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8.30am That's it from us this morning. Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the nice weather! See you Tuesday - three-day weekend, here I come!
8.12am Have you bought your tickets to Little Shop of Horrors yet? It opens at the IPAC in January.
8.10am Can anyone else relate to this?! Seriously, I spend my off days in work-out wear - so comfy!
8.08am Rookie Eatery opens in Keira St today. Can't wait to check it out!
8.06am LOCAL NEWS: Atmospheric levels of a key ozone-depleting chemical are on the increase but the rise appears to be a symptom of climate change rather than additional sources of the destructive substance, according to international researchers including three from the University of Wollongong.
*Here's the full story.
8.04am The Mercury has a marquee at this weekend's Viva La Gong. Come & meet our mascot Max the Newshound (he's very nice!) - we've also got colouring for the kids & paper giveaways.
8.02am TECH TALK: Security researchers have discovered new malware targeting Apple's iOS mobile operating system and OS X for Macs by going through USB connections. Read more.
8am CELEB GOSS ALERT: David & Victoria Beckham's son Romeo has modelled in his second fashion shoot, this time for Burberry. Did we mention he's only 12?!
7.58am Good morning! Welcome if you're just tuning in. We're in for a partly cloudy day with a top of 22 degrees. All good on the roads & rail.
7.56am WORLD NEWS: Bali police say they now have in custody the man who slit the throat of Australian expatriate Bob Ellis, allegedly at the orders of his wife. Read more.
7.54am This new shot at Amigos looks both delicious & deadly - why not head there tonight & try the Strawberry Sin?
7.52am This summer is all about culottes, slides & midriffs. Should you brave the trends? Check out how to wear some of the more trickier fads.
7.50am Diesel is playing at the IPAC tomorrow night.
7.48am SYDNEY: A woman sitting in her car has been injured by a shopping trolley hurled from the roof of a shopping centre car park in Sydney's south.
7.46am Can you believe it has been 18 years since The Spice Girl's first album was released!? WOAH! I played that thing until it broke.
7.44am NSW: A dermatologist abused his position as a doctor to emotionally manipulate and then indecently assault a Sydney woman who came to his clinic to have a spot examined, a court has heard.
7.42am The Forager's markets are on again this Sunday in Bulli.
7.40am HEALTH: For the first time in history, Australian men can expect to live past 80. The breakthrough, revealed on Thursday, means that Australia has joined an elite group of countries. Read more.
7.38am A little Friday morning funny for you - seriously, do these people think!?
7.36am Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out Laura Jackson's one woman show Handle It at the Phoenix Theatre.
7.34am LOCAL NEWS: The dangerous zebra crossing outside Coledale Public School will be gone by the end of the summer holidays, replaced with a set of traffic lights.
*Reporter Glen Humphries has the story.
7.32am Okay, who doesn't love a good chocolate crackle?! They are a child's birthday party STAPLE. Whip some up this weekend. So. damn. good.
7.30am Struggle to boil an egg? Welcome to my world! This should help - a handy guide on how to create the perfect boiled egg.
7.28am Don't forget the Walk for Cass is on Sunday.
7.26am NATIONAL: Clive Palmer says he doesn't support Jacqui Lambie's call for soldiers to hijack Remembrance Day ceremonies and turn their backs on government MPs in protest against their meagre pay rise.
7.24am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Rachel Bilson has given birth to a baby girl! She & partner Hayden Christiensen called their little girl Briar Rose. Oh, sweet.
7.22am It seems President Obama is a Taylor Swift fan! Watch him sing Shake it Off - kind of.
7.20am TV NEWS: Have you been watching Beauty & the Geek? Normally I do but after The Bachelor, I needed a break from reality TV. But, apparently one of the contestants, Tate Putnins, is set to be an underwear model.
7.18am MH17: New remains found at the crash site of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will be flown to the Netherlands on Saturday for identification, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has revealed in Canberra.
7.16am Look at this orphaned baby sea otter. Cute overload, internet breaking.
7.14am LOCAL NEWS: Wollongong's Liberal, Greens and independent councillors are set to flex their environmental muscles at next week's council meeting, proposing a swag of motions covering coal seam gas mining, climate change, air quality and fishing in protected marine zones.
*Reporter Kate McIlwain has the story.
7.12am Viva La Gong is on in Macabe Park tomorrow.
7.10am WORLD NEWS: A US man has been arrested after police said he killed his girlfriend, posted pictures of her body online with chilling descriptions of the slaying, and wrote that he wanted authorities to find him and kill him.
7.08am Arr, that age old debate about kids' birthday parties - should you drop $3000 for the petting zoo & clown or just wrap up a pass-the-parcel and call it a day? This writer says whatever you do, just make your child the centre of attention & they will love it.
7.06am MOVIE NEWS: The producers of the latest Star Wars movie have announced the title of the upcoming film. Drum roll please: The Force Awakens.
7.04am Love water slides? Then you'll love these scream-inducing rides - some of these look terrifying!
7.02am LOCAL SPORT: Hawks off-season recruit Adam Ballinger rolled his ankle during Tuesday’s training session and is no certainty to take on the Kings.
7am Look at these sleepy puppies who found somewhere really odd to nap.
6.58am Good morning! Welcome if you're just tuning in. We're in for a partly cloudy day with a top of 22 degrees. All good on the roads & rail.
6.56am LOCAL NEWS: Trains will stop at the new Shellharbour Junction station from Saturday, November 22.
*Reporter Glen Humphries has the story.
6.54am Want to win a season pass to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra? Click here for all the details.
6.52am I love funny posts from kids - these letters to Santa are CLASSIC. "You BETTER bring my pony this year or there WILL BE consequences".
6.50am WORLD NEWS: Analysts say the days of easy and rapid gains for IS may be coming to a close in Iraq, as the group's momentum appears to be stalling.
6.48am Annie opens at Roo Theatre tonight. Read all about it here.
6.46am STRANGE BUT TRUE: A very clever scientist has developed a system to turn Coca Cola into clean drinking water.
6.44am MOVIE NEWS: Interstellar, starring Matthew McCounaghey and Anne Hathaway, hit cinemas yesterday. And the SMH has given it a bit of a panning.
6.42am Have you been snapped out & about in the Illawarra this week? Check out our social pics gallery - you never know who you might spot!
6.40am NATIONAL: It's the photo that captured the awkward moment Julia Gillard & Kevin Rudd almost found themselves sitting side-by-side at Wednesday's state memorial service for Gough Whitlam. Tots awks!
6.38am Australia is set to take on Samoa at WIN Stadium on Sunday.
6.36am It was Oaks Day in Melbourne yesterday & the crazy headwear just keeps on coming. Bec Judd appears to be going for a superhero look.
6.34am Coles has again been caught misleading and deceiving customers about the freshness of its grocery staples. First it was the "freshly baked" bread, now it is the "spring" apples. Read more.
6.32am LOCAL NEWS: Illawarra Live Steamers has sent thanks to the community for supporting the club through recent thefts, after a second stolen train was recovered in Berkeley.
*Police reporter Josh Butler has the story.
6.30am Looking to whip something up in the kitchen this weekend? Try these Nutella Brownie Bites. 'Nuff said.
6.28am Art Arena Gallery in Wollongong is celebrating its 30th birthday tonight with a purple carpet event. Tickets are sold out, but here's all the details.
6.26am NSW: Authorities failed the families of three Aboriginal children killed in Bowraville 24 years ago and crime laws should be reviewed to bring an "evil" serial killer to justice, according to a NSW parliamentary inquiry that brought many MPs to tears. Read more.
6.24am MUSIC NEWS: Taylor Swift has sold more than two copies of her new album 1989 EVERY SECOND! Nuts.
6.22am Symbio has a new species on board - say hello to the Varied Lorikeet. A very pretty birdy.
6.20am Don't forget the Hawks take on the Kings tonight at the WEC. Tip-off is 7.30pm, get along and support the boys.
6.18am LOCAL NEWS: A regulation traffic stop quickly turned into something far less humdrum on Tuesday, when two men were found with one kilogram of methylamphetamine at Albion Park.
*Police reporter Josh Butler has the story.
6.16am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Selena Gomez has released a new song & video - and it's ALL about Justin Bieber. The song? The Heart Wants What it Wants. NB if your hearts wants the Biebs, get a transplant.
6.14am MUSIC NEWS: If you missed this one yesterday, AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd allegedly tried to have two men killed and faces further charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. Crazy!
6.12am How did you celebrate Melbourne Cup in 2000? Or 2004? Check out our Friday flashback gallery to see how we partied - race style - in the 00s.
6.10am WORLD NEWS: Two effigies of Russian president Vladimir Putin were burned last night at the Lewes Bonfire Night celebrations in the UK. The Sussex town, which is infamous for its celebrity statue burnings, paraded two versions of the Russian president along the streets before torching them. (SMH)
6.08am MOVIE NEWS: If you missed this one yesterday, the cast of Mean Girls have reunited for a magazine shoot - and it was everything.
6.06am And in national news, via the SMH:
*Police investigating the disappearance of Newcastle teenager Taylor Almond have found a body in a nature reserve near her house.
*Parents locked in child custody disputes and couples going through acrimonious divorces will wait up to three years to have their cases finalised as "drastic underfunding" of the Federal Circuit Court and a mass exodus of retiring judges exacerbate already long waits.
*The Abbott government should delay extending public funding to private colleges for at least three years because of concerns about shonky operators, the TAFE sector says.
6.04am Here's what's making news in your Mercury today:
*When South Australian financial advisers Anne-Marie and Peter Seagrim realised the man they trusted with their client’s savings was a fraudster they were gutted. Read more.
*A block of six flats at 17 Smith Street, Wollongong, has sold under the hammer for $2.23 million to mum and dad investors. Read more.
*Less than a month after "bollocking" the transport department over a crowded train on the South Coast line, Kiama MP Gareth Ward has got what he wanted - four extra carriages.
6.02am Let's kick things off with the latest weather & traffic.
WEATHER We're in for a partly cloudy day with a top of 22 degrees. The weekend is shaping up to be pretty nice - expect a mostly sunny day tomorrow and a top of 25 degrees. Sunday looks partly cloudy with a top of 21 degrees. We could get some showers on Sunday.
TRAFFIC All good on our roads & for the drive to Sydney.
TRAINS There is a good service on the South Coast line.
6am Good morning Illawarra! TGIF, I could not be happier that it's Friday and we're saying see ya later to this week. Hope you've got weekend plans - or are planning to do nothing, equally nice. Stay with me this morning for all the latest news etc.