Hollywood A-lister Rebel Wilson has been slammed in court after sacking her original lawyers and leaving her new legal team in the lurch during a high-profile film feud.

The 45-year-old and her firm Camp Sugar are being sued by the production company behind The Deb, a musical comedy filmed in rural NSW that Wilson produced and directed, while also starring.

She will be made to testify in September to defend claims she breached her contract with AI Film Production, gave misleading statements and made injurious falsehoods.

LIVE UPDATES: Nine people charged over Sydney CBD protests

READ MORE: Methanol-poisoning victims' parents slam $185 fines handed to Laos hostel staff

The Pitch Perfect star was lambasted in the NSW Supreme Court today by the production company's barrister for not complying with the timetable for the case.

Sue Chrysanthou SC also criticised Wilson for firing her old lawyers days before the directions hearing.

"No explanation has been provided… for the timing of that decision and why she couldn't wait until today to make that decision," she said.

"(There is no explanation) why when she terminated her lawyers, on Tuesday she didn't have other lawyers ready to go."

Wilson's new barrister was forced to plead ignorance over much of the details of the case, including the arguments the actor plans to use in her defence.

"A question of good faith may be inferred from the context of the dealings between the parties," Dauid Sibtain SC said.

READ MORE: Man's horrific injuries after kangaroo's 'gremlin hands' latched onto him

READ MORE: Prominent China critic handed long jail sentence, may never walk free

"I don't know what we say that context was."

He conceded it was unacceptable that Wilson had failed to comply with orders to produce evidence.

The Deb premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024 but has been blocked from wider distribution by the ongoing legal action.

Wilson has been paid over $1 million for her roles as actor, director and producer in the still-unreleased film.

AI is seeking damages for lost revenue, but Chrysanthou said calculating lost income would be impossible until box office takings from its eventual release could be assessed.

A proposed release date of April had been flagged for the film, she said.

EPSTEIN FILES: Ghislaine Maxwell offers to exonerate Trump if she's let out of prison

READ MORE: US prosecutors seek jail term for conspiracy theorist linked to Wieambilla terror attack

Wilson and the production company are set to face off during a two-week hearing, scheduled to begin on September 14.

Four witnesses – including Wilson – will be called to provide the bulk of the evidence, the court was told.

Producers Amanda Ghost and Vince Holden are also expected to testify along with star of the film, Charlotte MacInnes.

While one dispute heads towards a climax, the troubled film and its cast and crew remain embroiled in other lawsuits spanning different continents.

Wilson is also facing a defamation suit brought by MacInnes in the Federal Court over social media posts that claimed the younger actor revealed she was subjected to sexual harassment.

MacInnes' denials that any sexual misconduct took place have not deterred Wilson, who stands by the claims.

In California, Ghost and Holden have sued Wilson for defamation over allegations including embezzlement, sexual harassment of MacInnes and obstruction of the film's release.

Wilson has attempted to counter-sue, but a judge in January indicated he would likely strike all of her claims from her complaint.

Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or the National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 211 028.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

A man who issued a slur-laden death threat to the prime minister and his wife during a months-long social media tirade has been spared jail.

Alexander Phillip David Keating, 37, was today convicted in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court of using social media platform X to menace, harass and offend.

He posted 45 menacing messages between February and April last year, many of which called for violence against Muslims, queer people or politicians.

LIVE UPDATES: Pro-Palestine protesters vow to continue after ugly clash with police

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was one of the targets of the "abhorrent" threats, magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis said.

Keating posted a death threat directed at the prime minister and his wife, which contained a graphic slur, the court was told.

The magistrate said the social media posts were a "serious affront" to the values of a civilised society.

"There is no place for hatred of this calibre in a country such as ours," he said.

"The posts advocated sexual violence, killing and physical annihilation on the basis of race, religion and the colour of their skin."

Keating had stopped taking medication for his mental health issues in the lead-up to writing the posts, Tsavdaridis noted.

He was also self-medicating with cannabis daily at the time.

The 37-year-old had become frustrated with government policies and the rise of "wokeness" and "communism" from late 2024, according to the agreed facts.

He felt he was unable to have an opinion on political issues.

READ MORE: Man's horrific injuries after kangaroo's 'gremlin hands' latched onto him

"One can express political opinions without resorting to calls for murder," Tsavdaridis said.

Because Keating only had six followers on X, his lawyer argued there was no evidence anyone had seen the posts to be offended by them.

But Tsavdaridis said Keating's account was public, so anyone using the site could theoretically have found the posts.

The magistrate stressed the need for deterrence of similar racially motivated crimes after the Bondi Beach terror attack in December.

"Any gains we have painstakingly made as a multicultural society over many years can very quickly be cast into oblivion," he said.

"The law has always drawn a clear boundary between robust discourse and the incitement of violence."

He ordered Keating to serve a two-year community corrections order and undergo constant mental health treatment.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

A main intersection in Wairoa remains closed while police investigate the crash.

The 19 children escaped through a side exit after the bus doors failed.

A halt has been placed on the teacher’s 44-year career.

Tepania plans to pursue a Doctor of Education after his current mayoral term.

The FBI has said that it is not aware of any extended talks between the family of US journalist Savannah Guthrie and the suspected kidnappers of the Today show host's mum.

The FBI has also not yet identified any suspects or people of interest following the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, an FBI spokesperson said in a statement.

It comes after the US journalist put forward an emotional new plea, saying her family was "at an hour of desperation" as the search continues for her vanished mother, Nancy.

READ MORE: Police examine septic tank in search for US TV host's missing mother

The 84-year-old disappeared nine days ago from her home in Tuscon, Arizona, prompting a large-scale response.

Savannah, a long-term co-anchor of the US news show Today, has issued repeated pleas for information and messages to any presumed kidnappers, offering to pay for her mother's return.

LIVE UPDATES: NSW Premier defends police after 'incendiary' mass protest

https://www.instagram.com/p/DUjPVoYEpci/

In her latest, a video posted to her Instagram account, Guthrie thanked her followers for their support during this "nightmare" time.

"I just want to say first of all thank you so much for all of the prayers and the love that we have felt, my sister and brother and I, and that our mum has felt," she said.

"Because we believe that, somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers, and that God is lifting her even in this moment."

ROYALS: King Charles' explosive declaration as police probe brother's Epstein links

She said law enforcement was working "tirelessly" to find Nancy, and asked the public to help as well.

"She was taken and we don't know where, and we need your help," Guthrie said.

"So I'm coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you're far from Tuscon, if you see anything, hear anything, if there's anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement.

READ MORE: Sydney couple 'had it all' but four words from their kids caused them to give it all up

"We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help."

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home, where she was last seen on January 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services.

DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie's front porch was a match to her, and her doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighbourhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Sunday.

"Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case," the department said.

Investigators on the weekend were seen inside daughter Annie Guthrie's home, about 6km from Nancy Guthrie's house. Yesterday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie's home.

Police and media outlets have received multiple messages relating to the case, both in the form of tips and, more chillingly, ransom demands.

One deadline for ransom has already passed but another was set for late Monday local time – not long after Savannah Guthrie posted her latest video.

Police have not said whether they believe any of the demands are authentic.

With Associated Press.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

A new report claims 24,000 millionaires accounted for almost half the beneficiaries of a controversial tax break, as a growing group of people call on the government to reform the multi-billion-dollar discount ahead of the federal budget.

Oxfam Australia has found the thousands of people who made over $1 million in 2022-23 gained an average of $271,000 from the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount on profits from the sale of assets, likely property.

It was almost 1500 times the benefit the average worker received, Oxfam research claimed.

READ MORE: Aussie workers could risk losing their jobs with this AI blunder

Oxfam Australia chief executive Jennifer Tierney said the CGT discount widens the inequality crisis by providing benefits to the country's wealthiest, as she called on the government to scrap the policy.

"Handing out billions through the capital gains tax discount is simply indefensible at a time when so many Australians are struggling," she said.

"This tax break overwhelmingly benefits a tiny group of already wealthy individuals, while ordinary workers pay tax on every dollar they earn.

"Ending the discount is one of the simplest and fairest ways to restore integrity and balance to our tax system."

The Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated the CGT discount will cost the country $247 billion in forgone revenue over the next 10 years.

Their analysis also found the CGT discount is "highly skewed" towards higher-income earners, with Australia's top 10 per cent of earners accounting for about 82 per cent of the total benefit from the policy.

Within that bracket, the top one per cent benefited from almost 60 per cent of the savings.

READ MORE: 'Sovereign citizen' movement now a major security threat, warn experts

The CGT discount has been blamed for driving up house prices and making home ownership even more difficult for renters and younger Australians.

Greens Senator Nick McKim, who is leading a Senate inquiry into the discount, has described the policy as the "most unfair tax rort in the country".

Speculation is growing about whether the government will overhaul the CGT discount as part of the May 12 federal budget, after reports emerged the government is considering significant tax reform.

A growing number of groups, including the NSW Treasury, have called on the government to follow through.

The Housing Industry Association joined that list today, warning that Australia's housing shortage is now a structural economic challenge.

"The 2026–27 Budget will be a test of whether housing supply is taken seriously," association managing director Jocelyn Martin said.

"The focus must be on stability, coordination and reforms that increase supply, not measures suppressing it."

Polling commissioned by Oxfam Australia and conducted by YouGov has found 73 per cent of Australians are concerned about the widening inequality gap, with 68 per cent supporting investing additional tax revenue in poverty-reducing measures like housing and income support.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Former rugby league player Kurt Drysdale has been described as a "warrior and an inspiration" following his death after a battle with pneumonia.

Drysdale was left a quadriplegic at 20 years old following a wayward tackle while playing for the Cabramatta Two Blues in a Ron Massey Cup Match in June 2015.

The 31-year-old, who suffered a devastating spinal injury, is being remembered as "an inspiration".

READ MORE: US journalist Savannah Guthrie's emotional new plea over missing mum

He was left unable to breathe on his own and without most of his movement, and faced spending the rest of his life in hospital or care following the accident.

"The former rugby league player is being remembered as a warrior and an inspiration," The Locker Room said in a Facebook post.

In 2017, the rugby league community banded together along with A Current Affair to help raise over $700,000 for the former player.

The money went towards a house equipped with a specially modified kitchen and an apparatus to help Kurt get in and out of bed, among other facilities.

He was close friends with NRL players and legends, including Alex Johnston, Shaun Lane, Billy Magoulias and Valentine Holmes.

Drysdale died following a two-week battle with pneumonia.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Three people have been charged after a woman was allegedly tortured and assaulted as her car was stolen south-west of Brisbane.

The 44-year-old woman was confronted by the trio at a Rosehill Road house in Warwick last night.

They allegedly forced her into a Mitsubishi Triton that was at the property, before stealing the ute.

READ MORE: Low risk of cyclone forming off Queensland coast, forecasters say

READ MORE: Aussie workers could be risking termination with this AI policy blunder

Police will allege the woman was assaulted while in the ute, but she was able to flee on foot and seek help from a nearby house on Capital Drive.

She was taken to Warwick Hospital with serious injuries.

A 26-year-old man, a 42-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, all from Warwick, were arrested and charged with multiple offences.

READ MORE: Police appeal to identify woman discovered dead at reservoir

These include assault, robbery, torture and deprivation of liberty.

Police allege everyone involved in the incident was known to each other.

The three alleged perpetrators will appear at Warwick Magistrates Court today.

Police say investigations are ongoing, and have urged anyone with information on the incident to contact them.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play

• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here

• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here