THE NEWS OF THE WORLD (2)

The specific questions in my earlier post have already been answered. Against a background of howls of protest from politicians of all parties, News International has withdrawn its bid for the remainder of the shares in BSkyB. And after saying that she wouldn't, News International's current Chief Executve and former editor of the News of the World, Rebekah Brooks, has resigned.

The general questions will have to wait for a while. In the meantime, the ripples from the scandal appear to be lapping further and further up the door of David Cameron, as the extent of his links with senior News International executives have become clearer. If this has not been a good couple of weeks for News International and its controlling owner Rupert Murdoch, then neither has it been a good couple of weeks for the Prime Minister.

Walter Blotscher