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
8.54am: Before we wrap up for the day, here's the big stories we will be following. The light plane that has disappeared in the North Island - we'll keep you up to date with the rescue efforts for the couple on board. There will also be updates in the aftermath of the Shoreham Airshow disaster in the UK, as well as the fatal crash in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park.
8.45am: There are reports Auckland traffic is turning heavy. NZTA says traffic is moving slow on the Northwestern between Westgate and Te Atatu. Turn that radio dial up and enjoy.
8.43am: State Highway 3 has been cleared after a truck crash earlier this morning near Whanganui.
UPDATE: The truck crash at the intersection of #SH3 & #SH4, Putiki, Wanganui has been cleared. Road is slippery so take extra care ^NA
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Central North Island (@WakaKotahiCNI) August 23, 2015
8.41am: The pair missing in the Zenith 601XL aircraft have been described as "a lovely couple". Mercury Bay Aero Club spokesman Tony Turner said the couple were very safety conscious. The pair set off from the Mercury Bay Aero Club about 2.30pm yesterday.
We just hope they're still alive...it comes as a shock when you hear that when you know the guy's a very safety conscious person.
8.39am: Security is stepping up on European trains after a gunman known to intelligence agencies opened fire on a high-speed train bound for Paris. Read more here.
8.35am: John Key says Serco will potentially have "all sorts of employment issues" to deal with after a review of the Mt Eden prison is complete. We'll have more for you online today.
8.32am: A controversial on-the-job teacher training programme is clocking up massive interest. Teach First NZ, which sees high-flying graduates placed in low-decile high schools, is hoping to increase participant numbers next year. It has already received 300 applications. Read the full story here.
Ruby Hale enjoys the feeling of community at Alfriston College. Photo / Jason Oxenham
8.29am: A smart motorway? Why not. You'll be able to go on a virtual tour soon.
8.19am: The citybound breakdown on the Northwestern after Patiki Rd has now cleared, but traffic remains heavy.
8.17am: An aero club operating out of Whitianga is shocked two of its newest members are missing. Mercury Bay Aero Club spokesman Tony Turner said the police visited him yesterday, asking questions about the missing pair. He believed they were in their 50s and from Waitara, northeast of New Plymouth.
8.13am: This bride and groom who were due to be collected by a limousine that was obliterated by a fighter jet in the Shoreham Airshow disaster have spoken out of their horror the driver is feared dead. Read the full story here.
Nathan and Rebecca Asekaran had no idea their limousine driver was involved in the plane smash. Photo / Facebook
8.02am: Members of the family of the two people missing in the light plane in New Zealand have gathered at the Stratford Aero Club. Club president Nick Furmage said it was a "hard area to search, right in Tiger Country".
7.59am: Another breakdown is slowing the morning commute. This one is on the Patiki Rd offramp on the North Western. Take care.
A #breakdown is partially blocking the left lane after the Patiki Rd offramp on the Nth Wstn Mwy. Expect #delays ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 23, 2015
Anne Martin, 74, believes friends and family help keep her vibrant. Photo / Dean Purcell
7.53am: In other airline news this morning, Air New Zealand has slashed lead-in fares this month in what's shaping up to be an intense regional air fare war. Read the full story here.
7.50am: Wellington is staring down the barrel of a damp day - with showers developing and a high of 13C. The drizzle should ease by Wednesday afternoon in time for a sunny Thursday.
7.47am: A fixed-wing plane from Hamilton will be scouring the area today to find the missing Zenith 601XL aircraft. There were two people on board when the plane went missing.
7.29am: The Esmonde Rd on-ramp should be all clear.
An earlier #breakdown on the citybound onramp at Esmonde Rd on the Nthn Mwy is now clear. #AKLTraffic remains heavy in the area ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) August 23, 2015
7.26am: One person is dead and two are in a serious condition after a car crash in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park this morning. We'll bring you the latest here.
7.15am: This hunter used his T shirt and duct tape as a tourniquet before hobbling more than 200m to meet his rescuers after impaling his leg on a stick in the Maungatua Range. Check it out here.
7.11am: Over Monday already? This bear looks like he is. Great wee vid from the US Department of the Interior on Facebook.
7.08am: Expect delays at the Esmonde Rd onramp to the Northern Motorway after a breakdown this morning.
6.58am: It should be mainly fine in Auckland today with a high of 16C. That's all set to change tomorrow, however, with drizzle turning to heavy rain. It should clear up a bit on Thursday but it might be a wet weekend ahead.
6.56am: Two men are due in Dunedin District Court today after an attack at a shearers quarters in Milton, Otago. A number of calls were made to police about 1am yesterday reporting a murder and stabbing but police found no-one seriously injured.
6.53am: How's your morning commute? We've got no reports of delays in Auckland or Wellington this morning. Email morningrush@nzme.co.nz with your tips.
6.50am: Up to 60,000 women in the US are told they have a very early stage of breast cancer every year. But researchers are now saying having a mastectomy or double mastectomy might make no difference in their outcomes. Read the full story from the New York Times here.
6.47am: A new witness account puts serial rapist Malcolm Rewa at the scene of one of the country's most notorious unsolved murder cases. Susan Burdett was raped and murdered in her Papatoetoe home in 1992. A former neighbour has now told TV3's 3D Investigates that she saw Rewa sitting in his truck in Burdett's driveway.
Malcom Rewa.
6.44am: A light plane has gone missing in New Zealand.
The Zenith 601XL aircraft, with a man and a woman on board, made a radio call to the New Plymouth Control Tower about 4pm yesterday. Half an hour earlier, the single engine aircraft radioed from Mokau to report poor weather conditions and indicated it was moving inland. The search will resume at first light today.
6.37am: The BlackCaps have cruised in to an eight-wicket win over South Africa, thanks to Martin Guptill's unbeaten century. George Worker, on his ODI debut, made 20 not out to help see New Zealand home.
Here's the video of Worker receiving his first ODI cap.
6.34am: There'll be a minor change for commuters on the Kapiti Line in Wellington from today. The 6.51am service from Paekakariki to Waikanae will no longer be operating. Check out Metlink for more info.
6.32am: About 30 people were arrested in a special police operation over the weekend. Read about the blitz here.
6.29am: No one was hurt in the house fire in Hahei overnight, but there will be extensive damage. A Fire Service spokesman said crews managed to stop the blaze from spreading to neighbouring homes.
6.26am: There's reports of a crash blocking State Highway 3 near Whanganui. We'll have more for you soon.
Reports of a truck crash at the intersection of #SH3 and #SH4, Putiki, Wanganui. The truck is blocking both directions. Updates to come ^NA
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Central North Island (@WakaKotahiCNI) August 23, 2015
6.24am: It's a mixed bag out there, folks. The current high of 11.2C is being experienced in Paraparaumu while Christchurch is the coldest at -2C. Auckland is sitting at 9C.
Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne since 1952. Photo / Getty Images
6.18am: Baby pandas! Which look disturbingly like soft, pink rats. Who knew they were so small? A giant panda gave birth to twins at Smithsonian's National Zoo at the weekend. Check out the video.
6.14am: Fifteen fire trucks have battled flames at a two-storey house in the Coromandel overnight. The Fire Service were called to the Hahei house fire on Wigmore Crescent about 9.15pm.
The West Auckland home has been empty since Sue Walker, who bought it for $291,500 in 2012, moved out on July 10 this year.
6.09am: There's work starting on Papanui Rd in Christchurch this morning. A section of the wastewater mains between Clare Rd and Derby St will be repaired for about two months. Stay patient out there drivers.
6.07am: Oh dear. Rain on the radar for many today. Pack your raincoat or brolly.
Alex Hazlehurst has struggled to find a job in London. Photo / Supplied
6.01am: Morning all! Hope you're not too chilly out there. I'm Lauren Priestley and I'll be bringing you the latest and greatest in breaking news plus what you missed overnight. Enjoy the ride.
