Morning all,

Precisely all of us were surprised to hear Aussie tennis legend Ash Barty announce she is retiring from tennis at the age of 25, yesterday.

Following the announcement, my colleague Isabella Ross has taken a look back at the world number one's long list of achievements and her start in tennis. You can read all about it here.

But first, lets get you across the biggest news stories you need to know this morning, Thursday March 24.

1. Hillsong founder Brian Houston resigns amid allegations he mistreated women.

Brian Houston has resigned from the Hillsong Church amid allegations the global pastor mistreated two women.

"We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and the board has accepted his resignation," the global board said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Irrespective of the circumstances around this, we can all agree that Brian and (his wife) Bobbie have served God faithfully over many decades and that their ministry has resulted in millions of people across the world being impacted by the power, grace, and love of Jesus Christ."

Brian Houston has resigned as global senior pastor of megachurch Hillsong, after a damning internal investigation. @Gabrielle_Boyle #9News

DETAILS: https://t.co/qmVLewp1eo pic.twitter.com/0zNYeonmww
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) March 23, 2022

About 10 years ago, Houston allegedly sent inappropriate text messages to a staff member, while under the influence of sleeping tablets that he had become dependent on, and ended with the employee resigning, according to the board.

The second incident was received by the church in 2019.

According to the board, Houston became disoriented following a Hillsong Conference and had consumed too much anti-anxiety medication mixed with alcohol when he knocked on the hotel room door and spent time with the female occupant.

An investigation launched by the global board found Houston had breached the Hillsong Pastor's Code of Conduct and on Friday said, "This person did not deserve to be placed in the situation she found herself in."

Houston is also currently before the courts in NSW, set to face a three-week special hearing in December on charges he hid his father's alleged child abuse.

2. Tennis legends lead tributes to newly retired Ash Barty.

Tennis legends from around the world have paid tribute to world number one Ashleigh Barty, after she announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 25 yesterday.

British star Emma Raducanu, who won last year's US Open - the only grand slam to desert Barty - said she found Barty an "inspiration" during her short time in the professional ranks.

But she made it clear that she wants to be still be playing at the top level well after the age of 25.

"I just want to wish Ash all the best because she had a great career," said the 19-year-old Raducanu, who's making her first appearance in Miami.

"She was a great player and brought a lot of variety to the game. I really respected that. I took a lot of inspiration from her, just how she's able to mix things up.

Tennis legend Serena Williams also shared her support for Barty, tweeting, "I can't lie I was sad to read your decision but also happy for your new chapter."

"Always your fan close up and afar. Sending all my love."

Australian of the Year and Paralympian Dylan Alcott called Barty an "amazing tennis player but even better person".

"A champion in every sense of the word. Very proud of you mate."

Ash Barty. Amazing tennis player but even better person. A champion in every sense of the word. Very proud of you mate ❤️
— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) March 23, 2022

3. Australia will produce 100 million doses of Moderna every year.

Australia will soon be home to the southern hemisphere's first mRNA vaccine manufacturing hub, under a new agreement with pharmaceutical giant Moderna.

The research and development hub, which will be based in Victoria, will produce 100 million Australian-made mRNA doses every year and is expected to create hundreds of jobs.

Construction will start by the end of 2022 and production is expected from 2024.

Final agreement reached with Moderna to produce mRNA vaccines in Australia from 2024 https://t.co/ynMZBnB91h
— ABC News (@abcnews) March 23, 2022

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today announce the deal - a collaboration between the federal and Victorian governments and Moderna.

He says it is a "shot in the arm" to protect Australians from future pandemics.

"This will be the first mRNA production facility in the southern hemisphere, and will ensure Australians have quick and easy access to these lifesaving vaccines," he said.

4. One in six Aussie uni students say they have been sexually harassed.

One in six Australian university students say they have been sexually harassed while one in 20 report being sexually assaulted, according to the results of a national survey.

The 2021 National Student Safety Survey asked 43,819 students from 38 Australian universities about their experiences and found female students (10.5 percent), transgender students (14.7 percent) and non-binary students (22.4 percent) were more likely to experience harassment or abuse in a university context in the past 12 months when compared with male students (3.9 percent).

Incidents ranged from catcalling, sexualised comments or commentary and escalated to unwanted touching, stalking and rape, and the majority of perpetrators were men, likely to be a fellow student and more often than not, someone the victim knew.

Only one in 30 students who were sexually harassed and one in 20 who were sexually assaulted made formal complaints.

Today's release of the 2021 National Student Safety Survey Report makes clear that sexual harassment and sexual assault remain a serious problem within Australian universities. This is a systemic problem requiring a whole community response.
My statement:https://t.co/Zqpkpr9gQz pic.twitter.com/QIzkfLWGgX
— Kate Jenkins (@Kate_Jenkins_) March 23, 2022

The survey was funded by Universities Australia, with the peak body's chair John Dewar apologising to victims.

"I am deeply sorry to every single university student who has experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault, who has a friend, family member or loved one who has," he said in a video statement on Wednesday.

"I'm sorry for what you endured. I'm sorry for how that may have affected your relationships, your mental health, your studies and your life," he continued, adding more work is needed "and we will do it".

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.

You can also call safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Line on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au for further information.

The Men’s Referral Service is also available on 1300 766 491 or via online chat at www.ntv.org.au.www.ntv.org.au.

5. Crashed Chinese plane black box found.

Chinese emergency workers have found one of two black boxes from a China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed this week with 132 people onboard.

The black box device recovered is the plane's cockpit voice recorder, based on an early assessment, a Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) official told a media briefing - adding that the recording material appeared to have survived impact in relatively good shape.

Flight MU5735 was en route from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou on the coast on Monday when the Boeing 737-800 jet suddenly plunged from cruising altitude at about the time when it should have started its descent before landing. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

Most of the jet appears to have disintegrated upon impact although some debris and human remains have been found.

One of the two “black box” recorders from a downed Chinese plane has been found with its casing severely damaged, two days after the aircraft crashed with 132 people on board https://t.co/1bK5hLXThc
— The Times (@thetimes) March 23, 2022

The captain, hired in January 2018, had 6709 hours flying experience, a China Eastern official said.

"From what we know, the performance of the three pilots had been good and their family life relatively harmonious," the official said.

One co-pilot was an observer to build up experience, the airline said.

That's it, you're all up to speed. We'll be back to bring you more of the biggest news stories throughout the day.

- With AAP.

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