Missing Milly Dowler's voicemail "hacked by News of the World"

[MellySingsDoom]

If anyone fancies it, have a look at the Torygraph's front page today - I think they may have the headline of the day on this day...

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I think it's further up the page. I saw it on this thread yesterday. Brilliant headline.

 

[claphamboy]

Evil, wriggling scum:

According to British media law star Mark Stephens of Finers Stephens Innocent (whom The Times of London has dubbed “Mr Media”), Rupert Murdoch’s soon-to-be shuttered tabloid may not be obliged to retain documents that could be relevant to civil and criminal claims against the newspaper—even in cases that are already underway.

Under British law, Stephens explained, all of the assets of the shuttered newspaper, including its records, will be transferred to a professional liquidator

This makes no sense whatsoever, the NOTW is only a newspaper title/brand, it's the publishing company that matters and that is News Group Newspapers, part of News International & then part of News Corp.

News Group Newspapers also publishes The Sun, the company is going nowhere anytime soon, so I don't understand talk of calling in liquidators.

Also, if Murdoch tried anything like that it would be the final nail in the coffin over any deal to take-over Sky, if the lid hasn't already been nailed down anyway, which I suspect it has now.

 

[Ted Striker]

Evil, wriggling scum:

Again, what could possibly exist now, that is any use to a prosecution, that hasn't seen a shredder already?

 

[Ae589]

Evil, wriggling scum:

If that's true, I hope the sacked staff do the intelligent thing and remove some of that documentation themselves.

 

[claphamboy]

Isnt the NOTW on the same presses as the Sun? I would have thought they would have long since rationalized their other support roles as well.

They are indeed printed on the same presses at various sites across the UK, two of those sites are owned and operated by regional publisher Johnson Press, one is The News in Portsmouth and the other up north somewhere.

Someone at JP has told me News Int' signed long-term contracts with JP, which have many years to run and it was these contracts that allowed JP to invest in these two 'super-presses' at a cost just short of £200m.

He reckons there's no get-out clause in the contracts under these circumstances, which is understandable as when they were signed no one would ever had suspected something like this happening.

So, News Int' will have to continue to pay for the NOTW printing slots for many years to come, which is another reason why we can expect a 'Sun on Sunday' to appear very soon, I still suspect on Sunday week.

 

[Kanda]

And here's the happy, smiling and not at all psychotically pissed off and worried about her future Rebekah Brooks herself as she left her workplace:

Last time a woman glared at people like that was in Greek mythology and she had snakes growing out of her hair.

She looks scared to me.

 

[claphamboy]

She looks scared to me.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

* her looking scared.

 

[marty21]

Again, what could possibly exist now, that is any use to a prosecution, that hasn't seen a shredder already?

surely the building should be seized by the Police as part of their investigation.

 

[goldenecitrone]

It's beautiful, isn't it?

* her looking scared.

Like Hitler looked scared in his bunker. Pick up the revolver, Rebekah. The lefties are coming.

 

[marty21]

oh and closing the paper down, wouldn't it have made more financial sense to sell it - it was a profitable concern. Is a company that simply closes a profitable concern, fit and proper to run a larger one?

 

[Badgers]

oh and closing the paper down, wouldn't it have made more financial sense to sell it - it was a profitable concern. Is a company that simply closes a profitable concern, fit and proper to run a larger one?

Sell it to who though and at what price? Buyer would get a tarnished brand, a big payroll, disillusioned advertisers, decreasing readership, contractual supplier obligations, office rent/costs and a fuckload of shredded paper to dispose of.

 

[marty21]

Sell it to who though and at what price? Buyer would get a tarnished brand, a big payroll, disillusioned advertisers, decreasing readership, contractual supplier obligations, office rent/costs and a fuckload of shredded paper to dispose of.

they'd get it fairly cheap though, the relaunch - The New News of the World

 

[_angel_]

Evil, wriggling scum:

Thought something like this must be the reason for shutting it down.

 

[pk]

If that's true, I hope the sacked staff do the intelligent thing and remove some of that documentation themselves.

I'd have thought at least one has kept records as diligently as Mulcaire did.

 

[butchersapron]

Evil, wriggling scum:

This reading of the legal situation was challenged very forcefully by a whole range of other legal experts last night and this morning.

 

[pk]

This reading of the legal situation was challenged very forcefully by a whole range of other legal experts last night and this morning.

Still wouldn't put it past him. Easier to have shredders working overtime with no staff in the building.

 

[Divisive Cotton]

A woman interviewed on the BBC said that this is a massive story in the US

It's easy to read the closing down of the NofW as a cynical ploy but it's still a massive defeat for Murdoch in the UK

 

[Idris2002]

On a new zealand blog I look at, it says that the Sun and Times were being given away free on the tube yesterday and people were refusing them. Is that true?

 

[pk]

this is brilliant fun

This bears re-posting...

 

[Badgers]

On a new zealand blog I look at, it says that the Sun and Times were being given away free on the tube yesterday and people were refusing them. Is that true?

Dunno but if they were I would guess that some people were refusing them. Those people with open fires were taking them

 

[MellySingsDoom]

Was unfortunate enough to see a copy of the Scum on the bus this morning (kicked it to the floor), and saw the front page - a full-page cryfest over the demise of the News Of The Screws. Wonder if the editorial said something like, "If it's wasn't for the Reds kicking up a fuss, the NOTW would still be alive and kicking. Are you happy now, you Red scum?"

e2a: I didn't "keep" a copy, I saw it. Get a typing grip, Melly!

 

[butchersapron]

In terms of what was behind the decision to shut the thing down, Paul Mason reckons that people are concentrating on the wrong thing right now -the important thing is not that the Sun may well go to 7 days a week, but that Murdoch has effectively just done wapping part#2 - as he puts it, this "fits entirely with business logic of NWS longterm - this is digital first on brutal timescale".

 

[killer b]

yeah, i don't buy that it's being done to protect anyone - it doesn't make any sense, as it doesn't protect anyone to any serious degree.

i was wondering if he's just done the maths - worked out how much of a loss a protracted advertiser boycott would result in, and decided it wasn't worth it for a title which will no longer bring him any influence? then just brought forward something that was on the cards anyway...

 

[pk]

Sun and Times next to go, the BSkyB deal is all but finished, with James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks hopefully facing arrest the future doesn't look rosy for the UK arm of NI, and if The Scum are up in arms about the closure of NOTW they know who to blame and it isn't "the reds". I smell dissent in the ranks, allowing a chance to divide & conquer.

My only real concern is what he might do to sabotage the football industry out of spite.

 

[Kizmet]

How many workers hack the phones of murdered children and terrorist victims for their own ends?

Jesus, do I have to draw you a diagram on this one?

Yes please.

 

[MellySingsDoom]

Yes please.

Damn, I knew someone would ask that.

Can I get back to you over the w/end, when my, er, "skills" on MS Paint will be put to the fore?

 

[Ted Striker]

So the fight needs to be continued to the Sun.

I entirely assume it's been discussed somewhere that the NotW could one day be re-launched when all former misgivings have been forgotten in the public memory, amogst a fanfare of 'clean slate', ' World's oldest/greatset/most popular paper' etc - if you ignore the Hacking, it's an easy sell to the public!

 

[Badgers]

My only real concern is what he might do to sabotage the football industry out of spite.

What would be a worst case scenario here? I kinda of get this too but football is becoming a debt bubble waiting to happen anyway.

 

[dylans]

Met to close on Sunday

This Sunday will be the last working day of the Metropolitan Police.

Colon Miler will walk the final beat of the farce.

In addition, I have decided that all of the Met's back-handers this weekend will go to good causes.

While we may never be able to make up for distress that has been caused, the right thing to do is for every penny of the bribery revenue we receive this weekend to go to organisations – many of whom are long-term friends and partners – that improve life in Britain and are devoted to treating others with dignity.

We will beat no black people this weekend. Any brutality in this last beat will be dished out to actual criminals, like bankers who have abused to our millions of citizens.

These are strong measures. They are made humbly and out of respect. I am convinced they are the right thing to do.

Many of you, if not the vast majority of you, are either new to the farce or have had no connection to the Met during the years when egregious behaviour occurred.

I can understand how unfair these decisions may feel. Particularly, for colleagues who will leave the Met. Of course, we will communicate next steps in detail and begin appropriate consultations.

You may see these changes as a price loyal staff at the Met are paying for the transgressions of others. So please hear me when I say that your good work is a credit to policing. I do not want the legitimacy of what you do to be compromised by acts of others. I want all policing at the Met to be beyond reproach. I insist that this organisation lives up to the standard of behaviour we expect of others. And, finally, I want you all to know that it is critical that the integrity of every officer who has played fairly is restored. Yes - both of them.

http://ox4.org/~graham/met.now.htm