First Up Podcast Options

5:31 AM.Nathan Rarere joins Indira Stewart to talk sport. Audio

5:23 AM.Our Minister of Fruit and Veg Glenn Forsyth joins us for a look at the weekend's great fresh produce buys. Audio

5:08 AM.Medical researchers are urging World Rugby to try reducing on-field player numbers in a bid to reduce injuries. A UK study into the health of retired rugby and league players has highlighted the… Read more Audio

5:51 AM.Dr Shane Reti yesterday replaced Michael Woodhouse as the National Party's Health spokesperson and has been promoted to the front bench. Mr Woodhouse had been under pressure over the past few weeks as… Read more Audio

5:47 AM.Two asylum seekers imprisoned for 3 months after arriving in New Zealand on false documents have now been awarded refugee status in New Zealand. The pair were locked up in Mt Eden prison and treated… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the number of people going hungry in the world. That's according to a yearly report published by the UN into the state of food security and nutrition worldwide. It… Read more Audio

5:32 AM.Earlier this week, the American NFL team the Washington Redskins confirmed they will be dropping their name and opting for something less offensive to Native Americans. In the wake of this, should… Read more Audio

5:29 AM.The first mobile plasma donation service is on its way for New Zealand. New Zealand Blood Service says it's trialling a mobile unit in September this year to meet the growing demands for plasma. Asuka… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.Shearing competitions are in jeopardy this year due to a lack of international competitors. There are usually 57 events nationwide with hundreds of shearers, wool handlers and pressers taking part in… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin in Australia where the covid-19 situation isn't any getting better, almost 250 new cases were identified there yesterday. For more on that, Indira was joined by our Aussie correspondent… Read more Audio

5:50 AM.Judith Collins says she feels privileged to have been chosen to lead the National Party. Last night at an emergency caucus meeting at Parliament the seasoned National MP was elected to the party's top… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.Six months into the Covid-19 pandemic and we're still learning about all the ways it can affect human health. Now, some experts are saying side effects of the virus are showing up in the brain. Dr… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.The Southland Charity Hospital trust has received a sizeable donation from a local couple. Posted on Facebook yesterday the 'Blair Vining's epic journey' page displayed a cheque for 100-thousand… Read more Audio

5:29 AM.A Cook Islands Accountant says a "Pacific Bubble" can't come soon enough. Joanne Rose runs JMA Limited in Kerikeri and the Cook Islands, and says the situation there is getting desperate with COVID-19… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.It's the time of the week where we take a look at Kiwi businesses. Auckland based Nastasja Brookes is a hairdresser and the owner of Lusid beauty, a company that makes eco-friendly hair bars for all… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.A historic collection of classic World War Two aircraft - all in original condition - has been gifted to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre near Blenheim. The collection, gifted by the family of… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.The Serious Fraud Office announced yesterday it had launched an investigation in relation to donations made to the Labour Party in 2017. In a statement, they said it was one of four investigations it… Read more Audio

5:50 AM.Airlines have made the move to off-set carbon emissions, now milk companies are following suit. Today Foodstuffs and Fonterra released their Carbon Zero milk, "Simply Milk." They've measured the… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.Rare earth minerals thrown up by the Alpine Fault and deposited in West Coast soils are a potentially valuable export commodity. But there's been no viable way of shipping them to export markets. A… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.The AIDS Foundation says mental and physical health should be the same for every New Zealander no matter who you love, how you identify or which pronouns you use. The fight for equity and better… Read more Audio

5:26 AM.One of New Zealand's most photographed churches is up for sale on Trade Me this week. Located on the Awhitu Peninsula south-west of Auckland, the former Kohekohe Presbyterian Church was built in 1886… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.Yesterday marked the start of Matariki-Maori New Year. Matariki is the name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. When it rises in the north-eastern skies in late May or early June, it… Read more Audio

5:09 AM.Indira talks with our UK correspondent Henry Riley about new research from London suggesting immunity to Covid-19 might only last a few months and the current situation with wearing masks. Audio