1. Compulsive Gambling Story

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Accusations that a BBC reporter made false claims in order to scoop a sensational interview with Princess Diana are 'deeply disturbing' and should be urgently investigated, the head of a Westminster committee has told Sky News.

Tory MP Julian Knight was speaking after further allegations were made about the conduct of the then-Panorama journalist Martin Bashir, over how he went about winning the trust of the Princess of Wales and persuade her to appear on the flagship current affairs programme.

Mr Knight, who is chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: 'This is a very complex and deeply disturbing tale and it is important for public confidence in BBC journalism that a thorough, urgent and independent investigation is carried out and my committee will be watching developments very closely indeed.'

The BBC has already apologised for Bashir faking two bank statements to land his bombshell exclusive in 1995, which sent shockwaves through the monarchy with her comments about the state of her marriage.

But now Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, has shared with the Daily Mail notes of his meeting with Bashir and Diana in 1995.

Electric Gamebox lets small groups play video games projected on the walls of easy-to-clean rooms. Teams from the US and British forces compete for the first time to raise money for veteran.

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He says the notes are contemporaneous and document a string of false claims allegedly made by the reporter.

This included the bogus allegations that Diana was under surveillance; that her bodyguard was plotting against her, and close friends were betraying her; and that MI6 had recorded Prince Charles and his private secretary planning the 'end game'.

They were apparently designed to play to the paranoia of the princess, who feared she was being deceived by her aides and in-laws.

While Earl Spencer told the Mail he concluded Bashir was a fantasist and apologised to his sister for wasting her time, unbeknown to him, Diana kept in touch with Bashir and two months later the explosive 'there are three of us in this marriage' interview was broadcast.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the programme which was watched by 23 million people and led the Queen to order Charles and Diana to seek a divorce.

Bashir, 57, and now the BBC's religion editor, is seriously ill with COVID-related complications and is not in a position to respond to the earl's allegations, the corporation has said.

In a series of tweets posted earlier this week, Earl Spencer said the broadcaster was 'incapable of honestly facing up to the ugly truth of this matter'.

Following the latest revelations, he posted a picture of himself and Diana as children with a protective arm around him.

The BBC has said it will investigate the earl's latest allegations but he reportedly wants an independent inquiry.

The corporation's investigation examined claims Bashir had used false financial documents, purporting to show a then-member of the earl's staff was leaking stories, as a way of persuading the princess to talk.

The BBC maintains there is a written note from Diana - although it no longer has a copy - saying she had not seen the false bank statements, and they played no part in her decision to give the interview.

The corporation has previously said in a statement that Bashir admitted commissioning the mocked-up bank documents and it is understood the journalist was found to have 'done wrong' at the end of the process, but it is not known what sanction, if any, he faced.

In an earlier statement, a BBC spokeswoman highlighted an apology the earl has received from its director-general over the mocked-up documents.

She said: 'The BBC has apologised. We are happy to repeat that apology. And while this was a quarter of a century ago, we absolutely will investigate, robustly and fairly, substantive new information.

'We have asked Earl Spencer to share further information with the BBC.

'Unfortunately, we are hampered at the moment by the simple fact that we are unable to discuss any of this with Martin Bashir, as he is seriously unwell.

'When he is well, we will of course hold an investigation into these new issues.'

Activision and Blizzard have said they will form 'the world's most profitable games business' in a deal worth $18.8bn (£9.15bn).

US-based Activision also makes hit console games such as the Tony Hawk series and Guitar Hero.

Nine million people pay a monthly subscription to play World of Warcraft.

'High-growth industry'

Blizzard is the biggest player in online gaming and World of Warcraft is the global market leader of what are known as massively multi-player online role-playing games, or MMORPGs.

It is currently owned by the French media group Vivendi.

As part of the merger plan, Blizzard will invest $2bn in the new company, while Activision is putting up $1bn.

The merged business will be called Activision Blizzard and its chief executive will be Activision's current CEO Bobby Kotick. Vivendi will be the biggest shareholder in the group.

Jean-Bernard Levy, Vivendi chief executive, said: 'This alliance is a major strategic step for Vivendi and is another illustration of our drive to extend our presence in the entertainment sector.

'By combining Vivendi's games business with Activision, we are creating a worldwide leader in a high-growth industry.'

Different strengths

The two firms are hoping that their different strengths will combine to form a business which is powerful on every gaming platform and in every territory.

Blizzard is strong in Asia, where its Starcraft series has proved hugely popular.

Starcraft, a strategy game first released in 1998, is played by millions of South Koreans in gaming cyber-cafes, and by professional gamers on television.

Activision has developed a presence on all three new generation game consoles - Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii - with franchises such as Spider-Man and X-Men.

The games software industry has been through turbulent years, with companies changing ownership and going in and out of business in rapid succession.

Activision was formed in 1979 and went through bankruptcy and a series of alliances and mergers before becoming successful.

Compulsive Gambling Story

Blizzard had been through a number of owners before ending up in the hands of Vivendi in 1998.