FBI to open 9/11 victims 'phone-hacking' investigation

The criminal probe follows calls from a growing number of senators and a senior Republican for an investigation.In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Murdoch defended the company's handling of the crisis.Meanwhile, Mr Murdoch and his son James have agreed to answer UK MPs' questions on the hacking scandal next week.The Commons media committee issued summonses after the pair initially declined to appear.The FBI is investigating reports that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation sought to hack the phones of victims of the 9/11 attacks.Also in London on Thursday, a former News of the World executive editor, Neil Wallis, became the ninth person involved with the newspaper to be detained by police probing phone hacking.The Murdoch-owned Sunday tabloid was shut down last week amid the mounting scandal over the alleged hacking of phones belonging to crime victims, politicians and celebrities.FBI sources told US media on Thursday it was looking into claims that phones belonging to victims of the September 11 attacks could have been hacked by News of the World journalists.News Corporation, based in New York, is the parent company of News International, the UK firm at the centre of the scandal over phone hacking and payments to police officers.
US senators this week asked the authorities to investigate allegations that 9/11 victims' phones were hacked. News International has not commented on the claims.The fallout prompted News Corporation on Wednesday to withdraw from a huge takeover bid for the UK's largest pay-TV operator, BSkyB.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has set up a judge-led inquiry into the allegations.