US defense officials first said ‘there was not a meeting’ between the Australian defence minister and US counterpart but later clarified a meeting had in fact taken place Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Pentagon has walked back suggestions the Australian defence minister, Richard Marles , did not meet his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, adding to confusion about his visit to the White House this week. American officials initially denied Marles had a formal meeting with Hegseth during a last-minute trip to Washington, casting doubt on the federal government’s account of the visit. Continue reading...