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
8.55am: Alas - People tweeting news about pavlovas definitely being from NZ this morning were actually linking to a BBC story from a couple years back. Still good news to celebrate though!
8.50am: Before we wrap up for today, here's the big stories we will be following: the 31-year-old man arrested during an AOS call-out in Titirangi will be in court today. Also in the courts, the trial for an Auckland teenager accused of murdering 17-year-old Luke Tipene is set to continue today. There will also be more on the Ashley Madison saga - with the latest news being TV3 presenter Duncan Garner's involvement.
8.48am: A crash is also causing delays on State Highway 1 by the Aotea offramp in Wellington - use the Hutt Road if possible.
8.45am: There are delays for motorists in Christchurch after a truck breakdown just minutes ago.
8.42am: The Hamilton dairy owner who wrestled a rifle from a man who demanded money from his till is nursing bruises this morning. Rupan Patel is meeting with police again this morning.
8.29am: A lion has killed a Zimbabwe guide in the same game reserve where Cecil the lion lived. Quinn Swales, 40, was savaged by what is believed to have been a male lion as he followed it on foot in the centre of the 14,000 square mile park, The Telegraph reported. Read the story here.
8.26am: Here's a heartwarming story for the morning! Customers at a Rotorua coffee shop are paying it forward, donating cups of coffee to members of the homeless community. Love it!
Homeless men Jerry (left) and Victa have a hot coffee courtesy of Fix's pay it forward scheme. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
8.22am: Donald Trump is making even more waves in the US. Fox News is now calling for Trump to apologise to the network's Megyn Kelly for an unprovoked Twitter attack, but Trump isn't backing down.
8.19am: One person develops dementia every three seconds, a new report has revealed. So what does that mean for Kiwis? Read the full story here.
8.15am: Fashionistas were treated to a first yesterday. Kiwi modelling star Ashleigh Good opened New Zealand Fashion Week - the first time she has appeared in the event.
8.06am:A remarkable video showing the moment a barefoot man and a bikini-clad woman stopped four lanes of motorway traffic to fix their punctured tyre has emerged. Check it out.
Here's the vid:
8.03am: Looking like a fresh morning in Wellington - no rain at least! Here's the latest NZTA driving times:
7.35am: How's your morning commute in Auckland? We're receiving reports of heavy traffic between Greville Rd and Tristram Ave as well as Royal Rd and Te Atatu and Papakura and Takanini.
7.32am: The Department of Corrections is defending its position on transgender prisoners, as an advocate group threatens a hunger strike. No Pride in Prisons will begin the strike tomorrow if transwoman Jade Follett is not removed from Rimutaka Men's Prison, despite asking to be moved for months.
7.29am: An impassioned video by a Missouri grandmother has gone viral in recent days. Penny Hubbard strongly condemns the ?#?BlackLivesMatter? movement in relation to the death of nine-year-old Jamyla Bolden, who was shot and killed in Ferguson last week. Check it out:
7.22am: Labour's support is climbing - it has hit the 30s for the first time in a Herald-Digipoll survey since Andrew Little became leader nine months ago. Check out the results here.
The rising popularity of Labour front bench MP Jacinda Ardern is evident in the latest Herald DigiPoll survey.
7.19am: A World War II shipwreck off the Northland coast could pose an environmental risk of Rena proportions. Ocean liner Niagara sank 75 years ago when it hit a German mine off Bream Head, and is lying on its side at a depth of 120 metres. It was carrying more than 4000 tons of oil when it went down in 1940.
7.07am: A 12-year-old boy has tripped and punched a hole in a £1million (NZ$2.41million) painting from the 17th-century at an art gallery in Taipei. Read the story and watch the CCTV footage here.
7.04am: Looking alright in Wellington this morning. Hopefully Auckland's not too bad!
7.00am: There's tough times ahead for China - and the slowdown is proving tough for factory workers. Here's our big read.
6.56am: One of the US men who thwarted an alleged terrorist attck on a Paris-bound train has described the ordeal. Check out Spencer Stone in this video from Ramstein Air Base on Facebook.
6.49am: Here's a topic that's sparking debate - how easy is it for Kiwis to get a job in London? Mark Hucke wrote: I'm nearly 40! I can write! I'm bald! in response to a piece by Alex Hazlehurst who wrote about the difficulty of getting a job on her OE earlier this week.
Mark Hucke is a Kiwi living in London.
6.46am:Wellington should be in for a nice day - even getting up to 14C. Light winds and fine spells are expected, with no rain on the radar.
6.43am: Fire investigators will be at a Waikato house this morning after a blaze ripped through the building about 3am. The Williams St residents, in Te Awamutu, may have had a narrow escape. We'll have more online soon.
Liam Messam says he's refusing to worry about whether he makes the All Blacks World Cup squad. Photo / Getty Images
6.35am: A group of protesters are planning to gather in Auckland city today, to oppose a move to cut the council's unique disability advisor roles. Stay tuned for 9am for the latest.
6.32am:Aucklanders - here's a reason to get out of bed. You're seeing the current countrywide high temperature of 11.7C. Not as lucky in Christchurch with the lowest temp of -2.4C. Invercargill is the windiest with gusts clocked at 37kmh.
6.10am: It's expected to be a calmer day today after the rain that battered the North Island yesterday. Make the most of it before wet weather hits again this weekend!
6.07am: A Hamilton dairy owner took a chance when he wrestled the rifle off an armed offender who was trying to rob him. Rupan Patel told us his story - intense!
6.01am: Morning all! Bit chillier out there this morning. I'm Lauren - stay tuned for all breaking news, weather and traffic updates. Send me your tips and pics using #MorningRushNZ or morningrush@nzme.co.nz
