First Up Podcast Options

5:50 AM.A Royal Commission of Inquiry -- the highest-level inquiry available to the government -- will examine how New Zealand responded during to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be chaired by Australian-based… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.New research shows New Zealand businesses are holding twice as much stock as before the pandemic, while making significantly less money. Inventory management software company Unleashed has published a… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.Having won the Christchurch and Queenstown marathons, and then the Auckland Marathon for a second year running, over the weekend Daniel Jones ran 60 kilometres across incredibly rugged terrain in four… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.Local Democracy Reporting time now and this morning we're in Mid-Canterbury with Jonathan Leask. He told Nathan Rarere about some major roading projects in Ashburton, which not everyone's too happy… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.The thespians of Wellington's Circa Theatre are at it again - it's Pantomime season and this year they're putting their spin on the classic tale - Pinnochio. Nathan Rarere asked director Gavin… Read more Audio

5:09 AM.Time now for the latest news from Japan with Chris Gilbert who has been out on the police beat this week. Chris began by telling Nathan Rarere about one civilian who really really wanted the police to… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.The west Auckland MP Phil Twford has met with the son of a dairy owner killed in a botched robbery eight years ago, who wants to know what's changed since his dad's death. Arun Kumar died after being… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.Off we head to the produce markets - joining Nathan Rarere bright and early is our Minister of Fruit and Veggies Glenn Forsyth. Audio

5:15 AM.Kaipara's mayor has been accused of racism and cultural ignorance, after stopping a councillor opening a hui with a karakia.

Craig Jepson interrupted councillor Pera Paniora several times last week… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.Let's start in the USA - our correspondent in New York is Anna Burns-Francis. Audio

5:50 AM.The son of a man killed at an Auckland dairy in 2014 says too much money is being spent on criminals rather than the victims of their crimes. 57-year-old Arun Kumar was stabbed to death by a 13 year… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.The 54th New Zealand Fieldays are well underway at Mystery Creek in Hamilton, the Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event is back after a 17-month hiatus. More than 130-thousand visitors are… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.There's only one Minister of Fruit and Vegetables - accept no substitute, he's Glenn Forsyth and he joins Nathan Rarere from the produce markets. Fruit of the Week: Mangoes Audio

5:16 AM.Joining Nathan Rarere from Accra in Ghana is our correspondent Nabil Ahmed. Audio

5:06 AM.We'll kick things off in the USA, where President Macron of France has just been officially welcomed at The White House. With Nathan Rarere is Bevan Hurley in New York. Audio

5:37 AM.More than 33,000 Sydney residents, fined for lockdown breaches, have had their infringements overturned. Over 60,000 New South Wales residents were fined between $1000 and $3000 for Covid breaches but… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.Local Democracy Reporting Programme time and this morning we're sad to say is the last time we'll get to chat with Felix Desmarais in Rotorua, who's off to work at the Parliamentary gallery. Felix has… Read more Audio

5:16 AM.To Europe - Nathan Rarere was joined from Sweden by our correspondent Anita Purcell Sjölund. Audio

5:06 AM.Let's start in the UK - joining Nathan Rarere from London is Ellie Jay. Audio

5:53 AM.That beautiful Christmas tune - Prokofiev's Troika - and others will be played live this weekend and next by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in their interactive family concert series APO 4 Kids… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.With the number of dairies being robbed, small business owners are taking extraordinary steps to keep themselves safe. We visited one which is about as secure as they come, Cedar Park Superette in… Read more Audio