A Cairns family facing deportation after their son was diagnosed with autism has been given fresh hope with Immigration Minister Andrew Giles now considering whether to intervene in their case.

As reported by 9news.com.au last month, parents Yoojin Yang and Hyusin Lim moved to Australia from Korea more than 10 years ago and run a local cafe in Cairns.

The family have been locked in a battle to stay in Australia after their application for permanent skilled visas was rejected because of seven-year-old Seongjae Lim's autism.

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Seongjae was born in Australia but has been deemed a burden on the taxpayer because of his condition.

The family's only hope is for Giles to use his ministerial powers to grant them permanent residency, after their appeal at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal was rejected in July this year.

While the minister has declined to publicly comment on the Lim family's situation, 9news.com.au understands their case has passed a significant hurdle, having been assessed by the Department of Home Affairs as meeting the criteria for a possible ministerial intervention.

The case will now be put before the minister to make a final decision.

The move comes after Liberal MP for Leichhardt Warren Entsch met with the Lim family last week.

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Entsch said the case was a "no brainer" and he had personally called the minister to make an appeal on the family's behalf.

"I rang the minister and I said, 'Look, this is a no brainer, they are a good family.' He was very sympathetic to it," Entsch said.

Entsch said he was confident Giles would see how strong the family's case was and grant them permanent residency.

"The family have got themselves a fabulous little business here," Entsch said.

"The child was actually born in Australia, they have been here for 10 years, both of the kids are embedded in the local school community.  

"They are very good, community-oriented people. These are people we need in Australia, and they would get residency and citizenship under normal circumstances."

Seongjae's mum Yoojin said she was grateful to the minister for taking the time to review their case.

Yoojin previously told 9news.com.au that Seongjae was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

Doctors initially told her that her son may never learn to talk, however her son had made huge developmental progress over the years, Yoojin said.

"He is improving very quickly, and his language skills are improving at an amazing rate," she said, adding he would be transitioning to some mainstream classes at his local primary school next year.

Yoojin said she was extremely worried about how Seongjae and the whole family would cope if they had to move back to Korea.

"Seongjae's main language is English, but many Koreans don't speak English very well," she said.

"I am worried because we won't have a job or any income if we need to go back to Korea.

"We would have to start all over again."

An online petition calling on Giles to allow the family to stay has so far attracted more than 26,000 signatures.

Australia's autism community have also thrown their support behind the family, expressing their outrage at the decision to deny them visas based solely on Seongjae's condition.

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Once thriving spots, these villages, towns and cities now stand abandoned. Their empty buildings, streets and even cars left for nature to reclaim over the years.

From Sydney to Buenos Aires, Argentina fans have roared after the team won their third World Cup in extraordinary style, beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout.

A hippo has attacked a two-year-old boy in Uganda, swallowing half of his body before spitting him out, according to a statement from the Uganda Police Force.

The child was attacked on December 4 at around 3pm local time in the Katwe-Kabatoro district, in the southwest of the country, according to the statement.

The boy had been playing at his home in Rwenjubu cell, Lake Katwe.

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"It took the bravery of a one Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim after he stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the victim from its mouth," a spokesperson for Uganda Police Force said in the statement.

The boy was taken to a nearby clinic for injuries on one hand and later transferred to Bwera Hospital, west Uganda, for further treatment, the statement added.

The child has now been discharged after making a full recovery, police said. He also received a vaccine for rabies, before being handed back to his parents by the police.

"Although the hippo was scared back into the lake, all residents near animal sanctuaries and habitats should know that wild animals are very dangerous," the statement said.

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"Instinctually, wild animals see humans as a threat and any interaction can cause them to act strangely or aggressively."

Known as one of the most dangerous animals on the planet, hippos can snap a canoe in half with their strong jaws, according to National Geographic.

Reports are emerging about a brazen border breach by police-killer Nathaniel Train a year ago, as top officers call for state leaders to unite when it comes to gun laws.

Train is accused of breaking through a border gate into Queensland in a car loaded with weapons including firearms when only the vaccinated could cross state lines from a COVID-19 hotspot into Queensland.

Anti-vaxxer Train is reported to have rammed the gates at a rural border crossing in the Goondiwindi region.

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He eventually got through and drove into Queensland in a Landcruiser loaded with weapons.

An ABC investigation reported Train's four-wheel-drive became stuck in flood waters and he removed guns, a bow and arrow and knives before ditching the car.

A local farmer reportedly witnessed the incident and alerted police.

Nathaniel Train, his brother Gareth and sister-in-law Stacey ambushed and killed Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow.

They also gunned down brave neighbour Alan Dare.

Meanwhile, New South Wales' top police officers are calling for unity between the states on gun control.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet also said states should work together.

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"Every state has different processes and arrangements in place, so we should learn from each other see what Queensland has to say and what changes they want to make," he said.

Queensland's Communities Minister Leeanne Enoch said Annastacia Palaszczuk will call for further discussions.

"The premier has been very clear that she'd be willing to raise that at National Cabinet and I think that conversation is where we'd be able to see those synergies," she said.

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Victoria Police has released images of men they believe can assist with inquiries after a mass pitch invasion during last night's A-League derby match at AAMI Park in Melbourne.

Around 150 football fans ran onto the field around 8pm after flares were thrown into the crowd.

Three men were injured and Melbourne City's goalkeeper was taken to hospital with a head injury after being hit by a metal bucket of sand allegedly thrown at him.

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Police have now released a photo of a man they want to speak to in relation to that.

A match official was hurt and a cameraman was also injured after being hit on the head with a flare, police said.

Investigators have released a photos of men they believe might be able to help with their probes into ripping of flares, assaults, criminal damage and invading the field.

North-West Metro Region Specialist Operations Acting Superintendent Jason Goddard called the events "disgraceful" and "disgusting," and said the fans "lacked total respect for the game of football."

"I'm a lover of the game and I actually feel sad about what I saw play out on the pitch last night," he said.

"Along with thousands of supporters, Victoria Police condemn the behaviour."

He said he has "no doubt" police will be "knocking on a few doors soon."

A dedicated group of detectives are investigating as part of Operation Astute, backed by Football Australia, A-League officials and the clubs.

Witnesses, or anybody with phone footage should contact Crimestoppers

Power price pressure is piling on households and relief from soaring prices could take months to flow through, Australians are being warned.

Energy costs dominated federal politics and it looks set to continue through the summer recess and into 2023.

But help is at hand.

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From next April, state and federal governments will roll out $3 billion in electricity bill discounts.

Energy expert Tony Wood, of the Grattan Institute, told 9News the federal government is aiming to ease the burden for the worse-affected households.

"The idea is to give relief to people who are under particular bill stress, financial stress."

Together with price caps on coal and gas, the measures will leave the average household $230 less worse off, than it otherwise would have been.

Treasury forecasting shows the relief package will make some difference,. Electricity bills will increase by 47 per cent by 2024, compared with 63 per cent had the government not intervened.

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Meanwhile the political row over the push to renewable energy continues.

Government front bencher Tanya Plibersek insists greener energy means cheaper bills.

"We know electricity from renewable sources is the cheapest form of electricity in human history."

But National Party leader David Littleproud says households will still be left with high bills.

"We believe in renewables but the speed in which the government is taking us down this track doesn't match the practical reality of your energy bill."

But moving rapidly to wind and solar powers is the key to helping drive down soaring power prices in the long term, AEMO chief executive Damien Westerman told Nine Newspapers.

Westerman said the impact of the Ukraine war meant efforts to prepare the national power grid for higher levels of wind and solar to protect against future global fossil fuel shocks were even more urgent, he said.

A young boy is in a serious condition after being attacked by a dingo on K'gari.

The five-year-old suffered injuries to his head, arm and back in the attack.

It happened at Ocean Lake campground on the island, formerly known as Fraser Island.

He is being flown by helicopter to hospital.

More to come…

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