Acknowledging that millions of people will believe in conspiracy theories no matter what, he added that “ultimately, the U.F.O. debate can be broken down into a sincere belief in science versus a sincere belief in extraterrestrials. I side with science.”

Cleaves was excellent for the home side, with his flying speed causing the Saints' backline problems down the left wing.

The intervention could cause a headache for ministers, who've spent months courting the City, in a bid to bring them on side with their plans to boost economic growth.

For more than 20 years, the agreement between the U.S. and Australia has operated on a simple principle: Located in opposite hemispheres, the two countries’ fire seasons have historically been asynchronous, allowing the side with less fire activity to send firefighting personnel or equipment to the other.

“And not just them, but the rest of the team, which is incredibly talented as well. So I’m going to work toward making sure that I can stand side by side with them.”