Tony again?

In a fierce battle between British authorities and news organizations, the High Court on Tuesday lifted restrictions on the BBC that had prevented it from publicizing developments in a scandal over allegations that honors had been traded for campaign contributions.

Earlier on Tuesday, The Guardian, defying efforts to limit its coverage, published a front-page article that accused Lord Levy, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s principal fund-raiser, of seeking to “shape” a statement given to the police by Ruth Turner, a senior aide to Mr. Blair.

The battle of wills began last Friday when the High Court barred the BBC, Britain’s public service broadcaster, from showing a news report on the so-called cash-for-honors affair. The issue has cast a dark cloud of rumors of corruption over what are expected to be the last months of Mr. Blair’s 10-year administration.

The police are investigating allegations by parliamentary legislators that political parties offered to reward donors with seats in the House of Lords in return for loans that did not require public disclosure before the May 2005 election.