Latest news with #controversy
The Independent
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Ozzy Osbourne's most shocking moments
Ozzy Osbourne was famed as a provocative and powerful performer on stage and a wild hedonist off it. The Black Sabbath singer and successful solo artist was known for his controversial live shows. Drug and alcohol use often fuelled manic behaviour in front of his adoring audiences, and also his most crazed moments in between shows. These are some of the most memorable and infamous moments from the hell-raising life of the late heavy metal pioneer. The Alamo In 1982, Osbourne was wearing one of his wife's dresses for a photoshoot close to The Alamo in Texas, the site of a heroic sacrifice by the Texan troops against the invading Mexicans. The rock star drunkenly relieved himself on a cenotaph commemorating the dead, later donating thousands to the group which maintains The Alamo. Cats In the midst of an alcohol and drug haze, Osbourne said that he set about slaughtering 17 cats with a shotgun. The rocker said he was found by his wife under a piano, armed with a knife in one hand and a shotgun in the other. Ants Osbourne toured with Motley Crue in the 1980s, and it was during this time that he is rumoured to have shocked his fellow rockers after 'spotting' a line of ants. Bassist Nikki Sixx claimed that Osbourne took a straw and, as if snorting cocaine, hoovered the line of ants up his nose. Bats In 1982, Osbourne was on stage at a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, during a US tour. A fan threw a bat on stage, and in the frenzy of performance Osbourne – believing it to be rubber – bit its head off. There remains debate as to whether the bat was alive or dead when it was thrown on stage. Doves Osbourne had history with the decapitation of winged creatures, beginning with an incident which stunned CBS Records executives. Celebrating a new album in 1981, the Black Country-born rock star was intending to release two doves in a symbolic act at the record label. Instead, he grabbed a dove and bit its head off, before being thrown out of the building.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Controversial 'incel' video game Revenge on the Gold Diggers is renamed after controversy
A highly controversial video game that was released under the title 'Revenge on Gold Diggers' has sparked huge debate over its portrayal of women - after it surged to the top of streaming charts. Released on gaming platform Steam China on June 19th, it was billed as a live action 'anti-fraud' game in which the aim of the game is to spot deception before it happens. However, all of the 'baddies' are women out to manipulate, with male protagonists ready to 'fight to the death' against them - and critics say it will appeal to and encourage incels, men who blame women for their romantic failure. The blurb for the game says its plot centres around a character called Wu Yulun, 'a man who was once deeply hurt by gold diggers' - and was apparently inspired by real-life experiences of the games' Hong Kong creators. Players are invited to 'navigate between several glamorous and highly adept female characters, and experience an emotional hunt that is gripping with every step.' After it became an unexpected hit, a maelstrom of controversy quickly unfolded with many calling the game misogynistic and deeply offensive. It's title was changed to 'Emotional Anti-Fraud Simulator' within 24 hours of its release. Chinese artist Xu Yikun told BBC News the term 'gold digger' is rarely attributed to men in the country, saying: 'If you have a rich boyfriend, you are called a gold digger. 'If you try to make yourself look pretty, you are called a gold digger... Sometimes the label is used on you merely for accepting a drink from someone.' Others have defended the narrative, saying: 'Would men criticise a game if it were titled "Womaniser Game"?' In China, one newspaper said the game labelled 'an entire gender as fraudsters' - but the Beijing Youth Daily said it simply highlighted the growing issue of scams and emotional fraud in modern China. According to the country's National Anti-Fraud Centre, around £204million was lost to romantic scams in 2023. A Beijing-based video producer named Huang told the New York Times that the game 'very precisely taps into the intense gender antagonism currently sweeping through Chinese society.' He says the video game will appeal to incels, or involuntary celibates, men who believe they are unable to have sex or form relationships with women - often because they deem themselves not attractive enough. They often blame women and are extremely hostile towards them as a result. One Chinese man, 23, who is unemployed, told the newspaper: 'I hate women, though I still want to fall in love, just a little bit.' In Australia this week, parents were being warned their children could have access to hundreds of online games that simulate and encourage horrifying scenarios including rape, incest and child sex abuse. When searching on Steam, at least 232 results matched 'rape', a campaign group called Collective Shout revealed. On the same day, a search for 'incest' turned up 149 results. The game titles are the stuff of parents' nightmares, from 'Incest DEMO' and 'Incest Twins', to virtual reality 'Reincarnation in another world going to rape'. The latter allowed players to explore a virtual 'town' raping all the women who are non–player characters (NPCs) – avatars who are not controlled by a player. Another game allowed players to 'set up' hidden surveillance at a female neighbour's home to secretly record her sexual acts. Graphic imagery, which has been seen by Daily Mail Australia but is too disturbing to publish, included violent sexual torture of women and children, including incest-related abuse. Kelly Humphries, who lives in central Queensland, is a survivor of familial child sexual abuse and has shared her horror at the games. 'There's not a lot that surprises me anymore but this was shocking,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Experts have warned gaming platforms used across all age groups, including children, have listed video games that allow players to rape characters. In one game, a player could pretend to be a man recording a neighbour performing sexual acts 'I look at that research and I'm just so ashamed, angry and frustrated because I don't understand why this behaviour is acceptable for big companies.' Ms Humphries has worked in law enforcement and is an activist raising awareness about abuse, including as an ambassador for Collective Shout. 'To see this violence depicted in such a horrific, brazen and humiliating way pushes survivors back into themselves,' she said. 'It completely undermines their experiences by gamifying and almost making fun of their true experience.' Ms Humphries said the games will take a psychological toll on players, particularly on young people who interact online more often than older generations. '(The games) are normalising this behaviour,' she said. '(Young people) are either going to act out that behaviour or they're going to be a victim and suffer silently.' This was echoed by University of New South Wales' Professor Michael Salter, who said the games are 'part of subcultures online that normalise sexual abuse'. Professor Salter, who is also director of the East Asia and Pacific branch of Childlight, said the content will reinforce the acceptability of violence for children or people with problematic behaviour if they play the games. He said that, while the games breach national laws, platforms like Steam and operate internationally and as such, do not follow Australian standards. Both Ms Humphries and Professor Salter signed an open letter to companies including PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and Paysafe Limited, to request they cease processing payments for gaming platforms which host rape, incest and child sexual abuse–themed games. Professor Salter said there are no rules in international law to manage the issue so 'payment services effectively become a de facto regulator'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Valve Corporation, which operates Steam, and the platform which is also named in the open letter, regarding the claims. Valve is understood to have changed its rules earlier this week, adding a clause prohibiting content that broke rules set out by payment processors including 'adult content'. There were initially 14 clauses which banned content including hate speech, malware, sexual content of real people or exploitation of children, Automaton Media reported. Professor Salter has also raised concerns about discoveries by his team which noticed people breaching others' boundaries on new technology platforms. 'Gaming services often forge ahead with designs without building in safety,' he said. '(On virtual reality platforms), we see kids adopt avatars that are highly sexualised adult avatars and then interact with actual adults.' He said the issue comes down to regulation and the need for clear, enforceable content rules to protect children, adding that parents can take action at home too. 'It's important to have discussions with kids about the gaming services they are on and the content they are seeing,' he said. 'It's not as easy as monitoring games so parents should set clear rules about types of games they are permitted to play and the types they are not allowed to play.' Another suggestion was that parents explain to children that their behaviour online matters and speaks to their character. 'There is a pervasive view that online behaviour is not real, that it is not serious,' he said. 'So it licenses a range of behaviours that are antisocial and transgressive.'
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Christian Horner's arch rival sticks the boot in: McLaren boss Zak Brown insists he's 'not surprised' by nemesis' sacking as Formula One prepares for first race without Geri Halliwell's husband following brutal axing
McLaren chief Zak Brown has aimed a dig at his nemesis Christian Horner after he was sacked by Red Bull. Horner, 51, was relieved of his duties earlier this month after 20 years in charge of the constructor, which under his leadership won eight drivers' championships and six constructors' championships. Horner's dismissal came a year and a half after he was caught up in a major controversy that threatened to engulf the entire team. He was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee following the revelation of alleged sex texts sent by the 51-year-old, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee's appeal. Horner has strongly denied the claims throughout. But while Red Bull backed their man throughout the unfolding saga in 2024, relations have undoubtedly cooled in the following months before he was dismissed. And Brown, who had a long-running rivalry with Horner, was asked about the Brit's dismissal ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, the first race since his exit. 'I'm maybe [surprised by] the timing, but not the result,' Brown told Canadian TV channel TSN. 'I think there's been a lot of drama there the last couple of years, and it doesn't seem like that drama has been calming down - maybe been getting worse. 'So, I'm not surprised, anytime in the middle of the season. But we're head down on our championship. They've got Max [Verstappen] still knocking on the door, so we've got to pay attention to that. But, yeah, tremendous amount of success they've had.' Horner has been replaced as Red Bull team principal by Laurent Mekies and is expected to serve a period of gardening leave until the end of this year. And when asked what the future holds for Horner, Brown felt this wasn't the end of the 51-year-old's career. 'Given his age and his history in motor racing, I'd be surprised if he didn't show up somewhere in motor racing,' the American added. 'But I don't know his other interests, whether he wants to go run a football team or what have you. So, we'll see.' Brown's rivalry with Horner came to the fore on Netflix's Drive to Survive documentary, with fans accustomed to their intense relationship. Brown also backed the 51-year-old to return to motorsport in some form in the future Although the documentary is based on true events, there have been claims of some issues being dramatised further. However, when speaking to The Telegraph in March, Brown insisted his turbulent relationship with Horner is real. Brown had said: 'Oh, it's genuine. There's no love lost there. I don't like how he rolls and no doubt he feels the same about me. 'But I think it's good for the sport. You need different characters. You need these rivalries. Some are friendly, sporting rivalries. Some are a bit more vicious. It's always been like that.'
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pauline Hanson and One Nation colleagues turn their backs on Acknowledgement of Country inside Parliament - as she makes a surprising nomination for Senate leader
wasted no time stirring controversy as Parliament resumed, turning her back during the Senate 's Acknowledgement of Country ceremony on day one. The One Nation leader was joined in protest by her colleagues Malcolm Roberts and newly elected senators Warwick Stacey (NSW) and Tyron Whitten (WA). Hanson has long railed against Welcome to Country ceremonies, labelling them 'unnecessary' and 'divisive.' 'I've made this protest on my own for years, but today, our whole team made it clear: we've had enough of being told we don't belong in our own country,' Hanson said on Tuesday. 'We took this stand because we're listening to Australians, hardworking, decent people who are sick of being lectured to in their own country.' Back in September, the controversial Senator urged Australians to reject the tradition, claiming it excluded non-Indigenous people. 'If they are not to cater to white people, then why are white people constantly subjected to them? These welcomes are based on lies that Australia is not our home. So many people tell me they are just over it,' she said at the time. She also argued the ceremonies had been allowed to 'fester for too long' and should be scrapped from public events entirely. But Hanson's protest wasn't the only curveball she threw. In a surprising twist, the Queensland senator nominated progressive Independent David Pocock to serve as President of the Senate, a political move that left many in the chamber stunned. 'I would like to nominate David Pocock,' Hanson said. Pocock, a former Wallabies captain and senator for the ACT, is known for his strong stance on climate action and progressive reform, often clashing with Hanson's views. Caught off guard, Pocock politely declined the nomination. 'I am very flattered that you would put me forward,' he said. 'I would politely decline the nomination, but thank you.' Ultimately, Labor's Sue Lines was re-elected Senate President, a role she's held since 2022. Though Pocock was once a crucial swing vote during the Albanese government's first term, Labor's bolstered Senate numbers now mean it only needs the Greens' support to pass legislation. Hanson wasn't the only senator making a statement on opening day. Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi held up a pro-Palestine sign during Governor-General Sam Mostyn's address to mark the start of the 48th Parliament. Hanson is no stranger to headline-grabbing stunts. In 2017, she entered the Senate chamber wearing a burqa to push her campaign for banning the religious garment, a move that was widely condemned, including by then-Attorney-General George Brandis, who called it 'appalling.' Parliament returned on Tuesday for the first time since the May 3 election and will sit for two weeks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley are set to face off in their first Question Time on Wednesday.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
How South Africa Education Minister enta wahala wey lead to her sack
For South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa don sack di Minister of Higher Education and Training, Nobuhle Nkabane from her role and sharply replace her afta different controversies. Dis sack dey come at a time wey di South African parliament members bin dey worry ova how Nkabane bin handle some appointment for her ministry. Na on Monday night 21 July 2025, President Ramaphosa bin release statement say make di Higher Education Nkabane comot for office. Tori be say key coalition partner, di Democratic Alliance (DA) bin accuse di minister of misconduct for her ministry, even though she don deny am. Nkabane na member of di African National Congress (ANC), same political party wey di president and oda cabinet members belong to. Immediately afta her sack, DA through dia national tok tok pesin Karabo Khakhau say di minister bin lie to cover up di corruption wey happun for her ministry. "Di departure of Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, afta lying to Parliament to cover up ANC cadre deployment, come afta relentless DA pressure for di fight against ANC corruption, wrongdoing and criminality." Di DA allege say bin facilitate di appointment of ANC-linked individuals to skills development boards and she bin lie to parliament to hide am. Wetin Nobuhle Nkabane do wey lead to her sack For early July 2025, DA bin write to lay criminal charges against di Minister of Higher Education and Training, Nkabane. DA submit di charges for di Cape Town Central Police Station wia dem say di minister bin dey lie give di parliament and abuse her position to give appointment to ANC members. For dia 1 July 2025 statement through dia national tok tok pesin Karabo, wey also be Member on portfolio committee on Higher Education and Training for di South Africa parliament, di party say Nkabane cover up fraudulent appointment into one particular board wey dey under her ministry. "Na time to fire Minister Nkabane and clean out di ANC criminal network from di heart of govment," DA statement tok afta dem accuse President Ramaphosa say im no take action. "Dis lies na part of a calculated attempt to cover up di fraudulent appointment of ANC-linked individuals to Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards." DA accuse Minister Nkabane say she tell Parliament say di appointment process into di SETA board dey overseen by an "independent" evaluation panel, but no be so. "E don dey exposed say di so-called panel dey full of individuals from her own department and political allies, including her Chief of Staff and an ANC Youth League leader. Minister Nkabane don break di law and violate her oath of office." Afta di charges, DA confam say dia criminal complaint di ANC Minister Nkabane don dey under investigation by di Priority Crimes Directorate, di HAWKS. By 7 July 2025, di minister don dey under investigation for di alleged misconduct wey dem sama her. "ANC Minister Nkabane now face a Priority Crimes Directorate investigation for fraud and di statutory offence to lie to Parliament. She dey face allegations of manufacturing a scheme wey see how senior ANC personalities dey deployed to high-paying SETA Board jobs" For 18 July 2025, Nkabane and oda members of her ministry including di Chief of Staff suppose show face for di parliament to come defend wetin happun for di SETA board wia allegations dey say na her party members she dey give appointment. On dat day, di minister no show up, and even her Chief of Staff too no show. Afta plenti drag drag, President Ramaphosa issue statement wey announce di sack of di Higher Education Minister, and a replacement for her. Meanwhile, on di same day wen dem fire her, Nkabane also release statement to announce her resignation from di ministry. How Nobuhle Nkabane enta South Africa politics Dem appoint Nobuhle Nkabane as Minister of Higher Education for 3 July 2024. Afta she win election as a Member of Parliament for 2019, she later serve as Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy from August 2021 to June 2024. Dr Nkabane enta politics for young age afta she join di ANC wia she serve for various leadership positions of di ANC Youth League and di ANC Women League for regional and Provincial Executive Committee level. She dey among di leaders of di ANC Youth League Sisonke Region wey advocate for di renaming of Sisonke District Municipality to Harry Gwala District Municipality, to honour di struggle of Harry Gwala. Nkabane rise to different positions bifor she finally find hersef for di Higher Education and Training Ministry wey she head. Profile of new South Africa Education Minister For di same vein, President Ramaphosa announce di appointment of Buti Manamela as di new Minister of Higher Education and Training. "In line wit section 91 (2) of di Constitution of di Republic of South Africa, Mr. Buti Kgwaridi Manamela dey appointed as Minister of Higher Education and Training," di President tok for im statement. Bifor im appointment, Manamela serve as Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training for di Republic of South Africa, since June 2024. E be former Deputy Minister for di Presidency, former Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and e don be a member of Parliament since 2009. E be also member of di South African Communist Party Central Committee since 2012 and dey elected into di ANC National Executive Committee for 2022. Manamela get Masters Degree for Public Policy and Development Management, and study Digital Electronics for di Tshwane North TVET College (former Mamelodi College). E also serve as Deputy President of di South African Students Congress (SASCO), former President of South African College Student Association (now SAVETSA) and dey elected as National Secretary of di Young Communist League of South Africa for 2003 until 2014. Manamela go now take ova from Nkabane to head di Higher Education and Training Ministry. Also Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube go now act as di Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training.
