Two men have been found guilty of the infamous aggravated robbery of the Red Fox Tavern and murder of its owner, Christopher Bush, ending a 33-year-old mystery. A man with name suppression and Mark Joseph Hoggart have been on trial…

People in parts of Christchurch are being told to stay inside after a large industrial fire broke out at a local pizza factory early this morning. Authorities confirmed the single-storey building is the Romano’s pizza factory in…

A psychologist who provided an “unprofessional” expert opinion implying a man had sexually abused or would abuse his daughter caused the man “mental torment and anguish”, a tribunal has heard.She gave the opinion to the family court…

Human remains found on Mt Aspiring are thought to have been on the mountain for more than 40 years.The remains, which date back to 1976, were found by trampers on the “toe end” of Bonar glacier on March 19.The trampers contacted…

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Salvage teams have freed a colossal container ship stuck for nearly a week in the Suez Canal, ending a crisis that had clogged one of the world's most vital waterways and halted billions of dollars a day in maritime commerce.

Helped by the high tide, a flotilla of tugboats wrenched the bulbous bow of the skyscraper-sized Ever Given from the canal's sandy bank, where it had been firmly lodged since March 23.

The tugs blared their horns in jubilation as they guided the Ever Given through the water after days of futility that had captivated the world, drawing scrutiny and social media mockery.

READ MORE: Slave labour to violent conflict – the troubled history of the Suez Canal

The giant vessel headed toward the Great Bitter Lake, a wide stretch of water halfway between the north and south ends of the canal, where it will be inspected, said Evergreen Marine Corp., a major Taiwan-based shipping company that operates the ship.

"We pulled it off!" said Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given, in a statement.

"I am excited to announce that our team of experts, working in close collaboration with the Suez Canal Authority, successfully refloated the Ever Given … thereby making free passage through the Suez Canal possible again."

Buffeted by a sandstorm, the Ever Given had crashed into a bank of a single-lane stretch of the canal, about 6km north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez. That created a massive traffic jam that held up $9 billion a day in global trade and strained supply chains already burdened by the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 367 vessels, carrying everything from crude oil to cattle, are backed up as they wait to traverse the canal. Dozens of others have taken the long, alternate route around the Cape of Good Hope at Africa's southern tip — a 5000km detour that costs ships hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel and other costs.

Egypt, which considers the canal a source of national pride and crucial revenue, already has lost over $95 million in tolls, according to the data firm Refinitiv. Even as salvage work continued, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who for days was silent about the crisis, praised Monday's events.

"Egyptians have succeeded in ending the crisis," he wrote on Facebook, "despite the massive technical complexity."

In the village of Amer, which overlooks the canal, residents cheered as the vessel moved along. Many scrambled to get a closer look while others mockingly waved goodbye to the departing ship from their fields of clover

"Mission accomplished," one villager Abdalla Ramadan said. "The whole world is relieved."

The US Embassy in Cairo tweeted its congratulations to Egypt.

While the canal is now unblocked, it is unclear when traffic would return to normal. Analysts expect it could take at least another 10 days to clear the backlog on either end.

The breakthrough came after days of immense effort with an elite salvage team from the Netherlands. Tugboats pushed and pulled to budge the the behemoth from the shore, their work buoyed by high tide at dawn Monday that resulted in the vessel's partial refloating. Specialised dredgers dug out the stern and vacuumed sand and mud from beneath the bow.

The operation was extremely delicate. While the Ever Given was stuck, the rising and falling tides put stress on the vessel, which is 400 metres long, raising concerns it could crack or break.

Once the Ever Given is inspected in Great Bitter Lake, officials will decide whether the Panama-flagged, Japanese-owned ship hauling goods from Asia to Europe would continue to its original destination of Rotterdam, or if it would need to enter another port for repairs.

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The crisis cast a spotlight on the vital trade route that carries over 10 per cent of global trade, including 7 per cent of the world's oil. Over 19,000 ships ferrying Chinese-made consumer goods and millions of barrels of oil and liquified natural gas flow through the artery from the Middle East and Asia to Europe and North America.

The unprecedented shutdown, which raised fears of extended delays, goods shortages and rising costs for consumers, has prompted new questions about the shipping industry, an on-demand supplier for a world now under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.

"We've gone to this fragile, just-in-time shipping that we saw absolutely break down in the beginning of COVID," said Capt. John Konrad, the founder and CEO of the shipping news website gcaptain.com. "We used to have big, fat warehouses in all the countries where the factories pulled supplies. … Now these floating ships are the warehouse."

International trade expert Jeffrey Bergstrand predicted "only a minor and transitory effect" on prices of US imports.

"Since most of the imports blocked over the last week are heading to Europe, US consumers will likely see little effect on prices of US imports, except to the extent that intermediate products of US final goods are made in Europe," said Bergstrand, professor of finance at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.

The former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd went on trial Monday, with a prosecutor telling the jury that the figure to remember is 9 minutes, 29 seconds — the amount of time Derek Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck as the Black man pleaded for his life and went limp.

Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell told jurors that Chauvin "didn't let up, he didn't get up" even after Floyd said 27 times that he couldn't breathe and went motionless.

"He put his knees upon his neck and his back, grinding and crushing him, until the very breath — no ladies and gentlemen — until the very life was squeezed out of him," Blackwell said.

READ MORE: George Floyd's family hold prayer service on eve of murder trial

He said bystander witnesses would include a Minneapolis Fire Department first responder who wanted to administer aid. He said Chauvin pointed Mace at her.

"She wanted to check on his pulse, check on Mr. Floyd's well-being," Blackwell said.

"She did her best to intervene. When she approached Mr Chauvin …. Mr Chauvin reached for his Mace and pointed it in her direction. She couldn't help."

Widely seen bystander video of the encounter sparked outrage across the US and led to widespread protests and scattered violence.

A jury of 14 people will hear the case — eight who are white and six who are Black or multiracial, according to the court. Two of the 14 will be alternates. The judge has not said which ones will be alternates and which ones will deliberate the case.

Legal experts said they expected prosecutors to play the video to the jury early on.

"If you're a prosecutor you want to start off strong. You want to frame the argument — and nothing frames the argument in this case as much as that video," said Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor and managing director of Berkeley Research Group in Chicago.

Floyd, 46, was declared dead after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd's neck as he lay handcuffed on his belly on the pavement, crying "I can't breathe."

Chauvin, 45, is charged with unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Almost all of the jurors selected during more than two weeks of questioning said they had seen at least parts of the video, and several acknowledged it gave them at least a somewhat negative view of Chauvin. But they said they could set that aside.

About dozen people chanted and carried signs in the middle of the street outside the courthouse entrance as Floyd family attorney Ben Crump, the Rev. Al Sharpton and members of the Floyd family passed by on their way inside. The group also carried a makeshift coffin, on top of which they placed flowers.

Crump said the trial would be a test of "whether America is going to live up to the Declaration of Independence." And he blasted the idea that it would be a tough test for jurors.

"For all those people that continue to say that this is such a difficult trial, that this is a hard trial, we refute that," he said. "We know that if George Floyd was a white American citizen, and he suffered this painful, tortuous death with a police officer's knee on his neck, nobody, nobody, would be saying this is a hard case."

The trial is expected to last about four weeks at the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, which has been fortified with concrete barriers, fencing, and barbed and razor wire. City and state leaders are determined to prevent a repeat of damaging riots that followed Floyd's death, and National Guard troops have already been mobilised.

The key questions at trial will be whether Chauvin caused Floyd's death and whether his actions were reasonable.

For the unintentional second-degree murder charge, prosecutors have to prove Chauvin's conduct was a "substantial causal factor" in Floyd's death, and that Chauvin was committing felony assault at the time. For third-degree murder, they must prove that Chauvin's actions caused Floyd's death, and were reckless and without regard for human life.

The manslaughter charge requires proof that Chauvin caused Floyd's death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk.

Unintentional second-degree murder is punishable by up to 40 years in prison in Minnesota, with up to 25 years for third-degree murder, but sentencing guidelines suggest that Chauvin would face 12 1/2 years in prison if convicted on either charge. Manslaughter has a maximum 10-year sentence.

Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, was expected to use his opening statement to tell jurors that medical testimony and use of force experts will show a different view. Nelson has made clear that the defence will make an issue of Floyd swallowing drugs before his arrest, seeking to convince the jury that he was at least partially responsible for his death.

The county medical examiner's autopsy noted fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd's system, but listed his cause of death as "cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression."

"This case to us is a slam dunk, because we know the video is the proof, it's all you need," Floyd's brother Philonise said Monday on NBC's "Today" show. "The guy was kneeling on my brother's neck … a guy who was sworn in to protect. He killed my brother in broad daylight. That was a modern-day lynching."

A graphic novel for children from the wildly popular "Captain Underpants" series is being pulled from library and book store shelves after its publisher said it "perpetuates passive racism."

The book under scrutiny is 2010's "The Adventures of Ook and Gluk" by Dav Pilkey, who has apologised, saying it "contains harmful racial stereotypes" and is "wrong and harmful to my Asian readers."

The book follows about a pair of friends who travel from 500,001 BC to 2222, where they meet a martial arts instructor who teaches them kung fu and they learn principles found in Chinese philosophy.

READ MORE: Six Dr Seuss books nixed over racist and insensitive imagery

Scholastic said it had removed the book from its websites, stopped processing orders for it and sought a return of all inventory. "We will take steps to inform schools and libraries who may still have this title in circulation of our decision to withdraw it from publication," the publisher said in a statement.

Pilkey in a YouTube statement said he planned to donate his advance and all royalties from the book's sales to groups dedicated to stopping violence against Asians and to promoting diversity in children's books and publishing.

"I hope that you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistake that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism are harmful to everyone," he wrote.

"I apologise, and I pledge to do better."

The decision comes amid a wave of high-profile and sometimes deadly violence against Asian Americans since the pandemic began.

Earlier this month, the estate of Dr. Seuss said six of his books would no longer be published because they contained depictions of groups that were "hurtful and wrong," including Asian Americans. The move drew immediate reaction on social media from those who called it another example of "cancel culture".

Western Australia has blocked all Queenslanders from entering the state, one of the multiple travel bans enacted around Australia to clamp down on the new COVID-19 cluster.

States and territories across Australia are increasing border restrictions for Queensland after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared Greater Brisbane a hotspot and encouraged her counterparts to do the same.

A three-day snap lockdown will be enforced from 5pm AEST.

Here's how each jurisdiction is managing borders.

Victoria

In Victoria, the entire Greater Brisbane area has been designated a "red zone" under the state's travel permit system.

This means from 6pm AEDT today, returning Victorian residents will need to apply for a red-zone permit – and if approved – will need to return straight home and self-quarantine for 14 days.

The Greater Brisbane area includes the City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay Region and Redlands City.

READ MORE: Chaos at airport as borders snap shut ahead of Easter long weekend

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Western Australia

Western Australia has strengthened its border restrictions to Queenslanders, reclassifying the entire state as "medium risk".

From 12:01am (AWST) tomorrow (March 30), WA will initiate a hard border closure with Queensland.

This means only travellers with valid exemptions will be able to travel from Queensland into Western Australia.

Any travellers from Queensland who arrived on March 27 or later are required to self-quarantine and be present for COVID-19 tests.

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South Australia

South Australia will impose hard border with Greater Brisbane from 4pm (AECT) today.

Anyone who arrives prior to this time will need to get tested on arrival and isolate until negative result is returned.

They will also be required to be tested on day 5 and day 12 as an additional precaution.

Any travellers who have arrived from Greater Brisbane since March 20 are now banned from entering venues where more than 1000 people are gathered including AFL games.

https://twitter.com/ollie_haig/status/1376364515567181829https://twitter.com/ollie_haig/status/1376356778028363780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tasmania

The Tasmanian Government has declared five local government areas in Queensland as high risk, effective immediately.

Anyone travelling to the state from Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands will not be permitted to enter without quarantining for two weeks.

READ MORE: Brisbane lockdown after four new coronavirus cases

New South Wales

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the state will not shut its borders to Queensland over Easter but has urged people to "reconsider" their travel plans.

"We are in a cautious position," she said, asking anyone with plans to visit Greater Brisbane or broader Queensland to cancel their holiday and stay in NSW over the long weekend.

Ms Berejiklian also told people to take "extra caution" over the coming days and weeks as the state monitors the "evolving situation" in Brisbane.

Coronavirus alerts have been issued for two popular Byron Bay venues after two of the Queenslanders infected with the highly-contagious UK strain visited there.

READ MORE: Byron Bay coronavirus alerts

NSW Health authorities have contacted more than 1400 people who visited either the Beach Hotel on March 26 or The Farm on March 28.

Dr Kerry Chant, the state's Chief Health Officer said the window of exposure at both venues would likely be narrowed over the next 48 hours.

However, she said anyone contacted must follow health advice and isolate for two weekend regardless of a negative test result.

An infected Brisbane nurse from The Royal Alexandra Hospital and her sister- who also has the virus – visited the NSW resort town from March 26 to 28.

NSW Health has issued an alert asking anyone who went to the venues they visited to self-isolate and go for a test immediately.

ACT

The ACT government has issued a travel alert for Greater Brisbane.

Anyone who has visited the City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay Council regions from 11 March 2021 now needs to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Northern Territory has declared several regions in Greater Brisbane COVID-19 hotspots, demanding that all travellers from those areas go into mandatory supervised quarantine.

Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Moreton, Brisbane and a newly added Toowoomba council areas will be declared hotspots in the Territory from 4.30pm today.

While there are no official reports of COVID exposure sites in the Toowoomba region, the area has been marked following the NT's Chief Minister developing symptoms after being around people from the area. 

Making the announcement this afternoon, Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison said Mr Gunner had developed symptoms after he met with family who had travelled from Toowoomba. 

The Queensland Government has yet to declare Toowoomba a COVID-19 hotspot and at 5:30pm Monday afternoon Queensland Health were "not aware of any community transmission (at) … Toowoomba."

"I'm going to be very upfront that he's had family abroad from Toowoomba over the weekend," Ms Manison said this afternoon. 

"The Chief Minister has had some cold symptoms so he's doing the right thing and making sure that he self isolates and gets tested," she added. 

"Clearly his family members that have come over from Toowoomba, following the declarations we've made today, they will need to isolate and get tested too."

A "state actor" is a likely culprit behind a crippling cyber attack on the Nine Network, a technology security expert has said.

The Nine Network is at the centre of the largest cyber attack on a media company in Australia's history, which has brought network's news production systems around the country to a grinding halt for more than 24 hours.

Fergus Hanson, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Today that the fact ransomware was used but no ransom demanded pointed to a government behind the incident.

"If you did get asked to pay a ransom, it might be a ransomware attack, in which case you would be looking at a cyber criminal … If you didn't get asked to pay a ransom, you may be looking at other actors, including state actors," Mr Hanson said.

"If you do actually get a call to hand over $1 million to free up your systems, then you would be looking more at a cyber criminal activity but you have to get a bit more detail to be clearer about which type of attack you've got."

He also said reports parts of Federal Parliament was under cyber attack also suggested a state-based source.

Mr Hanson said Nine's reporting of authoritarian governments around the world could have triggered the cyber attack.

The network is airing an investigation tonight about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the use of poison against overseas dissidents.

"That would be absolutely something you would be looking into. I think that type of reporting that rubs authoritarian leaders the wrong way can certainly motivate this type of attack."

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg refused to be drawn on who could be behind such an attack, but said the threat is 'very real'.

Television and digital production systems have been offline since the early hours of yesterday morning. This site, 9news.com.au, has also been affected.

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