Women’s singles tennis world number one Ash Barty has been named Queensland's Young Australian of the Year.

The 23-year-old from Ipswich became a household name after winning her maiden grand slam singles title at the French Open this year and scaling the summit of women’s tennis.

Barty serves as the National Indigenous Tennis Ambassador for Tennis Australia, and has played an active role in helping young indigenous kids get into the sport, which she was commended for during the Australian of the Year Awards. 

A severe fire danger warning is in place for large parts of southern Queensland, with soaring temperatures and erratic weather conditions forecast for Wednesday.

Communities in the Darling Downs, Scenic Rim and Granite Belt are of major concern with a new fire front headed towards the five-star Spicers Peak Lodge at Maryvale on the Southern Downs, where the fire service has placed a “leave now” warning. 

Britain’s two major, Conservative and Labour, parties have both been hit by large-scale cyber attacks against their websites just weeks before millions of citizens go to the polls in the country’s national election.

British security services had warned that Russia and other countries could use cyber attacks or divisive political messages on social media to attempt to disrupt the December 12 election.

Hong Kong police fired tear gas in the heart of the Central financial district and at two university campuses to break up pro-democracy protests on Tuesday, as violence brought the Chinese-ruled city to what they said was the "brink of total breakdown".

The clashes came a day after police shot a protestor at close range and a man was doused in petrol and set on fire in some of the worst violence the country has seen in decades.

Technology has been introduced at a rapid rate into Australian schools, but marks have flatlined, according to an OECD study.

The report shows that that the countries who have invested the most have seen no obvious improvements in reading, mathematics or science achievement.

Despite parental assumptions that screen time is being regulated in schools, research shows that Australian schools have some of the lowest levels of restrictions on screen time in the world.

Northern Territory health officials have defended their decision to leave the community of Yuendumu in the hours before the police shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker, who died after being shot by police in a home in Yuendumu on Saturday night

Staff and volunteers at the Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary at Yeppoon in central Queensland, have rescued more than 150 injured and orphaned wildlife animals in the midst of recent bushfires.

Ranger Kieron Smedley, the sanctuary spokesperson said they had a Noah’s ark-style bus on site to evacuate the animals from the natural disaster.

As the animals have been away from the sanctuary for 48 hours, Mr. Smedley said the park is planning to get them back soon to avoid stress on them under the relocation.

Australians have been called upon to donate blood after the bushfire in New South Wales and Queensland has affected the national supply.

Donor centers in New South Wales at Taree, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, and Byron Bay have been forced to close down, while appointments at  Maitland, Newcastle and Gosford centers are also expected to be canceled.