RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today

THE two-headed corpse of a creature from the deep has washed up on a Turkish beach, stunning scientists in what they call a “rare occurrence”. So what is it?

GOOD morning, and welcome to our morning news coverage. We will be bringing you the best of what’s happening this morning, so you can get across the news quickly.

TODAY:

• Two-headed dolphin corpse spotted on a Turkish beach

• Sheriff confirms Robin Williams took his life by hanging

• Robin Williams completed four yet-to-released films. What are they?

• The moving tributes to Robin Williams

• Superman might want to take note of this guy

• Which Aussie actor will play Gina Rinehart in Channel Nine miniseries?

• Liberal Party likely to introduce conscience vote on gay marriage

• Tony Abbott suggests Australia will send military forces to Iraq

10:00am

That’s it for our live #RUSHHOUR news blog. You can get across the stories you need to know today below or go to news.com.au for the latest headlines.

9:50am BREAKING

RIP to one of the greatest and most beautiful actresses of her time.

BREAKING: Lauren Bacall dead at 89 http://t.co/DrImSjIIQw

— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) August 12, 2014

9:35am

Robin Williams had completed four yet-to-be-released movies at the time of his death.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb — Third instalment sees Williams reunited with Ben Affleck to play statue of President Theodore Roosevelt. It will hit cinemas before Christmas.

Merry Friggin’ Christmas — Holiday comedy about a man who spends Christmas with his estranged family.

Absolutely Anything — Williams voices the character Dennis the Dog and will appear alongside Kate Beckinsale. The film is due for release next year/

Boulevard — Williams plays a man who escapes a dull and lifeless existence.

First look at the new "Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb" I hope you enjoy it! http://t.co/J19NeYYvsd

— Robin Williams (@robinwilliams) July 30, 2014

9:30am

ICYMI: A few notable tweets from those close to Robin Williams.

pic.twitter.com/UEtjQ1f2zS

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) August 12, 2014

Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while.

— Mara Wilson (@MaraWritesStuff) August 11, 2014

Genie, you're free. pic.twitter.com/WjA9QuuldD

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) August 12, 2014

9:25am

Prepare yourselves, pop fans.

S Club 7 are reportedly bringing it back, S Club style.

All seven members have signed on for a Simon Fuller-backed reunion, reports The Sun.

“The seven have had a lot of big money offers over the years but they only feel the time is right now. Simon wants this comeback to be even bigger than Take That or Steps,” revealed a source.

The reunion will mark the first time all seven members have performed together in twelve years.

‘Cause there ain’t no party like an S Club party ...

9:15am

Masterchef fans out there, here’s your chance!

Are you the next #MasterChefAU Send in YOUR audition dish here http://t.co/HV4APUNE2O Applications close 17 August pic.twitter.com/aYjT8sYKMG

— MasterChef Australia (@masterchefau) August 12, 2014

9:10am

Awesome photos from space from astronaut Reid Wiseman overnight. Follow this guy on Twitter, he’s worth it.

You can absolutely see #borders from space. Here, a bright yellow line divides San Diego and Tijuana. pic.twitter.com/NwqcU3L1cB

— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) August 12, 2014

This is sand in the air off the coast of Brazil…from the Sahara Desert in Africa. We followed it to the source. pic.twitter.com/JcC4vhUlIj

— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) August 12, 2014

The #Amazon spills sediment into the clear blue Atlantic waters near Brazil and French Guiana pic.twitter.com/nn8xzqEFx5

— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) August 12, 2014

8:45am

Tributes are still flowing for Robin Williams, 24-hours after the shock news of his passing.

But an American congressman, Jared Polis, took his grief all the way to Boulder, Colorado, where Williams scored his breakout role in Mork and Mindy.

Polis dressed up as the famous extra terrestrial and took pictures in front of the house featured in the series.

Paying my respects to #mork, most famous fictional #boulder resident Thank you for making us laugh, Robin Williams pic.twitter.com/SOwCvcvdpw

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) August 12, 2014

I was at Mork's house on 1619 Pine, not 1619 Spruce;was too upset at loss to type it correctly. From back in the day pic.twitter.com/EG0UhnOf6G

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) August 12, 2014

Speaking of tributes, Mr Polis wasn’t the only one to pay his respects.

Boulder resident Wendy Darling tapes up a sign that reads "Fly Be Free Robin," as she pays tribute to Robin Williams at a makeshift memorial outside the home where the 80s TV series "Mork & Mindy," was filmed. Picture: Brennan Linsley

Leron Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, speaks at Williams' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Picture: Robyn Beck

The exterior of the house was used in the opening credits for "Mork & Mindy,". Picture: Marc Piscotty

8:20am

It has been revealed who will play mining magnate Gina Rinehart in an upcoming Channel Nine miniseries.

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford told 2DayFM Breakfast that Mandy McElhinney, aka Rhonda from AAMI’s lovable Rhonda and Ketut ad-series, will take on the crown as the world’s wealthiest and most divisive woman.

“She [Gina] hates publicity, she would be loathing this is happening, but it is going to happen,” Ford said of Rinehart’s involvement with the series.

Ford confirmed the Nine production begins shooting at the end of the month.

Mandy McElhinney will play Gina Rinehart. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

Spot the similarities?

8:00am

This story shows it pays to think ahead.

A teenager has posted an intriguing visualisation of his transition to adulthood after posting a video of selfies throughout a seven-year period.

12-year-old Hugo Cornellier began taking selfies in 2006, and did so every day until cumulating 3,000 selfies to appear in a 1 min 34 second video at the age of 19.

“It all started because my dad bought a time-lapse camera. I’d seen similar videos but I realised no one had done it to document their teenage years. And I thought, ‘I want to create one,”’ he told the MailOnline.

“I knew I was going to change a lot physically in the next few years.”

Over seven years, he believes he’s only missed around 50 selfies.

To 19. Slightly more scruff.

From 12 ...

7:50am

A Thai Airways flight from Sydney to Bangkok was forced to make an emergency landing when a cracked window was reportedly found in the cockpit.

A spokesman for the airline confirmed that flight TG476 carrying 107 passengers landed in Bali at 4.52pm.

He said the emergency landing was due to “broken glass” but did not have any further details.

The plane was forced to make the landing because a broken cockpit window caused a decrease in cabin pressure.

Passengers stayed in Bali overnight and the Thai Airways spokesman said they were scheduled to fly out at 4.05pm, and arrive in Bali at 7.20pm.

The plane with 272 passengers, under the command of Pilot Ivtas Dejkunjorn, successfully landed in Bali. Picture: Diimex

7:30am

A majority of Liberal MPs are ready for a conscience vote on gay marriage, a crossbench senator who is drafting a same-sex marriage bill says.

Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm is rushing to draft a private member’s bill to legalise gay marriage and is urging Prime Minister Tony Abbott to let his colleagues vote however they want.

Senator Leyonhjelm says there is a “90 per cent certainty” they will agree to a conscience vote but unless a bill existed, the coalition party room would not consider it.

“That does not guarantee success — you still need to get a majority in both chambers to change the law,” he told The Australian.

NSW Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm faces the media at Parliament House in Canberra announcing he will introduce a marriage deregulation amendment bill into the Senate.

7:00am

Superman might want to take note of this guy.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al-Rawi waits for a doctor to remove a bullet lodged in his head.

Pictures taken at an Iraqi hospital show a man, lucky to be alive, with a Russian 12.7mm bullet lodged in his head.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al-Rawi was walking home from evening prayer in Fallujah, Iraq, when he got caught in crossfire between government forces and rebels, Arabiya reports.

Unsurprisingly, commentators are crying Photoshop, but according to media reports, the bullet had deflected a number of times before reaching Mr Al-Rawi’s skull.

Arabiya, who spoke to the photographer, says he did not feel “pain in my head”.

He added the people of Fallujah, known as “the city of mosques”, are “courageous” for living in a city run by ISIS and rebel forces.

A lucky escape.

Mr Al-Rawi says he didn’t “feel any pain” as the bullet lodged itself on his head.

6:50am

Actor Robin Williams took his own life by hanging himself at his San Francisco Bay Area home but did not leave a suicide note, sheriff’s officials say.

Williams was found in a bedroom by his personal assistant on Monday at his Tiburon, California home, said Marin County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Keith Boyd at a press conference overnight.

Sheriff's press statement on death of Robin Williams. Not easy to read. pic.twitter.com/WjJUHEQ6uV

— Matt Young (@MattYoung) August 12, 2014

Toxicology tests will be performed and the investigation is ongoing, Mr Boyd said.

Sheriff’s officials said Monday a preliminary investigation determined the cause of death was suicide due to asphyxia.

Williams was 63 and had suffered for years from periodic bouts of substance abuse and depression.

Williams’ press representative Mara Buxbaum said the actor had been battling severe depression recently.

Just last month, Williams announced he was returning to a 12-step treatment program to work on his sobriety.

Lt. Keith Boyd, assistant chief deputy coroner for the Marin County Sheriff's Office, speaks at a news conference about the death of Robin Williams in San Rafael, California. Picture: Jeff Chiu

6:25am

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has suggested Australia is prepared to send military forces to Iraq if that’s what is needed to prevent genocide by the “murderous hordes” fighting for Islamic State.

Mr Abbott said overnight he agreed with US President Barack Obama that the situation in northern Iraq was “potential genocide”.

“No one wants to stand aside in the face of a potential genocide,” the prime minister said following talks with the British prime minister, senior UK ministers and intelligence officers in London.

Asked if that could include military action Mr Abbott replied: “Well we certainly don’t rule that out.” “We are talking to our security partners about what we can usefully do to help,” Mr Abbott said.

6:00am

An incredible image of a two-headed dolphin has surfaced after a man discovered its corpse on a Turkish beach this week.

“I noticed the dolphin in the sea and watched as it washed on to the beach,” said sports teacher Tugrul Metin.

“I couldn’t take it in at first. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I’ve never even heard about a dolphin like this let alone seen one with my own eyes — I was completely shocked.”

The dolphin was believed to have been a one-year-old calf measuring 3.2ft in length.

It is seen with two heads but shared one tail.

Turkish media reports that Turkish marine biologists will examine the conjoined, two-headed dolphin calf.

“Such a dolphin is a very rare occurrence — similar to the occurrence of conjoined human twins, ”said Ak Deniz University’s Mehmet Gokoglu.

The conjoined dolphin taken by Tugrul Metin, while he was vacationing during the first few days of August 2014, in the Aegean Sea coastal town of Dikili, Izmir province of Turkey.