Owen Flats resident Laurel Dakin feeds the magpies outside her public housing flat. Photo: Rohan Thomson
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Demolition of sections of the Northbourne Avenue public housing precinct could begin before the end of the year, after the ACT government backed down on plans to bulldoze the entire area and agreed to keep 17 buildings.
On Thursday the government's Land Development Agency said it would abide by ACT Heritage Council plans for provisional registration of representative samples of the 1960s architecture, considered the entry to Canberra.
- The New York Times has launched a blistering attack on the Abbott government's asylum seeker policies, suggesting they are "unconscionable".
- A serious blunder has seen a man who allegedly choked and bashed his girlfriend mistakenly released from custody.
- Irate School of Music students jeered the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, Professor Ian Young, at crisis talks between management, students and staff.
- The world has been clamouring to hear more of the merino from Mulligan's Flat that was found carrying a massive 40.45-kilogram fleece on its back.
- Bad bosses have emerged as a key reason workers quit their jobs in the Australian Public Service.
- Commonwealth public servants have been warned not to use work computers to trawl for extra-marital sex, in the wake of the Ashley Madison controversy.
- Cyclists, joggers and walkers will finally be able to complete the Lake Burley Griffin loop safely when the new Bowen Place Crossing underpass is unveiled on Friday.
- The board of Brindabella Christian College has announced a review of the school's operations amid rising tensions with some parents over a perceived lack of transparency.
- Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has flagged the revival of controversial four-way naval drills with the United States, India and Japan in a clear signal Australia is pushing back against China.
- Newspaper mogul Rupert Murdoch has called for a snap Australian election as the "only hope" for a country that has become "almost ungovernable".
Mark Milligan of Australia congratulates Tom Rogic after scoring a goal. Photo: Getty Images
Coach Ange Postecoglou's fears that his team might have been disrupted by the row between the players union and the FFA that had provided much of the mood music in Perth this week proved unfounded after Australia put an outclassed Bangladesh to the sword on a balmy evening in Western Australia.
- One Day International: Australia v England - Australia has beaten England in the opening game by 59 runs.
- Canberra Raiders captain Jarrod Croker is anticipating one of the fastest matches of the year when the NRL introduces shot clock rules for their match against the Parramatta Eels on Sunday.
- ACT Brumbies playmaker Christian Lealiifano is back in Canberra after travelling nearly 50,000km and playing on three different continents in the past month.
- The Queanbeyan Blues will appeal a nine-month suspension given to coach Simon Woolford for breaking a coaching box window during last Sunday's semi-final win.
- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been asking the same question on the minds of NFL fans across the United States: Who is this Jarryd Hayne?
- Jo Weston has become the latest Victorian goal defence to earn selection for the Diamonds.
9:28am: Kings Avenue has re-opened after an earlier two-car collision blocked two southbound lanes and created traffic chaos.
Police say both cars are being towed.
8:52am: Emergency services are still waiting for two cars to be towed off Kings Avenue after an earlier collision blocked Parliament House-bound traffic, police say.
The good news is there doesn't appear to be any serious injuries, the Emergency Services Agency says.
8:41am: Police are still urging people to avoid driving south down Kings Avenue after a two-car crash outside the Edmund Barton building.
Both cars are blocking the two Parliament House-bound lanes but a tow truck has been called. An ambulance has also been called to the crash site.
8:32am: Police are warning of major traffic problems on Kings Avenue with a two-car crash blocking Parliament House-bound traffic.
Police say both cars are stuck on the road outside the Edmund Barton building, blocking both southbound lanes of traffic.
Join Canberra Wind Symphony orchestra for an evening of musical magic. The freshest contributor to the international wind music conversation will dazzle your senses with compositions by Percy Grainger, John Mackey, Frank Ticheli and Eric Whitacre. September 4. 6.30pm - 9.30pm. Ainslie Arts Centre. Tickets $40.
Shake off the winter blues with The Spring Fling at The White Eagle Polish Club. Brother Be, Monsterpiece and Beth Monzo all playing. September 4. 8pm to 12am. Tickets $10 for Canberra Musicians Club members, $15 for adults and $12 for concession.
Join National Film and Sound Archive Sound Curators Graham McDonald and Thorsten Kaeding at The Vinyl Lounge on the first Friday of every month at 5.30pm. Last session of the year September 4. Free entry, National Film and Sound Archive Theatrette.
Check out Canberra Weekender to discover more events around the capital over the weekend.
Canberra's Christmas lights guru David Richards in Civic near the Canberra Times fountain. Photo: Graham Tidy
Hold on to your extension cords Canberra – we're set to break another Christmas light record this year and it's set to be magical.
This year the city will be trying to set the world record for the most number of lights on an artificial Christmas tree, with Japan currently holding the record with a tree at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka last year sporting 364,200 illuminated bulbs.
Touch or click through for more David Pope
Freda Bishop with her son Christopher, daughter Helen Scully and daughter-in-law Sylvia Bishop at her 102nd birthday party at Aranda's Bupa Aged Care, celebrated with St Vincent Primary School students. Photo: Elesa Kurtz
Together they've had 306 birthday cakes (soon to be 307), have lived in Canberra for 136 years and share a lifelong musical passion.
Meet three of Canberra's oldest women.
Today: Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the afternoon. Min 1, max 16.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Areas of morning fog and frost. Light winds. Min 0, max 17.
Sunday: Cloudy. Light winds. Min 3, max 16.
Monday: Cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day. Min 5, max 16.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming westerly 15 to 20 km/h in the morning. Min 1, max 14.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy, light winds. Min 2, max 18.
