Phone hacking: The main players

Hacking scandal: Key figures
Name	Job/position	Connection to phone-hacking investigation
Rupert Murdoch	Chief exec, News Corporation	The NoW was part of Rupert Murdoch's News International newspaper group - itself the UK arm of the media mogul's News Corporation global empire. The 80-year-old Australian-American flew to the UK to take charge of the phone-hacking crisis. During questioning by MPs, he said he was not aware of the extent of phone hacking at the NoW and he had "clearly" been misled by some of his staff. The News Corp boss was attacked by a protester during the committee session.
Rebekah Brooks (nee Wade)	Former chief exec, News International	News International's former chief executive and former NoW editor. Mrs Brooks was the NoW editor when voicemails of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mobile phone were allegedly intercepted. Mrs Brooks was arrested on 17 July 2011 over phone hacking and corruption allegations. Questioned by MPs, she said News International had acted "quickly and decisively" in dealing with the hacking scandal and that she had never sanctioned payments to the police.
James Murdoch	Chairman, News International	Rupert Murdoch's son James is News International's current chairman. He has reiterated the company is fully co-operating with police investigations and he was not, until recently, in the picture about the full extent of wrongdoing at the NoW. Announcing the closure of the Sunday tabloid, he said the allegations were "shocking and hugely regrettable". He told MPs the firm failed to live up to "the standards they aspired to" and he was "determined to put things right".
Les Hinton	Former chief exec, Dow Jones	Les Hinton was chief executive of News Corp's financial news service Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. One of Rupert Murdoch's top executives, Mr Hinton had worked with him for more than five decades. Announcing he was quitting, he said he was "ignorant of what apparently happened" but felt it was proper to resign. Mr Murdoch said it brought him "great sadness".
Andy Coulson	NoW editor 2003-07	Andy Coulson, who was NoW editor between 2003-07, resigned his position following the convictions of ex-NoW royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire for phone hacking. He later became Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman but quit in January 2011 saying ongoing hacking claims were distracting him from his job. Mr Coulson was arrested in July 2011 and later bailed over phone hacking and corruption allegations.
Glenn Mulcaire	Private investigator	Employed by the NoW, Glenn Mulcaire, 40, was jailed in January 2007 for phone hacking. He admitted unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages received by three royal aides. He was also convicted of hacking the phones of a number of other public figures, including publicist Max Clifford and actress Elle Macpherson. In July 2011, allegations emerged he had also hacked into murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mobile phone and had the phone numbers of relatives of service personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Clive Goodman	Ex-NoW royal editor	The former NoW royal editor was jailed for four months in 2007 for phone hacking. He admitted unlawfully intercepting hundreds of telephone voicemail messages received by three members of staff at Buckingham Palace. The investigation was sparked after Prince William became suspicious about a November 2005 NoW story about a knee injury. In July 2011, Goodman, 53, was again arrested and released on bail on suspicion of corruption.
Other journalists
Name	Job/position	Connection to phone-hacking investigation
Ian Edmondson	Ex-NoW assistant editor (news)	The former NoW assistant editor was identified in court documents as having instructed private investigator Glenn Mulcaire to access phone messages. He was sacked from the paper after an internal inquiry had found "highly damaging evidence", a source said. He was arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting mobile phone voicemail messages, and was released on bail until September 2011.
Neville Thurlbeck	Ex-NoW chief reporter	Neville Thurlbeck, former chief reporter at the NoW, was named by Labour MP Tom Watson in January 2011 as one of three journalists who should be investigated. In 2009, police told MPs he had not been interviewed because there was no evidence linking him to the case. He was arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of unlawfully intercepting mobile phone voicemail messages, and released on bail until September 2011.
James Weatherup	Ex-NoW reporter	The former NoW reporter and news editor was arrested on 14 April on suspicion of conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications. He was released on bail until September 2011.
Neil Wallis	Ex-NoW deputy editor	Mr Wallis was arrested by police on 14 July on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. His media consultancy company - Chamy Media - was used by the Met Police from October 2009 until September 2010. The Conservative Party released a statement saying Mr Wallis may have also offered informal advice to Andy Coulson - David Cameron's ex-communications chief - before the last election.
Terenia Taras	Freelance journalist	The freelance journalist was arrested on 23 June and later bailed as part of investigations into phone hacking.
Unnamed 63-year-old man	Role unknown	The unnamed man was arrested on 8 July and later bailed as part of investigations into phone hacking and corruption.
Sean Hoare	Former NoW reporter Deceased	The former NoW journalist publicly admitted his part in phone hacking. He told the New York Times the practice of phone hacking was far more extensive than the newspaper acknowledged when police first investigated the case. He also told the BBC's Panorama it was "endemic" at the paper. Mr Hoare also said, as editor, Andy Coulson had asked him to hack phones. Mr Coulson has denied any knowledge of hacking. Mr Hoare was found dead in his home on 18 July 2011.
Paul McMullan	Ex-NoW deputy features editor	The NoW deputy features editor between 1994 and 2001, Mr McMullan has spoken about the use of phone hacking on the paper, describing its investigations department as a "den of vipers".
Alex Marunchak	Ex-NoW Irish edition editor	The Met Police have confirmed Mr Marunchak worked for them as a part-time Ukrainian translator between 1980 and 2000. Earlier this year, Mr Marunchak denied allegations he obtained e-mails hacked into by a private detective and paid an agency for news stories based on confidential police information.
Stuart Kuttner	Former NoW managing editor	Served as the News of the World's managing editor for 22 years before resigning in July 2009 to focus on "specialised projects", including the paper's Sarah's Law campaign. His departure came shortly before the Guardian's revelation that News International had paid out £1m to victims of phone-hacking. Arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and corruption.
Greg Miskiw	Former NoW news editor	Sixty-one-year-old Greg Miskiw is believed to be the 12th person arrested since the start of the phone-hacking inquiry. He was arrested after visiting a police station by appointment. He is being held on suspicion of unlawful interception of communications and conspiring to intercept communications.
James Desborough	Former NoW showbiz writer	Named by The Guardian newspaper as the 13th person arrested. He attended a south London police station by appointment on 18 August and is being held on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications. He joined the News of the World in 2005 and later became the Los Angeles-based US editor. He is among the tabloid's journalists in the midst of a 90-day consultation period following the paper's closure.
Police officers and staff involved in hacking inquiry
Name	Job/position	Connection to phone-hacking investigation
Sir Paul Stephenson	Former Met Police Commissioner	Britain's most senior police officer faced criticism for hiring former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis - who was questioned by police investigating hacking - as a PR adviser. Sir Paul eventually said his links to the journalist could hamper investigations and resigned. He has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission over his links with Mr Wallis.
John Yates	Former Met Police Assistant Commissioner	Assistant Commissioner Yates ruled out a further inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal in 2009. He has since expressed "extreme regret" for not reopening the investigation. He resigned on 18 July. Along with Mr Stephenson, he has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission over his links with Neil Wallis.
Dick Fedorcio	Scotland Yard communications chief	Mr Fedorcio has also been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission over his relationship Neil Wallis and News International.
Sue Akers	Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner	The current police hacking investigation, called Operation Weeting, is being led by Sue Akers. Under her lead, detectives are contacting nearly 4,000 people whose personal details were stored by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.
Andy Hayman	Former Met Police Assistant Commissioner	Andy Hayman was involved in the original hacking inquiry. MPs have criticised his handling of the investigation. He denies there has been anything "improper" about his decision to write columns for News International after he retired from the Met.