UK prime minister's top media aide quits as tabloid phone hacking scandal hits

The British prime minister's powerful spin doctor resigned Friday amid claims he sanctioned widespread illegal phone hacking against politicians, celebrities and royalty when he was editor of a top-selling tabloid newspaper. Andy Coulson (pictured) denies any knowledge of the hacking, but admitted he'd committed a cardinal sin for a back room operator — he became the story. Coulson said "continued coverage of events connected to my old job at the News of the World has made it difficult for me to give the 110 per cent needed" in his role as Downing Street communications chief.
A reporter and a private investigator working for the News of the World were caught illegally eavesdropping on the phones of the British royal family's entourage in 2007. Coulson quit the paper when the pair were convicted, but says he knew nothing of the hacking. His resignation is a blow to Prime Minister David Cameron, who has resisted calls to fire Coulson despite the scandal.