Press Gazette's interactive timeline looking at the News of the World and phone-hacking.
Created by dominicponsford on Jan 28, 2011
Last updated: 02/24/12 at 04:39 AM
News International was yesterday accused of “playing fasting and loose with employment law” on the blog of MP Tom Watson.
The accusation came following revelations that former NoW editor Andy Coulson received severance payments from the News International several months after he began working for the Tories.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47756
A series of severance payments were made to former News of the World editor Andy Coulson for several months after he began working for the Tories, according to the BBC.
The instalments totalled the full entitlement under his two-year contract as editor of the now defunct tabloid which was published by News International, BBC correspondent Robert Peston has claimed. His salary as editor of the News of the World is believed to have been in excess of £200,000.
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Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator jailed over phone hacking for the News of the World, is taking legal action against the newspaper's publisher News International.
Mulcaire, who was jailed for six months in 2007 for intercepting messages on royal aides' phones, has lodged papers at the High Court.
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A 51-year-old Scotland Yard detective has been arrested over leaks during the phone hacking investigation.
It is believed that the leak may involve The Guardian newspaper, Sky News has reported. According to The Times website, the arrest follows a Met Police investigation into the leaking of information to The Guardian throughout the Met's phone-hacking inquiry.
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Award-winning former News of the World showbiz editor James Desboroug is understood to have become the latest journalist to be questioned as part of the Scotland Yard investigation into phone-hacking.
A 38-year-old was today arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications after arriving by appointment at a south London police station, Scotland Yard said.
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A misconduct investigation into the involvement of Scotland Yard's former commissioner in the phone-hacking scandal was dropped today.
Allegations against top officers John Yates, Andy Hayman and Peter Clarke have also been thrown out, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced.
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James Murdoch is "likely" to be recalled before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee as part of its inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World, Labour MP Tom Watson said today.
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Press Complaints Commission director Stephen Abell has admitted the watchdog faces a “watershed moment” but insisted that “the PCC has to go on”.
Last month Prime Minister David Cameron appeared to sound the death knell for the PCC when he announced the upcoming inquiry into phone-hacking would look into the future of press regulation in the UK, claiming “the way the press is regulated today is not working”.
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Former director of legal affairs at News International Jon Chapman has accused James Murdoch of giving "very misleading" evidence to MPs at a select committee hearing on 19 July.
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Former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman has claimed that phone-hacking was “widely discussed” at news conferences until then editor Andy Coulson banned any further mention of the practice.
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News Corp Europe and Asia boss James Murdoch has continued to insist that he was unaware in 2008 about the existence of an email which proved complicity in phone-hacking was more widespread at the News of the World.
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Last week the family of the victim of one of the UK's most notorious unsolved murders asked the Government for a public inquiry citing, among other things, new alleged links between corrupt police officers and journalists working for the News of the World.
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Gordon Brown has spoken out against what he described as "politicised" parts of the British press, which he said try to "destroy pieces of people's characters" to make political points.
The former prime minister made the remarks during an unscheduled appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, where he joined wife Sarah on stage.
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A review commissioned by BSkyB’s board into the editorial practices of its subsidiary Sky News has found “no suggestion of impropriety".
The broadcaster’s board instructed an investigation to be carried out in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, in view of News Corp’s position as the BSkyB's largest shareholder.
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Former News of the World news editor Greg Miskiw, 61, was released on bail until October yesterday as it emerged that Scotland Yard communications chief Dick Fedorcio has gone on “extended leave”.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "At approximately midday on Wednesday August 10, a 61-year-old man was arrested by appointment at a London police station by officers from Operation Weeting.
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Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Simon Hughes MP has become the latest public figure to reveal that he is suing News International for breach of privacy over phone-hacking.
Hughes was one of the figures originally cited in the 2006 prosecution of Clive Goodman and Glen Mulcaire for phone-hacking on behalf of the News of the World.
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Despite News Corp’s legal woes in the UK – overall operating profit for the three months to the end of June rose 45 per cent year on year to $1.35bn.
Looking at the full year, News Corp reported adjusted operating profit up 12 per cent to $4.98bn on total revenue of $33.4bn (up from $32.8bn a year ago).
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Former News of the World news editor Greg Miskiw is understood to have today become the 12th person to be arrested as part of the new Scotland Yard investigation into press phone-hacking.
The BBC today reported that Miskiw, 61, was arrested after visiting a police station by appointment.
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Lawyers acting for the family of a murdered private detective have called for a new public inquiry which could shed more light on corrupt relationships between police and journalists.
Daniel Morgan was murdered with an axe in 1987 but despite five police investigations no-one has ever been convicted of his murder.
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Associated Newspapers is carrying out a review of editorial controls and procedures in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.
Head of editorial legal standards at the publisher Liz Hartley has brought in former group legal advisor Eddie Young to assist her in the review.
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Sir Paul McCartney said he plans to contact police over allegations that his voicemail messages were intercepted.
His remark came after his ex-wife Heather Mills claimed a senior Mirror Group journalist admitted hacking voicemails left for her by the former Beatle.
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The Evening Standard yesterday apologised to Met Police assistant commissioner John Yates - two weeks after he signalled his intention to sue the paper.
Yates announced his resignation over his handling of the News of the phone-hacking scandal on 18 July. He issued a statement via solicitors Carter Ruck on 22 July stating that he planned to sue the Evening Standard over articles published on 7 July.
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Former managing editor of the News of the World Stuart Kuttner gave evidence to MPs on the culture select committee on 21 July, 2009, alongside former editor of the paper Andy Coulson.
They were called in the wake of new allegations about widespread phone-hacking at the News of the World which were broken by The Guardian on 8 July.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47639
Former managing editor of the News of the World Stuart Kuttner is understood to have been released on bail after being arrested and questioned yesterday by police investigating phone-hacking at the News of the World.
Police have not named the 71-year-old man who was arrested by the Operation Weeting team yesterday. But The Guardian yesterday named him as Kuttner and other news outlets have followed suit.
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A 71-year-old man has been arrested by officers from Scotland Yard investigating allegations of phone-hacking and payments to police by the News of the World.
The man was arrested by appointment at a north London police station this morning by officers from Operation Weeting, the unit set up to investigate phone-hacking, and Operation Elveden, which is investigating claims of press payments to police
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An IT firm has told MPs it was aware of nine occasions when News International asked for emails to be deleted over the past 15 months but said it noticed nothing untoward about the requests, insisting the deletions were standard practice.
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Trinity Mirror was hit by more phone-hacking allegations over the weekend – including claims that up to four civil cases will be filed at the High Court in coming weeks.
Lawyer Mark Lewis, who is representing a number of claimants suing the News of the World, told The Sunday Times that there are “about three or four cases which will start within the next few weeks”, one of which is reported to be brought by former Liberal Democrat MP Paul Marsden.
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Scotland Yard is widening its probe into phone-hacking with the creation of new unit to investigate claims of computer hacking.
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Former News International boss Rebekah Brooks has said that the idea that Sara Payne's phone was targeted by the News of the World is "beyond my comprehension".
Allegations that private detective Glenn Mulcaire targeted the mobile phone of Payne, whose eight-year-old daughter Sarah was murdered by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000, emerged yesterday.
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In the wake of yet more revelations about News of the World phone-hacking targets - former private investigator for the paper Glenn Mulcaire has issued a statement via his solicitors to insist that he did not act alone.
They said: "Glenn Mulcaire has already expressed his sincere regret to those who have been hurt and affected by his activities and he repeats that apology most sincerely.
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Tory MP Louise Mensch has apologised to Piers Morgan after falsely alleging the former Daily Mirror editor had admitted using phone-hacking to reveal the affair between former England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson in 2003.
Mensch made the claim during the culture select committee’s evidence session on 19 July, when she said Morgan had been “open about personally hacking phones” in his book The Insider.
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Baroness Buscombe is standing down as chairman of the Press Complaints Commission.
A statement released by the press watchdog this afternoon said that Buscombe’s three-year term comes to an end in the New Year and Buscombe will “not to continue beyond that term to allow ample time for her successor to be found”.
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The first public hearings in the phone-hacking inquiry will be held in September, Lord Justice Leveson announced today.
He revealed the focus of the initial wave of the investigation would be on the relationship between the press and public, as well as press regulation.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47598
Chancellor George Osborne has met senior News Corporation executives including chairman Rupert Murdoch and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks on 16 occasions for talks and social events since taking office.
The meetings form part of what appears to have been a determined effort by the company to forge personal contacts with key ministers as its aborted bid to take over satellite broadcaster BSkyB was going through.
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Daily Mirror publisher Trinity Mirror is conducting a review of its editorial controls and procedures in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal that triggered the closure of the News of the World.
The review will encompass both the group's regional newspaper division and its national newspapers the Daily Mirror, The People and Sunday Mirror.
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Met Police assistant commissioner John Yates has said he is issuing libel proceedings against the Evening Standard.
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James Murdoch could be asked to clarify his evidence to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, chairman John Whittingdale has said.
His remarks came after claims from two former senior News International staff that the company's chairman had been "mistaken" in Tuesday's hearing, which he attended with his father Rupert.
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The Sun’s features editor Matt Nixson has been sacked on the recommendation of the News Corp phone-hacking clean-up committee.
Before joining The Sun last year Nixson was a former news editor at the News of the World, reporting to Ian Edmonson, the former assistant editor arrested over phone-hacking allegations earlier this year.
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A law firm barred from answering allegations that it failed to raise the alarm over evidence of police bribes at News International has been authorised to talk to police and MPs.
Harbottle & Lewis has come under renewed pressure to clarify why it did not hand over files to the police while representing the newspaper group.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47560
One day after it admitted paying the legal fees of convicted phone-hacker Glenn Mulcaire, News Corporation has ended its controversial arrangement with the private investigator.
News International chairman James Murdoch admitted for the first time yesterday that his company had paid Mulcaire’s legal bills – even after Mulcaire pleaded guilty to phone-hacking in 2007.
Giving evidence to the House of Commons culture committee yesterday, Murdoch said he was “surprised” to hear of the arrangement, while his father Rupert said the company would cut off payment provided it was not “in breach of a legal contract”.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47556
One day after it admitted paying the legal fees of convicted phone-hacker Glenn Mulcaire, News Corporation has ended its controversial arrangement with the private investigator.
News International chairman James Murdoch admitted for the first time yesterday that his company had paid Mulcaire’s legal bills – even after Mulcaire pleaded guilty to phone-hacking in 2007.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47556
Almost a quarter of staff working in the Met’s Director of Public Affairs office had previously worked at the News of the World, outgoing Commissioner Paul Stephenson revealed this afternoon.
The admission came as Stephenson gave evidence to the Home Affairs select committee. Stephenson said that 10 of the 45-strong DPA office had spent time at the News International-owned newspaper, including some who went there on work experience.
At the same hearing, Stephenson admitted that he regretted that the force had hired former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis, who was arrested on suspicion of phone-hacking last week.
He also claimed to have only discovered that Wallis daughter had been given a job at the Met when the story broke this weekend.
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News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch has described today’s appearance before the culture select committee as “the most humble day of my career”.
The Murdochs began giving evidence at 2.30pm. His son James’ request to read an opening statement before questioning was rejected but he was given permission to present it in writing.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47546
The fallout from the phone-hacking scandal continued to escalate over the weekend as Dow Jones chief executive Les Hinton resigned and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept voicemails and corruption.
Brooks had been expected to be questioned but was read her rights after she arrived at a London police station yesterday. She is understood to have been questioned for nine hours before being released on police bail untIl October.
Hinton was chairman of News International from 1995 to 2007 - during the period when the News of the World was engaged in voicemail interception.
He was one of News International executives who gave evidence in 2009 to the Commons Culture Media and Sport Select Committee. They were accused of "collective amnesia" by MPs who were skeptical about claims that phone-hacking at the News of the World was limited to jailed royal reporter Clive Goodman.
Hinton said in a statement released on Friday night: "I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47524
The assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police John Yates has resigned, the force has confirmed.
In a brief statement released this afternoon the Met said: “Assistant Commissioner John Yates has this afternoon indicated his intention to resign to the Chair of the MPA [Metropolitan Police Authority].
“This has been accepted. AC Yates will make a statement later this afternoon.”
It comes a day after the commissioner of the Met Sir Paul Stephenson announced his resignation following allegations of links with former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis, who was arrested on suspicion of phone hacking last week.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police Authority's professional standards cases Sub-committee revealed that Yates was due to be suspended before he made his decision to resign.
The statement said: "The committee considered allegations concerning Assistant Commissioner John Yates and after lengthy and careful deliberations decided to suspend the assistant commissioner.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47534
Here is Brooks’ statement in full:
“At News International we pride ourselves on setting the news agenda for the right reasons. Today we are leading the news for the wrong ones.
“The reputation of the company we love so much, as well as the press freedoms we value so highly, are all at risk.
“As Chief Executive of the company, I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people we have hurt and I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place.
“I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate.
“This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past.
“Therefore I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation. While it has been a subject of discussion, this time my resignation has been accepted.
“Rupert’s wisdom, kindness and incisive advice has guided me throughout my career and James is an inspirational leader who has shown me great loyalty and friendship.
“I would like to thank them both for their support. I have worked here for 22 years and I know it to be part of the finest media company in the world.
“News International is full of talented, professional and honourable people. I am proud to have been part of the team and lucky to know so many brilliant journalists and media executives.
“I leave with the happiest of memories and an abundance of friends.
“As you can imagine recent times have been tough. I now need to concentrate on correcting the distortions and rebutting the allegations about my record as a journalist, an editor and executive.
“My resignation makes it possible for me to have the freedom and the time to give my full cooperation to all the current and future inquiries, the police investigations and the CMS appearance.
“I am so grateful for all the messages of support. I have nothing but overwhelming respect for you and our millions of readers. I wish every one of you all the best."
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47514
Rupert Murdoch was "humbled" and held his head in his hands as he apologised to Milly Dowler's family for the hacking of the murdered schoolgirl's phone by the News of the World.
The media mogul gave a "full and sincere apology" to Milly's parents, Sally and Bob, and her sister Gemma at a meeting in a central London hotel, family lawyer Mark Lewis said.
Police claims that the teenager's voicemails were illegally intercepted by a private investigator working for the News of the World after she went missing in 2002 triggered a string of damaging revelations which led to the closure of the Sunday tabloid.
Flanked by the Dowlers, Lewis described Murdoch's repeated apologies during the meeting at the five-star One Aldwych hotel.
He said: "He was humbled to give a full and sincere apology to the Dowler family. The Dowler family told him that his papers should lead the way to set the standards of honesty and decency in the field, and not what had gone on before. At the end of the day, actions are going to speak louder than words."
He added: "He apologised many times. I don't think anybody could have held their head in their hands so many times."
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47522
News International was guilty of "law-breaking on an industrial scale", Labour former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday - as he claimed there were more victims to be revealed.
Brown said he knew the names of further victims as he told MPs he was not speaking for himself but for the families of terrorist victims and soldiers killed in war, as well as the family of Milly Dowler.
He told MPs he wanted to defend the freedoms of the press but reforms were needed.
"At all times I have defended the right of the press to expose any wrongdoing wherever it is found and to speak truth to power however uncomfortable it is and indeed was for me," he said.
"It is my judgment that we should reform but never undermine something so fundamental to our ordered liberty, our twin commitments to both the freedom of the information and a free press."
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47500
Pressure is mounting on Rupert Murdoch as David Cameron joined demands for the media mogul to drop his BSkyB takeover bid in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.
The Prime Minister will make a statement to MPs after the Tories and Liberal Democrats dramatically signalled they would support Labour leader Ed Miliband's parliamentary motion calling for the plan to be abandoned.
Cameron, Nick Clegg and Miliband were also said to be in "close to agreement" on the nature of an inquiry into hacking allegations, following "positive" talks.
As well as his political counterparts, the premier met Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson on Tuesday night, receiving "assurances about the independence" of current investigations.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47493
The Information Commissioner’s Office has confirmed that it has handed over documents from a 2003 investigation into the use of private investigators across Fleet Street to the Met police team investigating press phone-hacking claims.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=47573
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