Aussie A-lister Rebel Wilson continues to deny any involvement in smear websites attacking a producer with whom she is feuding.

The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the Australian lead actor of the musical comedy The Deb.

MacInnes claims she was defamed by social media posts from Wilson that suggest she is a liar who retracted a sexual harassment complaint to advance her career.

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Wilson claims the young actor confided that she felt uncomfortable after sharing a bath in swimwear with The Deb co-producer Amanda Ghost following a medical episode in September 2023.

MacInnes denies making the complaint and says her reputation has been damaged by suggestions she retracted it for a lead role and a record deal.

The claims were referenced in smear websites created by a crisis PR team that described Ghost as an "Indian Ghislaine Maxwell" and a sex trafficker.

Giving evidence in the Federal Court today, Wilson denied authoring or ordering the creation of the malicious websites.

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She said her US lawyer hired The Agency Group to assist her with a legal dispute with her co-producers, repeatedly insisting the firm had not been commissioned to work for her.

The firm is also accused of creating smear websites against Hollywood actor Blake Lively on behalf of her co-star Justin Baldoni.

Wilson rejected suggestions from MacInnes' barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, that she was lying and pretending to misunderstand questions.

"You know you've lied about this topic for a year, haven't you?" Chrysanthou asked.

"No," Wilson responded.

The Bridesmaids star said anyone could have created the Word document from which the content of the smear websites appeared to have been sourced.

The metadata records the author as Wilson's company, but the actor denied any knowledge of the document and suggested anyone could have used the name.

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Wilson said she didn't think she would have been horrified by the allegations against Ghost on the websites because the producer had been bullying and harassing her at the time.

She was questioned about a previous statement that she regarded herself as a champion of women and considered her commitment to The Deb was proof of that.

"Do you still say you regard yourself as a champion of women?" Chrysanthou asked.

"Yes," Wilson replied.

"If you look over my 25-year career, you can see many evidences (sic) of me supporting women".

The Deb director denied mistreating MacInnes and Ghost while working with them on the film, labelling accusations of private and public bullying as "absolute nonsense".

"Inappropriate behaviour from a person in power to an employee is a serious problem," Wilson said.

She had smiled as she entered the courthouse, but appeared more guarded when she got into the witness box.

Wilson falsely portrayed herself as a whistleblower who spoke up to protect MacInnes when she was actually using the alleged complaint as leverage in a dispute with her co-producers, Chrysanthou claimed.

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"This is how this bully, apparently this saviour of women, the protector of the harassed, responds," she previously told the court.

But Wilson raised her concerns with others even though she had doubts about the veracity of the alleged complaint, her lawyer David Sibtain SC said.

The central issue is not whether MacInnes was a victim, but instead whether she complained to Wilson and then altered her story, he said.

"She changed her story," Sibtain said in his opening address.

"She did so to ensure her career as an actress and musician progressed by appeasing Ghost."

Sibtain argued that MacInnes' reputation hasn't suffered any harm to her reputation at all as a result of the social media posts.

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Shocking footage has emerged of an alleged hit-and-run crash in Sydney's Northern Beaches after a man was accused of ramming a teenager on an e-bike near two off-duty police officers.

The 15-year-old boy was allegedly struck by a Volkswagen SUV about 4.30pm yesterday at the intersection of Abbott and Pitt roads, in North Curl Curl.

Police say events began when the 38-year-old man driving the vehicle allegedly made an offensive hand gesture towards a group of teenage e-bike riders before driving away.

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The teenagers followed the car before one of them began arguing with the driver.

During the row, the driver allegedly threw a water bottle at the teen before driving away.

The 15-year-old then threw the same water bottle back at the car, but it did not make an impact.

The teenager continued following the car before blocking it at the intersection.

The driver is accused of hitting the teenager with his vehicle, causing the boy to be thrown from the e-bike.

As the camera moves, it reveals the 15-year-old boy who had allegedly been struck.

"He ran me over," the alleged victim can be heard saying.

"He ran straight over me."

Two nearby off-duty police officers and other onlookers told the driver to stop, but he allegedly ignored them and drove off.

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"It's just a shocking thing to happen in a quiet street like this, especially involving a young kid on a bike," a resident told 9News.

Paramedics were called and a rescue helicopter was put on standby as a precaution.

The 15-year-old boy was treated for serious leg injuries before being taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Police launched an investigation. The 38-year-old man handed himself in at Dee Why, before being transferred to Manly Police Station.

He was charged with driving furiously in a motor vehicle, causing bodily harm, negligent driving and driving while a licence application has been refused.

The man was granted strict conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in court next month.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said today he was "particularly worried" about how e-bikes were overtaking footpaths and roads.

"They're getting in the way of citizens, particularly pedestrians," Minns said.

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Borrowers are just hours away from receiving the clearest indication of whether an unwelcome third-straight interest rate rise will be handed down next week.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will deliver the latest round of inflation figures tomorrow morning, including for the first quarter of the year and the individual month of March.

While the Reserve Bank has historically placed far greater emphasis on quarterly numbers, the monthly data will better capture the impact of fuel prices, which skyrocketed in the wake of the war in Iran.

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While exact forecasts differ, economists are predicting inflation will surge to its highest level since 2023, with a headline figure of about 4.8 per cent – far higher than the RBA's target of 2-3 per cent.

"Headline inflation is set to rise sharply in March, driven by the surge in petrol prices following the outbreak of the Iran war," Commonwealth Bank senior economist Trent Saunders wrote in the bank's CPI preview earlier this month.

"We expect a monthly increase of 1.1 per cent, lifting the annual rate to around 4.6 per cent.

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"Fuel alone is likely to account for 0.9 percentage points of the monthly gain, with petrol prices at the pump rising by more than 30 per cent over the month."

While the RBA has already pulled the trigger on two hikes in as many meetings this year, and there are concerns about a slowing economy, its monetary policy board is expected to make it three from three when it meets next week.

All of the big four banks are expecting a third hike of the year next Tuesday – Westpac has even pencilled two further ones in June and August – and the market is pricing in a roughly three-quarters chance that the cash rate will be pushed back up to 4.35 per cent.

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And while there is a chance tomorrow's inflation read may dampen the case for a rate hike next week – and the roughly $91-a-month blow it would deliver average mortgage-holders – the nation's biggest bank says it would take something extraordinary to stay the RBA's hand.

"Quarterly CPI, released tomorrow, will make or break the case for the Reserve Bank of Australia to increase its cash rate," CBA international economist Samara Hammoud said.

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"Financial markets are currently pricing around a 78 per cent chance of a hike.

"There is a risk of a weaker outcome for underlying inflation than consensus.

"However, in our view, it would take a large downward surprise to materially pull down market pricing for a May hike."

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The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

It comes after the first lady's response to the late night host's joke that she had the glow of an "expectant widow".

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Today's young Australians are unlikely to end up worse off than their parents, but they're being slammed by financial roadblocks early in life when they can least afford it, new research has found.

Income growth has slowed for younger Australians, tertiary education rates have more than doubled compared to their parents' generation, and they're entering into the property market later.

But research from independent think tank the e61 Institute has found young Australians' earnings will likely become stronger later in life, thanks to longer careers, chunkier super balances and larger inheritances from their parents.

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said there will be a focus on intergenerational equity in next month's federal budget.

But e61 principal economist Jack Buckley said the simple story of generational winners and losers "hides a more complex picture".

"The problem is not that younger Australians will end up poorer than their parents but that the fiscal system frontloads costs onto years when they can least afford them, including through the repayment of large HELP debts and forgoing 12 per cent of their pay through compulsory super contributions, right when many are trying to save for their first home and start a family," Buckley said.

The average inflation-adjusted income of a 35-year-old in 2023, around $90,000, is actually almost 80 per cent higher than the average 35-year-old in the late 1980s.

What's more, the median household income of a 35-year-old today is about $380,000, which is roughly in line with earlier generations at the same age.

Inheritance is likely to be the defining feature of inequality for the next generation of Aussies, with Baby Boomers expected to pass on a whopping $175 billion annually via their wills.

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"Older Australians are sitting on a windfall from rising asset prices, and most of that wealth will be passed down unevenly through inheritance," Buckley said.

"That inheritance boom will increase inequality within a generation in a way that's far more consequential than any gap between generations."

The e61 report says reforms pitched to remove stumbling blocks for young Australians, including an inheritance tax and removing capital gains tax exemptions on family homes, could prove more challenging than they're worth.

Instead, researchers believe a GST increase, which would act as a quasi-wealth tax, is the most practical option.

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"An increase in the GST would capture this windfall as it is spent down, without requiring complex new wealth assessment infrastructure," Buckley said.

"Paired with higher benefits for low-income households and income tax relief, it could tap this windfall while better supporting those on low incomes."

Australia's 10 per cent GST is lower than many consumption taxes in other comparable economies.

Ideally, productivity growth is the key to securing the financial future of the next generation, Buckley added.

"Behind all of these distributional questions sits a deeper issue: Australia's fiscal system was built for stronger productivity growth than we have now.

"The biggest thing we can do for younger Australians is embrace a pro-growth agenda."

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A major $820 million overhaul is underway for Sydney's public transport, which the government claims will bring better reliability, accurate travel information and greater ease of use for millions of commuters.

The transformation of the Opal card will bring a new app and digital card, automatic fare adjustment if incorrect fares are charged, and information screens on 5000 buses for the first time.

The card has been a mainstay on Sydney transport for 13 years, based on London's Oyster card, a piece of technology that is almost 30 years old. 

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Event-goers will also now be able to scan a QR code on their ticket at an Opal reader for free transport.

The first of 25,000 new readers will start to be installed next year, with the project expected to be completed in 2028.

"This will be a major step up for passengers on the public transport network," NSW Transport Minister John Graham said. 

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More accurate real-time tracking also promises to end the frustration of 'ghost buses', services that appear on your apps but never show up.

"It will locate those buses, it will count patronage, it will tell us where the busiest and the most crowded buses are and when they are next available coming to a stop near you," Transport Secretary Josh Murray said.

Commuters will still be able to use a card, their credit cards, or phones to tap, with the promise of easier ways to save money.

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