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Three men plead not guilty to murder of drug dealer in robbery gone wrong

A Supreme Court jury is told a known ice dealer was gunned down in his car as he fled a "drug rip" — the ripping off of a drug dealer — north of Newcastle. 
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A man in a singlet taking a selfie in the mirror

Crown calls for hit man to receive life sentence over Newcastle grandmother's execution

A judge is urged to put Canberra man Jason Paul Hawkins, 48, in prison for life, over the "incomprehensible" shooting of a 61-year-old Newcastle woman.
Wiman in black singlet top.

Gas producer 'committed' to controversial drilling project despite NSW government opposition

The Minns government will introduce a bill to stop a permit that allows the exploration and extraction of gas in NSW state waters. 
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Protesters at the beach hold up a banner that says "Protect our coast from offshore gas"

'The world is worse off': Daughters of slain Newcastle grandma stare down hit man in court

Stacey Klimovitch was murdered in 2021 by Jason Paul Hawkins, who was driven from the scene by Stephen John Garland. As both men await sentencing, Ms Klimovitch's daughters have delivered powerful statements in a NSW court.
Close up of two women.

Construction giant calls in administrators leaving 21 multimillion-dollar developments dangling

St Hilliers is placed into voluntary administration as work halts on its developments around Australia, including major projects in Newcastle, the Central Coast and Brisbane.
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Artist impression of retirement village being built trackside in Brisbane.

Live chicken allegedly thrown to alligators in incident likened to 'David Attenborough documentary'

A man has pleaded not guilty to allegedly removing a live silky bantam chicken, called Betty White, from a wildlife park enclosure and throwing it into a nearby alligator enclosure.
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A white silky bantam chicken.

Hopeful of job opportunities, residents rally in support of offshore wind farms

After months of protests against offshore wind farm projects, people have gathered in support of turbines being developed off Australia's east coast, hopeful of more work and job security.
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Two young women standing side by side.

Major research funding for childhood brain cancers gives families hope

The federal government says up to $20 million will be made available over seven years to find treatments for childhood brain cancers, including Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
Eve Daher smiling with a balloon in the shape of the number eight.

Cheerleading isn't 'meant just for females' according to this 13yo boy headed for world championships

Thirteen-year-old Loghan Sculthorpe has made the Australian squad for the World Cheerleading Championships where he'll compete with a male teammate for the first time.
Young boy in team lycra green and black standing held up by girls holding one leg up behind him as flier in a cheer stunt.

Copper thieves trigger three-week Telstra outage, pipeline blowout in NSW wine country

One business owner had his water pipes blow out because he was unable to monitor the pressure of his 140-kilometre-long system.
A power police with three wires, one of which has been cut.

Funding flows for high-speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle, but scepticism on timeline remains

Advocates welcome $80 million in federal funding for a high-speed rail business case, but say with the project still many years away, upgrades to the existing line must also be prioritised.
A map of Newcastle to Sydney train line. The nose of a bullet train.

Unregistered vehicles could be used to prevent 'catastrophic' bushfires in new trial

The NSW Rural Fire Service says the trial is an opportunity to improve its relationship with farmers and share resources and responsibilities.
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A farmer holding a water hose leaking water.

How the Voice referendum result looms over January 26 for Indigenous leaders

Indigenous people from different backgrounds and generations mark Australia Day in their own way, with some needing more time to reflect on last year's No vote in the Voice to Parliament referendum.
A group of marchers holds a large banner of the Aboriginal flag during the Yabun Festival, Sydney in 2019.

How Max Jackson's asthma diagnosis put her on a path to the Golden Guitars

Now nominated for two Golden Guitar awards this coming Saturday, Max Jackson's life could have panned out very differently had she taken a different path.
A woman with blonde short hair wearing a white singlet and jeans with a guitar strapped around her standing in a paddock

Heatwave to peak in NSW, with far west expected to cop the hottest temperatures

The current heatwave is set to see the warmest temperature recorded in NSW since 2020, before a southerly buster brings relief.
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People sunbaking at Clovelly Beach

From Slim Dusty to Nirvana, it's all good on Tamworth's boulevard of dreams

The Tamworth Country Music Festival attracts some of the genre's biggest stars from around the world, but veteran and aspiring talents alike can still be found honing their craft on the streets.
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A woman playing an electric guitar and singing

In the Hunter, offshore wind offers a new life after coal — but some locals see it as a threat

Offshore wind offers great promise for Australia, but the industry will have to win an information war to convince some towns to take it up.
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A map shows Newcastle on the Australian coast, with wind turbines in the sea

Cold case investigation into suspected murder of three teenagers leads to abduction charges

A cold case investigation has resulted in a 62-year-old man being charged over the unrelated alleged abduction of a teenage girl in the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales in the 1980s.
Composite image of two young women - Amanda Robinson and Robyn Hickie

Hunter Valley bus driver formally charged with 10 counts of manslaughter over wedding crash

Brett Andrew Button has been formally charged with manslaughter after he was accused of dangerous driving leading to a crash that killed 10 wedding guests in the NSW Hunter Valley.
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man in hoodie

'Valuable contributors to society' escape conviction for blocking world's busiest coal port

A NSW magistrate says climate protesters who stopped coal ships during a blockade of the Port of Newcastle in 2023 acted out of "genuine" concern for the environment.
A young man in a suit outside court.

Shooting gold medallist Michael Diamond's gun ban upheld, dashing hopes for 2024 Paris Olympics

A tribunal found that granting a gun licence would not be in the public interest despite Diamond arguing he could be trusted.
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A man in green, gold and black points a gun. He is wearing headphones.

Cocaine castaway haul now at 170kg after another 50kg is found on NSW beaches

More cocaine has washed on beaches between Sydney and Newcastle, with a large haul drifting into Botany this week, which has taken the total found over the past two weeks to 170 kilograms.
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An open black bag containing wrapped up packages of an illicit drug.

Photographer's 'apocalyptic' scenes of long-abandoned buildings spark nostalgia

From derelict malls to aquariums and World War II bunkers, Nev Dennard's photographs tell the story of places we may have forgotten.
A broken escalator with rubbish.

Police link outlaw motorcycle gangs to 2008 Caves Beach double murder cold case

Police are renewing efforts to solve the murders of Robert Pashkuss and Stacey McMaugh, revealing the man, who was trying to escape the world of drug dealing, had possible links to organised crime.
A man and woman wearing sunglasses.

More and more kids are refusing to go to school, but this specialist school is trying to fix that

Ava Towers stopped attending school, refusing to get out of the car at drop-off. Her father didn't know what to do, until a specialist team reached out to help.
Children in a classroom