First Up Podcast Options

5:49 AM.The government is taking the first step towards removing the postcode lottery for public hospital surgery. From now, people with mildly reduced vision will have earlier access to cataract operations… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.Last week we heard about the price of fuel on Waiheke Island, today its the cost of the commute. Fullers' new price increases came into effect over the weekend, with a 19 percent rise. A return trip… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.In Australia a young Rugby League prodigy is tearing through his local league, setting all sorts of try scoring records. 6 year old Parker Tennant has scored a whopping 89 tries this season for the… Read more Audio

5:21 AM.Time now for the local democracy reporting part of our programme. Today it's the turn of Nelson reporter Max Freethy. Audio

5:12 AM.Time now to head to Japan where the country is set to finally allow the 'morning after' contraceptive pill to be obtained over the counter at pharmacies. And in another big step, the head of the… Read more Audio

5:05 AM.We begin today's programme in the UK - Anna Thomas caught up with London correspondent Henry Riley and began by asking him about the pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to cut immigration numbers.

5:52 AM.To politics now, and we're welcoming Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi to First Up this morning, to join our regular catch-up with political leaders. Te Pāti Māori has been in the headlines this… Read more Audio

5:48 AM.It's an exciting day at Mount Ruapehu today... The school holidays have begun, and the snow is falling! The $5 million funding from the government has allowed the Turoa and Whakapapa skifields to… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.With First Up for the first time this morning is our Associate Minister of Fruit and Veggies, Martin Pupuke. Audio

5:15 AM.To the Pacific now - joining First Up this morning is our correspondent Kalafi Moala in Tonga. Audio

5:05 AM.Newshub's North America correspondent Mitch McCann is the first driverless cab off the rank - he joined Anna Thoms from New York City. Audio

5:48 AM.Turning to politics now, ACT Party deputy leader Brooke Van Velden's been busy campaigning in the Tamaki electorate. She joins Nathan Rarere for her weekly catch up. Audio

5:42 AM.The year is nearly halfway over which means we are less than a month away from kick off in the Fifa Womens World Cup We're co-hosting it along with Australia, with games in Auckland, Hamilton… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.Silver Fern Phoenix Karaka has been a quiet champion, now she says she's finding her voice thanks to her younger team mates. The defender has a gold medal from the 2019 Netball World Cup and a silver… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.Yes, you heard it right, he has a loverly bunch of coconuts - it's our Minister of Fruit and Veggies, Glenn Forsyth. Fruit of the Week: DOLE TROPICAL GOLD PINEAPPLES Audio

5:16 AM.Time to check out the Tai Rawhiti neighbourhood now. Local Democracy Reporter Matthew Rosenberg in Gisborne gave Nathan Rarere an update on the number of roads damaged thanks to this year's wild… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.Standing by in Ghana's bustling capital Accra is our correspondent Nabil Ahmed. Audio

5:05 AM.We begin our final programme of the week in the USA, joining me from The World's Largest Apple is our correspondent multi-award winning journalist Bevan Hurley. Audio

5:48 AM.Minister Kiri Allan is due to return to work today after a week off to care for her mental health On Wednesday, the Department of Conservation confirmed a staff member stopped working in her office… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.Don't be surprised to see queues at fuel stations in the next two days. The government used a cost of living measure and reduced the fuel excise duty by 25 cents a litre in March last year, but from… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.An international report on the Ports of Auckland has just been released, criticising its automation project as a failure "on every measure". Between 2018 and 2022, three port workers were killed in… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.To the UK now.. joining Nathan Rarere from London is our correspondent Henry Riley. Audio

5:06 AM.We begin in Europe, in Germany is our correspondent Nita Blake-Persen. Audio