US Defence Secretary James Mattis has raised the prospect of additional American steps against China if its “militarisation” of the South China Sea keeps apace. Mr Mattis said Beijing was intimidating and coercing others in the region by putting weapons systems on manmade islands. US President Donald Trump, backing the remarks by his Pentagon chief at an international security forum …

Barnaby Joyce has admitted he knew when his partner became pregnant in mid-2017 that he would lose his job as deputy prime minister. But he went on to fight a by-election without revealing his personal situation. Mr Joyce and his former media adviser, Vikki Campion, revealed the timeline in a paid interview with Channel Seven. Ms Campion told the program …

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has lashed out at another UN human rights expert for making critical remarks about his supposed role in the expulsion of the chief justice, telling him to “go to hell”. Mr Duterte dismissed the remarks of Diego Garcia-Sayan and told him not to meddle in domestic problems. Mr Duterte was replying to a reporter’s question before …

US President Donald Trump’s lawyers have composed a secret 20-page letter to special counsel Robert Mueller to assert that Mr Trump cannot be forced to testify in the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The letter also argues that Mr Trump could not have committed obstruction because he has absolute authority over all federal investigations. The existence of …

Financial institutions ANZ, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup will be prosecuted on criminal cartel charges, Australia’s consumer watchdog says. The allegations concern arrangements for the sale of A$2.5bn (£1.4bn; $1.9bn) worth of ANZ shares in 2015. The three banks said they would fight the charges. ANZ said it would also defend allegations against an employee. Australia’s scandal-plagued financial sector is at …

China’s Foreign Minister has told Julie Bishop that Australia needs to remove its “tinted glasses” and “translate its words into concrete actions” to improve ties after tensions over Beijing’s anger with recent political moves by Canberra. The terse remarks followed a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Ms Bishop on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ conference in …

Philip Wilson to step down as Archbishop of Adelaide after conviction, but refuses to resign US President Donald Trump says there is a “substantial chance” his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not take place as planned on June 12 amid concerns that Mr Kim is not committed to denuclearisation. Mr Trump raised doubts about the Singapore summit …

Adelaide’s Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson, who is facing up to two years in jail for covering up child sexual abuse, says he will stand aside from his duties, but will not resign unless it becomes “necessary or appropriate”. Wilson was under mounting pressure to quit the role and today released a statement saying he would step down from his duties …

Julie Bishop has hit back at former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby, who penned a damning opinion piece overnight claiming that relations with Beijing can only improve with the Foreign Minister’s sacking. In the piece, Mr Raby slams Ms Bishop for not having visited China in more than two years while angering Beijing with “strident public comments on the …

Palestinians have rallied in Gaza for the funerals of scores of people killed by Israeli troops, while on the Gaza-Israel border Israeli forces took up positions to deal with the expected final day of a Palestinian protest campaign. The violence on the border, which took place as the United States opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, was the bloodiest for …