Hunter roads: All Hunter roads are clear this morning.
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Hunter trains: There is a good service on the Central Coast and Newcastle line and the Hunter line.
Hunter weather: Sunny day for Newcastle (22 degrees), sunny day in Ramond Terrace (22 degrees), sunny day in Maitland (24 degrees) and a sunny day in Scone (22 degrees).
Hunter beachwatch: With light winds and sunshine it’s going to be another very popular day beachside. The wind will start out north to north-west before heading to the north-east in the afternoon. The swell from the east around half to one metre. The waves will be crisp and clean during the morning but will get a bit bumpy once the wind goes north-east. Around town try the Cowrie Hole, Newcastle. The Bar to Merewether stretch, Dudley and Redhead. To the south try Frenchmans, North Catho, Frazer Park and Soldiers. At Port Stephens try Samurai and Birubi. Nobbys, Bar Beach and Merewether have flagged areas but all beaches will be good for a swim. The water temperature is 16 degrees.
► NASA has agreed to name part of Mars as Nobbys Head/Whibayganba. Who’d have thunk it? More here.
► THE SON of one of Australia’s most notorious underworld figures is facing the possibility of 20 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to supplying more than half a kilogram of ice. More here.
► THE Hunter’s leading voice for victims of crime said the girls whose private photos have been posted without their permission have been “emotionally abused” and will live with consequences for years to come. More here.
► THE case against a man accused of chasing down and murdering a burglar who broke into his Hamilton home is awaiting an expert’s report into “causation”, Newcastle Local Court has heard. More here.
► Everyone remembers the day that Jennifer Hawkins, the then-relatively unknown 20-year-old from Holmesville, was crowned Miss Universe in front of the world. We take a look back to the pageants and the Hunter’s homegrown glamours. More here.
► A LIFE-SAVING treatment that delivers clot-busting drugs to heart attack victims before they reach hospital has boosted the survival rate for people in regional and rural areas to that of their metropolitan peers. More here.
► THE David Jones building in the Hunter Street mall will form part of an inner Newcastle site to be sold by the state government, it announced on Wednesday. More here.
► A CANDIDATE for Lake Macquarie mayor has laughed off an opponent’s suggestion that he and his political party will only contest next month’s council election to split the independent vote. More here.
► A COAL company behind a controversial new mine proposal near Gloucester told the NSW Department of Planning it did not believe an amended plan needed to be placed on exhibition for public comment. More here.
► NEWCASTLE Police have received a number of complaints about the intimate photos of non-consenting girls being exchanged on a controversial website – and have urged other Hunter victims to come forward. More here.
► Scroll back in time and take a look at the old shops which used to occupy Hunter streets. More here.
► Police have released an image of a woman they believe may be able to assist with inquiries after a number of car tyres were damaged in the Newcastle Local Area Command. More here.
► The Maitland Park Masterplan has moved to the next level with the opening this week of a $58,000 outdoor gym. More here.
► The refined extension of the pinkie-finger, the civilised conversation, the meticulous preparation that goes into every steeped and sipped cup of tea. More here.
► Two organisations driving a campaign to degenderise the transport and logistics industry, will meet in Newcastle next month to discuss the issue. More here.
► IN one corner of the room, teams of year 5 students experiment with chopsticks, elastic and plastic spoons to create the most accurate and powerful mini catapult. More here.
► Maitland’s National Broadband Network roll-out will be complete in late September, NBN Co has confirmed. More here.
► DO you really need that new top or another handbag? Stop and think, maybe you could op shop it and give the planet and those less fortunate some love instead. More here.
► TWO of the district’s most dedicated netball volunteers were recipients of perpetual trophies at the Westlakes Netball Association’s representative presentation night at Wangi Workers Club on Friday night. More here.
► FOR more than 20 years, Raymond Terrace artist Florence Humphreys has showed off her talents in the Weird and Wonderful Morpeth Tea Party, and this year is no different. More here.
► A MAN who is alleged to have outrun police only to be later arrested appeared in Raymond Terrace Court on Wednesday. More here.
► COMING full circle is an important theme in artist Ashley Fiona’s life at the moment, whether she realises it or not. More here.
Olympics 2016
►The Boomers are just one win away from creating history and winning their first Olympic medal after crushing Lithuania in Wednesday's quarter-final - but they won't be content without a gold medal. Read more
►Australia's underwhelming performance in Brazil is set to come at a cost of as much as $11 million per medal to the taxpayer. Read on
► Photographers were all over Rio for Day 11 of the 2016 Olympic Games. See the photos.
►Need a national news snapshot first thing? We've got you covered. But also check out what's happening around regional Australia …
►WAGGA: Gundagai’s old hospital site could now become a refugee support centre after the building sold for the second time within a year – for a skyrocketed value. A Sydney general practitioner this week purchased the building for $650,000, a staggering 500 per cent value rise from its $110,000 sale in 2015. Read more
►WONDONGA: Ed Fouslton got a shock on Wednesday morning when he walked past the shed on his Bonegilla property when feeding the calves and heard a person call out “hello”. The voice turned out to belong to missing Wodonga man Cameron Kemshal-Bell, who had not been seen in five days. Read more
►WOLLONGONG: Schoolgirls from at least three Illawarra high schools are among those targeted by a pornographic photo-sharing website that police are powerless to stop as it is hosted overseas. The graphic chat forum features thousands of nude photos of non-consenting students shared by boys and men who appear to know them. Read more
►ARMIDALE: State MP Adam Marshall has called for Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to “butt out” of commentary on the greyhound racing ban and focus on “looking after his own turf”. Read on
►LAUNCESTON: Targa Tasmania’s popular George Town Super Stage will go ahead after the council unanimously agreed to overturn its decision from last month to not endorse the proposed sponsorship deal. Read more
National news
►So what happens to the CEO's salary when a company delivers an $8 billion loss? One thing is for sure, BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie will be doing well to take home as much as last year's $US4.6 million. Read on
►More than half of Australian households have completed the census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed, more than a week after the nationwide survey was launched and then shut down for 40 hours following an attempted cyber-attack. Read more
►Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is seeking urgent talks with his Vietnamese counterpart after the country delivered what the government is calling a "kick in the guts" by banning Thursday's 50-year Long Tan battle commemoration. Read on
National weather radar
Compare and contrast
International news
►USA: Given how the figs and ferns walk off the shelves at Home Depot, it's a safe bet that had Republicans named a potted plant as a candidate, they'd be better placed in this presidential race – because, transfixed as they are by the cringeworthy chaos of the Trump campaign, Americans are set to give an easy pass to a person they find equally distasteful. Read more
►LONDON: He led the charge to see Britain exit the European Union. Now, he has been seen queuing in line at the German embassy, prompting speculation that he might be seeking dual citizenship with EU-member Germany. A Facebook user reported seeing former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage standing in line the German embassy in London. Read more
Photo special: The pubs that shaped Ballarat
In its heyday the pub culture of Ballarat was indeed something to behold. Until just prior to 1870 over 500 hotels served the town and environs. Learn more and see some amazing photos
Faces of Australia: Jack Khan
He may only be seven years old but Mount Ousley Public School student Jack Khan has some big ideas. The Year 2 student recently heard about the school’s plan to create a large outdoor learning area and decided he needed to do something to help make it happen. Read on