Monday's news in 5 minutes.

1. Sydney toddler drowns in backyard pool.

A two-year-old girl is the latest victim in a series of backyard pool drownings, after she was found unconscious in a pool in Sydney’s southwest on Sunday.

NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to a home in Macquarie Fields at about 6.10pm on Sunday and rushed the girl to Liverpool Hospital where she later died, AAP reports.

Police are investigating and will prepare a report for the coroner.

The toddler’s death is the latest in a series of drownings in the Sydney area this summer.

The incident comes just days after 23-month-old twins, Robbie and Charli Manago, died from injuries suffered after they were found unconscious in their family’s pool in Sydney’s northwest on December 20.

The girl, Charli, died on Boxing Day after almost a week in hospital and her brother, Robbie, died three days later on Thursday.

2. Woman dies after being struck by car on Bruce Highway in Queensland.

A 30-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a passing car on Queensland’s Bruce Highway this morning.

The woman had been crossing the Bruce Highway at Caboolture north of Brisbane on her way back from getting fuel for her car when she was struck about 4am, Seven News reports.

She was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital suffering multiple injuries, but later died.

Part of the highway was closed for about three hours following the incident, but later reopened.

3. Two 16-year-old’s stabbed in NSW.

Two 16-year-old boys have been stabbed in separate incidents in NSW at the weekend.

One teenager was stabbed in the stomach in a laneway at Ettalong Beach on the NSW Central Coast after being approached by a group of males on Sunday night, according to police.

The boy was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics and taken to Gosford Hospital in a stable condition, AAP reports.

Also on Sunday night at Riverwood in Sydney’s south another 16-year-old boy was stabbed outside a unit block when he was involved in an altercation with two males, who fled the scene, police said.

Paramedics treated the teen before taking him to Liverpool Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

No arrests have been made as police continue to investigate both incidents.

4. Mum broadcasts labour live on Facebook.

A video-blogger mum started filming her labour after her waters broke, broadcasting her experience live to 200,000 strangers on Facebook.

Sarah-Jayne Ljungström posted five live-streamed videos throughout her 24 hour labour in an effort to show her followers what a “real everyday labour” looked like.

The 35-year-old Londoner was sitting on the couch eating pizza as her waters broke and she started filming, The Sun reports.

Ms Ljungström later said of the experience that she wanted to the reality of a “normal” birth.

“I’ve been vlogging about motherhood and my pregnancy this year so it was natural for me to do the same and share my labour,” she said about the videos posted to Channel Mum.

“I find being a mum so rewarding but it can be overwhelming and lonely.

“I was always looking for help and advice especially about the big things like labour and feeding that I was anxious about.”

Ms Ljungström said that stories from fellow mothers had helped her cope and she wanted to do the same for others.

“So I decided to share my own to show a real everyday labour that other mums and pregnant woman could follow and see how it went.

“Birth isn’t really like the movies so showing a normal everyday labour story was nice.”

5. Hunt for Istanbul nightclub gunman continues.

Turkish police are hunting for a man who opened fire at a crowded Istanbul nightclub during New Year’s celebrations, killing at least 39 people and wounding close to 70 others.

The attacker, reportedly dressed as Santa Claus, killed a policeman and a civilian outside Istanbul’s popular Reina club about 1.15am local time on Sunday before entering the club.

A Turkish news broadcaster said the gunman fired between 120 and 180 rounds in seven minutes in what authorities said was a terror attack.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the attacker, who has not been identified, was still at large.

6. Pranksters alter Hollywood sign.

Vandals have altered letters in the Hollywood sign above Los Angeles to read ‘Hollyweed’ over New Year’s Eve.

While their motivation is not yet known, many assume it is to celebrate the first year in which marijuana will be completely legal in California.

However, it is not the first time pranksters have altered the sign in this way.

Hollywood resident Daniel N. Finegood was the first to realise two letters could make more a humorous statement when he altered the sign on New Year’s Day in 1976 – the day marijuana was decriminalised in the state, News.com.au reports.

Do you have a story to share with Mamamia? Email us news@mamamia.com.au