First Up Podcast Options

5:08 AM.To Asia now, where the US House of representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi is heading on her much anticipated visit.. As yet, Taiwan doesn't feature on her itinerary - but it's the possibility of her… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games is about to begin in Birmingham. The 11-day long event consists of 19 sports, 72 nations and territories, 280 medal events, and more than 5,000 athletes… Read more Audio

5:49 AM.If you think you've been hearing more beautiful birdsong in the Capital you're ears aren't lying. Latest figures show native birds have increased by 51 per cent on Wellington's Miramar Peninsula. This… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.We like stories about good things happening in the community at First Up. This morning we're shining the light on an initiative providing optometry to those who may not have access. Vision Bus… Read more Audio

5:30 AM.Tradies say the theft of their tools and equipment is happening far more often than it used to and the thieves are getting pretty sophisticated. Nathan Rarere spoke with the New Zealand Certified… Read more Audio

5:21 AM.Joining Nathan Rarere from the fresh produce markets is our Minister of Fruit and Veges Glenn Forsyth. Fruit of the Week: NZ Navel Oranges Audio

5:13 AM.In Africa the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has held an auction for rights to drill for oil in rainforest land in the past few hours. Joining Nathan Rarere from from Ghana is our… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.Staying the United States where monkey pox numbers have hit more than 1000 daily cases. For more on this Nathan Rarere is joined by our man in New York, Bevan Hurley. Audio

5:49 AM.A review into the hiring of TVNZ presenter Kamahl Santamaria has found a number of flaws in the recruitment process. The former Al Jazeera presenter lasted just 32 days in the job and left under a… Read more Audio

5:37 AM.Seven Manly Sea Eagles players stood down this week after the club announced players would wear a rainbow strip this week to promote LGBTIA+ inclusion. The players cite religious reasons for refusing… Read more Audio

5:21 AM.Papakainga is the term in Te Reo which describes communal housing on ancestral Maori land or Whenua. Aden Miles Morunga of the Local Democracy reporting program has been covering the progress of… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.From Birmingham to Europe now, where grain exports out of Ukraine have restarted after that missile strike on the Black Sea port at Odessa.. With Nathan Rarere from Sweden is our correspondent Anita… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.We begin this morning in the United Kingdom where "very militant unions" are being blamed for train strikes which are expected to cause a decent amount of chaos to commuters over the next 24 hours… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.New White Ferns coach Ben Sawyer is back in Birmingham and getting to see the sights for the first time. Sawyer coached the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred cricket competition last season and will… Read more Audio

5:54 AM.And for the situation on our roads we're joined by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency transport systems manager Mark Owen. Audio

5:49 AM.The wild weather has been absolutely hammering the South Island and in Dunedin it's been bad enough for the Army to go on standby should its help be needed. Further north, more than 70 millimetres of… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.Male gymnasts continue to outnumber their female peers in New Zealand teams selected for pinnacle events. Junior gymnastics is dominated by girls but a higher percentage of the boys get a shot at the… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.Across the Tasman, avocado growers have united in a call to their country folk: eat avos for Australia! A new report by agribusiness bank Rabobank has found that the country's growers will likely… Read more Audio

5:23 AM.A social activist in the US state of Florida is challenging a recent Supreme Court ruling which allowed a high school coach to conduct a Christian prayer service during a football match. Chaz Stevens… Read more Audio

5:15 AM.To the Middle East we head, where the last country of the Arab Spring is about to revert back to authoritarian rule. Joining Nathan Rarere from Doha is our correspondent Alex Baird. Audio

5:06 AM.Let's begin this morning in Australia where famous faces are returning to Ramsay Street in their droves as production comes to an end on the long running soap Neighbours and Manly's rugby league team… Read more Audio

5:50 AM.Each week we get to catch up with the deputy leaders of both the Labour and National parties. Today its the turn of National's Nicola Willis, who we asked about Covid in schools, the trouble in the… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.It was back to school around the country yesterday with students and staff hoping the holidays had acted as a circuit breaker for the rampant Covid and flu outbreaks. It comes after the leaders of ten… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.Some Muslim women who want to compete in certain sports can’t because of bans overseas on the headscarf. But a group of 11 women managed to push the International Basketball Federation to reverse its… Read more Audio

5:24 AM.Local Democracy Reporting time now and this morning we're in Greymouth with Brendon McMahon, who spoke with Nathan Rarere. Audio