Phone Hacking Fallout Continues: UK PM's Former Spokesman Detained

May 30, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

Police have detained the British Prime Minister's former spokesman on suspicion of perjury. Andy Coulson resigned from his post at Downing Street last year in the wake of the UK phone hacking scandal. Before joining David Cameron's team he'd been an editor at the tabloid at the centre of that scandal, the News of the World. Al Jazeera's Harry Smith reports.

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Andy Coulson

Andrew Edward Coulson is an English journalist and political strategist. Coulson was the editor of the News of the World from 2003 until his resignation in 2007, following the conviction of one of the newspaper's reporters in relation to illegal phone-hacking. He subsequently ... Explore this topic

News of the World phone hacking affair

The News International phone-hacking scandal — dubbed "Hackgate", "Rupertgate", or "Murdochgate" by the press — is an ongoing controversy involving the now defunct News of the World and other British newspapers published by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.... Explore this topic

David Cameron

David William Donald Cameron is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. He represents Witney as its Member of Parliament (MP). Cameron studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics ... Explore this topic

News of the World

The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations. Originally estab... Explore this topic

Perjury

Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or of falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about ... Explore this topic

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom and Britain, is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of... Explore this topic

Rupert Murdoch

Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian American media mogul. Murdoch became managing director of Australia's News Limited, inherited from his father, in 1952. He is the founder, Chairman and CEO of global media holding company News Corporation, the world's second-large... Explore this topic

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Monarch, to Parliament, to their poli... Explore this topic

News Corporation

News Corporation or News Corp. is a diversified multinational mass media corporation headquartered in New York City. It is the world's second-largest media group as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009. News Corporation is a pu... Explore this topic

Tommy Sheridan

Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity. Sheridan was active as a Militant tendency entryist in... Explore this topic

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News of the World phone hacking affair

Andy Coulson

David Cameron

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