That's it for today, thanks for reading
Here are the main stories on Sunday, 19 April:
Ben Roberts-Smith makes his first public statement since being charged with alleged war crimes, saying: “I understand this journey will be difficult, but I can promise everybody that I have never run from a fight in my life. I will never give up, and I will always be in the fight.”;
Free public transport in Victoria will be extended by a month until the end of May, with half-price fares then kicking in until the end of the year, the Allan government has announced;
A comics and gaming convention in Melbourne continued on Sunday, after a person was killed and another seriously injured leaving the event last night;
Defence Minister Richard Marles says the success of Australia’s alliance with the United States should not be measured against a single president or federal government in Canberra, insisting the longstanding ties will endure;
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccinations will be free for Australians aged 75 years or older to ensure they are protected from the potentially deadly virus, the federal government has announced; and
At least two people were arrested during a march at Queensland parliament in defiance of the state government’s decision to ban two phrases associated with the pro-Palestine movement: “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea”.
We will see you here again tomorrow for more news.
Updated
Did Harry and Meghan tour Australia to make money – or cosplay a return to royal life?
In Aussie parlance, Meghan and Prince Harry’s whirlwind visit down under was the very definition of a “Claytons” tour.
Claytons in Australia is primarily known as a cultural phrase for a substitute, fake or ersatz version of something, the saying evolving from a 1970s/80s non-alcoholic beverage marketed as “the drink you have when you’re not having a drink”.
Yes, Harry and Meghan are royals. But this was not a royal tour. It was something very different.
You can read more on this story here:
Updated
