Donald Trump has launched a vociferous defence of himself after he was charged with 34 felonies this morning.

Returning from New York after being indicted, Trump gave a defiant and politically charged speech at his Mar-a-Lago country club in Florida.

He attacked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FBI, and Democrats in general.

LIVE UPDATES: Charges against Donald Trump revealed

Trump accused the FBI and the Department of Justice of "relentlessly pursuing Republicans".

"Our elections were like those of a Third World country, and now this massive election interference at a scale never seen before in our country," he said.

"Beginning with the radical left, the prosecutor, Alvin Bragg of New York, who campaigned on the fact that he would 'get President Trump'."

Trump is the first former president to be charged with a crime.

READ MORE: What a Trump trial will mean for America

He claimed there was broad public opinion that the case should not have been brought.

"Even people that aren't big fans have said, they said, 'this is not the right thing to do'," he said.

Trump accused James, who is Black, of being a "racist in reverse".

"She was investigating me to save banks. I have very good lawyers. But they didn't lose a dollar with us during this period of time," he said.

"This is a persecution, not an investigation."

James is not involved in the investigation in which Trump was charged today. Neither was the FBI or the Justice Department.

Trump has accused prosecutors of using tactics "out of the old Soviet Union".

"They can't beat us at the ballot box so they try and beat us through the law," he said.

"That's the country in which we live, however, right now."

Trump lost the popular vote at both elections he contested as Republican nominee.

Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in a New York courtroom earlier today.

Bragg is alleging Trump paid off several people to keep quiet about scandalous details from his personal life.

That includes a doorman who was allegedly given hush money to not speak publicly about a child Trump allegedly had out of wedlock.

Trump also paid off two women he is alleged to have had an affair with – adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.

READ MORE: Why we didn't see a Trump mugshot

"During the election, Trump and others employed a 'catch and kill' scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects," Bragg's office said.

"Trump then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws."

Each count would have a maximum sentence of four years in jail if found guilty.

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After 12 months of turbocharged rental increases, a new report has warned that millions of tenants across the country will endure even more pain this year.

Latest PropTrack data revealed rents have already "increased significantly" over the first quarter this year, up 2 per cent nationally to a median of $500 per week.

Rental prices have jumped 11 per cent over the past 12 months – the fastest rate of rent growth since well before the pandemic, the report said.

LIVE UPDATES: Charges against Donald Trump revealed

Capital city rents were four per cent steeper in the March quarter compared with the last quarter of 2022, and were 13 per cent higher year-on-year.

Regional rents have increased 2.2 per cent since the final quarter of last year, and are up 4.5 per cent annually.

The report described capital city rents moving up "at an extremely rapid pace", particularly in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

In Perth, rents leapt 9 per cent in the last quarter.

"With rental market conditions extremely tight, we expect rental prices will continue to climb," PropTrack analysts wrote.

"This is particularly the case in capital cities, where rent increases have not yet eased since accelerating in early 2022.

READ MORE: Despite rate hikes, buyers are 'jumping back' into property market

"In the regions, rent growth has slowed after significant rent increases throughout the pandemic."

The March quarter saw rents increase in every market except the ACT and regional South Australia.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) yesterday pressed pause on its historic cycle of interest rate hikes, keeping the cash rate at 3.6 per cent.

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READ MORE: Arrests made after bodies found in tourist hotspot

A grieving New South Wales family say they have been left distraught after a cemetery mix-up led to a father's grave being dug in the wrong location.

The family only found out about the error when they arrived for the funeral, at Uralla Cemetery, north east of Tamworth, last Friday.

In a "disrespectful" move that further compounded their distress, council workers then began digging a new grave during the funeral service itself, relatives told 9news.com.au.

READ MORE: Charges against Donald Trump revealed

Leslie Dawson, a father-of-seven, died two weeks ago after a lengthy battle with terminal lung cancer at the age of 63.

His son, Brett Dawson, said one of his dad's dying wishes was to be buried at the cemetery near his daughter, Katie Lee, who was stillborn 30 years ago.

"He always said he wanted to be buried close to her, because he never got over losing her," Brett said.

While organising Leslie's funeral, Brett said the family were told the plots on either side of his late sister had been taken, however space was available immediately behind Katie Lee's burial site.

The family agreed to purchase this plot from Uralla Shire Council, which manages the cemetery.

However, when the family arrived at the cemetery for the funeral, Brett said they were shocked to see his father's coffin set over a freshly dug grave in a different part of the cemetery.

"He was not anywhere near where we asked for him to be. He was put right next to the fence, way up in the scrub," he said.

Brett said the family immediately informed organisers from Piddingtons Funeral Home that a mistake had been made by the council.

The graveside funeral went ahead at the wrong location. 

READ MORE: Easter warning over 'serious' deadly disease

Brett said the family was further distressed when they noticed machinery "noisily" digging a new grave at the correct location during the service. 

"They actually started digging the hole while the funeral service was on," Brett said. 

"The digging was that loud that some family and friends said they had trouble hearing the service.

"My father was a proud Aboriginal man. It was just disrespect."

Brett said his dad was the type of person "who would do anything for anybody". 

"He worked all his life, until he got sick. Even though he was sick, he won't let on that he was in pain to our family," he said.

"He was always there for our mother. He was scared about passing away when he was told he had cancer because he was worried about our mother." 

Brett said because of the mistake, his family was not able to say a proper farewell to his father.

Instead of watching his father being lowered into the ground in person, the family were only given the option of seeing it via livestream on Piddingtons Funeral Home website later the same afternoon, Brett said.

"My mother has been married to my father for 37 years and she was absolutely distraught," he said.

"She couldn't sleep, she was up all night, grieving. We had to take her out to the cemetery the next morning early so she could see that her husband was put in the right area."

"It's disgusting our family has been treated like this….we didn't even get to say goodbye, or get proper closure."

READ MORE: Mum and three boys killed in horror crash

When the family arrived at the cemetery the next morning, they were shocked to see clumps of dirt strewn over a neighbouring headstone next to the incorrect grave site, which had been filled in, Brett said.

Uralla Mayor Robert Bell told 9news.com.au it was a case of "classic human error" that led to council workers digging the grave in the wrong location.

"They have misread the plan, they have dug the grave in entirely the wrong spot," Bell said.

"And for that, there's really no excuse except we have to make sure we do better in the future." 

Bell said it was "unfortunate timing" that the new grave was being dug during the funeral service.

Council staff had been trying to work quickly to rectify the situation, and wanted to have the correct grave finished while staff from Piddingtons Funeral Home were still at the cemetery to lower the coffin into the ground, Bell said. 

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

History is being made in New York as Donald Trump becomes the first former United States president to be charged with a criminal offence.

Forbes have released their annual list of the world's billionaires – with an unfamiliar face landing at the top of the rich list.

Former United States president Donald Trump has appeared in a New York courtroom on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush-money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime.

LIVE UPDATES: Trump charged with 34 felony counts

Here is a brief rundown of the day.

What happened after the surrender?

Trump was booked.

Before computers, information on every criminal suspect would be written down in a big book kept by court officials.

Now, it's all computerised, but the process is largely the same.

Court officers take down the accused's full name, age, birthdate, height and weight.

They check for any outstanding warrants.

They were expected to have taken Trump's fingerprints but were not believed to have taken a mug shot.

In New York, this process usually takes about two hours, but can be as long as four.

But no one else was getting processed when Trump arrived, so it was faster.

Then he went before a judge.

What happened in the hearing?

Prosecutors raised concerns about what they said were irresponsible social media posts they said targeted people in the case, including grand jury witnesses and District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

They specifically pointed to posts Trump made that warned of "potential death and destruction" if he were to be indicted.

The judge said he was not imposing a gag order at this point but asked both sides to refrain from making comments or engaging in comments that could lead to civil unrest.

Trump spoke briefly.

He told the judge he was pleading "not guilty" to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and he was advised of his rights. Trump stayed mostly still, his hands steepled or interlaced, and looked ahead during the proceedings that lasted just over an hour.

Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche said during the hearing: "He is absolutely frustrated, upset and believes that there is a great injustice happening in this courtroom today."

Was he arrested?

Technically, yes.

When someone is fingerprinted and processed, that person is considered to be under arrest and in custody.

But for Trump, it didn't look like what it does in the movies.

He wasn't handcuffed and he didn't sit in a jail cell.

That's in part because some of the courthouse was cleared out for his arraignment and because Trump is a former president with Secret Service protection.

Not all defendants are handcuffed before they appear before a judge for an arraignment, though some are.

Did Trump walk out of there?

Yes. Trump did not say anything as he exited the courtroom, ignoring reporters.

What happens next?

Trump is next due in court in December.

His lawyers asked for him to be excused from attending the hearing in person because of the extraordinary security measures.

Why didn't we see a mug shot?

In New York City, mug shots aren't generally made public.

They are taken by the law enforcement agency that makes the arrest.

There are situations where a judge could make the photo public in response to a public records fight. It could also get leaked, too.

But Trump's campaign team has leapt on the mugshot opportunity and today began selling an "Official Trump Mugshot White Cotton T-Shirt" for $US36 ($53).

Emblazoned with the words "NOT GUILTY", the black and white Trump mugshot t-shirt shows the former president as standing 6'5 tall (195cm), two inches taller than the 6'3 height the 76-year-old tycoon claims to be.

But even that measurement is controversial. Trump's driving license, issued in May 2012, has listed his height as 6'2.

READ MORE: What a Trump trial will mean for America

Have other politicians had their mug shots released?

Some Trump aides have floated the idea of holding a post-booking press conference — a political trail blazed by Texas Governor Rick Perry when he surrendered to authorities for his own mug shot in 2014.

Indeed, what is a moment of shame for many accused hasn't always been that for politicians.

Some, such as Texas Republican and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay have offered large smiles or — as Perry himself did — a defiant smirk.

They've tried to frame the moment as a political boon, looking to boost their popularity with supporters who see them as being unfairly targeted.

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Who is Stormy Daniels?

A porn actor who's also had bit parts in mainstream films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Daniels was paid $US130,000 (roughly $190,000) to keep quiet about what she says was an awkward and unexpected sexual encounter with Trump at a celebrity golf outing in Lake Tahoe in 2006. Trump denies having sex with Daniels.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid the money in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign after her representative said she was willing to make on-the-record statements to the National Enquirer or on television confirming a sexual encounter with Trump.

Daniels attempted to capitalise on her newfound notoriety after news of the payment became public, embarking on a nationwide strip club tour in 2018.

During a stop in Columbus, Ohio, Daniels was arrested on suspicion of inappropriately touching an undercover officer, but the charges were dropped hours later.

Her former lawyer, Michael Avenatti, is serving 11 years in prison for extortion and fraud, including a conviction for stealing $US297,000 (about $440,000) in proceeds from Daniels' 2018 book, Full Disclosure.

Who is Karen McDougal?

Karen McDougal is a former Playboy model who is also alleged to have had an affair with Trump.

McDougal claims she had a 10-month affair with Trump about the same time as he was purportedly seeing Daniels.

The former president has denied the affair.

It is not certain if the hush money paid to McDougal will play a role in the indictment, but CNN reports prosecutors have quizzed at least one witness in the grand jury hearing about her.

Authorities have seized 336kg of heroin in the largest-ever bust in Queensland – the second largest in the entire country.

The drugs were allegedly concealed in concrete blocks, each weighing about 500kg, that were labelled as solar panel accessories inside a sea freight container sent from Malaysia to Brisbane.

AFP investigators and Australian Border Force officers at the Port of Brisbane drilled into the concrete blocks and removed 960 packages, each containing about 350g of heroin.

READ MORE: 'Suspicious' fire tears through Porter Davis home after construction giant's collapse

They removed the packages from the concrete before a controlled delivery to the intended recipient in a warehouse in Brendale, north of Brisbane, on March 28.

Police say a Sydney man collected the consignment in a rented truck the next day, which then travelled to an industrial shed in Mount Druitt in Sydney on March 30.

The man allegedly returned to the shed on Friday morning and used industrial tools to cut into the concrete and access the heroin hidden inside the display stands.

The 55-year-old Auburn man was arrested by AFP as he left the shed later that morning.

He was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs and one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, which both carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Police later seized $700,000 worth of jewellery, mobile phones, cash, hard drives, and notebooks during searches of a number of businesses and homes in NSW and Queensland.

The man faced Parramatta Local Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody to reappear on Wednesday.

The largest ever seizure of heroin in Australian history was in 2021, when the AFP and ABF seized 450kg of heroin in Melbourne, which had also been transported via sea from Malaysia.

AFP Commander John Tanti said removing so much heroin from Australian streets would save lives and deliver a crushing blow to organised criminals who were living large while law-abiding Australians struggled with the cost of living.

"This amount of heroin would cause untold damage in the community and increase the burden on our health system and social services, all in the name of greed for transnational organised crime," he said.

"The alleged criminals behind this import in Australia and overseas are now more than $268 million out of pocket and an alleged key member of their syndicate is facing life imprisonment."

Further arrests have not been ruled out.

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It's been 518 days since four-year-old Cleo Smith was found alive after being snatched from a campsite in remote Western Australia.

It was a missing persons case that gripped the country and tomorrow the man who kidnapped her and kept her captive for 18 days will learn his fate.

Terence Kelly will be sentenced for abducting the girl from the isolated Blowholes Campground in the early hours of October 16, 2021, as her family slept.

READ MORE: How Cleo Smith was found

That morning her mum Ellie Smith woke to find her daughter gone.

For the next 18 days a desperate search for Cleo unfolded, her devastated parents pleaded for her safe return and thousands followed the case, holding their breath.

On the night of November 3, Western Australian detectives broke into a locked home in Carnarvon and found the four-year-old.

"My name is Cleo" were four words heard around the nation after they were captured on a police body cam.

Her discovery was branded a miracle and the rescue made headlines around the world.

Kelly was arrested in town when officers stopped his car. He was charged the next day and flown under heavy guard to one of Perth's toughest prisons.

Last year the 37-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of forcibly taking a child under 16.

Tomorrow, Kelly will be sentenced.

Australians are not eating enough vegetables, and some are struggling to afford snacks as families cannot keep up with rising grocery rates, according to an independent report by Woolworths. 

The research from HealthyLife, the supermarket's digital wellness hub, analysed over 900 million transactions, finding that six million Australians – one in every four – are only eating one serving of vegetables or less a day, and just 34 per cent of shoppers were making healthy shopping choices.

The report also revealed that shoppers are falling behind in other food groups areas, with grains, dairy, and meat all seeing a reduced amount of serves consumed per day by shoppers compared to the 2022 figures.

READ MORE: Relief for borrowers as RBA leaves interest rates on hold

"We found that Australians are not hitting the targets for the five core food groups when we compare them to Australian dietary guidelines," HealthyLife chief health officer Simone Austin said.

Australians are only buying half of the recommended amount of greens needed for a healthy diet, with only 2.6 of the five daily servings of vegetables being purchased by shoppers.

Experts say the cost of living crisis could be at fault for consumers moving away from fresh veggies.

"When times are tough, we tend to shift away from clean and healthy alternatives to processed food tends to be mass-produced and cheaper to purchase," Professor Gary Mortimer from QUT Business School said. 

As budgets tighten around the country, shoppers have even moved away from snack foods, with an 11 per cent decrease in purchases of sweets, sports drinks and other snacks.

READ MORE: Beauty company folds, tries to sell off Zoe Foster-Blake's brand

Experts are urging shoppers to eat more greens, especially now that prices of vegetables such as capsicums, cucumbers, beans, broccoli and cauliflower have all dropped significantly in price from last year's peak.

Despite the "concerning" figures around vegetable consumption, shoppers seem to be paying attention to their eating habits in a different way.

Over 182,000 Aussies have signed up to HealthyLife's free online food tracker tool, which helps shoppers distinguish how healthy their shopping carts are. 

The biggest health-conscious switch consumers made was swapping white bread out with wholemeal options.

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Sea World Helicopters have officially resumed joy flights, three months on from the fatal chopper crash on the Gold Coast.

The horror crash unfolded on January 2 when two helicopters collided near the Sea World theme park, killing pilot Ash Jenkinson, British newlyweds Diane and Ron Hughes, and Sydney woman Vanessa Tadros.

Multiple people were also injured, including Melbourne mother Winnie De Silva, her nine-year-old son Leon, and Tadros' 10-year-old son Nicholas.

READ MORE: Relief for borrowers as RBA leaves interest rates on hold

READ MORE: Queensland pilot killed in chopper crash farewelled in memorial

The company had been closed since the accident.

Tours, starting at $69, which take visitors over the Gold Coast and as far away as Moreton Island and Byron Bay, are now taking off again at the tourist hotspot.

The pilot of a helicopter coming into land did not see a second helicopter or hear a radio call before the tragic mid-air collision, a preliminary report found. 

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