Received

Former US president Donald Trump says FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate and broke into his safe in what his son acknowledges is part of an investigation into Trump's removal of official presidential records from the White House to his Florida resort.

The unprecedented search of a former president's home would mark a significant escalation into the records investigation, which is one of several probes Trump is facing from his time in office and in private business.

The US Justice Department declined to comment on the search, which Trump in a statement said involved a "large group of FBI agents".

The FBI's headquarters in Washington and its field office in Miami both declined comment.

Eric Trump, one of the former president's adult children, told Fox News the search concerned boxes of documents that Trump brought with him from the White House, and that his father has been co-operating with the National Archives on the matter for months.

A source familiar with the matter also confirmed to Reuters the raid appeared to be tied to Trump's removal of classified records from the White House.

Trump said the estate "is currently under siege, raided, and occupied". He did not say why the raid took place.

"After working and co-operating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate," Trump said, adding: "They even broke into my safe!"

Trump was not present at the time as he was in New York on Monday, Fox News Digital reported, publishing a photo of Trump that a Fox reporter said showed him leaving Trump Tower.

Trump, who has made his club in Palm Beach his home since leaving the White House in January 2021, has generally spent summers at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, because Mar-a-Lago typically closes for the summer.

A federal law called the US Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president's official duties.

Any search of a private residence would have to be approved by a judge, after the investigating law-enforcement agency demonstrated probable cause that a search was justified.

It almost certainly would also be approved by FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and his boss, Attorney-General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by Trump's successor and political rival, President Joe Biden.

Democratic supporters of Biden have criticised Garland for being overly cautious in investigating Trump over his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.

But Trump supporters in turn have accused the Democrats of weaponising the federal bureaucracy to target Trump, even as Biden has taken steps to distance himself from the Justice Department.

Republicans including national committee chair Ronna McDaniel, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis denounced the search on Monday.

McCarthy tweeted that the Justice Department "has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization" and if Republicans won control of the US House, they would investigate the department.

In February, Archivist David Ferriero told US House lawmakers that the National Archives and Records Administration had been in communication with Trump throughout 2021 about the return of 15 boxes of records. He eventually returned them in January 2022.

Trump previously confirmed that he had agreed to return certain records to the archives, calling it "an ordinary and routine process". He also claimed the archives "did not 'find' anything".

Trump is under investigation on a number of other fronts, including a congressional probe into the January 6, 2021, assault by Trump supporters on the US Capitol and accusations that Trump tried to influence Georgia's 2020 election results.

In addition, the US Attorney in Washington, DC, is probing a scheme by Trump's allies to submit slates of fake electors in a failed bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Reuters with AP

© AP 2022

John Travolta has led tributes to his Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John and her "incredible impact" following news of her death.

The Australian entertainer died peacefully at her ranch in southern California on Monday morning at the age of 73, with her husband confirming her death on social media.

She is best known for her starring role as Sandy in the 1978 film Grease, in which she appeared opposite Travolta, who played Danny Zuko.

Writing on Instagram, Travolta said her "impact was incredible" and signed off his tribute to the actress as "your Danny".

"My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better," he wrote.

"Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.

"Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!"

The worlds of television, film and music took to social media to share memories and send condolences to her family.

Dionne Warwick, who recorded a duet with Newton-John in 2006, tweeted: "Another angelic voice has been added to the Heavenly Choir.

"Not only was Olivia a dear friend, but one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of recording and performing with. I will most definitely miss her.

"She now Rests in the Arms of the Heavenly Father."

US singer Richard Marx, who also duetted with Dame Olivia, said he would "miss her every day".

"My heart is broken. Rest now, sweet friend," he wrote on Twitter.

"You were as kind and loving a person as there's ever been. I'll miss you every day."

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin recalled starring alongside Dame Olivia in the 1996 film It's My Party, one of the first films to address the topic of Aids patients dying with dignity.

She said on Twitter: "I am SO saddened at the news of the passing of Olivia Newton John.

"I remember being so star struck when I met her at my first Hollywood gathering for Paramount.

"She was the sweetest and brightest light and I loved getting to know her on It's My Party. RIP dear, sweet Olivia."

British actor Sanjeev Bhaskar recalled the actress' kindness during a brief encounter many years prior.

"Ah so sad. I met Olivia Newton John once many years ago. In that 5 min chat I felt like I'd been blessed," he said.

"She didn't know me from a pumpkin but was so warm, interested and charming. I was hopelessly devoted to her all over again."

Singer Nancy Sinatra said although she had not known Newton-John personally, she had admired her for "the way she faced her health battles".

"Beautiful & strong, she fought to the end," she wrote.

American filmmaker and actor James Gunn called her his "first real crush" and revealed he previously bought her home in Malibu.

"Really sad to hear about the passing of Olivia Newton-John," he tweeted.

"My first real crush as a kid.

"I loved Grease & her music & I coincidentally also bought & lived in for a while the wonderful home she built in Malibu. May she Rest In Peace."

Filmmaker Edgar Wright, whose credits include Last Night in Soho and Baby Driver, added: "Olivia Newton John so completely dominated the charts and Top Of The Pops when I was a kid, it felt like she was pop music.

"And yes, Xanadu is still a stone cold classic song. RIP."

Kiss co-founder and frontman Paul Stanley said in a brief tribute: "So very sad. She was everyone's sweetheart."

© PAA 2022

Olivia Newton-John has died at the age of 73, her widower has confirmed.

The Australian entertainer died peacefully at her ranch in southern California on Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends.

Newton-John is best known for her starring role in the 1978 film Grease, in which she starred as Sandy opposite John Travolta's Danny Zuko.

Her performance saw her nominated for multiple awards including two Golden Globes, and various other film accolades.

She was honoured with the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame almost 41 years ago to the day of her death, on August 5, 1981.

Writing on Instagram, Travolta said her "impact was incredible" and signed off his tribute as "your Danny".

"My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better," he wrote.

"Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.

"Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!"

The soundtrack to Grease is one of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music and features the two hit duets from Newton-John and Travolta: Summer Nights and You're The One That I Want.

The latter also ranks as one of the best-selling singles ever.

Aside from her hit role in the film, Newton-John was also a multi-platinum selling artist, with two singles and two albums having earned the certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The British-born and Melbourne-raised star also represented the UK in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Long Live Love.

She finished fourth in the competition losing out to ABBA, with their hit song Waterloo.

In a statement posted to Instagram, her husband John Easterling wrote: "We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time."

Aside from her showbusiness career, Newton-John became a prominent breast cancer campaigner after being given the first of three cancer diagnoses in 1992.

Following her initial battle with the disease, she had a partial mastectomy and reconstruction.

She remained cancer-free until a recurrence in 2013, but revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer for the third time in three decades in September 2018.

At the time, she told Australian news program Sunday Night that doctors had found a tumour in her lower in 2017.

The singer said she was treating the illness "naturally" and was using cannabis oil made from marijuana her husband grows in California to alleviate the pain.

"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," Easterling said in his Instagram post.

"Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer."

Easterling said in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Newton-John's foundation.

She is survived by her husband, daughter Chloe Lattanzi, sister Sarah Newton-John, brother Toby Newton-John; and several nieces and nephews.

© RAW 2022