Sydney council corruption inquiry hears allegations of threats and secret recording
A corruption inquiry in New South Wales has heard allegations that former Strathfield councillors threatened, followed and secretly recorded former mayor Matthew Blackmore after he refused to step down. The hearing is taking place under Operation Rosny, the code name for the investigation by the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption. The inquiry is examining whether the conduct amounted to blackmail or illegal surveillance.Blackmore told the commission that he had initially agreed in 2022 to split the mayoralty, taking the role first before resigning so a Labor councillor could complete the term. He said that arrangement was expected to... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Sep 2026 07:02 LONDON
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Amnesty says Russia's foreign recruit drive amounts to human trafficking as report adds detail
Amnesty International has said Russia is coercing foreign nationals into military service through deception, blackmail, confiscation of documents and threats of deportation, in a report that says the practice amounts to human trafficking under international law. The rights group said the findings are based on interviews with prisoners of war from more than a dozen countries held in Ukrainian captivity. It said almost all of those interviewed described abuses during recruitment that led them into Russia's armed forces.The report says some recruits were offered fake civilian jobs in logistics, warehouses or construction, often at salaries of about $2,000 a month.... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Sep 2026 12:32 LONDON
