Holiday Breakfast

Many of us may think that menopause is something that only happens to older women, but the symptoms can start for some women as early as their 30s. Wellbeing and nutrition expert Niki Bezzant joined Tim Beveridge to discuss what people need to know about menopause - including the things husbands and partners may need to know for their partner as well - and to bust the stereotypes about it.  LISTEN...

The holidays are already over for many of us, and that means we need to get our brains back in working order for the year ahead.  However, there is a need to find balance. Brain Fit coach Jude Walter moved into this career after she had a mental and physical breakdown in her early 30s - and that sent her down a path to help other people avoid a similar path of letting stress get the best of them. ...

Some GPs are making decisions on who should get cheap contraception, and who doesn't. The New Zealand Medical Journal says Māori and Pacific women are being targeted for the Ministry of Health's $4.5 million fund for free or low-cost contraception. It's for women at risk of an adverse outcome, as a result of an unintended pregnancy. Auckland University's Orna McGinn told Tim Dower all women should...

Our final stop on the Newstalk ZB Holiday Breakfast road trip is Stewart Island. Last month, the Rakiura museum on Stewart Island moved to a brand new purpose built building. It's a big deal for the museum, which ran out of room in the converted house it's been using since 1960. Chairperson of the Rakiura Heritage Trust, Anita Geeson joins Tim Dower to talk about the attraction. LISTEN ABOVE See o...

2020 was an incredible year for Kiwi singer-songwriter Harper Finn, who is the son of Tim and nephew of Neil Finn. His single 'Dance Away These Days' is getting a lot of air time on the radio, and it's backed up by his strong collection of moody synth pop anthems. Harper joined Tim Dower to talk about his career, and performs live in studio! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

A woman who tested positive for the highly contagious strain of COVID-19 was able to leave quarantine at Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chancellor to go to hospital with her father, The Courier-Mail has revealed. The newspaper reports an ambulance was called to the hotel on Monday night for the man, aged in his 40s, following a medical complaint. He was reportedly accompanied to the Royal Brisbane Hospita...

His place in the history books rewritten, President Donald Trump endured his second impeachment largely alone and silent. For more than four years, Trump has dominated the national discourse like no one before him. Yet when his legacy was set in stone on Wednesday, he was stunningly left on the sidelines. Trump now stands with no equal, the only president to be charged twice with a high crime or m...

Rio Tinto and the Government will continue to negotiate terms which could trade transmission relief for a plan to remediate the site of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, even after the mining giant extracted enough from its electricity provider to promise to stay open until at least the end of 2024. For more than a year Rio Tinto has been using a strategic review and threat of closure to demand c...

After months of drama, controversy and preparation, racing for the America's Cup is finally set to kickoff with the start of the Prada Cup. Organised by the Challenger of Record, the Prada Cup Challenger Selection Series will be held in Auckland throughout January and February 2021 to determine which of the three challengers - Luna Rossa, Ineos Team UK and American Magic - will take on the defende...

The Government will allow 1000 foreign students to enter the country from April as part of the recovery plan for international education, it has been announced. Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the students must be part-way through a degree or postgraduate course and would have to pay for the cost of their time in managed isolation. Education providers have been lobbying the Government to reo...

The unbreakable wall of Republican support that encouraged and enabled Donald Trump's norm-shattering presidency cracked on Wednesday. A group of 10 House Republicans joined Democrats to impeach Trump for inciting a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., hasn't ruled out convicting Trump during a trial later this month, giving fellow Republicans c...

Dogs have been recruited to help stop kauri dieback spreading to the islands around Auckland. Two sniffer dogs have graduated from a Conservation Dog Programme and will help Auckland Council restrict the spread of the tree disease. Biosecurity team manager Lisa Tolich says they'll be a key part of the regional pest management plan. She says the dogs will be an active part of the first line of defe...

There has been huge demand for Russell Howard's 'Respite' tour, kicking of in Auckland next Tuesday. If you haven't seen his stand up, there's a great special on Netflix - but he's also known for his satirical take on politics, news, entertainment and all the rest on 'The Russell Howard Hour". Those shows have racked up 400 million views on social media. The acclaimed comic is in managed isolation...

Italy has now passed 80,000 deaths from Covid-19. It comes as the World Health Organisation is warning the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic may be tougher than the first, as more-infectious variants circulate. Elsewhere in Europe, the United Kingdom's seen just under 85-thousand deaths, and France is approaching 69,000. Rome correspondent Jo McKenna told Tim Dower Italy's had 500 deaths in the...

Into the Clutha region now, and on the banks of the Clutha river is the Tuapeka Punt. The punt is a water powered ferry that crosses the river, and the only one left in the southern hemisphere. There were 25 or so of them in their heyday, used to connect a remote gold mining camp to the other side of the river. Now, it's a quirky attraction. Tom Jones operates the ferry - known as 'The Punt'- at T...

An international health expert says if New Zealanders want to keep new strains of Covid-19 out of the community, we need to do the hard work. The Ministry of Health has so far recorded a total of 19 cases linked to the UK and South Africa variants. Otago University's Philip Hill told Tim Dower people need to adhere to the Covid-19 health guidelines. He says people aren't taking the possibility of...

Britain's coronavirus vaccine program will operate around the clock seven days a week “as soon as we can,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged Wednesday as the U.K. accelerates efforts to inoculate millions of its most vulnerable people against coronavirus. Johnson said “at the moment, the limit is on supply” of the vaccines rather than on the ability of the country's health service to deliver ja...

There are potential for issues if we race through and approve a Covid-19 vaccine. National is calling on the Government to accelerate the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, in light of the highly-infectious UK and South African variants. The UK is full steam ahead with vaccinating, while there are roll outs in other countries. Auckland University Immunisation Advisory Centre director Nikki Turner told...

At least six Republicans in the House of Representatives have indicated they will vote to impeach US President Donald Trump, it has been reported. A historic debate is underway in the House over whether to impeach him. Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, tweeted his statement where he indicated he we vote in favour of impeachment. "Turning a blind eye to this brutal assault on our Republic...

David Seymour says last year we were in a state of emergency, this year it's a state of complacency. The Act leader is calling for the Government to make scanning in with a QR code compulsory for those people who haven't switched on the Covid Tracer app's Bluetooth capability. Seymour told Tim Beveridge he's worried we could be very quickly shaken out of our complacency with a fast-spreading outbr...

Almost all regions experienced a substantial lift in the number of new job ads in the last quarter of last year. The latest Seek Quarterly Employment Report data shows the majority of regions had quarter-on-quarter increases, with many surpassing pre-Covid levels. Seek general manager Janet Faulding told Tim Dower Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Manawatu and Tasman are all up year-o...

Country communities aren't yet ready to see the death of the cheque. Rural Women New Zealand has found overwhelming opposition among its members, to the demise of paper payment methods. More than 70 per cent of respondents to a survey are expressing concern as many banks aim to remove cheques as a payment option in 2021. Rural women board member Sharon Davie-Martin told Tim Dower many rural commun...

Newstalk ZB is back with another edition of Hidden Spots on Summer Breakfast. This is where we take you on a bit of a virtual road trip around the country - and give you tips on attractions you may not know about. Jimmy's Pies from Roxburgh are famous throughout the lower South Island. Made to an old family recipe, Jimmy's have been making their meat pies for almost 50 years. Katie Kirkpatrick run...

A whole range of reasons as to why people aren't scanning QR codes, when they're out and about. Act Leader David Seymour is calling for scanning into any premises to be made compulsory,  for those who haven't switched on the Covid Tracer app's Bluetooth capability. Auckland University researcher Andrew Chen told Tim Dower the reasons range from people giving it a go and it not working through to a...

An epidemiologist disagrees with the calls to shut the borders to the US and the UK. Both countries are battling high rates of infection and new variants of the virus. US and UK travellers will be required to produce a negative test prior to departure, from Saturday. Otago University's David Murdoch told Tim Dower the Government can't simply close the borders. He says to ensure things keep going i...