News of the World closure has hit News Corp's publishing division profits
Credit: Peter Byrne/PAThe News of the world phone-hacking scandal has cost parent company News Corp £55 million in just three months, new figures published today reveal.
News Corp said in its second-quarter results that "the ongoing investigations initiated upon the closure of the News of the World" cost the group $87 million from October to December 2011.
The total since July, when the Sunday tabloid was shut down over the phone hacking allegations, stands at $104 million (£66 million).
The charges include ongoing legal fees and out-of-court settlements - News Corp has settled with 54 phone hacking victims so far, but 50 new claims were revealed in the high court yesterday, including footballer Peter Crouch and singer James Blunt.
News Corp's publishing division, which includes News International in the UK, reported a 43 per cent decline in net operating profit in the last three months of 2011, down from $380 million to $218 million - a decline attributed partly to the closure of the News of the World.
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