The NRL judiciary will have some work to do after four players are sin-binned in Newcastle's win over South Sydney, while the Raiders blank Wests Tigers in Parramatta.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police release an image of a man they are seeking after a young woman was allegedly knocked to the ground during an attempted robbery, while a new health campaign recommends introducing nuts to babies before they turn one.

The second-placed Rabbitohs just get home against the Dragons 20-16 after the Tigers hold on in a thriller against the Knights, winning 28-26.

Cronulla grabs a spot in the eight with a win over Souths, Manly takes care of Newcastle at Brookvale and the Bulldogs beat the Panthers in Saturday's NRL.

Senior members of the Nomads bikie gang are sentenced over their participation in a criminal group, during a period of what the prosecutor described as "extreme" and "unpredictable" violence across the Hunter region.

MORNING BRIEFING: NSW Police arrest a man in Guildford over the shooting murder of Parramatta FC soccer player John Odisho, while Barnaby Joyce leads an anti-abortion rally in Martin Place.

The Roosters make light work of the Dragons with a commanding 34-12 triumph, as the Sharks and Tigers enjoy their dominant victories in the race for the NRL finals.

The United Wambo coal mine in the NSW Hunter Valley gets the go-ahead, but on the condition that its coal can only be exported to countries that have ratified the Paris climate agreement.

Danielle Easey's relatives share tributes on social media after her body was found wrapped in plastic and dumped in a creek in the NSW Hunter Region, as police search for clues about when and why she was killed.

A man pleads guilty to burning another man alive after dousing him with petrol on a deserted road south of Newcastle last year.

A NSW firefighter who hatched a plan to start bushfires "so he could fight them" will serve more time in jail than the man who lit them his younger brother.

If you suffer from trypophobia, or an aversion to the sight of clusters of small holes, you might want to take a deep breath before laying your eyes on a Suriname toad.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police have arrested 38 people following a climate change protest on Monday, and there have been more than 240 major crashes on the roads over the long weekend.

Bush schools which harness outdoor exploration and play are increasing, and teachers say they are improving engagement, reducing anxiety and building resilience.

Brenda Marney, 73, is charged with animal cruelty offences after a mutilated magpie is found at her home on the NSW mid-north coast police believe she lures animals with food before capturing and torturing them.

Hedley Thomas

MORNING BRIEFING: Former Newcastle Knights star Jarrod Mullen is charged over his alleged role in a cocaine ring in the Hunter region and Australia's country music industry is in shock after singer and producer Glen Hannah dies.

A koala joey, only months old, is defying the odds after being rescued when her mother was hit by a car in Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast. Pixie is now in home care and being carried in a makeshift pouch 24 hours a day.

Following the recent Hendra virus outbreak, an equine vet is encouraging horse owners to vaccinate their animals against the deadly bat-borne disease.

Honey from Australian native stingless bees is not technically honey and moves are buzzing around to change that.

Bound by tradition but using honey from stingless bees and Australian botanicals proves to be more than just a silver lining for a NSW distiller.

MORNING BRIEFING: Police investigate what is believed to be a human bone discovered by passers-by at a Port Macquarie beach, while a Sydney northern beach road is closed after a pedestrian was killed by a car overnight.

Pixie weighed less than 200 grams when she was rescued after her mother was hit by a car. Carers thought she was too tiny to survive, but they were wrong.

MORNING BRIEFING: A guest is taken to hospital after fire guts a backpacker hostel in Coogee, while Mert Ney is due back in court over the alleged murder of Michaela Dunn and stabbing of Linda Bo.

Today the Macleay Valley is suffering unprecedented drought, but 70 years ago it was inundated with "mighty waves as high as telegraph poles" that flooded the region and left 2,000 people homeless.

MORNING BRIEFING: NSW Sports Minister John Sidoti says claims he misused his position in a conflict of interest are 'gross misrepresentations', while Deputy Premier John Barilaro urges governments to take climate change seriously.

MORNING BRIEFING: A woman has been charged with murder after a man was found with multiple stab wounds in a Sydney apartment complex, while easing weather conditions have helped firefighters in Tenterfield gain the upper hand on a bushfire.

They were Australia's worst bus-crash tragedies and they happened within weeks of each other on the Pacific Highway. Fifty-six people were killed and 63 injured and 30 years on the pain still lingers for many.

Australia's reigning Indigenous Drag Queen says it's tough being Indigenous, gay, and drag but it's important to be true to who you are.

The honey industry is facing hard times along with other producers, having taken a battering over recent years from the drought and a string of natural disasters.

It's home to as much biodiversity as the Great Barrier Reef, but this remote area of Western Australia has been largely a mystery to scientists, until now.

The suicides of two young Indigenous women in two months have sparked calls for immediate action.

Land clearing work at the Kimberley's Yakka Munga cattle station has ground to a halt as native title holders blockade the road and refuse contractors entry to the site.

The WA Government has ordered Zenith Australia Investment Holding to stop clearing land at Yakka Munga station after a blockade by the area's native title holders.

Welcome to Roebuck Plains Station, where traditional owners and Indigenous people are taking back the reins, creating jobs, protecting country and forging a promising future, all while running a profitable and sustainable station.

A network of oil wells that involve fracking in the Great Sandy Desert, connected by pipelines to new and existing ports, may become Australia's biggest oil-producing project, according to traditional owners negotiating with the private company.

Government marketers are spending an increasing amount of money on bringing so-called influencers to Australia, but is it money well spent?

Police are called in after 'Cinnamon', a 40cm-long saltwater crocodile, is stolen from Broome's Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park.

They collect vital climate information, but weather balloons are also a daily contributor to plastic pollution levels it's a dilemma the Bureau of Meteorology is struggling to solve.