ISTANBUL  Australia’s alliance with the US has never been stronger or more relevant than it is now, Australia’s defense minister said Saturday. “I would say that our alliance has never been as relevant as it is today, and it's never been better,” Richard Marles told visiting US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, on the sidelines of a summit of Southeast Asian defense chiefs. “It really matters to Australia to see a strong American presence in this part of the