A Queensland couple has launched legal action against Education Queensland over allegations their disabled son was restrained in an isolated withdrawal room at a Queensland school for over two hours despite vomiting and complaining of chest pain.

The Queensland parents allege that their son, who has autism and ADHD endured physical violence, restraint and seclusion at the Hervey Bay school between 2011 and 2015.

The Education Minister has announced the launch of a new Indigenous Action Plan for Queensland schools during a visit to Mornington Island.

The plan, completed after consultation with the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education and Training Advisory Committee, will aim to improve participation at kindergarten, as well as developing culturally appropriate learning resources and professional development opportunities for Queensland teachers.

Police say a funeral in eastern Germany ended on an involuntary drug high, when mourners were accidentally served hash cake.

Rostock police said that 13 people experienced nausea and dizziness and needed medical treatment after the burial in Wiethagen three months ago, when the funeral party went to a restaurant for traditional post-funeral coffee and cake.

Tech company WhatsApp has launched an unprecedented lawsuit against an Israeli cyber weapons firm which it has accused of being behind secret attacks on more than 100 human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, and academics in just two weeks earlier this year.

WhatsApp said it believed the technology sold by NSO was used to target the mobile phones of more than 1400 of its users in 20 different countries, including human rights lawyers, prominent religious figures, and journalists during a 14-day period from the end of April to the middle of May.

A report released by NSW Advocate for Children and Young People urges the state to cut the long suspension at schools, to prevent putting troubled children at greater risk of committing crimes.

As most offenders have been reported to be indigenous, Aboriginal Child Welfare Body chief executive Tim Ireland suggests "giving Aboriginal young people something to do within the community that's positive and keeps them connected" would be a better approach.

Woolworths has revealed that it underpaid thousands of staff by as much as $300 million in a statement to the stock exchange.

The underpayment took place when the introduction of a new enterprise agreement emphasized “an inconsistency in pay” in an old agreement for some workers, particularly department managers at retail stores.

Residents in Central West Queensland are rejoicing after overnight storms brought patchy downpours to their drought-stricken properties.

Jess Gardner from the Bureau of Meteorology said there were also decent falls at Fairview, Quilpie and Blackall, which had not recorded any rain for months.

With more rainfall due across the region on Wednesday and Thursday, local residents are hoping that this is the start of a more positive season after the long spell of dry weather.  

A 28-year-old man has had his foot bitten off and a 22-year-old man has suffered severe calf lacerations, after being attacked by a shark at Airlie Beach in Queensland's popular Whitsunday Islands yesterday morning. 

The two English tourists were snorkelling a Whitsundays boat with 20 other people when they were attacked, although it is unclear how many were in the water at the time or what the species of shark was.