Key events
Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
What we learned today, Friday 17 April
We’re going to close the live blog now, thank you for joining us.
Here are today’s top headlines:
Updated at 03.24 EDT
Japanese defence minister to visit Australia
Tom McIlroy
Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, will host his Japanese counterpart in Australia tomorrow, talking up military cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Shinjiro Koizumi and Marles will sign off on a $10bn deal for Australia to buy three Japanese-built Mogami war ships.
The federal government considers Japan “an indispensable partner to Australia” and has stressed cooperation on energy amid the global fuel crisis. Japan is the largest customer for Australian gas.
Marles said:
double quotation markThis year marks the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan, and our partnership continues to go from strength to strength.
I look forward to meeting with my good friend Minister Koizumi today to discuss opportunities to deepen Australia and Japan’s defence partnership, including by increasing collaboration between our defence industrial bases through Australia’s general purpose frigate program.
The visit is expected to pave the way for Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, to visit Australia in coming weeks.
Richard Marles and Shinjiro Koizumi after a joint press announcement in Tokyo last week. Photograph: Masatoshi Okauchi/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 03.30 EDT
Albanese to join summit on reopening strait of HormuzTom McIlroy
Anthony Albanese will join the leaders of France, the UK and more than 30 other countries at a virtual summit on reopening the strait of Hormuz.
Kicking off at 10pm Australian time on Friday night, world leaders will discuss international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
Amid ongoing international criticism of the US and Israeli-led war in Iran, the US president, Donald Trump, is not taking part.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and British prime minister, Keir Starmer, will lead the discussions.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, represented Australia at the previous meeting of the group.
Updated at 03.12 EDT
Australian wins at world photography awards
My colleague Ima Caldwell has a lighter story for your Friday afternoon.
Out of 430,000 submissions across more than 200 countries and territories, an Australian photographer has won the Open Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Sony world photography awards.
Read about the image and how, incredibly, Elle Leontiev shot the winning image “blind” here:
Updated at 02.54 EDT
Harry and Meghan tour Sydney Harbour with Invictus athletes
Prince Harry and Meghan have received hugs and uniquely Australian gifts while meeting Invictus Games athletes on the tail end of their tour down under, AAP reports.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are wrapping up their trip on Friday, making the most of the autumn sun with a boat ride through Sydney Harbour alongside Invictus Australia representatives, before attending a Super Rugby Pacific match in the evening.
The Invictus Games competitor Joel Vanderzwan told AAP of his first meeting with the prince:
double quotation markHe’s a really easy guy to talk to.
[It’s] incredible that someone with that sort of following and that sort of presence can just be one of us.
The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel founded by Harry.
Joel Vanderzwan, with wife Alexandra, daughter Charlotte and twin sons Harrison and William, presents Harry and Meghan with thongs with the inscriptions ‘G’day Hazza’ and ‘G’day Megs’. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/APHarry shows off his personalised thongs. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/ReutersShare
Updated at 02.40 EDT
Jordyn Beazley
Hi there, I’ll now be with you until this evening.
Share
Ima Caldwell
That’s all from me this afternoon. The wonderful Jordyn Beazley will take you through the rest of today’s live blog.
Returning to the multi-vehicle crash on the Hume Freeway.
Ambulance Victoria has confirmed they were called to the incident near Violet Town at about 1.25pm. Advanced life support and mobile intensive care ambulance paramedics attended the scene.
A spokesperson for Ambulance Victoria said two adults and two children were being taken to Northeast Health Wangaratta by road. Another adult was transported to Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.
Updated at 01.56 EDT
Syndicate smashed in $2m steroids and peptides bust
Two men and a woman have been charged after authorities uncovered a bounty of steroids and peptides worth more than $2m, AAP reports.
The bust, announced on Friday by the Australian Border Force and Therapeutic Goods Administration, was set in motion in August following the interception 640 vials of performance and image enhancing drugs from air cargo shipments.
A subsequent probe revealed another 76 similar shipments had been made to the same recipient since April 2025.
Officers from the two federal agencies found more than 10,000 vials and 600 tablets in raids on 26 March on a commercial site and residential home in Melbourne’s west.
Updated at 01.57 EDT
Motorists on Hume Freeway redirected after multi-vehicle crash
According to VicTraffic, as of 1.58pm, northbound motorists on the Hume are being asked to detour via the Goulburn Valley Highway, through Seymour to Shepparton, then return via Benalla on the Midland Highway.
Southbound motorists have been asked to exit at Violet Town and detour via Murchison-Violet Town Road and the Goulburn Valley Highway, rejoining the Hume in Seymour.
Updated at 01.32 EDT
Hume Freeway closed in both directions after multi-vehicle crash
The Hume Freeway is closed in both directions after a multi-vehicle crash near Violet Town in Victoria’s north-east.
Victoria police said the crash involved a B-double truck and numerous vehicles.
Police and emergency services are now on scene at the collision.
More details soon.
Updated at 01.46 EDT
Penry Buckley
Ben Roberts-Smith bail hearing concludes
The bail hearing for Ben Roberts-Smith has now concluded, after an additional session this afternoon to discuss an interim suppression order on details of his case. Another hearing will be held next Thursday to discuss the order.
Roberts-Smith, who has yet to be released, appeared via video link throughout from custody.
At the end of the hearing, the judge, Greg Grogin, addressed Roberts-Smith, stressing the need to comply with his bail conditions.
Updated at 01.14 EDT