Nation's big move to tackle Airbnb problem, Coles' big move after worker allegedly stabbed, council warning over beach act

Plus the former host of Wonder World, Simon Townsend, has died.

Spain is looking to reduce the number of short-term rentals fuelling a tourism boom. Source: Getty
Spain is looking to reduce the number of short-term rentals fuelling a tourism boom. Source: Getty

Yahoo's live news blog for Wednesday, January 15 has now concluded. Coles has stopped selling knives in stores across the country after a worker was allegedly stabbed by a teenager in Queensland.

Australian number one Alex De Minaur has sailed into the second round of the Australian Open with a straight sets victory, and has revealed a move after the Davis Cup that should put him in good stead to reach his first ever Grand Slam semi-final.

Spain is proposing a huge tax on non-residents buying property as it looks to get to grips with surging tourism that has riled locals. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said too many foreigners are making money from Spanish properties they don't intend on living in.

See all of the day's updates below.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER14 updates
  • Wild beach move sparks warning

    While beach cabanas being used to reserve a spot on the beach was the talk of Australia last week, beachgoers in Wollongong have been claiming prime coastal spots in a slightly different way.

    Wollongong Council has erected signage that warns beachgoers wrapping picnic shelters in cling wrap is prohibited and could result in a fine.

    One local told news.com.au the practice has been going on for a while, with local mayor Tania Brown saying it was "unfortunate" council needed to issue such a warning.

    "I would hope people show common courtesy to one another when it comes to shared spaces and facilities," she said.

    Council's warning to beachgoers. Source: Facebook via news.com.au
    Council's warning to beachgoers. Source: Facebook via news.com.au
  • Wild amount of train services cancelled in Sydney

    One thousand services will have been cancelled by the end of the day amid ongoing train strikes, NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen has said.

    That means about 80 per cent of all services in Sydney will have been cancelled as the brutal extent of the disruptions is laid bare. Commuters are being warned of huge delays as Sydney Trains began treating the situation as an emergency operation, the Daily Telegraph reported.

    A deal with union members is not any closer after a 13 per cent pay rise over four years was knocked back.

  • Australia 'big player' if World War III materialises

    Australia's defence pact with the UK and US is "keeping [China president] Xi Jinping up at night", a senior Republican says, adding he believes Australia is a key ally amid an increasingly hostile Indo-Pacific.

    AUKUS was first announced under the leadership of former prime minister Scott Morrison and outgoing US President Joe Biden, but Texas representative Michael McCaul believes President-elect Donald Trump is on board and had spoken about such a pact during his first term as president.

    McCaul told an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington that Australia's location made it the "beachhead" when countering China and would be vital if a third world war was to materialise, the ABC reported, calling Australia the "big player" in the region.

    "Australia, in my view, is the power in the Pacific that we need to fortify."

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    A senior Republican believes Australia is key to countering China if military conflict was to materialise. Source: Getty
  • Wild queues as further chaos feared

    Sydney commuters are set to face further chaos this evening as they try and get home, with vision shared online showing huge queues of disgruntled passengers outside train stations.

    One video of Bondi Junction station shows a huge line of people waiting for replacement buses as train services were significantly impacted as a result of industrial action amid an ongoing pay dispute.

    There are fears Sydney’s rail network could be plunged into further chaos tomorrow with critical maintenance between Bondi Junction and Homebush again in doubt by striking workers.

    One video showed a massive line of commuters outside Bondi Junction station. Source: Facebook - Maria Lucia DG
    One video showed a massive line of commuters outside Bondi Junction station. Source: Facebook - Maria Lucia DG
  • Penny Wong dodges Trump question

    Foreign Minister Penny Wong has downplayed unearthed remarks she made about Donald Trump ahead of his swearing in as US president next week.

    Senator Wong said the US president-elect “was prepared to trash alliances and partnerships for personal political interest” in a 2021 interview with ABC Radio Adelaide.

    She was opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman at the time.

    Earlier this week she said she was “honoured to be invited” to Mr Trump’s inauguration in Washington.

    Asked on Wednesday if her view of the incoming US president has changed, Senator Wong dodged the query, saying her attendance was about the Australia-US relationship.

    “Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States, and I’m honoured, on behalf of the country, to have been invited to his inauguration,” she told the ABC.

    “I mean, I think people know that I will always stand up for alliances and partnerships.

    “That is who we are as Australians. We believe in partnership, Alliance and democracy, and it’s been a great honour to be invited to the inauguration.”

    Read more from NCA NewsWire here.

  • Coles stops selling knives after worker allegedly stabbed

    Coles has announced it will stop selling kitchen knives nationwide after one its workers was allegedly stabbed by a 13-year-old boy while on shift.

    The supermarket giant says the move is "out of an abundance of caution".

    Claudia Campomayor Watt, 63, remains in a critical but stable condition after the alleged attack at the Yamanto Central Shopping Centre store in Ipswich.

    Coles had previously banned kitchen knives that were part of its popular SMEG promotion at 26 stores in a bid to keep staff and shoppers safe.

  • GP fined $5,000 for smacking child

    A GP in Queensland has been fined $5,000 after he smacked a disruptive toddler on the bum during an appointment.

    Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal delivered the decision on Monday, with QCAT Judicial Member John Robertson calling Dr Robert De Villiers' actions at the medical centre in Cairns as "completely inappropriate", the Courier Mail reported.

    Robertson noted Dr De Villiers' actions were out of character and were triggered by the boy turning the consult room light on and off which was located next to safety power switches, with a prior request to stop going unheeded.

    The boy's mother, who had had several appointments with Dr De Villiers previously, reported the incident to police but no charges were laid.

    Robertson said the boy did not suffer injury from the smack, which was on top of a nappy and trousers, nor did Dr De Villiers intend to hurt him.

  • 'Cowardly' act targeting cyclists

    A hunt is on in Adelaide after three people were injured after colliding with a wire pulled across a cycle path.

    Detective Chief Inspector Mark McEachern said two wires had knocked four people off their bikes, describing the placement of the wires as "sinister".

    "There is somebody actively harming the public by stupidly pulling this wire across the bikeway to knock cyclists off," he said.

    "Why you would do that, who knows. Stupidity and cowardness come to mind.

    "It's obviously very serious offending. It's offending that accounts to acts to endanger life which carries a maximum of 18 years imprisonment."

    Police are calling for a man seen on the bike path in Hackham West to come forward to assist investigations.

    The wire attached across the path. Source: Nine
    The wire attached across the path. Source: Nine
  • Elon Musk behind infuriating Qantas problem

    Well this is a peculiar update related to a host of delayed Qantas flights recentl The airline has revealed Elon Musk is behind the frustrating problem.

    “Over the past few weeks we‘ve had to delay several flights between Johannesburg and Sydney due to advice received from the US government regarding the re-entry of SpaceX rockets over an extensive area of the Southern Indian Ocean,” Qantas operations centre head Ben Holland said.

    Qantas says its asked SpaceX for more information on exactly where and when debris from the aircraft is falling to minimise disruption which has seen some flights grounded for up to six hours.

  • Striking slugs bouncing back in NSW

    We turn to these spectacular specimens now, with experts overjoyed the striking neon-pink slugs have bounced back following the devastating Black Summer bushfires.

    There were fears the Mount Kaputar pink slug could be badly impacted, but scientists have reported an uptick in their population over the past few years, with a "mass breeding event" likely having taken place.

    Source: NPWS
    Source: NPWS
    Source: NPWS
    Source: NPWS
  • Host of beloved show dies aged 79

    Television presenter Simon Townsend, best known for hosting kids' show Wonder World, has died aged 79.

    His family confirmed the death after he was recently diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.

    "In his final days, Simon was surrounded by his family and a mix of journalists, writers, actors, political activists and Italians," his family said in a statement.

    "The conversation to the last was loud, passionate and full of laughs."

    Tributes poured in for Townsend online, with many saying they grew up with Wonder World.

    Simon Townsend has died, his family have announced. Source: ABC
    Simon Townsend has died, his family have announced. Source: ABC
  • Spain's bold plan to tackle tourism problem

    Spain is taking action amid growing discontent across the country, with its government looking to curb a tourism boom that critics say has fuelled a housing crisis.

    The Spanish government announced on Monday it wants to introduce a tax that would be worth up to 100 per cent of the value of properties being bought by non-EU citizens who are not legally Spanish residents.

    Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the proposal was aimed at helping tackle Spain's housing crisis, which has left local people being priced out of the property market by foreign buyers.

    It comes after a year of protests in many Spanish cities against tourists who locals accuse of driving up prices and buying homes that are often left empty.

    "There are too many Airbnbs and not enough homes," Sanchez said.

    "It isn't fair that those who have three, four or five apartments as short-term rentals pay less tax than hotels.

    "The West faces a decisive challenge - to not become a society divided into two classes, the rich landlords and poor tenants."

    Similar discontent has emerged in Australia, with areas like Byron Bay moving to counter the rapid surge in short-term rentals.

    Do you think Spain's proposal would be beneficial in Australia? Have your say below.

     

  • De Minaur reveals big sacrifice

    Australia's number one Alex De Minaur has revealed a big sacrifice he made as he looks to advance beyond a Grand Slam quarter-finals for the first time in his career.

    "This year [my team and I] worked even harder," he told reporters after cruising into the second round of the Australian Open following a straight sets victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.

    "We finished Davis Cup and then some people take holidays or some time off at the end of the year, but I wanted to get straight back to work.

    "There's not a lot of time to work on yourself, so for me it was very important to go with my team and look at myself and say, 'OK, these are the areas we need to improve off the court and on the court', and get to work.

    "The motivation has never been higher".

    De Minaur had the best year of his career in 2024, reaching three Grand Slam quarter-finals and he will be looking to go even further on the biggest stage with the backing of a raucous home support.

    MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 14: Alex de Minaur of Australia gives an on-court interview after victory against Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in the Men's Singles First Round match during day three of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 14, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
    De Minaur has been working hard to improve his game heading into 2025. Source: Getty
  • Albanese government issues warning to Russia

    Penny Wong is warning “all options are on the table” amid reports Russian forces killed Australian man Oscar Jenkins after capturing him in eastern Ukraine.

    The Foreign Minister said on Wednesday the Australian government held “grave concerns for Mr Jenkins’ welfare” and was “making urgent inquiries following the reports of his death”.

    “We do need to ascertain the facts, and we’re working very hard to do that,” Senator Wong told the ABC.

    Australian man Oscar Jenkins was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. Picture: Screengrab
    Australian man Oscar Jenkins was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. Picture: Screengrab

    Senator Wong said the Russian ambassador Aleksey Pavlovsky had been “called in” and that “Russia is obliged to treat all prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law, this includes humane treatment and the right to a fair trial”.

    “We will look at the facts when they have been ascertained,” she said.

    “But I want to be clear, all options are on the table.”

    Read more from NCA NewsWire here.

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