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Haunting last pictures of Charlise Mutten revealed

<p>The haunting last photos of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten have been released just hours after her step-father was found guilty of her murder. </p> <p>On Wednesday, Justin Stein was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/jury-decides-fate-of-accused-murderer-justin-stein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty</a> for the murder of Charlise, who was killed in January 2022 while visiting her mother and step-father for Christmas. </p> <p>The jury reached their conclusion of Stein's guilt in just shy of two weeks following the four week trial, finding that Stein had killed Charlise at a Mount Wilson property owned by his parents before he wrapped her body and dumped it in a barrel down near the Colo River.</p> <p>Following the guilty verdict, a series of photos were released by the court, which document some of the final days of Charlise's life. </p> <p>In the photos, Charlise can be seen holding a pair of dolls and smiling for the camera as her mother, Kallista, snapped the image of her daughter. </p> <p>Kallista then sent the photo to her mother and Charlise's grandmother Deborah on Christmas morning 2021. </p> <p>“Thanks for the present and Merry Christmas from us all,” Kallista said to Deborah via Facebook.“Thanks for the present and Merry Christmas from us all,” Kallista said to Deborah via Facebook.</p> <p>Deborah and her husband Clinton were Charlise's main guardians, as Charlise had been living with them on the Gold Coast.</p> <p>Charlise can also be seen in a picture on January 8th, just days before she was killed, swimming in a pool, and on January 10th, she was photographed by her mother poking a face next to a broken window.</p> <p>The photo was sent to Stein by Kallista along with a message saying, “I’m sorry I’m such a screw up can we still get married”.</p> <p>Just two days later on January 12th, Charlise was killed. </p> <p>Stein will face a sentence hearing in August, where he faced life in prison for murder. </p> <p><em>Image credits: NSW Police / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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"Each bauble represents a life lost": Haunting Christmas tree sends powerful message

<p>As the holiday season approaches, a haunting symbol of despair has once again taken root at Victoria Police headquarters – carrying with it a message of melancholy that we are unaccustomed to at this normally festive time of year.</p> <p>Instead of joyous ornaments and twinkling lights, a Christmas tree adorned with glistening blue baubles now stands as a remarkably poignant testament to the road death carnage that has befallen the state throughout 2023.</p> <p>These beautiful baubles, each etched with the name and age of those lost on Victoria's roads this year, tell a grim tale of grief and loss. With the toll reaching 274 by December 6, it marks the darkest year for the state since 2008.</p> <p>In a moving video accompanying the dressing of the tree, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir implored the public to drive cautiously during the Christmas period, desperately hoping to prevent the addition of any more baubles to this sorrowful tree.</p> <p>"This Christmas tree is unlike any other; it's one we don't want to see decorated," Commissioner Weir soberly explained. "Each bauble represents a life lost, a stark reminder of the importance of road safety. Please, drive safely this festive period. Take care, have conversations with your loved ones, and remember the responsibility you bear when behind the wheel."</p> <p>November alone witnessed the loss of 35 lives on Victorian roads, marking it as the worst month this year. In response, the police are intensifying road policing operations throughout December in an attempt to curb further tragedies.</p> <p>In a bid to address the escalating death toll, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has launched the initiative "Stop kidding yourself. If you drink, don't drive," running from December 4 to the end of January.</p> <p>Shockingly, it has also been revealed that one in five individuals killed on Victorian roads had a blood alcohol concentration of .05 or higher.</p> <p>TAC CEO Tracey Slatter also called on the urgent need for a cultural shift, challenging the notion that driving after consuming any amount of alcohol should be deemed "normal".</p> <p>"Many people think they can manage their blood-alcohol level with vague rules handed down through generations," she said. "But the only way to avoid the risk entirely is to completely separate drinking and driving."</p> <p>As the Christmas tree of remembrance continues to grow with each passing day, it stands as a poignant symbol of the lives lost on Victoria's roads, imploring society to reflect, change and prioritise the safety of every journey.</p> <p><em>Images: Victoria Police</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“No it’s not haunted”: Property listing tackles local myths

<p dir="ltr">Old homes are often believed to be haunted, and the listing for a historic NSW home has taken this into account to reassure superstitious buyers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The advertising for the five-bedroom property in Smithtown, on the Macleay River, takes the time to debunk local rumours that it’s haunted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The land was first selected in 1868, the building came in 1902 and has since served as a home, a General Store, Cash Emporium, Fish and Chip shop, Boarding House and some think a haunted house because it was all boarded up for years – but no, it’s not haunted it’s amazing, oh to sit on those big wrap-around verandahs for dinner and drinks would be amazing,” <a href="https://www.kellyflanaganrealestate.com.au/listings/residential_sale-3360870-smithtown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the listing reads</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This majestic, big, hardwood building could become once again a glistening jewel.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing also claims that if you don’t know the building, located “round the bend for the pub”, you’re not a local, describing it as one of the icons of the Lower Macleay Valley.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite its age, the home seems to be in great shape thanks to work done to renew the structure 20 years ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The magic big building just needs the make-up and fit-out however you want it to look like – or don’t do much and love it like the previous owner has done for 30 or so past years,” the listing suggests.</p> <p dir="ltr">The two-storey home also boasts several verandahs from which you can enjoy stunning river views, as well as flexible zoning options that allow it to be transformed into more than a home.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a listed price between $550-$600,000 and the assurance it’s ghoul-free, this is a home that’s sure to become someone’s favourite haunt.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbb939f0-7fff-6937-95ef-7ab060ec40a8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Kelly Flanagan Real Estate</em></p>

Real Estate

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Shane Warne's haunting final steps captured on CCTV

<p>Haunting final images of Shane Warne moments before he died of a heart attack show the cricketing legend appearing happy and relaxed as he strolled through his luxurious Thailand villa.</p> <p>Warne’s final steps walking through the lobby of the Samujana Villa on the island of Koh Samui were captured on CCTV, as he carried new shirts from his favourite local tailor.</p> <p>A short video captured Warne dressed casually in black shorts, a white T-shirt and a cap with several new shirts draped over his arm.</p> <p>He seemed relaxed as he returned to the villa about 1:30pm, where he was staying with his business manager Andrew Neophitou and three friends.</p> <p>It is believed Warne had ventured out and spent almost an hour at the Briony Tailor where he was fitted for new suits. Just hours later at 5:15pm, the sports legend was found face down and unresponsive on his bed following a heart attack.</p> <p>Warne’s family have revealed he had been suffering with heart troubles and asthma in the weeks leading up to his death, and had also completed a 14-day liquid only diet.</p> <p>Thai police confirmed the 52-year-old’s body will be flown home from Thailand on Thursday morning as it was revealed his public memorial will be held on the 30th of March.</p> <p>The 52-year-old’s body was transferred to Bangkok where it underwent an autopsy and is currently being held at Bangkok Police Station’s mortuary.</p> <p>He will now be flown by private jet from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok at 8 am local time, and will arrive in Australia by Thursday evening.</p> <p>Warne’s state funeral will take place on the 30th of March, after a private family service is expected to be held towards the end of next week.</p> <p><em>Image: CCTV</em></p>

News

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Queen's "World War III" speech strikes a haunting note

<p dir="ltr">Though it’s almost 40 years old, Queen Elizabeth II’s pre-prepared speech in the event of World War III is feeling quite pertinent lately.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sombre message, first penned in 1983 at the height of the Cold War and publicly released in 2013, is a script for a hypothetical broadcast the monarch would read if British citizens faced a threat of nuclear war or World War III.</p> <p dir="ltr">Devised by Whitehall officials, the speech was created as part of a war-gaming exercise that worked through potential scenarios and was written as if broadcast on Friday, March 4 at midday - almost 39 years ago to the day.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth,” the script begins, as shared by the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-23518587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now, this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen also recalls the moment World War II broke out and her own experience of sadness and pride upon hearing her father make the announcement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father’s [George VI’s] inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939,” it reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all, the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Unsurprisingly, the address <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-elizabeth-secret-speech-in-case-of-world-war-iii/eb18bc06-e53c-4fa8-baab-549476b59370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contains</a> some outdated aspects, including a mention of her “beloved” son Andrew - who was in the Royal Navy at the time - and references to her now-late husband Prince Philip.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also spoke of the power of the bond families share and how it “must be our greatest defence against the unknown”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country’s will to survive cannot be broken.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The war-gaming exercise it was devised for has become increasingly relevant as well, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues amid the threat of nuclear strikes from Moscow and ongoing peace talks between the two countries.</p> <p dir="ltr">In it, Orange bloc forces representing the Soviet Union and its allies launched a chemical weapon attack on the UK.</p> <p dir="ltr">NATO, represented by Blue forces, retaliates with a “limited-yield” nuclear strike that forces Orange to initiate a peace process.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-74b0ef2d-7fff-7430-7c16-31b0387424ac"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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12 of the world’s most haunted bodies of water

<p><strong>Devil's Pool, Australia</strong></p> <p><span>Devil’s Pool is a natural pool created by surrounding boulders and a waterfall that feeds it, and as beautiful as it is, people say it’s cursed. </span></p> <p><span>According to legend, Oolana, a young woman from the Yindinji Tribe, drowned herself in the pool after being separated from her true love. Still searching for him today, she lures young men to their death in the green waters. </span></p> <p><span>Sixteen young men have died there in the past 50 years, reports News.com.au.</span></p> <p><strong>Manchac Swamp, USA</strong></p> <p><span>According to local legend, Julia Brown, a practising voodoo priestess, used to sit on her front porch near the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana and sing, “One day I’m gonna die, and I’m gonna take all of you with me,” reports MentalFloss.com. </span></p> <p><span>That curse turned out to be true: On the day of Brown’s funeral in 1915, a category 4 hurricane tore through the area, causing hundreds of drowning deaths. </span></p> <p><span>These days, people say that Brown can be heard cackling on the shores of the swamp. Spooky, right?</span></p> <p><strong>Truk Lagoon, Micronesia</strong></p> <p><span>If it’s shipwrecks that make your spine tingle, then look no further than Truk Lagoon in Micronesia. </span></p> <p><span>That’s where the wreckage of 40 Japanese ships and 25 American aircrafts that went down in the waters lay. </span></p> <p><span>They went down during Operation Hailstone, the ill-fated WWII battle. The underwater scene is described as a massive “ship graveyard.” </span></p> <p><span>Photos of the wreckage are absolutely chilling and a haunting reminder of all the lives that were lost in that one battle, alone.</span></p> <p><strong>Lower Yellowstone Falls, USA</strong></p> <p><span>In 1870, a group of Native Americans stole pack horses from a group of five militiamen and their guide during the night near the area that’s now known as Lower Yellowstone Falls in Wyoming. </span></p> <p><span>When they woke up, the men gave chase and caught up with the Native Americans as they were attempting to cross the treacherous falls. </span></p> <p><span>During the fighting, the Native Americans’ makeshift raft sank and they were swept over the falls and drowned. </span></p> <p><span>Today, some who stand on the platform at the falls swear they hear the death chant of the brave Native American warriors and the river water is said to turn red on occasion.</span></p> <p><strong>Bride's Pool, Hong Kong</strong></p> <p><span>The Bride’s Pool, a natural pool created by boulders with an adjoining waterfall in Hong Kong, is said to have gotten its name because a bride fell into the water and drowned on the way to her wedding. </span></p> <p><span>If that’s not chilling enough, “today, some people report seeing a woman dressed in a red cheongsam [a traditional Asian wedding dress] brushing her hair near the majestic waters,” reports Time Out Hong Kong.</span></p> <p><strong>Saco River, USA</strong></p> <p><span>Sure the Saco River in Maine is a great place for holiday-makers to go tubing, but you may not want to after you find out about its rumoured curse. </span></p> <p><span>As the legend goes, around 1675, a group of drunken English sailors crossed paths with the chief of the Saco tribe and his family. </span></p> <p><span>The sailors callously threw the baby in the river to see if he could swim; sadly, the baby died a few days later. </span></p> <p><span>To enact revenge, the chief put a curse on the Saco River that three white people would drown in it each year. </span></p> <p><span>Whether or not the body count has held up, the murder of the child actually happened and likely led to further bloodshed in the years following.</span></p> <p><strong>Loch Ness, Scotland</strong></p> <p><span>There are some who believe with all their heart that a lake near Inverness in Scotland is haunted by a mythical being, aka the Loch Ness Monster. </span></p> <p><span>“There are over 300,000 visitors each year and only one to two bona fide sightings,” Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club tells the Travel Channel. </span></p> <p><span>But those odds continue to inspire visitors who always carry their cameras just in case “Nessie” decides to make an appearance.</span></p> <p><span><strong>White Rock Lake, USA</strong><br /></span></p> <p><span>They say Dallas’s White Rock Lake is haunted by a young woman wearing a soaking-wet evening dress. </span></p> <p><span>“Apparently, the girl tells people she was involved in a boating accident and needs to get to an address on Gaston Avenue. When she gets into a car’s back seat, she disappears,” the Dallas News reports. </span></p> <p><span>These encounters have been reported off and on since 1964, although no one knows who the woman is or whether a woman in an evening dress actually drowned there.</span></p> <p><strong>Changi Beach, Singapore</strong></p> <p><span>During Japan’s occupation of Singapore during World War II in 1942 tens of thousands of Chinese men who were suspected of having anti-Japanese sentiments, were forced into the waters of Changi Beach and machine-gunned en masse. </span></p> <p><span>It’s said that the ghosts of these executed men remain trapped on the shores, crying and screaming as they suffer the same deadly fate over and over again.</span></p> <p><strong>Blackwater River, USA</strong></p> <p><span>Like the Saco River, Blackwater River in Florida is also a popular tubing spot with a dark past. </span></p> <p><span>A woman with long black hair smelling of rotting flesh haunts the water and will attempt to drag you to your death if you can’t escape her clutches. </span></p> <p><span>No matter what is causing people to drown in the river, it would be wise to be careful when taking a dip.</span></p> <p><strong>Lake Superior, USA</strong></p> <p><span>In 1985, more than a decade after the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sunk 150 metres to the bottom of Lake Superior – all 29 men on board were lost – it was spotted sailing on the surface of Lake Superior by a commercial crew. </span></p> <p><span>There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation involving mist and a lighthouse, according to CNN, but there are those who believe that the Edmund Fitzgerald will continue to sail on as a ghost ship in the choppy, icy waters of the lake that took it.</span></p> <p><strong>The Bermuda Triangle </strong></p> <p><span>No discussion of haunted water would be complete without including the Atlantic Ocean’s Bermuda Triangle (bounded by Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico). </span></p> <p><span>Countless aeroplanes and ships have dared to enter the 1,300,000-square-km perimeter in perfectly good weather and not the slightest hint of engine malfunction – only to disappear forever. </span></p> <p><span>Not for nothing, it’s also known as the “Devil’s Triangle.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/destinations/12-of-the-worlds-most-haunted-bodies-of-water?pages=1">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Prince Charles haunted by past as The Crown blasts affair

<p><span>The Prince of Wales is not the most popular royal member, and season four of <em>The Crown</em> has only plummeted his approval rating even further.</span><br /><br /><span>While popular with only 47 per cent of Briton, Prince William and Her Majesty sits at 73 per cent.</span><br /><br /><span>The duchess of Cornwall is liked by only 34 per cent of the population.</span><br /><br /><span>Charles has the Netflix series, <em>The Crown</em>, to thank for that – a program watched by more viewers than William's 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton.</span></p> <p><img id="__mcenew" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839171/queen-prince-william-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fcad4d5d3e0648fb920577da9920d79d" /><br /><span>The current season portrays him as emotionally abusive toward his now-deceased ex-wife, Princess Diana.</span><br /><br /><span>The wave of backlash against the 72-year-old heir has been so intense that the pair have disabled comments on their official Clarence House Instagram account.</span><br /><br /><span>There have also been demands for the royal to stand down as the next King of England.</span><br /><br /><span>"Charles experienced extreme hate when his affair with Camilla was outed, and when Diana was killed – but it was never as bad as this," a source for Woman’s Day said.</span><br /><br /><span>"The public is reliving those moments now – though obviously in a dramatised way – only this time everyone has a social media account through which to spout their vitriol.</span><br /><br /><span>“Clarence House is scrambling to contain it, but not many of his PR flunkies truly believe his reputation can recover from this."</span><br /><br /><span>There are rumours that The Queen may give in to demands to have Prince Charles step down.</span><br /><br /><span>"For the Queen, the monarchy comes above all else – even her own son," says an insider.</span><br /><br /><span>"At the rate things are going with everyone turning on Charles, Prince Andrew in hot water for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Harry leaving the family, she feels she can really only trust leaving her empire in Prince William's hands.</span><br /><br /><span>“He and Catherine have proved themselves to be a steady ship time and time again."</span><br /><br /><span>"At 94, the Queen should be enjoying her twilight years. Instead, the spectre of her son's failed marriage is back to bite them all.</span><br /><br /><span>"It's going to be huge if one of her final acts is to cast Charles and Camilla aside and declare that <em>the crown</em> will go to William."</span></p>

Relationships

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Haunting photos of teen sent to family in “virtual kidnapping” scam

<p>Investigations are continuing after a teenage student was in a “virtual kidnapping” scam in Sydney, which resulted in more than $213,000 being transferred for their child’s safe return.</p> <p>NSW Police received reports of a missing 18-year-old Chinese woman on September 8 after friends became concerned for her welfare.</p> <p>Photos and videos of the woman were sent to family using the Chinese messaging service WeChat.</p> <p>Large sums of money were demanded by a person that was pretending to be Chinese police who were promising her safe release.</p> <p>Following further investigations from NSW Police, Chinese authorities and the AFP, the woman was found safe and unharmed in the inner-city suburb of Pyrmont on September 15.</p> <p>Police have since raided a Chatswood unit, while a 22-year-old male has spoken with officers. Investigations continue.</p> <p>In one photo, a pair of bare legs can be seen.  Police were trying to determine if that person is a victim themselves or involved in the scam.</p> <p>NSW Police Force state crime command director Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said police were urging the community to remain vigilant to such elaborate phone scams.</p> <p>“Less than two months ago, the NSW Police Force issued a warning to the community about ‘virtual kidnapping’ scams targeting Chinese students studying in Australia,” Det Chief Supt Bennett said.</p> <p>“It appears these scammers are continuing to operate and are once again preying on the vulnerabilities of individuals in the community who are not in direct physical contact with their families.”</p> <p>Det Chief Supt Bennett said that this incident began in July when a woman received an email from someone who was posing as Chinese police.</p> <p>They told her that her personal details had been illegally used on a package intercepted overseas.</p> <p>“The individuals behind these ‘virtual kidnapping’ scams continually adapt their scripts and methodology which are designed to take advantage of people’s trust in authorities,” he said.</p> <p>Police are reminding Chinese nationals that authorities in China would never contact students demanding money.</p> <p>They have urged that if anyone experiences such behaviour to report to the Chinese Consulate in Sydney and police.</p>

Legal

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​“For our people only”: Words come back to haunt QLD premier after baby dies

<p><span>A mother from NSW is mourning the loss of her unborn baby after she was refused entry to Queensland hospitals to receive an emergency surgery.</span><br /><br /><span>The grave loss comes just one week after the QLD premier announced the state’s medical services were for “our people only.”</span><br /><br /><span>The mother lived just 30km from the Queensland border in Ballina.</span><br /><br /><span>She was forced to fly to Sydney to receive crucial treatment for her unborn twins after she was denied an emergency exception to seek treatment in Brisbane.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister says the case is “very distressing” and has called for compassion on the borders.</span><br /><br /><span>Allan Watt, the father of the woman, told The Courier Mail that his daughter had to wait 16 hours before she could get a care flight to Sydney.</span><br /><br /><span>She then had to wait another “six or seven” hours before the emergency surgery.</span><br /><br /><span>“They found out yesterday and went for a scan and the baby was deceased,” Mr Watt said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I’m not blaming the Health System in Queensland, the same thing could’ve happened if they could’ve gone to the Brisbane Hospital with what’s happened to them now, but the fact is it could have made a difference.”</span><br /><br /><span>The upsetting news follows more than a week after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was criticised for saying Queensland hospitals were “for our people only” after a question about the NSW woman being refused entry to Brisbane.</span><br /><br /><span>“People living in NSW, they have NSW hospitals. In Queensland we have Queensland hospitals for our people,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard called Ms Palaszczuk’s comments “astonishing”.</span><br /><br /><span>He urged her to review her border arrangements to “ensure patients receive the health care they need”.</span><br /><br /><span>This morning, Ms Palaszczuk said the death of a baby was a tragedy.</span><br /><br /><span>However she denied that Queensland was blocking urgent interstate medical cases to be treated in the state’s hospitals.</span><br /><br /><span>“I think we’re very very compassionate in this state and … if there is someone that needs emergency care, if they need a helicopter to fly them to one of our hospitals, that will happen,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“If they need an ambulance to come and the clinicians decide the best place and the fastest place they go, they will not be stopped from going.”</span><br /><br /><span>The premier says she doesn't regret her comment that Queensland hospitals were for Queenslanders.</span><br /><br /><span>“These are really difficult decisions,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>She said patients should be treated in hospitals local to them.</span><br /><br /><span>She went on to say that patients would be treated in Queensland if it was an absolute emergency or if Queensland had the required expertise.</span><br /><br /><span>“But we are living through a global pandemic at the moment,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Ms Palaszczuk said she did not want to talk about a specific case and decisions were made by clinicians.</span><br /><br /><span>“This is an absolute tragedy, about this young baby,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I mean there’s a woman who’s grieving at the moment and many people know what that feels like.</span><br /><br /><span>“So if the clinicians make that urgent decision about where a young person needs to go, that will be made in the best interests of that young person.”</span><br /><br /><span>Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland provides emergency services to northern NSW and “that has never changed”.</span><br /><br /><span>“Police do not stop ambulances, they do not stop Life Flight helicopters,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I believe that I am a compassionate person.”</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Morrison said the events are “terribly distressing” and has urged for their to be flexibility and compassion on the borders.</span><br /><br /><span>“This is terribly distressing. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“And there needs to be an explanation as to how these, these hard border arrangements, can lead to people not getting access to this care as it seems to be the case here.</span><br /><br /><span>“I don’t know all the facts here and it’s important that they’re all known and I don’t want to get ahead of that process. But as I’ll be making a comment here today, I understand why there can be recommendations about having border restrictions under a COVID pandemic.</span><br /><br /><span>“But at the same time, they would need to be an extraordinary explanation in relation to how someone wouldn’t be able to get medical treatment in these circumstances. So there does need to be an explanation here.</span><br /><br /><span>“And again, these restrictions need to be put in place with compassion, with common sense and understanding all the risks, not just the COVID risks that present.”</span></p>

News

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This is spook-tacular! Haunted Halloween house in Queensland bound to give you chills

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Gold Coast family has turned their suburban house into a Stephen King-inspired mansion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The homeowners, known to locals by pseudonyms Mr and Mrs Strapleberry, are once again opening the doors to their house of horror in Pacific Pines, just in time for Halloween.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ‘Neibolt Well House’ was inspired by the abandoned home where IT lived and featured boarded-up windows, broken shutters, overgrown grass and vinces, and rusty metal fences as well as a life-size figure of Georgie from King’s story.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The couple first held the extravaganza last year, allowing children and adults to celebrate the festivities and try mazes with special effects and scares.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He spoke to </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7603803/Family-transforms-humble-property-incredible-horror-house-just-time-Halloween.html?fbclid=IwAR31j101Mj6zt6LXu3iNCnoT-JvjurCxXz4tdOdtpPu4MoAfRFOHf_jofWQ"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Mail Australia</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about how the creepy Halloween house all started.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We put out a smoke machine and some cheap spider webs a few years ago and noticed how many families and children were out trick-or-treating,” he explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was wonderful to see excited kids out having fun, so we decided we could do more.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the success of last year’s attempt, this year’s idea ended up snowballing quickly into “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/Panic-on-Pandora-260293314625500/posts/?ref=page_internal">Panic on Pandora</a>”.</span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F260293314625500%2Fvideos%2F505896146632451%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We didn’t know if anybody would show, but ended up with more than 600 happy families and haunters,” said Mr Strapleberry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are firm believers to the idea that you should be the change you want to see in the world,” the father-of-one explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Seeing the streets filled with children and families enjoying time together.. children genuinely excited, neighbours talking/meeting each other.. it's just an incredible atmosphere of the community coming together.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the Strapleberry family have kept quiet about just how much this all costs, Mr Strappleberry has joked that “it was either a jet-ski for me or a Halloween event for everyone”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The house has continued to bring joy to locals for two years in a row, and with the extensive effort gone into the designs, it’s easy to see why.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery to see the spooky transformation. </span></p>

Domestic Travel

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"I created a Frankenstein's monster": Inventor of most popular dog breed haunted by regret

<p>The labradoodle is one of the most popular dogs around the world - it is no wonder how with their cutesy curls and plaintive eyes. </p> <p>However, the man who first invented the breed in the 1980’s admitted he has some feelings of regret for creating the infamous labradoodle. </p> <p>"I realised what I had done within a matter of days,” Wally Conron told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-09-23/labradoodle-guide-dogs-designer-regret/10717186" target="_blank">abc.net.au.</a></p> <p>As a professional dog breeder, Wally said he mainly worried about breeding healthy, happy pups. </p> <p>However, he believes labradoodle breeders do not share the same concerns. </p> <p>"I realised the reason for these unethical, ruthless people [was] to breed these dogs and sell them for big bucks," Wally says.</p> <p>"I opened a Pandora's box and released a Frankenstein's monster.</p> <p>"When I'm out and I see these labradoodles I can't help myself, I go over them in my mind.</p> <p>"I look at it thinking, does it have hip dysplasia, has it got elbow problems, any other problems I can see?</p> <p>"I find that the biggest majority are either crazy or have a hereditary problem. I do see some damn nice labradoodles but they're few and far between."</p> <p>Mr Conron first crossed a labrador and a poodle in the late eighties after he was asked to breed a non-shedding guide dog. </p> <p>"I bred the labradoodle for a blind lady whose husband was allergic to dog hair," he says.</p> <p>"She wanted to know if we could come up with a dog that she could use as a guide dog and her husband wouldn't be allergic to," he says, speaking to the ABC podcast<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://abclisten.page.link/gro5" target="_blank">Sum Of All Parts.</a></p> <p>He trialled 33 different standard poodles after deciding a “standard” one would “do the job”, he decided they didn’t have the right temperament to be a successful guide dog. </p> <p>After three years of attempts, Wally came up with the idea make a brand new crossbreed or "a dog with the working ability of the Labrador and the coat of the poodle".</p> <p>After breeding three dogs, he shipped one off to the blind woman and her husband who lived with the dog well into his retirement.</p> <p>The other two, he found, were extremely hard to get rid of as “no one wanted a cross breed,”</p> <p>Out of sheer frustration, Mr Conran approached Guide Dogs Victoria’s PR department and asked them to say they’d bred a “special breed.”</p> <p>"I said 'can you get onto the media and tell them that we've bred a special breed? A breed called the labradoodle — it's non-allergenic',”  he said.</p> <p>Quickly Wally found it became a sensation. </p> <p>"I could not visualise the publicity that a crossbred dog would get," Wally says.</p> <p>"Cars would stop and people would get out of the car and say to me, 'excuse me what sort of dog is that?' I'd say 'it's a labradoodle!'"</p> <p>While the gorgeous dogs have captured the attention of many over the last 30 years, the cost of them far outweigh their multi-thousand dollar price tag.</p>

Family & Pets

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Big 5G problem haunting the iPhone 11 launch

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As tech giant Apple unveiled three new iPhone models that promised faster performance, increased battery life and new camera technology, industry experts are warning consumers that the product is missing a key component.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That component is known as 5G.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next generation mobile network has already been rolled out in Australian capital cities and it’s expected in other parts of the country in the next couple of years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lack of 5G is disappointing, according to Finders money expert Angus Kidman, as there’s a considerable price tag on the new iPhone 11 models.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People always want their phone to be faster because we’ve rapidly gone from just making calls to watching video,” Mr Kidman told </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/technology/iphone-11-launch-big-5g-problem-plaguing-the-new-apple-phone/news-story/49a0a31684d5833733c24d8e598ff948"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We want high speed connection and I think there’s an expectation that if you’re going to pay $1900 for a phone then you should get premium service from it and, in network terms, that’s not going to be the case.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Past research has shown that Aussies tend to upgrade their phones once their two-year phone contract is up, but research from Finder shows that consumers are now holding onto their devices for more than three years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’d be saying to anyone buying a new phone now make sure you get something that’s 5G capable because it’s going to give you better functionality for longer,” Mr Kidman said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Samsung was probably the first major brand to come out with 5G, there are some LG models out there as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At the moment, very few people have a 5G phone but the expectation is that the next premium device you buy, you’d want 5G built into it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">EFTM tech commentator Trevor Long has said that Apple have avoided 5G for a reason, which is simply that 5G hasn’t matured enough for the tech giant to consider adding it to their phones.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It feels like that would be something Apple would want to avoid. They don’t want a disappointed customer buying a phone with a feature they simply can’t use,” Mr Long told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It needs to mature more; we need to wait another year before 5G is getting a little better and that’s when it would make sense to have a 5G phone.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Photo credits: Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFPSource:AFP</span></em></p>

Technology

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The haunting history of Queen Victoria Building in NSW

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Queen Victoria Building, located in Sydney, is a Heritage-listed building as it is 121-years-old.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The building has experienced a lot of history, which QVB After Dark endeavours to share with you, according to </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/nsw-act/sordid-tales-from-the-qvbs-creepy-after-dark-ghost-tours/news-story/f8dfef496a9de9f8167106bedda89ff3"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This includes stories about a QVB’s “resident ghost” that inhabits the building, which is something that people have claimed to see pacing the floors and circling the central dome.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ghost is rumoured to be a former QVB business owner who died from a violent robbery more than 100 years ago that never left the building.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the murder and real-life story of Mei Quong Tart devastated the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He came to Australia from China as a nine-year-old in 1859. When he was old enough, he started working out at the goldfields and worked as a government interpreter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After making his home in Ashfield, Tart worked in the tea and silk trade in Sydney and opened restaurants across the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His most famous venue was the Elite Dining Hall and Tea Rooms in the QVB. As Tart was well-liked within the city, giving his employers fair wages and providing women a safe place during the time of suffrage, this made his murder all the more heartbreaking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Tart was counting money at the end of the day, he was beaten in the head with an iron bar and robbed. Despite surviving, he would soon pass eleven months after the brutal attack.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those who have seen Tart within the QVB say he’s a “friendly ghost” who often waves at people as they walk by. If you see him, you’re encouraged to wave back.</span></p>

Domestic Travel

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The devastating discovery about Madeleine McCann that still haunts Kate

<p>The disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been on the mind of the world since her family's holiday to Portugal in 2007.</p> <p>Madeleine went missing from her a holiday apartment while her parents and their friends were dining close by in the same hotel.</p> <p>In the year that Madeleine would’ve been 15, Netflix has released a documentary called <em>The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann,</em> that is full to the brim with detail about the case.</p> <p>Robbyn Swan, who co-wrote <em>Looking for Madeleine,</em> in 2014 is featured throughout the documentary and mentioned a detail that the family have been unable to get out of their heads since they learned of it.</p> <p>Swan said that it was “the stuff of nightmares” for Kate and Gerry McCann.</p> <p>In Kate’s book about the case, <em>Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search For Her</em>, she reveals a harrowing thought.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/42469/madeleine-mccann.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1307e606358a49c3ac297075d0bd2b72" /></p> <p>As the group’s children would be asleep in the hotel apartments at dinner time, the parents requested that they dined at the same table every night, as this table had the best view of the apartments.</p> <p>It was only once Madeleine disappeared that Kate discovered the person who wrote the booking down noted that the children would be unsupervised in the rooms in the reservation book. This means anyone who worked at the restaurant or any nosy members of the public knew that the children were left alone.</p> <p>Kate wrote in her book:</p> <p>“To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently."</p> <p>A tormented Kate added, “We now bitterly regret it and will do so until the end of our days."</p> <p>According to Swan, this discovery was one of the most upsetting to the McCann family. Intimate knowledge about the clan had been left in the open.</p> <p>Despite the documentary bringing light to a variety of theories, the family will never know whether or not that information was the last piece of the puzzle that led to Madeleine's disappearance.</p> <p>Have you watched the Madeleine McCann documentary series on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.</p>

Legal

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Michael Schumacher’s family release haunting new video of the F1 driver

<p>Michael Schumacher’s family has released never-before-seen footage of the F1 legend as he talked about his successful career, only two months before the tragic accident that would change his life forever.</p> <p>Considered the best F1 driver the world has ever seen, Schumacher spoke about his struggles with self-confidence and who he respects most in the profession in the haunting footage that was posted on his website.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hX7LF20uz3s" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The interview is dated October 30, 2013, only two short months before his skiing accident in the French Alps which occurred on December 29 the same year.</p> <p>Schumacher, who is now 49, said he never imagined his career to skyrocket the way it did, but it was his self-doubt that garnered him his many accolades.</p> <p>“Records is one thing. Doubts … I think it is very important to not be over confident – to be sceptical, to look for improvements,” he said.</p> <p>“Yeah, I always felt I am not good enough, I have to work, and that was one part of the recipe that made me what I became.</p> <p>“Talent in motorsport, as in any sport, is important – but that’s not all. You need really to develop lots of different skills.”</p> <p>He also commended his team, as he said his success wasn’t solely due to him.</p> <p>“Success, as in any situation of life or in most I know, is about teamwork,” he said.</p> <p>“Yourself, you do what you do. As a team, you will be much stronger. Formula 1 is a team work, and definitely not a one-man show.”</p> <p>He also mentioned how despite the challenges F1 drivers face, the sport has become much less demanding throughout his 17-year career due to the advancements in car technology.</p> <p>“Formula One is very tough. It used to be a lot harder – no power brakes, no power steering – in the past compared to nowadays,” he said.</p> <p>“But anyway, it is one of the toughest sports you can do, so a lot of preparation is needed.”</p> <p>The seven-time world champion looked back at his career highlights, and said it was his first win with Ferrari in 2000 that was the most emotional.</p> <p>Schumacher had an impressive run as he consecutively won championships after his first win. Those wins included Benetton in 1994 and 1995, then five back-to-back with the Prancing Horse from 2000-2004.</p> <p>The racing icon had a total of 91 grand prix wins by the end of his career.</p> <p>“Twenty-one years no championships with Ferrari, four years myself failing, then finally, in a great race to achieve it, win the world championship,” he said.</p> <p>When asked who he admires most in the adrenaline filled sport, he said it was Finland driver Mika Hakkinen, his rival driver and the 1998 and 1999 world champion for McLaren.</p> <p>“The most respected guy in all those years was definitely Mika Hakkinen. Great fights, but stable private relationships,” he said, as he mentioned how his secret to success was to learn from other drivers.</p> <p>“To develop yourself, to find other steps, you not only look at the car; you look at yourself, you look at other drivers.</p> <p>“And you’re not only looking at your front drivers, you’re looking at everybody. So, I did, because everybody has something special that I wanted to know.”</p> <p>Schumacher went on to mention his immense admiration for technical mastermind Ross Brawn, who he credits his success to.</p> <p>“If you go back to the various teams I have driven for, the various missions – Benetton, after four or five years building it up to the championship, same with Ferrari, we tried the same with Mercedes in less time – is there one thing in common, I would say yes there is: Ross Brawn. Think about it.”</p> <p>But surprisingly, a young Michael Schumacher didn’t grow up admiring F1 drivers, but rather a German soccer player: Toni Schumacher (no relation).</p> <p>“In the young days of karting, I looked around and yes, I saw Ayrton Senna or Vincenzo Sospiri, but my real idol was Toni Schumacher, because he was a great soccer player,” he said.</p> <p>Schumacher is currently undergoing treatment at his Lake Geneva residence, where he is receiving round-the-clock care from a team of medical professionals. His family are known to be notoriously private of his condition.</p>

Caring

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The “excruciating” public blunder that haunted the royal family for years

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">You can’t imagine anything like this happening today – four prominent members of the royal family tacking part in a cringeworthy gameshow televised across the United Kingdom.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">But in 1987, one senior royal dreamt up the idea in a misguided attempt at good PR.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Prince Edward had thought it a good move for himself, Sarah Ferguson (then the Duchess of York) her then husband Prince Andrew, as well as Princess Anne to take part in a farcical, obstacle-based gameshow, The Grand Knockout Tournament, a spinoff of It’s A Knockout, reports <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/excruciating-public-mistake-that-haunted-the-royals-for-years/news-story/37ac5af02be3ed1b4bda9f51cc4fec21" target="_blank" title="news.com.au"><em>news.com.au</em></a>.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">It was coined thereafter A Royal Knockout and chronicled as part of a Four Corners special on the history of the royal family’s public relations efforts. The royal quartet were dressed in medieval garb, in the charity special judged by Blackadder himself Rowan Atkinson, where “players dress up as giant vegetables and throw fake hams at each other”.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tNwtfGnBQTw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">"</span><span class="s1">The royals went off in several really questionable directions, the first of which, the nadir, was It’s A Royal Knockout,” royal biographer Stephen Bates recalled during the Four Corners special.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Bates’ said that although It’s A Knockout in his opinion was a “really, really naff program” it was “terribly popular and the royals, or at least Prince Edward, thought the royals could cash in on this. It’s A Royal Knockout was completely the wrong sort of message to give.”</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">In Ben Pimlott’s biography The Queen a royal insider explained that Queen Elizabeth didn’t want the young Royals to take part, as reported by news.com.au.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“It was a terrible mistake. (The Queen) was against it. But one of her faults is that she can’t say no,” they said.</span><span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“There was not a single courtier who did not think it was a mistake,” said another insider.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Pimlott called the appearance on the game show “excruciating”, making the British public “stunningly aware that a sense of decorum was not an automatic quality in the royal family”.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">The 80-minute charity game show also featured a bevy of big stars including John Travolta, Cliff Richard and John Cleese.</span></p>

TV

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What’s really going on when someone thinks their house is haunted

<p class="first-para">Don’t assume a property is haunted just because it seems creepy. Studies have found scientific reasons for people sensing an eerie atmosphere or sinister presence when they walk into a particular house.</p> <p>Infrasound – vibrations below the limit of human hearing – is one possible cause. University researchers have discovered that infrasound from something like vibrating water pipes or an electric fan can create feelings of dread and even hallucinations.</p> <p>Other research has found links between reputed hauntings and naturally occurring magnetic fields. For example, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.ejp.org.uk/Braithwaite-Townsend_EJP20.pdf" target="_blank">one study</a></strong></span> by British psychologists traced the ghostly experiences of people sleeping in a castle bedroom to a magnetised bed support.</p> <p>The finding is backed by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00207450600808800" target="_blank">laboratory experiments</a></strong></span> published in the <em>International Journal of Neuroscience</em> that show weak magnetic fields applied to the brain can make people sense the presence of a sentient being.</p> <p>Neurophysiologist <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7rEMvPD1rU&amp;t=803s" target="_blank">Dr Vladimir Dubaj</a></strong></span>, is a credible guide to the amorphous world of ghosts. He lectures in neuroscience at Swinburne University and is president of the Australian Parapsychological Research Association.</p> <p>“I look at it from a scientific perspective,” he says. “Lots of reported hauntings are psychological rather than genuine in nature, some places just look creepy and people expect that the place should be haunted – therefore it must be haunted.</p> <p>“People can misinterpret certain events and believe they’ve had a paranormal experience simply because they want to. I know cases of people saying a property is haunted because drawing attention to it is financially beneficial to them.”</p> <p>Surprisingly, millions of Australians do believe in ghosts. A <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://essentialvision.com.au/?s=ghosts&amp;searchbutton=Search" target="_blank">recent poll</a></strong></span> by Essential Research found 35 per cent believe ghosts exist and can influence their will on the living. Even more (39 per cent) believe that angels and demons are active in the world.</p> <p>Dr Dubaj maintains an open mind, but believes most paranormal experiences are due to expectation, misinterpretation and a brain function called pareidolia, which interprets patterns in random data. Seeing a face on the moon is one example.</p> <p>A house’s spooky reputation could originate like this. The shadow of a stair banister on a moonlit wall appears and disappears with passing clouds. A terrified visitor interprets the shadow as a fleeting ghost, someone else has the same experience and local gossip starts comparing the house to <em>The Amityville Horror</em>.</p> <p>A major problem with investigating paranormal events is that they are random and unpredictable, and science demands something repeatable that can be tested and confirmed. That’s why Dr Dubaj is excited by the results of his teams’ recent study of ghostly events at the convict site of Port Arthur in Tasmania.</p> <p>“We looked at paranormal experiences at Port Arthur over 25 years and found that when there was a lot more electromagnetic activity in the atmosphere, a lot more people were experiencing ghosts,” he says. “It confirms <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2012623" target="_blank">an earlier US study</a></strong></span> that shows the phenomena occurs in the northern hemisphere in exactly the same way.   </p> <p>“There are multiple ways of interpreting the data. You could say certain magnetic field frequencies cause something to occur in the environment, and that the witness just happens to be there at the right time. Or you could say the frequencies are affecting an individual’s brain and causing them to have a sensory hallucination.</p> <p>“However it’s a big step towards gaining a scientific understanding of what’s actually occurring.”</p> <p><em>Written by Iain Gillespie. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Home & Garden

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Why David Warner's comments are coming back to haunt him

<p>The Australian Test team are facing the music after former captain Steve Smith admitted he and the side’s “leadership group” instructed young opener Cameron Bancroft to use a piece of tape to tamper with the ball during the third Test.</p> <p>The Australian cricket team hasn’t seen an embarrassment this bad since the infamous underarm incident in 1981 with Trevor Chappell.</p> <p>Now, former comments made by deputy David Warner about cheating in the gentleman’s game have resurfaced.</p> <p>When South Africa toured Australia in 2016, Warner inferred that ball tampering was just as bad as match fixing.</p> <p>After South African skipper Faf du Plessis used a mint to shine the ball, Warner spoke about his actions at a press conference as the scandal broke.</p> <p>“I won’t comment on the way (South Africa) have been behaving but I just know from an Australian cricket perspective: we hold our heads high and I’ll be very disappointed if one of our teammates (did that),” he said.</p> <p>“The rules are in place for a reason, if you’re not gonna use them, then why bother having them?”</p> <p>Warner then explained that offending players would face severe consequences for their misbehaviour.</p> <p>“That’s the fortunate thing these days,” Warner said in 2016. “(Officials have) got the rules and they’re going to stand by their decision, and I think that’s going to be a good thing.</p> <p>“We’ve all been on the back end of them from time to time. Now that they’re cracking down on it, especially with the points system, we as players know the guidelines now, so if you’re going to overstep that mark and you get fined, be prepared to miss Test matches as well.”</p> <p>Now, Warner must endure the consequences of his own actions with veteran cricket writer Robert Craddock revealing Warner is set to join Steve Smith on the sidelines for the Johannesburg Test.</p> <p>Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland is expected to touch down in South Africa today to discuss the future of the Aussie team. </p>

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