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
8.55am: The New Zealand dollar advanced ahead of the Reserve Bank meeting today, on optimism about global growth as China's government signalled it will support its flagging economy. The kiwi climbed to 63.89 US cents at 8am in Wellington, from 63.72 cents at 5pm yesterday. The trade-weighted index rose to 69.60 from 69.30 yesterday.
8.50am: We're ten minutes away from the live stream of the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Statement. You can catch the live stream here. Economists almost universally expect the central bank to cut its official cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 per cent.
Glenn Colquhoun, pictured at Waikawa Beach near Levin, says being a good GP is about connecting with patients. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Today's 12 Questions is brilliant. It's with GP and writer Glenn Colquhoun. He was the first poet to win the Reader's Choice Montana Book Awards for his bestselling book Playing God, and headlines this weekend's Going West book festival.
8.40am: Remember Feel Inside? The genius comedy charity song that Flight of the Conchords put together with a few musical mates, and raised a lot of awareness and money for Cure Kids? Then you'll have an inkling of what to expect when the new song and video, intriguingly titled Team, Ball, Player, Thing is revealed this evening, in aid of a new campaign called Kiwis Cure Batten. There's some behind the scenes photos with the stars of the song here.
8.35am: Here's the news from the markets overnight. Wall Street fell, erasing earlier gains, as oil slid and a record number of US job openings made investors wonder if the US Federal Reserve might raise interest rates next week after all. Oil slid, pushing both West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude more than 3 percent lower, amid concern about excess supply. Read more here.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the plane's left engine caught fire Wednesday. But today, criticism has mounted of people evacuating the plane in an emergency and taking hand luggage with them.
8.25am: Around 100 people have no power this morning after a car hit a power pole in Auckland. Emergency services were called to Parker St in Oratia at 3.29am this morning, after a car hit a power pole, northern fire communications shift manager Megan Ruru said.
8.18am:
Josh Dugan in action for the Dragons. Photo / Getty Images
Since Jarryd Hayne was included in the San Francisco 49ers roster other NRL players are looking at their chances. New South Wales fullback Josh Dugan has "spoken with his manager about possibly making the transition".
8.15am: Have you got old video games lying around your house? They could be worth a lot of money now. One collection of about 900 Atari games amassed a tidy sum of just under US$108,000 (NZ$169,000) at auction. Read more here.
The more often police are confronted with firearms, the more likely they are to assume the worst in dangerous situations. At Upper Hutt, as in Myers Park, they appear to have been confronted by men with a death wish but in the latest incident the offender was wielding a high-powered rifle and fired it at a police dog before the officers brought him down.
8.05am: A road in Wellington has been completely blocked by a slip. Upper Hutt residents be warned Akatarawa Rd is completely inaccessible.
UPDATE: We have received confirmation that Akatarawa Road is completely blocked by a #Slip near the summit. Please use an alt route ^DB
A geyser which has been dormant for more than 35 years has caught locals off guard after suddenly erupting. The Papakura Geyser is located at the Te Puia Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley in Rotorua, where there are more than 500 geothermal wonders. This particular geyser had not shown any signs of strong life since 1979 - until last week, when intermittent "bubbling'' reached boiling point.
Yusra Hawa worries about her children still living in Syria and Egypt. Photo / Nick Reed
The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will be released in New Zealand on September 25. We will be among the first countrys in the world to get the new models. Prices start from $1199 from the Apple NZ online store.
7.50am: A car has crashed into a house in the Waikato this morning. Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on Paki St, in Huntly, just before 1am. There's more information here.
7.45am:
Tara Brown with her ex-partner Lionel Patea, who has been charged by police. Photo / Facebook
This is terribly sad. Tara Brown, the 24-year-old mother who was run off the road and beaten in the face on Tuesday has died in hospital overnight. Her New Zealand family are making their way to Australia, Daily Mail reported.
7.35am: Complaints about a "biased" and "unprofessional" school review have seen the entire report scrapped in a highly unusual move from the Education Review Office. The review of Opua School, a 120-pupil primary near Paihia, was shelved after the board, staff and parents raised concerns about what one board member called "cruel and bullying tactics" used during its December 2014 review. Read more here.
7.30am:
Yusra Hawa worries about her children still living in Syria and Egypt. Photo / Nick Reed
For the first time in eight years the All Blacks leave New Zealand shores today to attempt to win a Rugby World Cup. The two-time champions who won the 2011 title on home soil depart for London from Auckland Airport at 7.05pm.
Check out this video footage behind the scenes of their official team portrait.
7.25am: Wellington motorists, NZTA has had a report of a slip on Akatarawara Rd in Upper Hutt. We will share any more information as it comes.
HEADS UP: Reports are coming in that the Akatarawa Road has been completely blocked by a slip. We will let you know if we hear more ^DB
7.20am: Borrowers will get a better idea about where interest rates go from here when the Reserve Bank issues its official cash rate review today at 9am. This is the big story of the day, and we will have live coverage of the announcement and reaction from 9am. Read this preview story to get up to speed ahead of the announcement.
7.15am: Here's a good image that shows the weather the North Island is in for today! Definitely bring a raincoat or umbrella with you when you leave the house. Here's all the details.
, which is another teen-action series. Here's the trailer.
7.04am:Shelley Bridgeman has had enough of interior trends being overused in design. Skulls, deer antlers and cutesy words and sayings need to be avoided if you're decorating your home. Have a read here.
6.59am:Aucklanders can expect heavy rain, strong winds and perhaps even the odd thunderstorm today. MetService meteorologist Karl Loots said forecasters were expecting widespread rain right across the North Island throughout the day. The rain is already starting in Northland and will be moving into Auckland in the next hour, Mr Loots said.
Pera Smiler has been identified as the man shot dead by police in Upper Hutt. Photo / Supplied via Facebook
A man fatally shot by police outside McDonald's in Upper Hutt has been remembered as a "good kid" by a woman who "loved him like a son". Police have now officially confirmed the gunman shot in Upper Hutt on Tuesday was Pera Ariki Smiler.
6.48am: Employers are being called to change the regular working day of 9am-5pm to 10am-6pm for the duration of the Rugby World Cup to allow people to watch the All Blacks games before the working day begins. You can sign the petition here and urge your boss to Push Back for Black.
6.44am: Queen Elizabeth II has officially become the monarch with the longest reign in Britain's history. Here's how the moment is being recognised in New Zealand. A Queen who stuck with her own style over a period extending from the Turing machine to the Samsung Galaxy - New Zealand's record-breaking monarch is being hailed as an emblem of stability in an era of change.
6.40am:
Australian Brad Haddin says the decision to end a 17-year first-class career was an easy one. Photo / AP
In sport news this morning, Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has revealed a loss of hunger prompted his decision to retire from test and first-class cricket, but predicted a long tenure for new Australian captain Steve Smith.
6.35am: A homeopathy conference in Germany ended in a psychedlic overdose for many delegates and police suspect foul play. The delegates started staggering suffering from violent convulsions, delusions and hallucinations. Read more here.
6.30am: The new iPhones have been announced. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus come in silver, gold, rose gold, and space grey. They look very cool.
Yusra Hawa worries about her children still living in Syria and Egypt. Photo / Nick Reed
Yusra Hawa is safe in New Zealand - but she is still consumed with worry about her children and grandchildren in Syria and Egypt. "When the revolution started, the regime started shelling and bombing the city," Mrs Hawa says, through an interpreter and local Syrian community leader, Abdul Elah. Herald reporter
6.18am: In national news, this is a really important story for teens and parents of teens. A 13-year-old Auckland girl has been hospitalised after an attempt to harm herself in what her family say was a reaction to vicious cyber bullying. How can we stop cyber bullying?
6.14am: A new Apple TV service has been launched at the Apple event. The new system can use voice commands, like Siri on an iPhone, to search for a TV show or movie across lots of different services, not just the iTunes store.
6.10am: Here's a video of the Apple Pencil in use from Mashable.
6.04am: Apple has launched a new monster iPad, the iPad Pro. It's a whopping 12.9 inch screen. The power and speed of the can replace laptop computers, Apple said at the launch.
6.01am: Good morning everyone. It's shaping up to be a rainy day for almost everywhere today. Grab a raincoat or an umbrella before you leave the house this morning.
