A red belly black snake has been removed from a Queensland home after it was discovered under a pile of toys in a child’s cot.

Professional snake handler Andrew Smedley was called out to a property in Peak Crossing, near Ipswich, where he sized up the cot before sifting through the contents in search for the snake with his bare hands.

Mr Smedley said the little girl wasn’t home at the time the snake was spotted and it was lucky her father noticed it when he did.

Elephants at the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania are being fitted with GPS collars in response to a 90% reduction in populations of elephants in the reserve.

GPS collars have been used to track elephants in the park before, but this latest initiative in conjunction with the World Wildlife Foundation is the largest collaring effort to date, with up 60 elephants to be tagged in the next 12 months.

It’s hoped that the collars will enable park rangers to respond to threats to the elephants in real-time, vital in such a large area.

Journalist Marie Colvin’s sister Cat said she and her lawyer have evidence that the Syrian government specifically attacked Colvin when she was killed by a rocket while covering the siege of Homs in Syria.

Court documents released said a former Syrian intelligence agent alleges an informant told the Damascus government about Colvin's location the night before she was killed.

The Mary River turtle, known for its green mohawk and unique ability to breathe through its genitals, has been added to a list of most vulnerable species.   

The turtle, endemic to Queensland’s Mary River, is 30th on the Zoological Society of London’s Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered List for reptiles, which helps guide conservation priorities for the 100 most at risk species.

Cameroonian athletes who have finished competing in their events at the commonwealth games have returned home.

The early departure of 14 Cameroonian competitors follows the disappearance of 8 athletes from the team’s accommodation during the games so far, and has been facilitated by Cameroonian authorities to prevent further athlete escapes.

It is likely the absent athletes intend to seek asylum to escape civil strife in Cameroon once the games conclude and the Cameroonian contingent leaves Australia.

Queensland Police are investigating an incident on March 27 where a three-year-old boy from Townsville was allegedly placed on a hot stove by his parents, leaving him in intensive care and with a temporary colostomy bag.

The case has raised serious questions as to why the children were in the hands of their parents even though they have a history of neglect issues.

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer has said the safety and wellbeing of all children known to the department is their top priority.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has declared that Prawns and Scallops are no longer sustainable to catch off the Queensland coast.

The society's findings will not impact ocean fishing businesses, but they hope that they will steer consumers towards farm grown products.

They state a lack of industry oversight has led to the adoption of sustainable fishing practices regarding wild product, and hope that reforms to the industry by the Queensland Government will be forthcoming.

Paul Ryan, speaker of the United States House of Representatives, has announced he won’t stand for reelection in the November midterms, making him the 39th house republican to step down since President Trump took office.

Number 40 followed an hour after Mr Ryan’s announcement, with Florida’s Dennis Ross also revealing his plans to retire.

Ryan said he wants to spend more time with his family and feels he has accomplished most of what he set out to achieve in the role, referring to the tax reform package he helped legislate late last year.