A court in London where two former editors of a British tabloid newspaper are facing charges related to phone hacking has been told that three journalists on the News of the World have pleaded guilty to similar charges. Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson deny charges of conspiring to access voice mail messages illegally. Ruben Brent reports.
The prosecutions said it will be a long and slow trial but in his opening statements, Andrew Edis QC told the jury there was phone hacking during both periods referring to when Rebekah Brooks and then Andy Coulson was editor that the now defunct News of the World.
Andy Coulson also approved payments for illegally obtained royal phone director as the court heard. The jury was also informed that three former News of the World journalists and the convicted private investigator Greg Miskiw have already pleaded guilty to hacking related charges.
Wine lovers are facing the threat of a global shortage of the drink according to new research. Last year production dropped to its lowest level in 40 years according to analysts leaving demand outstripping supply by some 300 million cases. Global production has been declining since 2004 while consumption has risen.
A five-meter high bronze statue commemorating the French footballer Zinedine Zidane’s infamous head butt in the 2006 World Cup final has been removed from a prominent position in the Qatari capital. It’d only been on display in Doha for a few weeks but it had prompted accusations of idolatry from conservative Muslims.