First Up Podcast Options

5:10 AM.To Pakistan now where former Prime Minister Imran Khan isn't giving up on his bid for re-election, he's leading a march on the capital Islamabad in what he calls a "battle for freedom". Nick Trubridge… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in Europe, where streaming giant Netflix has had to cough up around 100 million New Zealand dollars to settle a tax dispute in Italy.. Joining Nick Trubridge from Italy is our… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.The country's drug-buying agency Pharmac has received its biggest increase to its medicines budget ever with 191 million dollars to be spent over the next two years. Fiona Tolich lives with Spinal… Read more Audio

5:48 AM.Transport was a big focus in the leadup to yesterday's Budget with calls for the half price transport scheme and fuel tax reduction to be kept amid the ballooning cost of living. The two schemes have… Read more Audio

5:27 AM.We are well into Autumn now - and as we head in to winter, it's a good time to remember to BUY IN SEASON.. With Nathan Rarere, as he is every Friday is our Minister of Fruit and Veggies, Glenn… Read more Audio

5:18 AM.To Australia where as soon as tomorrow night Australia could have a new Prime Minister The federal election will elect members of the 47th Parliament of Australia. Nathan Rarere asked the ABC's Gavin… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.Every Friday we head to Africa - Nathan Rarere spoke to our correspondent Nabil Ahmed who is in Accra, Ghana. He asked him about Zimbabwe's enormous stockpile of elephant ivory and what the government… Read more Audio

5:07 AM.We begin this morning in the United States where President Biden has welcomed the leaders of Sweden and Finland - for more on that, Nathan Rarere was joined from New York by TVNZ's corresondent in New… Read more Audio

5:50 AM.And Nathan Rarere caught up with the man who will be delivering today's Budget, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson. He asked how preparations for the big announcement are… Read more Audio

5:45 AM.A little later today the government will deliver its 2022 Budget, which will include 6 billion dollars of new spending. There have also been major funding announcements about mental health and… Read more Audio

5:35 AM.Joining the programme as he does every couple of weeks - is Space James - James Parr from the Open Space Agency. Audio

5:15 AM.Staying in Europe - Nathan Rarere spoke with our correspondent in Sweden, Anita Purcell Sjölund. Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in the United Kingdom where inflation has hit levels not seen since the Thatcher years. Joining Nathan Rarerer from London is our correspondent Henry Riley. Audio

5:52 AM.With inflation rates at a 30 year high and the cost of living continuing to climb all eyes will be on Finance Minister Grant Robertson's Budget tomorrow. The Supermarkets continue to gratefully… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.A study released this morning has found that just a dozen Facebook accounts were behind nearly two thirds of the mis and dis-information circulated during the Parliament protest. Kate Hannah is Te… Read more Audio

5:27 AM.On Trademe this week - a castle for sale, as is a personally PAW-tographed copy of a book about a cat. But before we get to those, producer Jeremy Parkinson talked with Millie Silvester from TradeMe… Read more Audio

5:19 AM.The Mayor of Christchurch says residents living near the fire-damaged wastewater treatment plant in Bromley should receive financial assistance due to the constant stench they have to endure. Work to… Read more Audio

5:14 AM.To the Middle East now where only Turkey stands in the way of Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Joining Nathan Rarere from Doha is our correspondent Alex Baird. Audio

5:06 AM.Let's head across the the Tasman where they're on the downhill run in to the general election, and it seems the Coalition - lead by Prime Minister Scott Morrison is gaining support and is still within… Read more Audio

5:53 AM.As you heard earlier, low-income families who scrap their old car will get funding to buy a low-emitting vehicle in a $569 million scheme announced yesterday. It's one of the measures forming the… Read more Audio

5:49 AM.It is the 17th of May and there have already been 200 mass shootings in the United States. Just yesterday 7 people were shot in North Carolina, 5 at a Flea Market in Houston, 5 in a Taiwanese… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.We're in the midst of a cost of living crisis with household budgets stretched to breaking point. Businesses are struggling to find staff and interest rates are rising.. those are the words of… Read more Audio

5:22 AM.It's that time of the week we look around the Motu and chat with our Local democracy reporters, and this morning we're talking to Craig Ashworth from Te Korimako o Taranaki. Audio

5:11 AM.Japan is marking the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa by the US - but it's not like they left, more than 25-thousand American military personnel are still based on Okinawa Island itself -… Read more Audio