RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today

A FAMILY got the shock of a lifetime when an unexpected visitor leapt into their boat while out at sea. The encounter has left a woman in hospital and made a bloody mess of the vessel.

• Dolphin jumps in boat, breaks woman’s ankle, ‘punches’ daughter
• Man takes $1,000 taxi, says he can’t pay
• Victorian man trapped in chair for four days after carer dies
• Counterfeit ice cream stick gang busted in Turkey
• Blue-eyed people more likely to be alcoholics, says study

GOOD morning, and welcome to our morning news coverage. We will be bringing you the best of what’s happening this morning, so you can get across the news quickly.

10am:

That’s it for this morning’s #RUSHHOUR blog. Stay up to date with the rest of today’s headlines at news.com.au.

9:55am: Tiger Woods accused of affair with wife of PGA rival

Tiger Woods had a terrible your with the club in hand -and it’s not getting any better.

Now he’s been accused of having an affair with Amanda Boyd, the now ex-wife of his fellow golfing professional Jason Dufner.

Woods was again the subject of tabloid reports today as the National Enquirer stated Woods and US ski star Lindsey Vonn split up in May after two years together because she caught Woods cheating on her with Ms Boyd, a 27-year-old who in March divorced Dufner, the 2013 PGA Championship winner.

Amanda Boyd

“At first, it was just innocent flirting, but earlier this year it became serious,” a source told the magazine.

“Amanda is gorgeous, and she’s known as a big flirt with the other players on the PGA tour,” another source was quoted as saying. “I guess her flirty ways and good looks caught Tiger’s eye.”

The report said Dufner was “devastated” when he learned of Woods’ alleged affair with his wife.

Read more here.

9:50am: Mystery of amnesia woman solved

Interpol was seeking assistance to find the family of "Sam", a woman with amnesia in hospital in California, who has memories of living in Australia in a number of locations, including Cairns.

The mystery woman with amnesia known as Sam has been identified and reconnected with family. It turns out, she’s not an Australian but just a regular visitor to the country.

Her name is Ashley Menatta, according to San Diego TV station NBC7.

Ms Menatta lived near San Diego not far from where she was discovered in February in poor health and with a tumour on her ovary the size of a volleyball.

The 53-year-old was born in Pennsylvania, never married, lived in Arizona and most recently resided in the southern California suburbs of La Jolla and Carlsbad.

It was Ms Menatta’s nephew who saw a media story about the woman’s plight and alerted family.

“It was extremely emotional, we were all sobbing,” Menatta said of the moment she was told her identity.

“They’re so sorry I had to go through what I did during this time without them.” Menatta’s stage three cancer had spread to other parts of her body and she had to have her uterus and other organs removed. She feared she would die before finding out her identity.

-AAP

9:45am: Driver caught on draw bridge after epic effort

Someone needs to tell this guy from Florida that he’s not in Fast & Furious. And perhaps trying to jump a raising drawbridge in a suburban mini-van is probably not a good idea.

The driver, 29-year-old James Montano, told police he had become distracted by his GPS and had not spotted the bridge beginning to rise as he smashes through the protective barrier and jumped over the growing gap before becoming stuck.

9:35am: Australia could launch gadget to stop drivers sending text messages

Australia could be the first country to launch a gadget that stops drivers from texting, reports the ABC.

The small device fits under the steering wheel, connects the car to the internet and is able to block the driver from receiving notifications, like text messages, while driving.

American Scott Tibbitts invented the device and is in Australian to talk with telecommunication and insurance companies about a potential release.

Mr Tibbitts said he invented the device after he turned up to a business meeting to discover the man he was supposed to meet had been killed by a texting driver.

9:25am: Jim Carrey goes on anti vaccine rant on social media

The state of California recently signed into law a bill enacting mandatory vaccinations for school kids but actor Jim Carrey, who dated anti-vaccine activist Jenny McCarthy for years, lambasted the move on Twitter.

California Gov says yes to poisoning more children with mercury and aluminum in manditory vaccines. This corporate fascist must be stopped.

— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015

Under the bill, all school-age children to be vaccinated by kindergarten and then again by seventh grade. There are some exemptions, for example if children have a medical exemption or if they are home schooled.

The bill was introduced after a massive measles outbreak at Disneyland infected over 100 people in the US last year.

All we are saying is,"Take the neurotoxins out of the vaccines." Make them toxin free.History will show that that was a reasonable request.

— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015

9:10am: SA man nabbed driving 100km over the speed limit

A motorist has been nabbed driving almost 100km/h above the speed limit in the centre of Adelaide.

The driver was caught doing 153km/h in a 60km/h zone on Wakefield Road and was among 17 detected at extreme speeds across the metropolitan area last month, police say.

Inspector Steve Kameniar said a disturbing aspect of June’s results was that 15 of the 17 high speeds were on suburban streets in 50 and 60km/h zones at times when other traffic would have been on the road.

-AAP

9am: Packer watches on as Mariah Carey stumbles down stairs

“Come to me Mariah.”

Who needs chivalry when you have five billion dollars? Not James Packer.

The Aussie mogul watched on from the comfort of a speedboat as his new girlfriend, Mariah Carey, struggled to walk down the steps of his luxury yacht.

Wearing a pair of platform heels, the 45-year-old diva almost took a disastrous tumble as she slipped on the boat’s stairs off the coast of Formentera in Spain.

But luckily one of Packer’s assistants was nearby and managed to grab the singer before she took an unplanned dip into the Mediterranean Sea.

Ever the gentleman, Packer remained seated and appeared to show little concern as his famous squeeze stumbled.

Read more here.

8:45am: Blue-eyed people more likely to be alcoholics, says study

Scientists in the US believe they have found a link between eye colour and a penchant for booze.

According to genetic researchers at the University of Vermont, people with blue eyes are more likely to be come alcoholics.

The study involved 10,000 Americans, all of whom had been diagnosed with at least one psychiatric illness or an addiction like alcohol dependency. Researchers say they retested their analysis three times to account for age, gender, ethnicity and background.

“This suggests an intriguing possibility — that eye colour can be useful in the clinic for alcohol dependence diagnosis,” said one of the researchers, Arvis Sulovari.

8:35am: Michelle Obama lifts ban on selfies at the White House

The White House on Wednesday ended a longstanding ban on tourists taking photos or using social media during public tours of the building. Michelle Obama made the announcement in a video posted on her Instagram account.

“If you’ve been on a White House tour, you may have seen this sign,” she says, holding up a placard that states “No Photos or Social Media Allowed.” “Well, not anymore,” she adds, and then dramatically rips the sign in half.

Selfie enthusiasts rejoice: The White House has lifted its photography ban. http://t.co/dLQcVZ1aur pic.twitter.com/i7CS1ZJv9k

— DCist (@DCist) July 1, 2015

The White House said the more than 40-year-old photo ban was lifted because changes in camera technology make it possible to take high-quality photos using less light. Strong light can damage the delicate pigments used in artwork.

Read more at the New York Post.

8:25am: Counterfeit ice cream stick gang busted in Turkey

The machine used to create the fake marks.

Free ice creams!

Two people have been taking into custody by Istanbul police under suspicion of running a counterfeit ice cream stick operation in order to claim free ice creams.

Istanbul police raided an office building in the Sultangazi district on June 27 following complaints by an ice cream firm that they had received back more ice cream sticks than they had sold, reports Daily News.

Thousands of fake popsicle sticks with a “free” mark on them were seized along with the machines used in production.

The men had reportedly been carrying out the scam for nearly three years and will face court.

8:15am: Possible HIV concerns for Sydney dental patients

Up to 11,000 dental patients may have been exposed to a range of infectious diseases because of poor hygiene practices at four Sydney clinics.

There is a small possibility that those who had invasive procedures at the surgeries could have been infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

NSW Health has found breaches of infection control as a result of to poor cleaning and equipment sterilisation at practices at Campsie in Sydney’s southwest and in Sussex Street in the city. Authorities are also contacting patients of another dentist who runs practices in Surry Hills and Bondi Junction.

Dr Jeremy McAnulty, the director of Health Protection at NSW Health will address the media this morning.

-AAP

8am: Plane cops severe damage in hailstorm

If you’re afraid of flying, be thankful you weren’t on this Delta Boeing 747 flight.

According to reports, the plane was flying across China on June 17 when it went through a severe hailstorm and suffered intense turbulence.

Some serious damage.

“The plane was dropping vertically then slamming into something. Anything loose in the cabin flew. My glasses flew off my face and luckily were recovered several rows away,” he said.

Mr Walker contacted the airline for an explanation of what caused the traumatic ordeal but did not receive a response and has since shared photos he took of damage to the plane’s exterior.

7:50am: Oregon latest US state to legalise recreational marijuana

Oregon on Wednesday became the fourth US state to allow the recreational use of marijuana, amid a growing legalisation trend in the western United States.

From now on, people in Oregon aged 21 and up can legally use marijuana for recreational purposes and grow up to four plants.

Oregon legalises marijuana.

Hundreds of marijuana fans gathered from midnight to celebrate the new law, with pot being handed out free as the new law does not yet legalise the sale of the drug, just its possession and use.

“This is history in the making,” said Leeyah Pham, cited by The Oregonian newspaper, as she took turns with friends smoking a marijuana pipe.

While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, more than 20 states have allowed it for medical use and many others are considering legislation to legalise the drug.

7:40am: Victorian man trapped in chair for four days after carer dies

An elderly, infirm Victorian man is recovering in hospital after his carer son died, leaving him trapped in a chair for up to four days.

A man in his 50s, who was acting as carer for his 89-year-old father, is thought to have died from natural causes, leaving the father alone and unable to care for himself inside their home in the Geelong suburb of Hamlyn Heights.

Police believe the elderly man was alone for up to four days before the tragic scene was discovered on Wednesday afternoon. The father was taken to Geelong Hospital in a serious condition, suffering dehydration

-AAP

7:30am: Stephen Colbert interviews eminem in obscure TV show

Beloved satirist Stephen Colbert who is due to take over from Dave Letterman on the Late Show has dusted off the cobwebs by hosting a show on an obscure public access channel in Michigan.

Colbert recently filled in as host of the station’s “Only in Monroe” program where he interviewed rapper and famous local Eminem, cracked jokes about the south-eastern-Michigan town and questioned the public access show’s hosts.

The incongruous and uncomfortably funny episode was uploaded to the Late Show’s official YouTube channel.

Colbert will make is lat night debut for CBS on September 8.

7:20am: Heatwave grips Europe

People cool off in a fountain on Museum square (Museumplein) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

A blistering heatwave sweeping through Europe has brought blackouts to France and fears of heat stroke for Wimbledon tennis fans, and led to Britons sharing Twitter jokes under the hashtag #ThingsColderThanToday.

With temperatures pushing 40 degrees Celsius, the UN warned heatwaves were growing more frequent and intense due to climate change, and called on more countries to put warning systems in place to inform people of the dangers.

Around a million homes in western France left without power on Tuesday night after the heatwave moved in from Spain, and another blackout striking Brittany Wednesday morning, cutting electricity to 100,000 houses.

The Wimbledon tennis tournament in London saw the hottest day of play ever at 35.7 degrees Celsius, more than a degree hotter than the record set in 1976.

#ThingsColderThanToday pic.twitter.com/d5WCFB5vji

— seppe thys (@seppeThys) July 1, 2015

7:00am: Government downplays gay marriage agenda

MPs who think there’ll be a vote on same-sex marriage any time soon have “rocks in their head”, a government whip says.

Two Liberal backbenchers are preparing to support a cross-party bill which they hope to be introduced to federal parliament next month, pending a decision by the selection committee.

“Anyone who thinks that this should be prioritised over economic or national security issues has rocks in their head and is totally misreading the needs of the Australian people,” member of the committee Andrew Nikolic told ABC radio this morning.

Liberal backbencher Ewen Jones, who wants a free vote on the issue, called for the bill to be debated as quickly as possible rather than pulling the Bandaid off “one hair at a time”.

-AAP

Read more here.

6:50am: Homeless man amazes passers by with beautiful piano skills

His name is Donald, he is homeless, and he is one hell of a piano player.

The city of Sarasota, Florida installed pianos in the downtown area of the city as part of the Sarasota Keys Piano Project, encouraging locals to sit down and play a tune — and a very unlikely candidate did just that.

Donald Gould, sat down at one of the pianos on Main Street on June 29 and began playing Styx’s Come Sail Away as impressed onlookers watched on.

Aroar Natasha recorded some of his performance, later uploading a video to her Facebook page where at the time of writing it has received nearly 2.5 million views.

The video has also garnered a lot of media attention for Mr Gould who said he lost his wife in 1998, leading to substance abuse and homelessness.

6:40an: Man takes $1,000 taxi, says he can’t pay

A man who took a 480 kilometre taxi, nearly amounting to A$1,000 fare, has been jailed for refusing to pay.

Police say 35-year-old New York City resident John Williams Jr. took the taxi from Philadelphia to a small city called Uniontown in Fayette County to surprise his fiancee. But upon arrival, he told the driver he had no cash and his credit card was maxed out for the day.

After the cabbie called the police, Mr Williams was charged with theft of services. He was jailed on US$2,500 bail to await a preliminary hearing July 7.

6:30am: Another controversy-filled win for Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios has again clashed with Wimbledon officials, accusing American umpire Ali Nili of thinking he is “the top dog in the chair” during a straight-sets win over Juan Monaco.

Cleared of calling umpires “dirty scum” in his first round match, Kyrgios was clearly not impressed with Nili after a linesman went to the chair umpire to speak about Kyrgios.

British media claimed the official spoke to Nili about Kyrgios’ audible swearing.

Asked about his language, Kyrgios said: “I’m aware of what I’m saying. I’m in pain and I’m playing a tennis match at Wimbledon second round. A bit of stress out there. I guess that’s why he (linesman) did it (reported him to Nili).”

The 26th seed blasted 16 aces and 39 winners in a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 win over Argentine Juan Monaco.

Read more here.

6:15am: Saudi prince to give $41bn fortune to charity

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has promised his entire $US32 billion ($A41.52 billion) fortune to charitable projects in coming years, in one of the biggest ever such pledges.

Wednesday’s pledge is “maybe ... the first such big announcement” of its kind in the region, and is modelled on a charity established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the United States, the prince told reporters.

Alwaleed said his charity “will help build bridges to foster cultural understanding, develop communities, empower women, enable youth, provide vital disaster relief and create a more tolerant and accepting world.”

The 60-year-old magnate belongs to the Saudi royal family and is a nephew of King Abdullah, who died on January 23

-AFP

6am: Dolphin breaks woman’s ankle, ‘punches’ daughter

The bloody aftermath.

A dolphin has broken a woman’s ankle and “punched” a young girl after jumping into a Californian family’s boat.

Chrissie Frickman and husband Dirk decided to take their two kids out on the family boat to celebrate the couple’s 18th wedding anniversary. A pod of dolphins began swimming along side the vessel when one leapt into the boat and caused a bloody chaos, reports Sky News.

Mr Frickman told the Orange County Register: “It hit my wife and knocked her over, and punched my daughter.”

“I had this 350lb (158 kilos) dolphin in my boat. There was no way to get it off,” he said.

Mr Frickman called the authorities and docked the boat while the family splashed water on the dolphin to keep it alive.

Aside from a few cuts to its nose and tail, the dolphin was fine and re-entered the water. Ms Frickman however has reportedly undergone five hours of surgery to her broken ankle.

And the boat will need a serious clean.

The dolphin is reportedly fine.