Updated at\u00a003.24 EDT<\/p>\n
Japanese defence minister to visit Australia![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776414910_617_Tom_McIlroy.png\")
Tom McIlroy<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s defence minister, Richard Marles, will host his Japanese counterpart in Australia tomorrow, talking up military cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.<\/p>\n
Shinjiro Koizumi and Marles will sign off on a $10bn deal for Australia to buy three Japanese-built Mogami war ships.<\/p>\n
The federal government considers Japan \u201can indispensable partner to Australia\u201d and has stressed cooperation on energy amid the global fuel crisis. Japan is the largest customer for Australian gas.<\/p>\n
Marles said:<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
I look forward to meeting with my good friend Minister Koizumi today to discuss opportunities to deepen Australia and Japan\u2019s defence partnership, including by increasing collaboration between our defence industrial bases through Australia\u2019s general purpose frigate program.<\/p>\n
The visit is expected to pave the way for Japan\u2019s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, to visit Australia in coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Richard Marles and Shinjiro Koizumi after a joint press announcement in Tokyo last week. Photograph: Masatoshi Okauchi\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.30 EDT<\/p>\n Albanese to join summit on reopening strait of Hormuz 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.<\/p>\n Kicking off at 10pm Australian time on Friday night, world leaders will discuss international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n Amid ongoing international criticism of the US and Israeli-led war in Iran, the US president, Donald Trump, is not taking part.<\/p>\n The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and British prime minister, Keir Starmer, will lead the discussions.<\/p>\n The foreign minister, Penny Wong, represented Australia at the previous meeting of the group.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.12 EDT<\/p>\n Australian wins at world photography awards<\/p>\n My colleague Ima Caldwell has a lighter story for your Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Read about the image and how, incredibly, Elle Leontiev shot the winning image \u201cblind\u201d here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.54 EDT<\/p>\n Harry and Meghan tour Sydney Harbour with Invictus athletes<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Invictus Games competitor Joel Vanderzwan told AAP of his first meeting with the prince:<\/p>\n double quotation markHe\u2019s a really easy guy to talk to.<\/p>\n [It\u2019s] incredible that someone with that sort of following and that sort of presence can just be one of us.<\/p>\n The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel founded by Harry.<\/p>\n Joel Vanderzwan, with wife Alexandra, daughter Charlotte and twin sons Harrison and William, presents Harry and Meghan with thongs with the inscriptions \u2018G\u2019day Hazza\u2019 and \u2018G\u2019day Megs\u2019. Photograph: Jonathan Brady\/APHarry shows off his personalised thongs. Photograph: Jonathan Brady\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.40 EDT<\/p>\n Hi there, I\u2019ll now be with you until this evening.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> That\u2019s all from me this afternoon. The wonderful Jordyn Beazley will take you through the rest of today\u2019s live blog.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Returning to the multi-vehicle crash on the Hume Freeway.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Ambulance Victoria said two adults and two children were being taken to Northeast Health<\/a> Wangaratta by road. Another adult was transported to Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.56 EDT<\/p>\n Syndicate smashed in $2m steroids and peptides bust<\/p>\n Two men and a woman have been charged after authorities uncovered a bounty of steroids and peptides worth more than $2m, AAP reports.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n A subsequent probe revealed another 76 similar shipments had been made to the same recipient since April 2025.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s west.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.57 EDT<\/p>\n Motorists on Hume Freeway redirected after multi-vehicle crash<\/p>\n According to VicTraffic, as of 1.58pm<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a001.32 EDT<\/p>\n Hume Freeway closed in both directions after multi-vehicle crash<\/p>\n The Hume Freeway is closed in both directions after a multi-vehicle crash near Violet Town in Victoria\u2019s north-east.<\/p>\n Victoria police said the crash involved a B-double truck and numerous vehicles.<\/p>\n Police and emergency services are now on scene at the collision.<\/p>\n More details soon.<\/p>\nTom McIlroy<\/p>\n![\"Jordyn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776414911_948_Jordyn_Beazley,_L.png\")
Jordyn Beazley<\/p>\n![\"Ima](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776414912_817_Ima_Caldwell.png\")
Ima Caldwell<\/p>\n
![\"Penry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776414912_874_Penry_Buckley.png\")
Penry Buckley<\/p>\n