Friday's news in 5 minutes.

1. Police charge 20-year-old woman with the murder of her mother in Brisbane.

Police have charged a 20-year-old woman with murder after police found her mother’s body in a home at The Gap in Brisbane last week.

Simona Zafirovska raised the alarm on Friday saying she had found her mother, Radica Zafirovska, 56, bludgeoned to death on the upper floor of their home.

Yesterday, police confirmed 20-year-old Simona Zafirovska was formally charged with homicide following investigations into her mother’s death and the discovery of abusive texts sent Thursday night from the daughter to her mother.

Detective Acting Inspector of inner west crime services David Farley said she attended the Ferny Grove Police Station of her own volition.

“A 20-year-old female has this afternoon been interviewed by police and has subsequently been charged with an offence of homicide for that matter,” he said.

The Courier Mail reports the alleged murder weapon, a piece of wood, was discovered inside the house.

Police are investigating whether the university student may have murdered her own mother because she wanted to be free of the strict traditional Macedonian upbringing.

Simona Zafirovska is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today.

2. A toddler has died from meningococcal days after being admitted to hospital.

A 16-month-old died of meningococcal disease just days after being admitted to hospital.

The death of Charlie Mason from the B strain of the disease comes as a global shortage of the vaccine affects families around the country.

The Advertiser reports that while Charlie died of the B strain, the once-rare W-strain of the disease is also increasing.

There has been a renewed push to put the B and W-strain vaccines on the free, taxpayer-funded National Immunisation Program.

Charlie’s grandmother Bianca Bias wrote on Facebook that Charlie was initially taken to Noarlunga Hospital but they cleared him and sent him home.

A few hours later, he was taken to Flinders hospital and “within less than an hour he was put on life support and then in two hours he was rushed to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.”

3. Father shoots wife, daughter and then himself in “mercy killing.”

A man has shot his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself in Queensland’s Hervey Bay.

The father, John Frescura, 79, called police himself after shooting his wife Janice, 68, and daughter Robyn, 50. He then killed himself.

The husband and wife were rushed to Hervey Bay hospital in a critical condition but died a short time later.

Nine News reports that Robyn Frescura had suffered a life-threatening stroke two years ago, requiring 24-hour care while her parents had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

“Janice’s last words to me, they were a bit worried about how they were going to cope with Robyn,” family friend, Gwenda Knapp, told Nine News.

The Queensland Premier earlier in the day offered her condolences.

“On behalf of Queensland, I send my condolences to the Hervey Bay community and I believe that all honourable members would agree with me that this senseless violence has to stop,” she said.

People seeking help can contact LIFELINE on 13 11 14

4. Police investigating ‘indecent assault’ of 5-year-old girl at Sydney primary school.

Police are investigating the indecent assault of a five-year-old girl at a primary school in Sydney’s south-west allegedly by three older children.

Fairfax Media reports the girl was assaulted on Wednesday afternoon.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers went to the school on Thursday.

“Officers from Fairfield Local Area Command attended the school and are investigating,” the spokeswoman said.

5. Man shot dead by police after her doused his ‘girlfriend’ in petrol.

Police have shot dead a man who stabbed a woman then doused her in petrol on the NSW North Coast.

The woman, 28, believed to be the man’s partner stagger to a neighbour’s house in Magnolia Pl, Port Macquarie, and call for help about 6pm.

Police were alerted and they began a man hunt for the 34-year-old man, after a confrontation he was shot dead.

A NSW Police Force spokesman told The Daily Telegraph the “critical incident team” from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad “will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident including the discharge of a police firearm.”

According to reports the couple met via the online dating ape Tinder.

6. Investigators have found “significant safety issues’’ in the maintenance of Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids Ride.

As the first of the Dreamworld funerals was held yesterday, with a funeral for mother of two Cindy Low on the NSW central coast, investigators have found failings in the ride that killed her and three others last week.

The Australian reports a forensic inspection has showed up the failures after the ride was drained in the past two days.

A specialist engineer will today examine the conveyor belt after it was alleged it was modified since it opened in 1986 with fewer slats for the raft to grip.

Witnesses have reported the water level of the ride seemed to be lower than usual and there were water pump problems.

The Australian reports the maintenance issues were identified after the ride was drained, with investigators examining the water pump, motor and water level.

7. Court rules UK Government does not have power to trigger Brexit.

The British High Court has ruling that the Government will require parliamentary approval to trigger the Brexit process of exiting the European Union.

Prime minister, Theresa May, had planned to trigger the ‘Article 50’ treaty exit clause by the end of March, but must now first seek the approval of parliament.

This means the Remainers, those who wish to stay, could block Brexit.

Before the Brexit referendum a majority of MPs were against leaving the EU.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the decision gave MPs “the chance to say no to an irresponsible hard Brexit that risks our economy and our jobs”.

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