First Up Podcast Options

5:45 AM.An Iraqi hairdresser living in Napier says he may be forced to close up and leave if he can't get his family into the country. His sister and her family are in Indonesia as aslyum seekers after… Read more Audio

5:28 AM.The All Blacks play Wales at 5:15 this Sunday morning, we cross to the other side of the world and join afficienado and author of the book "Rugby doesn't f''ing have rules, it has laws" Paul Williams.

5:23 AM.Joining Nathan Rarere from the fresh produce markets is our Minister of Fruit and Veggies, Glenn Forsyth. And here's a recipe for beans and asparagus...yummy! Asian Style Stir-fried Asparagus and… Read more Audio

5:17 AM.A group of about 400 Chinese migrants wants the Government to reopen the Parent Resident visa. The category, which allows parents of migrants to come and live in New Zealand, was suspended in 2016. It… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.Joining Nathan Rarere for more on that story and all the other news out of the United States is our man in the BIG APPLE, Bevan Hurley. Audio

5:49 AM.The government is expected to announce changes to the MIQ system today ... after yesterday's scheduled announcement was called off. Ministers met yesterday to go through details of the changes, but -… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.School's not quite out for summer! The Ministry of Education is looking at a staged return to class for primary school students in alert level 3 areas, with November the 15th being put forward as a… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.Back to Australia now where Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government is under fire for its new climate change policy, which critics say does next to nothing to address the climate crisis. The… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.It's that time of the week when we have a look around the Motu and catch up with our Local Democracy reporters. This morning we're hearing from Craig Ashworth from Te Korimako o Taranaki. Nathan… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.Anyone who works somewhere that will require vaccine passports for customers has to get the vaccine themselves, or else risk losing their job. The new vaccine mandate announced by the government… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.On Monday Sir Ian Taylor becomes one of the first New Zealanders since the start of the pandemic to be able to travel overseas and return without going through MIQ. He's one of 150 business people… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.A hair salon in Manawatu is raising money and donating some of their profits to Auckland hairdressers Last week we brought you the story of an Auckland Hair Salon owner who has spent 35-thousand… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.The Black Caps are nearing the end of their first game in the T20 World Cup - they're playing Pakistan.. We cross to the BBC's Henry Moeran for the latest. Audio

5:16 AM.Every few weeks we like to catch up with all the news from space with...James In Space!!!!!! I asked James Parr from the Open Space Agency about the big announcement from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin about… Read more Audio

5:12 AM.Opera on the harbour is coming to Auckland! Over Valentines Day weekend in February, Wynyard Point in the city will play host to a cavalcade of operatic talent with the Waitemata Harbour setting the… Read more Audio

5:05 AM.We're off to another Pacific nation now and we're joined by our correspondent in Australia, Pam Corkery. Audio

5:53 AM.And to one of those schools welcoming back students - Claire Amos is the tumuaki / principal of Albany Senior High School and she's up early to be with us. Audio

5:46 AM.After 10 long weeks of at-home learning, Zoom lessons, and separation from friends, Auckland and Waikato senior students will be putting on their school uniforms and returning to campus this morning… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.Palmerston North woman Moyra Speir has at last been granted permission to go and look after her nephew Andrew, who's terribly ill in Auckland. 36-year-old Andrew is dying from bowel cancer that has… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.Last week TradeMe released figures on what the secondhand economy is worth to the country, it turns out most of us have around $1700 worth of goods we part with - without really missing any of it. Up… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.To Japan now where Covid infections have gone from more than 5-thousand cases a day to just 19. Nathan Rarere asked our correspondent in Tokyo Chris Gilbert, how this is possible? Audio

5:07 AM.It's a big week in the UK, with an international climate conference kicking off in Scotland and a budget due to be presented to the House of Commons on Wednesday. Joining Nathan Rarere from London is… Read more Audio

5:42 AM.To the Bay of Plenty of town in Murupara now which has one of the lowest rates of vaccination for Covid-19 in the country. So far untouched by the Delta outbreak, there are serious concerns about what… Read more Audio