BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Three former senior journalists from Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloid, the News of the World, have pleaded guilty to charges relating to phone-hacking.

The three journalists all entered guilty pleas at earlier hearings, ahead of this week’s high-profile phone hacking trial of former News of the World editors, Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson. Brooks served as Murdoch’s former British newspaper chief, while Coulson was Prime Minister ’s ex-media head.

The trial against the two began at London’s Old Bailey court on Tuesday. They face charges of conspiring to intercept communications and conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, which refers to illegal payments to officials. The two have denied all charges. Police launched an inquiry in 2011 into allegations that staff on the Murdoch paper had hacked the phones of celebrities, politicians and victims of crime.

(Source: CNTV.cn)