Top story: China confirms visit by reclusive neighbour

China has confirmed an “unofficial” visit to Beijing by Kim Jong-un – as unofficial, at least, as it can be called when you arrive in a heavily armoured train built for the purpose. Kim was pictured meeting President Xi Jinping in the first known trip abroad by the North Korean ruler since he took power in 2011.

North Korea is under severe sanctions because of its nuclear programme and China remains its only major ally and chief provider of energy, aid and trade. Xi summoned Kim to to Beijing ahead of planned talks between Kim, the South Korean president and Donald Trump.

The thaw of relations with the South and the US has been interpreted as the North being desperate to break out of isolation and improve its economy. Beijing had looked like it was being sidelined by Pyongyang’s approaches to Seoul and Washington, but Kim’s visit puts China firmly back at the table, experts say.

‘Absolutely astonishing’ – Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to testify before the US Congress but refused to front the House of Commons about the Cambridge Analytica (CA) data harvesting scandal. Damian Collins, chair of the Commons committee investigating fake news, condemned the Facebook founder’s snub: “I would certainly urge him to think again if he has any care for people that use his company’s services.” The CA whistleblower Christopher Wylie has told the committee that Vote Leave had a “common plan” with supposedly independent pro-Brexit groups to cheat the rules during the campaign.

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It is alleged that Vote Leave broke the law by donating £625,000 to BeLeave, which spent the money on Aggregate IQ, a Canadian firm linked to CA. Vote Leave officially spent £6.77m, just below the £7m limit, but if BeLeave’s spending was taken into account it would breach that limit. Gina Miller says the apparent corruption of democratic process strengthens the argument for a vote on the final Brexit deal, including an option to remain.

‘Terrified of him just looking at me’ – Universities are failing to effectively tackle sexual misconduct, a Guardian investigation has found, with many not carrying out recommended reforms to support and protect victims. Universities UK published recommendations in October 2016 on tackling sexual misconduct, ranging from verbal harassment to rape, but major discrepancies remain in the ways universities have responded including their recording and handling of complaints, according to our freedom of information investigation. One undergraduate student has told how a lecturer she worked for sent her a vulgar message via social media that left her “distraught” and desperate for help. “I went straight to the student advice and wellbeing service … they advised me to drop it because if I took it further he would probably get fired and I would lose my job.”

Quick catch-up: It’s time again for some midweek snippets from around the Guardian stable.

> The girlfriend of the France supermarket killer is being held for terrorist conspiracy. Like 25-year-old gunman Radouane Lakdim, who murdered four people before being killed, she was on a watchlist of potential extremists, say authorities.

> The R&B singer R Kelly has been accused of grooming a girl as a sex “pet” from the age of 14. These latest allegations of sexual abuse of young women are made by former girlfriend Kitti Jones and will be aired on BBC3 today.

> Beware – your toaster and might be spying on you along with other “internet of things” things. Our technology desk offers 18 tips for surviving the surveillance age.

> These six of the best egg brunch recipes look luscious – though the Briefing is not convinced anyone ever said “I’ll just quickly knock out some green baked eggs with broccoli, edamame, chard, miso verde and soy” at 11am on a lazy Sunday.

> Looking for family day trips for Easter – and beyond? Here’s our pick of 25 places to visit, from new attractions to springtime gardens, adventure trails and, of course, egg hunts.



Crushing blow against pollution – England is to catch up on other countries by introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) for empty drink containers. People who return plastic, glass or metal containers will receive a small cash sum. The scheme is subject to a consultation this year. It is not yet clear whether all retailers of single-use drinks will be required to participate, and Greenpeace warned: “The government must be careful to avoid a voluntary scheme that only applies to some retailers.” The Campaign to Protect Rural England said: “What’s significant is that producers will now pay the full costs of their packaging, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and setting a strong precedent for other schemes where the polluter pays.”

Lunchtime read: How Brexit tainted novichok response

The Salisbury outrage has united European countries behind Britain. What a time, then, to be leaving the EU. Foreign affairs commentator Natalie Nougayrède digs into how, at a decisive moment, what might have looked like a seamless display of resolve against Russia was made more fraught by Brexit.

“Though British intelligence briefings made available to European partners had an undeniable impact, diplomats were struck that Britain initially refrained from reaching out to the EU as a whole.” Moscow, she argues, “targeted Britain because it was Europe’s frailest part, the country whose isolation could most conveniently be exposed … While they pulled together, European officials noted again the absurdity of Brexit, with Britain’s self-inflicted loss of influence and ensuing vulnerability plain for all to see.”

Sport

Gareth Southgate has expressed doubts over whether James Tarkowski’s challenge should have been referred to the video assistant referee after Italy were belatedly awarded a penalty to secure a 1-1 draw at Wembley three minutes from time. On a busy night of international football, Spain proved their winning identity is still intact as they hammered a Lionel Messi-less Argentina 6-1, Matt Phillips gave Scotland a morale-boosting win over Hungary and a Gabriel Jesus goal handed Brazil a degree of revenge over Germany as the world champions’ unbeaten run was ended.

The Australian ball tampering scandal rumbles on after Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were sent home on a day when Cricket Australia were expected to go hard but ended up playing softball. James Sutherland’s refusal to use the term “cheat” at the press conference risked further alienation from fans, as Australian cricket lurches towards an uncertain future with the hounds still baying for coach Darren Lehmann. And Anthony Joshua has said he expects Joseph Parker to fade between rounds eight and nine in their heavyweight unification fight in Cardiff on Saturday.



Business

Bank holdings in “extreme” fossil fuels worldwide grew to $115bn during Donald Trump’s first year in office, a new report says, with holdings in tar sands oil more than doubling. The news will disappoint those campaigning for divestment from fossil fuels, but they could take succour from the fact that Rio Tinto becomes the first major mining company to be coal-free after it sold its remaining assets today.

Asian shares were down overnight thanks to concerns about the tech sector in the US, while the FTSE100 is looking at a 0.7% drop at the open. The pound was up to $1.418 and €1.142.

The papers

The front pages tell a varied story this morning. The Times and Telegraph both lead on the new deposit scheme to stop plastic rubbish from reaching the oceans. The Times declares: “Pay more at the till for drinks cans and bottles,” while the Telegraph has: “Pay 22p charge for a plastic bottle”.

The Guardian and the Express also share a splash. Both lead on the fire service apologising for a two-hour delay during the Manchester attack. The Financial Times reports on the government’s late move over the hostile Melrose offer for GKN. The Mail keeps up the pressure on Jeremy Corbyn with its headline: “Anti-semitic Labour: the stench grows”. The Mirror takes aim at Sir Philip Green with a splash headlined “Sir Slippery” and a story about how the Topshop tycoon is likely to keep his knighthood despite the BHS collapse. Finally, the Sun is upset about a terrorist getting two council flats.

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