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
9.01am: That's us for this morning. Thanks for joining me on Morning Rush. We'll be back tomorrow with the live blog from 6am. Have a good Thursday - and make the most of the weather before the rain hits!
8.55am: Before we wrap up for the day, here's the big stories we will be covering: It's D Day for Solid Energy - we'll have the latest as the announcement breaks. The All Blacks are getting sick of being asked about the haka, as the World Cup lead up continues. We'll have updates on how the men in black are doing. The weather's looking pretty wet for many at the weekend - we'll let you know what to expect. And the latest in breaking news - all at nzherald.co.nz
Domestic cats, like their wild relatives, benefit from a diet of raw meat and bones. Image/ Shutterstock.com
8.24am: A multimillion-dollar Work and Income scheme to get beneficiaries with mental health conditions and sole parents back to work appears to have flopped. Here's the exclusive.
8.14am:Aucklanders should expect cloudy periods and some sun before showers move in this afternoon - and it is set to be wet until next week with rain on the radar through to Monday. Maybe a weekend to tuck up indoors?
Smoke alarms alerted the Boswells' three children who followed their escape plan to their safe meeting place outside.
8.01am: Goats! In trees! Here's something to brighten up your Thursday morning. More than 15 million people have viewed Michael Chinnici's footage of "hanging with tree goats" in southwestern Morocco - check it out:
Video from Michael Chinnici's Facebook page:
7.57am: This week's announcement of the proposed $261 million investment by a Chinese company in Silver Fern Farms has been heralded as a game-changer. What are your thoughts? Read today's editorial for more.
Lomu believes England fans can make the difference for the home team. Photo / Getty Images
7.48am: A rain band is set to bring heavy falls for the West Coast of the South Island today - with thunderstorms and spillover to the rest of the island possible too. Storms are also possible in Taranaki tonight.
7.38am: Court records show Caitlyn Jenner - born as Bruce Jenner - has filed paperwork to make her name and gender transition official. The Olympic gold medalist filed a name and gender change petition on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
7.35am: Riot police are using tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to beat back hundreds of people massed at the Hungarian border with Serbia. Several people have fainted in the chaos. Here's the latest.
Hungarian police use pepper spray at a border crossing. Photo / AP
7.32am: Here's the latest drive times in Wellington - traffic is building up a bit, but not out of the ordinary.
7.28am: It has been nine months since 48-year-old Leeann Scott went missing and police say it is "very unlikely" she is alive. Here's our big read - and it's a chilling story.
Leeann Scott was last seen on December 12 2014. Photo / Supplied
7.24am: The White House lockdown has been caused by an "unattended package" in nearby Lafayette Park, ABC News reports.
7.21am: A photo of a young Florida boy and a sheriff deputy has gone viral after the youngster offered to pay for the officer's breakfast.
Here's the post, thanks to the Broward Sheriff's Office Facebook page:
7.17am: Pretty warm morning out there - New Plymouth has the country's high of 13.1C while Hastings is the coldest at just under 4C.
7.13am: "Please don't ask us any more questions about the haka" - that's the call from the All Blacks being bombarded by international media about the tradition, in light of the 'Hakarena' parody. Here's the story.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw during the All Blacks team training session, held at The Lensbury, Teddington, Middlesex, London. Photo / Brett Phibbs
7.11am: A crash on SH39 just north of Whatawhata, near Hamilton, is causing delays. Emergency services are at the scene. Drivers should avoid the area if possible, NZTA says.
7.08am: An Auckland Transport worker has landed in hot water after being busted doing 121km/h on the Northern Motorway - and 126km/h on the way back. Here's the story.
Close to 30,000 rugby fans - including ex-All Black Piri Weepu (left) had a go at picking the winning teams at the Rugby World Cup in the hope of pocketing $1 million. Photo / NZME.
6.45am: The Wellington breakdown on the Ngauranga off-ramp is now clear.
6.42am: It's a big day for Solid Energy, with the coal company's shareholders deciding whether to accept the board's proposal of a gradual sell-down. The Buller District Mayor said a sell-off would be "manageable", Newstalk ZB reported.
6.38am: A beautiful sunrise in Auckland - check it out!
6.21am: A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Texas when his homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb at school, BBC reports. And President Obama has come out in support of the teen, Ahmed Mohamed.
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.
6.15am: One of the world's leading copyright experts, Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig, has reviewed the Kim Dotcom case and says there is no ground for extradition. Here's the latest.
6.12am: Make the most of the warmth today! Cold southerlies are expected to push their way onto the South Island on Friday and into the North Island on Saturday.
6.08am: It is understood fog is hampering police efforts to search for a missing boat off the Caitlins coast in the South Island. A 79-year-old man and a woman in her 60s are missing. We'll have more for you here.
6.04am: A strong read to kick things off this morning - A vindictive predator from Denmark who allegedly blackmailed an Auckland teen has been charged. Here's the exclusive.
Young people should not divulge private details online, experts say. Photo / Getty Image
6.01am: Morning all! And happy Thursday. Lauren here, bringing you all the latest news as well as catching you up on what you missed overnight. Send in your tips!
