nzherald.co.nz spoke to Auckland motorists caught up in the saturday afternoon gridlock, and they aren't happy. Three motorcyclists were taken to hospital after a serious crash that caused traffic to be backed up on the motorway for 20 kilometres. The scene of a serious crash on Auckland's Harbour Bridge has been cleared and the northbound lanes reopened.

Entertainment editor Russell Baillie sits down with Russell Crowe in Sydney to talk about the actor's directorial debut with the Anzac drama, The Water Diviner.

One super city would take over the functions of nine councils in the lower North Island under a draft proposal by the Local Government Commission. The plan has been described as the most significant reform of a generation, by the commission. The public was now being called on for submissions, on the new unitary authority, the Greater Wellington Council, with a deadline of March 2, next year. Under the commission's proposal, the council would take over the functions of the existing nine councils: Masterton District Council; Carterton District Council; South Wairarapa District Council; Upper Hutt City Council; Hutt City Council; Wellington City Council; Porirua City Council; Kapiti Coast District Council, and the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Lower Hutt mayor Ray Wallace along with Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, was shut-out of the Wellington Super City press conference, probably because they are both strongly opposed to the recommendations. One super city would take over the functions of nine councils in the lower North Island under a draft proposal by the Local Government Commission.

A woman has been caught on camera taking household furniture from a charity donation drop-off for the needy. CCTV footage posted on the St Vincent de Paul’s Facebook page shows the woman diving into a skip of rubbish with legs in the air. She can be seen single-handily putting two loads of goods including a double bed, chairs and other household items into the back of a jeep at St Vincent’s depot in Frankton on Sunday afternoon. Waikato general manager of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Mike Rolton, said the video showed the woman arriving at the scene in a green Jeep Cherokee prepared with bolt cutters. “She did a lot of ‘shopping’.” Mr Rolton said the woman spent several hours at the collection point. “I was disgusted that she came prepared with bolt cutters and just disappointed because if she’d asked we’d probably have given it to her anyway.”

Millie Elder-Holmes has spoken of the pressure she feels ahead of her Fight for Life bout in Hamilton on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference today ahead of her fight against Shortland Street actor Frankie Adams, Elder-Holmes said the attention from the media was the toughest aspect of preparing to get into the ring for the first time.

NZ heavyweight champ Joseph Parker will fight his biggest threat to date when he takes on Irineu Beato Costa Junior at Claudelands Arena December 6th.

A New Zealand man has failed in his attempt to break the world record freedive challenge. William Trubridge, world champion and double world record-holding freediver, is the world's best free immersion diver, and also holds the record for the "constant weight without fins" discipline. The 34-year-old attempted to dive 102m into a cavern off the Bahamas this morning. Trubridge looked comfortable as he attempted the 102m dive today, reaching the marker at two minutes, but shortly before the surface, the diver grabbed a safety line and was helped to top by two divers.

Former Act leader John Banks and Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett are contenders to challenge Len Brown for the Auckland mayoralty in 2016. Only days after the Court of Appeal overturned Mr Banks' conviction for failing to disclose donations from Kim Dotcom to his Auckland Mayoralty campaign in 2010, Mr Banks said he was giving "serious consideration" to a second tilt at the Super City job. But Mr Banks, who turned 68 yesterday, said any decision would depend on what was best for the city and who else might come forward.

A young man found dead outside a Tauranga property yesterday morning had walked half a kilometre dripping a trail of blood, police say. Police confirmed they believe a stabbing in Welcome Bay on Saturday night and the discovery of the teenager's body are linked.

Labour leader Andrew Little has unveiled plans to challenge the way the Labour Party has traditionally related to working people. He wants the party to connect better with all types of workers, including the self employed and those on individual contracts, and give greater attention to the changing nature of work.

Team Vestas Wind crew were rescued in the small hours of Sunday morning after the Danish team's Volvo Ocean Race boat was grounded on a reef in the Indian Ocean, forcing them to abandon it. Team Vestas Wind's rival race crew, Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA), diverted to assist in a rescue mission if necessary but were eventually cleared to continue racing north after it was apparent that the Vestas crew were no longer in danger.

Upon his return to New Zealand in November 2014 police said convicted killer and child abuser Phillip Smith will be held in maximum security at Auckland Prison. Video / Visual Media Productions

A 55-tonne crane has toppled over and crashed through a house in Albany on Auckland's North Shore. Emergency services were called to the Bluebird Crescent property in Unsworth Heights about 2.45pm, northern fire communications shift manager Dallas Ramsay said. "It appears a crane was moving a boat and the crane and the boat have fallen onto the house." Everyone in the area had been accounted for and one person was being treated for a minor leg injury, she said.

Emergency services were kept busy this afternoon with two serious workplace accidents within minutes of each other. One was to a worker trapped under a concrete slab at a building site in Whitaker Place, Grafton and the second was to a large crane that toppled onto a house in Unsworth Heights, Albany. The design of the slab meant that the worker was trapped in a cavity, otherwise his injuries could have been more serious or fatal.Worksafe New Zealand are investigating both incidents. The first accident happened around 2.30 this afternoon

Amanda Banks has emerged as an extremely good wife to John Banks with her "obsessive" detective work turning up crucial evidence which led to the former Act Leader's electoral fraud conviction being overturned today. Mr Banks was today celebrating after the Court of Appeal overturned his conviction and ordered a new trial. He was convicted in the High Court earlier this year after failing to disclose donations from Kim Dotcom to his Auckland Mayoralty campaign in 2010. Mr Banks appealed, introducing affidavits from two US-based businessmen who he says were at the same lunch at which Mr Dotcom claimed donations were discussed. The pair - David Schaeffer and Jeffery Karnes - both said donations were not discussed at that lunch.

Next week's attempt by Kiwi freediving champion William Trubridge to break his world record for unassisted freediving looks like a quest by a lone man in a vast ocean. But it is no small undertaking. Trubridge has assembled a team of experts to watch over him as he attempts - on a single breath of air - to swim to a depth of more than 101 metres then return to the surface. Unassisted by fins or weights, the attempt will be made at Dean's Blue Hole - a huge sinkhole, plunging to a depth of 202 metres on remote Long Island, in the Bahamas.

Ever wondered how Father Christmas gets around the whole world in one night? Why no one sees him delivering presents? How he fits down the chimney? Or how the nose of Santa’s trusted navigator, Rudolph, came to glow? Professor Steve Pointing and Professor Allan Blackman explain some of the unanswered mysteries of Father Christmas’good work in this video. Courtesy AUT University/YouTube

Prime Minister John Key should accept it’s ``game over’’ and acknowledge his office’s dirty tricks operation rather than continuing his string of recent lies about it, Labour Leader Andrew Little says. Mr Little this afternoon said Mr Key ``lied to the Gallery (reporters) on Tuesday… he lied in the House, he then corrected his lie in the House, he lied about the correction about the lie, this just goes on and on’’. ``The guy cannot tell a straight story.

Steven Adams, Center for the Oklahoma City Thunder stars in this new NBA commercial, embracing local small businesses just as they embrace him. Footage NBA/YouTube.

Hamilton Zoo’s female Sumatran tiger, Sali, gave birth to a pair of cubs on 16 November 2014 who are believed to be a boy and a girl. It is a significant achievement for both the species and the popular Hamilton visitor attraction. Footage: YouTube/HamiltonCityCouncil

A man wanted for a triple stabbing on Auckland's North Shore this morning is understood to have been caught trying to leave the country. It is understood Brent Scott, 45, was flagged as he tried to go through Customs at Auckland Airport. He was wanted by police following an incident in Albany this morning in which one person was killed and two people seriously injured. One of the victims was believed to have been a woman, and another was described as a man in his 20s. A full-scale man police search had been underway for Brent Scott, 45, after the incident on Mahoney Drive, Albany shortly before 9am this morning.

Prime Minister John Key says he has "absolutely not" lied about his contact with right wing blogger Cameron Slater. This week Mr Key twice said he had not been in contact with Slater ahead of the release of Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn's report into the SIS's role in Slater's 2011 political attack on former Labour Leader Phil Goff. However, he was yesterday forced to correct his answer to a question from Labour MP Megan Woods where he said he'd had no contact with Slater about the report ahead of its release. On Tuesday, Mr Key also told reporters he had had no recent contact with Slater.

The mother of a Rotorua man missing on Lake Rotorua says she suspects her son had an epileptic seizure while trying to swim for shore. William Rouppe van der Voort, 24, went fishing with his flatmates around 5pm last night, his mother Julie van der Voort said. The lake was "like glass" so none of the men had lifejackets. Her son was a strong swimmer and all the men were experienced on the lake, she said.

Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has arrived at Auckland District court to face the possibility of change to his bail conditions. Dotcom faces the prospect of a return to jail today after New Zealand lawyers, acting for the United States in his extradition case, applied to the court last week for tighter restrictions on his bail conditions. In Auckland District Court in Monday he was remanded at large on bail conditions set last week, including a ban on using helicopters, travelling by boat or travelling more than 80km from his home.

Labour's new leader Andrew Little has chosen Annette King as his deputy, as his lineup was revealed this morning. Mr Little revealed his former leadership rival, Grant Robertson, would be the party's Finance spokesperson and number three in the rankings.

A 12-year old boy died early Sunday morning after Cleveland police fire two shots as the boy pulled a fake weapon from his waistband.

The New Zealand Rugby Union are looking to lock up Steve Hansen for another two-year term as All Blacks coach before a ball is even kicked at next year's World Cup. In what would be an unprecedented move, Hansen could sign on and assure his future ahead of the tournament, a move that would see the coach retain the reins no matter what happened in England.

Hear from try scoring All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Kieran Read post match. The game was genuinely in the balance for 68 minutes and then wham, wham - two quick tries and the All Blacks were looking at a long and glorious summer. They had to dig deep to get home. They were rattled for much of the game. Their basic skills were all over the shop at times and they bordered on frantic.

All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick has been crowned World Rugby Player of the Year for 2014. Retallick, who played in New Zealand's 34-16 victory over Wales this morning, became the fourth player from his country to win the award presented to him in Cardiff after the clash at Millennium Stadium. The 23-year-old, who has played 35 Tests for New Zealand since making his debut against Ireland in June 2012, has thrived in the All Blacks' pack and follows in the footsteps of teammates Kieran Read (2013), Dan Carter (2005 and 2012) and Richie McCaw (2006, 2009 and 2010).