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Blair to face questions over Murdoch at Leveson inquiry
  • | AFP | May 28, 2012 03:44 PM

Former British prime minister Tony Blair will testify Monday at a press ethics inquiry set up following a phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World.

 
 Former British prime minister Tony Blair leaves his home in London in 2011. Blair will testify Monday at a press ethics inquiry set up following a phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. (AFP Photo/Ben Stansall)
Blair, Britain's Labour premier between 1997 and 2007, is likely to be asked by the Leveson Inquiry about the nature of his government's links to Murdoch's US-based media empire News Corp. when he gives testimony.

The 59-year-old, who will give a full day of evidence, is godfather to one of Murdoch's children, while Britain's biggest-selling newspaper, the Murdoch-owned Sun, backed him in three elections.

Culture minister Jeremy Hunt, who has battled calls to resign over evidence heard by the inquiry, will also give a full day of evidence on Thursday.

The Leveson Inquiry published emails last month revealing that Hunt's office leaked information to News Corp. about its bid to gain full control of pay-TV giant BSkyB.

News Corp. was forced in July to drop the bid for the highly profitable broadcaster, of which it still controls 39 percent, amid public outcry over the phone-hacking scandal.

Australian-born Murdoch, 81, was forced to close the News of the World tabloid in July amid a storm of revelations that it accessed the voicemail messages of a murdered teenage girl as well as dozens of public figures.

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