'News of The World' digs its own grave, to shut down

London, Jul 8: The media tycoon Rupert Murdoch decided to shut down the '

' tabloid following the phone tapping scandal alleging its journalists had hacked to mobile phone voice mails of a murdered teenage girl.

Rupert Murdoch"s son, James Murdoch announced that Sunday, Jul 10 edition will be the last issue of the News of the World. Earlier, advertisers decided to pull out of the newspaper after the police revealed that a private detective working for the newspaper in 2002 hacked the mobile voice mail of the murdered girl.

"News International today announces that this Sunday 10 July 2011,will be the last issue of News of the World," James Murdoch said in a statement.

News of the World, which is the United Kingdom"s largest Sunday selling newspaper with 168 years of publishing history, also decided to give its revenue to "good causes" and will not run any commercial advertisements in the last issue.

"While we may never be able to make up for distress that has been caused, the right thing to do is for every penny of the circulation revenue we receive this weekend to go to organizations - many of whom are long-term friends and partners - that improve life in Britain and are devoted to treating others with dignity," James Murdoch, who heads the newspaper's European operations, said to employees.

News International has not yet announced the future of News of the World, which was selling 2.6 million copies a week. The Telegraph reported that amid the angry reactions from the staff over their uncertain future, News International allowed Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive of News International and former editor of the News of the World, to keep her job.

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