New York: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been snubbed from Donald Trump’s official schedule of meetings in New York, raising concerns about the strength of Australia’s ties with the United States and ambassador Kevin Rudd’s level of influence with the White House.

Albanese will be left to compete for a handshake with the US president at a reception with more than 100 other world leaders at an event on Wednesday morning (AEST), after again failing to secure a meeting with Trump.

Trump also took a dim view of the decision by Australia and others to recognise a Palestinian state , saying through his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, that it was a reward for Hamas and did nothing to bring Israeli hostages home.

As a Labor frontbencher argued it was a “good thing” that Albanese and

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