Traffic: No major incidents reported on Hunter roads.

Trains: Delays on the Hunter and Newcastle lines. Buses replaced the 6.07am Scone to Hamilton train due to mechanical repairs. Passengers have been urged to allow extra travel time as a result. Delays can also be expected between Sydney and Newcastle due to urgent signal repairs at Cockle Creek. 

Beachwatch: Good chance of some clean big waves during the morning. Wind is keeping the swell off the coast so some beaches will seem smaller. Swells from the south increasing 2 to 3m with a 2nd swell from the East at 1m.Wind moderate West to S/W. Low tide is first up and that will suit Nobbys Reef and Bank.Few bigger sets off Pogos and Merewether.Looking for some protection,then try Blacksmiths and Catho in the corners to the south. Fingal up at Port Stephens. Only swim at patrolled beaches with sweeps running north.Erosion in southern corners and water temps on 19C.

THE University of Newcastle says “The World Needs New”. Staff say they need to know whether they still have jobs. Read more.

THE “outstanding” actions of a Hunter man who saved the life of an unconscious swimmer at south Newcastle Beach last year have been recognised at Government House. Read more.

THE Hunter has contributed more than $20 billion to the state’s coffers through the sale of publicly-owned entities over almost three decades, a new analysis reveals. Read more.

Preparation for a Port Stephens koala hospital and ecotourism facility has begun, with preliminary site works likely within a month. Read more.

SPECIALIST detectives have released images of two gunmen suspected of carefully choosing their time before storming the Swansea Workers Club and pointing a sawn-off shotgun at staff during a violent armed robbery earlier this year. Read more.

A Lake Macquarie campaign is tackling ugly parent syndrome at junior sport. Read more.

DANE Gagai insists his focus is on the Knights and has refused to buy into speculation that the Origin star is poised to sign a lucrative three-year deal with South Sydney. Read more.

THE recruitment of New Zealand international goalkeeper Glen Moss is just the start as the Jets go “full throttle” to build a squad capable of challenging for the A-League. Read more.

Need a national news snapshot first thing – well, we have you covered. 

► BALLARAT, VIC: A former Ballarat man who killed and dismembered his Indonesian partner before taking his own life in 2014 had seen a doctor for anxiety, depression and a sleep disorder in the weeks before their deaths, an inquest has heard.

► PORT MACQUARIE, NSW: The decision to include Port Macquarie Base Hospital in a trial of medicinal cannabis has met with a strongly favourable response. Crescent Head resident Tony Bower is an advocate for the use of medicinal cannabis. He operates Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd. One of his patients is 12 year old Jai Whitelaw from Queensland who was diagnosed with three rare forms of epilepsy as a five year old in 2010.

► TASMANIA: A petition has been started to ban child sex offender Nicolaas Bester from the University of Tasmania Hobart campus and terminate his PhD scholarship. National Union of Students women’s officer and University of Tasmania student, Heidi La Paglia, started the petition which demands that the university take this action in the interests of student safety.

► BENDIGO, VIC: Beccky Johns was a passionate supporter of Kidney Health Australia and its work with kids, so no doubt her dad Paul will be channelling her enthusiasm when he embarks on the 4000-kilometre Kidney Kar Rally in a few months’ time.

► HUNTER, NSW: The Hunter has contributed more than $20 billion to the state’s coffers through the sale of publicly-owned entities over almost three decades, a new analysis reveals.

► TASMANIA: Tasmania Police officers will soon have extra protection with the introduction of body cameras. Police Minister Rene Hidding announced the $3.4 million state budget commitment to police safety on Monday. The funds will allow the roll out of Body Worn Cameras for all frontline officers in the state over the next four years.

► WESTERN VICTORIA: A speeding driver who allegedly evaded police for about 250 kilometres was arrested after his tyres were spiked during a major police operation.

► NOWRA, NSW: Rubbish dumped at the Salvation Army’s South Nowra store is costing the organisation more than $20,000 a year.

► Papua New Guinea police have conceded multiple gunshots were fired into Australia's refugee compound on Manus Island during an Easter rampage that has been shrouded in mystery and conjecture. It followed a report by charity Amnesty International claiming to have established "with a degree of certainty" that bullets were fired into the regional processing centre, despite initial police denials.

► Former prime ministers Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, whose famous clashes were some of the most hostile in Australian political history, will both be presented with honorary doctorates by Israeli universities this week.

► The tweets started just after 9pm on Friday and kept coming relentlessly, in alphabetical order, for the next 48 hours. Over 2000 tweets in total – all aimed at Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young – listing how much each public school in NSW would lose unless the Turnbull government funds the six-year Gonski agreements in full.

► Marine scientists heading out on a month-long voyage to explore for the first time the deep waters off Australia's east coast, estimate that up to half of all animals they encounter will be new species or, at least, ones never seen in Australian waters. Led by Museums Victoria, the international team of researchers will sample and film the cold, dark abyss that begins where Australia's continental shelf ends.

► The jury has been sworn in for the trial of Australian entertainer Rolf Harris who is accused of four counts of indecent assault against three women, two of whom were teenagers..

► Australian woman Sara Connor has had her jail sentence increased to five years for the fatal group assault of a Bali police officer after the prosecution appealed to the High Court. The increased sentence will come as a bitter blow to the 46-year-old from Byron Bay, who was not in court. She had faced an anxious wait for the ruling from Bali's Kerobokan jail.

► A guard at the Colombian prison where accused drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury is being held has accused the Australian of being an attention seeker and lying about the conditions inside the facility, Channel Nine reports..

1953: Happy birthday Pierce Brosnan! The Irish-American actor turns 64 today. He is also known by Bond, James Bond, having been the fifth actor to portray the secret agent. But his talents don’t end there. Check out Brosnan in action during the 2008 musical Mamma Mia!:

WELL-KNOWN NSW Ambulance inspector Steve Towle will take to the road for his last shift on Friday, May 19, bringing to a close a tremendous 42 years of dedicated service.

Based at Port Macquarie for the past 30 years, Mr Towle will take with him a sense of pride at the many patients he has treated and assisted along the way.

“I will miss the interaction with patients, making them feel better and reassuring them. A lot of our patients are aged 80 and over and reassurance goes a long way,” he said.

Mr Towle signed up in November 1975 at age 18, inspired by his father Fred who had been an honourary (volunteer paramedic) for about 10 years.

“I started out working in a bank, which didn’t inspire me that much. So I had a think about what I liked to do,” Mr Towle said. Read more.