Morning Express: Thursday, June 20 8:58am: It'll be partly cloudy today with a chance of rain. Rug up - the temperature will hover around 14 degrees. See you back here tomorrow from 6am for Morning Express. Have a good one! 8:50am: On the bus network: Route 413 buses are being diverted away from West Street at Lewisham until July 19 while the bridge over the railway line is replaced. Additionally, some route 413, 428, 444, 445, and L28 buses operating through Summer Hill, Dulwich Hill, Petersham and Lewisham are delayed up to 20 minutes due to the diversions and heavy traffic. 8:49am: Taking a final look at the roads before Morning Express signs off in 10 minutes: The M4 has been particularly slow this morning around Mays Hill and Homebush Bay Drive. Traffic is particularly slow on the M2 at Baulkham Hills, Grand Parade at Brighton-Le-Sands and Princes Highway through St Peters. At Balgowlah, a prang on Sydney Road heading into the city has cleared but some delays persist. 8:41am: The comments are flooding in for this piece by PhD student and Liberal Party member Nicolle Flint who argues that Tony Abbott is "the thinking person's prime minister." I'm thinking about that. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott Photo: Ken Robertson 8:30am: Not sure what's going down with Clive Palmer. The mining tycoon turned aspiring politician has lashed out as questions about the state of his private companies, declaring it to be none of voters' business, as he runs for the prime minister's office backed by more than 100 candidates representing his fledgling party at the federal election. Momentum: Clive Palmer's Palmer United Party has now endorsed nearly 100 candidates. 8:26am: I missed this one yesterday but, geez, it's like car crash viewing. Comedian Russell Brand swiftly took down the three hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe, who look like total buffoons as they get his name wrong and have no idea how to talk to him. 8:14am: It's World Refugee Day Today. Hoorah! Australia hosted just 0.3 per cent of the world's refugees by the end of the 2012, the United Nation says. More people were forced to flee their homes around the world in one day than the total number Australia received in a year. 8:10am: A man has been charged after allegedly biting part of another man's nose off during an assault at Regents Park earlier in the year. A group were waiting for taxis outside the Regents Park Hotel in May when a fight broke out. It will be alleged a 40 year-old man had part of his nose bitten off and is awaiting reconstructive surgery. Yesterday, detectives arrested a 41-year-old man and seized clothing from his house in Carramar. 8:03am: On the bus network: Route 413 buses are being diverted away from West Street at Lewisham until 19 July while the bridge over the railway line is replaced. Additionally, some route 413, 428, 444, 445, and L28 buses operating through Summer Hill, Dulwich Hill, Petersham and Lewisham are being delayed up to 10 minutes due to the diversions and heavy traffic. 8:02am: On the roads this morning: At Balgowlah, there is a prang on Sydney Road citybound just before Manly Road. At Ashfield, there is an accident on Georges River Road at Milton Street. At Parramatta, there is debris on James Ruse Drive at Victoria Road. The M4 is slow right through to the Parramatta Road exit after a few breakdowns. 7:52am: Aside from the 457 bill, there are two other bills on the agenda when federal parliament sits for the final time this week. The Senate will debate and vote on a Greens bill for Australia to recognise overseas same-sex marriages in Australia. Also on the agenda is a vote on a bill to prevent religious institutions running aged care centres from discriminating against gay couples. One Liberal has already said she would cross the floor to support the bill. 7:41am: The fate of the government's 457 bill is coming down to the wire with Tony Windsor and Peter Slipper the two people critical to its outcome. On ABC News Breakfast, Windsor said he is still undecided. The obvious answer to [the question of whether local people should be given work first] is yes but when you start to look at the detail and the possible complications that may come out of the bill that's where I'm hedging my bets at the moment. Serena Williams in London, England. 7:31am: Tennis star Serena Williams has released a statement on her website to apologise for comments that an Ohio rape victim may have been to blame. 7:24am: It'll be a chilly one today. Rug up and bring the brolly. The temperature will be around 14-16 degrees but it will feel like 11 for most of the day. And it's warmer in the ocean than out. Water temperature is 18 degrees. 7:22am: The Wallabies have confirmed their squad for the first Lions Test with Israel Folau (now up to about his sixteenth different footy guernsey) named to make his debut on the wing. Actually, can anyone out there tell me the correct number of different team guernsey's Folau has worn in his career? 7:17am: On the roads this morning: On the M4, it's a very slow run after a truck breakdown at Reservoir Road. Significant delays building. Queues all the way down Homebush Bay Drive. At Punchbowl, lights are not working on Punchbowl Road at Acacia Avenue. At Macquarie Park, there is a citybound accident at Epping Road at Vimiera Road. At Mascot, traffic is slower than usual on General Holmes Drive. The CityWest Link is also slow this morning. 7:05am: In world news, confusion is reigning in Afghanistan. After reports that the US would hold talks with the Taliban angered the Afghan leadership, the White House now says they never had anything scheduled. It's a delicate week as NATO prepares to hand over to the Afghan security forces. 7:01am: Pollies and journos got frocked up last night for the Mid Winter Ball. Julia Gillard was "resplendent" in a flesh tone Carla Zampatti gown with black overlay. Kevin Rudd and his date, daughter Jess, were the last to arrive. It's like when you used to see a school teacher enjoying an actual life outside of school. It feels odd. 6:49am: It was a night for good Samaritans in Sydney. Onya! A passing motorist saved one woman from a brutal assault in Hunters Hill (see earlier post) while another pulled the keys from the ignition of a drunk driver's car in Woronora. A motorist contacted police after seeing a woman driving a blue BMW on the wrong side of the road in Woronora last night. The motorist saw her allegedly crash into two parked cars before driving into the car park of a nearby club and crashing into the retaining wall. Witnesses stopped her from driving away and removed the keys from the ignition until police arrived. The 60-year-old woman returned a breath test of 0.268. 6:35am: Tom Meagher, husband of murdered and raped ABC staffer Jill Meagher, gave an emotional and powerful interview to the ABC 7.30 last night following the "disgraceful" life sentence given to Adrian Ernest Bayley. "I don't know what the maximum penalty is for, if it's not for that man," he said. 6:32am: And Meninga isn't the only one in hot water this morning. Fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been handed a 20-month suspended prison sentence and a heavy fine for hiding hundreds of millions of euros from the Italian tax authorities. Planning to appeal: Domenico Dolce, left, and Stefano Gabbana. 6:27am: On the front pages of the major papers: The Age in Melbourne reports that the corporate watchdog will face a Senate inquiry into its performance that is likely to embroil the Commonwealth Bank and raise questions about the effectiveness of new financial reforms. The Australian Financial Review reports that Toyota Australia complained about high labour costs and sagging productivity at an emergency summit of car industry leaders with Prime Minister Julia Gillard but was brushed off by union opposition. The Australian reports that Labor's flagship infrastructure project is at risk of further delay ahead of the federal election as the beleaguered NBN Co considers the impact asbestos concerns could have on the pace of the rollout and Telstra tells key contractors they cannot return to work until they meet tough new rules for handling the deadly material. The Daily Telegraph reports that Badgery's Creek is firming as the site of Sydney's second airport, with the state government yesterday flagging a new town with 12,000 homes at Wilton - the spot south of Sydney where some believe a new airport should be located. 6:09am: On the roads this morning: At Haberfield, a car and motorbike have crashed on the City-West Link at Dobroyd Parade. Citybound traffic is affected. On the F3, there is an accident citybound at the Hawkesbury Bridge and it's already a slow trip. Avoid the Roseville Bridge if you can - a vehicle has broken down on Warringah Road at the bridge. 6:00am: A passing motorists has saved a woman from being brutally attacked and sexually assaulted in Hunters Hill overnight. The 30 year-old woman was sitting at a bus stop on Alexandra Street at 6.10pm when a 46 year-old man tried to start a conversation with her. He then allegedly grabbed her, forced her to the ground, attempted to undress her and punching her in the face and torso. As she screamed out for help, he stabbed her in the shoulder with a pocket knife. A passing motorist called police and attempted to intervene in the assault. When police arrived minutes later, they were also allegedly attacked by the man and had to use capsicum spray and a Taser to arrest him. The woman and a male probationary constable were both taken to Royal North Shore Hospital for treatment. The woman remains in hospital with a punctured lung, fractured cheekbone and bruising. Meanwhile the probationary constable received two stitches to a laceration to his lip and was later released from hospital. 6:00am: Good morning everyone. Much like yesterday, it's cloudy with some scattered rain today. Top temperature is 16 degrees. It's just 9 degrees right now.