London's top cop to be grilled over phone-hacking probe

The independent regulators want to question Sir Paul Stephenson following the announcement of an independent probe into the press, including journalists' relations with police.

Separately, police announced they arrested a 60-year-old man Thursday morning in London in connection with the phone-hacking probe, the seventh person arrested in the investigation.

British law forbids the naming of suspects who have not been charged with a crime.

Prime Minister David Cameron launched the wide-ranging investigation into the British press on Wednesday, shortly before Murdoch's News Corp. withdrew its bid to take over British satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

The moves came in the wake of public and political fury at allegations that journalists working for Murdoch illegally eavesdropped on phone messages of thousands of people and bribed police.

Cameron blasted Murdoch's company Wednesday as he launched the high-powered investigation.

News Corp. executives need to focus not on taking over BSkyB, "but on clearing up the mess and getting their house in order," Cameron said.

He welcomed the withdrawal of the bid, which came hours before lawmakers voted across party lines to pass a symbolic measure urging Murdoch to give up his effort to take full ownership of the broadcaster, in which he already owns a controlling stake.

"It's the right decision (for the company), but also for the country," Cameron said. "Now we've got to get on with the work of the police investigation and the public inquiry that I set up today."

"It has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate," News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey said in announcing the company would end its attempt to increase its 39.1% share in BSkyB.

Opposition leader Ed Miliband of the Labour party -- who pushed the vote against the takeover -- welcomed the News Corp. decision and said it would not have happened had lawmakers not pressured Murdoch.

"The will of politicians was clear, the will of the public was clear, and now Britain's most powerful media owner has had to bend to that will," said Miliband, speaking as politicians rowdily debated the measure in the House of Commons.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose family's private records are alleged to have been obtained by News International newspapers, said it was vital to maintain the right to a free press and the public's right to information.

But, he said, staff at News International, a subsidiary of News Corp., took freedom of the press as a license for abuse and then "cynically manipulated our support of that vital freedom as their justification and then callously used the defense of a free press as the banner under which they marched in step, I say, with members of the criminal underworld."

This "criminal media nexus" claimed to be on the side of the law-abiding citizen but was, instead, "standing side by side with criminals against our citizens."

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