First Up Podcast Options

5:11 AM.Covid-19 cases continue to surge across Sydney, with the state reporting 109 more cases in the last 24 hours. Many patients have been admitted to hospital where some have been transferred to ICU… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in the United Kingdom where England is poised to loosen all of its Covid-19 restrictions despite the UK recording the highest number of new infections in the world over the past… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.A baby orca has been centre of media attention this week after being found stranded and separated from its pod on Sunday afternoon. Animal rescue teams have been caring for the Orca named Toa for the… Read more Audio

5:48 AM.Is your cat's diet more exotic than your own? After looking through decades worth of data, RNZ In-Depth journalist Farah Hancock has found that we're importing cat food from far flung places. And… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.Quarantine-free travel between Victoria and New Zealand is on hold for at least four days as the State is plunged into lockdown after 18 new Covid cases were recorded there yesterday. The travel pause… Read more Audio

5:30 AM.Winter is in fairly full effect now, meaning it's the bleakest time of year for our Minister of Fruit and Veges, Glenn Forsyth. Audio

5:20 AM.Back in March, one young man took on the challenge of running 654km in less than a week for suicide awareness. Each kilometer that 22-year-old Matt Fenn ran represented a kiwi who died by suicide last… Read more Audio

5:13 AM.After a Covid hit 2019 season the Farah Palmer Cup women's rugby competition returns to its normal format for this weekend's opening round. Canterbury will defend the title they've won the last four… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.To the US where Donald J Trump is back in the news. Nathan Rarere is joined by correspondent Bevan Hurley in New York. Audio

5:52 AM.New South Wales recorded 97 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday with its lockdown extended for at least two more weeks. South Australia has confirmed 2 cases in hotel quarantine. And Victoria recorded… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.When Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson spoke to the trans-tasman business circle breakfast on Tuesday, it was a social media post of his name setting that said 'egg in any form' which drew… Read more Audio

5:35 AM.And it's that time when we join one of the reporters from the Local Democracy Reporting programme and this morning we're heading to the top of the South Island, and we're joined by Chloe Ranford. Audio

5:26 AM.Auckland scientists intend to give advanced-stage cancer patients mico-doses of the psychedelic drug LSD. The lead researcher, health psycologist Lisa Reynolds from the University of Auckland, told… Read more Audio

5:26 AM.To Europe now - joining Nathan Rarere from Sweden is our correspondent Anita Purcell Sjölund. Audio

5:16 AM.Around 25 years ago, legendary Kiwi actor, director and artist Ian Mune was captivated by the sight of a mountain in Northland. Since then he's often wondered which of Northland's many peaks it was… Read more Audio

5:54 AM.To discuss the hospo industry, Nathan Rarere spoke with Infometrics economist Brad Olsen. Audio

5:47 AM.Hospitality workers say it's no longer a viable career path in New Zealand due to low wages, long hours and few incentives. This comes as cafe and restaurants across New Zealand call for the… Read more Audio

5:30 AM.There must be an old Irish saying about collecting things. And if there is, we couldn't find one on Google. So it seems appropriate at this time to introduce to you Jimmy McGuinness, a man whose many… Read more Audio

5:22 AM.Australia's loss is New Zealand's gain after cyclist Jordan Kerby changed allegiances and now is heading to the Tokyo Olmpics wearing the silver fern. 28-year old Jordan Kerby was born in Australia… Read more Audio

5:16 AM.RNZ is revealing that New Zealand has imported five times as much coal as usual in the last five years from Indonesia, including more than a million tonnes last year. That's only the second time the… Read more Audio

5:10 AM.And joining Nathan Rarere from high above Brisbane is our correspondent Pam Corkery. Audio

5:51 AM.Nathan Rarere spoke with the National party's deputy leader Shane Reti about the new vaccination requirements for border workers. He asked about the revelation that 18-hundred privately-employed… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.It will be compulsory for port and airport workers to be vaccinated from Thursday, as the government seeks to sure-up its Covid-19 defences. Currently, the mandatory vaccination rule applies to… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.There is a growing movement around the world called Right-to-Repair and it's targeting the big tech companies which don't allow third parties to repair or re-purpose their branded technology. Adding… Read more Audio