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.
Top news
PM demands ‘full accountability’ over Frankcom death | Anthony Albanese said he used a phone call with the Israeli prime minister to express Australia’s anger and outrage over the killing of aid worker Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom in Gaza. The US president, Joe Biden, has also voiced his concern, saying Israel is not doing enough to protect aid workers.
Biden and Trump sweep four primaries | Hundreds of delegates were up for grabs in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin on Tuesday, and Biden and Trump have already amassed enough delegates to win their respective nominations. But the turnout could provide more clues about the general election in November.
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 São 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.
In pictures
Arthur Streeton painting of Sydney Harbour shown in public for first time in 130 years
The oil painting Sunlight at the Camp, painted in 1894 by Australian impressionist Arthur Streeton, has gone on show in Melbourne before its auction in Sydney, where it is expected to fetch up to $1.5m.
What they said …
***
“More than 94% of perpetrators are men. We must hold these perpetrators to accounts, yes, but we must also instil in our boys something better than this narrow and damaging definition we use to describe ‘real men’.” – Australia’s foremost awareness campaigner about male violence against women and children, Rosie Batty
Batty spoke at the National Press Club about the national domestic violence crisis, marking 10 years since her son Luke was murdered by his father. She added that “transforming our culture is a long game, but we must maintain hope”.
Batty was also recently featured in Guardian Australia’s Walk with … series.
In numbers
Renters are being asked to shell out $1,250 a week to live in a three-bedroom Bondi apartment where scaffolding and boards block almost every window – and there’s construction noise from 7am weekdays and 8am Saturdays.
It was a sobering day for renters around the country, with Ben Bartl, principal solicitor with the Tenants’ Union of Tasmania, telling Guardian Australia: “Our entire rental system stinks and a rebalancing of renter protections [is] urgently required.”
Before bed read
High tide: why are cocaine bricks washing up on Sydney beaches?
More than 250kg of the class-A drug has been found on NSW beaches since December as soaring Australian demand drives the illegal trade. Rafqa Touma looks at why this keeps happening.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: SCOP. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know. Sign up for our Morning Mail newsletter here.
