Don Buck Rd and Swanson Rd were closed between Universal Drive and Metcalfe Rd. Photo / File
Don Buck Rd and Swanson Rd were closed between Universal Drive and Metcalfe Rd. Photo / File
Today's Morning Rush is brought to you by Sophie Ryan
Good morning and welcome to today's edition of Morning Rush. Everything you need to know, including the latest, breaking news, sport, entertainment, traffic, travel and weather information. Share your news tips and photos at #MorningRushNZ or morningrush@nzme.co.nz
9.00am Thanks for joining me this Friday. I hope the traffic is easing in West Auckland for you commuters. Enjoy the fine weather and have a great weekend. The blog will be back up and running at 6am on Monday.
8.53am:
Check out this awesome picture essay of Coromandel craftsman Lloyd Franklin doing his daily work. There's a video, too.
8.48am: The New Zealand dollar gained as traders pare back bets for the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates next month following the release of minutes to its last meeting, amid turmoil in global markets. The kiwi rose to 66.29 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 66.12 cents at 5pm yesterday.
8.42am: Today's Sideswipe features Italian prostitutes having to wear high-vis vests so that they can be spotted by passing motorists, and more! Check it out here.
8.28am: Do you find yourself eating breakfast on the way to work, and grabbing a snack in between meetings? Researchers from the University of Surrey say those who do not find the time to stop and have a proper meal are more likely to increase their food intake later in the day, which could lead to weight gain and obesity. Read more here.
8.18am:Here's some more photos from Banksy's Dismaland and a full story of what's happening there. A seaside "bemusement park" unveiled today by mysterious street artist Banksy has sparked controversy by featuring a Cinderella pumpkin crash sculpture which appears to echo Princess Diana's death. The park, which is billed "the UK's most disappointing new visitor attraction" and sits on the site of the old Tropicana lido in the seaside town, has been sealed off over the last few weeks and curious locals were told a Hollywood production company was filming there. But it has now been confirmed that guerrilla graffiti artist Banksy - whose true identity remains a mystery - is due to open the Dismaland show there on Saturday.
8.03am:Here's the full story on equestrian champion Andrew Nicholson's recovery from a serious fall from a horse.
7.58am: West Auckland commuters are facing delays this morning after an overnight crash closed a busy road. Just after 2.30am a car driving along Don Buck Rd in Massey crashed into a power pole at the roundabout with Swanson Rd. Don Buck Rd and Swanson Rd were closed between Universal Drive and Metcalfe Rd. Read more about the road closures and delays here.
7.55am: This is a really sad story. An Auckland boy's medical woes are caused by mould at the state house he lives in, his mother says. One of Te Ao Marama Wensor's sons has suffered strokes and is now in hospital, she told Radio New Zealand, and the poor condition of her state house in Glen Innes was to blame. Read more here.
7.45am: You've got to check out the pictures from Banksy's newest exhibition. It's a fairground called Dismaland. Here's one pic, we'll have more up later in the morning.
7.35am: The Health and Safety Reform Bill, will classify worm farming and cat breeding as high risk, ahead of sheep, beef and dairy farming. That seems crazy. Read more here.
7.28am: Yearly increases of 20 per cent in tobacco excise tax will be needed to achieve the Government's target of ultra-low smoking prevalence by 2025, if price rises remain the state's main policy lever, according to new Christchurch research. Read more about the study here.
7.22am: Top New Zealand equestrian Andrew Nicholson is home from hospital and "extremely fortunate" not to be paralysed after he fell from his horse at a recent event.
7.18am:
Caitlyn Jenner could face manslaughter charges in relation to a car crash that killed a person in February.
7.12am: Cunning Kiwi cheaters could escape being unmasked through the Ashley Madison data dump scandal after signing up with anonymous gift cards. More than 22,000 New Zealanders have had personal details included in the giant file of 36 million users of the adultery site that was leaked online by hackers. Read more here.
7.08am: It's going to be a cracker weekend for Auckland. It's been a while since we've had a fine weekend like this, well overdue.
7.04am: It's been called "The Pool of Death", and it's the pool that will determine the shape and mood of the Rugby World Cup. England, Australia, Wales and Fiji are all in Pool A, and two of them won't make it out of the pool-play. Read more here.
7.00am: Fans, family and fellow stars have turned out to pay their respects to singer and TV presenter Cilla Black at her funeral in Liverpool. Sir Cliff Richard sang at the ceremony for his friend, saying "My memories of Cilla are going to be very, very happy ones." You can read the BBC's report here.
6.56am: Traffic news for Auckland. Swanson Road is closed to city-bound traffic between Donbuck Rd and Metcalfe Rd after a crash in the early hours of this morning.
6.48am: In other sport news, Warriors and incumbent England No1 Sam Tomkins believes players should keep quiet about their selection hopes, after his rival spoke up saying he should be picked over Tomkins. Read more here.
6.45am: Australia regained some pride in their final Ashes test overnight. It was also, potentially, captain Michael Clarke's last outing. Read more about the match here.
A man was seriously injured after crashing a car into a tree in Browns Bay last night.
6.38am: Dolphy Kohu, 22, appeared to have cuts to his forehead and a black eye when he appeared in Whanganui District Court yesterday afternoon. Dressed in a blue boiler suit, he addressed supporters in the public gallery, one of whom asked: "What happened?" He was one of six arrested in relation to a manhunt that spread across central North Island on Wednesday. Read more about the court appearances from yesterday here.
6.35am:
Here you can get an idea of what will be featured in this weekend's new-look Weekend Herald.
6.30am: A US presidential candidate by the name of Deez Nuts, polling 9 per cent in North Carolina, has been unmasked as a 15-year-old from Wallingford, Iowa. This is a funny one, read the story here.
6.24am: Family values advocate Josh Duggar, one of the stars of Christian reality show 19 Kids and Counting, has been caught up in the Ashley Madison hack. His details were among the millions leaked by hackers. Buzzfeed reported that the disgraced reality star issued a statement saying: "I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife."
6.22am: Currently the warmest place to be is Whangarei, in the "Winterless North", where it's 7.8C this morning. The coldest place is again Alexandra where it's dropped to -3.4C. Alexandra has had that title all week, from memory! Nice job.
6.18am: Nearly 2000 new homes are set to be built on the city's western fringe in two major housing developments. Hundreds will be in the affordable range for first-home buyers. Find out more about the new development here.
6.14am: Here's the latest news on the bomb blast in Bangkok earlier in the week. Thai police authorities are saying foreigners are believed to be among the network involved in the bombing. They're looking for 10 people, read more here.
6.10am: Is Richie McCaw our GCOAT (Greatest Captain of All Time)? Read what Andrew Mulligan has to say about McCaw, Sonny Bill WIlliams, and Dan Carter's under-study.
6.08am: The outlook is fine for almost everywhere across New Zealand today.
Here's a cute picture and story to start your morning off nicely.
Ruby Saunders' concentration wasn't broken but she was full of animated expressions as she took on her chess opponent yesterday. Check out her cute face!
Ruby Saunders is a picture of concentration as she takes part in the New Zealand Girls Interschool Chess Championship. Photos / Jason Oxenham
6.02am: Good morning everyone. It's a clear and crisp morning in Auckland, and it's going to stay fine all day. Great way to get ready for the weekend. There might be some early morning frost in exposed places.
