Murdochs Agree to Testify in U.K., FBI Launches Probe

The News Corp. scandal that has already claimed one major entity in the Murdochian media empire — that would be News of the World — isn’t showing signs of dropping from the headlines anytime soon. On Thursday, mogul Rupert Murdoch and scion James agreed to face members of Britain’s Parliament to field questions related to alleged sketchy practices on the part of certain news outlets.

Oh, and also, the FBI is getting involved, and there are rumors of shady Scotland Yard operatives. All this is starting to read a lot like a News Corp. tabloid story. –KA

The New York Times:

In an abrupt reversal, the News Corporation said on Thursday afternoon that Rupert Murdoch and his son James would testify next week before a British parliamentary panel looking into phone hacking. They will appear along with Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of the company’s beleaguered British newspaper group, known as News International.

Separately, the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation on Thursday into allegations that News Corporation journalists hacked into the phones of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, according to people briefed on the matter. They said the investigation was prompted by news coverage of the hacking scandal and by requests from American politicians.

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