RNZ: First Up Podcast

First Up the Podcast for the 14th November 2025.

First Up the Podcast for Thursday 13th November 2025, First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: we have news from around the world with our correspondents in Africa and the Middle-East; the police handling of sexual abuse complaints against former Deputy Commissioner, Jevon McSkimming and Te Puke firefighter Jodi Purdie and her son Cooper tell us about their success at the Firefighter World Champs in Texas. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: rain has helped put out the Tongariro scrub fire, we hear from local hapu about what restoration they would like to see; deputy prime minister David Seymour is here to catch us up on the week in politics and his fire station visit went and in Japan our correspondent Chris Gilbert tells us about a beautiful new attraction at Tokyo Airport. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: the huge fire at Tongariro National Park has been described as 'ecological devastation', we hear from a local ecologist about what's been lost in the blaze; we get the latest overseas news from the weekend and here at home, our reporter Ke Xin Li puts on the red bands - and the sweat bands - and joins a rural fitness bootcamp! First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: Over the weekend two more people have been charged over the jewellery heist at the Louvre in Paris; fresh 'n fruity Glenn Forsyth has the latest from the markets and our producer Ross McNaughton joins the Robin Hoods of Huntly for the bow-hunting Koi Carp Classic. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: US President Donald Trump has held critical trade talks with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping; it's Halloween and it might not be pumpkin season for us here but Glenn Forsyth is here with his tricks and treats from the fruit n veges market and the All Blacks play Ireland in Chicago on Sunday morning our time, the All Blacks team is named at 5:30, we'll have a look at that with Jamie Wall who's with the team and Irish rugby reporter Will Slattery. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: in Australia - an early Halloween surprise for some students sitting exams; there's growing criticism of the changes to the school curriculum - Labour's education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime with her response and Kariotahi Beach has a new surf life saving club house, local legend Jim Coe tells us about the interruption during the official blessing. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: category 5 storm Hurricane Melissa is making its way slowly to Jamaica; today we get to know a couple of the weirder creatures in New Zealand - ecologist Mark Roper tells us about back yard bat detectors and producer Ross McNaughton gets up close with a crocodile. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: we've got all the news from around the world overnight - and the latest from around the country - where those red wind warnings have eased now; Otago flanker Will Stodart is ready for the NPC final - he tells us about the perks of the 4pm kick off and we go to calf club in Waikato that services townie kids! First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: Canterbury is in a state of emergency - we have updates from Metservice; White Fern star Amelia Kerr tells Nathan about their World Cup semi final berth; mysterious booms are puzzling Cambridge locals and Labour's Willow-Jean Prime talks about their three new policy annoucements and the mega strike. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: the Louvre Museum in Paris has been robbed - we find out how; millions have marched in anti-Trump rallies across the United States over the weekend and here in Aotearoa, recreational fishing is banned from a bunch of Hauraki Gulf areas from this weekend - Ross McNaughton talks to some locals. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime talks through the week in politics; Heartland rugby comes to its glorious conclusion for another season with the Meads Cup final on Saturday - Mid Canterbury Rugby boss Kenny Addison is with us and supercars champ Shane van Gisbergen tells us he's enjoying some freedom in the US. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: we catch up with a Canterbury University professor who's brought two of his loves together in a new book about Maths and Swimming; Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire and with local elections underway, we look at the licensing trusts in West Auckland and hear from those for and against. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: it's the 41st birthday of the world's favourite train; Labour MP Willow Jean Prime talks about school attendance rates and cuts to jobseeker support and we catch up with big Tom Robinson, who's gone from the Blues forward pack to teaching yoga and breathing! First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: we catch up with Gisborne local Jack Marshall, who's started a podcast on the politics of Tai Rawhiti; we find out about the ruler who was probably more committed to smoking than anyone else in history and we meet Jamie McKenzie - the Red Rocket - a young New Zealand born tennis star who's on the rise in world rankings. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: Japan could be on it's way towards its first female prime minister; a local council changes plans after spending $4.7 million on pool plans and our reporter Ke Xin Li asks Aucklanders what they're voting for in the upcoming local body elections. First Up - Voice of the Nathan.

On today's First Up pod: Dr Anita Purcell-Sjölund is here as balloons shut down a European airport; the Minister of Fruit and Veg answers an important query about potatoes and let us 'bray'... our reporter Ke-Xin Li visits a church full of dogs, donkeys and even some chicks. First Up - Voice of the Nathan

First Up - The Podcast, Friday 26 September 2025

First Up - The Podcast, Thursday 25 September 2025

First Up - The Podcast, Wednesday. 24 September

First Up - The Podcast, Tuesday 23 September 2025

First Up - The Podcast, Monday 22 September 2025

On today's First Up pod: Excitement for the Breakers tonight with their first game of the ANBL season - Nathan catches up with the legendary Dillon Boucher. The Black Ferns are into their Rugby World Cup semifinal tomorrow against Canada - Ella Ferguson has her analysis. Bevan Hurley has details of Jimmy Kimmel's MAGA cancellation. And it's become a landmark for Auckland drivers on the North-Western Motorway.... We take a tour of the Toroa ferry boat's restoration.

On today's First Up pod: Hamish Kerr is our latest world champion, we hear from him and talk sport with Joe Porter; there's some real treasure on Trade Me this week for vinyl junkies out there, a classic record from a classic Kiwi band; a sad day in Hollywood as Robert Redford dies at the age of 89 and reporter Ke Xin Li hears from Kiwis who've lost their social media accounts after being wrongfully accused of breaching the rules. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: the Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour talks about the possibility of more big concerts for Eden Park; in the Tasman region, reporter Max Frethey updates us on the 13 tonnes of hazardous waste at a residential property and heading overseas, athletes are battling the Tokyo heat at the World Athletics Championships and so is our correspondent Chris Gilbert. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: our Middle East correspondent Alex Baird lives close to where Israel has targeted Hamas leadership in Doha - we find out about the implications of this attack and our producer Ross McNaughton reports on New Zealand's deadliest fishing spot - where the council's considering stopping access. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: What happens now after Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has quit - less than a year in the job; Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour on when pet bonds for tenants are going to be enacted; we hear from an expert on Aotearoa's Indian history, following anti-immigration rhetoric at New Zealand First's weekend conference and on a lighter note, new stand up comic Lydia Sainsbury has won the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest - we asked if this is fulfilling a childhood dream. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: the Black Ferns are about to face their toughest test of the World Cup when they take on Ireland - we catch up with hooker Atlanta Lolohea and if the Springboks win this Saturday, it'll be the All Blacks first loss there in more than 30 years - our producer Ross McNaughton takes a look back with commentator Keith Quinn and AB France Bunce. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: we go to Japan where our correspondent Chris Gilbert has the details on bear attacks, and a local community's struggle with too many tourists trying to get a view of Mount Fuji; deputy Prime Minister David Seymour this week talks foreign buyers and housing density and they come in all shapes and sizes, producer Ross McNaughton goes for a ride-along with the team dealing with Auckland's abandoned vehicles. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: another Black Ferns victory at the Rugby World Cup! Rikki Swannell has been over in the UK commentating on matches, she joins us with the latest; all the latest news from around the globe too with our correspondents in Europe and the United States and here at home - reaction to that announcement of a Government loan for for regional airlines with the New Zealand Airports Association chief executive. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: the school shooter in Minneapolis had links with the Catholic school he targeted and in Pakistan the army's helping rescue people from areas devastated by floods - we catch up with our correspondents; in Aotearoa we're seeing a second peak of influenza before winter ends, immunologist Dr Lisa Connor talks about the work she's doing to create a longer lasting flu vaccine and on Auckland's Karangahape Road, it's fashion week and the rainbow crossing is turning into a runway. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod with Melissa Chan-Green: fast-track consenting for supermarkets and a few more Costcos, the government says this will bring down grocery prices - we ask Labour's Consumer Affairs spokesperson Arena Williams for her reaction; the manhunt continues for armed suspect Dezi Freeman in Australia and in Queenstown, reporter Katie Todd tells us there are fears it could be the next Barcelona. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: Trump's meeting with Putin was short, Katherine Firkin beams in from New York to tell us if it was sweet; we catch up with swim champ Lewis Clareburt after he made an important announcement on social media and our reporter Ke Xin Li wades into the confusion around sick notes from Pharmacies. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: Japanese scientists found out what happens when you strap a camera to a seabird - Chris Gilbert explains; the government's scrapping the building consents regime, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour tells us about it and we catch up with local leader Aayden Clarke in Wairoa, where they're getting ready for the legendary Ross Shield rugby tournament. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: we get world news from the UK and Australia; Labour's education spokesperson Willow Jean Prime talks teachers pay, NCEA and the scrapping of te reo Maori in some school books and our Waikato reporter Libby Kirkby-McLeod tells us about the moment firefighters ran out of water at a Hamilton blaze. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: the presidents of Russia and the United States are planning to meet in Alaska on Friday, we find out why Ukraine's not invited; wildfires have torn across parts of Europe; the Minister of Fruit and Vegetables Glenn Forsyth brings us the connection between teeth health and veggies and we look at the rise in boutique clothing scam stores - telling sob stories about closing down, and selling fake flash clothes. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: South Park's had another crack at the Trump administration, Bevan Hurley has his review from New York; Glenn Forsyth is here with fruit of the week and the Farah Palmer Cup kicks off this weekend, we catch up with former Black Ferns captain Les Elder. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: Labour's Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb talks through the week in politics; and it's the Inaugral First Up 7th of August Kids are talented special - we meet a group of Palmerston North students who are off overseas for the World Kids' Lit Quiz and we catch up with the proud coach of 10 year old world champion golfer, Joanna Ke First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: Alex Baird has the very latest from the Middle East; in business we hear about a big spike in the number of over 50s looking for work, meanwhile, with long wait lists for surgery here in Aotearoa - producer Ross McNaughton talks to Kiwis travelling as far as Turkey for health treatment. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: our correspondent Chris Gilbert explains why pressure is growing on the Japanese Prime Minister to resign; in we hear about a 91 year old council candidate who's actually following his friends' advice NOT to spend his most of his remaining years at council board tables and the government's planning to replace NCEA, we ask uni students what their experience was like at high school. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

On today's First Up pod: producer Ross McNaughton finds out how much Netball NZ is paying for TVNZ to broadcast ANZ championship games; we have the fresh juice from Minister Glenn Forsyth at the produce markets and reporter Ke-Xin Li looks at the rules around medical certificates and sick notes. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!