'Sky News, part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, said on Thursday it had hacked into emails on two occasions but insisted it had acted in the public interest, as the channel's parent company faces an investigation by British regulators.

The potentially damaging admission came two days after Murdoch's son James quit as chairman of Sky News's parent BSkyB in an attempt to limit the spread of a phone-hacking scandal that has already forced the closure of one of Murdoch's main British newspapers.'

Read more: Murdoch Hacking Scandal Spreads to Sky News