Electrifying exchanges between Tom Watson and Rupert Murdoch. Rupert Murdoch says he was not aware that a reporter had been found guilty of blackmail.

Asked why NoW chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck was not dismissed following the Max Mosley case, Rupert Murdoch replies: "I'd never heard of him."

Tom Watson asks what News International did after the arrest of Glen Mulcaire and Clive Goodman. Rupert Murdoch says it employed a leading firm of lawyers to investigate it further.

Rupert Murdoch says the News of the World was less than 1% of his company. Tapping his desk to make his point, he says he employs people on trust to run his divisions.

Rupert Murdoch says "Yes" when asked by Labour's Tom Watson whether the company had a "zero tolerance" attitude to wrongdoing. He agrees that it was misled.

James Murdoch says he has no knowledge that Rebekah Brooks or Les hinton knew about phone hacking. Their resignations were accepted on that basis, he adds.

News International's provision of information that led in part to the re-opening of police investigations into hacking show the company's approach, James Murdoch tells the committee.

It is a matter of "deep frustration" and "real regret" that the facts did not emerge earlier, James Murdoch says.

It was not clear in 2008 and 2009 that there were any extra matters to be dealt with, James Murdoch says. He says the "critical new facts" arose in the civil trials at the end of 2010.

James Murdoch says that this followed the successful prosecutions of 2007 and the resignation of Andy Coulson as NoW editor. The company relied on legal opinion from outside that there was no additional illegality, he adds.

Mr Whittingdale says that, when his committee took evidence in 2009, all the News International executives said there had been a thorough investigation and no more evidence found. Was this a lie, he asks.

The Murdochs address MPs on the culture committee, while Rupert's wife Wendi watches from the public gallery.

James Murdoch opens with an apology - he was denied an opening statement by the chairman but he is clearly delivering it anyway. His father adds a truncated version of his own -'the most humble day in my life.' Of course worth remembering he needed to be summonsed by MPs, and did not volunteer to give evidence on this day.

News International alerted the police and re-started the investigation now under way. It has admitted liability in some cases and apologised unreservedly, James Murdoch says.

James Murdoch continues, saying that he came to realise that potentially more people had been involved in hacking, following hearings in 2009.

Rupert Murdoch interrupts his son to say: "This is the most humble day of my life."

Mr Whittingdale asks James Murdoch why he admitted previously that Parliament had been misled by News International statements. Mr Murdoch apologises, saying it is a matter of sadness to the company and to him and his father.

Some protesters, holding up signs, are removed from the Boothroyd Room, at the request of committee chairman John Whittingdale.

The Murdochs, both wearing dark suits, pour some water. James Murdoch asks to make an opening statement. Committee chairman John Whittingdale refuses, saying they can do so after the hearing.

The moment has arrived. Rupert and James Murdoch are in place for their session with the culture committee.

Newspapers will, on a weekly basis run interesting articles - but police won't launch investigations on the back of all of them, Mr Yates tells the MPs.

Labour's Alun Michael says everyone expected him to look broadly at the old police investigation into hacking. Mr Yates disagrees, saying it was just a case of "looking at what's new" and deciding whether it merited a fresh investigation.

A moment of levity as Mr Vaz assures Mr Yates he will be out of there before the next witness arrives - at 5.30pm. "I'm enjoying myself so much," jokes Mr Yates

Has there been a fair allocation of blame between the Met and CPS? Mr Yates says not - the Met had taken legal advice. "It is utterly, absolutely clear what advice we got - anybody who says a police investigation isn't framed by legal advice doesn't live in the real world."

"This wasn't a body being found, this was an article in a newspaper," he adds, referring to The Guardian article that reignited interest in phone hacking.

"You can criticise me with hindsight but it was a reasonably sophisticated process to go through around an article in a newspaper," says Mr Yates.

Mr Yates says, of his hacking review, it wasn't a case of "finger in the air, I don't fancy it" - it was reasonably sophisticated in terms of the points covered, he says. "I had been assured that the material had been reviewed by counsel," he adds.

John Yates says the PM's head of staff Ed Llewellyn turned down the offer of a briefing on the "scoping" of an investigation following New York Times stories on phone hacking (that appears to be September 2010) - John Yates said he didn't speak to Andy Coulson about this - but did speak to him when he was at No10 on the unrelated topic of police reform.

Commons Speaker John Bercow has refused to allow a new vote to enable Labour MP Cathy Jamieson to sit on the culture committee, which will question Rupert and James Murdoch. Her appointment to the committee was blocked by a Tory MP last night. A point of order was raised by the shadow leader of the House Hilary Benn, seeking a change to the timetable to allow a vote before the committee starts, but Mr Bercow said he was unable to do this.

Assistant Commissioner John Yates again stresses he did not carry out a full "review" of the original police investigation into hacking - he just tried to establish certain facts around the case.

Mr Yates says he met Andy Coulson but did not discuss phone hacking with him - or Neil Wallis.

Mr Yates goes through his phone call with Neil Wallis about a potential contract with the Met - he says he received "categorical assurances" that there was nothing still being investigated by the Guardian that could embarrass the Met.

John Yates repeats allegation of last week: "News International completely covered-up" phone hacking - no doubt this will be put to the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks when they come before the culture and media committee shortly.

He predicts a "very small number of police officers" will be jailed for corruption over the phone hacking saga.

Mr Yates's words are again quoted back at him that he made a "crap decision" not to reopen the phone hacking investigation - but he stresses that he meant that in the context of what he knows now.

Mr Yates stresses that Mr Wallis is still an "innocent man".

Rather like an edition of the recently revived game show "Mr and Mrs", Keith Vaz points out that John Yates wasn't able to listen to Mr Fedorcio's evidence earlier. Like that show, sometimes answers don't match up.

John Yates says it was down to PR chief Mr Fedorcio to carry out "due diligence" on Neil Wallis - not him. Mr Fedorcio, for his part, said it was John Yates who assured him Mr Wallis's contract wouldn't embarrass the Met.

Keith Vaz asks which officials were trying to "protect the prime minister" from certain information - for example the employment of Mr Wallis. Mr Yates says in 2010 there was an offer to brief Mr Cameron's chief of staff on the nuances of what a "scoping exercise" was - following a New York Times article. There was some confusion about language. The offer was rejected, he says.

More from David Cameron's press conference in Nigeria. Addressing the resignations of Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and assistant commissioner John Yates, the PM says: "Paul Stephenson and John Yates have made their decisions. They have made honourable decisions. I thank them for the service they have given."

Lib Dem Julian Huppert asks whether an assistant commissioner sending an email to the Met's HR department was usual - Mr Yates says the director of HR would have "aborted the process" if there was anything wrong with it.

Asked whether he was close friends with Mr Wallis - Mr Yates says he met him two or three times per year over six years or so: "I don't go round to his house on a regular basis," he says - adding he may have done so once to pick him up for a football match. he accepts he is a friend but says they are not "bosom buddies living in each others' houses".

He repeats the phrase again: "I was simply a post box". It happens all the time, he adds - pointing out that MPs employ relatives. He denies having secured a job for her - saying he sent one email on her behalf and he gave only an "equivocal interest" in whether she was employed or not.

Interesting choice of words from Mr Yates on his alleged nepotism: "I simply acted as a post box for an application". He is accused of securing a job at the job at the Met for Neil Wallis's daughter.

Mr Yates says it is "slightly over-egging the pudding" to suggest he had carried out "due diligence" - he had simply sought categorical assurances from Mr Wallis that he had done nothing to do with phone hacking that could embarrass the force. He says it was not "due diligence".

It is interesting to see how what appeared to be normal behaviour now looks very different once viewed through the post-hacking prism. Mr Fedorcio says he knew nothing of the first hacking investigation until arrests were made and didn't advise senior officers on their decisions to dine with News International. Keith Vaz summed up the MPs' quizzing of the PR chief thus: "We are not any clearer than we were when we started."

Keith Vaz starts by referring to the employment of Neil Wallis - Mr Yates had done "due diligence" and advised Mr Fedorcio Mr Wallis was fine to take on.

All fingers so far are pointing to John Yates - Dick Fedorcio said he never personally asked Neil Wallis any questions about phone hacking - he took an assurance from John Yates that Mr Wallis's contract wouldn't embarrass the Met.

Keith Vaz starts by asking why Mr Yates resigned. He says it's because phone hacking had become a huge distraction from his main role - as head of counter terrorism.

John Yates is back in front of the home affairs committee - just a week after his last appearance.

Mr Fedorcio says the first time he became aware of phone hacking was when he returned from leave in August 2006. The only dinner he attended with Andy Hayman and News International was in April 2006, while the hacking investigation was happening. He says he had no knowledge at the time of the investigation and says it would have been inappropriate for him to know at the time.

Mr Fedorcio says he did not give preference to News International when "placing stories" in the media. He also says he only found out Mr Wallis's daughter was working at the Met yesterday.

Mr Fedorcio says he discovered Mr Wallis was working independently in "mid-August" - asked if it was Rebekah Brooks that recommended him, Mr Fedorcio says "certainly not". He says he does not believe he was recommended by someone at News International.

Mr Fedorcio says he talked to John Yates about hiring Mr Wallis specifically because of his involvement in the phone-hacking investigation. He adds he has "no reason to doubt" Mr Yates's integrity.

In the committee room Tory MP Nicola Blackwood suggests it was not appropriate for Mr Yates to do "due diligence" on his friend - Mr Fedorcio says he had no reason to doubt Mr Yates's integrity

After his appearance, Sir Paul Stephenson has issued the following statement: "Today's almost certainly my final professional public engagement after almost 36 years of policing."

Mr Fedorcio says he knew Mr Yates was a personal friend of Mr Wallis - Keith Vaz questions why he allowed Mr Yates to carry out due diligence on the former NoW deputy in that case.

Mr Wallis was employed to help with "corporate policy matters" - not "operational activity" says Mr Fedorcio. He says he "never" discussed the phone-hacking scandal with Mr Wallis.

Did the Met go out to tender for the contract to hire Mr Wallis? Mr Fedorcio says he got three quotes and of those, Mr Wallis, was "by far the cheapest".

David Cameron, who is in Nigeria, describes the death of the former News of the World journalist Sean Hoare as "a tragedy".

Lib Dem Julian Huppert asks why the directorate of public affairs has not declared any hospitality since 2009 - Mr Fedorcio says until recently only the commissioner and deputy commissioner's hospitality was published.

Mark Reckless asks why there are 50 people working on PR for the Met - shouldn't they be catching criminals? Mr Fedorcio says there is enormous media interest in the police and the press office takes pressure off officers.

Mr Fedorcio says he cannot remember exactly what Mr Yates said, but as far as Mr Yates was concerned - there was nothing that could embarrass the force in employing Mr Wallis.

Mr Winnick asks why a man of his experience did not ask Mr Wallis himself about phone hacking. Mr Fedorcio says Mr Yates put the question - and that was "more than enough times".

Mr Fedorcio says having considered him as a consultant - he spoke to John Yates who conducted "a form of due diligence" on Mr Wallis, who gave him assurances there was nothing in his past that could embarrass the force.

Labour MP David Winnick suggests Mr Fedorcio should have asked Mr Wallis, as a former NoW deputy editor, what he knew about phone hacking

In September 2009 - Mr Wallis was given the job, eight months after John Yates completed his review of the original phone hacking investigation.

Mr Fedorcio says he saw Mr Wallis - who he had known since 1997 as a "business colleague" - Mr Vaz suggests a better phrase should be a "professional colleague". Mr Fedorcio agrees - but he says he was not a personal friend.

Mr Fedorcio tells the committee he needed someone with the right experience and knowledge - and decided he needed a "retainer contract" - with access to an adviser "if or when I needed to get advice". Mr Wallis's name was put forward - but he can't remember who suggested it.

Mr Vaz presses his question - why Mr Wallis? Mr Fedorcio says he had need for external advice and support because his deputy was recovering from a serious illness. There was great pressure and he needed help - the commissioner advised him to get some help.

Mr Fedorcio says he wants to be "open and helpful" but he has been referred to the independent police complaints commission and has not had time to take legal advice. Mr Vaz says all the committee's witnesses have been referred to the IPCC - and it had not held back Sir Paul Stephenson.

Next up before the committee is Dick Fedorcio, the Met's Director of Public Affairs - which among other things runs the force's media operation. Why did he employ Mr Wallis, Keith Vaz asks.

Sir Paul says he is going because he is a leader - and is putting the force first. "That's leadership, and that is why I'm going," he says.

Sir Paul has tee'd up the next session with John Yates - his own session has overrun so it would be surprising if John Yates isn't grilled for even longer. When the Assistant Commissioner last came before this committee the chairman Keith Vaz said he found Mr Yates's evidence 'unconvincing.' At that time Mr Yates was adamant he wouldn't resign. A week is a long time in policing and politics.

Chairman Keith Vaz begins to wrap up - where does Sir Paul's resignation leave the Met? Sir Paul says he sincerely regrets that Mr Yates has quit - but he says the London force will recover, and the vast majority of officers are decent, hard working individuals.

Ten members of the Met's Department for Public Affairs - where 45 press officers work - have worked previously for News International in some capacity, Sir Paul reveals.

MP Nicola Blackwood asks if Sir Paul made any "informal remarks" to Mr Yates about his expectations when he asked him to take another look at the previous hacking inquiry - Sir Paul says he doesn't think so.

Sir Paul says with a big story, the Met would generally try to put a response out as quickly as possible.

Tory MP Mark Reckless asks if John Yates might have felt under pressure to provide a quick response about reopening the phone hacking case - because Sir Paul himself had said he anticipated a statement perhaps later that day - Sir Paul says he doesn't think so.

Lib Dem Julian Huppert asks about News of the World journalist Neville Thurlbeck, who the Evening Standard claims "has admitted working as an official police source under the codename "George'" and, the paper alleges, was given to access to the police national computer. Would Sir Paul have been aware of this? Sir Paul says he was not.

Interesting that Sir Paul stresses that the former anti-terror chief Peter Clarke "was a man of great integrity" but declines to offer the same description of his then colleague Andy Hayman.

Boris Johnson's famous "codswallop" reference to the phone hacking allegations is raised - Sir Paul says he doubts that's what John Yates would have told the mayor of London

Ahead of the Murdochs appearing before another committee later - there's a queue outside Portcullis House, 15 journalists have been allowed in but the rest have been turned away. 30 members of the public have also been allowed in.

Sir Paul is being asked why the investigation was not re-opened in 2009 - he says questions on this topic will have to be put to Mr Yates but says he had no reason to suspect the first investigation had not been successful

The session had been due to end at 1315 - looks like it's going to overrun.

And the committee moves on to the first phone hacking police investigation - does he accept it was "not as thorough" as it should have been? Sir Paul says the investigation was run by a man of great integrity - Peter Clarke. Is he suggesting Andy Hayman is not a man of great integrity - Sir Paul denies this.

It's going round in circles a bit as Sir Paul again says he had no reason to doubt Mr Wallis

Labour MP Steve McCabe asks what Mr Wallis was appointed to do in Sir Paul's office - Sir Paul says he did not work in his office but gave him "occasional advice on speeches" and did not work directly for him.

Were police judgements clouded because of friendships with journalists? Sir Paul says he has no reason to believe that.

Sir Paul says he does not read former Met Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman's columns in the Times

David Winnick is not convinced - Sir Paul says the original phone hacking investigation, which resulted in two convictions, had appeared successful at the time

The committee continues its questions about the employment of former NoW deputy editor Neil Wallis - Labour MP David Winnick asks if it doesn't seem "amazing" that after one police probe into phone hacking, the person involved at the paper involved was hired by the Met.

Tory MP Lorraine Fullbrook asks if Mr Wallis was consulted about Sir Paul's contact with the Guardian - Sir Paul says absolutely not and adds he had never had a conversation with Mr Wallis about phone hacking.

Sir Paul says he does not believe the Met was "involved in a conspiracy".

Sir Paul denies putting pressure on the Guardian to "lay off" the phone hacking story

Was Neil Wallis on £1,000 a day? Sir Paul says he was told he was "the cheapest person available".

Lib Dem Julian Huppert says he cannot find any declaration that Sir Paul had stayed at Champneys - Sir Paul says he made sure it was in the hospitality register, which would be published "at the end of the next quarter".

Sir Paul says he was not involved in the "procurement" process by which Mr Wallis got the job. He says he only found out at the weekend that Mr Wallis's daughter got a job with the Metropolitan Police

Sir Paul says there are 45 media consultants or press officers working for the Met - Keith Vaz asks why he needed another one. Sir Paul says he regrets the "embarrassing" contract with Mr Wallis but he says the Met public affairs team needed extra support.

Sir Paul says he doesn't think he ever met Mr Coulson before David Cameron became prime minister. Keith Vaz suggests it is inconceivable that Mr Coulson would not know that Neil Wallis had a job with the Met - Sir Paul says if they were friends, they would have talked. He stresses that Mr Wallis was "not working directly for me".

Sir Paul said he wanted an exchange with the Guardian and to know why they were not accepting police assurances - and told them to liaise with Mr Yates.

Wasn't it odd that the former NoW editor ended up with a job with the leader of the opposition - now PM David Cameron - and his deputy ended up with a job with the Met? Chairman Keith Vaz asks.

This line of questioning is interesting - why did Sir Paul say he was too busy to make phone hacking a priority, yet he also told The Guardian that their stories on hacking were overblown? Sir Paul places responsibility for this firmly on John Yates's shoulders - Mr Yates has to answer questions in the next hour.

Tory MP James Clappison asks why Sir Paul had tried to persuade the Guardian their phone hacking coverage was exaggerated - he says he relied on assurances from Assistant Commissioner John Yates.

Sir Paul says it was not his decision to make News International so dominant in the marketplace - as he defends the amount of contact he had with the newspaper group

Just like the former anti-terrorist assistant commissioner Andy Hayman before him, Sir Paul is taking the line that, faced with a terrorist threat, phone hacking just wasn't a priority

Sir Paul says between 2005 and 2010, the News of the World represented 17% of his press contacts, while the paper represented 16% of press readership.

Asked by Conservative James Clappison why he had 18 lunches or dinners with the News of the World over a five-year period, and seven or eight with Neil Wallis, Sir Paul says the Met commissioner has to meet the media. But he adds that "we need to change the way we do it".

The stay at Champneys was declared in the hospitality register, despite there being no need to do so, Sir Paul says.

Labour MP David Winnick asks if it was "inappropriate" to receive free hospitality from Champneys - owned by a family friend of Sir Paul. The ex-police chief disagrees, saying it was "damnably unlucky" that Neil Wallis was connected to the company.

Sir Paul says he is "very, very confident" that ex-assistant commissioner John Yates would not have known of Neil Wallis's connection with Champneys, despite describing him as a personal friend.

Mr Wallis did not declare to anyone at the Met that he was working for Champneys, Sir Paul says.

Sir Paul says he is "completely baffled" as to why he should have known Neil Wallis was working for Champneys health spa when he accepted a free stay there.

Phone hacking was not a priority for the Met, admits Sir Paul, unlike the "night stalker" rapist case, the murder of Stephen Lawrence and other "major, major cases".

Sir Paul says that, when he became commissioner, there was no reason for the phone hacking case to be on his desk.

Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert asks whether the morale of the Met could be improved - and how. Sir Paul says some colleagues have spoken of their "pride" that he has taken responsibility for problems and resigned.

Sir Paul is asked why he did not tell the PM earlier about Neil Wallis. He says he does not recall sharing any information on suspects with the PM previously.

Labour leapt on Sir Paul's comments about Andy Coulson in his resignation speech and tried to get the focus on to David Cameron's judgment rather than on the police but Sir Paul is giving them very little additional ammunition today.

Outgoing Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson is coming under sustained questioning from MPs about why he resigned - and why he appeared to criticise the prime minister in his resignation statement.

Asked if he should have been alerted sooner about the "conflict" involving Neil Wallis, Sir Paul says this would not have been possible. Only Mr Wallis could have done so, he adds.

The first time Sir Paul read an article mentioning Neil Wallis in connection with phone hacking was in January this year, he says.

Committee chairman quizzes Sir Paul about why he did not tell the home secretary about the plan to arrest Mrs Brooks

Sir Paul says he knew Rebekah Brooks was going to be arrested "a day or two before" it happened on Sunday.

No10 will be pleased that, rather than ratcheting up the pressure on David Cameron, now Sir Paul says he didn't intend to imply, in his resignation speech, the prime minister wasn't trustworthy.

Ex-News of the World journalist Neil Wallis's PR contract with the Met was "very minor and part-time", Sir Paul says.

Sir Paul says he never asked a question about phone hacking, as he had no reason to believe the original investigation had been unsuccessful.

"I made no personal attack on the prime minister", Sir Paul says.

Sir Paul says he had no reason to doubt Neil Wallis's integrity or associate it with hacking when he hired him to do PR work.

Sir Paul says he agrees with the prime minister that the employment of Neil Wallis by the Met was "entirely different" to Mr Cameron's hiring of Andy Coulson as his chief of communications. He denies he was "taking a swipe" at the PM in his resignation speech by comparing the two issues.

Keith Vaz has fessed up to his own connections with Champney's but raised the issue that would take the current controversy close to David Cameron's door very early on in proceedings

Many colleagues - and his wife - urged Sir Paul not to resign, he tells the home affairs committee.

Keith Vaz asks whether London Mayor Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Theresa May gave him enough backing. Sir Paul says he had their full support.

Sir Paul adds that his decision to quit was "very sad" but continuing speculation meant he had to go quickly rather than take his time, particularly ahead of organising the policing for the 2012 Olympics.

Asked why he resigned, Sir Paul says he was "very, very clear" that he did not want media coverage to be about "me, the leader" rather than the work of his staff.

Home affairs committee chairman Keith Vaz thanks Sir Paul for attending during "difficult times".

Sir Paul Stephenson is in place before the committee.

Outgoing Metropolitan Police commisioner Sir Paul Stephenson has arrived for his home affairs select committee session.

Almost time for the home affairs committee. Former Home Secretary Jack Straw says he does not agree with ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock's suggestion that the print media should be regulated in a manner similar to broadcasters.

David Cameron has been telling students at the Lagos Business School, in Nigeria, that keeping an independent media is important. Regulation must also be independent of government, he argued.

It would not take much for some Tory backbenchers to stop viewing David Cameron as an asset and begin to see him as a liability, writes the BBC's Iain Watson.

Paul Connew, former deputy editor of the News of the World, says David Cameron has not "caught up with the public mood", having been in Afghanistan when the Milly Dowler phone-hacking story broke.

Less than half an hour to go until Sir Paul Stephenson's hearing. The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland tells the BBC that Britain's political class has suddenly lost its "fear" of Rupert Murdoch. He adds that he cannot see anything in his connection with Andy Coulson that causes anything more than "discomfort" for David Cameron.

A columnist in the Baghdad daily, al-Mada, writes: ''Why can't Iraqi officials behave like London police chief Sir Paul Stephenson? The simple answer is that, unlike the London police chief, these officials have hardly any integrity or morals.''

People queuing for the culture commitee meeting are sitting down to picnic lunches outside Westminster's Portcullis House, where the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks are to be questioned.

The prime minister's official spokesman rejects claims that David Cameron broke the ministerial code when he met James Murdoch days after News Corp's bid for the remaining shares in BSkyB had been passed to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Barrister Geoffrey Robertson says the culture committee will have to ask the Murdochs about the impact of breaches of privacy on the public.

Conservative Party deputy chairman Michael Fallon says the government has been "in front of events" regarding phone hacking.

A spokesman for Charlie Brooks, the husband of Rebekah Brooks, says the seizure of a laptop and documents belonging to him has been "blown out of all proportion". David Wilson said a friend of Mr Brooks was returning a bag belonging to Mr Brooks when he erroneously left it in a garage area at Chelsea Harbour on Monday.

Some commentators aren't convinced there will be revelations in MPs' questioning. Labour MP Austin Mitchell says in the Times "we are in for the great anti-climax". David Allen Green predicts Rebekah Brooks will want to avoid incriminating herself from future prosecution. More on what to expect in the BBC's Daily View.

One MP on the culture committee has said the questioning of the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks could be "forensic" and a "little bit plodding", BBC political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg says.

The Global Times continues: "This has fostered professional conceit and a moral sense of superiority among media people from the UK, US as well as the Western powers. Any unsupervised power will be abused easily... The UK tabloids should not be the only ones reflecting on the News of the World scandal. The Western media should also draw lessons from this.''

Several Chinese papers have been commenting on the hacking scandal, including Beijing's Global Times, which says: ''The Anglo-American media are at an absolute advantage in global opinion. They have the freedom to disclose, the authority to criticise, yet they themselves have not been monitored for a long time."

About 50 people are queuing to see the home affairs select committee's hearing, while about 40 photographers are waiting outside the Palace of Westminster.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been asked to investigate Metropolitan Police communications chief Dick Federcio over connections with News International and his relationship with Neil Wallis, the BBC's Danny Shaw reports. Mr Federcio is appearing before the home affairs committee this afternoon.

And here, courtesy of BBC field producer Paul Lambert, is a picture of that queue, outside Portcullis House, across the road from the Houses of Parliament, where the culture committee hearing is taking place.

Nick Bryant, the BBC's Sydney correspondent, says Australian politicians have also worked hard to court Rupert Murdoch, particularly ahead of elections. He expands on the theme here.

News of the World whistleblower Sean Hoare, who was found dead on Monday, was an "incredibly talented reporter and warm-hearted person", former colleague Neil Ashton tells Sky News.

Ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock's call for more controls on press balance would "shackle the media", former News of the World journalist David Wooding says.

Mark Lewis, the solicitor for Milly Dowler's family, says his clients want to know the truth about what happened with the police and the News of the World. They need an "underlying explanation as to what happened", he tells the BBC News Channel.

David Wooding, former News of the World political editor, says Rebecca Brooks is a very calm person. The questions MPs will ask are "pretty obvious", he adds.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, at 4/1, is favourite to replace him as permanent leader of the Conservative Party

Bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 16/1 about "under pressure" PM David Cameron being out of office by the weekend.

BBC home affairs correspondent Sophie Hutchinson says James Murdoch looked "pretty relaxed" when he arrived at News International's HQ at Wapping, east London, earlier this morning.

BBC deputy political editor James Landale, who is in Nigeria with David Cameron, says the prime minister's media team is calling for some "perspective" on the hacking scandal, which comes at a time of great concern over the global economy and a growing humanitarian disaster in the Horn of Africa.

Mr Winnick adds that the committee found evidence given by John Yates last week "pretty unconvincing".

Labour MP and home affairs committee member David Winnick says he and his colleagues will "go over" the reasons for Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation.

The government has now moved to have the Commons reconsider Mrs Jamieson's nomination but it will not happen before the culture committee sits this afternoon. A spokesman for Mrs jamieson told the BBC they did not know why Mr de Bois had objected. He does not sit on the committee and the Labour MP has never met him and there is no history between the two, writes Robin Brant. Mr de Bois could not be contacted.

More on Nick De Bois' intervention, which has upset some Labour MPs: The Tory MP objected to the election of Labour's Cathy Jamieson to the culture committee, to replace the late David Cairns, who died in May. Mr De Bois took everyone by surprise when he shouted "no" when a motion came before the Commons just after midnight . Mrs Jamieson's nomination was agreed by an all-party group and was not expected to be controversial, writes the BBC's Robin Brant.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, says police have told him it could be three months before his complaint that his phone was hacked is fully investigated. This is due to the backlog caused by the "sheer weight of evidence" which needs to be examined, a spokesman says.

Iran has urged the UK government to look into what it called the "suspicious" death of News of the World whistleblower Sean Hoare, BBC Monitoring reports.

Former Labour MP and Commons home affairs committee chairman Chris Mullin tells Sky News says Rupert Murdoch's appearance later will be a "seminal moment". He has previously "operated in the shadows", he adds.

Lord Prescott says Tony Blair and Gordon Brown always believed Rupert Murdoch could influence elections. Ed Miliband is "leading" efforts to change the relationship between party leaders and News International, he adds.

Rupert Murdoch has arrived at News International's headquarters in Wapping, east London. Son James is already there. Plenty for them to discuss.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott says John Yates has got some serious questions to answer, including those relating to why he ignored "10 bags of evidence" relating to phone hacking.

Labour leader Ed Miliband says MPs must quiz police, the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks in a "calm and level-headed" way.

Rupert Murdoch will give a "good" performance, Lord Fowler says, adding that it would be a "great mistake" to underestimate him.

Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Fowler, the last Parliamentarian to grill Rupert Murdoch, when his Lords committee travelled to New York in 2007, says the Commons committee hearings are just a "step" towards resolving the current issues. The judge-led inquiry set up by the government will be far more important, he tells the BBC News Channel.

A post-mortem examination has been taking place this morning as police continue to investigate the death of News of the World whistleblower Sean Hoare. A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman says: "The man's next of kin have been informed and the family are being supported by police at this sad time."

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who alleges his phone was hacked, says Rupert Murdoch should have appeared before MPs at an earlier stage.

The select committee meetings are "the start of a process of change", Mr Clegg says.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says he hopes the committee hearings will mark the beginning of a "culture of accountability" among the press and police.

BBC home affairs correspondent Matt Prodger says Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates, who have both resigned from the Metroplitan Police, are at New Scotland Yard preparing for their appearance before MPs. Mr Yates arrived at 0600 BST.

Events of the past few days have been "very good news for Parliament", Sir George Young says. Just three years ago many people had "written off" the institution.

Witnesses should give open answers to parliamentary select committees' questions, Sir George Young says. It is important for committee members to discuss their tactics before hearings so they can "hunt as a pack" rather than adopt party-political stances, he adds.

Commons leader Sir George Young says it is "really good that Parliamant is at the centre of debate" over phone hacking and the future of the media.

Lorraine Kelly teases Mr Miliband about the unkind names he has been called ("Robotic" and "Mr Bean"). He says the issues of greatest concern to the public are whether people can get a job and the state of public services, rather than the phone-hacking saga, and the interview comes to an end.

Ed Miliband puts David Cameron on notice. He is not calling for the prime minister's resignation "at the moment", he tells Lorraine Kelly, because "I do not want to go over the top".

People were "frightened" and "worried" by Rupert Murdoch's power before the scandal broke, says Ed Miliband. Politicians want good coverage in newspapers but that does not "justify turning a blind eye" to malpractice, he adds.

Mr Miliband tells Lorraine Kelly he has been "very disturbed" by the phone-hacking revelations.

Labour leader Ed Miliband is also facing a grilling today - from ITV's Lorraine Kelly. He is on the Daybreak sofa now.

Rupert Murdoch is a quietly spoken man and the committee should ensure he turns up the volume on his microphone during his appearance, Alastair Campbell tells the BBC.

Ex-Downing Street head of communications Alastair Campbell says the Murdochs need to employ a strategy which shows they "get" the situation. James Murdoch has the most difficult questions to answer, as he authorised out-of-court payments to hacking victims, he adds.

BBC political correspondent Ben Wright says the Commons culture committee will have to "focus" when they quiz the Murdochs, as they only have up to an hour to gather evidence.

Lawyer David Corker, who advised the sons of the late Daily Mirror owner Robert Maxwell's when they appeared before a parliamentary committee in 1992, after being issued with a summons, tells the BBC that the Murdochs will be told by their legal team to say very little.

Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, praises the "honourable" resignations by Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates from the Metropolitan Police. He tells BBC Radio 4's Today: "I think they made personal judgements based on the overall good of the service that I know they both love and have given their professional lives to."

Ex-Labour leader Lord Kinnock tells Today there is a need for a "real assessment" of press ownership in the UK.

Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spokesman, says Rupert Murdoch's usual strategy is not to answer questions. News International should have dealt with its problems more openly several years ago, he tells Sky News.

Former Labour Party leader Lord Kinnock - who was famously savaged by Murdoch newspaper The Sun ahead of the 1992 general election - tells BBC Radio 4's Today there is "less feeling of politicians being daunted" by Rupert Murdoch following the revelations of recent weeks.

Peter Kirkham, a former Metropiltan Police detective chief inspector, says John Yates and Sir Paul Stephenson should not face a "firestorm and feeding frenzy" from the home affairs committee. He adds: "Unlike politicians who will brazen it out, policing is far too important. It is not a game."

House of Commons leader Sir George Young tells BBC Breakfast that David Cameron will deal with all the relevant questions over his hiring of ex-News of the World editor as his communications chief when he addresses MPs on Wednesday. The PM is flying back early from a trade visit to Africa to deal with the crisis.

Leading QC Geoffrey Robertson tells BBC Breakfast that the appearance of the "Wapping three" before MPs amounts to "bear baiting". He adds that "none of the [Commons culture] committee members are good examiners".

Outside Westminster, former News of the World journalist Sean Hoare, who told BBC's Panorama phone hacking was "endemic" and encouraged by then editor Andy Coulson (something firmly denied by Mr Coulson), was found dead at his home in Watford on Monday. Police say his death is as yet unexplained but not thought to be suspicious.

Before News International's current and former leaders face the MPs, two of Britain's former top police officers - also brought down by the phone-hacking scandal - will appear before MPs on the Commons home affairs committee. Sir Paul Stephenson, who resigned as Metropolitan Police commissioner on Sunday over his hiring of former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis as a PR man, will answer questions about this and the force's handling of hacking investigations. John Yates, the ex-assistant commissioner who also quit on Monday over his links to Mr Wallis, will be also appear.

After the Murdochs, it will be the turn of Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, and editor of the News of the World at the time Milly Dowler's phone was allegedly hacked by a private detective in the paper's employment. She was arrested on Sunday, having quit the company on Friday. As she is part of an ongoing police investigation, this is likely to restrict the nature of the evidence she can give the culture committee, and perhaps the questions to be asked.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of what promises to be an extraordinary day. Rupert Murdoch, the most powerful figure in world media, is to be questioned by a committee of backbench MPs about his company News International's role in the ever-growing phone-hacking scandal. Appearing before the Commons culture committee, alongside son James, he is expected to be asked about allegations including payments to police and the hacking of the telephone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler - the story which brought the whole affair to such huge public prominence. Mr Murdoch Snr has never faced a Commons committee in more than 40 years of owning newspapers in the UK.