Keep the page refreshed through the morning for the latest news

8.35am: health minister Peter Dutton is speaking to media right now, denying the government will drop the $7 co-payment

8.30am: if this doesn't bring you a smile, nothing will. Look how happy these kids are to get Christmas presents. Tis the season!

8.25am: hot tip for you; the best burger in town is from a small butcher. I got the inside scoop on Bush's Meats in the new GPT, who have a small kitchen attached where they'll cook up burgers, chips, chicken tenders and salads for you. I tried out a chicken schnitzel burger, and no lie, it was the BEST DAMN BURGER I'VE EVER HAD. Their beef and lamb burgers look just as good.

And if that's not good enough, the guys said you can buy any piece of meat from the butcher - a t-bone, some sausages, a nice fillet of something - and they'll cook it for you on the spot, to eat in or take home for later. It's amazing. Try it out.

8.20am: Sydney Trains are repeating their warning for South Coast passengers

8.15am: ever had a bad holiday? Well, just be grateful you didn't have to get off the plane and actually physically push it to start. Video has emerged of Siberia Air passengers having to push their plane along a frozen runway north of the Arctic Circle. The frost made it impossible for the plane to start on its own, so passengers were asked to give it a push.

8.10am: despite reports in the SMH today, Tony Abbott - speaking on TV this morning - has denied his government is to scrap the $7 GP co-payment measures

8.05am: Wollongong MP Noreen Hay has denied there has been any pressure from her side put onto her opponents for the Labor pre-selection for the seat.

8am: one last recap for the morning

WEATHER: grey day in the Illawarra today. Cloudy and tops of just 19 degrees in Wollongong, and a 40% chance of rain

ROADS: apart from the fallen tree near Yallah, it's all looking good on the highways and byways

TRAINS: Sydney Trains are recommending travellers allow extra time on the South Coast line, after rainfall overnight

7.55am: there's a fallen tree on the Princes Highway near Yallah Bay Road. Southbound traffic is affected, and RMS is on the scene. Be careful out there today!

7.50am: Woops

7.45am: we're coming up fast on December, and you know what that means - Christmas! Santa himself is dropping into Crown St Mall this weekend to launch the festive season - get all the details here.

7.40am: NSW Ambulance are under fire for not being quicker to attend to Phil Hughes after he was hit in the head by a cricket ball. It reportedly took 15 minutes and two 000 calls before paramedics arrived at the SCG

7.35am: Victorian MPs, magistrates and judges may face random breath testing on the job.  The Victorian opposition has a plan, if elected, to introduce RBTs in parliament and in courtrooms.

7.30am: on November 29, Wollongong Breakwater lighthouse and the Kiama lighthouse will both be lit red to mark World AIDS Day

7.25am: speaking of basketball, you NEED to watch NBA star Kevin Durant get into beast mode and swat down a kid's shot

DENIED!

7.20am: the woes of the Hawks continue, with news they may have to play this weekend without stars Gary Ervin and Jahii Carson. The Hawks are trying to avoid their millionth straight defeat when they play Townsville at the WEC on Friday night

7.15am: the parents of teenager Michael Brown, the teenager shot dead by a police officer in Ferguson, have appeared on TV for the first time since the officer was acquitted of any wrongdoing. They called the officer "disrespectful" and "crazy" on CBS - watch the interview here

7.10am: the ARIAs have been run and won, with no doubt some sore heads this morning. Sia and Chet Faker were the big winners, with 5 Seconds of Summer also winning 'song of the year.' Check out all the winners below, and all the news here:

SIA - 1000 FORMS OF FEAR Telstra Album Of The Year, Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Video presented by YouTube - Directed by Sia and Daniel Askill

CHET FAKER - BUILT ON GLASS
 Best Male 
Artist, Best Independent Release

SHEPPARD - BOMBS AWAY Best Group

IGGY AZALEA - THE NEW CLASSIC Breakthrough Artist presented by PPCA

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER - SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT ARIA Song Of The Year

NEIL FINN AND PAUL KELLY - GOIN' YOUR WAY Best Adult Contemporary Album

JOHN BUTLER TRIO - FLESH AND BLOOD Best Blues and Roots Album

THE WIGGLES - APPLES & BANANAS Best Children's Album

BUDDY GOODE - IT'S A BUDDY GOODE CHRISTMAS Best Comedy Release

KASEY CHAMBERS - BITTERSWEET
  Best Country Album

PEKING DUK FEATURING NICOLE MILLAR - HIGH Best Dance Release

DZ DEATHRAYS - BLACK RAT 
Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

DAN SULTAN - BLACKBIRD 
Best Rock Album

HILLTOP HOODS - WALKING UNDER STARS 
Best Urban Album

KEITH URBAN Best Live Australian Act

ONE DIRECTION Best International Artist

MOLLY MELDRUM AND COUNTDOWN
 ARIA Hall Of Fame

DENIS HANDLIN
 ARIA Industry Icon Award

7.05am: local headlines

* a motorcyclist is in a critical condition after a crash on Picton Road yesterday afternoon

* real estate agents were so overwhelmed by interest in the new development on the former Headlands Hotel site, they had to remove the apartments from sale just hours after they became available

* repairs to the Austinmer pool will not be completed any time soon, after the contractor chosen to carry out the job went into liquidation

7am: top of the hour, let's recap:

WEATHER: grey day in the Illawarra today. Cloudy and tops of just 19 degrees in Wollongong, and a 40% chance of rain

ROADS: all looking good on the highways and byways

TRAINS: Sydney Trains are recommending travellers allow extra time on the South Coast line, after rainfall overnight

6.55am: if you missed it before, here's Obama pardoning that turkey

6.50am: looking forward to the new Avatar movies? Director James Cameron is being tight-lipped about the upcoming three films, but took some time out to give them careful praise:

"They’re gonna be bitchin’. You will shit yourself with your mouth wide open," he told Empire Magazine.

Charming.

6.45am: "you are hereby pardoned from the Thanksgiving table" - Obama

"gobble gobble gobble" - turkey

6.40am: literally right now, President Obama is pardoning a Thanksgiving turkety. It's an American holiday tradition. Watch it live!

6.35am: the first Game of Thrones teaser of the season has arrived. Season 5 is a few months off, but here's a few seconds of Arya to get you excited. It's a promo for a new website, which you can sign up to for updates on the new episodes

6.30am: unsurprisingly, Bill Cosby has slid way down the "most trusted celebrities" list. Last year he was #3 - now he's back to spot 2,615

6.25am: also looks like there may be some delays on the South Coast line today, for all you train-riders

6.20am: that flooding we mentioned before near Spring Hill? Seems to have cleared. Let us know if you get into any other dramas on the roads - email joshua.butler@illawarramercury.com.au

6.15am: the ARIAs are done for another year, with Chet Faker and Sia (unsurprisingly) the big winners. Check all the red carpet fashions, and then find all the award winners and news.

6.10am: and some national headlines, courtesy SMH:

* the government has reportedly backed down on its controversial $7 GP co-payment, with reports the plan has been shelved

* Aussie batsman Phil Hughes spent a second night in an induced coma, in a critical condition with a "catastrophic" bleed on the brain

* more than 1000 alleged perpetrators of sexual or other abuse continue to serve in the defence force, an investigation has revealed

6.05am: how about some morning local headlines?

* a motorcyclist is in a critical condition after a crash on Picton Road yesterday afternoon

* real estate agents were so overwhelmed by interest in the new development on the former Headlands Hotel site, they had to remove the apartments from sale just hours after they became available

* repairs to the Austinmer pool will not be completed any time soon, after the contractor chosen to carry out the job went into liquidation

6am: good morning, and welcome to Thursday! It's Josh back with you again. Here's your morning rundown.

WEATHER: we're in for a grey old time in the Illawarra today. Cloudy and tops of just 19 degrees in Wollongong, and a 40% chance of rain

ROADS: we've apparently got some flooding at Spring Hill and Figtree. Northbound traffic on Masters Road, near the Princes Motorway, is affected. Workers are on the scene looking to clear the hazard, but take care

TRAINS; good service on the South Coast line this morning