Corruption

Helen Haines says ‘the clock is ticking’ on replacing deputy commissioner Nicole RoseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA key architect of the National Anti-Corruption Commission says parliament should consider new merit-based and independent selection processes for major appointments, urging the Albanese government to use an existing vacancy to restore public confidence in the watchdog.Independent MP Helen Haines, who helped craft legislation to establish the Nacc, sits on its parliamentary oversight committee. She said “the clock is ticking” on replacing deputy commissioner Nicole Rose, who announced her resignation this month. Continue reading...

Retired Capitol police officer and DC officer allege Trump’s $1.8bn fund unlawfully rewards January 6 rioters and alliesUS politics live – latest updatesTwo police officers who clashed with rioters at the US Capitol during the January 6 insurrection in 2021 have sued Donald Trump over plans to create a $1.776bn “anti-weaponization” fund.The fund, which critics have argued is essentially a slush fund, is set to compensate allies of the US president who he claims were victims of prosecutorial overreach. Continue reading...

With Mexico under pressure from Trump to tackle drug trafficking groups, analysts say ‘it’s the most tense situation since the 1980s’Relations between Mexico and the United States are being pushed to breaking point amid accusations by Washington that Mexican officials have been “in bed for years” with drug traffickers, and reports of CIA agents freely operating south of the border.“There are many who are betting on the defeat and failure of the Mexican government,” said Claudia Sheinbaum tersely on Wednesday, when asked about the allegations at a news conference. ”We want a good relationship with the United States government. What are our limits? The defence of sovereignty and respect for the Mexican people and their dignity.” Continue reading...

Anti-graft agencies say Andriy Yermak suspected of participating in criminal group that laundered $10.5m in housing project, which he denies ownership inUkrainian authorities have named Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption investigation, a move likely to pile pressure on the president’s office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.Kyiv’s political class was rocked by a wide-ranging probe last year that had fuelled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelenskyy’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, to resign. Continue reading...

Ex-Parramatta council chief executive Gail Connolly and ‘close network’ allegedly promoted friends while targeting others for reprisalsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA New South Wales anti-corruption inquiry is investigating whether three friends in powerful positions at a western Sydney council, who called themselves the “Pink Ops”, subverted recruitment and promotion processes to benefit friends.The NSW Independent Commission against Corruption (Icac) held its first day of public hearings on Monday into allegations concerning Parramatta council’s former chief executive Gail Connolly, as well as council employees Roxanne Thornton and Angela Jones-Blayney and other staff. Continue reading...

• US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced charges against 11 defendants in a transnational drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine distribution, according to a May 7, 2026 press briefing. • Law enforcement arrested seven East Coast defendants and executed 25 search warrants across six judicial districts including DC, Baltimore, Alexandria, Philadelphia, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Albany, and Miami. • The operation represents a significant federal enforcement action combining anti-corruption investigations with drug trafficking charges against high-level political figures, according to the five-count indictment.

• The FBI searched the office of a top Democratic lawmaker in Virginia as part of an ongoing corruption investigation, according to an AP source. • Agents conducted the raid on the Virginia Senate leader's office, marking a significant escalation in the probe into alleged misconduct. • The action underscores rising scrutiny on state-level political figures amid national concerns over corruption ahead of the 2026 midterms.