8.50am:

8.40am: A TRIAL is under way to determine whether a man caught camping on a remote property near Bundarra knew he was helping to cultivate more than 1000 cannabis plants.

8.30am: TAMWORTH’S Sam Barnett is a state champion after just one kick fight.

The Fighting Arts fighter claimed the NSW superfeatherweight kickboxing title at Blayney on the weekend.

8.20am: 

8.10am: TENTERFIELD residents hit by break-and-enters have been dealt a double blow after their bank accounts were raided by thieves.

8am: 

KOOTINGAL and Moonbi communities will come together in song at the annual Christmas carols event on Friday, December 12.

The annual community carols are hosted by Moonby House and organised by the combined churches to spread the meaning of Christmas.

7.50am: TAMWORTH’S historic starch plant and flour mill are set to double in production after a major announcement by their parent company yesterday.

7.40am:

MOREE Plains’ public finances have been given a passing grade in its annual audit as the council looks to stave off pressure on local governments across the state to amalgamate. 

7.30am:  AN OXLEY Vale man will front court later this month after raids on two homes this week.

Acting on information, officers attached to the Tamworth Target Action Group executed search warrants on homes in Manilla Rd and Kirkham Cr on Wednesday.

7.20am: And a visit from some celebs from the small screen in Gunnedah.

7.10am:   

A VICTORIAN truck driver has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing death after his truck slammed into a bus, killing the Inverell-based driver.

The emotional verdict, handed down by the 12-member jury in Armidale District Court late on Wednesday afternoon, saw tears flow from all sides of the courtroom as Michael Simpson was convicted of the 2012 crash.

7AM: YOUR WEATHER

NORTH WEST SLOPES: Cloudy. Very high (90%) chance of showers and thunderstorms, most likely during this afternoon and evening. Some thunderstorms possibly severe. Winds north to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h tending north to northwesterly in the morning then becoming light in the late afternoon. Daytime maximum temperatures 29 to 35.

NORTHERN TABLELANDS: Cloudy. Very high (90%) chance of showers and thunderstorms, most likely during this afternoon and evening. Winds north to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light in the early afternoon then becoming northerly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening. Daytime maximum temperatures 24 to 30.

Good morning everyone. Get your weather update and national news snapshot here.

TODAY: Get excited Bond fans, the series' 24th installment now has a name and some very early details.

James Bond will take on a sinister organisation with links to his past in the next installment of the blockbuster spy series, which star director Sam Mendes said on Thursday would be called Spectre.

Mendes unveiled a new cast and souped-up car - an Aston Martin DB 10 - but few other details about the 24th film in the series, that will see Daniel Craig return for his fourth outing as the dapper, martini-drinking agent.

Austrian actor Christoph Waltz would play a leading role, Mendes added, without going into more details. Most commentators assumed the sadistic villain of Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds would play the baddie.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: BETWEEN Monday, December 1 and 3.30pm yesterday, there have been 39 warrants executed across all Regional and Metropolitan police districts.

Forty five people have been charged with 119 offences. 

The offences include possession of methyl amphetamine with intent, but the majority were for simple possession (legal term) of drugs. More here.

QUEENSLAND: AN adult shop has been given the green light to continue operating from its Bloomfield Street address, despite Redland City Council claiming in October the store breached state laws. More here.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Big-name musical acts were lapped up by locals and visitors at two separate music festivals held on the Fleurieu at the weekend.

Artists Xavier Rudd, The Waifs and The Beautiful Girls were among acts hosted as part of the Gorgeous Festival, while Jessica Mauboy, Sheppard and Thirsty Merc headlined the Handpicked Festival at Langhorne Creek.

ILLAWARRA: A handful of Illawarra taxi drivers are overcharging, falsely claiming government travel subsidies, verbally insulting women and assaulting passengers and other drivers, according to a whistleblower.

The whistleblower, who is a driver with Wollongong Radio Cabs but wished to remain anonymous, claimed this behaviour keeps happening because the co-operative doesn't hand out substantial punishments. MORE HERE.

WAGGA: SERIAL rapist and killer Ken Cannon could serve as little as two years more in jail for the knife point sexual assault of a teenager in Wagga 28 years ago.

That's because Cannon must be sentenced according to the laws at the time, which prescribed a maximum 10 years' jail for his offence. More here.

BUNBURY: BUNBURY police have continued their crackdown on drugs after seizing 39 hydroponic cannabis plants in a raid on a Carey Park property.

Police have charged two people following the seizure after locating the plants in a shed at the back of the house. MORE HERE.

TAMWORTH: A VICTORIAN truck driver has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing death after his truck slammed into a bus, killing the Inverell-based driver.

The emotional verdict, handed down by the 12-member jury in Armidale District Court late on Wednesday afternoon, saw tears flow from all sides of the courtroom as Michael Simpson was convicted of the 2012 crash. MORE HERE. 

LAUNCESTON: THE state government is considering selling off more than half of the gas-fired Tamar Valley Power Station. State-owned energy generator Hydro Tasmania was forced to buy the seldom-used site from Aurora Energy last year, under directions from the former government.

Energy Minister Matthew Groom told a scrutiny hearing yesterday that Hydro was made to pay $360 million for the station, which he said was only worth $200 million. MORE HERE.

BALLARAT: A touching story out of Ballarat today about a man and his tree. The tree was cut down at the elderly man's former home, but he found som nuts, one had a seed - and he planted a new tree at his new house. MORE HERE.