Australia news as it happened: Architect of PNG NRL team bid stands down from board after corruption allegations; Trump diagnosed with medical condition

Thanks for reading the national news blog. This is where we’ll end today’s coverage. We’ll be back soon with more live coverage.

To conclude, here’s a look back at the day’s major stories:

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was en route back to Australia today after his week-long trip to China. His office said his meeting with high-ranking officials in Beijing, including an expansive conversation with President Xi Jinping, was the “centrepiece” of the visit.
• The man who led Papua New Guinea’s campaign for a new NRL team has stood down from its board at the request of the country’s prime minister as a corruption scandal engulfs the Albanese government’s $600 million venture to counter China in the Pacific.
• The Australian sharemarket rally set a new 100-day high after Wall Street rose to records following better-than-expected updates on the US economy.
• Clive Palmer’s political party has been hacked in an attack the organisation fears has led to the theft of its emails, documents, and electronic records, threatening the personal data of all those who have been in contact with it online.
• In Tasmania, Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Dean Winter made their last pitches to voters ahead of tomorrow’s state election, which is expected to return a hung parliament.
• In NSW, a body was found in wreckage in the Snowy Mountains after a multi-day search was launched for a plane that went missing during a flight from Victoria.
• A regiment of Tiger helicopters have been grounded, and an investigation launched, after one was damaged in the Northern Territory during the Talisman Sabre military war games this week.
• In world news, US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a chronic but non-serious health condition after swelling in his lower legs caused alarm during a recent appearance at a major sporting event.

Thanks again for joining us. This is Cassandra Morgan, signing off.

The Australian sharemarket rally set a new 100-day high after Wall Street rose to records following better-than-expected updates on the US economy.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index on Friday gained 118.2 points, or 1.4 per cent, to 8758.2, while the broader All Ordinaries rose 116 points, or 1.3 per cent, to 9006.

The gains were the ASX 200’s biggest since a 4.5 per cent rally on April 10, as well as its first time crossing 8700. For the week, the index rose 3.4 per cent, its best weekly performance since a 3.4 per cent gain in mid-December.

The Australian dollar was trading for US65.02¢, from US64.71¢ on Thursday.

Click here to read your full five-minute recap of the trading day.

With AP, Bloomberg

The UK’s move to lower the voting age to 16 is interesting but not something the Australian government is open to right now, Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said.

Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Thistlethwaite said: “It’s interesting. I think a lot of nations would be looking up what the United Kingdom is exploring doing, and see how it does go.”

However, he confirmed the Australian government was “not open to it at the moment”.

“Here in Australia our party does not have any policy or plan to lower the voting age, but I would point out that at the last election we had a record enrolment for younger Australians participating in that election,” Thistlethwaite said.

“That reflected in the way that the election went and the voting patterns – particular issues like housing affordability, like student debt, and cost-of-living pressures on young Australians were talked about on a daily basis.”

A regiment of Tiger helicopters have been grounded, and an investigation launched, after one was damaged in the Northern Territory during the Talisman Sabre military war games this week.

The army Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter experienced a “hard landing”, according to Defence, at Timber Creek in the Northern Territory on Wednesday.

Two crew on board were unharmed and able to exit safely, Defence said in a statement.

“The aircraft sustained damage during the incident,” Defence said.

Click here to read more from Cloe Read and Josh Bavas.