Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has been forced to walk back a comment making light of stabbings in Melbourne, a day after footage emerged of a woman being randomly attacked in broad daylight.

Speaking at a Newscorp event in Brisbane ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Crisafulli was asked about how he planned to attract business from interstate.

"I'll tell you another thing I can offer. If they live in Melbourne, they've got a place that's dealing with youth crime, and they won't get stabbed. That's a good start," he said yesterday.

READ MORE: 'Relationship irreparably broke down': Barnaby Joyce to leave the Nationals

"And if they're in Sydney, that's a place that's dealing with traffic congestion.

"We are focusing on dealing with transport, and that's a point of difference for New South Wales. We are focusing on dealing with youth crime, and that's a point of difference for Victoria."

Crisafulli's comments drew a mixed reaction after shocking CCTV footage obtained this week showed the moment when 36-year-old Wan Lai was left with a punctured lung after she was allegedly attacked seemingly at random in Melbourne CBD on October 2.

Lai had left her apartment to walk to work when footage showed a woman running up from behind while holding what appeared to be a ball in one hand and a knife in another.

The woman confronted her, stabbed her, and took off again while Lai crumpled to the ground.  

While a 32-year-old woman is currently behind bars charged over the incident, Lai has been left unable to work or leave her home by herself.

READ MORE: 'She's still very scared when she's in public': Family of Melbourne stabbing victim speak out

The attack has also stirred fear within the wider community, with the state's opposition calling for tougher crime laws.

In a statement issued later that same day, the Premier apologised for the "poor choice of words".

"It was a poor choice of words because every victim matters, regardless of where they live, and I apologise for any distress," he said.

"I'm fully aware of the realities of crime and knife crime in Queensland, which is why we are working every day to keep driving down victim numbers through initiatives such as Jack's Law.

"No one can guarantee there'll be no crime, but that should never deter us from driving down victim numbers."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Kiwis can enter 186 countries visa-free but the latest rankings carry a warning.

Once widely reputed to be Queen Elizabeth's favourite son and feted as a dashing young military officer, Britain's Prince Andrew will now always be seen in the public eye as the royal who was accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl. Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Andrew, 65, said he would give up his title of Duke of York after years of criticism about his connections to the late, disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The brother of King Charles was accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates, and in February 2022 he made an undisclosed payment to settle a US lawsuit.

READ MORE: 'Relationship irreparably broke down': Barnaby Joyce to leave the Nationals

By the Queen's side

While he admitted no wrongdoing, Andrew – who had already stepped down as a working royal over his relationship with Epstein and following a disastrous BBC interview in which he had hoped to clear his name – was stripped of his military links, royal patronages and 'His Royal Highness' moniker.

"I never have really partied," he told the BBC.

"I was single for quite a long time in the early 80s but then after I got married, I was very happy and I've never really felt the need to go and party and certainly going to Jeffrey's was not about partying."

Increasingly unloved by the public, he was cast aside by his family who saw him as an embarrassment who might cause lasting damage to their whole institution.

READ MORE: Sweeping reforms set to hit every school across Australia

Only his late mother seemed to retain her affections, allowing him to escort her into a memorial service for her husband Prince Philip in March 2022.

His public appearances thereafter were limited to major family occasions such as the funeral of the queen later that year and his brother's coronation in 2023.

Earlier in his career, he served in the navy for 22 years and in 2001 he was named the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, a role he held until he was pilloried for his connections to Epstein.

Until that point, Andrew was probably best known for his 1986 marriage to the vivacious, flame-haired Sarah Ferguson, or "Fergie" as she was dubbed by the press.

READ MORE: Trump says he has commuted sentence of disgraced former politician

They separated in 1992, not long after he moved to a desk job at the Ministry of Defence so he could be at home more.

It was a year of travails and scandals for the royal family, which the queen described as an "annus horribilis".

Andrew was said to be devastated by the break-up from his wife, who described him as a gentle man who deserved to be loved.

The couple had two children, Beatrice and Eugenie, and the family remained close and on good terms after they divorced in 1996, going on holiday together and sharing the same house.

READ MORE: The Great Barrier Reef is facing 'catastrophic' risks – don't despair

'Air Miles Andy'

After leaving the military, Andrew's personal life still hit the headlines.

Tabloids linked him to a series of women, from swimwear models to entrepreneurs. Photographs appeared of Andrew cavorting on yachts or sunbathing surrounded by topless women.

The papers dubbed him "Air Miles Andy" for his jetset lifestyle.

But his long-term friendship with Epstein, who was jailed in 2008 for child sex offences, began to haunt him.

READ MORE: Trump in f-bomb blast as tensions rise between US and Venezuela

He was forced to quit his roving trade ambassador job in 2011 and Giuffre filed her allegations against him in 2015.

To critics, his downfall was a consequence of an arrogance and sense of entitlement.

A former royal protection officer told an ITV documentary that Andrew would throw tantrums if the teddy bears on his bed were moved.

With his reputation declining, Andrew turned his focus to a scheme called "Pitch@Palace", which aimed to use his royal influence to help young tech entrepreneurs find partners and investors.

READ MORE: Former Trump adviser pleads not guilty in classified documents case

But his royal world came crashing down not long after he gave what turned out to be a calamitous interview to BBC TV to explain why Giuffre's account of meeting him sweating and dancing at a London nightclub before having sex with him could not be true.

He was ridiculed for saying he went to see Epstein in New York to tell him he could no longer be seen with him, for saying Giuffre's story was wrong because he was visiting a pizza restaurant to celebrate his daughter's birthday on the night in question, and for saying he was unable to sweat.

READ MORE: The world is heading to add 57 superhot days a year

He was also criticised for failing to show sympathy for those who say they were abused by Epstein and for saying he was not sorry about his friendship with the financier.

"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein," he said in a later statement as he quit official royal duties.

But it came too late to save his reputation.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Auckland Council says 4162 special votes were ruled invalid after checks.

Police say the crash circumstances remain under investigation.

Passengers were forced to wait on the tarmac at Nelson Airport for nearly 30 minutes.

Police said the crash caused heavy traffic on parts of the motorway network around Epsom.

Severe thunderstorms are looming across Queensland and towards the New South Wales border, carrying potentially damaging winds and large hail.

Developing thunderstorms could also reach the Gold Coast this afternoon before hitting the Sunshine Coast in the early evening.

The Sunshine Coast is still set to face temperatures as high as 29 degrees.

Scattered late afternoon showers and thunderstorms are expected to hit the Queensland coastline south-east of the Sunshine Coast.

Moderate humidity levels plus temperatures in the low to mid-30s further inland from the coast are set to create thunderstorms across the Darling Downs regions in the early to mid-afternoon.

These thunderstorms are not a major threat to the major population areas near the coast.

Later in the afternoon, a line of thunderstorms is expected to develop along the New South Wales coast and the inland ranges.

Severe thunderstorms remain a possibility mid-afternoon across NSW's north-east ranges.

READ MORE: Prince Andrew announces he's given up his Duke of York title and honours

The forecast comes as a trough continues to move through the state's south-east Saturday afternoon and evening before moving off the coast by Sunday. 

Due to this shift, thunderstorms could hit the state's coastal areas between K'gari and Moreton Bay Island as the conditions move offshore.

As the southerly change hits south-east Queensland, it is expected to face a highly unstable airmass, which is likely to enhance one to two thunderstorms along the change.

This could turn them into a severe thunderstorm with large hail and damaging wind gusts.

Isolated thunderstorms are also expected to potentially affect regions such as Wide Bay-Burnett, Darling Downs and Maranoa's far east.

No weather warnings have been issued, however, people are being urged to remain vigilant and alert to any updated warnings throughout the afternoon and evening.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The owner has now been ordered to pay the boarding house’s head tenant more than $9k.

The family of the woman who was allegedly stabbed in a random attack in Melbourne's CBD says, despite making a strong physical recovery, she remains fearful of leaving her home alone after the incident.

Wan Lai was on her way to work and was near the intersection of Little Bourke and Spencer streets when she was allegedly stabbed by an unknown woman.

Lai's brother-in-law told ABC that, despite making a physical recovery, she is still suffering.

READ MORE: Missing camper tells of miracle rescue after nine-day ordeal

"She's still very scared when she's in public," he said.

"When she sees a stranger go past her, she'll be like 'oh, I need to stay away from [them]'."

Footage showed the alleged offender stopping in front of Lai before stabbing her and fleeing.

Wan Lai told 9News she felt someone tap her from the back and turned around to be stabbed immediately.

A passerby rushed to her aid before she was taken to hospital suffering a punctured lung.

It has since been learned that her alleged attacker was on bail at the time of the attack.

She is set to apply for bail again at Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.