Murdoch protegee Brooks returns to run British newspaper business

[LONDON] Rebekah Brooks, the Rupert Murdoch protegee cleared last year of overseeing widespread phone-hacking by her reporters for tabloid scoops, will return to her old job running News Corp's British newspaper arm next week.

Ms Brooks, who was caught up in one of the biggest political scandals to hit Britain in recent years, stood down from her role as chief executive in 2011 as the crisis engulfed the company.

Having been cleared of all criminal charges in a lengthy trial that ended just over a year ago, Ms Brooks will return to her old job on Monday, the company said in a statement.

The firm also said Tony Gallagher, one of the most experienced newspaper editors in Britain, will become editor-in-chief of the Sun newspaper, Mr Murdoch's daily tabloid which is the highest-selling newspaper in Britain.

REUTERS