Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe has joined the campaign pushing for same-sex marriage in Australia, saying it will remove layers of discrimination.

• EXCLUSIVE

Billionaire philanthropist businessman Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has lashed out at opponents of the cashless debit card aimed at curbing substance abuse in remote Indigenous communities, singling out the Greens in particular whom he branded "the party for paedophiles".

Security and strategic experts have defended Malcolm Turnbull's declaration of support for America if North Korea launched an attack as the "only practical" response to the situation.

The Obama administration lobbied Australia to change its asylum seeker policy, actively disagreeing with the Australia's off-shore detention and "Stop the Boats" mentality.

• ANALYSIS

As the world tumbles closer to the unthinkable, Australia faces entanglement in a situation it has no scope to influence.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ramped up the rhetoric in his attacks against Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, labelling him the "most dangerous left-wing leader" in generations.

• EXCLUSIVE

"The moral in this is that all nuclear proliferation is bad and dangerous, particularly in the hands of outlier regimes like North Korea."

• EXCLUSIVE

While mother-of-five Joanna Karalis spent up to half her income on rent. "It was so hard with one wage just to keep the electricity, gas and water on and buy school uniforms for the kids."

Required security upgrades or 'fortress Australia'?

The Commonwealth Bank rules out lending to the proposed Carmichael megacoal mine in Queensland.

Another week, another dangerous escalation of tensions between North Korea and the United States.

The Turnbull government was scrambling on Friday afternoon as problems emerged over its same-sex marriage survey.

Michael McCormack is responsible for the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which is running the same-sex marriage postal survey.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has declared Australia would invoke the ANZUS treaty for only the second time in its history.

• EXCLUSIVE

An angry delegation of Labor MPs confronted opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann on Wednesday night about what they view as Labor's silence on Australia's offshore detention of refugees.

• EXCLUSIVE

Tony Abbott has called for Australia urgently to consider a missile defence shield to protect against attack by nuclear-armed North Korea.

• EXCLUSIVE

"We want the process to be fair," Senator Cormann told Fairfax Media.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has written to ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie to demand the public broadcaster explain why it devoted an Australian Story episode to Labor Senator Sam Dastyari.

Bill Shorten says Malcolm Turnbull will be personally responsible for "every hurtful bit of filth" unleashed by public debate on the same-sex marriage postal survey.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people needs to come before other referendums are held.

The debate about a postal vote for same-sex marriage continues while the threat from North Korea hovers.

Gai Brodtmann has lashed a Turnbull government minister over comments to Parliament about Canberra.

Will the non-compulsory $122 million vote accurately reflect what Australians think about marriage equality?

The ACT senator has called on MPs to respect the results of the non-binding plebiscite.

• EXCLUSIVE

Justice Kirby has lashed out at the "Mickey Mouse" postal proposal, which said was unprecedented, disrespected Australians and discriminated against marginalised voters.

Australian politicians are joining senior US officials in attempting to hose down President Donald Trump's verbal assault on North Korea.

Australia has called on "all parties" to calm tensions over North Korea's nuclear program.

Lobbyists on both sides of the marriage equality debate will be free to distribute misleading and deceptive material ahead of the same-sex marriage postal vote, because the usual campaign rules have been discarded.

• EXCLUSIVE

Pauline Hanson is planning to personally move the motion referring her embattled senator Malcolm Roberts to the High Court.