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
8.30am: The blog is finishing up early today. Have a very happy Friday, everyone! Make the most of the sunshine, before the rain arrives for the weekend. I'll be back here on Monday running Morning Rush from 6am.
8.26am: This little boy is a candidate for best big brother in the world. Look how excited he is to find out his mum is having a baby. Too cute!
8.22am: Check out this cool photo of Mt Taranaki, stunning!
8.20am: A woman was punched in the head after waking to find an unknown man standing in her bedroom this morning in her Paraparaumu Beach home, police say.
8.18am: Here's an update for commuters taking the train this morning.
Services between Papakura & Pukekohe are running approx. 10mins behind their schedule departure times due to an earlier train fault. ^HC
The focus has served the purpose of removing children from harmful surroundings. But too many have not found the safe and nurturing environment they require. Child, Youth and Family has, says Dr Wills, lost sight of what children need while in care and what they need to receive to ensure they thrive once they have left.
8.10am: This is horrible. The bodies of seven inmates at a maximum-security prison in Guatemala were found stuffed inside garbage bins Wednesday, their remains showing signs of torture, authorities said. Read more here.
8.03am: Is a new iPhone on the way? Apple has confirmed an "invitation only event" in San Francisco on September 9, where it is expected to unveil its next generation iPhone. Apple fans, read more here.
8.00am: Taylor Swift has been bringing out heaps of surprise guests at her shows at L.A's Staples Centre. Doed singing "Smelly Cat" with Lisa Kudrow in character as Phoebe from Friends the best yet?
and watch this video of their co-workers paying tribute to them.
7.52am: One person is dead after a crash in Waiuku. Police were notified of the single-vehicle crash on Kairoitahi Rd at 5.20am, Inspector Kerry Watson said. One person died at the scene, he said. The road is still closed, but should be opened soon. Diversions are in place.
7.49am: A Kiwi singer known by the name Maala takes a step out from the shadows today with the release of his debut EP. The musician has been shrouded in secrecy, with the Auckland-based singer-songwriter giving few interviews around his music - or even revealing his name. Find out more about him, and listen to his music here.
7.45am:Go Danny Lee! The Kiwi golfer has made a strong start to the opening FedEx Cup playoff tournament sitting one shot off the lead at The Barclays tournament.
7.42am: Corrections will apologise to a transgender prisoner following a revelation her transfer request went nowhere when a staff member went on leave. Jade Follett has been moved from Rimutaka Prison to a women's facility after a protest group raised her plight in the media. Read more here.
7.38am: Awesomesauce, hangry, fur baby and rando have all been added to the Oxford Dictionary. Do you know what they mean? Definitions here.
7.34am: As many as 50 refugees were found dead in a parked truck in eastern Austria yesterday, Austrian officials said late last night. Read more here.
7.30am: About 20 per cent of women continue to drink alcohol after finding out they are pregnant - with some reporting having four or more drinks a week. Read more about the New Zealand study here.
7.25am: Motorists taking the Southern Motorway from Ellerslie to South Auckland should be prepared for delays. A crash is partially blocking the on-ramp.
A #crash is partially blocking Sthn Mwy S-bnd onramp at Ellerslie. Emergency services are on scene. Take care, expect delays ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 27, 2015
7.22am: What do you think about double standards for parking enforcers? In Takapuna, one resident got a ticket for parking on the curb of her narrow road, only to find an Auckland Council car in the exact same spot the next day. Check it out here.
7.18am: Beautiful photo from early morning Auckland harbour, thanks MetService!
7.15am: Receiving reports of another serious crash this morning. This one is near Waiuku and Karioitahi Rd is closed.
A serious #crash has closed Karioitahi Rd near Honey Rd, Waiuku. Emergency services on site. Please avoid the area if possible. ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 27, 2015
7.12am: Fonterra was heralded as a 'breakthrough idea' meant to help New Zealand 'catch the knowledge wave'. 14 years on, there's been no economic transformation, and Tony Baldwin has looked into why Fonterra hasn't worked. It's a great read.
7.08am: Here's today's great cartoon by Rod Emmerson.
7.05am: Friends and family have paid tribute to the ''beautiful, vibrant and feisty young woman'' who died after a car crash near Mt Cook on Monday. Read more about Rebecca Louise Townshend, 18, of Dunedin, who died when the Toyota hatchback in which she was a passenger came off the road and rolled about 2am on Monday.
7.03am: RadioLive has reported a car crashed into a sign in the Hamilton suburb of Frankton overnight, and one person has died. We'll be getting more information on that incident.
6.59am: The Glenmark Rugby Club has been gutted by a fire. The rugby club was where many famous rugby stars including Alex "Grizz" Wylie, Robbie Deans, Richard Loe and Todd Blackadder.
How good is this "alternative school fundraiser" from the US? I think plenty of mums out there would be grateful for this.
Photo / Facebook
6.50am: Michael van Gerwen is a really interesting guy. He's the number 1 darts player in the world, and Chris Rattue caught up with him in Auckland. "It's not about the money for me, it's about winning tournaments," he says.
Here's what you can read about in tomorrow's Weekend Herald. There's an investigation into the 13-year-old killer of dairy-owner Arun Kumar, which will be a must-read.
6.34am: It's a pretty cold morning out there, nowhere has made it in to double digits yet! The warmest place to be right now is Kaitaia, where it's 9.7C. The coldest place is Alexandra where it's -1.7C.
6.31am: The best "dad-wins" ever. Check out this funny video doing the rounds on Facebook. It's a compilation of moments when fathers have caught their kids before disaster.
6.28am: What do you think of this? A pessimistic Aucklander risks being branded the country's biggest traitor after betting $130,000 on the All Blacks to lose the Rugby World Cup. Have a read of more of the big bets here.
6.20am: If you're travelling around Wellsford and Kaiwaka this morning expect delays. There's been a crash.
#Crash on SH1 north of Kaiwaka. The road remains open with a stop/go in place but expect #delays. Avoid the area if possible. ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 27, 2015
6.16am: Mt Ruapehu has again felt the rumble of an avalanche - this time at its crater lake. Scientists are keeping a close eye on the mountain-top lake because of concerns around cooling temperatures and the small possibility of an eruption. Read more about the avalanche here.
6.13am: A prisoner's arm was broken and swung like a windmill, but Serco didn't tell Corrections about the assault. Read more here.
6.10am: It's going to be a mostly fine day today, perfect way to ease into the weekend.
6.07am: South Westland Area School, located in the small West Coast town of Hari Hari, was badly damaged by fire last night. This was the same school damaged in Cyclone Ita last year.
6.04am: A man was shot last night after a firearm incident in Waikato. He was in a serious condition.
6.02am: A laundromat and a shop in Mount Roskill were destroyed by a fire overnight. Nearby flats on O'Donnell Street were evacuated and no one was hurt.
6.00am: Good morning everyone. There's quite a bit of news to catch you up on from overnight. Thank goodness it's Friday and it's going to be a mild and sunny day in Auckland.
