Prince Charles has officially opened the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with Australian athletes leading the opening ceremony procession in the United Kingdom.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hockey and squash champions Eddie Ockenden and Rachael Grinham carried the flags for Australia, ahead of the 11-day sporting event involving 72 nations.
Back home, the unofficial sport seemingly enjoyed by Australian political parties "pork barrelling" has landed the Nats in hot water.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has promised an overhaul of a regional grants program following an auditor-general report which found Nationals-held electorates received $100 million more than merited.
The Labor minister said she was determined to ensure "clearer, fairer, transparent processes" in the future.
"Australians have got zero tolerance for this," she told ABC TV on Friday.
Speaking of waning tolerance, Pauline Hanson has returned to Canberra this week.
Wiradjuri elders have labelled the One Nation senator "ignorant" and "disrespectful" after she walked out of the Senate chamber during an Acknowledgement of Country this week.
The Queenslander told reporters she also objected to raising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
Over on the east coast, a humpback became stranded on a beach in Port Macquarie, with rescuers working to free the small whale after it became stuck on some rocks.
Rescuers were attempting to free the whale using a sling, after a passerby witnessed it wash ashore.
Looking to the skies, Australians will be treated to a trio of meteor showers this weekend, with "perfect viewing conditions" adding to the spectacle.
The Piscis Austrinids, Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids will illuminate skies from tonight.
Dr Andrew Jacob, curator at the Powerhouse's Sydney Observatory, said viewers should head outside the city to avoid light pollution.
For those looking to head outside the city for a more extended visit, Barry Day and Bob King have a few tips for getting the most out of caravanning.
With 90 years of experience between them, the pair have contributed a few "dos and don'ts" to get adventurers on the road.
No doubt avoiding run-ins with the likes of Titan - a 7.8 kilogram king brown at the Australian Reptile Park - fits firmly in the "don't" category.
Finally, a Sydney family is celebrating after a donor helped ensure the future of desperately ill Scarlett Hack.
Support for the 15-year-old came from the most unlikely of places, with megastar Bono sending a personal message to the family.
Have a great weekend.
THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- See the Australians getting into the spirit as the Commonwealth Games kick off
- Overhaul promised for regional grants
- Pauline Hanson Senate walkout 'ignorant' and 'disrespectful', say Wiradjuri elders
- Injured humpback whale wedged in rocks, rescuers on scene
- How to watch this weekend's meteor showers
- Barry and Bob: The Do's and Dont's of Caravanning
- Bono's prayers answered as teen gets new heart
- Meet the 'intimidating' Titan: Australia's longest King Brown