Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.
Taiwan has been rocked by the worst earthquake to hit the region in 25 years.
Given a magnitude of 7.7 by Japan’s meteorology society, the quake’s epicentre was reported as 25km south-east of Hualien and saw regional neighbours including Japan and the Philippines issue tsunami warnings, though these warnings have since been lifted.
At the time of writing, at least four people had been reported dead and many more had sustained injuries, the Taiwan fire department reported. Up to 26 buildings have reportedly tilted or collapsed, as concerns grow for people trapped in rubble. No injuries have been reported in Japan, the Philippines or nearby China.
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- NSW high school teacher charged with having sex with student | Police said they arrested the 39-year-old teacher at All Saints’ College in Maitland at the local police station on 28 March. He was charged with nine counts of sexual intercourse with a person under his care.
- Sam Mostyn announced as next governor general | Mostyn will be Australia’s 28th governor general – and the second woman to serve in the post. She will be sworn into the role in July, taking over from David Hurley.
- Super Netball star apologises for transgender post on social media | New South Wales Swifts netballer Samantha Wallace-Joseph has apologised for a social media post that caused hurt to members of the transgender community, saying it was “taken out of context”.
- Ukraine military draft age lowered to boost fighting force | Lowering the mobilisation age for combat duty from 27 to 25 expands the number of civilians the army can mobilise into its ranks to fight under martial law, which has been in place since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
- Nasa to create lunar-centric time reference system | The White House wants Nasa to figure out how to tell time on the moon. The space agency has until the end of 2026 to set up what is being called Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) partly to aid missions requiring extreme precision.
- Cruise captain refuses to let late passengers reboard | Eight cruise passengers had to scramble to reunite with their Norwegian Cruise Lines ship after being left behind in S?o Tomé and Príncipe. The group’s private day excursions on the island ran overtime and, despite the efforts of the local coast guard, which motored the group to the ship before it set sail that afternoon, the captain would not allow the late guests to board.
- Lizzo says she isn’t quitting music | Lizzo has clarified a statement made last week in which the musician appeared to be declaring her intention to leave the entertainment industry. “When I say I quit, I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention,” the four-time Grammy award winner said.
