The travel industry has moved quickly to support refugees from Ukraine and British holidaymakers can play a major role

British holidaymakers eager to help the people of Ukraine are being urged to book with travel companies that are using their resources to support those fleeing the conflict.

Dozens of transport providers, tour operators and accommodation websites have jumped into action. Eurostar is offering unlimited free tickets to Ukrainians travelling from any Eurostar station to the UK, while Wizz Air will provide 100,000 free seats on flights from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to any available destination.

Is it better to donate to established charities such as the Red Cross or to crowdfunding campaigns? And should you give money, or goods?

• Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

More than $13m has been donated to support those affected by the devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales, and most of the money has been directed towards peer-to-peer fundraising efforts such as GoFundMe.

Many of those crowdfunding campaigns have been set up by people living in the flooded regions to cover urgent costs and fund relief and rescue efforts, including more than $20,000 raised to run a rescue helicopter.

How did this ‘grassroots’ rebellion paralyse the Canadian capital? With funding from the far right and a boost from Facebook misinformation

What the truck is going on in Canada? No offence to Ottawa, but it’s not the most exciting place in the world. Over the past couple of weeks, however, the Canadian capital has been embroiled in drama: hundreds of truckers, ostensibly protesting against vaccine mandates, have brought the city to a standstill. Members of the so-called “Freedom Truck Convoy” have been blaring horns, desecrating war memorials and setting off fireworks. Residents are being driven to distraction. The police chief has called the situation a “siege”; the Ontario premier called it “an occupation”. On Monday, the city’s mayor, Jim Watson, declared a state of emergency.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now. If you’re not Canadian, then the protest in Ottawa might not be top of your list of things to worry about. But I’m afraid you should be worried. You should certainly be paying attention. What’s unfolding in Ottawa is not a grassroots protest that has spontaneously erupted out of the frustration of local lorry drivers. Rather, it’s an astroturfed movement – one that creates an impression of widespread grassroots support where little exists – funded by a global network of highly organised far-right groups and amplified by Facebook’s misinformation machine. The drama may be centred in Canada, but what is unfolding has repercussions for us all.

GoFundMe blocked fundraising after Canadian city declared emergency over protests against vaccine mandates

A trucker-led protest against vaccine mandates in Canada has raised several million dollars on a Christian crowdfunding site after being removed from GoFundMe, sparking debate over how online platforms moderate campaigns.

The mayor of Ottawa declared a state of emergency over a week-long protest led by truck drivers over Covid-19 restrictions, three days after GoFundMe blocked fundraising for the “Freedom Convoy”.

Faced with benefit cuts, illness and soaring bills, people are raising funds on sites such as GoFundMe

Faced with cuts to her universal credit and crippling bills, in September last year Amy Cook, 27, decided to do something she had never done before to help her family: she set up a crowdfunding campaign to help alleviate their financial situation.

Cook, a full-time carer to her partner, Jordan, 37, who has learning difficulties, set a £2,000 goal on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. On her profile she explained to potential donors that the family had “hit a brick wall” with a bedbug infestation followed by cuts to their universal credit, adding that it would be “10 times harder to survive let alone live”.