The Algorithm Age

Queensland Police have been handed a covert recording in which it is alleged a representative of a Chinese investment group asks a player at an NPL club to engage in match-fixing – and even provides instructions on how he could manipulate a game without being caught. The audio file has been submitted to Football Australia, Football Queensland and the police as investigations continue into a suspected failed betting scheme at Gold Coast United , the former A-League club previously owned by billionaire Clive Palmer which now participates in the Queensland NPL, the state’s top men’s division. This masthead revealed last week that a match between third-placed Gold Coast United and second-placed rivals Moreton City Excelsior had been called off just hours before it was to begin, as football authorities learned of a suspected plot to lure players into a match-fixing operation. Multiple sources with knowledge of what took place, who spoke to this masthead on ...

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking following a lengthy public trial, which saw a number of women testify against him, including former girlfriend and singer, Cassie Ventura . He has, however, been found guilty of two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, and will be sentenced in due course. The jail time for these charges can carry up to a maximum of 10 years each. Given the scale of the trial, which heard from 34 witnesses in less than two months, including former employees of Combs, male sex workers, federal agents, and his ex-girlfriends, the news that the jury had made their decision sent shockwaves around the globe - not least because of the nature of some of the evidence against him. He has consistently denied the charges. Most notably, people will remember the video of Cassie Ventura being dragged through and beaten in a hotel corridor by Combs in 2016. It's not a new tale, and ...

Sinn Féin called on the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Tracy Kelly, to explain the decision to remove a portrait of President Michael D Higgins from Belfast City Hall. Following a social media post by Ms Kelly, Sinn Féin councillors were quick to notice that a portrait of Mr Higgins had been removed from a reception parlour in the building. Sinn Féin has now called on Ms Kelly to explain the decision to remove the portrait. The portrait had been placed in the reception room by Sinn Féin’s Ryan Murphy when he was lord mayor. The picture was put up after Mr Murphy received a portrait of King Charles and decided to place the two side by side. This was then followed by a formal event to mark the occasion. The portrait’s disappearance prompted Mr Murphy to question its whereabouts in a council meeting on Tuesday. Belfast City Council confirmed that the portrait, despite no longer being on display, is being safely stored at City Hall, ‘at the requ...

The board of the ASX-listed childcare provider that employed an accused sexual abuser has been criticised for lacking “sufficient expertise” to oversee child safety, with shareholder advisers questioning the CEO’s multi-million dollar pay packet amid rising reputational and financial challenges. Roughly $120 million has been wiped off the market capitalisation of G8 Education in the two days since confidence in the childcare sector was rocked by allegations that Joshua Dale Brown committed multiple child sexual abuse offences while working at a range of early education facilities across Victoria, including at G8’s Creative Garden Point Cook, from 2017 until this May. The revelations have so far led to a wave of snap reforms in Victoria to apply greater pressure on childcare providers to oversee staff, including a mandatory ban on mobile phones, and triggered calls for a national register of staff to more clearly communicate issues with specific worke...

Two important events concerning sexual harassment took place this week. Australian female-led hospitality advocacy group Sorry Not Sorry toured the United Kingdom, raising awareness of sexual harassment in the hospitality industry. Last year, its founders, along with other former staff for hospitality giant Swillhouse , reported being sexually assaulted at work, rostered alongside their assailants, pressured to take drugs, encouraged to have sex with customers, harassed, discriminated against, and their reports to management ignored. Just days later, this masthead published an explosive exposé about the Merivale hospitality empire, alleging that its VIP customers routinely engaged in lewd and unwelcome sexualised behaviour towards its female staff. Swillhouse and Merivale have denied any wrongdoing. In this same week, a new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission was released, highlighting the ongoing and seemingly intractable problem of sexual har...

Scarlett Johansson needs no introduction . She is one of Hollywood's most acclaimed and bankable stars. She's the highest-grossing actress of all time, with her films earning over $15 billion worldwide. Johansson has won a BAFTA and a Tony Award, received two Oscar nominations, and earned five Golden Globe nominations. She's kind of a big deal. The actress is beloved for her acclaimed roles in Lost in Translation, Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story , and has a cult following for playing Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most recently, she is fronting the reboot of Jurassic World: Rebirth , alongside Bridgerton babygirl, Jonathan Bailey. But much less importantly (but important to me, personally), she also has damn intriguing taste in the men she dates and marries. Johansson's love life has always been a hot topic — sometimes it has been splashed across headlines, but other times, kept completely under wraps. K...

For nearly two years, a nearly nonstop parade of allegations and revelations has ravaged and unraveled Sean “Diddy” Combs’ carefully cultivated reputation as an affable celebrity entrepreneur, A-list party host, Grammy-winning artist and music executive, brand ambassador and reality TV star. It culminated in a verdict Wednesday that saw Combs acquitted of the most serious sex trafficking charges, though guilty of two lesser ones. The stratospheric heights of his previous life may be impossible to regain, but the question remains whether a partial conviction could mean a partial public rehabilitation, or if too much damage has been done. “Combs managed to avoid becoming the next R. Kelly,” said Evan Nierman, CEO and president of crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, referring to the R&B superstar convicted of similar sex trafficking charges as those that Combs beat. Combs, 55, has yet to be sentenced and faces the likelihood of prison time, but he no longer faces th...

After a two-month trial, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been found guilty of transporting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura for prostitution. The 55-year-old had been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution after he was arrested last September – but had denied all of the allegations and pleaded not guilty. Today, after 13 hours of deliberations over three days, the jury came back – convicting Combs of transporting Ventura and another former girlfriend, only known as Jane, for prostitution. He was found not guilty of racketeering and of sex trafficking both women . In June Ventura, 38, took to the stand for four straight days, detailing the rapper’s abuse of her throughout their decade-long on-off relationship. In 2023, she filed a lawsuit accusing her ex of abuse. This included an incident at the InterContinental Hotel in LA in 2016, with CCTV footage appearing to show him grabbing, shoving and kicking her across the flo...

They're known for their iconic blue and white uniforms, freakishly flexible limbs and perfectly choreographed routines, but behind the glitz and glamour , the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have faced more than their fair share of controversies . And we're not talking about the scandals that played out on Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders — which just returned for season two — or the ongoing discussions about pay and compensation that feature prominently in the new season. The revered team has a long history of problematic moments that go far beyond what viewers see on screen. From allegations of voyeurism to body-shaming, these controversies not only shed light on the darker side of professional cheerleading but raise concerns about the treatment of women in sport. Let's dive into some of the biggest scandals and controversies that have rocked the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Watch the trailer for America...