Murdoch Papers Face 'Urgent' Govt Review

Rupert Murdoch's fallen into some hot water. The Guardian reported this week that three of Murdoch's British newspapers paid more than $1.5 million to settle court cases that alleged his journalists hired private investigators who illegally hacked into the cell phone messages of "numerous public figures," including Gwyneth Paltrow, Elle MacPherson, the deputy prime minister, and even aides to the royal family. And more wronged public officials are coming out of the woodwork, The Guardian reported Friday, with potential victims consulting their lawyers. The Telegraph reports that Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer has apparently initiated an "urgent" review of the situation while Murdoch, meanwhile, has maintained that he knew nothing about payments to the investigators. "If that had happened I would know about it," he told Bloomberg News.