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- Queensland announces a funding boost for disaster-hit tourism operators in the far north;
- Four dead in an Indonesian train crash;
- Tottenham Hotspur not concerned about the potential departure of defender Eric Dier.
A funding relief package has been announced for north Queensland in a bid to encourage visitors to return to the area after a spate of wild weather.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles says the multi-million dollar package will provide discount flights and accommodation for visitors to the Cairns and Port Douglas regions.
The state government says almost 90 percent of far north Queensland's tourist infrastructure is functioning and ready to welcome back visitors.
But north Queensland short stay accommodation provider Jacqui Biggs has told SBS News operators in the far north near Cape Tribulation are still cut off.
"We're all good to go. But you just can't get to the property at the moment and we've lost about $10,000 so far and there'll be more losses if we don't get any more bookings through by the end of January and then of course you've lost the holiday season because all the schools we back open again and and that will be the end of it until Easter."
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Four people have been killed and 42 injured in a train collision on Indonesia's main island of Java.
A spokesperson for West Java province police says the four were all crew members.
The collision happened between two commuter trains about 500 metres from the Cicalengka train station in West Java province.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash.
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A Coffs Harbour aged care home has brought in extra security guards following the alleged sexual assault of a 76 year old resident on New Year's Day.
New South Wales Police say there is no evidence this alleged attack is connected to another recent assault of a resident, which took place hundreds of kilometres away on the state's Central Coast.
Commander of the Sex Crimes Squad, Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, says police are actively working with aged care and residential facilities to strengthen their security knowledge and arrangements.
"Police from Coffs Clarence Police Area Command have been assisting this aged care home and others in the area throughout the week to conduct security assessments of their homes to ensure that residents can feel as safe as possible in light of this offence... Care facilities have to balance - these are people's homes so they need to be free to come and go, but they also need to feel safe as well."
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In Queensland, a seven-year-old girl has been bitten by a dingo on K'gari [[gurrie]], formerly known as Fraser Island.
The young girl had been left unattended in the family car as her mother tried to take photos of the wild animal, while they waited for a barge on the island.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers are investigating the incident, and attempting to identify the animal.
It is the fourth such incident in weeks.
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The South Australian government says it is doing everything it can to address what it's called a crisis in ambulance ramping, following the death of an Adelaide man who waited 10 hours to be taken to hospital.
The 54-year-old died on December 27, a night SA Health says had a high volume of triple zero calls and a Code White at Adelaide hospitals, meaning all treatment rooms were being used and ambulances could not unload their existing passengers.
Premier Peter Malinauskas says he believes there are serious problems with ambulance ramping and response times.
But he says improvements have already been made, and more are coming.
"We've got a very clear plan throughout the course of 2024 to continue to roll out those additional resources that we have been building ever since coming into government... Ambulance response times need to improve more than what they already have, but they are a lot better than they were two years ago, and that's a statement of absolute fact."
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Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou says his team will not be impacted by the potential departure of defender Eric Dier.
Dier has been targeted by German champions Bayern Munich and a potential move could see him join up with former teammate Harry Kane.
The return of Argentina's Christian Romero from suspension has helped alleviate problems for Tottenham, but Dier, as well as centre backs Micky van de Ven and Ashley Phillips, are all injured.
Postecoglou has told reporters to not question his integrity on the matter of Dier's recent unavailability.
"When I say he's injured, he's injured. (He) didn't train yesterday. I can get vision for you. Ask him. But he was injured. Got nothing to do with anything else."
