Good afternoon. It’s a gripping case that’s been equated to that of Lindy Chamberlain. Kathleen Folbigg was handed a 25-year minimum sentence after being found guilty in 2003 of three counts of murder and one of manslaughter over the deaths of her four children. She has always maintained her innocence, and now prosecutors have conceded there could be reasonable doubt over her guilt.
In other news, Tucker Carlson has broken his silence and Bali locals are growing frustrated at the influencer invasion.
Top news
Christian Porter | The South Australian coroner has decided against holding a full inquest into the death of the woman who accused the former attorney general of sexually assaulting her in January 1988. The decision closes off what was considered the last possible avenue of inquiry for the sexual assault allegations, which Porter strenuously denies.
Folbigg case | Dean Jordan, representing the NSW director of public prosecutions, conceded there was evidence to suggest reasonable doubt over Kathleen Folbigg’s guilt in an inquiry into the 55-year-old mother’s convictions. Oral submissions to the inquiry finished today and findings are to be delivered at a later date.
Search for missing Australian | The search for an Australian man who went overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas in a remote area of the Pacific has been called off for the day, after a US Coast Guard plane exhausted its fuel supply. The passenger went overboard before 11pm Tuesday night, local time, two days before the ship was due to arrive in Honolulu.
Child labour at Muffin Break | A franchise in Southland – one of Melbourne’s biggest shopping centres – has been slapped with 360 charges by Victoria’s child employment watchdog. Alleged offences include employing children without a permit and not providing required rest breaks.
Woodside Energy facing investor unrest | Australia’s biggest oil and gas company’s climate policies will face investor scrutiny at Friday’s annual general meeting, with some unconvinced that they are either properly designed or achievable. One asset manager said it had “concerns around the company’s lack of commitment to aligning with the Paris objectives and net zero” for its position.
Tucker Carlson breaks silence | The former Fox News commentator posted a cryptic two-minute video on his Twitter account that did not explain his exit, but offered sweeping complaints about the state of American discourse.
Bali influencer backlash | Once known as a laid-back surfer’s paradise, Bali has in recent years become a popular backdrop for “content creators” looking to promote their picture-perfect lifestyles. And locals have had enough. “Our hospitality has been taken for granted,” says a Balinese business owner.
Fugees rapper convicted | Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was found guilty of involvement in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning the Obama and Trump presidencies. The trial included testimony ranging from actor Leonardo DiCaprio to former US attorney general Jeff Sessions.
Pope Francis gives women right to vote | Women will be allowed to join men and vote on proposals at an upcoming meeting of bishops, after decades of demands by women for the right.
In pictures
The 57 finalists of the 2023 Archibald prize have been revealed by the Art Gallery of NSW. Here is a selection of this year’s finalists.
What they said …
Hill is the latest Labor MP to publicly support a jobseeker raise.
In numbers
One in five renters are among the 1 million living in poverty in the state.
Before bed read
Farewell Tucker Carlson, writes environment reporter Graham Readfearn. Carlson was the climate change denier whose claims never stacked up.
“Carlson would preach regularly to his nightly audience of more than 3 million viewers about how concerns over climate change were like a religion, and that ‘the entire theory [of human-caused climate] is absurd’.”
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: LOOM. 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.
