new team of officers is set to investigate claims of computer hacking, the Metropolitan Police has announced.

new team of officers is set to investigate claims of computer hacking, the Metropolitan Police has announced.It will consider breach of privacy allegations received since January.It comes as the private investigator at the centre of phone-hacking allegations, Glenn Mulcaire, says he "acted on the instructions of others".And the mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne said she was "very distressed"...

The Sun and the Daily Mirror were found guilty of contempt of court

The Sun and the Daily Mirror were found guilty of contempt of court for publishing a series of "extreme" articles about a suspect who had been arrested by police investigating the murder of the landscape architect Joanna Yeates.The Daily Mirror was fined £50,000 and the Sun £18,000 after the high court ruled that the papers posed a "substantial risk" to the course of justice in their reporting on...

FOAM pie protester ­Jonathan May-Bowles threw an insult at Rupert Murdoch yesterday after pleading guilty to assaulting him.

The comedian, 26, said: “I would like to say this has been the most humble day of my life.” Those were the words the News Corporation boss used at the Commons committee hearing into phone-hacking last week.May-Bowles, of Windsor, Berks, also claimed police praised him for his foam attack on the media mogul.Advertisement >>He tweeted after the Westminster magistrates hearing: “One said I was...

Head of press watchdog is next to resign over hacking

THE phone-hacking scandal claimed yet another high-profile scalp yesterday when Baroness Buscombe announced she is to quit as chairman of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).The Conservative peer will step down from her role following widespread criticism of the watchdog for mishandling the scandal.Lady Buscombe will relinquish her post once a replacement is found, making her the latest in a succession...

Glenn Mulcaire 'followed News of the World orders' when phone hacking

The disgraced private detective at the centre of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal yesterday turned on his former employer and said the paper had been fully aware of everything he did for them.In a strongly worded statement issued through his solicitors, Glenn Mulcaire said any suggestion that he acted "unilaterally"...

The hacking of Sara Payne's phone by News of the World would represent "the ultimate betrayal

The hacking of Sara Payne's phone by News of the World would represent "the ultimate betrayal", Tom Watson has said.The MP, who sits on the Culture and Media Committee in the Commons, has led a campaign against phone hacking.The mother of murder victim Sarah Payne has been told she may have been the victim of phone hacking,...

High Court judge has ruled that BT must block access to a website which provides links to pirated movies.

Newzbin 2 is a members-only site which aggregates a large amount of the illegally copied material found on Usenet discussion forums.The landmark case is the first time that an ISP has been ordered to block access to such a site.It paves the way for other sites to be blocked as part of a major crackdown on piracy.In his ruling, Justice Arnold stated: "In my judgment it follows that BT has actual knowledge...

The arrest of “News of the World” executive Rebekah Brooks, shows that the News Corp house of cards is falling fast.

The global media powerhouse News Corporation, run by controversial Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch, is still reeling from the public embarrassment of an exposed phone hacking scandal at the now-defunct “News of the World.”The arrest of “News of the World” executive Rebekah Brooks, shows that the News Corp house of cards is...

Amy Winehouse's unfinished final record is likely to receive a posthumous release.

As with so many artists before her, the singer's death has sparked a renewed interest in her career that will see her elevated to the pantheon of musical greats.Within hours of Winehouse's death, her 2006 album Back To Black had topped the iTunes chart and fans flocked to buy her most famous single, Rehab.Winehouse had spent the past two years working sporadically on a third album. Sources said that...

Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her flat in north London at the age of 27

The singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her flat in north London at the age of 27. The award-winning artist, famous for hits including Rehab from the critically-acclaimed album Back to Black, was discovered by police in the late afternoon. Her death was being treated on Saturday night as "unexplained".The Metropolitan...

Boris Berezovsky pays out £100m in UK's biggest divorce settlement

The Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and his ex-wife, Galina Besharova, have agreed to part company in Britain's largest ever divorce settlement. The court in London was not informed of the sum involved but it is understood that she received more than £100m from her ex-husband.The couple, who both live in the UK, gave the reason for their split as his "unreasonable behaviour". The previous settlement...

DAVID Cameron was yesterday hit by shock claims that a senior civil servant had his phone hacked while Andy Coulson was in No10.

The unnamed official is also said to have been put under surveillance and made the victim of hostile media briefing.Ex-Labour minister Nick Raynsford hit out at the “disgraceful and illegal conduct” as he revealed the allegation in the Commons.He told Mr Cameron: “A year ago during the period when Mr Coulson was director of...

Rupert Murdoch's Fox News ran 'black ops' department, former executive claims

Dan Cooper, who helped launch Fox News as managing editor in 1996, said that a “brain room” carried out “counter intelligence” on the channel’s enemies from its New York headquarters.He was threatened after it found out he spoke to a reporter, he claimed.Another former senior executive said the channel ran a spying network...

Andy Coulson did not face the rigorous government security checks into his background that most recent Downing Street press chiefs have undergone, it emerged on Wednesday.

The former News of the World editor was granted only mid-level security clearance when he was appointed by David Cameron as his director of communications, so avoiding "developed vetting" involving a detailed interview by government investigators looking for anything in his past that could compromise him.The checks would have...

Rupert Murdoch was accused today of gagging the royal family's lawyers amid claims that key evidence in the phone hacking and bribery scandals has been held back from MPs.

In a sensational statement, legal firm Harbottle & Lewis said it wanted to speak out but had been forbidden by its client, News International, which owned the News of the World. Senior MPs said they may order News International to release the lawyers from their duty of client confidentiality, to ensure all relevant information...

Met to hand alleged phone-hacking notes to Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan

The Metropolitan police has been ordered by the high court to hand over information to Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan in relation to the alleged hacking of their voicemail messages by an investigator hired by the News of the World and other newspapers.Mr Justice Vos told the court on Wednesday it was "expedient and proper" that...

Rebekah Brooks’ husband has denied accusations of a cover up after police seized a bag containing a laptop computer and personal documents stashed in a bin near their London flat.

Suspicions were raised when Charlie Brooks, the racehorse trainer, who is married to the former News International CEO, attempted to reclaim the items, which were found by a security guard in the underground car park of the Design Centre close to their apartment block.Detectives began examining the items amid concern that they...

Jonathan May-Bowles – aka Jonnie Marbles – to appear before magistrates court on Friday

The protester accused of throwing a paper plate of shaving foam at Rupert Murdoch as he gave evidence to MPs has been charged with a public order offence.Jonathan May-Bowles, 26, of Windsor, Berkshire, was bailed to appear before City of Westminster magistrates court on Friday.He is charged with behaviour causing harassment,...

Rupert Murdoch's company was guilty of ‘deliberately thwarting’ the criminal investigation into the News of the World, according to a hard-hitting report published today

.The Home Affairs Select Committee study ‘deplores’ the behaviour of News International and condemns the police for bungling their investigation and getting too close to the Murdoch empire.The report raises questions about the honesty of former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and Andy Hayman, who oversaw the original 2006 police probe of the newspaper.Withering: MPs said they 'deplored'...

Tiger wife. Power vegan. Volleyball player. The spouse of media mogul Robert Murdoch is no pushover.

Rupert Murdoch's 42-year-old wife, Wendi Deng, who had been sitting right behind her husband during a inquisition with the House of Commons Select Committee on Tuesday, leaped forward to stop a protester from smashing a pie into her husband's face.The protester, covered in white foam, was hauled away and the session was suspended.No...

Rebekah Brooks, who was editor of the News Of The World when the paper allegedly hacked Milly Dowler's phone, has said she first heard about the claims two weeks ago.

Speaking at a Commons committee hearing, Mrs Brooks denied any knowledge of the allegations before they appeared in the press.It is claimed she was at the helm when the murdered schoolgirl's voicemails were illegally accessed by the tabloid following her abduction in 2002.Mrs Brooks, said she found it "staggering to believe" that anyone at the News of the World (NOTW) could have authorised it.She...

Charlie Brooks's kriotherapy freeze-treatment service at health spa Champneys

Buried in the torrent of revelations about News International is the interesting fact that Rebekah Brooks's husband, Charlie, runs a "kriotherapy" centre at Champneys, the spa that played a part in Sir Paul Stephenson's demise after revelations that he enjoyed a free five-week stay there. Is "kriotherapy" legitimate enough to be allowed out without its "scare quotes" on, or are the Brooks family backing...

Don't blame me - I only own the firm

Disgraced media mogul Rupert Murdoch denied today that he was responsible for phone hacking and the bribery of police officers by News International staff.A shambling Mr Murdoch told a committee of MPs he was not aware that former News of the World Editor Rebekah Brooks had admitted in 2003 that the paper paid police officers.During...

Anonymous releases Rebekah Brooks’ email address and password

Online activism group Anonymous has released a host of email addresses and passwords it claims belong to senior News International executives past and present, including the company’s embattled former chief Rebekah Brooks. The hackers said that they also have a collection of emails stolen from News International servers, which...

Did Rebekah Brooks Try to Ditch Her Computer, Notes and Phone?

A day before Rebekah Brooks is set to appear before a Parliament select committee, she or her husband Charlie may have left an extra piece of evidence for law-enforcement officials to probe.A bag holding a computer, paperwork and a phone was found in a garbage can by the security guard in an underground garage “yards” from Brooks’ home. The Guardian is reporting that Charlie had tried to claim...

News of the World phone-hacking whistleblower found dead

Sean Hoare, the former News of the World showbiz reporter who was the first named journalist to allege Andy Coulson was aware of phone hacking by his staff, has been found dead, the Guardian has learned.Hoare, who worked on the Sun and the News of the World with Coulson before being dismissed for drink and drugs problems, is said to have been found dead at his Watford home.Hertfordshire police would...

Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Stephenson has resigned.

Sir Paul announced his resignation at a press conference this evening in the wake of revelations that he received a £12k spa break where News of the World hacking suspect Neil Wallis was a PR consultant.The Metropolitan Police Commissioner was already under pressure after it emerged that he hired Mr Wallis as a PR consultant...

Rebekah Brooks, the schmoozer hated by Murdoch's wife and daughter

Who would have imagined when Lewis Carroll wrote Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland in 1865 that the Cheshire village of Daresbury where he lived would one day produce its own real-life Alice?Her name was Rebekah Wade (now Brooks) and her tugboat-man father could have had no idea when his only child was born in 1968 that she would step — or rather schmooze — into a world of princes, prime ministers...

Ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks has been arrested by police investigating phone hacking and bribery at the News of the World.

The 43-year-old was arrested by appointment at a London police station and remains in custody.She was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and on suspicion of corruption allegations.She quit News International on Friday as pressure mounted over her role.Mrs Brooks was editor of the paper between 2000...

Hollywood actor Jude Law was on Saturday reported to be suing The Sun newspaper

Hollywood actor Jude Law was on Saturday reported to be suing The Sun newspaper for allegedly hacking into his voice mails for stories about his private life.The tabloid is published by Rupert Murdoch's media group News International which is already at the centre of a storm over phone hacking allegations relating to the News...

Scotland Yard evidence room:treasure-trove of evidence: 11,000 pages of handwritten notes listing nearly 4,000 celebrities, politicians, sports stars, police officials and crime victims whose phones may have been hacked by The News of the World

For nearly four years they lay piled in a Scotland Yard evidence room, six overstuffed plastic bags gathering dust and little else.Inside was a treasure-trove of evidence: 11,000 pages of handwritten notes listing nearly 4,000 celebrities, politicians, sports stars, police officials and crime victims whose phones may have been hacked by The News of the World, a now defunct British tabloid newspaper.Yet...

Rebecca Brooks flame-haired Queen of Fleet Street

 The flame haired, 43-year-old ability to get the scoop and rise up the corporate ladder were down to a potent mix of ruthlessness and dazzling charm.Rebekah Brooks resigns as chief executive of News International in wake of phone-hacking scandalThat and an extraordinary ability to make friends in high places that meant...

Rebekah Brooks has resigned as News International chief executive, the company has confirmed.

Here is the full statement from News Corporation:"News Corporation today announced the appointment of Tom Mockridge to the role of Chief Executive Officer of News International."Mr Mockridge will assume responsibility for his new role with immediate effect following the resignation of Rebekah Brooks."Mr Mockridge joins News International from Sky Italia where he has been Chief Executive Officer since...

Rebekah Brooks resigns as COE of News International

Rebekah Brooks resi...

The News of the World newspaper bought contact details about the royal family from a policeman,

The News of the World newspaper bought contact details about the royal family from a policeman, the BBC reported on Monday, deepening the scandal engulfing the News Corp media empire.BBC business editor Robert Peston said the disclosure was contained in News International emails handed to a law firm in 2007 but only passed to police last month.London's Evening Standard newspaper also printed similar...

Rebekah Brooks may be interviewed by police investigating phone hacking at the News Of The World,

Sky sources say – amid claims other top executives were aware of widespread illegal activity at the paper.Les Hinton, Andy Coulson, Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah BrooksMrs Brooks, chief executive of News International (NI), could be questioned by Scotland Yard detectives formally as a witness, a source at the company said.She has previously said she will co-operate fully with the investigation. There...

Victoria Beckham gave birth to a baby girl on 10 July

, the fourth child in the Beckham brood.Proud dad David announced the arrival, and the unusual choice of name, in a message on Facebook: "I am so proud and excited to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Seven Beckham. She weighed a healthy 7lbs 10oz and arrived at 7:55 this morning, here in LA. Victoria is doing really well and her brothers are delighted to have a baby sister xx."Her middle...