Britain's press watchdog, charged with keeping newspapers out of trouble, was in the embarrassing position of having to say sorry itself yesterday, apologising for potentially misleading comments made by its chairman about the phone-hacking scandal.

The private investigator embroiled in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal has been ordered to reveal the names of the journalists who instructed him to illegally intercept private voicemail messages.

The editor of the Scottish News of the World today denied being part of an "illegal culture of phone tapping" after Tommy Sheridan suggested his phone was bugged.

Scotland Yard detectives passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service last night containing "new material" about the alleged widespread culture of phone hacking at the News of the World.

No cheese, but the toast of the nation

David Cameron's director of communications Andy Coulson may be be cross-examined under oath in a Scottish courtroom at the perjury trial of the former Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan, it emerged last night. The top Tory aide and ex-News of the World editor has been added to the list of defence witnesses to be called, along with Glenn Mulcaire, a private investigator. Mr Coulson gave a statement to Mr Sheridan's solicitor last month.

John Prescott is embroiled in an extraordinary row with the former senior Scotland Yard officer who investigated the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

Lord Prescott was accused of "ranting" and wasting public money today after he said he would seek a judicial review into the News of the World phone-hacking row.

The actress Sienna Miller is poised to become the latest litigant to join a growing queue of high-profile figures seeking damages from the publishers of the News of the World newspaper over the illegal hacking of voicemail messages.

The No 10 communications chief proclaims his innocence, but with inquiries and court cases threatening, David Cameron and Rupert Murdoch are watching keenly. James Hanning reports

The former mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, yesterday became the latest public figure to suggest that he is a victim of phone-hacking by News of the World journalists. He is writing to the Metropolitan Police to ask whether his details were on the list of names seized by officers who arrested Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman, the private investigator and tabloid reporter jailed for phone-hacking in 2007.

New parliamentary inquiry will have the power to force senior newspaper executives to give evidence

Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator at the centre of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, could be forced to hand over details of his journalist contacts at a succession of cases due to come to court.

MPs referred the News of the World phone-hacking row to the parliamentary sleaze watchdog today for further investigation.