OPINION: Mining is neither a cure-all nor an unmitigated disaster.

Security measures for the much-anticipated visit to the United States by King Charles III this week are in the spotlight following the shooting ⁠at a dinner attended ​by President Donald Trump.

Buckingham Palace said ​the four-day trip to ‌the United States by King Charles and Queen Camilla ​would go ahead as ​planned following the security scare involving Trump.

"Following ​discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and ​acting on advice ​of government, we can confirm the ‌state ⁠visit by their majesties will proceed as planned," a palace spokesperson said.

LIVE UPDATES: Trump slams reporter as 'disgrace' for repeating shooter's claims

"The ​king and ​queen ⁠are most grateful to all those ​who have worked at ​pace ⁠to ensure this remains the case and are ⁠looking ​forward to ​the visit getting underway tomorrow."

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was "very confident" the royal couple would be safe during their visit. He said the incident showed how robust the American security measures were.

Senior British cabinet minister Darren Jones told Sky News UK there would be "appropriate security in place in relation to the risk".

Security for the royal family and senior UK officials is provided by the Metropolitan Police's Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) Command.

According to the Metropolitan Police's website, the RaSP is part of a wider unit that "integrates intelligence and operational tactics to mitigate risks that exceed standard frontline policing".

READ MORE: Can King Charles's visit rebuild UK ties with Trump?

The RaSP provides protection at the royal residences in London, Windsor and Scotland and close protection to the King.

Under existing protocol for royal overseas visits, UK close protection officers would liaise with local law enforcement.

In the case of the US, that would be the country's Secret Service, charged with protecting the president.

Even before the shooting at the White House Foreign Correspondents' dinner in Washington DC on Saturday, the king's visit was shaping as the most important overseas trip of his reign.

Differences between the Trump administration and the UK government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the Iran war have seen relations between the close allies slump to their lowest for decades.

The monarch will hold a private meeting with the president and also deliver an address to Congress.

It offers the chance to deliver the message that long-term friendship is more important than transient disputes.

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Two children have died in a horror house fire in the Hawkesbury region of NSW, after the blaze caused the roof of the two-storey property to collapse.

Their father and four other children managed to escape the blaze at the home in Bowen Mountain, about 77km north-west of Sydney.

The family had planned to relocate to Queensland today, with the mother of the children already on her way there when the flames erupted at about 2am.

LIVE UPDATES: 'I don't expect forgiveness': Details of shooter's letter revealed

She is now on her way back to the Hawkesbury to be with her family.

Firefighters were on the scene within "seven to eight minutes" of the alarm being raised, yet arrived to a "very, very developed" fire, Rural Fire Service (RFS) Superintendent Jonathon Hill said.

"When firefighters arrived, we had a fully developed fire at the time, with the roof collapsing," he said.

"It was deemed unsafe to enter the house at that point in time."

Crews were forced to temporarily retreat and take defensive action.

It took two hours for 12 fire trucks and around 50 firefighters to bring the blaze under control, with emergency crews beginning their search of the home around 4am.

They found one of the victims downstairs and one upstairs.

The surviving family members are in Nepean Hospital being treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.

Those who died in the fire have yet to be formally identified, but police say the children in the household range in age from three to 16.

A crime scene has been established and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Police Superintendent Nadine Roberts said police "are certainly not treating it as suspicious" at this stage.

It was unclear whether the property was fitted with working smoke alarms.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said the crews had no choice but to initially take defensive action.

"Firefighters want to get in there with their hoselines and getting in and locating people who might be missing, but an early assessment of the building recognised that parts of the walls were looking to collapse, and parts of the structure had collapsed," he said.

"It would have been too dangerous to go inside the home while it was collapsing."

READ MORE: Teenagers who rode on bus roof sought by police

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"Some parts of the home are hot and smouldering, and many parts of the home have collapsed," Curtin said.

Curtin praised the actions of responding crews to ensure the fierce fire didn't spread to other homes, and he said all firefighters would be offered support.

"[It's] very tough for our firefighters… all of those firefighters are impacted by the circumstances," he said.

Investigations have commenced into how the fire started.

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A Toowoomba man has been charged after he allegedly followed a woman for several kilometres, hit her over the head with a rock and attempted to rape her.

Police say the assault only stopped when a nearby resident interrupted the offender, who then took off on foot.

The alleged attack on the 30-year-old woman occurred at 11pm on March 30 in Newtown, a large inner-city suburb of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

READ MORE: Five-year-old girl missing from Alice Springs in possible abduction

Investigators found the alleged offender, a 20-year-old man from Glenvale on Toowoomba's outskirts, in the CBD yesterday and arrested him.

He has been charged with unlawful stalking and attempt to commit rape and will appear in court today.

Anyone with information is urged to come forward to police.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Deputy Opposition leader Jane Hume has been grilled over Angus Taylor's remarks about "bad people" coming to Australia from "bad countries".

In another sign the Coalition is moving to a tougher immigration policy, Taylor told the ABC yesterday "there is a higher risk that some bad people come from those bad countries".

The opposition leader did not name the nations, but on Today this morning co-host Sarah Abo, who was born in Syria, put his deputy on the spot.

LIVE UPDATES: Manifesto for accused shooter at Trump dinner revealed

Hume began by attacking the Albanese government's record on migration numbers, saying "standards" were slipping.

"We've had 1.4 million new people come from this country in the last four years along … we know the numbers are too high and standards too low," she said.

Then Abo asked her: "So which are the bad countries Angus talks about"?

Hume initially hesitated with naming any, saying there were regimes around the world seeking to harm Australia.

But when pressed she gave Iran as a "very good example".

This prompted Abo to ask, "So everyone from Iran is a bad person?", and whether under a Coalition government Iranians would be placed on a "banned list".

Hume, clearly irritated, replied the questions were "oversimplifying" the issue, and told Abo she had "obviously" not read the Coalition policy statement.

Earlier this month, Taylor launched a revamped Coalition immigration stance in response to surging support for the populist One Nation party.

He has insisted the new policy is in line with Australia's non-discriminatory migration system, which does not bar people in specific countries from applying to come here.

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Adelaide Airport has apologised and is reviewing its procedures after footage emerged of a staff member blocking a wheelchair user from being picked up in a disability permit parking bay.

Shane Hryhorec, who uses a wheelchair, filmed the encounter while waiting to be collected by his mother over the weekend.

In the clip, the airport worker refuses his collection from the space because his mother did not have a disability parking permit on her car. The worker explains that only vehicles displaying the permit can enter the space.

LIVE UPDATES: 'I don't expect forgiveness': Details of shooter's letter revealed

Speaking on Today, Hryhorec said he was in absolute shock.

"The gentleman working there said, 'Your mum's not allowed to pick you up here because she doesn't have a permit on her windscreen.'"

"My mum was trying to pull in, and he was yelling at her, saying, look, if you pull in here, you're going to get a fine, and the fine's $400."

Hryhorec said the employee directed him to what was called the "normal" pick-up area, which he described as difficult to navigate in a wheelchair and not set up for safe transfers in and out of a car.

After posting the video, Hryhorec said the airport contacted him to apologise and asked him to take the footage down.

READ MORE: Fears missing five-year-old girl abducted from Alice Springs

He declined, saying it was important the incident remained public.

In a statement to nine.com.au, Adelaide Airport said it is investigating the incident and acknowledged the situation should have been handled differently.

"We apologise to Mr Hyrhorec and his mother for the frustration and distress caused," a spokesperson said.

"The permit system is in place to ensure that the area is only used for its intended purpose.

"While neither Mr Hryhorec nor his mother had a disability parking permit yesterday, we acknowledge that we should have used our discretion to allow him to be picked up from the disability passenger pick-up area."

The airport said it aims to provide an inclusive environment for all travellers, with a review of its procedures now underway.

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A Perth man has been charged with multiple offences following a dramatic arrest inside a casino after he was accused of pointing a gun-shaped object at a car.

Police responded to reports that a firearm had been brandished from a white station sedan towards another driver on Teddington Road in Burswood, around three kilometres from the Perth CBD, about 10 am yesterday.

A car matching the description was seen driving into the car park at Crown Casino, before two men exited the sedan and entered the venue.

READ MORE: Alleged shooter 'appeared to be targeting Trump'

Both men were arrested on the casino floor and taken into custody.

Dramatic bodycam vision captured the moment armed officers swooped on one of the men inside Crown Casino on Sunday morning.

No gun was seen in the casino.

During a later search, police found a novelty cigarette lighter, resembling a firearm, in the toilets of the casino food court.

WATCH: Children rescued when slingshot ride snaps mid air

READ MORE: Teenagers who rode on bus roof sought by police

A 31-year-old man from Thornlie has since been charged with four offences, including being armed in a way that may cause fear, being armed in or near a place of entertainment, possessing drug paraphernalia in or on which there was a prohibited drug or plant and possession of a prohibited drug.

He was granted bail to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on May 22.

The second man, aged in his 40s, was released without charge.

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A community food network operating across New South Wales and Victoria says its smaller footprint means it will be less exposed to rising costs in the weeks to come.

Higher diesel prices, rising fertiliser costs and increased transport charges as a result of the Middle East war have affected farmers' margins, and although fuel prices have fallen from their peak in March, the flow-on impacts of the crisis are about to strike.

Farmers and retailers have warned that the price of fresh food could climb 20 per cent due to pressures on the supply chain.

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Leigh Lind, from Sydney's inner west, said being a member of his local Box Divvy hub was helping with the uncertainty of the shock to come.

"We've definitely been thinking more about what we buy each week," Lind said.

"I feel glad we're part of a system that's a bit closer to where food is coming from – it just feels more stable week to week."

Box Divvy is a community-driven food co-op that connects households with fresh, seasonal produce from hubs supplied by local growers, both direct and via the company's warehouse in Granville.

There may be between 15 and 40 members in a hub, made up of strangers or family and friend groups, who browse available produce and pantry items and place their orders via an app.

The "hubster" is paid to operate the hub, either from their garage or a community space, receiving the weekly bulk delivery and "divvying" it up between members.

There are 350 hubs across NSW, the ACT and Victoria, with plans to launch into Queensland in the coming months.

ANZAC DAY: Business operating hours over the long weekend

Co-founder Anton van den Berg said about half their produce was sourced locally, largely from growers within the Sydney basin.

"When fuel prices rise, distance matters," he said.

"The fuel that they're using, obviously, is more costly but what they don't have is the transport costs to Sydney because they're literally within 40 or 50km from our warehouse, so that's definitely put a lid on pricing."

The hubs have also started experimenting with buying produce from their own members, dubbed "backyard growers".

"It could be herbs, it could be lemons, or indeed backyard chooks, and they're able to then sell this into their local hubs and make that food ultra, ultra local," van den Berg said.

His ambition is to have more small and backyard growers supplying directly into hubs, with less reliance on the warehouse.

"There's a lot of small growers, especially in regional areas that rely on a single farmer's market," he said.

"What we're trying to do is to basically provide an alternative channel in addition to where they currently sell their fruit and veg to make that business also more resilient."

He said currently, Box Divvy was paying local growers between 5 per cent and 10 per cent more at the farm gate, to cover the higher costs.

"In many cases, that increase covers most of the cost pressure growers are facing," he said.

"These pressures are real, and over time they do flow through.

"What we're seeing now is the early stage of that.

"The next few weeks will be telling in terms of how much of this starts to show up more clearly in prices."

Where shoppers don't notice price rises, he said, they may notice unpredictability in the supply and availability of seasonal produce at the supermarket.

"These are structural pressures," van den Berg said.

"They don't hit all at once, but they do build.

"What it shows is how exposed the food system can be to fuel and global disruption.

"There's a growing need to build more resilient, locally connected systems so communities are better prepared when these kinds of shocks occur."

Dairy producers have also warned of rising prices and red meat producers could face supply shortages as the US-led war on Iran drags on.

"Even if it ended today, there has been impacts on supply chains that will be with us for weeks and months ahead," energy minister Chris Bowen said earlier this month.

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A man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner attended by President Donald Trump on Saturday night (Sunday morning AEST), charging towards the ballroom in a chaotic encounter with Secret Service agents as guests dived under tables at the sound of shots being fired.

The president was uninjured and was rushed off the stage. The armed man, who officials said was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was being held, was taken into custody and was expected to face court on Monday. Police believe he opened fire and acted alone but did not say who was his intended target or describe a motive.

"When you're impactful, they go after you. When you're not impactful, they leave you alone," Trump, safe and uninjured and still in his tuxedo, said at the White House two hours later. "They seem to think he was a lone wolf."

READ MORE: 'Teacher of the month': Alleged shooter identified

The shooting unfolded just outside the vast subterranean ballroom holding thousands of dinner guests, disrupting minutes after it began an annual event meant to honour journalism and the First Amendment that was being especially scrutinised this year because it was the first time since Trump became president that he had attended. Trump told reporters later that he hoped the event would be rescheduled within 30 days, though the fact that an armed man was able to rush towards the ballroom raised instant questions about security precautions at an event attended each year by senior government officials.

Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran towards him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was tackled to the ground and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.

The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. He is facing two firearm-related charges, including a count of assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon.

Inside the ballroom, guests scurried for cover at the sound of shots while Secret Service agents, including the heavily-armed counterassault team, swarmed the stage after the incident.

Vice President JD Vance was removed from the room first, while agents initially covered Trump in place before escorting him and first lady Melania Trump from the room. Trump briefly stumbled on the way offstage, before being assisted by his security detail.

READ MORE: Erika Kirk was at dinner as shooter attempted to storm room

He was held for some time in a secure presidential suite at the hotel as the president and organisers initially sought to resume the event – hotel staff refolded napkins and refilled water glasses, and aides adjusted the teleprompter for the president – before Trump was returned to the White House on the advice of the Secret Service.

It was the third time since 2024 that the president had been under threat by an attacker in his immediate vicinity — including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local firefighter.

"Today we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before," the president said. But he also said, "We're not going to let anybody take over our society."

FBI Director Kash Patel, flanking Trump, said the agency is examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene, as well as interviewing witnesses from the dinner. He urged anyone with information to come forward.

Dinner turns to disorder

Guests were dining on a spring pea and burrata salad when noise began — noise Trump said he initially thought was a tray dropping but some journalists believed were five to eight gunshots.

The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Audible gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realised something was happening; hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.

"Out of the way, sir!" someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a "God Bless America" chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.

After an initial attempt to resume, the event was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.

"We will do this again," said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association. Shortly afterwards, staff began breaking down table settings and the presidential lectern.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and his wife, Kelly, who both attended the event, were "praying for our country tonight". The House Democratic leader, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, wrote on social media, "The violence and chaos in America must end."

The banquet hall — where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were awaiting Trump's remarks — was immediately evacuated. Members of the National Guard took up position inside the building as people were allowed to leave but not immediately reenter. Security outside was also extremely tight.

Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York, a guest at the dinner, said he heard a pop and "we didn't know what the hell it was. And then you heard all sorts of things clatter." Lawler said he gets "death threats often" and said, "I think we live in a climate where everybody recognises it's a problem, but I don't think people fully appreciate how much of a problem it really is".

Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the correspondents' dinner, and security has typically been focused on the ballroom rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself. In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr outside the Hilton — an event that prompted redesigns of the property that increased security and added a special presidential suite near the entrance where chief executives could be taken. Trump was dispatched there briefly after the incident on Saturday night.

Event would have highlighted Trump's relationship with press

Trump's attendance at Saturday's annual dinner in Washington for his first time as president was expected to put his administration's often-contentious relationship with the press on full public display.

Trump arrived to an event where the leaders of a nation at war mingled with celebrities, journalists and even a puppet — Triumph the Insult Comic Dog — in a dinner that typically generates debate about whether the relationship between journalists and their sources should include socialising together and putting aside sometimes adversarial relationships.

Trump was being watched closely at the event held by the organisation of reporters who cover him and his administration. Past presidents who have attended have generally spoken about the importance of free speech and the First Amendment, adding in some light roasts about individual journalists.

The Republican president did not attend during his first term or the first year of his second. He came as a guest in 2011, sitting in the audience as President Barack Obama, a Democrat, made some jokes about the New York real estate developer. Trump also attended as a private citizen in 2015.

Trump entered the banquet hall of the Washington Hilton to the strains of "Hail to the Chief" and greeted prominent journalists on the dais, also pausing to laud White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt with a cheerful pointing of his finger.

Past dinners have also featured comedians who poke at presidents. This year, the group opted to hire mentalist Oz Pearlman as the featured entertainment.

Between berating individual reporters, fighting organisations like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in court and restricting press access to the Pentagon, the administration's animus toward journalists has been a fixture of Trump's second term.

A few dozen protesters stood across the hotel in the run-up to the event. One was dressed in a prison uniform, wearing a Pete Hegseth mask and red gloves. Another carried a sign saying, "Journalism is dead".

A suspected shooter is in custody after several shots were fired at a Washington hotel where President Donald Trump, other officials, and media were attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner.