Plea

• The Delhi High Court has declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking to stop a protest organized by the satirical "Cockroach Janta Party" scheduled for June 6. • The demonstration aims to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following allegations of irregularities in national exams, specifically the NEET-UG and CBSE board exams. • The movement has gained significant traction online, using satire to highlight grievances regarding the integrity of India's educational assessment systems.

Justice department filed charges against Trump’s former adviser in 2025 as part of onslaught against president’s criticsUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailJohn Bolton, the former US national security adviser who left Donald Trump’s first administration and became a staunch critic of the US president, will reportedly plead guilty over mishandling classified documents.The US Department of Justice filed federal charges against Bolton in October 2025, one of a string of Trump critics against whom it secured criminal charges in a matter of weeks. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say they intend to try all five killings together next year after brief arraignment in PortlandSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAn accused serial killer in Oregon was arraigned on Wednesday for the murder of a fifth woman.A lawyer for Jesse Calhoun, who was already facing charges in the deaths of four women whose bodies were discovered in 2022 and 2023, entered a not guilty plea for the second-degree murder of Ashley Real, a 22-year-old who previously alleged he had choked her. Continue reading...

Actor sentenced to probation for incident in which he attacked three men and yelled homophobic slurs, according to witnessesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Shia LaBeouf on Wednesday pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery charges filed against the actor after his arrest over allegations that he struck three men at a New Orleans bar in February.After his plea in the city’s criminal district courthouse, the Transformers film franchise star received a sentence of two years’ probation, rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, sensitivity training and anger management classes. Continue reading...

Founder of ‘anti-woke’ PR firm to pay £910 to woman whose hair she pulled at Bond Street tube station last OctoberA Maga influencer has admitted assaulting a woman at a London tube station during an altercation.Melissa Rein Lively, 40, the founder of the “anti-woke” America First Public Relations firm in the US, allegedly pulled a woman’s hair in a “forceful manner” at Bond Street station last October. Continue reading...

• A new streaming series featuring a chaotic road trip is being released between May 27 and June 2. • The plot follows three friends, a runaway Korean boy, and a famous baby hippo traveling in a Thai food truck. • The story blends comedy and secrets as the characters search for family and love across Thailand.

After winning the Grand Prix at Cannes film festival, the exiled auteur sent a direct message to the Russian president urging him to stop the warAccoladed director Andrey Zvyagintsev has sent a direct message to Vladimir Putin urging him to start listening to the Russian people and end the “senseless” war in Ukraine, continuing a war of words between Russia’s most revered living film-maker and the Kremlin that started at the Cannes film festival awards ceremony over the weekend.“Except for the limbs torn off from your fellow citizens in the name of an illusory goal, except for the massacre of young people that the country needs to build life and the future – nothing good is on the horizon if we don’t stop,” the exiled auteur said in a message sent to the Russian president’s press secretary through official channels on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Ex-husband of Nicola Sturgeon admits reduced charges in court after deal with prosecutorsPeter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National party, has pleaded guilty to charges of embezzling £400,310.65 from the party after agreeing a deal with prosecutors.Murrell, the ex-husband of the former SNP leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon, appeared in the high court in Edinburgh after being charged last year with stealing from the SNP to fund an expensive lifestyle including a Jaguar car, a luxury motorhome, a luxury pen and shoes. Continue reading...

• A new streaming release titled "The Bride" follows a lonely man named Frank who travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the help of Dr. Euphronious. • The plot centers on the revival of a murdered young woman, leading to unexpected consequences involving murder, possession, and a radical cultural movement. • This release is part of a curated list of streaming recommendations for the week of May 20-26, providing viewers with new binge-watching options.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce tells MPs to focus on early-years reading, with more support for parents and nursery workersThe children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce has urged the government to prioritise pleasure over learning in children’s reading.Giving evidence to MPs on the education committee, which is investigating the crisis in reading for pleasure among children, the screenwriter and novelist said conversations about children’s reading too often revert to attainment in school. Continue reading...

Dana Williamson, who has ties to Gavin Newsom, conspired to steal gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra’s campaign fundsSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Dana Williamson, a top California political strategist with ties to the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra, pleaded guilty on Thursday to fraud charges, an admission that is poised to fuel other candidates’ attacks in the race.Federal authorities say Williamson conspired to steal $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to Becerra, who was not named in the plea deal, and divert the money to his chief of staff, Sean McCluskie. Continue reading...

Ahmed al-Doush’s health said to be in sharp decline since his arrest in 2024 in relation to social media postsThe wife of a British national who has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since 2024 for social media posts, has pleaded for his release as his wellbeing declines.In November, the UN working group on arbitrary detention found Ahmed al-Doush was being detained arbitrarily under international law and recommended his immediate release, as well as the payment of compensation. The findings followed its eight-month inquiry Continue reading...

Rightwing extremist Ivan Jennings had earlier pleaded guilty to dissemination of a terrorism publicationA rightwing extremist who called for “killing migrants when they arrive on their boats” has pleaded guilty to terrorism offences.Ivan Jennings, 46, from Stafford, admitted encouraging terrorism between 15 August and 14 November 2024 at Leicester crown court on Monday. Continue reading...

Cole Tomas Allen, accused of attempting to assassinate Trump last month, did not speak as plea was enteredThe suspect accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last month at a gala in Washington has pleaded not guilty to all charges.Cole Tomas Allen did not speak in court on Monday as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf. Continue reading...

Alex Jenkinson, 39, from Suffolk is expected to stand trial in July, with the former Duke of York giving evidenceA man has denied threatening Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after reports the former prince was accosted near his Sandringham home earlier this week.Alex Jenkinson, 39, pleaded not guilty at Westminster magistrates court on Friday to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence against the former duke of York. Continue reading...

Prosecutors allege SPLC funneled over $3m to sources in extremist groups but legal experts say case is weakSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges related to allegations the organization committed fraud and conspired to money launder.The 11-count indictment filed last month accuses the civil rights organization of committing fraud in connection to a program in which it paid informants to monitor rightwing extremist groups. The program no longer exists. The investigation is being handled by the US attorney for the middle district of Alabama, which includes Montgomery, the state capital. Continue reading...

One person died and a dozen others were injured in the attack, during a demonstration in 2025 in BoulderA man accused of a firebomb attack that killed one person and injured a dozen others during a demonstration last year in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza was scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to murder and other charges.Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the attack in downtown Boulder last 1 June. Continue reading...

Prosecutors drop two other charges against Jasper Jones author, 43, including allegations he produced child exploitation materialAward‑winning author Craig Silvey has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material, while a charge that he produced such material has been dropped.Silvey, 43, was first charged in January after detectives from Western Australia police’s child abuse squad raided his Fremantle home, allegedly catching him communicating online with child exploitation offenders and seizing his electronic devices. Continue reading...

Pop star did not appear in court after being arrested in March for allegedly driving erraticallyBritney Spears pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of reckless driving in the driving under the influence case against her, sparing the 44-year-old from any jail time.The pop star, who had been accused of driving while under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, did not appear in court in Ventura county. Because she faced a misdemeanor, she was not required to attend proceedings. Continue reading...

Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslims said poor mental health made him admit to crimesThe Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 has been prevented from appealing against his guilty pleas, after one of New Zealand’s highest courts said his bid was “utterly devoid of merit”.Brenton Tarrant, who is responsible for the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history, asked the court of appeal in February to allow him to appeal against his guilty pleas, claiming harsh prison conditions had affected his mental health and compelled him to admit to the crimes. Continue reading...

Prosecutors allege Gannon Van Dyke won $400,000 using insider information to bet on Maduro raid on Polymarket The US army soldier charged with winning $400,000 by using insider information to bet on the removal of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to fraud charges on Tuesday.Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, entered the plea in US district judge Margaret Garnett’s courtroom in Manhattan. Van Dyke sported a shaved head and wore a black blazer, jeans and brown shoes as he arrived to the courtroom with his lawyers, Zach Intrater and Mark Geragos. Continue reading...

A man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and plotting to attack one of superstar singer Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna nearly two years ago pleaded guilty as his trial began on Tuesday, Austria media reported.

Several decades after rap star Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC was shot to death, a man named Jay Bryant pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge, telling a judge he helped other people get into a recording studio to ambush the DJ.

Jay Bryant’s admission came more than two decades after the rapper’s killing, but he didn’t name others involvedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxNearly a quarter century after rap star Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC was shot to death, a man admitted in court Monday to a role in a killing that stymied investigators for decades.Jay Bryant pleaded guilty to a federal murder charge, telling a judge that he helped other people get into a recording studio to ambush the DJ, born Jason Mizell. Continue reading...

Order to speed hallucinogen research hailed as ‘threshold moment’ but concerns remain over access and protectionsThe scene seemed so far-fetched you could be forgiven for thinking you might be hallucinating.On the weekend in which psychonauts celebrate “Bicycle Day” – the anniversary of the first LSD trip – Donald Trump was in the Oval Office double-checking that he was correctly pronouncing the name of a lesser-known psychedelic, ibogaine, as he signed a landmark executive order to accelerate research into hallucinogens, and to increase access. Continue reading...

Lee Owens is accused of sending threatening emails to minister responsible for tackling violence against womenA man has appeared in court accused of stalking and harassing Jess Phillips, the minister in charge of tackling violence against women and girls.Lee Owens, 47, pleaded not guilty to an offence of stalking the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, at Cheltenham magistrates court on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Police allege educators, two men and two women, attacked boys at school between August 2024 and June 2025Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFour teachers, including the principal of a regional New South Wales school, have pleaded not guilty to assaulting two students.NSW police allege the teachers assaulted the boys at school between August 2024 and June 2025. Continue reading...

Former Little Mix singer offers £10,000 reward for information about Land Rover taken from Essex drivewayThe musician Jesy Nelson, a former member of the band Little Mix, has pleaded for help after her car, which contained essential medical equipment for her children, was stolen from her driveway in Essex.The black Land Rover is believed to have been taken at about 3am on Sunday in Brentwood. Continue reading...