Your noon Briefing

Welcome to your noon roundup of how the day has played out so far and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon digest of what’s making news and a long read for lunchtime.

Official opening of Clive Palmer's world's biggest dinosaur park at Palmer Coolum Resort at Coolum; Press conference with Clive Palmer (PICTURE Brad Cooper)

Palmer charged

Clive Palmer has been charged by the corporate watchdog ASIC, over allegations connected to his Coolum dinosaur golf resort on the Sunshine Coast. Mr Palmer’s name is listed on the Brisbane Magistrates Court list for one charge of “aid, abet, counsel or procure the commission of an offence by another person”. It is understood the charge relates to Mr Palmer’s attempts to take over ownership of villas at the resort, which resulted in a long-running dispute with residents and other owners.

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The Qantas Wallabies train at Ballymore, Brisbane, ahead of the June 2017 Arvo Test Rugby Series fixture against Italy. Israel Folau.

Qantas considers

Qantas is considering pulling sponsorship of the Wallabies if further homophobic statements are made by Israel Folau or other players. The highest profile rugby player in the country has come under immense criticism after saying on Instagram gays were destined to go to hell unless they repented for their sins. He has since deleted the comment posted on Tuesday.

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Yulia Skripal with one of her father's cats. Picture: Facebook.

Poisoned pets

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were not the only victims of the nerve agent attack that has left the former Russian spy in a coma. The British government has confirmed that the novichok nerve agent also killed two of Mr Skripal’s pets and left another so distressed it had to be euthanased. The Kremlin has consistently denied Britain’s accusation that Moscow is behind the attack on Mr Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter.

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Kyle Chalmers of Australia during the Men's 200m Freestyle heats on day two of swimming competition at the XXI Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast Aquatic Centre on the Gold Coast, Australia, Friday, April 6, 2018. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Race of Games

Australia’s reigning Olympic 100m freestyle champion swimming up, Australia’s reigning Olympic 400m freestyle champion swimming down. One would think the 200m freestyle would be at the Dolphins’ mercy at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Keep up with all the action in our live Commonwealth Games blog.

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Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnball during a tour of the Tumut No 3 power station.Federal government to announces increase in snowy hydro scheme.Photograph taken at Tumut number 3 hydro power station by Andrew Taylor on the 16th March 2017

The long read: Pipeline to a green future

Its keenest champion conjures up heroic visions of the original Snowy Mountains scheme, which harnessed mighty rivers for renewable energy and turned them inland to transform the dry ­interior into an agricultural oasis, writes Ean Higgins. In fact, Turnbull loves the whole Snowy thing so much that last month he bought it. He announced the federal government would pay NSW and Victoria $6 billion for their shares in Snowy Hydro, making him effectively the sole shareholder.

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Comment of the day

“If AGL could harness the hot air blown by the cranky Tony lovers in these pages they would be able to power a massive wind farm twenty four hours per day and charge the cheapest prices in the world.”

John B, in response to ‘Coal dream to fail: Snowy chief’.