Steel and aluminium tariffs: Albanese and Trump talk

Hunter landowners in the path of transmission lines are angry about their treatment after their homes and land were deemed crucial to Australia's energy needs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had a "constructive and warm" conversation with Donald Trump, after the president announced 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the United States.

Junior doctors in NSW are threatening to walk off the job after the circulation of an email written by an HR officer who likened them to confectionery.

Australian Community Media plans to move all mastheads, including the Newcastle Herald and Canberra Times, to one print publication a week as it adapts to a new publishing model.

Fire and Rescue NSW has responded to 13 lithium-ion battery fires since February 2.

Scientists have discovered that human language and whale songs have remarkable similarities in the way they are segmented and structured.

Consumers are still facing egg shortages and price rises as the ramifications of Australia's largest bird flu outbreak continue to be felt.

Jimmy Crute had to let go of fighting to learn what he was without it. But now, after finding God and a new outlook on life, he is ready for a blockbuster return to the Octagon at UFC 312.

It's a concept that comes from Japan, but now tiny forests are sprouting throughout the Hunter — including in Teralba — where a small parcel of land is now home to hundreds of plants and trees.

NRLW players are more likely to hurt themselves or their opponents in a tackle than their male counterparts. Players and coaches explain why and what is being done to fix it.

Local prepares for rare feat: Newcastle long distance ocean swimmer Craig Clarke (pictured above) has touched down in New Zealand ahead of his attempt to make a rare double crossing of the Cook Strait. He's attempting to swim the 60 kilometres to celebrate his 60th birthday. Only two others have made the double crossing before. Mr Clarke swam the English Channel two years ago.

Image credit: ABC News/Jesmine Cheong

Bulk billing access mixed: The Hunter region has a mix of availability when it comes to bulk billing medical practices, a new report shows. Cleanbill, a company pushing for greater transparency in medical charges, released its latest findings this week. The report maps changes in bulk billing and out-of-pocket costs to individual federal electorates since 2023. Founder James Gillespie says practices in the Newcastle electorate have one of the most expensive out-of-pocket costs. He says they we weren't able to find any GP clinics that were available for taking on new patients and would bulk bill a regular adult for a standard consultation. But Mr Gillespie says the electorate of Paterson had an increase in bulk billing during the past two years.

Teacher vacancies filled: All vacant teaching positions at the Merriwa Central School were filled ahead of the new school term starting last week, the relieving principal says. Last year the school was struggling to fill six full-time equivalent vacancies, mostly at its secondary campus. New data from the Education Department shows teacher vacancies across rural and regional New South Wales have fallen 47 per cent since 2023. Relieving principal Amanda Meyer says housing incentives have been a big help.

Charity overwhelmed: A Hunter charity says it's had a 70 per cent increase in the number of people needing its services since the beginning of the year. Cooranbong-based not-for-profit Southlake's Incorporated provides food for thousands of school children across the Hunter and a meal service for homeless people. Founder and 2022 NSW Local Hero Christine Mastello says without ongoing financial support it's struggling to help everyone, and the requests for help keep coming. She says the organisation has launched a fundraiser to help cover its growing costs.

Changes to ocean baths upgrade: Newcastle City Council says it's looking to make several changes to its plans for the final stage of the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrade. The final stage includes upgrading pavilion buildings including the Art Deco façade, upper promenade and surrounding areas. Following community consultation council has identified areas for change, including the layout of the change rooms and roof design, as well as the need for seating and shade. Council is now revising the detailed design. Find out more about the history of the ocean baths here.

Southwell departs Knights: The Newcastle Knights have granted NRLW captain Hannah Southwell a release for the remainder of her contract with the club. The club's director of football Peter Parr says they decided to approve a release request after extensive consultations with the 25-year-old. Southwell says she believes her departure is a "mutually beneficial outcome for both parties".

In the Eat The Invaders final, Tony Armstrong visits Mona's rural property to eat a meal entirely from the land with deer as the protein.

Perfect for busy days, it only takes 5 minutes to make chia seed puddings. Once set, enjoy it with favourite toppings from fresh fruit to nuts and granola.