Traffic backed up on SH1 at Northcote Rd, looking north. Photo / NZTA
Today's Morning Rush is brought to you by Patrice Dougan.
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
The top things
you need to know today:
* A New Zealand woman has died in Istanbul after reportedly falling down a lift shaft.
* Sam Cane has been chosen to captain the All Blacks against Namibia.
* A crash at the Victoria Park flyover is causing significant delays for Auckland commuters; while a number of other crashes around the country are affecting traffic.
9.01am: Alrighty, I'm wrapping up the blog for today folks. There's lots of traffic issues out on the roads this morning, so drive carefully. We'll be back tomorrow when the lovely Sophie Ryan will be on board. Have a great Wednesday.
8.59am: The Foo Fighters were axed as the first rock band to perform at the Emmys after a disagreement with television network Fox.
8.54am: A crash on SH1 at Pukerua Bay is blocking the north-bound lane, Wellington NZTA says. Drivers are urged to follow the instructions of emergency services at the scene and expect some delays.
8.52am: Your weather outlook:
Auckland - a few showers, fresh southwesterlies, and a high of 15C.
Wellington - occasional ran, fresh gusty southeasterlies, and a high of 14C.
Christchurch - cloudy with rain at times, a southwester tends easterly, with a high of 11C.
Dunedin - cloudy with some drizzle, with northeasterlies developing, and a high of 11C.
8.49am: Favourite #piggate tweet of the day:
Sorry - this is too witty to ignore - “@ScotIndyDebate: The National - Front Page#PigGate Special Editionpic.twitter.com/OP5OZ94MNq”
— Dr. Brian May (@DrBrianMay) September 21, 2015
8.46am: A bus has broken down at the Stokes Valley Silverstream Roundabout in Wellington. No indication of traffic delays at this stage. Not much fun for the passengers though.
8.45am: Traffic signals are faulty at the intersection of Stanley St and Alten Rd in Auckland CBD. Don't panic - a pointsman is en route. Follow give-way rules in the meantime.
8.44am: Read the full story and listen to what happened here.
8.43am: OMG there's audio.
8.39am: What a hero Martin Devlin is:
Wow. Quite the excitement at @NewstalkZB today. @DevlinLive saves Mike Hosking from choking on a piece of pineapple.
— Lucy Walker (@LucyWalker10) September 22, 2015
8.36am: It always looks sunny and lovely in Wellington, doesn't it?:
8:30am ETAs: Melling-CBD 31min; Tawa-CBD 36min; Cobham Drive-CBD 22min #CobhamDrive ^DB pic.twitter.com/nkouIkbg72
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 22, 2015
8.34am: UPDATE - The breakdown on the Southern Motorway city-bound just after the Kyber Pass offramp is now clear, NZTA says. There is some congestion, but it's easing up.
8.33am: If you missed this yesterday, it's a sad story. A heavily pregnant woman found dead in her Sydney home with head injuries and stab wounds was married to a Kiwi and their teenage son made the devastating discovery.
8.29am: Ioane Teitiota, the man at the centre of a world-first climate refugee case, will be deported today, in a move Associate Immigration Minister Craig Foss says is "very sad" for his family and the Kiribati community.
8.27am: Don't forget to send us your photos or video of what's happening in your area. Are you stuck in traffic this morning? Email us on morningrush@nzme.co.nz or tweet me at #MorningRushNZ
8.26am: More traffic news - A breakdown is blocking the centre lane city-bound on the Southern Motorway just after the Kyber Pass offramp. Drivers are asked to pass with care.
8.23am: Check out our sports reporters in London, Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry, analysing the Sam Cane captain selection:
8.19am: UPDATE - The Upper Harbour Highway is congested to the North Shore from Greenhithe through to Constellation Dr as a result of the earlier Victoria Park flyover crash, NZTA says.
8.17am: The sun's up in a cloudy Auckland this morning:
Good morning #Auckland: Just the odd shower today, strong SW wind. http://t.co/2Dr9he56oe Pic credit: @snapithd ^CL pic.twitter.com/ZY59xRvBjX
— MetService (@MetService) September 22, 2015
8.13am: Pop sweetheart Taylor Swift says she can't help but sing along to Ryan Adams' cover of her album 1989 - so much so she's finding it difficult not to sing his versions on her tour.
8.10am: It is currently 50 mins on Northern Motorway from Oteha Vally Rd to Fanshawe St, Auckland Transport says, adding "but only 22 mins by NEX bus".
8.06am: Pope Francis has just landed in the US and shaken hands with President Barack Obama. It's the first time he's visited America, and follows his meeting with Fidel Castro in Cuba.
8.04am: Some travel times into Wellington this morning. Conditions look a little clearer than earlier:
8:00am ETAs: Melling-CBD 32min; Tawa-CBD 37min; Cobham Drive-CBD 16min #Mungavin ^DB pic.twitter.com/gN3XDMxoco
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 22, 2015
8am: In other Bond news - Daniel Craig has been named the booziest Bond. A study by British food and drink trade magazine The Grocer has found he's drunk an average of 20 units of alcohol per film since his debut in 2006's Casino Royale.
7.57am: Celebrity chef and healthy food campaigner
Jamie Oliver has set his sights on a new goal - helping us all live until 100. He's compiled a list of 14 'super foods' to help you live longer. And the good old kumara is one of them.
7.54am: Actor Daniel Craig says he became embroiled in a number of bust-ups with director Sam Mendes while filming new James Bond movie Spectre.
7.52am: Today's Sideswipe looks at poor translation, bus lane signs, and awkward, strange icebreakers:
7.48am: A crash that was briefly blocking the right lane city-bound on the Southern Motorway just past Highbrook Dr has now been cleared. There was some congestion, but it's now easing, NZTA says.
7.46am: In tech news, Microsoft has released a major update for Office.
7.41am: Jihadists are defecting from Isis after the promised "Islamist utopia" of luxury cars and "heroism" never materialised. Life was more like a dystopia, where some fled because of fears they would be used as "cannon fodder".
7.35am: Check out this cool infographic from our amazing data guys. It shows every All Black win, loss, draw since 1903. #wallofblack #blacktoblack
7.28am: This will probably appeal to both royalists and republicans this morning - a far-right "ginger extremist" who fantasised about assassinating Prince Charles so his red-haired son Prine Harry could become king has been found guilty of plotting a terror attack.
7.26am: Lots of traffic news this morning. Commuters travelling into Christchurch via the Southern Motorway should expect their journey to take between 5 to 10 minutes longer than normal because of the wet weather conditions, NZTA says.
7.25am: A fault is causing traffic signals to flash yellow at the intersection of Fitzgerald Ave and Armagh St in Christchurch, NZTA says. Drive with care through the area.
7.23am: Volkswagen's boss says he is "endlessly sorry" the world's top-selling carmaker squandered worldwide trust in its brand, as the company sets aside billions to cover the fallout of the emissions scandal.
7.19am: Rain is hitting Wellington and Blenheim hard this morning, MetService says.
7.16am: Rare works by India's answer to Andy Warhol have been found in an Auckland garage.
7.13am: Auckland traffic is heavy to the city on the Northern Motorway - 55 mins from Oteha Valley Rd; 35 mins from Westgate; and 30 mins from Manukau.
7.11am: A proposal for builders to give themselves the green light could leave the door open for a repeat of the leaky housing crisis, construction industry experts say. And not surprisingly homeowners who went through the saga the first time around are not backing the idea that builders could self-certify.
What do you think of the proposals?
7.07am: Kim Dotcom's extradition hearing will go ahead this week despite his protestations it should be delayed.
7.05am: Looking wet in Wellington this morning:
7:00am ETAs: Melling-CBD 20min; Tawa-CBD 18min; Cobham Drive-CBD 10min #Petone ^DB pic.twitter.com/X5wxPnrjD0
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 22, 2015
7.04am: More than 50 per cent of Kiwis think takeaways are the cheaper option - but this "popular misconception" has been busted yet again, according to the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council, which says it's not true, particularly if you're feeding a family.
7.02am: Canterbury driving conditions don't look too pleasant:
Northern motorway heavy from Ohoka on-ramp easing by the Waimak Bridge. 21 minutes from Kaiapoi to Belfast ^TF pic.twitter.com/GSVKkE23fA
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Canterbury & West Coast (@WakaKotahiCWC) September 22, 2015
7.01am: A taxi driver tasked with driving special needs students to and from school has been jailed after repeatedly indecently assaulting a vulnerable 17-year-old young woman with the mental age of a child. Read the full story here.
6.55am: Victoria Park flyover crash in the southbound lanes has been cleared, NZTA says, but has created congestion on the Northern Motorway to Northcote Rd. Expect delays.
6.53am: Motorists should watch their distances this morning, as it's a damp on the roads, Transport for Christchurch says. It's warning of delays on New Brighton Rd during peak times because of roadworks.
6.49am: Another update on the crash at Victoria Park flyover - one person was trapped inside a car after the vehicle rolled. The person was moderately injured, police say.
6.47am: Legal high godfather Matt Bowden's company, Stargate Operations, has been ordered to pay a former employee more than $85,000.
6.46am: Here's the link to the full story on Keshia Handa, who's reported to have died in Instanbul.
6.44am: #piggate continues to dog British PM David Cameron. Here's today's Rod Emmerson take on the scandal:
Cameron - piggy in the middle - My David Cameron cartoon in today's @nzherald #piggate #ponytailgate pic.twitter.com/7z9bglsa49
— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) September 22, 2015
6.41am: More details on the Kiwi woman who died in Turkey. She was travelling to dance parties around the world, and was attending a salsa party on a hotel rooftop when she fell on Saturday. Ms Handa reportedly stepped on a grate which had been placed between the hotel roof and an adjacent apartment to create a makeshift bridge. It broke, and she fell 10m.
6.39am: Heavy rain continues for a lot of the country today. Here's a quick forecast from MetService:
Heavy rain for central parts of #NewZealand. Warnings in place, details--> http://t.co/qHyE5zhh6X ^CL pic.twitter.com/ZRmMhv3U2u
— MetService (@MetService) September 22, 2015
6.35am: Would ski trips and rugby tickets be enough to make you move to Christchurch? The University of Canterbury has developed a package that includes a $5000 accommodation grant, first aid training, a winter road trip, and a free ticket to a Tactix netball or Crusaders rugby game for potential students in a bid to poach them from Auckland to the quake-affected city.
6.30am: An update on that crash at Victoria Park flyover - congestion from the North Shore is building and "expected to be significant", NZTA says. If you're driving in from the shore this morning you might want to think about delaying your journey.
6.27am: Your weather this morning - Auckland is currently the warmest and the windiest place in the country, sitting at 11.8C with gusts of 22km/h. Queenstown takes the coldest spot at 2.6C, while Kaikoura is the wettest with 3mm of rain, according to MetService.
6.24am: In breaking news from overnight, a New Zealand woman on holiday has reportedly died after falling down a lift shaft in an Istanbul hotel after a party.
Keshia Handa died after a salsa party on Saturday, Turkish media are reporting. We'll bring you more on that as soon as we can.
6.23am: A crash in the southbound lanes of the Victoria Park flyover is causing a blockage, NZTA reports. Auckland commuters should expect delays in the area.
6.21am: Watch this video of the All Blacks talking about what they think of new captain Sam Cane.
6.16am: Sad details have emerged about the fatal west Auckland house fire which killed Tesimale Kisona, 65, on Monday night. His 10-year-old grandson sent to his room to practise his times tables accidentally started the blaze by playing with a lighter. Heartbreaking.
6.13am: If you missed this one yesterday, you need to get on board. It's sure to get a reaction. Pregnant Wanganui woman Michaela Martin has developed an insatiable craving for washing powder - and has taken to tasting tropical lily and ylang ylang-scented Surf (her favourite).
6.09am: In RWC news overnight, Sam Cane has been picked as All Black captain for the game against Namibia. It makes Cane the fifth youngest man to captain the All Blacks at 23 years and eight months old. What do you think of the selection? #blacktoblack
6.05am: One for all your property nuts out there, or if you're on the hunt for your first home, Auckland's red-hot property market may finally have plateaued.
Auction clearance rates have dropped and attendance rates are down as soaring prices flatten out, according to industry insiders.
6am: Good morning all! Still a bit wet on the roads this morning, but otherwise not too bad out there. Sit back and we'll get started on what you need to know to set you up for the day.
Thirty-six recruits re-sat psychometric tests without the six-month stand down.