Saturday, June 5, 2021: Top stories from the Newcastle Herald, your trusted voice in the Hunter

Two men faced court in Newcastle yesterday after they were arrested at Lake Macquarie as part of an investigation into an alleged international crime syndicate accused of conspiring to supply three tonnes of cocaine from America - with an estimated street value of $900 million. Former leader Michael Daley has withdrawn from Labor's leadership race. The Nationals' freshly picked candidate to take on Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon in the next federal election says the Labor party appears "ashamed" of the region's energy and mining industries. Mat Croker was left speechless after being told he would make his NRL debut for the Newcastle Knights this weekend. A podcast produced at the Newcastle Herald that’s dedicated to telling the stories of "real Australians" is resonating on the world stage.