Friday's news in under 5 minutes.

We’ve rounded up all the latest stories from Australia and around the world – so you don’t have to go searching.

1. Townsville parents arrested over rape and abuse of their two pre-teen daughters.

A man and woman from Townsville have been arrested after allegedly abusing their two daughters for more than four years and filming the abuse.

The girls, now 12 and 14, were allegedly subjected to horrific sexual abuse described by police as being “as bad as it gets”.

The Courier Mail reports that the father, 42, and mother, 32, are facing charges including incest, rape, sodomy and creating child exploitation material.

The couple were arrested on April 15 and were remanded in custody until June 30.

Townsville Child Protection Investigation Unit officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said the alleged abuse happened over four years.

“(We allege) both mum and dad have actively engaged in the sexual abuse of both children and the charges reflect the severity of the actions we’ve been able to identify at this stage,” he said.

“The investigation is not complete,” Sen-Sgt Miles said.

“We are anticipating there will be further charges and that will relate to the full review of the forensic examination of their electronic devices.”

“The children have been basically indoctrinated and groomed in such a way that they believe that this behaviour is normal,” he said.

For help: Lifeline 13 11 14. Kid’s Helpline: 1800 55 1800. DV and Sexual Abuse hotline 27/4: 1800 737 732

2. QLD boy injured in house fire.

A two-year-old boy is in hospital fighting for life after suffering burns to 90 per cent of his body in a house fire.

The boy, Austin Cotterill underwent surgery yesterday after suffering burns to his legs, arms and stomach in the blaze.

The fire is thought to have started with a candle which gutted his family’s home at Eidsvold, southwest of Bundaberg.

Austin’s father, Steven, said his son was fighter.

“I just know that he is going to come out and I just can’t wait until he starts walking and playing around again,” he told the Seven Network.

His mother, Mandy Roussounis was the one to rescue the little boy.

“When I first went to grab him, I lost grip. I choked up (from the smoke) and I couldn’t breathe. But then something comes over you,” she said

“I had one more chance to grab him, and then get out.”

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help the family.

3. Clues about Snapper Point woman lead police to believe she was a student.

It is believed that believe a woman found naked and stabbed to death on the NSW Central Coast is a Chinese national who was studying economics at the University of Technology Sydney.

The woman was found floating in the blow hole.

The Daily Telegraph reports that while detectives are still waiting for DNA results it is thought the body is that of an international student reported missing by friends at the weekend.

“Our interpretation of the situation is that she suffered a violent assault prior to her death,” Detective Chief Inspector Jubelin said.

On Wednesday police released a computer-generated image of the woman in the hope someone could help identify her.

4. Australian aid worker kidnapped by armed men in eastern Afghanistan.

A female Australian air worker has reportedly been kidnapped in eastern Afghanistan.

Media reports suggested that the woman worked for the Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees, or DACAAR, a developmental aid organisation working in Afghanistan since 1984.

“The kidnappers wore military uniforms and the employee “worked in the non-profit’s handicrafts department,” Attaullah Khogyanai, the spokesman of the state’s governor said.

The organization though said while the kidnapping was “sad” the woman was not their employee.

“We wish to make clear, that the person in question does not work for DACAAR or DRC.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement on Thursday “the Australian Government is working to confirm the reported kidnapping of an Australian in Afghanistan”

5. Calls for the dole to be raised.

There have been calls to raise the dole from $250 a week to $300, by one of the big four accountancy firms.

Fairfax Media reports that KPMG believes the $38-a-day Newstart allowance is “inadequate” and should be increased. The firm makes the recommendation in their report, Solving the Structural Deficit a plan to reduce Australia’s structural deficit by $12 billion.

“Due to political rhetoric, payments for those who are unemployed have fallen behind other payments, to the point that it is commonly recognised that Newstart is inadequate, and significantly so,” the report says.

“The low level of Newstart is encouraging the unemployed to seek higher income support in the form of disability payments. This is both psychologically damaging for the individuals and costly for government. The differential between the disability payment and Newstart needs to be substantially reduced although it need not be eliminated,” KPMG found.

Fairfax Media reports that more than 725,000 people claim Newstart, fewer than the 825,000 people who claim the Disability Support Benefit.

6. Patients and doctors killed in Syria hospital airstrike.

A hospital has been destroyed by airstrikes in Syria, killing at least 14 patients and staff, charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said.

The strikes hit the al-Quds field hospital in a rebel-held area of Aleppo before midnight Wednesday.

At least three doctors, including one of the last paediatricians in Aleppo, were among the dead.

The chief Syrian opposition negotiator Mohammed Alloush blamed the government of President Bashar Assad for the deadly airstrikes

UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura warned the cessation of hostilities agreed between non-jihadist rebels and government forces on 27 February was now “barely alive”.

7. Norwegian zoo kills zebra and feeds it to tigers in front of children.

A Norwegian Zoo has angered its visitors after children came across the tigers eating a zebra.

Keeps at the Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park in Norway have been subjected to criticism after they placed a beheaded zebra carcass in the tiger enclosure last week.

Zoo officials said they had been forced to euthanize the zebra due to surplus populations at the zoo, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reports.

But parents said they were angry their children came across such scenes.

One writing on Facebook “Took a look at the tigers today. What met me was a little macabre”.

Another visitor said online: “A little too macabre for me. Animals eat animals, but I did not think I would see that at the zoo.”

The zoo’s veterinarian defended the park’s actions saying it is natural for animals to eat each other and visitors should not be made ignorant of this.

“I understand people’s reactions, but it is quite normal for a tiger or a lion to eat their prey.

“With a whole animal to eat, they must spend time tearing it apart with their claws and teeth. It simulates natural behaviour.

“We explained this and the guests realised that this is the way nature is. We must not avoid the fact that predators eat other animals.” Rolf-Ann Olberg said.

8. 12-year-old runs half marathon by mistake.

A 12-year-old girl has accidentally completed a half marathon after joining the wrong race.

LeeAdianez Rodriguez had registered for the 5km race ( 3.1 miles) in Rochestor, New York.

She turned up at the start line as the half marathon runners were setting off. So she joined them, thinking she’d arrived late for her shorter race.

“About the fourth mile, I asked a woman I was running with how long it was – and she said it was about 13 miles,” Lee explained.

“That’s when I realised I think I was in the wrong group.”

Her family became worried about where she’d gone, but a police officer on a motorcycle managed to find her.

Lee decided she wanted to finish the half marathon – about four times longer than she had trained for.

She completed the half-marathon in 2:43:31.

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