(Credit: the BBC, screenshot)

News Corp.-owned The Sun’s royal editor Duncan Larcombe was arrested last week “on suspicion of making corrupt payments to public officials,” the UK Independent reported,

According to Reuters, News Corp.’s Management and Standards Committee provided information to police that prompted Larcombe’s arrest as well as the arrests of two other suspects.

The committee was set up to “take responsibility for all matters in relation to phone hacking at the News of the World, payments to the police and all other related issues at News International,” the News Corp. website explains.   As we have written, the committee’s information has led to more than a dozen arrests.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “more than 40 people…have been arrested in connection with the three investigations” by the police into the UK press.

The Guardian noted that there have been “nearly 50 new claims” of phone hacking against News Corp.  See here the full list of new claims.  Attorney Hugh Tomlinson reportedly said that “there were 4,791 potential phone-hacking victims,” the Guardian added.

Those suing for hacking include athletes Wayne Rooney and Matt Dawson, the Guardian explained in a separate article.  Notably, another person suing — “Northern Ireland human rights campaigner Jane Winter” — has filed the “first civil damages claim” against the Times for phone hacking.

Reuters also reported that the UK parliament committee looking into the phone hacking scandal may complete its report on the matter soon.  The committee’s Paul Farrelly reportedly told Reuters the committee “hoped to publish the long-awaited report by May 1.”

Also related to the investigations into the press:  The Associated Press reported April 18 that the UK “chief prosecutor” Keir Starmer said he might file “criminal charges…against 11 people in four cases.”  The people in question include journalists and a police officer, among others.

The BBC noted that Starmer “did not give a timescale for making a decision on charges.”