The ugly and potentially violent standoff marks another dark episode in the history of Australia's offshore processing regime.

Crossbench powerbroker Nick Xenophon will be replaced by his staffer, Rex Patrick, when he leaves the Senate to contest the South Australian election.

Senate president Stephen Parry has revealed he believes he holds dual citizenship and may need to resign.

Professor Kevin Davis believes he has found a way around the roadblock that's been stopping NSW and Victoria axing stamp duty.

Nationals MPs admit their numbers in Malcolm Turnbull's cabinet could be cut following the High Court's decision to disqualify former senator Fiona Nash from the upper house.

Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop has signalled Australia is open to reviving plans for a sensitive four-way diplomatic and security co-operation with the United States.

Locals have begun removing equipment from the Manus Island processing centre, while Papua New Guinea authorities look on, detainees claim.

A senior White House official says Donald Trump will meet with Malcolm Turnbull during his coming visit to Asia.

Malcolm Turnbull says he looks forward to deeper collaboration with Israel, considered a cyber warfare superpower.

Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers are barricading themselves inside the Manus Island processing centre and refusing to leave amid fears they'll be attacked if they leave the security of the compound's wire fences by locals who don't want them there.

It may have the Turnbull and Palaszczuk governments firmly in its corner, but the Adani super-mine is facing a formidable new opponent: the Christian faith.

Arts donors are in revolt against the Australia Council, criticising "ill-conceived" changes to Australia's participation in the Venice Biennale.

All future free trade agreements would have be vetted by the Productivity Commission and reexamined every ten years under a new Labor policy put which has won endorsement from business.

Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop has conceded some decisions taken before former ministers Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash were disqualified, are being re-examined to ensure they are legally sound

The Australian Taxation Office is aware investigative journalists are scrutinising the clients of Bermuda-based law firm Appleby, and are bracing themselves for what could be a second "Panama Papers" style leak.

The five federal politicians disqualified over their citizenship status collected close to $9 million in taxpayer-funded salaries they were not entitled to.

The Tax Office has fallen short of budget revenue targets by $4.2 billion, its 2017 annual report shows.

Papua New Guinea has demanded the Turnbull government urgently resolve what will happen to hundreds of asylum seekers.

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has dared the Labor Party and the union movement to bring a legal challenge against any of the decisions he oversaw.

More than 100 Turnbull government decisions are vulnerable to legal challenge as a result of Barnaby Joyce and Fiona Nash's dual citizenship status, with lawyers concluding there is a high likelihood the work they have done over the last year will end up before the courts.

Unions are demanding answers over the latest twist in the Michaelia Cash controversy, after it emerged a key figure in the government agency investigating the Australian Workers Union had been about to start a job in the employment minister's office.

Malcolm Turnbull is to blame for the "chaos" after the High Court's citizenship rulings, says Bill Shorten.

The acclaimed playwright wants to see his friends dancing at a long-overdue wedding.

Former governor-general Sir Ninian Stephen has died, aged 94.

Dumped One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has already hit the campaign trail in Queensland as he seeks to slide straight into a state seat - and potentially even the party's state leadership - at next month's election.

Attorney-General George Brandis​ has talked down possible legal challenges to decisions made by the now former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce following Friday's High Court decision that saw five members of Parliament thrown out because they held dual citizenship.

• EXCLUSIVE

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has said there is a "powerful argument" that President Trump's threat to scrap the Iran nuclear deal could imperil efforts to negotiate a peaceful outcome with North Korea.

Papua New Guinea police chief says his forces will be outnumbered and he can't guarantee anyone's safety as Tuesday's deadline looms.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will be Australia's acting prime minister while Malcolm Turnbull travels to Israel.