The head of the parliamentary inquiry into phone hacking has written to News International's chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, to ask for details of alleged payments made by The Sun newspaper to police officers.

Gore-based film-maker Eli Roth has been working with Russell Crowe on the unlikely-sounding historical kung fu action thriller The Man with the Iron Fists, co-starring Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA (as a "weapons-making village blacksmith in feudal China"), who is also the film's director.

"We did a little police work of our own," Paul Farrelly told Assistant Commissioner Yates. "We rang up the News of the World and asked how many Nevilles they had working for them. The answer was – one."

One of Britain's top police officers says he will appear before MPs to answer allegations that he misled Parliament over the phone hacking scandal, The Independent has learnt.

Even as the national heart swells with anticipatory joy over an imminent royal wedding, it quakes with fear at the distant approach of another. How in God's name will Labour's ruling house of Miliband resolve the best man conundrum when Ed succumbs to tabloid pressure to make an honest woman of Justine?

One of Scotland Yard's most senior officers should reappear before a Parliamentary committee to answer criticism of his handling of the phone hacking case, MPs said yesterday.

David Cameron was forced to try to head off a rift with Buckingham Palace last night after his new spin-doctor appeared to question the Duke of York's future as a British trade envoy.

Downing Street today offered robust support to the Duke of York amid calls for him to resign as UK trade envoy over his relationships with a series of controversial figures, including a convicted paedophile.

John Prescott has long condemned Scotland Yard's handling of the original investigation into hacking carried out by a private investigator working for the News of the World.

A Murdochian rebuke to the ageist BBC made flesh, Sky News anchor Kay "Hurley" Burley continues to report the news vigorously, if not rigorously, despite her advancing years.