"It is a tragedy that the first newspaper Rupert Murdoch acquired in this country back in 1969 is closing."

Stunned Reaction To The NOTW Closure

The announcement of the News Of The World's closure has sent shockwaves throughout politics, business and the media.

Reaction has been flooding in since the astonishing revelation that Britain's most notorious tabloid is to be shut down by its management after 168 years in print.

Ed Miliband, Labour leader
"It is clearly people power that has forced this decision.

"The one person who seems to be staying on in her job is Rebekah Brooks, who was editor at the time of Milly Dowler's phone was hacked. I don't think News International can move on while she remains in post.

"What I am interested in is not the closing down of a newspaper but people who were responsible being brought to account.

"The Prime Minister should start speaking about this instead of hiding away... This isn't going to go away and he needs to respond to the public feeling up and down the country."

Mark Lewis, Milly Dowler's family lawyer
"The people who did this thing are still there. Ultimately there has to be an independent, full public inquiry led by a judge. That is the only thing that can get us anywhere near the truth."

Roy Greenslade, media commentator
"Rebekah Brooks is where the buck stops and she should go.

"Clearly she is the problem. The pressure won't go away and she should take responsibility for what happened on her watch. It seems grotesquely unfair that people will lose their jobs and she won't."

Brian Paddick, former deputy assistant commissioner, Met police
"This seems to be a very cynical move by News International. What clearly needs to be done is a judge-led public inquiry.

"(We need) someone who can compel witnesses to appear and take evidence under oath. Is there some unhealthy corrupt relationship between the media and the police? Does the media have under influence over politicians and the police?

"The News Of The World has done some genuine good work. We have really got to be careful here and not throw out the baby with the bathwater - and not end up without an investigative journalism in this country."

Adam Boulton, Sky political editor
"This is proving very awkward for Mr Cameron at the moment. We now know that the Prime Minister is planning to meet with Ed Miliband next week.

"This is the end for the News Of The World, but if this was a strategic move to hope it would be the end of this scandal, it is unlikely to be so. If you see what is going on at Wapping and News International, much anger is directed towards Rebekah Brooks.

"It is a tragedy that the first newspaper Rupert Murdoch acquired in this country back in 1969 is closing.

"I feel we are seeing a generational shift in the running of News International and a shift in the whole public towards newspapers.

David Wooding, associate editor NOTW
"We were sickened to the core with revelations of Milly Dowler, the troops and 7/7 victims and now we have been caught up in this mess because of people from a long time ago.

"The people who created all this damage left five years ago, with two people being jailed, and we thought that was the end of it.

"Unfortunately, we are the people working trying to take it forward with honest journalism and because of people who were here previously we get the stick.

"I didn't think I joined a clean ship, I knew I did. It is a very, very good professional newspaper. You get bad apples everywhere and they were caught and thrown out."

Lord Prescott, former deputy prime minister
"There is a kind of culture in the media today that thinks it can do what it wants.

"They'll put the ordinary people out of work - but none of the executives, like Rebekah Brooks, has been sacked."

Alastair Campbell, former Tony Blair spokesman
"I'm beginning to wonder if the reason why James and Rupert Murdoch are protecting Rebekah Brooks so much is because they fear it will engulf them.

"At every stage we have had a tactical line to get to a better position on a daily basis, and this appears to have made it worse as well. Some 200 people risk losing their jobs and James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks sail on as if nothing is wrong.

"I find it absolutely mind-boggling."

James Murdoch, chairman of News International
"Rebekah and I are absolutely committed and this company is absolutely committed to doing the right thing.

"I am satisfied that Rebekah, her leadership of this business and her standards of ethics and conduct throughout her career are very good... I am satisfied Rebekah neither directed nor knew about those (hacking) activities.

"I believe Rebekah's leadership of the company is the right thing. Her leadership is crucial right now.

"We want to do the right thing and make sure this company and these titles live up to the journalist ethics we believe in."

Bob Satchwell, Society of Editors
"I am picking myself up off the floor. I am absolutely shocked by this. It is a paper with a long, proud history.

"The newspaper industry is in the dock. We've lost a paper that for 168 years has been part of the democratic process. Politicians don't like having pesky papers around that expose their misdeeds.

"We must be very careful and deal with the criminal elements of the phone hacking but let's not let the politicians weaken journalism in this country."

Chris Blackhurst, editor, The Independent
"The closure has happened for three reasons as I see it. To protect (Rupert Murdoch's) brands and Rebekah Brooks; possibly to get the BSkyB bid through; and also launching The Sun on Sundays.

"One of the characteristics of Rupert Murdoch is that he makes masterstrokes. They are quite ruthless - he moved all his papers to Wapping in secret, he launched satellite TV. He is a ruthless businessman and that is what is going on here."

Phone hacking probe: Murdoch expected in UK amid crisis

Rupert Murdoch is expected to arrive in London later to take charge of dealing with the phone-hacking crisis that has engulfed his News International group.

This comes as staff at the News of the World prepare the final edition of the paper, axed after new hacking claims.

Labour is writing to No 10 to urge the immediate appointment of the judge to lead an inquiry into the scandal.

Late on Friday, an unnamed 63-year-old became the third man arrested during the day as part of the police probe.

He was arrested at an address in Surrey on suspicion of corruption. Police carried out a search of the property.

Meanwhile, former News of the World (NoW) editor Andy Coulson and former royal editor Clive Goodman were released on police bail after being arrested earlier on Friday.

Mr Coulson, 43, had attended Lewisham police station in south London by appointment, and was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and alleged corruption.

Goodman, 53, who was jailed in 2007 for phone hacking, was arrested on suspicion of corruption.

In a letter to the prime minister on Saturday, shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis asks for "immediate discussions so that by the end of the day we are in a position to agree the appointment of the judge" to head one of the independent inquiries into the scandal.

According to BBC political correspondent Ben Geoghegan, "Labour say their letter has been prompted by reports that millions of e-mails had been deleted at News International in an attempt to obstruct Scotland Yard's investigations into phone hacking.

"That claim has been denied by the company," our correspondent adds.

Mr Lewis writes: "In view of the fact that the News of the World is shutting down, it is a matter of great urgency that any documentary evidence, including files and emails, is preserved to enable a proper inquiry into these serious allegations to take place."

Public inquiries

On Friday, David Cameron revealed details of two new inquiries relating to the scandal.

He said a judge-led inquiry would look into "why did the first police investigation fail so abysmally; what exactly was going on at the News of the World and what was going on at other newspapers".

A second inquiry would examine the ethics and culture of the press, he added.

Defending his decision to employ Mr Coulson as his director of communications in 2007, Mr Cameron also said: "I decided to give him a second chance but the second chance didn't work. The decision to hire him was mine and mine alone."

Mr Coulson denies knowledge of phone hacking when he was News of the World editor from 2003-7.

The prime minister questioned the tenability of Rebekah Brooks as News International chief executive considering she was editor of the NoW at the time murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone was allegedly being hacked.

It has been revealed that Mrs Brooks is no longer heading the firm's own inquiry into the scandal.

She told News International staff in an e-mail that those carrying out the investigation would now report to Joel Klein, a US-based senior executive at the company's owner, News Corp.
Takeover questions

On Friday, Mrs Brooks held a meeting with NoW staff at its headquarters in Wapping.

A source present at the talks told the BBC she had informed staff they would eventually understand why the Sunday tabloid had to close.

She also denied closing the NoW was a "cynical ploy", and apologised for the decision.

Rebekah Brooks' address to staff on Friday at the News of the World was captured on a secret recording

The 168-year-old tabloid is accused of hacking into phones of crime victims, celebrities and politicians. Police have identified 4,000 possible targets.

The controversy has raised questions about the proposed takeover of satellite broadcaster BSkyB by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, ultimate owner of the NoW.

And broadcasting regulator Ofcom has now written to the chairman of the Commons culture committee highlighting the watchdog's duty to ensure that anyone holding a broadcasting licence is a "fit and proper" person to do so.

The letter says "in considering whether any licensee remains a fit and proper person to hold broadcasting licences Ofcom will consider any relevant conduct of those who manage and control such a licence".

(Operation Weeting - investigating phone hacking or intrusion into the private lives of hundreds of people. They aim to contact all those whose personal details were found in documents seized in 2006 Operation Elveden - investigating alleged police corruption. Documents handed over by News International on 20 June were assessed by police as including "information relating to alleged inappropriate payments to a small number of officers".)

Sky reporter Hannah Thomas-Peter in New York said Mr Murdoch had been in Idaho and looked unhappy after being doorstepped by several reporters.

Rupert Murdoch's 'Total' Support For Brooks

New Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch has expressed "total" support for News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks.

Mr Murdoch, whose media empire owns the News of The World , is due to arrive in London on Sunday to face a maelstrom of criticism and outrage.

But he has remained largely silent amid the fallout, issuing one official statement describing the allegations as "deplorable and unacceptable".

However, he spoke briefly to reporters in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Saturday, where he is attending a media conference.

When asked if Brooks continues to have his support, Rupert Murdoch replied emphatically: "Total."

"We already apologised," he said. "We've been let down by people ... the paper let down its readers."

Brooks told lawmakers she had "no knowledge whatsoever" of the Milly Dowler hacking or any other case while she was editor.

"I also want to reassure you that the practice of phone hacking is not continuing at the News of the World," she has said.

Senior Cop Apologises Over Hacking Probe

A senior Scotland Yard detective has expressed his "extreme regret" that he did not act to reopen police inquiries into phone hacking two years ago.

Despite fresh allegations that thousands of public figures had been targeted, Assistant Commissioner John Yates ruled in July 2009 that there was no new evidence.

He has come under vociferous criticism from MPs over his stance and has been called on to give evidence to an ongoing inquiry by an influential Commons committee.

The initial police investigation led to the jailing of News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

But it was accepted that they were an isolated case.

He spoke after this week's revelation that the mobile phone of murdered school girl Milly Dowler had in fact been among those targeted.

He said: "We are all extremely shocked by it and it is a matter of massive regret we didn't deal with it earlier."

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said: "My byword has always been you look after the victims and the job will always resolve itself.

"I always put the victim first but here I didn't follow my principle and that is my greatest regret."

He told the newspaper: "I didn't do a review. Had I known then what I know now, all bets are off. I would never have reached this conclusion.

"I am accountable and it happened on my watch and it's clear I could have done more.

"I have regrettably said the initial inquiry was a success. Clearly now that looks very different."

The entire scandal had been "a very damaging episode" for the Metropolitan Police , which now faced a task to rebuild public confidence, he said.

Announcing his decision in 2009, Mr Yates declared: "No additional evidence has come to light since this case has concluded.

"I therefore consider that no further investigation is required."

News Corp withdraws bid for BSkyB

Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has withdrawn its bid for satellite broadcaster BSkyB in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

News Corp, which also owns the Sun and the Times newspapers as well as its 39% shareholding in BSkyB, said it will continue to be a long-term shareholder in the company.

Chase Carey, deputy chairman, president and chief operating officer of News Corp, said: "We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate."

Downing Street had no immediate response to the news that the BSkyB bid had been dropped.

Shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis said the "remarkable" development was "a victory for the public of this country, a victory for Parliament and a victory for the tremendous leadership that Ed Miliband has shown ever since this scandal emerged".

Mr Lewis said it was important that the criminal investigation and judge-led inquiry continue regardless of the bid being withdrawn.

He told the BBC: "What we mustn't allow this announcement to do is to end the need to get to the bottom of this unethical and criminal behaviour that has so damaged our newspaper industry and has also threatened to undermine our democracy."

Shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis said the "remarkable" development was "a victory for the public of this country, a victory for Parliament and a victory for the tremendous leadership that Ed Miliband has shown ever since this scandal emerged".