Rupert Murdoch took time out from his reverse ferret* over UK newspaper ownership on Sunday to air his views on Scientology, Mormonism and the weighty issue of Tom Cruise's split with Katie Holmes.

In a smattering of tweets, the octogenarian media mogul appeared in combative mood, dismissing the New York Times as "boring", Scientology as "evil" and the British government as "weak".

It comes on the back of a week in which he snubbed the English while announcing the hiving off his UK publishing arm into a separate company, and criticised Republican presidential hope Mitt Romney for failing to look like a challenger.

On Sunday, he added more names to the list of people we can assume won't be getting a Christmas card from Uncle Rupe this year.

First off was Cruise, whose split from wife of five years Katie Holmes was announced on Friday.

Holmes has reportedly cited her ex's ties to the Scientology movement as a reason for their separation.

Taking, it as his starting point, Murdoch tweeted:

Warming to the theme, he followed it up with:

Asked "What about Mormons?" from one of his near-250,000 Twitter followers, Murdoch said of the faith to which Mitt Romney is ascribed: "Mormonism a mystery to me, but Mormons certainly not evil."

One man remains dear to Murdoch, former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie whom he defended in a tweet Sunday as "wild, unpredictable but brilliant".

"Good friend," he added in reference to MacKenzie. Well that's one at least who remains in the Dirty Digger's good books.

* Note to non-British readers, a "reverse ferret" is a term – believed to have been first coined by Kelvin MacKenzie – used across UK newsrooms to herald an abrupt volte face on any given issue.