the onetime music manager did not enter a plea. His lawyer Jeffery Lichtman, meanwhile, told MTV News, "These charges obviously aren't surprising, we've been anticipating them for years now."

"But they're built on the backs of people that have lied and cheated, have been threatened, have been bribed by the government," Jeffery added. "Anything to get Jimmy Rosemond, but all of this is going to be exposed. We've been waiting a long time for our day in court - we finally have it."

Last week, convicted felon Dexter Issac confessed to have shot and robbed late rapper Tupac in 1994. Coming clean about the incident on the eve of what should be the rapper's 40th birthday, he claimed he was paid $2,500 dollars by James to rob the rapper outside a studio in Manhattan. James' attorney has since spoken out against the allegations.

 

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Cocaine on the streets now in New York and Los Angeles is cut with a drug that's causing users skin to rot off,

Cocaine on the streets now in New York and Los Angeles is cut with a drug that's causing users skin to rot off, doctors say.
According to KTLA, physicians at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute say drug dealers are cutting cocaine with levamisole, a chemical used by veterinarians for deworming livestock.
Levamisole damages blood vessels under the skin, causing the rotting.
A study by the Journal of the American Academy of


Dermatology looked at six cocaine users who ingested the drug. On each, skin from their face, ears, nose and torso was rotting.
Several more cases have been reported since the paper was written.
The Department of Justice says up to 70 percent of cocaine in the U.S. is tainted with levamisole. The dewormer is cheap, easily available, and gives a small additional high to the cocaine.
"We believe these cases of skin reactions and illnesses


linked to contaminated cocaine are just the tip of the iceberg in a looming public health problem posed by levamisole," said study author Noah Craft, MD, PhD, Los Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Health warnings have also been issued in Delaware, Washington, New Mexico, and Canada.

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