In a world first, the Australian Human Rights Commission will launch a national inquiry into workplace sexual harassment which is found to be increasing.

Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins says "the ultimate aim is to have better guidance on how to prevent and respond to sexual harassment”.

The 12 month investigation will follow the #MeToo movement and will turn discussion into action to make workplaces safer by evaluating the effectiveness of current laws.

Queensland Police are launching a road safety operation after a sudden increase in pedestrian incidents left five dead and another four injured in less than a month.

Road Policing Command superintendent David Johnson said the number of recent pedestrian deaths was very concerning.

He said pedestrians put themselves at risk when they take shortcuts through areas of the Brisbane City, including walking on the other side of road barriers, around walkways and crossing at red signals.

The senior ride operator at Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids Ride, Peter Nemeth, has given evidence into the ongoing inquest to the tragedy that occurred in 2016.

Nemeth, who is a trained Level 3 ride operator, told the inquest on Tuesday he tried pressing the red conveyor stop button “two or three times”, and panicked when the conveyors did not immediately stop.

A Brisbane-based Mum will be deported next month after the Federal Government rejected her claim for permanent residency.

The Filipino woman, Bernadette Romulo, who has lived in Brisbane for over a decade will be separated from her eight-year-old Australian born son when she is deported from the country next month.

On Tuesday, Ms Romulo said her son, who cannot be taken out of the country, was “doing his best.”

Brisbane will host a silent vigil on Thursday for 22 year-old comedian, Eurydice Dixon, while also honouring all 31 female victims of gendered violence this year.

The event organiser, QUT student Yolanda Robson, says Eurydice’s death has affected so many Australian women as she explains, “it could have been any one of us that night”.

New research has found a third of Australians living in rural areas do not recognise they have mental health problems.

The study published today in the Australian Journal of Rural Health revealed 472 people out of 2,500 participants reported moderate to high psychological stress levels but did not report any mental health issues.

Mental illness is often unidentified and under reported because of the lack of mental health professionals working in rural areas.

Shoppers in Queensland, Western Australia and in the Northern Territory have been urged to not ‘bag’ Woolworths employees after the plastic bag ban comes into force today.

The Queensland Government’s single-use plastic bag ban does not start until July 1, however, Woolworths along with all its supermarkets, BWS, Metro and petrol outlets have implemented the new rule from today.

Today marks World Refugee Day and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Stirling Hinchcliffe is urging Queenslanders to show their support and look for ways to make a difference.

Mr Hinchcliffe said “World Refugee Day reminds us that there are millions of refugees throughout the world seeking better lives for themselves and their families.”