A boycott threat could be looming over the London 2012 Olympics.

Silvio Berlusconi has failed in an emergency bid to obtain a High Court order preventing evidence being taken in a UK court relating to corruption allegations.

THE parents of Madeleine McCann, actor Hugh Grant and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling were named yesterday as core participants in the first stage of the inquiry into the British phone-hacking scandal.

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron and his most senior colleagues must “come clean” over their dealings with the Murdochs, Labour said yesterday.

ACTOR Hugh Grant and writer Jemima Khan must be shown police information which indicates their telephone messages might have been intercepted by a private investigator working for the press, a High Court judge has ruled.

Ulrika Jonsson is planning to take legal action against the News of the World in connection with alleged phone hacking, a law firm representing the television presenter said today.

Wayne Rooney will consider taking legal action against the News of the World after Scotland Yard detectives told him he may have been a phone hacking target.

A PUBLIC apology from Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper arm, designed to contain an escalating phone-hacking scandal, looked to have failed after a judge said civil cases against the firm could run into next year at least.

The News of the World phone hacking scandal will go to the High Court in Britain later for a judge to decide how the case should proceed.

THE News of the World publicly apologised yesterday for hacking into the voicemail of numerous top celebrities, in a scandal that has engulfed top politicians, royals and stars.

The News of the World has publicly apologised to victims of the newspaper’s phone-hacking controversy, saying that the invasions of privacy “should not have happened”.

News of the World publisher News International was today preparing to pay out millions of pounds in compensation after it admitted liability for intercepting the telephone messages of a number of public figures including actress Sienna Miller.

SCOTLAND YARD was battling to stop the phone hacking scandal spiralling out of control last night amid a storm of fresh revelations.

Voting opens in Labour’s shadow cabinet elections today, with 49 MPs battling for a place in Ed Miliband’s top team.

Labour leader Ed Miliband left the door open for his elder brother David to return to the party’s front line today after the former foreign secretary dramatically announced he was quitting the shadow cabinet.

Judges say prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s trial on corruption charges will continue, despite a ruling by Italy’s highest appellate court that overturned the conviction of the British lawyer the Italian leader allegedly bribed.

Italy's highest court is hearing the appeal today of British lawyer David Mills, who was found guilty of accepting a bribe to lie in court to protect Silvio Berlusconi.

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi did not attend a hearing today in a case accusing him of bribing a British lawyer to lie in evidence.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was today facing the prospect of a dramatic challenge to his leadership after two former Cabinet ministers issued a call for the issue to be resolved "once and for all".

The tax fraud trial of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi reopened today after a year but was immediately adjourned to January.

Allegations of phone tapping at Britain’s best-selling Sunday newspaper were dismissed today by the industry’s watchdog.

Italy’s magistrates staged courtroom protests across the country today over premier Silvio Berlusconi’s latest attack on prosecutors and judges.

Italy's top court today overturned an immunity law shielding Premier Silvio Berlusconi from a corruption trial in Milan.

Rio de Janeiro claimed a stunning victory in the race to host the 2016 Olympics as favourites Chicago slumped to a crushing defeat.

The British government insulted MPs trying to scrutinise a key Omagh bomb report when it denied full access, an influential House of Commons committee said today.

CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron yesterday criticised journalists guilty of “unacceptable practices” but continued to back the former British tabloid newspaper editor who heads his media relations team.

The publisher of the News of the World today defended its journalists and said it would not “shirk from vigorously defending our right and proper role to expose wrongdoing”.

Britain's Guardian newspaper has claimed the publisher of the News of the World, News Group Newspapers, paid out more than £1m (€1.2m) to settle cases that threatened to reveal evidence of the group's journalists' alleged involvement in telephone hacking.

BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s bid to re-establish confidence in his government days before he sets out the budget is being thwarted by a sleaze scandal he cannot shake off.

The eyes of the world were on Beijing as a glittering opening ceremony heralded the start of the Games.

Commuters and survivors stood shoulder to shoulder with the families of victims today to mark the third anniversary of the London bombings.

Ken Livingstone’s defeat in the race for London mayor put the seal today on a disastrous set of elections for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Tory MP Boris Johnson looked set to be crowned Mayor of London tonight barring a last-minute turnaround.

Ken Livingstone today welcomed support he has received from former adversaries Tony Blair and Alistair Campbell in his fight to retain the London mayoralty.

The Olympic torch arrived in Britain tonight in readiness for it to be paraded through the streets of London tomorrow.

A MILAN appeals court acquitted former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in a corruption case yesterday, upholding an earlier acquittal in one of several cases faced by Italy’s richest man.

The FA Cup final will return to Wembley in May – bringing to an end one of the most protracted sagas in English sport.

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi faced a new trial today on charges of corruption along with the estranged husband of British culture minister Tessa Jowell.

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi faced a new trial today on charges of corruption along with the estranged husband of British culture minister Tessa Jowell.

The cost of hosting the 2012 Olympics could be set as high as £9bn (€13.4bn), according to a report.

A MEMORIAL to the 52 commuters who were killed in suicide bomb attacks in London on July 7, 2005 is to be built in the city’s main park, it was announced yesterday.

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty swapped one famously rowdy house for another today when she arrived at the UK's House of Commons to watch British Prime Minister’s question time.

Celebrity Big Brother housemates Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd both apologised to Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty in a belated attempt at reconciliation.

Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd’s careers appeared to be crumbling tonight as a result of their alleged racism on Celebrity Big Brother, while Channel 4 remained defiant about the show.