A holiday present for families of soldiers serving in Iraq: Everybody’s coming home by the end of the year, President Obama announced today. “After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over,” said Obama, who had announced the end of the combat mission earlier this year, notes AP…
Continue reading …Texas prisons are taking some heat over a decision to keep cooks out of their kitchens. Since April the state has been serving prisoners just two meals a day on weekends in some prisons, in an effort to cut food service costs, the New York Times reports. (Amusingly, the meal…
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Morales bows to protesters who campaigned against construction of 185-mile road through indigenous park land Bolivia’s under-fire president, Evo Morales, has announced he will scrap plans to plough a controversial highway through an indigenous and ecological reserve in the Amazon. Two days after several thousand protestors converged on La Paz, to oppose the construction of a 185-mile road through the Isiboro Secure National Park and Indigenous Territory (Tipnis), Morales met with indigenous campaigners who had been marching on Bolivia’s main city since August. Speaking at a press conference before the meeting, Morales announced the Tipnis would be spared. “The Tipnis issue is resolved,” he said. “This is governing by obeying the people.” Morales said he would push measures through Congress to prevent the road passing through the bio-diverse region in Bolivia’s portion of the Amazon. The park would be declared an “untouchable zone”, he said. Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, won a landslide re-election in December 2009 but recent months have seen his popularity ratings slide, largely because of plans for the road that was intended to improve trade links between neighbouring Brazil and the Pacific ports. Friday’s U-turn represented a dramatic change-of-heart from a president who as recently as June had declared: “Whether they like it or not, we will build that road.” Jorge Lazarte, a political analyst from La Paz’s Universidad Catolica, said Morales’s retreat was the result of “enormous pressure from the indigenous protesters”. “He had to yield to this pressure. The president’s announcement is what he should have done long ago, when the march began two months ago,” he said. “This is a defeat for the president,” Lazarte added, claiming Morales had “shown great weakness” in his handling of the situation. Outcry over the planned highway began growing in mid August, when a group of more than 1,000 indigenous protesters began marching from Trinidad in eastern Bolivia to La Paz, to draw attention to the road, which they feared could lead to an influx of illegal loggers, oil and gas companies and coca growers, spelling disaster for the region. In September dozens of protesters were injured after police attempted to break-up the march using teargas and batons. On Wednesday, when the exhausted marchers finally arrived in La Paz, they were joined by tens of thousands of locals on the streets. Protesters flocked to Plaza Murillo, outside the presidential palace, waving flags and demanding to be received by Morales. “We are trying to show them that they have our support,” said Gabriela Villaroel, a local resident who was carrying a sign reading: ‘La Paz welcomes you.’ “We are against the building of this highway, just like them, because this is a protected area that we should defend, not only for our country but also for the world.” So far the protests in La Paz have been relatively peaceful but on Thursday night riot police fired teargas at a group of people who were trying to get into the square. Two police officers were injured. The British Foreign Office updated its travel advice for the city, warning travellers: “You should avoid all demonstrations of any kind.” The protest’s leaders reacted cautiously to Morales’s announcement and said stopping the road’s construction was just one of 16 vindications involving environmental and social issues. Further talks were planned for Friday evening. “What we are seeing is that he’s showing political will. But until we sit down to dialogue, this is just a political proposal,” said Fernando Vargas, one of the protest’s leaders. Bolivia Evo Morales Americas Tom Phillips Mattia Cabitza guardian.co.uk
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Morales bows to protesters who campaigned against construction of 185-mile road through indigenous park land Bolivia’s under-fire president, Evo Morales, has announced he will scrap plans to plough a controversial highway through an indigenous and ecological reserve in the Amazon. Two days after several thousand protestors converged on La Paz, to oppose the construction of a 185-mile road through the Isiboro Secure National Park and Indigenous Territory (Tipnis), Morales met with indigenous campaigners who had been marching on Bolivia’s main city since August. Speaking at a press conference before the meeting, Morales announced the Tipnis would be spared. “The Tipnis issue is resolved,” he said. “This is governing by obeying the people.” Morales said he would push measures through Congress to prevent the road passing through the bio-diverse region in Bolivia’s portion of the Amazon. The park would be declared an “untouchable zone”, he said. Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, won a landslide re-election in December 2009 but recent months have seen his popularity ratings slide, largely because of plans for the road that was intended to improve trade links between neighbouring Brazil and the Pacific ports. Friday’s U-turn represented a dramatic change-of-heart from a president who as recently as June had declared: “Whether they like it or not, we will build that road.” Jorge Lazarte, a political analyst from La Paz’s Universidad Catolica, said Morales’s retreat was the result of “enormous pressure from the indigenous protesters”. “He had to yield to this pressure. The president’s announcement is what he should have done long ago, when the march began two months ago,” he said. “This is a defeat for the president,” Lazarte added, claiming Morales had “shown great weakness” in his handling of the situation. Outcry over the planned highway began growing in mid August, when a group of more than 1,000 indigenous protesters began marching from Trinidad in eastern Bolivia to La Paz, to draw attention to the road, which they feared could lead to an influx of illegal loggers, oil and gas companies and coca growers, spelling disaster for the region. In September dozens of protesters were injured after police attempted to break-up the march using teargas and batons. On Wednesday, when the exhausted marchers finally arrived in La Paz, they were joined by tens of thousands of locals on the streets. Protesters flocked to Plaza Murillo, outside the presidential palace, waving flags and demanding to be received by Morales. “We are trying to show them that they have our support,” said Gabriela Villaroel, a local resident who was carrying a sign reading: ‘La Paz welcomes you.’ “We are against the building of this highway, just like them, because this is a protected area that we should defend, not only for our country but also for the world.” So far the protests in La Paz have been relatively peaceful but on Thursday night riot police fired teargas at a group of people who were trying to get into the square. Two police officers were injured. The British Foreign Office updated its travel advice for the city, warning travellers: “You should avoid all demonstrations of any kind.” The protest’s leaders reacted cautiously to Morales’s announcement and said stopping the road’s construction was just one of 16 vindications involving environmental and social issues. Further talks were planned for Friday evening. “What we are seeing is that he’s showing political will. But until we sit down to dialogue, this is just a political proposal,” said Fernando Vargas, one of the protest’s leaders. Bolivia Evo Morales Americas Tom Phillips Mattia Cabitza guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …As the phone hacking controversy rages on , News Corp has reached a settlement with the family of a murdered girl at the center of the case, Bloomberg reports. In keeping with an offer last month , the company’s British branch is paying Milly Dowler’s family about $3.2 million, with the…
Continue reading …After Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer met with President Obama in the heat of last year’s fight over the state’s immigration law, she told reporters it was “cordial.” She has a much different take in a book coming out next month, according to the Arizona Republic and AP : The meeting: “We…
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Labour leader accuses No 10 of abdicating responsibility by not seeking place at crucial eurozone summit next week Ed Miliband has attacked David Cameron for not seeking a place at next week’s crucial eurozone summit, describing the crisis in the single currency region as a “hugely dangerous moment for the world”. In an interview with the Guardian , the Labour leader accused the prime minister of an abdication of responsibility and said he should be “banging on the door to maintain British influence” over the future shape of Europe. Ed Miliband says he is seeking to save Cameron from his “barking” Tory eurosceptics, who have been urging the prime minister to keep his distance. Cameron is due to fly to a Commonwealth summit in Perth next Wednesday when the 17 eurozone leaders meet to agree a deal to save Greece from default, strengthen European banks and construct a multibillion-euro defence fund to protect the euro from future debt crises. In his first interview on Europe since becoming Labour leader, Miliband said Cameron should be demanding that all 27 heads of state attend, as the decisions will determine the prospects for Europe and the world economy. The prime minister is to attend part of a European council summit tomorrow, but with France and Germany at loggerheads, key decisions have been postponed until Wednesday’s gathering. British officials had earlier been claiming that there was no need for Cameron to attend this meeting, but the issue could be reopened. Miliband said: “This is a hugely dangerous moment for the world and a hugely worrying time for millions of British families. With Britain’s economy flatlining for the past year, and a real threat that the global economy will be bumping along the bottom unless urgent action is taken, David Cameron should be banging on the door to maintain British influence. When all the other leading EU nations meet to thrash out a desperately needed deal, we have a prime minister who is going to be on the other side of the world. It is a complete abdication.” It was, Miliband said, symptomatic of a prime minister who seemed to glory in the prospect of a two-speed Europe and regarded the euro crisis chiefly as a useful alibi for the UK’s economic slowdown. Cameron should be intimately involved in the discussions on the Greek bailout, the recapitalisation of European banks, and a new European economic architecture, he added, warning that otherwise Britain would be marginalised on vital issues such as financial services and the single market. The current European policy of collective austerity, advocated by centre-right leaders, was not working, he said. He described calls by Tory backbenchers for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, or a renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with Europe, as a reckless distraction. He also said Labour’s decision to oppose the call for an “in or out” referendum meant the prime minister would not lose Monday’s Commons vote. “That means Cameron has a responsibility to make sure he does not put the party interest before the national interest, and he does not play footsie with this huge phalanx of sceptics in the Tory party.” He is concerned that the prime minister will try to minimalise a threatened 62-strong rebellion by offering backroom deals on Britain’s future status in Europe. A series of ministers have issued private warnings to No 10 to adopt a less hardline approach in Monday’s debate amid growing anger at Cameron’s handling of the vote. It is understood that a number have contacted No 10 to advise his staff to abandon a three-line whip in the vote. They have suggested that a less stringent one-line whip may help to calm matters. Cameron plans to meet parliamentary private secretaries – ministerial aides – on Monday to win over waverers. No 10 is braced for “one or two resignations” after Stewart Jackson, PPS to the Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson, said he wanted to support the backbench motion calling for a referendum. The government upset MPs on Wednesday when it imposed the three-line whip requiring Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs to vote against a motion that calls for a referendum within two years on Britain’s membership of the EU. Ministers brought forward the vote from Thursday to allow William Hague, who will be in Australia at the end of next week, to take part. One government source said: “Downing Street have handled this disastrously badly. This is a potentially massive car crash.” The pressure on Cameron was highlighted when George Eustice, his former press secretary, launched a strong attack on No 10 after it rejected a compromise amendment he had tabled. The prime minister agrees with Eustice’s position, which is to call on the government to hold a referendum after renegotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU. But Cameron rejected the Eustice amendment because it is unacceptable to the Lib Dems. Eustice, who will now rebel, told BBC Radio Cornwall: “The truth is most frontbenchers agree with the backbenchers. They are being put in an incredibly difficult position by the government. I think the government has handled it very, very badly and have escalated this into a conflict that was entirely unnecessary.” America and China have again urged EU leaders to resolve the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis and prevent the world sliding into another slump. As it emerged that no decisions would be taken until the summit on Wednesday, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao told EU leaders to stop the debt crisis spreading and lectured them on the need to carry out structural reform. In a telephone conversation with Herman Van Rompuy, European council president, Wen said: “The most urgent task is to take decisive measures to prevent the debt crisis spreading further and avoid financial market turbulence, a recession and fluctuations in the euro.” Ed Miliband David Cameron Europe European debt crisis Economic policy European banks Patrick Wintour Nicholas Watt David Gow guardian.co.uk
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Labour leader accuses No 10 of abdicating responsibility by not seeking place at crucial eurozone summit next week Ed Miliband has attacked David Cameron for not seeking a place at next week’s crucial eurozone summit, describing the crisis in the single currency region as a “hugely dangerous moment for the world”. In an interview with the Guardian , the Labour leader accused the prime minister of an abdication of responsibility and said he should be “banging on the door to maintain British influence” over the future shape of Europe. Ed Miliband says he is seeking to save Cameron from his “barking” Tory eurosceptics, who have been urging the prime minister to keep his distance. Cameron is due to fly to a Commonwealth summit in Perth next Wednesday when the 17 eurozone leaders meet to agree a deal to save Greece from default, strengthen European banks and construct a multibillion-euro defence fund to protect the euro from future debt crises. In his first interview on Europe since becoming Labour leader, Miliband said Cameron should be demanding that all 27 heads of state attend, as the decisions will determine the prospects for Europe and the world economy. The prime minister is to attend part of a European council summit tomorrow, but with France and Germany at loggerheads, key decisions have been postponed until Wednesday’s gathering. British officials had earlier been claiming that there was no need for Cameron to attend this meeting, but the issue could be reopened. Miliband said: “This is a hugely dangerous moment for the world and a hugely worrying time for millions of British families. With Britain’s economy flatlining for the past year, and a real threat that the global economy will be bumping along the bottom unless urgent action is taken, David Cameron should be banging on the door to maintain British influence. When all the other leading EU nations meet to thrash out a desperately needed deal, we have a prime minister who is going to be on the other side of the world. It is a complete abdication.” It was, Miliband said, symptomatic of a prime minister who seemed to glory in the prospect of a two-speed Europe and regarded the euro crisis chiefly as a useful alibi for the UK’s economic slowdown. Cameron should be intimately involved in the discussions on the Greek bailout, the recapitalisation of European banks, and a new European economic architecture, he added, warning that otherwise Britain would be marginalised on vital issues such as financial services and the single market. The current European policy of collective austerity, advocated by centre-right leaders, was not working, he said. He described calls by Tory backbenchers for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, or a renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with Europe, as a reckless distraction. He also said Labour’s decision to oppose the call for an “in or out” referendum meant the prime minister would not lose Monday’s Commons vote. “That means Cameron has a responsibility to make sure he does not put the party interest before the national interest, and he does not play footsie with this huge phalanx of sceptics in the Tory party.” He is concerned that the prime minister will try to minimalise a threatened 62-strong rebellion by offering backroom deals on Britain’s future status in Europe. A series of ministers have issued private warnings to No 10 to adopt a less hardline approach in Monday’s debate amid growing anger at Cameron’s handling of the vote. It is understood that a number have contacted No 10 to advise his staff to abandon a three-line whip in the vote. They have suggested that a less stringent one-line whip may help to calm matters. Cameron plans to meet parliamentary private secretaries – ministerial aides – on Monday to win over waverers. No 10 is braced for “one or two resignations” after Stewart Jackson, PPS to the Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson, said he wanted to support the backbench motion calling for a referendum. The government upset MPs on Wednesday when it imposed the three-line whip requiring Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs to vote against a motion that calls for a referendum within two years on Britain’s membership of the EU. Ministers brought forward the vote from Thursday to allow William Hague, who will be in Australia at the end of next week, to take part. One government source said: “Downing Street have handled this disastrously badly. This is a potentially massive car crash.” The pressure on Cameron was highlighted when George Eustice, his former press secretary, launched a strong attack on No 10 after it rejected a compromise amendment he had tabled. The prime minister agrees with Eustice’s position, which is to call on the government to hold a referendum after renegotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU. But Cameron rejected the Eustice amendment because it is unacceptable to the Lib Dems. Eustice, who will now rebel, told BBC Radio Cornwall: “The truth is most frontbenchers agree with the backbenchers. They are being put in an incredibly difficult position by the government. I think the government has handled it very, very badly and have escalated this into a conflict that was entirely unnecessary.” America and China have again urged EU leaders to resolve the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis and prevent the world sliding into another slump. As it emerged that no decisions would be taken until the summit on Wednesday, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao told EU leaders to stop the debt crisis spreading and lectured them on the need to carry out structural reform. In a telephone conversation with Herman Van Rompuy, European council president, Wen said: “The most urgent task is to take decisive measures to prevent the debt crisis spreading further and avoid financial market turbulence, a recession and fluctuations in the euro.” Ed Miliband David Cameron Europe European debt crisis Economic policy European banks Patrick Wintour Nicholas Watt David Gow guardian.co.uk
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Some large investors vote against CEO’s re-election to board, but full details won’t be available until Monday Rupert Murdoch has been dealt a blow by shareholders who called on the News Corp chairman and his sons to resign from the scandal-torn media empire. At the company’s annual meeting in Los Angeles on Friday Murdoch made a defiant and uncompromising address, insisting News Corp’s history was the “stuff of legend.” However, he was berated by shareholders and some of the world’s largest investors voted against his re-election, and that of his sons, to the News Corp board. They also did not approve of the $33m (£21m) he was paid as chairman and chief executive this year. Murdoch owns 12% of the company but controls about 40% of the votes because of News Corp’s two classes of shares. But the fact that major investors voted against his re-election and that of his sons and other directors is a major blow for the 80-year-old chairman and chief executive. News Corp plans to release the full details of the vote on Monday. Before the meeting, shareholders told the Guardian that James Murdoch was likely to receive the biggest vote of no confidence. If the votes go against him, it will cast further doubts on his future at News Corp. The youngest Murdoch son is already facing questions about evidence he gave to a parliamentary inquiry into the News of the World hacking scandal and shareholders at Murdoch-controlled BSkyB have called for his resignation. At the meeting Rupert Murdoch said he was “personally determined” to clean up the phone hacking scandal that had led to the closure of the NoW, but said the issue needed to be set in context at a company that had faced “understandable scrutiny and unfair attack”. He argued that the business had a famous history – from the time he took over a single newspaper in Adelaide in 1953 – which had to be set against the revelations that several reporters at the NoW had been engaged in hacking into voicemails left for crime victims, their families, public figures and celebrities. Speaking at the start of the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Murdoch offered no fresh concessions. With most of the votes in his control, there was no prospect of him or his heir apparent James, being voted off the board. However, the scale of the rebellion was expected to exceed 20% of non-family shareholders. Those attending included Edward Mason, secretary of the ethical investment advisory group of the Church of England, which owns about $6m worth of News Corp shares. “There needs to be decisive action in terms of holding people to account,” he said before the event, noting that it was the first time his group had attended a company annual meeting. At the meeting, Murdoch criticised the church’s investment track record, describing it as “not that great”. Julie Tanner, assistant director of Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), which represents more than 1,000 Catholic institutions worldwide, was the first at the meeting to question Murdoch’s track record, saying that the “extraordinary scandals” in the UK required corporate overhaul. Tanner proposed a motion that News Corp appoint an independent chairman, “to empower the board in relation to the Murdoch family”, and asked that the company launch a “truly independent investigation” into the phone-hacking allegations, instead of the work by its London-based internal management and standards committee. The Labour MP Tom Watson, a persistent thorn in Murdoch’s side, travelled to Los Angeles to attend the AGM. He commented on the “deepest irony” of the opening presentation, which included images of Prince William – whom he alleged had been targeted by former NoW private investigator Glenn Mulcaire – and Kate Middleton, whom he claimed had been targeted by another private investigator employed by the now closed Sunday tabloid, Jonathan Rees. Watson warned News Corp investors that they were facing “Mulcaire 2″ in the UK as victims of alleged computer hacking took action against its subsidiary News International. “You haven’t told any of your investors what is to come,” he told Murdoch, although the News Corp boss insisted that his company was co-operating fully with police inquiries. Watson told Murdoch that he had evidence that the Metropolitan police was investigating computer hacking by private investigators who had worked for the NoW as well as other papers. Murdoch said he had no knowledge of the situation. “What happened a few years ago was absolutely wrong and I have said so, and I have said that we’re all ashamed of it,” Murdoch said, adding that “recent rumours” Watson mentioned were under investigation by the police. After the meeting, Watson said: “If my concerns are founded then this company is going to experience even more litigation in the future than it faces now.” Investors, critics and the press were bussed into the high security event from a parking lot in Century City to the Zanuck Theatre at Fox Studios, where a collection of Oscars were on display outside. Outside about 200 protesters had rallied with signs that read “Stop the Lies” and “News Corp Board Has to Go.” Stephen Mayne, an Australian shareholder and long-time critic of Murdoch, said it was an “extraordinarily paranoid” meeting. “I think he’s losing it,” he commented. “He comes across as a paranoid control freak.” A few hours before the meeting began, News Corp confirmed it had reached an agreement to pay the family of murdered teenager Milly Dowler £2m in compensation, with Rupert Murdoch personally donating an additional £1m to six charities. The settlement relates to the hacking of the missing schoolgirl’s phone messages by the tabloid after she went missing in March 2002. “Nothing that has been agreed will ever bring back Milly,” the Dowler family said. “The only way that a fitting tribute could be agreed was to ensure that a very substantial donation to charity was made in Milly’s memory.” News Corporation Rupert Murdoch James Murdoch Media business Phone hacking United States Tom Watson Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Dominic Rushe Dan Sabbagh Jason Deans guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Some large investors vote against CEO’s re-election to board, but full details won’t be available until Monday Rupert Murdoch has been dealt a blow by shareholders who called on the News Corp chairman and his sons to resign from the scandal-torn media empire. At the company’s annual meeting in Los Angeles on Friday Murdoch made a defiant and uncompromising address, insisting News Corp’s history was the “stuff of legend.” However, he was berated by shareholders and some of the world’s largest investors voted against his re-election, and that of his sons, to the News Corp board. They also did not approve of the $33m (£21m) he was paid as chairman and chief executive this year. Murdoch owns 12% of the company but controls about 40% of the votes because of News Corp’s two classes of shares. But the fact that major investors voted against his re-election and that of his sons and other directors is a major blow for the 80-year-old chairman and chief executive. News Corp plans to release the full details of the vote on Monday. Before the meeting, shareholders told the Guardian that James Murdoch was likely to receive the biggest vote of no confidence. If the votes go against him, it will cast further doubts on his future at News Corp. The youngest Murdoch son is already facing questions about evidence he gave to a parliamentary inquiry into the News of the World hacking scandal and shareholders at Murdoch-controlled BSkyB have called for his resignation. At the meeting Rupert Murdoch said he was “personally determined” to clean up the phone hacking scandal that had led to the closure of the NoW, but said the issue needed to be set in context at a company that had faced “understandable scrutiny and unfair attack”. He argued that the business had a famous history – from the time he took over a single newspaper in Adelaide in 1953 – which had to be set against the revelations that several reporters at the NoW had been engaged in hacking into voicemails left for crime victims, their families, public figures and celebrities. Speaking at the start of the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Murdoch offered no fresh concessions. With most of the votes in his control, there was no prospect of him or his heir apparent James, being voted off the board. However, the scale of the rebellion was expected to exceed 20% of non-family shareholders. Those attending included Edward Mason, secretary of the ethical investment advisory group of the Church of England, which owns about $6m worth of News Corp shares. “There needs to be decisive action in terms of holding people to account,” he said before the event, noting that it was the first time his group had attended a company annual meeting. At the meeting, Murdoch criticised the church’s investment track record, describing it as “not that great”. Julie Tanner, assistant director of Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), which represents more than 1,000 Catholic institutions worldwide, was the first at the meeting to question Murdoch’s track record, saying that the “extraordinary scandals” in the UK required corporate overhaul. Tanner proposed a motion that News Corp appoint an independent chairman, “to empower the board in relation to the Murdoch family”, and asked that the company launch a “truly independent investigation” into the phone-hacking allegations, instead of the work by its London-based internal management and standards committee. The Labour MP Tom Watson, a persistent thorn in Murdoch’s side, travelled to Los Angeles to attend the AGM. He commented on the “deepest irony” of the opening presentation, which included images of Prince William – whom he alleged had been targeted by former NoW private investigator Glenn Mulcaire – and Kate Middleton, whom he claimed had been targeted by another private investigator employed by the now closed Sunday tabloid, Jonathan Rees. Watson warned News Corp investors that they were facing “Mulcaire 2″ in the UK as victims of alleged computer hacking took action against its subsidiary News International. “You haven’t told any of your investors what is to come,” he told Murdoch, although the News Corp boss insisted that his company was co-operating fully with police inquiries. Watson told Murdoch that he had evidence that the Metropolitan police was investigating computer hacking by private investigators who had worked for the NoW as well as other papers. Murdoch said he had no knowledge of the situation. “What happened a few years ago was absolutely wrong and I have said so, and I have said that we’re all ashamed of it,” Murdoch said, adding that “recent rumours” Watson mentioned were under investigation by the police. After the meeting, Watson said: “If my concerns are founded then this company is going to experience even more litigation in the future than it faces now.” Investors, critics and the press were bussed into the high security event from a parking lot in Century City to the Zanuck Theatre at Fox Studios, where a collection of Oscars were on display outside. Outside about 200 protesters had rallied with signs that read “Stop the Lies” and “News Corp Board Has to Go.” Stephen Mayne, an Australian shareholder and long-time critic of Murdoch, said it was an “extraordinarily paranoid” meeting. “I think he’s losing it,” he commented. “He comes across as a paranoid control freak.” A few hours before the meeting began, News Corp confirmed it had reached an agreement to pay the family of murdered teenager Milly Dowler £2m in compensation, with Rupert Murdoch personally donating an additional £1m to six charities. The settlement relates to the hacking of the missing schoolgirl’s phone messages by the tabloid after she went missing in March 2002. “Nothing that has been agreed will ever bring back Milly,” the Dowler family said. “The only way that a fitting tribute could be agreed was to ensure that a very substantial donation to charity was made in Milly’s memory.” News Corporation Rupert Murdoch James Murdoch Media business Phone hacking United States Tom Watson Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers Dominic Rushe Dan Sabbagh Jason Deans guardian.co.uk
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