First Up Podcast Options

5:51 AM.One race, one race to rule them all. Fifteen hundred Lord of the Rings fans from 26 countries are converging on Matamata tomorrow to run in a unique sold-out race - the third annual Middle-earth… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a measure to force TikTok to split from its owner ByteDance or face a national ban. Beijing's influence on the app has concerned US lawmakers… Read more Audio

5:26 AM.Glenn Forsyth, the Minister of Fruit and Vege joined us in the Auckland studio this morning. Fruit of the Week: Diana's Peacherines Jazz Apple & Rhubarb Crumble For the filling: 500g rhubarb stems cut… Read more Audio

5:17 AM.We shift our focus from the peaceful Pacific to the muddle in the Middle East, joining us from Doha is correspondent Alex Baird. Audio

5:12 AM.We head to our tropical backyard of the Pacific ocean - joining Nathan Rarere from the Kingdom of Tonga is Kalafi Moala. Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this Friday morning as we do most weeks in the USA - from New York we're joined by Bevan Hurley. Audio

5:51 AM.Time now for our weekly catch up with the Labour Party, and MP Jan Tinetti is with us bright and early. Audio

5:47 AM.Just over a year ago there was a fundraising appeal and a special Lotto draw to help communities hit by Cyclone Gabrielle. Now, there's 14 million dollars up for grabs, for projects in affected areas… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.Record company Sony is sending Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters a cease and desist notice, after he used Tubthumping by Chumbawamba at his state of the nation speech on Sunday. And yesterday, Mr… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.Time now to get the latest from the regions and Nathan Rarere caught up with our Waikato reporter Libby Kirkby-McLeod and asked about Dutch Elm disease being found in the region. Audio

5:17 AM.Let's head to Europe, Anita Purcell-Sjölund is standing by in Sweden for today's report. Audio

5:13 AM.Our correspondent who looks after stories out of the wider Indian subcontinent is Anas Mallick who is on the line from Islamabad in Pakistan. Audio

5:05 AM.We will kick Thursday's programme off in the UK - joining Nathan Raree from London is Henry Riley. Audio

5:52 AM.Kayaker Finn Butcher from Alexandra will be heading to the Paris Olympics this year. He's the first Otago athelete to be confirmed for the New Zealand squad with the announcement coming just four days… Read more Audio

5:46 AM.You're probably used to seeing Beagles sniffing your bags at the airport, keeping New Zealands bio-security in check. But it turns out Auckland has a Beagle Club, which has been running for 40 years… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.Time now to head out through the stratosphere... James Parr from Trillium Technologies - AKA Space James - spoke with Nathan Rarere. Audio

5:24 AM.It's funny what turns up on TradeMe, who would have thought we were home to the world's largest Mjolnar - Thor's hammer. OR a car widely acknowledged as the biggest flop in American automotive history… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.To the USA now, back from his Mexican sojourn is Bevan Hurley in New York City. Audio

5:05 AM.On the line from Brisbane is our friend and correspondent, the well-caffinated Pam Corkery. Audio

5:52 AM.Deputy Leader of the National Party and Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaks to Nathan Rarere about Kainga Ora, tax cuts, and proposed gun reforms. Audio

5:42 AM.It's an Olympic year and our elite athletes are busy training for selection in their chosen sports - in the hope of securing their golden ticket to Paris. We check in with 24-year-old canoe sprinter… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.Dozens of gym goers in South Auckland are saddened to hear the council wants to remove a beloved cat from the Manurewa Pools and Leisure Centre.

MPAL has lived at the centre for five years and has… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.To Japan, where a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul for a summit on democracy resulted in North Korea testing their missiles and Japanese couples might be making memories… Read more Audio

5:15 AM.To South America, where Senators in Argentina have voted down President Javier Milei's 'mega-decree', resulting in tension between Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel; There's also some… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.To the United Kingdom, where Former President Barack Obama has visited Rishi Sunak at Number 10 despite rumours milling around on the future of Sunak's leadership of the Conservative Party; The UK's… Read more Audio