Nine new cases of varroa mite, an invasive parasite deadly to bees, are identified across the New South Wales Central Coast and Hunter regions. 

The trial against former Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos hears from the mother of one of his alleged victims, who says the minister and another man came to her house looking for her son.

Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman in Newcastle in 2018 as a taxi waited outside her home, a Sydney court has been told.

Decades before the tiny house movement, prefabricated "tin can" Nissen huts helped ease the housing shortage for thousands of British families migrating to Australia.

Pro-coal Nationals senator Matt Canavan is calling on the federal government to hold the Hunter Valley's Liddell Power Station in "care and maintenance", rather than approving its demolition.

Newcastle mother Sophie was put in a lunch room to wait before her stillbirth. She is one of many calling for access to bereavement rooms in all hospitals.  

The Syrian refugees and their parents are among 100 refugees living in Australia under a pilot Commonwealth sponsorship scheme, in which volunteer groups "adopt" families for 12 months to help them settle into their new lives.

Newcastle's State of Origin prop Jacob Saifiti may serve a suspension of at least five matches after being dealt a grade-three charge over his high shot on Wests Tigers hooker Jake Simpkin.

Vanessa Alexander helped save the lives of more than 300 Afghan women fleeing the Taliban. 

Maitland's Mollie Gray has thrived in what you would call male-dominated environments. She spent 12 years as a soldier in the Australian Army, played for the Australian rugby union team and has been a sports commentator.

But as Mollie told Dan and Jenny, she's now taken on the next big challenge of her life - living and working on the road.

It's a journey that took hundreds of years and thousands of kilometres.

Supercars wraps up: The Newcastle 500 has been run and won. The Saturday race was won by Shane van Gisbergen, who was later disqualified. But he bounced back and won the Sunday race. Organisers talked up the success of the event, while off track, people were divided. Police say most racegoers were well behaved, except for a few minor incidents. Meanwhile, the City of Newcastle says it has received thousands of responses to its Supercars survey, which will determine the future of the event.

Candidate disendorsed: The NSW Nationals have disendorsed a candidate in the Hunter over "unacceptable" historical Tweets. Party secretary Joe Lundy says he asked Cessnock candidate Ash Barnham to resign over the social media posts. The ABC has sought comment from Mr Barnham. Labor's incumbent Cessnock MP Clayton Barr declined to comment.

Mayors discuss common issues: Sixty rural and regional mayors from across the state met in Newcastle on Thursday to discuss issues affecting country communities. With the state election now less than a fortnight away, the meeting covered topics including housing, public health, road safety and providing young people with work skills.

Prison death investigated: Police and prison officials are investigating after a man accused of murder was found dead in his Sydney prison cell. Last Wednesday, Newcastle Local Court was told Stuart Daniel Campbell died just hours before he was set to enter a plea to murder. He was accused of shooting and killing Stacey Klimovitch at Stockton in June 2021. Corrective Services NSW says a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Fatal motorcycle accident: Police are investigating the death of a motorcyclist in a crash near Maitland on Friday night. Emergency services were called to the intersection of McKeachie Drive and Oakhampton Road about 7.30pm following reports a trail bike and car had collided. The male rider, believed to be aged in his 20s, died at the scene.

Trio arrested: Police charged three people who allegedly detained and threatened a man in a car park in Wallsend last month. Police say a 29-year-old man was allegedly threatened with a knife outside a fast-food restaurant on Cowper Street. The three men were arrested at homes in Speers Point, Macquarie Hills and Adamstown where police allegedly seized steroids, mobile phones, knuckle dusters and about $25,000 in cash.

Voice to Parliament update: Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus visited Newcastle last Friday to discuss how a Voice to Parliament could help improve outcomes for First Nations people. Mr Dreyfus told the ABC an all-Indigenous advisory group was vital to guide decision-making. Some Indigenous groups have expressed they'd rather support the black sovereignty movement, calling for a treaty first. A referendum on the Voice to Parliament will be held later this year.

Glencore not giving up: Mining giant Glencore says it's not giving up on its Glendell mine extension at Ravensworth in the Upper Hunter. The plan, which was knocked back by the NSW Independent Planning Commission last year, would have involved relocating the Ravensworth Homestead to Broke. Glencore maintains renovating and relocating the historic building would be better than a heritage listing.

Meals on Wheels branching out: After 60 years, Newcastle's Meals on Wheels branches are looking to diversify their volunteer base. The 10 branches, between Tomaree and Morisset, have 1,200 clients and are staffed by 400 volunteers. A recruitment drive is now underway to broaden the organisation's skill set so that it can offer extra support services.

A-League soccer results: In the men's competition, Adelaide United beat the Newcastle Jets 4-2 at home on Saturday night, with the visitors taking an early lead in the 12th minute. Jason Hoffman and Angus Thurgate scored for the Jets. The men will take on Perth Glory this weekend, while the women's side will be up against Adelaide on Friday.

Surfing wash-up: Newcastle surfer Jackson Baker has been knocked out of the World Surf League event in Portugal. Baker was eliminated in the round of 32 by American Griffin Colapinto. Fellow Novocastrian Ryan Callinan was beaten by world number one Aussie Jack Robinson.