Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has described recent school student protests on climate change as ‘appalling political manipulation’ after learning the strikes were assisted by professional activists.

Facebook page School Strike for Climate Action is run by taxpayer funded Australian Youth Climate Coalition and encourages students to join local climate change groups and write scripted letters to their teachers.

Mr Tehan says the professional assistance in leadership and logistical support detracts from the children’s overall message.

South-East Queensland is bracing for wild weather with huge swells generated by Cyclone Oma to batter the coast.

Volunteer surf lifesavers closed Surfers Paradise beach on Sunday due to strong currents and urged people not to enter the water.

Forecaster Lachlan Stoney said Oma was slow moving but building in intensity, upgraded to a Category 3 on Saturday.

Queensland power bills are set to become more manageable after a new rule is introduced to prevent retailers for charging extra for late payments.

The change could save some families up to $500 on their annual electricity costs.

The rule will also prevent retailers double billing late payment fees and withdrawing the pay on time discount.

One of Islamic State’s most prominent online agitators, Hoda Muthana, is calling on the US government to forgive her and allow her to return home to Alabama.

Ms Muthana says she regrets moving to Raqqa at the age of 19 and using twitter to repeatedly call on fellow American Islamists to ‘spill the blood’ of US veterans and patriots.

Ms Muthana’s comments come after US president Donald Trump urged Western countries to repatriate captured fighters on Sunday.

The former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova has been criticised for transphobic comments after she argued allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sporting tournaments was “insane and cheating”.

The tennis player first drew criticism from activists and trans athletes when she tweeted in December: “You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women. There must be some standards, and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard.”

Peter Dutton’s Home Affairs Department is under fire after the senate found it awarded a $423 million dollar contract to security company, Paladin, operating out of a beach shack on Kangaroo Island in 2017.

The senate will convene today to question the department about its consideration of the poor debt management of the Paladin’s owner, the inability to begin paying the contract and the lack of alternative bidders.

The CEOs of Australia’s leading sports organisations have committed to ensuring elite female athletes are paid the same as their male counterparts.

The Male Champions of Change Pathway to Pay Equality report outlines a systemic approach to achieve equal pay for male and female sports stars involving codes, sponsors and governments.

Male Champions of Change convener and UN special rapporteur Elizabeth Broderick says pay equality in sport will send a strong message to the broader society.

Queensland children are at greater risk of preventable diseases whooping cough, HPV and meningococcal after more than a third of students elected not to receive free vaccines last year.

Experts say 85 percent of Queenslanders must be vaccinated in order to create ‘herd’ immunity.

Medical director of Queensland Health’s immunisation program says children that miss the school based vaccinations may still access these free of charge from their GP.