An inquiry examining the convictions of Kathleen Folbigg for killing her four children releases letters the mother wrote from jail about about the "black moods" referred to in her diaries.

A man who met two Newcastle women on the dating app Tinder has told a court it was not in his character to sexually abuse them.

These people say they're overworked, underpaid and fed up. The reason behind their frustrations is on the rise in Australia, and rated the number-one issue for voters in the country's most-populous — and expensive — state.

The court hears the 47-year-old male driver, who is charged with manslaughter and several other offences, had been told by doctors not to drive because he was suffering seizures.

The commission found that the transportation of the gravel over 25 years would have "unreasonable" and "unacceptable" impacts for communities on the haulage route.

An ABC analysis of the NSW government and opposition's school funding agenda shows 67 per cent of new and ongoing projects are in Coalition seats. More than 600 schools were over capacity in 2021.

Party leader Paul Toole declares "we need every vote in every booth" as the Nationals seek to regain losses and hang on to marginal seats.

Ponga addresses the media for the first time since last year's scandal, saying he was sick and "shouldn't have been out" at all on the night he and teammate Kurt Mann were ejected from a Newcastle pub bathroom.

The 21-year-old is making his debut in the Super3 series at Newcastle 500, an achievement that has taken years of hard work and dedication.

What happens when two teenagers who love beach culture, fall out of love with the seaside fashions? Simple, they create their own.

Global superstar P!nk has announced that she will be bringing her Summer Carnival tour to Newcastle in 2024.

Drowning concerns: New South Wales Surf Life Saving is calling for beach patrols to be expanded in national parks across the state following the death of a husband and wife on a Central Coast beach. The local couple, from nearby Lake Munmorah, died last week. The man attempted to rescue his wife when she got into difficulty at the notoriously dangerous Frazer Beach. 

PEP-11 refusal quashed: A decision by former prime minister Scott Morrison to reject a gas exploration licence off the NSW coast was formally quashed on Tuesday under Federal Court orders. In late 2021 Scott Morrison announced his government would reject a two-year extension of an exploration licence, known as PEP-11, covering about 4,500 square kilometres from Manly and Newcastle. At the time he'd secretly sworn himself in as the relevant minister. Asset Energy challenged the decision in the Federal Court and Justice Darren Jackson accepted the consent orders, saying he is satisfied there is a proper basis to conclude Mr Morrison's decision was affected by apprehended bias. The application has been remitted to the Joint Authority to be determined in accordance with law. Since this week's court ruling the NSW Liberal and Nationals have declared if re-elected a bill will be introduced to legislate its existing policy to prevent offshore coal, gas, mineral and petroleum mining and exploration in NSW waters.

Liquor laws to ease?: A trial of relaxed liquor laws at 21 licensed venues in Newcastle has ended with the regulatory authority open to winding the measures back. The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority noted a rise in the number of assaults at the venues during the 18-month trial of rolling back lockout laws. But the authority determined there were major benefits for the night economy, saying thriving small bars posed less of a risk.

Kurri Kurri gas plant: The Kurri Kurri gas-fired power plant will open six months later than expected. It's being built by Snowy Hydro and will provide 660 megawatts of power. The plant is expected to partly cover the loss of the nearby Liddell coal-fired power station which will close in April.

Stockton Beach funding pledge: NSW Labor has promised $21 million to fix sand erosion at Stockton Beach if it's elected to government in March. Shadow local government minister Greg Warren and Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp made the announcement in Stockton last week.

SFF Upper Hunter candidate: The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party has announced its candidate for Upper Hunter at the March 25 state election. James White is from Maitland and works in the electorate as a coal miner and farmer. The 30-year-old says he also wants to represent young people.

AGL loss: Energy giant AGL has recorded a billion-dollar loss in its half-yearly results ahead of the closure of the Liddell Power Station. New chief executive Damien Nicks attributed the loss to "challenging energy market conditions," a major outage at its Loy Yang plant in Victoria and the closure of one of Liddell's units last year. Despite this he predicted a more positive outlook for the second half of this financial year, saying "strong progress" had been made on advancing the Liddell battery and Muswellbrook pumped hydro projects.

The kindness advocate: Passionate mental health advocate Meg Southcombe wants to make a difference to young people. The PE teacher-in-training has felt the effects of mental illness in her family and wants teenagers to know kindness can go a long way. She spoke to the ABC's Dan and Jenny to share her enthusiasm for change.

Meet Jackie Newton: UK-bornJackie Newton was married to professional golfer Jack Newton for half a century, but largely led a private life. The theatre lover and former model tells her story to Craig Hamilton.