Australian news and politics live: Donald Trump's new man in the UK says AUKUS is ‘vital to the world'

West Australian

19-05-2025

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Donald Trump's new ambassador to the UK has used his first public speech to back the AUKUS partnership with Britain and Australia.
Warren Stephens highlighted how 'vital the US-UK relationship is to our countries and to the world' at an event in parliament attended by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday.
Stephens said the AUKUS partnership, which is developing a new fleet of nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarines for the UK and Australia, would help maintain a 'free and open Indo-Pacific'.
The ambassador's decision to make his first public address in support of the project is symbolically important, given it is a legacy of Joe Biden's term in the White House.
The alliance, which also covers collaboration on other advanced technologies, is seen as an attempt to counter the influence of China in the region.
Read the full story here.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has presented Pope Leo with a bottle of Australian red wine that retails at Dan Murphy's for $41 and an indigenous artwork after securing Australia's first meeting with a pontiff in 16 years.
Pope Leo in return blessed the rosary beads that belonged to Maryanne Ellery, Mr Albanese's mother who the prime minister told the Pope on Sunday would be 'smiling down from heaven' at their encounter.
The Vatican said the Pope discussed religious freedom.
'An exchange of views then took place on the socio-political situation of the country, focusing in particular on themes of mutual interest, including environmental protection, integral human development and the freedom of religion,' the Vatican said.
Mr Albanese formally invited the Pope to visit Australia in 2028 for World Ecumenical Day.
Read Latika M Bourke's exclusive story here.
While Anthony Albanese enjoys the sun in Rome he might want to get an English lesson from UK Labour and in particular, Labour's PM, Sir Keir Starmer.
The two have so much in common. Both crushed their opponents and had huge majorities after their recent elections. Starmer's is now 10 months old, but still sees him hold 402 out of 650 seats in the Commons, on a par with Albanese's own 94 from 151 in our own Parliament.
Both had gushing post-election headlines from a few notable national newspaper editors sucking up while playing catch-up. Both Starmer and Albanese were written as having won 'two term elections' and both spoke of governing for all and wanting to be the natural party of government.
Well 10 months in, Starmer is in a flat out panic domestically. He is deeply unpopular and Labour lost a by-election in the previous 'Red Wall' to Nigel Farage's Reform Party on May 2.
At the same time, Reform won 677 of 1650 council seats contested nationally. It added eight new mayors to their ranks.
Read Cameron Milner's full story here.
Home owners can expect more mortgage relief if the Reserve Bank cuts interest rates as widely expected but those looking to break into the housing market could see property prices rise even higher.
Traders are pricing in a 95 per cent chance the RBA board will cut its key interest rate to 3.85 per cent when its two-day meeting wraps up on Tuesday.
Nicola Powell, chief economist at property portal Domain, said it's pretty much a given.
Underlying inflation moderated to 2.9 per cent in the first three months of the year, which will reassure the RBA that they can take some restrictiveness out of the economy.
Read the full story here.
Australia's mortgage holders are holding their collective breath as the RBA is set to deliver an interest rate decision today.
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