Today's Morning Rush is brought to you by Lauren Priestley.
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: And that's us for this morning! Thanks for joining me on Morning Rush, and hope you have a blast this weekend. We'll be back from 6am on Monday.
8.58am: And the snow is falling! There's snow coming down to low levels around Mt Ruapehu, with Whakapapa Village and Ohakune expected to get a dusting.
8.45am: Before we wrap up the blog this morning, he's the stories we will be following: The latest updates about the vicious lunch-time brawl at a South Auckland high school, where footage of the fight has gone viral. We'll also be updating the story about a Mangere school which has been closed due to safety concerns and bringing you the latest on the sentencing of the man who was found guilty of murdering Connor Morris. Stay tuned at nzherald.co.nz
8.42am: A professional surfer who holds a Guinness World Record has broken his neck in four places during a surfing accident off California on Tuesday (NZT). Here's the story.
Shawn Dollar also incurred head trauma and a concussion when he hit a rock in Big Surf. Photo / Getty Images.
8.39am: Mourners have gathered at the site where Kiwi woman Tara Brown was run off the road in a brutal road-rage attack - she died on Tuesday night and ex-partner Lionel Patea has been charged with murder. About 100 people have gathered at the spot where the incident occurred, the Brisbane Times reported.
8.36am: New Zealand is awash with dirty money - with almost $8.5 billion worth of fishy transactions reported in just the past year. So what's being done? Read the story here.
8.33am: Free flowing traffic in the capital this morning! And it doesn't look to be raining yet either...
8.28am: The Pacific Christian School in Mangere has had its registration suspended - a first for the Ministry of Education."Serious and ongoing" concerns have been raised about the safety and welfare of its pupils. We'll have the latest updates as they come through.
8.25am: The earlier track fault at New Lynn has cleared up - trains on the Western Line are returning to scheduled times now.
8.24am: Do you start work before 9am? If you're checking in with this blog from your desk - you're being "tortured", according to a new study. Here's the full report.
Firms that force employees to start work earlier risked hurting their output and storing up health problems among employees.. Photo / Thinkstock
8.20am: Police say the brutal brawl involving Manurewa High School students was organised through Facebook. It is understood the fight took place at lunch time.
8.17am: It was a windy old night across the country! MetService is reporting 100kmh gust were clocked in Wellington while winds got up to 85kmh in Auckland and 125kmh on the Mahia Peninsula.
7.58am: More from Auckland's booming property market - this Mt Roskill bungalow built in the 1950s has sold for $830,000 more than its 2014 valuation.
The two-bedroom brick and tile house in Betts Rd in Mt Roskill sold at auction on September 2 for $1.8 million - 86 per cent above its $920,000 CV. Photo / Supplied
7.54am: John Key is at the Pacific Islands Forum in Papua New Guinea - and it's the subject of Rod Emmerson's cartoon today. Check it out:
7.43am: Want a kiss with your coffee? These takeaway coffee cups made by Korean designer Jan WooSeok said the cups initially had no nose but "something was missing". Read more in today's Sideswipe.
Kiss a cup? Coffee cups designed by Jan WooSeok.
7.40am: A major upset for the US Tennis Open - rain has delayed play for a day in the women's semifinals.
7.37am: The man found guilty of murdering Connor Morris will be sentenced today. Here's the preview - we will have the latest for you when the sentence is handed down.
Michael Murray in the Auckland High Court. Photo / Jason Oxenham
7.34am: Bit of a mixed day around the country this morning - with rain on the radar for most. Kaitaia is seeing the current high of 11C while Timaru is the coldest at nearly -1C.
7.31am: Stay safe on the Desert Rd if you're heading away today! Snow was expected to low levels overnight.
7.27am: The crash on SH20 is now clear. Expect some delays as congestion eases.
7.24am: Are you a big Game of Thrones fan?? Keep an eye out for this weekend's Canvas for an interview with Peter Dinklage aka Tyrion Lannister. Here's a preview.
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones.
When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.
7.20am: Investigations are continuing today into a crash involving a car and a Wellington passenger train. The train clipped the vehicle at a private rail crossing near Te Horo on the Kapiti Coast around 6.30pm yesterday. The two occupants of the car received minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
7.09am: Fluffy ducklings got a police escort across the road in Christchurch yesterday. Check it out!
7.06am: Police are investigating a horrific fight at a South Auckland school. We will have more for you this morning.
7.01am: A couple of early morning crashes in Auckland - a crash is currently blocking the right lane on SH20 after Puhinui Rd. An earlier blocked the intersection of Tristram Ave and Wairau Rd about 6.30am but has now cleared.
A #crash is blocking the right lane S-Bnd on the Sth Wstn Mwy (SH20) after Puhinui Rd. Traffic is heavy so allow extra time. ^LC
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 10, 2015
6.58am: It has been 14 years since 9/11 - and the New York Times has marked the day by publishing a series of emails sent from the White House during the horrific events. Here's their story.
6.51am: Snow should be easing on the Desert Rd today after a road snowfall warning was issued by MetService overnight. About 4cm was expected to accumulate but it should ease from 10am.
6.48am: Former America's Cup skipper Chris Dickson has irked his neighbours by cutting down a mature pohutukawa at his multimillion-dollar clifftop property - just days after the trees lost protection. Here's the story.
6.42am: What a cutie! Check out Billy the Kid - a goat rescued from his muddy grave by a kayak guide is making a name for himself in Cathedral Cove.
The goat is a hit with customers at Cathedral Cove kayaks. Photo / Supplied
6.39am: We hear snow could be hitting low levels in Ohakune today - any ski bunnies out there?
6.35am: Have you heard the new Cure Kids charity single? It's featuring some big names from New Zealand's music scene - including Lorde. Watch behind the scenes here.
6.32am: It will be a blustery day for many today, as two fronts deliver wild weather from both ends of the country. But there's light at the end of the tunnel! High pressure is starting to build, bringing a more settled weekend.
6.28am: Auckland bus services from Stanley Bay will be combined with the service from Bayswater between 7 and 8.15am.
6.25am: Ma'a Nonu will be leaving NZ today - a day after the All Blacks squad - after falling sick. Hoping he's A OK today!
HANSEN: "Ma'a is feeling a bit crook so as a precaution he is staying an extra day in Auckland and will fly out to London tomorrow."
6.15am: Our golden girl Lydia Ko has made a strong start in the final women's major of the year, the Evian Championship in Evian-Les-Bains, France. She is sitting three shots behind co-leaders Mi Hyang Lee and Lexi Thompson.
6.04am: A sad read this morning. The woman who died after a brutal road-rage attack had gone to the police for help because her former partner was sending threatening messages. Read the full story here.
Tara Brown died after her ex-boyfriend drove her off the road. Photo / Supplied
6.00am: Morning all. Lauren here, bringing you all the breaking news this morning. Bit of a drizzly morning in Auckland today - hope you all stay dry!
