The Official Newscorp/UK end of season finale/Rebekah Brooks did 9/11 thread

Is this the thing where they were dobbing officers of colour into disciplinaries and terrorism referrals?

From the BBC comments:

If the Met hired Wallis, did the govt hire Grommit?

I am sorry, but I lol'd

Brooks finally bailed. See you all in the morning.

Well that was quick:

12.11am: The Guardian's chief political correspondent, Nick Watt, has some more details about David Cameron being informed of Stephenson's resignation. He says the prime minister was told of the news at 7.20pm, en route from Heathrow to South Africa.

Downing Street made contact with the prime minister while he was on board his Virgin plane shortly before the commissioner's statement was released.

The prime minister spoke from his first class cabin by satellite phone to the home secretary, Theresa May, and officials before releasing his own statement at around 9.30pm.

Downing Street officials said at the time that the prime minister would press ahead with his two-day visit to South Africa and Nigeria.

12.21am: David Cameron has cancelled plans to visit Rwanda and Sudan during his visit to Africa in order to return earlier to the UK.

From a linked story:

David Cameron begins a two-day visit to Africa which has been curtailed to allow the prime minister to fly home early to finalise the terms and membership of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into the media.

In his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as prime minister, Cameron will fly into South Africa with a message that an African free trade area could increase GDP across the continent by more than it currently receives in aid.

He will praise his generation for marching against African debt and for holding concerts to raise funds for aid to the continent.

But in article in the South African Business Day he will call for a change of approach. "They have never once had a march or a concert to call for what will in the long term save far more lives and do far more good – an African free trade area," he writes.

But Cameron's free trade message is likely to be overshadowed by events back home following the arrest of Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, who entertained the prime minister at her Oxfordshire home over the Christmas period.

Downing Street aides, who had at one point considered cancelling the trip altogether at the height of the phone-hacking crisis last week, instead decided to cut it back from four days to two. Cameron will now just visit South Africa and Nigeriaon Tuesday. Plans to visit Rwanda and Sudan have been scrapped.

Time has been found in the diary to allow No 10 aides – and possibly the prime minister – to watch the appearance by Rupert and James Murdoch.

Charges re: Brooks:

She was arrested by appointment at a London police station on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section 1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.

lol hey africa we care, honest! oh wait we don't because some rich old dude has a problem.

Time has been found in the diary to allow No 10 aides – and possibly the prime minister – to watch the appearance by Rupert and James Murdoch.

jeez david this is not an opportunity to socialise

Australia, obv. Murdoch's mom is already getting her knife ready.

Ned you keep citing Dame Elis as panto eminence gris, but since all her recent treatment in Ncorp press is that she's either senile or brainwashed for going off-message in re Carboncategate, is there really any actual connection w/ Rupert at all post-Deng?

lol

What better way to exact revenge, my friend.

ONE LIZ TO ANOTHER: PM's flight to Oz leads to a trussing

Guardian reviews Stephenson statement.

so much for editorial indpendence for the wall street journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303661904576451812776293184.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Guardian finally manages to implicate Dan Wooton:

The connections between Champneys and News International's papers, in particular the Sun and the News of the World, are extensive. They involve several promotional reader offers promising discounts and two-for-one deals at the spa, and the papers' coverage of the resort has also been generous.

In the last year, the News of the World ran a string of stories about Champneys. One, by showbiz reporter Dan Wooton, reported "a pal" of pop singer Pixie Lott and model Oliver Cheshire saying how they "wanted some quiet time so they had a four-day romantic break at Champneys in Tring in Hertfordshire".

Amanda Holden devoted most of her column one week describing a break at the spa with two friends, in particular detailing Charlie Brooks's kriotherapy centre offering "a new treatment which should blitz our cellulite!"

It did not stop there. Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding eulogised about spa's "non-surgical facelifts", and Flavia Cacace, a dancer on Strictly Come Dancing told the paper: "I like to go to Champneys Spa for a facial and a massage."

Wooton going to jail would give me more pleasure than anything

^^^^yes.

Wooton is significant, why?

Fuck, RAF Leuchars is closing as part of the defense review. I live in Leuchars, and it's really the only source of jobs - everyone I know works for the MOD or is married to someone who does. There used to be a paper mill here, but that closed a few years ago, so it's just dishwashing and bedmaking in St Andrews. Place is going to be a ghost town. Still, people in the forces will insist on voting Tory, no matter what, and Fife votes Lib Dem, until the last Scottish election, so I guess we're reaping what we sow.

Another example of the tories screwing Scotland, of course. But I guess it'll get buried by the NI story to a large degree.

Who's who by Businessweek, don't think it's been linked here before:

http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2011-07-14/004-openingremarks30_2.jpg

Crap, how do I shot it being readable?

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/le_bateau_ivre/004-openingremarks30_2.jpg

Sigh.. sorry guys.

Don't worry, Clive Goodman's Harry Redknapp impersonation is worth seeing twice.

Firefox users: right-click on the pic and select 'View Image'

^^ that indeed helps, thanks Snoball!

@NickB: LOL

James Murdoch, the beleagured News Corporation executive, has received a ringing endorsement from MMR manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline according to Reuters news agency on Friday. GSK who appointed him to their board in February 2009 insist Murdoch has made “a strong contribution” to the group and received share payments worth $158,000 in 2010. Murdoch was appointed to the board of the pharmaceutical manufacturer with a brief to “review…external issues that might have the potential for serious impact upon the group's business and reputation."

Within a fortnight of his appointment News International had published at least 5 articles attacking MMR researcher Andrew Wakefield’s integrity.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EptD7Iul550/SsUcRd8E0wI/AAAAAAAAAmg/d-mAlAu_E3U/s320/drudge-siren.gif

hmm that may be true but wouldn't credit anything from a site that defends Wakefield.

christ

Wakefield didn't really need a Murdoch to discredit him.

from the site that brought you The Age of Autism:
Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-Made Epidemic

i.e. it's Mercury Hat time

I keep staring at NV's judgesiren.jpg. Infuriating how it doesn't blare.

*throws Noodle Vague a http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/le_bateau_ivre/UEKoi.gif *

drudgesiren, even

I would rather NI had published pro-big pharma propaganda if that means they were also publishing anti-Wakefield propaganda, if you see what I mean.

i wd rather not pick a side in terms of good guys and bad guys but i guess Wakefield and co. have arguably done more harm over the short term

if we could just roll up every major news story of the last decade into this that would be fab.

Apparently there's some hilarious Fox & Friends bit where they have the NOTW as the victims,

Don't remember that bit...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PRANTGW8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

37. Hello Goodbye Single (Points: 238, Voters: 10, Number Ones: 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLAcxCkjqJs&feature=related

haha

A little melody to help you through your day..

A comment on the short tenure of the chief of police there....

(ahem.. tiptoes away)

Inspector Gadget commenters are more upset with Stephenson for a) making them wear ties and b) not allowing them Tasers than anything, you know, substantive.

Them coppas were queueing up and fighting amongst themselves to have a go at tazering RMoat "No let me" "Gerrof, I want to" "SARGE!!!"... etc.

"But I would say that the situation in the Metropolitan police service is really quite different to the situation in government so suck on that Boris"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14182703

The Metropolitan police authority is currently holding a meeting to discuss Mr Yates' handling of the phone hacking affair and his links with Mr Wallis, a former senior executive at the News of the World.

It is understood the authority has decided to hold an investigation into the assistant commissioner. It is expected he will be asked to step down while this investigation is carried out.

A source close to the mayor told The Daily Telegraph: "If an investigation is ongoing he cannot stay in his job."

Although it's not like Boris is still in charge of the MPA, so it's not like he's trying to grab the glory for himself.

oh nononono nooo

Just thinking about annoying style journalist, initials DJ, whose fealty to Cameron caused an industry to sick up onto its taxi shoes...

Yes, excellent choice - please let him be implicated...

Yates gone now?