The Scottish referendum will be on 18 October 2014, says Rupert. Put money on it. But not much
• Amid the hoo-ha over the launch of the Sun on Sunday, what has often been overlooked is the scoop about the date for Alex Salmond's promised referendum on Scottish independence (from England, not from Rupert Murdoch). It's to be 18 October 2014 – the Day of Destiny, the paper said. And Rupert apparently spoke directly to Salmond. So that's it then. Definitely. Probably. Maybe. Maybe not. For one must recall that in 2001 the Sun got a scoop naming the date of the forthcoming general election: it was going to be on 3 May. Except it wasn't. Foot and mouth disease caused its postponement. Shameless as ever, the Sun produced another on-a-plate scoop. Right this time: 7 June. Does a second bite at the cherry count?
• A week of contrasts for the media mogul's media mogul. Rejoicing over the sales figures for the inaugural Sun on Sunday. Consternation the next day as assistant commissioner Sue Akers outlined to Lord Justice Leveson allegations of industrial-scale corruption at Wapping. Sadness yesterday as James Murdoch fell on to his sword. Murdoch the elder is taking a hands-on role these days; and so it was right that, when women's equality groups wrote asking for a meeting about Page 3 and all that sexist stuff, he replied in person. Less good that, fobbing them off in his reply, he addressed them not by name but collectively as "ladies". He'll get up to speed on the etiquette. Early days.
• Another stressful day for Emma Harrison and her welfare-to-work outfit A4e. Fraud officers are in, she has stepped down from her gig as an adviser to David Cameron, and now it is said that civil servants warned ministers to carry out checks on Harrison before she took up the post. Blood in the water. No wonder the sharks are circling. A document "appears to show that senior officials at the heart of government were urging that propriety and ethics checks be made before she was appointed", says Labour's Liam Byrne. But it's all very difficult and Labour has to tread carefully, because in the past it didn't exactly give Harrison the widest berth. Last July the Young Fabians held what they called a "Thinkers and Doers" reception for new members at the House of Commons. Members of Labour's new intake of young MPs made merry as bright young things do. The invite described the event as "very informal, with a drinks reception". And it was all "made possible by the support of A4e". The firm paid for the drinks and had its logo all over the publicity: from its perspective, a good bit of business. It must be galling for A4e to see those they courted so assiduously turn on them now. Yes, the Fabians seem to have got generally friendly with A4e, organising a trip to Brixton to see what the firm was up to there. "I, for one, was very impressed by A4e as an outfit," reported one of the group's head honchos. But then, that was at a time when few questions were being openly posed about A4e and its doings. Just six months have passed, but it's all very different now.
• Good news for sports fans who gave up all hope of a seat at the London Olympics after twice failing to strike gold in the ballot for tickets. The fortunate are being offered by email not one, but a minimum of two tickets for the athletics. Just a minimum of £995 plus VAT per person! To be fair, there's dinner and a free bar thrown in. But you've got to be quick. Prestige Ticketing, who are behind the offer, say the exclusive packages are available on a first-come, first-served basis. It's a snip. With Usain Bolt running as he does, just over £100 a second.
• Finally, when the bomb drops, the survivors will be the rats and the PR crisis managers. They will best know how to escape the worst of it. And they'll make the whole thing look good in the papers. This calls for specific skills, and a clutch of the top practitioners will be passing on those skills at a one-day conference in central London. Wise words from Downing Street, the Met Office and Barclays. And who wouldn't benefit from the expertise of Sam Lister. He's the man guiding Voldemort Lansley through Armageddon at the Department of Health.
Twitter: @hugh_muir