Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have reportedly paid a secret visit to Queen Elizabeth on a flying trip to the UK.

A spokesman for the Sussexes confirmed to ABC News the meeting had taken place, though Buckingham Palace has not.

It's believed the Sussexes arrived in the UK earlier this week, and may have also met with Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla.

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Harry and Meghan, who sensationally stepped down from royal duties in January 2020, are set to travel to the Netherlands this weekend for the start of the Invictus Games.

Harry is currently seeking a judicial review into a Home Office decision to not allow him to pay for police protection while on British soil.

This legal battle stopped Harry from visiting the UK Prince Philip's memorial service on March 29.

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A former spokesperson for the Queen, Dickie Arbiter, said the meeting may represent an "olive branch".

"It does beg the question, though, that Harry dropped in because he's on his way to Holland for the Invictus Games," Mr Arbiter told Today.

"If he wasn't on the way to Holland for the Invictus Games, would he have made the visit? We don't know."

Mr Arbiter also said there would be a long way to go before the Sussexes were welcomed back into the royal fold.

"We cannot forget that interview that they did with Oprah Winfrey where, quite frankly, both of them rubbished the Royal Family, rubbished the Queen, rubbished the Prince of Wales," he said.

"And that really did hurt them deeply."

A serious crash near Hastings on Thursday night has been followed by another serious crash on State Highway 5 Friday morning.A police spokesperson said the crash on SH5 outside Tarawera Cafe occurred about 9.30am.The spokesperson…

Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 341 people in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, and more rainstorms are forecast in the coming days.

The death toll is expected to rise as scores of people, including whole families, are missing, officials said on Thursday.

The persistent rains have wreaked havoc in the province, destroying homes, collapsing buildings and washing away major roads.

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The damage to Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area is estimated at $52 million, eThekwini Mayor Mxolosi Kaunda said Thursday.

At least 120 schools have been flooded, causing damage estimated at more than $26 million and bringing officials to temporarily close all schools in the province.

At least 18 students and one teacher from various schools have died in the floods, Education Minister Angie Motshekga said.

“This is a catastrophe and the damage is unprecedented. What is even more worrying is that more rain is expected in the same areas that are already affected,” Ms Motshekga said in a statement issued Thursday.

Police used stun grenades to disperse residents in the Reservoir Hills areas of Durban who were protesting what they said was the lack of official assistance, according to South African media reports.

The South African National Defence Force has deployed troops to assist with rescue and mop-up operations.

The floods have knocked out water and electricity to large parts of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area and it will take at least a week to restore those services, according to officials.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa is convening an emergency cabinet meeting to declare the floods a national disaster so that funds can be released to help repair the damage. He visited several areas hit by the floods and mudslides on Wednesday.

Fourteen crocodiles that were swept away from a farm in the Tongaat area north of Durban have been recaptured, according to wildlife officials.

Sydney and Melbourne airports were heaving with travellers even before the first flights of the morning, as the Easter long weekend begins.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to take flight today, with one million Australians forecast to get on a plane at some point during the holidays.

At Sydney Airport, there were already lengthy delays before the first flight of the day at 6am, with cabs queueing up outside the departure terminals.

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About 80,000 people are expected through the airport today, with 350,000 over the weekend.

Security contractors have warned the problem could even extend beyond Easter, as they struggle to build their numbers up to pre-pandemic levels.

Security staff have been offered $1000 incentives to work all 14 days of the holidays – a move criticised by the union.

In Melbourne, three cancelled Qantas flights this morning due to crew shortages have led to a buildup of passengers for that terminal, but early this morning things were calmer – if still busy – for Virgin and Jetstar.

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A shortage of baggage handlers means it's not just departing travellers being delayed, with arrivals waiting an hour or more to retrieve their luggage.

Yesterday, a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane took off with no passenger luggage loaded. Performer Rhonda Burchmore was among those on board.

"I've got only what I'm wearing now. I've got medication in that suitcase," she said.

"My suitcases had all my costumes, my whole show in those suitcases."

Qantas said it would work to deliver that baggage to the passengers today.

In Queensland, meanwhile, thousands are hitting the road for the holidays, prompting a warning from police.

They are urging people to be patient and drive safely to their destination, after bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving Brisbane yesterday.

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A warning has been issued about a canned espresso martini drink sold around the country, with the packaging indicating the drinks are less alcoholic than they actually are.

The Kahlua Espresso Martini drinks are being recalled by the producer, Pernod Ricard Winemakers, over fears they may cause "intoxication and/or subsequent injury/illness if consumed".

The cans have been available at Dan Murphy's and BWS bottle shops in NSW, Victoria, ACT, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia, and at IGA supermarkets NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, and hotels in NSW and Victoria.

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Drinks marked with "Lot Code 1277" have been incorrectly labelled as having an ABV (alcohol by volume) content of 4.5 per cent.

The labelling on the four-pack cardboard wrap correctly states the ABV is seven per cent.

Anyone who bought the incorrectly labelled drinks is advised to not drink them and to instead return them for a full refund.

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

Two women working in a Queensland grocery store have defended themselves against an armed robber by throwing a carton of custard at the thief.

The masked man had entered the store in Redcliffe, south-east Queensland, armed with a large knife, before threatening the two employees, aged 41 and 59, at around 7.30 pm last night.

CCTV captured the incident, as the man headed straight for the store's cash register.

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One of the women was seen throwing a large carton of the custard at the man to deter him, hitting him on the head.

The man, covered in the sticky dessert, then fled the scene.

Both women were unharmed and nothing was stolen from the store.

Police are appealing to members of the public to help identify the man.

He is described as having a stocky build and around 180cm tall, with a Pacific Island or New Zealand accent.