US President Donald Trump is just fine, he said in a message to followers, as he returned to the White House from a day at his Virginia golf club last weekend.

"NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE," he wrote on Truth Social — a nod to the swirl of weekend speculation about his wellbeing.

That capitalised missive was followed by a steady stream of social media posts on Sunday evening and Monday morning — on everything from India tariffs, COVID-19 vaccines and crime — before he returned to Trump National Golf Club for the Labor Day public holiday.

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Trump made 26 public engagements last month — most recently, a three-plus-hour cabinet meeting last Tuesday where the president fielded questions on topics from Taylor Swift's engagement to global conflicts.

So it was certainly unusual when, for three weekdays at the end of August, Trump's public schedule went uncharacteristically dark.

There were no events on his schedule last Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and the president spent his Labor Day weekend in Washington also with no public appearances scheduled.

The conspicuous absence lit conspiratorial corners of the internet and group chats ablaze with questions.

But on Saturday, he emerged, spotted by pool reporters in a white polo, black pants, and signature red "Make America Great Again" hat on the way to his Virginia golf club.

Grandchildren Kai Trump and Spencer Trump were also along for the ride.

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He returned to his club on Sunday — posting an undated photo of himself seated in a golf cart during a matchup with former NFL coach and media personality Jon Gruden — and again on Monday.

The White House press office often boasts of Trump as the "most accessible" president in history, tweaking his predecessor as they highlight his significant engagements with the press.

As questions arose about the president's activities and whereabouts, a White House official said on Friday he was holding standard policy and staff meetings.

He also sat for an hour-long interview with the conservative publication Daily Caller.

"He's very much alive!" Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese said in a post to social media previewing her interview – a nod to intense conjecture amid the very online set.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the online rumour mill generated intrigue amid broader concerns from the public about presidential wellness.

Trump, at 79, will be the oldest US president in history at the end of his term.

And former president Joe Biden was wracked with inquiries about his fitness for office, eventually prompting his withdrawal from his reelection campaign.

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Images of Trump's bruised hand prompted some speculation last month, something the president's physician, Sean Barbabella, dismissed as "minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin".

The White House announced in July that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, after he was seen with swelling in his legs.

Trump, Barbabella said at the time, "remains in excellent health".

Australia's top-paying jobs have been revealed in a major analysis of the national market by Seek.

The job website's new Money Matters report looks into the changing Australian workplace, including employee attitudes to the office and the priorities of pay increases and work-life balance.

Seek also analysed data from its job advertisements to find out what the highest-paying gigs in the country are.

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Unsurprisingly, many are medical, with radiologists coming in first with an average annual salary of $236,147.

That was followed by psychiatrists ($235,233), GPs ($233,886), medical practitioners ($231,955), health staff specialists, ($224,382), legal firm partners ($221,781), physicians, ($218,537), construction project directors ($214,903), government and defence executive directors ($211,427), and mining/resources/energy maintenance managers ($209,754).

The Money Matters report found that only 36 per cent of Australian workers felt financially secure right now, and that an income of at least $100,000 was needed to live comfortably.

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However, a significant majority of 65 per cent of respondents said a good work-life balance was more important than a higher salary.

And the same proportion of respondents said they'd be willing to give up some flexibility in their job for a pay rise.

Seek career coach Leah Lambart said workers faced a complex balancing act.

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"We're seeing workers caught between two competing forces – the desire for genuine work-life balance, and the financial pressures that are intensifying in the current economic climate," she said.

"We can expect Australian workers to be increasingly considering the whole package of their work experience, not just simply their pay packet.

"This could look like negotiating a pay increase in exchange for more time working onsite, or getting a regular RDO in return for longer working hours across the month."

Top 10 highest paid jobs in Australia for 2025

1. Radiologist – $236,147

2. Psychiatrist – $235,233

3. General practitioner – $233,886

4. Medical practitioner – $231,955

5. Staff specialist (Health and medical) – $224,382

6. Partner (Legal) – $221,781

7. Physician – $218,537

8. Project director (Construction) – $214,903

9. Executive director (Government and defence) – $211,427

10. Maintenance manager (Mining, resourses, and energy) – $209,754.

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Plans for a multi-million dollar expansion of the Gold Coast's Dreamworld precinct could be fast-tracked by the Queensland government after plans stalled with the council.

The application, initially lodged in 2023, envisions the 30-hectare site divided into four distinct zones, encompassing a major tourism core with existing rides, a nature-based tourism area, a town centre precinct including residential homes, and a gateway precinct featuring a resort, restaurants and bars.

The state government today toured the theme park before indicating it may use its "call-in powers" to bypass Gold Coast City Council and directly manage the approval process.

READ MORE: Police believe accused cop killer is being 'harboured' by member of the public

According to Dreamworld chief executive Greg Yong, the lack of certainty has hindered progress.

"I can't talk to developers, I can't talk to partners about what we can do, because we have no certainty," Yong said, adding that the government's potential intervention "is a very strong step in the right direction".

"This is not a hotel for the Olympics, this is a hotel that will do really well for the Olympics but tremendously well for us for 50 years," Yong said.

The decision to consider using "call in powers" was influenced by a request from Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate.

"For Dreamworld to expand, it invests further in our city, I welcome (that) very much," Tate said.

Dreamworld now has 20 days to convince Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who is also planning minister, why he should "call in" the application.

 "If I, in 20 days, decide to call in this development then I'll take over the approval process," Bleijie said today.

A final decision regarding the intervention is anticipated by late September.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

Three Sydney men have been charged over an alleged plot to import more than half a tonne of cocaine through the city's ports.

Since April, a multi-agency strike force led by the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police has been investigating a criminal syndicate that was believed to have members working inside Sydney ports to help smuggle drugs into the country.

The strike force received intelligence that a group was allegedly planning to remove a drug stash from an imported shipping container at a sea freight facility in Sydney.

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The container had entered Australia carrying legitimate cargo, which had since been delivered.

A Hillsdale man, 38, who worked as a forklift driver, was allegedly seen moving shipping containers around the facility to access a particular container, at about 12.30 am on Sunday.

A short time later, police allege they saw another man with a bag enter that shipping container.

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Investigators arrested that man, a 25-year-old from Oyster Bay, and allegedly found his bag contained a crowbar, angle grinder, ear protection, portable lights and other tools.

Police allege the man was going to cut into a false wall at the rear of the container.

Investigators removed the false wall and found 506 blocks of white powder in a cavity covered in lead sheeting.

The contents tested positive for cocaine.

Police claimed the 506kg haul would have been worth more than $164 million on the street and could have filled more than 2.5 million street deals.

A short time later, the Hillsdale man returned to the container and was also arrested, police say.

READ MORE: Fears Dezi Freeman is getting help as search enters day eight

Both men were charged with multiple serious drug offences that could result in a life sentence if they are convicted.

A short time later, police carried out a search warrant at the Hillsdale man's home, and arrested a 42-year-old Caringbah man who was leaving the property.

Police allege the man was carrying $200,000 in cash that was suspected as being illicitly gained.

The man also worked as a forklift driver for a logistics company.

He was charged with dealing with the suspected proceeds of crime.

Police also searched the Oyster Bay man's house, where they allegedly seized a further $130,000 in cash.

In court yesterday, the Hillsdale and Oyster Bay men were refused bail and will return to court on October 29.

The Caringbah man was granted bail and will also return to court on October 29.

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A self-confessed neo-Nazi could face serious charges over a hate-filled speech at an anti-immigration demonstration in Sydney.

The March for Australia anti-immigration rally yesterday was railroaded by members of the neo-Nazi group White Australia.

Its leader – Jack Eltis, a father from the city's north-west – could potentially be investigated for spewing hate speech.

"Send them back, no debate, no discussion, we want to send them back to their land," he said.

Many in the crowd were unimpressed, booing the speakers.

At the end, the Nazi overtones were unmistakable as one speaker yelled "hail Australia".

Premier Chris Minns today called the march divisive.

"If you're going to a rally and the Nazis turn up, it's not one you should be at," he said.

Minns said he'd spoken to police and they were investigating the speeches made at the rally.

It's a criminal offence in NSW to intentionally and publicly incite racial hatred. The maximum penalty is two years in jail. 

The speeches of several White Australia members will be scrutinised.

After the rally, Eltis was clear about his ideology.

"All the men in our organisation are proud to be racist," he said.

Asked if they were Nazis, he said "yes, we're national socialists".

In Melbourne, vision has surfaced of another neo-Nazi group tearing into an Indigenous camp in the hours after the March for Australia rally there.

In Adelaide, police are searching for a man filmed yesterday during the protest holding a poster supporting accused cop killer Dezi Freeman.

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The skiing season is set to extend into September for the first time in three years as snow levels reached above two metres in parts of the Snowy Mountains.

Levels at Spencers Creek in NSW hit 220cm today, a large increase compared to last year, when levels sat at around 75cm at the start of September.

The location is roughly halfway between the Perisher and Thredbo snowfields, and indicates the ski season will continue until the start of next month.

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This is in stark contrast to the last two snow seasons, which peaked in early June and were all but over by September.

The increase in snow has been caused by cool conditions in the southern corner of Australia, where a frigid polar air mass sat over parts of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales last weekend.

It also caused high winds, with gusts of over 120km/h reported.

In Victoria, Mt Hotham reported snow levels up to 159cm, whilst Falls Creek said they were seeing an average depth of 143cm.

Some parts of Victoria even recorded blizzard conditions as the wind and snow combined to cause havoc on roads.

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The Queensland government is facing an uphill battle with union members who want to work less for the same pay.

Protests today came amid a warning the state's productivity was shockingly low and major projects were costing more and more amid attempts to ramp up construction for the Olympics.

Workers who help maintain critical infrastructure from the likes of QBuild, Queensland Health and Transport and Main Roads today marched on parliament demanding better conditions.

"The workers in these three state government industries are advocating across three state government sectors for a 36-hour working week," CFMEU organiser Mitchell Thurlow said.

But time is running out to build the homes, hospitals and stadiums needed by Brisbane 2032.

Acting Premier Jarrod Bleijie said there were some "sobering" remarks in the recently re-established Productivity Commission's latest report.

"For goodness' sake, we had the lowest productivity on work sites in the country," he said.

The report found productivity within the construction industry had dropped 9 per cent since 2018 and that the pipeline of works to be done has more than doubled in the past 4.5 years from $12 billion to $34.5 billion.

"If we are to deliver the infrastructure required for 2032 and beyond the legacy, we're going to need productivity on work sites," Bleijie said.

The commission is recommending permanently repealing the controversial best practice industry conditions laws, known as BPIC, and seeking more skilled workers from overseas to build the workforce.

But unions see this as a way of watering down hard-fought worker rights built over previous decades.

"In particular, [it would be] winding back Queensland's workplace health and safety laws, our labour hire licensing laws, and going towards importing migrant labour that will be at risk of further exploitation," Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Jacqueline King said.

Australian Workers' Union Queensland branch secretary Stacey Schinnerl said the move would "inevitably" lead to lower wages and worker exploitation.

Labor Opposition Leader Steven Miles agrees.

"That is the agenda, that is the secret hidden agenda of this Productivity Commission review," he said.

A friend of accused cop killer Dezi Freeman said the fugitive could potentially have a large network of supporters helping him stay hidden from cops.

Police today revealed they believe Freeman is being harboured by a member of the public after issuing a candid plea .

Bruce Evans, who says he is friends with Freeman, told 9News he doesn't believe it will "end well" for Freeman as the manhunt nears the end of its seventh day.

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Despite Freeman's well-documented dislike for cops, Evans said he never believed it would come to this.

"[I was] pretty shocked when I saw it," Evans said.

"I just didn't expect a shooting, I didn't expect a shoot out like that."

The suspected gunman is accused of killing two Victoria Police officers Neal Thompson, 59, and Vadim De Waart, 35, after police attended his property in Porepunkah to execute a warrant on August 27.

After pleading directly with Freeman to surrender, Superintendent Brett Kahan today widened the net and asked anyone who knows where he is to come forward.

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"I am going to change tack a little bit, and read into this what you will," Kahan told media.

"I extend that invitation to anyone who is harbouring, considering harbouring or knows something about the people who are harbouring [Freeman].

"You are committing an extremely serious crime by harbouring or assisting in the escape of Dezi Freeman."

Kahan said he believes people know Freeman's whereabouts.

Police do not know if it is one person or multiple people potentially concealing Freeman's location.

"People know the whereabouts of the person who has killed two cops," he added.

"We are absolutely hunting for a fugitive and we will continue to do so."

A mobile police facility has been set up in Bright, around 5km from Porepunkah, to gather information from the public.

Kahan confirmed police are still operating under the assumption Freeman is alive.

He said specialist resources have scoured "every neck of the woods".

"There's certain areas in and around that dense forestland, which we know has previously been populated by the fugitive," he said.

Kahan also wouldn't confirm if Freeman's wife Mali is cooperating with police, despite her plea for Freeman to surrender yesterday.

Manhunt enters seventh day

Police are still yet to close in on accused gunman Freeman as the manhunt for the alleged cop killer enters its seventh day.

Bulletproof Bearcat armoured police vehicles were seen entering Mount Buffalo National Park overnight.

Freeman has not been seen since two police officers were killed and a third was wounded in a shooting ambush at his Porepunkah property on August 26.

The so-called "sovereign citizen" is alleged to have opened fire on a group of 10 police as they attempted to execute a search warrant related to alleged historic child sex offences.

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Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart were killed and a third officer seriously wounded.

Police have said Freeman remains armed with multiple guns and is skilled in bushcraft.

Yesterday, the fugitive's wife, Amalia Freeman, issued a statement through her lawyer calling on Dezi Freeman – also known as Desmond Filby – to hand himself in.

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"I lend my full support to Victoria Police in their search for my husband and will co-operate with Victoria Police in any way that I can," she said.

"Please Dezi, if you see or hear this, call 000 and arrange a surrender plan with the police.

"If anyone is harbouring, helping or supporting Dezi, please call 000 immediate and speak with the police."

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Amalia Freeman said she felt "deep sorrow" over the deaths of Thompson and De Waart and that neither she nor her children held anti-authority views.

A former outlaw bikie in the area, Stephen Mallett, was charged with weapons and drug offences on Friday but denied having ever met Freeman.

They are both understood to be members of a doomsday survival prep group.

Meanwhile, Freeman's nephew, Luke, described Mount Buffalo as Freeman's "holy place".

"He's always told me if he wanted to be dead and buried somewhere, it's going to be on Mount Buffalo," he said.

Thompson and De Waart will both be farewelled with full police honours in private funeral ceremonies at the Victoria Police Academy in the coming days.

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Police are investigating after a trio of thieves were caught on CCTV trying to steal a car with a family inside, including a toddler, in Melbourne's south-east.

A man was parked in his driveway off Nicholas Street in Ashburton when a stolen Mercedes Benz parked behind him yesterday evening, police said.

Three hooded unknown men dressed in dark clothing then exited the car and unsuccessfully tried to open the 38-year-old father's car door.

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The man then reversed his car, hitting the Mercedes Benz, before the trio fled the scene.

Car owner Chris was inside at the time along with his 38-year-old wife and a two-year-old child.

"They were banging on my window, at my window, they could see my child in the back yet they were still trying to take the car," Chris told 9News.

"I reversed out and they blocked the road and I went straight at them."

He crashed his car into the Mercedes Benz to get away.

Nobody was physically injured in the incident, but the family was left terrified.

"It doesn't feel safe now," Chris added.

"I have literally just had the locksmith leave, checking all our locks."

Police are now investigating and anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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The chartered accountant took exception to the victim pouring his drink on him.