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| Rupert Murdoch to launch Sun on Sunday newspaper 'soon' | Rupert Murdoch to launch Sun on Sunday newspaper 'soon' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Rupert Murdoch has told staff at the Sun he will launch new weekend tabloid, the Sun on Sunday, "very soon". | |
| The News Corporation boss also declared his "unwavering support" for the Sun's journalists at News International's offices in Wapping, London. | |
| Ten current and former senior staff at the paper have been arrested since November in connection with alleged corrupt payments to public officials. | Ten current and former senior staff at the paper have been arrested since November in connection with alleged corrupt payments to public officials. |
| Mr Murdoch lifted all staff suspensions pending police inquiries. | Mr Murdoch lifted all staff suspensions pending police inquiries. |
| Labour MP Chris Bryant, a high-profile campaigner against and victim of phone hacking, said the decision to lift the suspensions was the "most cynical piece of hypocrisy". | |
| "It is massively premature because one would have thought the Murdoch empire would want to wait until Leveson had completed his inquiry and the the police and prosecuting authorities had completed their investigations," he said. | |
| "News International has tirelessly campaigned for people who have been charged to be suspended from public office and yet journalists who have been charged at News International are apparently not going to be suspended." | |
| Lord Justice Leveson's ongoing inquiry is examining press standards and ethics. | |
| In an email to staff, Mr Murdoch said: "We will build on the Sun's proud heritage by launching the Sun on Sunday very soon. | |
| "Our duty is to expand one of the world's most widely read newspapers and reach even more people than ever before. Having a winning paper is the best answer to our critics." | "Our duty is to expand one of the world's most widely read newspapers and reach even more people than ever before. Having a winning paper is the best answer to our critics." |
| 'Legal expenses covered' | |
| He said he would stay in London for the next several weeks and offer his "unwavering support". | He said he would stay in London for the next several weeks and offer his "unwavering support". |
| He also said "illegal activities simply cannot and will not be tolerated" and described the recent arrests as a "source of great pain for me". | He also said "illegal activities simply cannot and will not be tolerated" and described the recent arrests as a "source of great pain for me". |
| But he praised the "superb work" of Sun journalists and said "the Sun is a part of me". | But he praised the "superb work" of Sun journalists and said "the Sun is a part of me". |
| A middle-ranking News International journalist told the BBC the mood amongst colleagues was "chaos in a good and bad way. Mainly good actually. People really happy at fighting talk". | A middle-ranking News International journalist told the BBC the mood amongst colleagues was "chaos in a good and bad way. Mainly good actually. People really happy at fighting talk". |
| "I remain grateful for your superb work and for the stories you uncover to inform and protect the public. None more so than over the last three weeks," Mr Murdoch's email stated. | "I remain grateful for your superb work and for the stories you uncover to inform and protect the public. None more so than over the last three weeks," Mr Murdoch's email stated. |
| "My continuing respect makes this situation a source of great pain for me, as I know it is for each of you. We will obey the law. | "My continuing respect makes this situation a source of great pain for me, as I know it is for each of you. We will obey the law. |
| "Illegal activities simply cannot and will not be tolerated - at any of our publications. Our board of directors, our management team and I take these issues very seriously. | "Illegal activities simply cannot and will not be tolerated - at any of our publications. Our board of directors, our management team and I take these issues very seriously. |
| "Our independently chaired Management & Standards Committee, which operates outside of News International, has been instructed to cooperate with the police. | "Our independently chaired Management & Standards Committee, which operates outside of News International, has been instructed to cooperate with the police. |
| "We will turn over every piece of evidence we find - not just because we are obligated to but because it is the right thing to do. | "We will turn over every piece of evidence we find - not just because we are obligated to but because it is the right thing to do. |
| "We are doing everything we can to assist those who were arrested - all suspensions are hereby lifted until or whether charged and they are welcome to return to work. | "We are doing everything we can to assist those who were arrested - all suspensions are hereby lifted until or whether charged and they are welcome to return to work. |
| "News Corporation will cover their legal expenses. Everyone is innocent unless proven otherwise." | "News Corporation will cover their legal expenses. Everyone is innocent unless proven otherwise." |
| Last year News Corporation closed the News of the World over impropriety. | Last year News Corporation closed the News of the World over impropriety. |
| Revelations that staff employed by the newspaper hacked the phones of public figures prompted the closure of the 168-year-old publication. | Revelations that staff employed by the newspaper hacked the phones of public figures prompted the closure of the 168-year-old publication. |
| Mr Murdoch arrived on a private plane at Luton Airport from the US on Thursday evening and was taken to Wapping in a vehicle with blacked-out windows. | Mr Murdoch arrived on a private plane at Luton Airport from the US on Thursday evening and was taken to Wapping in a vehicle with blacked-out windows. |
| The meeting followed anger at the way in which the News Corporation's management and standards committee - set up to investigate allegations of wrongdoing - passed on information to the police. | The meeting followed anger at the way in which the News Corporation's management and standards committee - set up to investigate allegations of wrongdoing - passed on information to the police. |
| The National Union of Journalists has said news organisations have a duty to protect their sources, and is considering a legal challenge to the company. | The National Union of Journalists has said news organisations have a duty to protect their sources, and is considering a legal challenge to the company. |
| General secretary Michelle Stanistreet (NUJ) told the BBC Mr Murdoch could have stemmed the "huge anger and frustration" by calling off the committee and acknowledging its action had been a "huge mistake". | |
| "It's done a huge disservice to press freedom because we have a situation now where confidential sources have been betrayed... it's been handled so badly," she said. | |
| Media commentator Steve Hewlett told the BBC Mr Murdoch's relationship with the Sun was an emotional one, but that he was a businessman first. | Media commentator Steve Hewlett told the BBC Mr Murdoch's relationship with the Sun was an emotional one, but that he was a businessman first. |
| He said the corporation had no option other than to be seen to "clean house", angering journalists by putting at risk traditional loyalties. | He said the corporation had no option other than to be seen to "clean house", angering journalists by putting at risk traditional loyalties. |
| "They are creating wider concerns about handing information about journalists' contacts to police just because an internal committee thinks there may have been a payment that was illegitimate or unlawful to a public official." | "They are creating wider concerns about handing information about journalists' contacts to police just because an internal committee thinks there may have been a payment that was illegitimate or unlawful to a public official." |