Murdoch reassures Sun after hack arrests

LONDON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A top executive of New International assured the staff of the troubled British newspaper The Sun that media mogul Rupert Murdoch continued to support the paper.

The e-mail from Chief Executive Tom Mockridge was sent out after five Sun editors were picked up in the latest round of arrests in the scandal over telephone hacking by reporters for Murdoch's newspapers.

The Observer said Sunday that Mockridge told his employees he had received "a personal assurance today from Rupert Murdoch about his total commitment to continue to own and publish the Sun newspaper."

Murdoch himself was flying to London this week. A source told the Daily Telegraph his visit was likely meant to bolster morale at The Sun and the rest of News International. Murdoch closed down the News of the World when the hacking investigation was focused on the venerable tabloid.

The Daily Telegraph said the five Sun employees arrested included the newspaper's deputy editor and photo editor. Also arrested were a Surrey police officer, a female Defense Ministry employee and her husband, who is an active-duty military officer.