The Australian government has apologised for failing to keep the families of two Australians who died in Laos from methanol poisoning updated on a court case.

The People's Court of Vang Vieng in the southeast Asian country fined 10 people $185 for their roles in the deaths at Nana Backpacker Hostel in 2024, after guests were served alcohol tainted with methanol.

The findings were made in secret, but the families of Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, two 19-year-old Australians who died, only found out about the decision from other victims of the poisoning instead of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

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The department "apologised unreservedly" to the families for failing to keep the families properly informed of proceedings.

"The Department prides itself in its commitment to consular service and to ensuring that the interests of consular clients and their families are paramount. On this occasion, we fell short of our aspiration," a statement published this morning said.

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"Australian officials continue to underscore our expectations of a thorough and transparent investigation and that there is justice for Holly and Bianca."

The fathers of Bowles and Jones had previously expressed their frustration with being kept in the dark as the court case went underway behind closed doors.

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"As citizens of this country we expect the government to look after their people and get justice for their citizens when they go travelling," Mr Jones told 9news yesterday.

"We can't get into the country. There's nothing more we can do. We need the government to do something because we are out of options," Mr Bowles added.

The accused were charged late last month for destroying evidence, with those verdicts relating to the death of a US citizen who also drank the tainted alcohol at the hostel.

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The mention of NSW Premier Chris Minns has sparked loud boos from the group gathered next to the Surry Hills Police Station.

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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.

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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"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.

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