8.30am: that's all from us! Time to start the day proper. See you back here tomorrow from 6am for much of the same. Have a good day, and be sure to pick up a copy of the Mercury!

8.25am: one last update for you before we push off for the morning:

WEATHER, ROADS, RAIL: Wollongong will hit a top of 19 degrees, with some showers to pop up through the day. The roads are looking good, and there is no trackwork or service interruptions on the South Coast train line.

8.15am: around the GPT opening too, get the Mercury tomorrow for a special liftout and keep an eye on the website for a special microsite looking at the history of Keira St; Kate McIlwain has been slaving over it for a while, and it's definitely spending a while on. Tomorrow morning!

8.10am: around the grand opening of GPT, the company is spruiking "100 events" from Thursday to celebrate the opening of the new shopping centre and re-opening of Keira Street. Get all the details here, which include rides, performances, prizes, giveaways, food, an Illawarra Mercury event all weekend (apparently) and more.

By our count, it's only around 40 events, though....

8.05am: want a peek inside the new GPT development? It officially opens on Thursday, but reporter Kate McIlwain and photographer Adam McLean had a special sneak peek yesterday. 

See more pics here

7.55am: you ever watch one of those internet prank videos, and wish the snotty kids would get their come-uppance? Well, watch these guys get tasered after they "hilariously" leave a fake poo on the bonnet of an expensive Lamborghini. Needless to say, the car's owner was none too amused by their joke...

7.50am: hooray! Just as I was pondering the logistics of distributing Morning Rush to you dear readers via carrier pigeon, my computer woke up from a 20-minute freeze! Ah the wonders of technology - as in, I wonder when my computer will next decide to take a little nap....

7.35am: when you're worried about how life is going, just remember this one from Ricky Gervais:

7.25am: see anything wrong with this number plate?

The owner, who drives a Landcruiser, claims other motorists are "trying to run me off the road" because his number plates look like he supports the Islamic State (or ISIS). He was on radio yesterday telling his story

7.20am: BREAKING: a woman has been taken hostage, then shot, during one of two armed robberies in Melbourne this morning. Police are on the lookout for an offender who escaped on a motorcycle. More details

7.15am: wanna see something scary? This is what the CIA are using to spy on people these days. 

And as you can see, this hasn't been revealed by an investigative journalist or an intelligence leak - the CIA have shown this off on their own Twitter account.

7.10am: here are your morning Mercury headlines

* the Mercury was yesterday given a sneak peek into the new GPT shopping development. It opens Thursday, but for a first look, see here

* Police are on the lookout for robbers who held up the Gerringong Bowling Club and a Berry liquor store on Monday night. The incidents are believed to be linked.

* A Wollongong man has been disqualified from driving for 15 months after he was caught speeding at twice the speed limit on Memorial Drive in August

* Noreen Hay has all but promised the ALP will build a convention centre in Wollongong, if Labor win the next state election

7.05am: sorry for the radio silence - your host is working on a computer that seems to pre-date the internet itself, so having more than one tab open at any one time is apparently pure madness.

We're at the top of the hour, let's recap what you need to know.

WEATHER, TRAFFIC, TRAINS: Wednesday will see a top of 19 degrees, with some clearing showers. The roads seem to be clear today, no accidents reported so far, and we've got good service on the South Coast line too

6.50am: how about a bit of music to liven up the morning? Check this out for a supergroup - Dave Grohl, Elton John, Pharrell, Lorde, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, One Direction and Brian May are among dozens of musicians who have contributed to a cover of the Beach Boys classic 'God Only Knows'

It's part of a BBC Music promotion. See if you can name them all!

6.45am: I always love how polite the Sydney Morning Herald is.

Good morning to YOU, big brother!

6.40am: the latest health warning for you, is that charging your mobile phone in your bedroom could be making you fat. Scientists in Spain are looking at how the glowing light of a mobile phone or other gadget might interrupt your body's production of melatonin, which helps you convert food into energy. The advice? Don't play with your phone before bed, and try to keep it away from you during sleep.

Yeah, good luck!

6.35am: seen this footage of magpie swoop attacks in Shellharbour?

Local man Trent Nicholson caught it on his Go Pro while cycling. Spring is breeding season for magpies, and swoop attacks are common - there's even been a Facebook page set up for locals to share where they've been attacked, to warn others.

6.30am: Member for Wollongong, Noreen Hay, all but promised the ALP would build the long-awaited convention centre in Wollongong, if Labor are voted into power in the next state election.

‘‘There’s no question in my mind that the election of a Labor government would ultimately result in that convention centre – that extension of the Wollongong Entertainment Centre – taking place ... I have to say I have no doubt whatsoever that would be the position taken by Labor should they be elected," Ms Hay said yesterday.

What do you think? Is it ever going to get off the ground, or is it just another pie in the sky idea?

6.25am: speaking of the sky, I was a bit disappointed to be driving to work in the pitch black this morning. Daylight savings has put us an hour back in the mornings, meaning the usual 5.30am start was accompanied by a lovely sunrise - but not today. I love the extra hour of light at night, but someone has gotta do something about how dark it is in the mornings now.

6.20am: keen to check out the lunar eclipse tonight? It's set to light up the sky with a reddish hue. It will begin after 9pm in NSW.

Get more info here.

6.15am: Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence has spoken out about the nude photo leak scandal for the first time. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lawrence said “ust because I’m a public figure, just because I’m an actress, does not mean that I asked for this,” she said. “It’s my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe that we even live in that kind of world.”

“I was just so afraid...I didn’t know how this would affect my career.”

6.10am: let's see what else is making news around the place: 

* the scary-looking sword seized during the Sydney terror raids? Supposedly a cheap plastic decoration, common in Muslim homes. Now, how did nobody realise this until now?

* Immigration minister Scott Morrison is being investigated by the Federal Police for leaking information about detention centres to a News Corp journalist. 

* just days after the Bunnies claimed the NRL crown, James Packer is set to buy into the Redfern club. According to reports, Packer will join close mate Russell Crowe as a club co-owner, buying out the stake of Peter Holmes A Court

6.05am: time for some morning local headlines:

* the Mercury was yesterday given a sneak peek into the new GPT shopping development. It opens Thursday, but for a first look, see here

* Police are on the lookout for robbers who held up the Gerringong Bowling Club and a Berry liquor store on Monday night. The incidents are believed to be linked.

* A Wollongong man has been disqualified from driving for 15 months after he was caught speeding at twice the speed limit on Memorial Drive in August

6am: good morning! Welcome to Wednesday! Hump day, the day you can start calling 'mid-week,' the downhill ride into that sweet weekend. Here's what you need to know around the traps today:

WEATHER: average sort of spring day today, with high of 19 degrees and some clearing showers

ROADS: looks to be no traffic dramas on Illawarra roads this morning

TRAINS: good service on the South Coast line, no trackwork planned