Herding Harding

It's not clear yet what led to the parting of the ways between Times editor James Harding and Rupert Murdoch. James has had to handle the paywall, the phone-hacking fall-out, and basic circulation - down under 400,000 again, from around 670,000 when he assumed the editor's chair in December 2007. The best guess is that The Thunderer is following The Sun to seven-day operation.

If James, the youngest editor of The Times on his appointment, is on the open market, the BBC might be interested - a first in history from Cambridge, business journalism, and languages including French, Mandarin and Japanese might appeal to an organisation looking for extra bottom. He certainly has thoughts about the BBC.

Or he just might turn into a full-time Cycling Czar.