Monday's news in 5 minutes.

1. Children share the heartbreaking photo of their terminally ill parents’ final goodbye.

Heartbreaking photo of terminally ill couple’s last moments together as their children say goodbyehttps://t.co/Wn4xY6FaNW

— Metro (@MetroUK) February 12, 2017

The children of a terminally ill couple have shared a photo of the heartbreaking moment their parents’ said their final goodbyes.

Julie and Mike Bennet shared the tender last moment in a UK hospital. Julie was diagnosed with cancer in May 2016, while Mike had been battling a brain tumour since 2013, The Metro reports.

The image was taken just days before 57-year-old Mike passed away, with the couple’s three children sharing it to show how much their parents loved each other and were “together until the very end”.

Tragically, Julie, 50, passed away in the same hospice as Mike just six days after he died.

The children – Oliver, 13, Hannah, 18 and 21-year-old Luke are now facing their lives without their parents. Family friends have set up a fundraiser to help them stay in their family home.

“Facing a double terminal cancer diagnosis is beyond belief and, as a community, we are working hard to support the family so that they can stay together and ensure that they can continue their education as planned,” family friend Heather Heaton Gallagher wrote on the family’s fundraising page.

2. Father-of-two dies after jet ski accident on Victoria’s Murray River.

A man is dead after a boat towing two water skiers crashed during a high-speed race. https://t.co/r4PmKhB7Dr #9News

— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) February 12, 2017

A 50-year-old father-of-two has died and four others are injured after three seperate ski crashes during the Southern 80 on the Murray River, 9 News reports.

Ski Racing Australia confirmed David Morabito was pulled unconscious from the water. Rescuers were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is believed he was killed when his boat flipped while he was driving during the annual water-skiing race event.

“Mr Morabito was a highly respected driver who had been involved with ski racing for many years. He is survived by his wife Katrina, son Sean and daughter Alicia,” Ski Racing Australia said in a statement on Facebook.

A man, aged in his 20s, was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with head and spinal injuries. Another man, also aged in his 20s, is in a series condition with head and neck injuries at Echuca Hospital.

A man and a woman are both in a stable condition with upper-body injuries.

Ski Racing Australia suspended racing as a result of the incidents.

3. ‘How dare they’: Three people charged with deliberately lighting fires across NSW.

‘Catastrophic’ Bushfires threaten properties on NSW mid coast https://t.co/9hcrEHTvGX

— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) February 12, 2017

Three people – including a 13-year-old – have been charged with deliberately lighting fires across NSW as fire crews battle more than 100 blazes across the state in “catastrophic” conditions.

A 32-year-old man was arrested after two fires were deliberately lit on the NSW north coast, MailOnline reports.

A 40-year-old man was also arrested after fire crews responded to a blaze in Mango Creek on the Central Coast. He has been charged with setting fire to land during a total fire ban, intentionally causing a fire and being reckless as to its spread.

A teenage boy, aged just 13, has also been charged after witnesses saw him light a grass patch in Orange on Saturday afternoon.

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has slammed the three men.

“How dare they. You put the lives of our firefighters at risk,” he told reporters in Sydney.

“How dare anybody add to the extraordinary conditions we’re experiencing.”

4. Queensland stepfather is jailed for sexually abusing his two stepdaughters.

Father who raped his two stepdaughters sentenced to 11 years jail & declared serious violent offender https://t.co/uHx1tZKQdk @tsv_bulletin

— Rachel Riley (@Rach_Riley) February 11, 2017

A Queensland man has been sentenced to 11 years in jail and declared a serious violent offender after he sexually abused and raped his two stepdaughters.

The man was aged between 30 and 41 during the time of his offending, the Townsville Bulletin reports. He was in a de facto relationship with the mother of his victims.

The court heard that both girls called him “Dad” and considered him their father figure.

Crown prosecutor Michael Cowan QC told the Townsville District Court the man told the older sister, who is now 16, that he “loved her” and that the abuse – which began when she was just five years old – was “our little secret”.

The girl told police her stepfather abused her “every night they were alone together”.

The abuse was uncovered in April 2015 when the oldest sister contacted Kids Helpline.

“You were a father figure to these children and…you betrayed the highest levels of trust that can be reposed on a human being,” Judge John Baulch SC told the man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children involved.

5. Eight-year-old boy in critical condition after his nine-year-old brother drowned.

A nine-year-old boy has drowned while his younger brother and heroic rescuer are fighting for life in hospital. #9News pic.twitter.com/K1B8fK7EcW

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) February 12, 2017

An eight-year-old boy is fighting for life in hospital after he was injured in an accident at a popular Queensland beach yesterday, 9 News reports.

The boy’s nine-year-old brother died at the scene. The eight-year-old was airlifted to Nambour General Hospital in a critical condition.

It’s believed the boys were playing on an inflatable rubber ring when it was blown away by the wind, stranding the boys in deep water at Tin Can Bay.

A 49-year-old man is also in a critical condition in Gympie Hospital after he rushed to rescue the young boys and became distressed himself.

Witnesses attempted CPR on the three victims until ambulances arrived.

6. RSPCA issues urgent heatwave warning after a dog died while tied to a clothesline.

So many sad stories coming out of this Heat Wave. Animals left in cars or tied up without shelter and fresh… https://t.co/VK4z3rsXnr

— Pet Ambo Services (@PetAmboServices) February 12, 2017

RSPCA Queensland has issued an urgent warning for pet owners after a dog passed away while tied to a clothesline over the weekend, 9 News reports.

“I’ve been attending about six calls a day in regard to dogs being tethered and not being able to reach shade or water,” RSPCA Inspector Sharni said on the RSPCA Queensland Facebook page.

A dog was found dead at 10am yesterday after it was tied up without access to water or shade in a Hervey Bay backyard, RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said.

“It was tied to a clothes line and left without water”, he said.

He added that some people “were not listening” to advice on how to keep pets safe in hot weather.

News of the dog’s death comes as almost 40,000 animal lovers sign a petition to stop the sale of animals at Sydney’s Parklea Markets after footage emerged of pets sweltering in soaring temperatures last week.

Teenager Aimee O’Brien posted images of the puppies suffering in the heat to Facebook on Friday afternoon. Her post was shared over 2800 times, prompting her to start the petition demanding the markets stop selling pets.

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