‘We are not building for peacetime. We are pivoting the Pentagon and our industrial base to a wartime footing. Building for victory should our adversaries FAFO.’ latika.me/Hegseth1939

The Nightly understands Mr Burgess will be giving a speech dedicated to China in coming weeks. latika.me/ChinaASIO

🎙 Latest pod is from Butterworths, DC. Alex set out to create a Melbourne-style supper club. It became a MAGA hangout and is frequented by the Trump Administration. I spoke to Alex and chef Bart Hutchins about how good or bad for business it is being the MAGA place in a non-MAGA town.

BREAKING ---- EVICTED AND STRIPPED OF HIS TITLE. It's finally over for Andrew. King Charles III says Prince Andrew will now be known as "Andrew Mountbatten Windsor."

Interesting polling from Ipsos for ABC News and Washington Post. 56 per cent of Americans OPPOSE Trump's demolition of the East Wing at the White House.

As G7 + 2 ministers meet in Canada today to discuss critical minerals, 'Team West' is urged to take the Australia-US rare earths deal global. My latest report: latika.me/TeamWestCrit...

It is a real shame to see Anthony Albanese go down this road, particularly after what he said during the election campaign. latika.me/AlboChannels...

Australia + US can catch up, and topple China's critical minerals dominance, Australia's Resources Minister Madeleine King tells me. But she said Trump's claim that there'd be so many rare earths by 2027 costing $2 that we wouldn't know what to do with them, was not right. latika.me/YesWeCan

'Whilst Australians may deplore Donald Trump, enabling Labor to successfully exploit an anti-Trumpian sentiment during the election campaign to win Mr Albanese his 94 seats, the great irony is that Mr Trump signed onto something Biden wouldn’t. latika.me/TrumpAndAlbo

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🇦🇺 🇺🇸 Donald Trump says AUKUS is aimed at deterring China from taking over Taiwan but that they won't be needed. Australia's PM Anthony Albanese says AUKUS is NOT about China. Read my latest article from DC in The Nightly: latika.me/AUKUSChina

ICYMI. My question to US President Donald Trump.

Third country deals are the "only serious option" for the UK when it comes to stopping small boats, Australia's home affairs minister has said Tony Burke also told @latikambourke.com that centre-left parties must "be strong on borders" to be electable and maintain public support for legal migration

✍️ From me in DC for The Nightly: Kevin Rudd will serve four years as US Ambassador, says PM Albanese. He said Trump forgave the former PM in front of him after 'I don't like you' White House stoush. latika.me/AlbaneseBack...

As Trump goes squishy again, on Ukraine, Europe's Trump-whisperer, NATO boss Mark Rutte is on his way to DC.

Aside from Rudd, the Australian PM's trip to the White House was an unmitigated success in both substance and style. Albanese, who swept to a huge majority on the back of an anti-Trumpian campaign, even joked he'll use Trump's endorsement in his '28 campaign ads. ✍️ Me in DC: latika.me/USSuccess

As Trump tore into Rudd, Albanese laughed. Stark contrast to how Starmer dealt with Trump blasting Sadiq Khan in front of him. My latest in The Nightly from DC: latika.me/AlbolaughRudd

From me at the White House: Donald Trump gives Anthony Albanese a ✅ but Kevin Rudd the thumbs down 👎 latika.me/AlbosDayatth...

🇦🇺 🇺🇸 🌸 Anthony Albanese has released this photograph of flowers given to him by @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS upon the Australia PM's arrival into DC late Sunday night.

NEW from me Why AUKUS still matters, despite the advent of drone warfare. From my interview with General David Petraeus, the former CIA boss also backs calls for Australia and Indo Pacific countries to spend more on their defence. Read it here: latika.me/AUKUSnotDrones

From me in DC for The Nightly: PM Anthony Albanese touches down in wet and windy Washington for his long-awaited Oval Office date with Donald Trump. The action begins 1115 Washington time, 0215 Canberra time. I wrote about what to expect: latika.me/AlbosTrumpMeet

🇺🇸 🇦🇺 Here's the official White House schedule announcing details and timings of PM Anthony Albanese's visit.

🇺🇸 From me in DC, Albanese's date with Trump comes at an advantageous time for the Australian PM. latika.me/AlbosTrumpMeet

Prince Andrew: 'I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.'

EXCLUSIVE My interview with Sir Richard Branson on Ukraine. He says the West is effectively at war with Russia and backs compromises to pay for higher defence spending, something he says he never thought he'd say. Read it in The Nightly: latika.me/BransonUkraine

Oppn demands answers as to why PM Albanese promoted Kathy Klugman to replace Andrew Shearer as head of Office of National Intelligence. latika.me/Klugman

PM appoints his foreign policy advisor Kathy Klugman to head ONI. Shuffles Andrew Shearer to Japan.

My latest article for The Nightly. Albanese and Wong opt out of attending the Gaza peace ceremony they say they contributed to by recognising Palestine. Trump lavished praise on those who turned up. latika.me/AlboWongNoShow

🆕 Australia left off Trump's guest list at historic peace signing ceremony. latika.me/4n9tF7v

🎙️My latest podcast is former CIA Director and Rtd US General David Petraeus. 🇵🇱 We caught up at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland 🇺🇦 We discuss Ukraine's incredible evolving warfare and the future of combat 🇨🇳 Whether drones replace AUKUS Why Ukraine needs to now teach us 🎧 latika.me/PetraeusPod

UK to supply India with lightweight missiles. Downing St says more complex weapons deals on the way.

Kemi Badenoch's speech was an important line in the sand as the centre-right worldwide struggles to define itself in the shadow of Trump. My analysis: latika.me/Badenoch #CPC25

Gosh a punchy statement from the Czechs on the Gaza flotilla. Essentially saying their attention-seeking stunt overburdened consular staff putting other citizens at risk.

Aus has signed important agreements A defence alliance with PNG and today a new agreement with Singapore --- of interest more access for defence forces at each other's bases -- expanded for Aust at regional SIN base and SIN gets more access to Aus training bases www.pm.gov.au/media/joint-...

Think the significance of what the EU's jumbo steel tariffs, ie. a trade war, means for smaller players is going waaay too under the radar tbh. latika.me/EUSteel

EU plans massive steel tariffs from next year and will halve its imports. A global trade war on steel would devastate Australia's economy, which is heavily dependent on iron ore exports to China, the opposition warned. Read the latest in The Nightly: latika.me/EUSteel

My analysis on what's next for Andrew Hastie is tonight's splash in The Nightly. Read it here: latika.me/HastieQuits

Andrew Hastie quits. Why and what next? latika.me/HastieQuits #auspol

🎙️ Very excited to present my latest podcast. 🗽 At the Superhumans pop-up in NYC's Ukrainian quarter, I interview Richard Branson about: 🟡 The 'dithering' preventing Ukraine winning 🔵 Wider war with Russia 🟡 Raising defence spending 💪 And the work of Superhumans 🎧 latika.me/BransonPod

I really enjoyed putting together this piece; it was nice to write about something so positive and heartening, amid the sea of geopolitical uncertainty and turmoil that so often consumes us. I hope you enjoy reading it. Happy Saturday. latika.me/EuropeHappyN...

HUGE Breaking News just in via Reuters (if true): Hamas said on Friday it would agree to some aspects of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war, including releasing hostages and handing over administration of the enclave.

Worth reupping this in light of Andrew Hastie's resignation from the frontbench. I asked Hastie about his leadership ambitions on my podcast after the Coalition's wipeout at the election. latika.me/LatikaTakesI...

ANDREW HASTIE QUITS SUSSAN LEY'S FRONTBENCH CITING IMMIGRATION. He will hold a presser on Saturday morning.

Drone sightings now at Munich Airport in Germany. Flights cancelled. Europe urgently needs a solution to what they suspect is Russia's latest probing of it's vulnerabilities.

Australia's PM spent 3 days in UK. Anthony Albanese took Albo Beer to 10 Downing Street, but didn't make a trip to an AUKUS site, he didn't even do a joint presser with his friend Keir Starmer. Why? ➡️ latika.me/94Seats

My Exclusive is the splash in The Nightly. The PM crossed a line by wading into UK politics, a charge he attempted to defend but was undone by revelations that is neutral civil servants had to quit the final leg of his UK tour because it was a political event. Read here: latika.me/PMandC

EXCLUSIVE PM&C staff abandoned Anthony Albanese's visit to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, because of its political nature. The opposition said it was 'extraordinary' and undermined the PM's claim that his visit was AUKUS-related. Read more in The Nightly: latika.me/PMandC

Sadiq Khan at Labour conf in Liverpool tells New Statesman drinks that he loves coming to Liverpool as he can 'escape the Sharia law in London.'

🔥 Burnham just shredded Keir. Said 'Climate of fear' is in govt, wasn't like this under Blair. Called for open debate.

🔥 Andy Burnham at Labour conf says he is working for Govt. And "we do need to have a debate our direction" Says 'climate of fear in the party' to huge applause.