MORNING RUSH: news, sport, weather, traffic and online buzz

8.35am That's it from us this morning. Thanks for joining. See you again on Monday, I hope, from 6am.

8.30am Last chance today to subscribe to our digital edition for a $50 restaurant voucher. 

8.25am Shakespeare in the Gardens opens at Wollongong Botanic Garden tonight. I hope the weather improves - or maybe it's better if its a big angry out there - they're doing The Tempest. Runs until March 30. Tickets: bit.ly/1mIC9iP

8.14am Bodies are still being found under the wreckage from Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, four months on. 

8.09am Britain's surveillance agency GCHQ, with aid from the US National Security Agency, intercepted and stored the webcam images of millions of internet users not suspected of wrongdoing, secret documents reveal - The Guardian.

8.02am Good morning, if you're just joining us. An update: 

TRAINS There is good service on the South Coast line. Trackwork on the Blue Mountains line, if your'e headed that way. Buses replace trains between Lithgow and Mount Victoria.

ROADS Our roads are looking pretty good, but steer clear of the university if you can. Major delays are expected around the university between 7.30am and 9.30am on the M1 Princes Mwy (F6) at Northfields Ave, due to the start of session. Southbound delays will start at the university exit atUniversity Ave; northbound delays will start at Northfields Ave.

Scheduled works are continuing on Mount Ousley Rd at the Picton Rd northbound on-ramp. Light vehicles travelling north on Mount Ousley road will be detoured via Mount Keira Rd and Clive Bissel Dr. Heavy vehicles will need to use the Hume Hwy or Appin Rd.

WEATHER We're in for a dull, cloudy day with isolated light showers or drizzle - a bit like yesterday. Maximum 21. Right now it's 17 at Albion Park and 18 at Bellambi and Kiama. 

7.59am The sprawling estate of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has been turned into a tourist attraction. Visiting protesters have photographed themselves in amongst the sprawling, jaw-dropping opulence. 

7.56am 

7.51am Two policemen have admitted trysts with Katie Foreman during the Wollongong solicitor's murder trial. bit.ly/OHm3dN

7.45am CELEB NEWS: Is Lara Bingle Australia's answer to Kim Kardashian? That's how actor Sam Worthington's lawyer has described her in Worthington's court appearance over the paparazzo-punching incident. Video provided as part of the court proceedings suggests Bingle may have started the fight, but I don't know ... the video is here - can you tell who started it?

7.35am It's crunch time tonight for the Wollongong Hawks, who will take on the Adelaide 36ers at the WEC tonight. Fingers crossed for a return to health from sharp-shooter Rotnei Clarke, who was holed up with the flu this week. Preview -bit.ly/1eBs1Sc

7.30am CELEB GOSS Sandra Bullock was paid $70 million for her roll in Gravity, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bullock's role as engineer Dr Ryan Stone in the space epic snared her a best actress Oscar nomination, but she also banked a $20 million fee plus 15 per cent of the film's earlier - estimated at $50 million by The Reporter.

7.22am Schapelle Corby's first words as a free(ish) woman may have been "I feel like a crab," according to a teaser for current affairs program Sunday Night. The ad shows Schapelle jumping up and down with excitement and, earlier, complimenting her driver, saying "nice one, driver. Woo hoo." It airs this Sunday. 

7.16am "James Magnussen has revealed the dog-eat-dog nature of elite swimming was a reason the Australian relay team at the London Olympics used the sleeping tablet Stilnox at a controversial bonding session in the pre-Games camp at Manchester." From the SMH

7.10am Jurors in the Daniel Morcombe murder trail have been played a covert recording of a confession by Brett Cowan. In the recording - here ab.co/1jE1R6T - Cowan meets "Arnold", the supposed big boss of a major criminal gang, who was really an undercover police officer, and a long conversation ensues. 

7.02am Good morning, if you're just joining us. 

TRAINS There is good service on the South Coast line. Trackwork on the Blue Mountains line, if your'e headed that way. Buses replace trains between Lithgow and Mount Victoria.

ROADS Our roads are looking pretty good, but steer clear of the university if you can. Major delays are expected around the university between 7.30am and 9.30am on the M1 Princes Mwy (F6) at Northfields Ave, due to the start of session. Southbound delays will start at the university exit atUniversity Ave; northbound delays will start at Northfields Ave.

Scheduled works are continuing on Mount Ousley Rd at the Picton Rd northbound on-ramp. Light vehicles travelling north on Mount Ousley road will be detoured via Mount Keira Rd and Clive Bissel Dr. Heavy vehicles will need to use the Hume Hwy or Appin Rd.

WEATHER We're in for a dull, cloudy day with isolated light showers or drizzle - a bit like yesterday. Maximum 21. Right now it's 17 at Albion Park and 18 at Bellambi and Kiama. 

6.59am "Ginger lads" unite! A UK redhead, Louis Evans, who was bullied as a teen for his somewhat unfortunate looks, has transformed into an in-demand catwalk model. His flaming locks have made him very much in demand, especially in Milan darling. And he does a mean Blue Steel. There's a nice story on him here:yhoo.it/1mJbvty

6.50am The ACTU is warning of industrial action over Qantas' decision to cut 5000 jobs. 

6.45am Like beer? There's tasting event coming up in the northern 'burbs next month.

6.40am Awww. Albion Park High School students have 14 fluffy, yellow new classmates. Students are rearing the chicks for the Royal Easter Show in April. For the meat birds section. As studentShaun Geoghegan says in our story (bit.ly/N8f6l0): ‘‘Well that’s nature, I guess – it’s how it works." 

6.35am Relatives of the men killed in new Zealand's Pike River coal mine disaster say they are disgusted at revelations a possible deal was done to drop charges against the mine's boss. A letter made public on Thursday shows the lawyer for former chief executive Peter Whittall wrote to the prosecution offering to make a $3 million payment to victims' relatives conditional on the case not proceeding. Two months ago, the New Zealand government scrapped 12 health and safety charges against the Australian, who was the CEO of Pike River Coal in 2010, when underground explosions killed 29 men including Australians Joshua Ufer and Willie Joynson - ABC

6.30am Coming up on Sunday at Wollongong's Howlin' Wolf bar is the premiere of Two Brothers and Some Friends, a short surf film by South Coast surfers. More details here: bit.ly/1hDRJsN

6.25am Check out this clever ad from a train station in Sweden, advertising some hair products. 

6.20am Official O-Week frivolities concluded at UOW last night with a party at the Unibar. Oh, to be young again. 

6.15am This is very exciting: some close-up footage of the Port Kembla Stack demolition, from the Lost Wollongong Facebook pagebit.ly/1bPbj74

6.10am ... and in national news: 

* The turbulence at Qantas under Alan Joyce is expected to worsen as investors and business figures lose confidence in his ability to arrest the airline’s decline - SMH.

* Tony Abbott has placed the future of Qantas at the mercy of a divided Senate by refusing to offer the embattled airline a debt guarantee - Financial Review.

* Australia is facing its biggest investment slump in more than 20 years, threatening more job losses and lower economic growth - The Australian.

6.04am Let's take a look at what's making news locally.

* A towering residential and commercial complex will soon adorn the Oxford Tavern site if the regional planning authority follows recommendations made by Wollongong City Council. bit.ly/1hWNAoi

* The $150m Shell Cove Marina is taking shape. We've got an aerial picture herebit.ly/1jDROPe

* Police have released CCTV images of an armed robbery at a fast-food outlet in Warrawong last year in a bid to catch the thief. Full story: bit.ly/1eB4rFn

* The Illawarra's mining industry contracted almost 10 per cent in the 12 months to September, according to the latest IRIS Profile Illawarra report. bit.ly/1kpmV0J

6.01am First things first, here's what's happening on our trains, on our roads and in the sky.

TRAINS There is good service on the South Coast line. Trackwork on the Blue Mountains line, if your'e headed that way. Buses replace trains between Lithgow and Mount Victoria.

ROADS Our roads are looking pretty good, but steer clear of the university if you can. Major delays are expected around the university between 7.30am and 9.30am on the M1 Princes Mwy (F6) at Northfields Ave, due to the start of session. Southbound delays will start at the university exit atUniversity Ave; northbound delays will start at Northfields Ave.

Scheduled works are continuing on Mount Ousley Rd at the Picton Rd northbound on-ramp. Light vehicles travelling north on Mount Ousley road will be detoured via Mount Keira Rd and Clive Bissel Dr. Heavy vehicles will need to use the Hume Hwy or Appin Rd.

WEATHER We're in for a cloudy day with isolated light showers or drizzle - a bit like yesterday. Maximum 21. Right now it's 18 at Albion Park, Bellambi and Kiama. 

6am Good morning, Illawarra. It's Friday, February 28 - the last day of summer. 

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