15 Jul 2011

News Corp officials to appear before UK MPs

5:27 am on 15 July 2011

News Corporation's Rupert and James Murdoch are to appear before British MPs next week to answer questions about a phone-hacking scandal at the former News of the World newspaper.

The Commons media committee issued summonses after they initially declined to appear next Tuesday.

News Corporation later announced that the pair would attend the committee meeting.

News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks had already agreed to attend.

Meanwhile. another newspaper executive has been arrested - the ninth since a police inquiry was reopened in January this year.

News Corporation, whose UK arm - News International - owns the Sun, The Times, the Sunday Times and the now closed News of the World, on Wednesday dropped a bid to take complete control of satellite broadcaster BSkyB.