December saw a tragic stabbing death at the National Zoo & Aquarium which shocked and saddened the community. Canberra also copped a few nasty storms that saw trees and powerlines fall, causing damage across the city. Capital Food Market opened their doors in Belconnen, while Andrew Barr reshuffled his cabinet. Ned & Josh also received plenty of support from locals for their new podcast.

Jude Wijesinghe charged with murder over Canberra zoo stabbing

29-year-old Jude Wijesinghe has been charged with murder following a stabbing incident at the National Zoo & Aquarium yesterday, 18 December.

The sous chef was charged with one count of murder during a bedside hearing. He was refused bail, and will next appear in court on 4 April 2024. Wijesinghe, from Oaks Estate, is currently in hospital being treated for self-inflicted stab wounds.

Emergency services were called to the National Zoo and Aquarium in central Canberra about 12.50pm on Monday after people heard loud screams. When ACT police arrived, they found a woman dead with stab wounds in a store room out the back of a commercial kitchen. A knife was found at the scene.

The victim is a 29-year-old woman from the small Asian country of Bhutan who also worked at the zoo.

Wild thunderstorms lash Canberra

The ACT State Emergency Service is responding to hundreds of calls after Canberra was belted with huge storms tonight, causing major issues across the city.

High winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms lasted some time and were felt anywhere from Gunghalin and Belconnen to Woden and Tuggeranong.

There have been reports of downed power lines, with several suburbs reporting lost power, while trees have fallen across the city, and trampolines have been blown into the street.

Capital Food Market to open in Belconnen this week

Capital Food Market, formerly Belconnen Fresh Food Markets, is opening its doors this Wednesday 13 December.

They are welcoming back a number of original favourites to the new precint, including Tom’s Superfruits, Sea Harvest, Markets Meats, Knead Patisserie, Natural Living, Deli Cravings, Chicken Coop, and Book Passion.

Along with the established Belconnen foodie favourites, the refreshed market will also welcome a diverse range of new traders offering a variety of delights. These new faces make up part of the 40 traders who will call Capital Food Market home and include the likes of Three Mills Bakery, Gormans Florist, Asian Savoury, and Sweet Business Healthy Living.

Andrew Barr reshuffles ACT cabinet

The parliamentary game of musical chairs continues as the major parties assemble their battalions for next year’s electoral campaign – or, as Mark Parton MLA recently called it, “war”. Last week, a reshuffle in the opposition ranks saw the formulation of a new shadow cabinet, the elevation of a new deputy opposition leader, and Jeremy Hanson’s demotion to the back bench; today, the Chief Minister announced a cabinet reshuffle and the creation and redistribution of portfolios among six of the nine ministers.

Canberra support floods in for The Ned & Josh Podcast

While the beloved duo might be gone from the radio dial, Ned Breward and Josh Torney – aka Ned & Josh – remain firmly in the heart of Canberrans. The best friends launched The Ned & Josh Podcast on Wednesday morning and have been met by an outpouring of support from local listeners.

“The support people have shown us after the first episode has been near eyewatering,” says Ned.

“We were pretty emotionally raw with the first episode, which isn’t a gear we go into that often, and people have responded in such a beautiful way. This place is home, and if we had any doubts about that beforehand, today has just solidified it because it has felt like a family has gotten around us,” says Josh.