Holiday Breakfast

A Major incident has been declared in Manchester as flooding hits the UK, leading to 150 flood warnings nationwide.

Keir Starmer has vowed to "rebuild Britain" this year in his New Year message. 

"The security of working people, that is the purpose of this government, the goal of our plan for change. And we will push it forward in 2025," the Prime Minister said. 

And migrant crossings by dinghy from France shot up 25% in 2024 causing deaths to rise sixfold. 

UK Correspondent Enda Brady joins the show to discuss these issues. 

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Kiwi icon Al Brown is as talented and innovative as it gets. 

He is an entrepreneur, world-leading chef owning some of New Zealand’s greatest restaurant brands, a fisherman and a TV presenter. 

But, with 2024 being a tough year for the hospitality sector, Al faced some of his biggest challenges yet.  

Al tells Tim Beveridge the palate of the nation has changed “dramatically” in his 40 years as a chef - “we travel and we can magpie from all the other sorts of cuisines and styles from around the world.” 

“I think our eating scene in New Zealand is magnificent.” 

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Parliament may have closed down for the summer but that doesn’t mean the work has stopped. 

MPs stand in as Duty Minister over the summer period, remaining on call and responsible for any important Government business that occurs. 

The man greeting 2025 as Duty Minister is Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety, Andrew Hoggard. 

Andrew tells Tim Beveridge his new year will be business as usual, with work on issues such as the Security Act review and animal welfare regulations. 

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The New Year’s Honours list revealed nine kiwi appointments as Companions of the King’s Service Order and seven awards of the King’s Service Medal. 

Becoming a Dame is Julie Chapman, who is behind long-running charity KidsCan. 

Julie has been given the honour for services to children and the community, having founded KidsCan in 2005 and providing food, clothing and health support for more than 60-thousand children a year. 

She tells Tim Beveridge the honour was a big surprise. 

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The Government will make vaping starting kits available for free to those wanting to quit smoking from next week. 

The kits will include a vape device and one month’s supply of nicotine pods each month over a three-month period. 

Professor of Public Health at University of Auckland, Chris Bullen tells Tim Beveridge vapes have downsides but are a “really effective tool” in helping smokers quit. 

Bullen says the downside is that people continue to breathe in products that are not completely safe. 

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Animal rights organisation PETA has made allegations of sheep abuse on kiwi farms in an “exposé” into New Zealand’s shearing practices. 

PETA accuse farmers of whipping, tackling, cutting and abusing animals and named a range of brands they claim use the wool. 

The Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed it had been contacted about the allegations. 

PETA UK spokesperson Elisa Allen tells Tim Beveridge industry labels such as humane wool are a sham. 

Federated Farmers Meat & Wool chairperson Toby Williams has called the report “a disgraceful hit job” that aims to make people think “their video is what all farming practices in New Zealand look like, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.” 

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Sydney saw in the New Year with nine tons of fireworks. 

The city hosted two fireworks displays, at 9pm and midnight. Australia correspondent Murray Olds tells Tim Beveridge the earlier show allows young families to bail out early. 

Meanwhile, Woolworths has buckled and will now sell Australia Day merchandise, in a reversal of its 2024 policy. 

The supermarket chain will offer Australian flag-themed merchandise such as hats, sunglasses, bunting and a “clip-on ribbon” through its online stores. 

And, Australians are being warned to reinstall their cards in their mobile wallets. Up to 60,000 could be affected by a reset. 

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Two thirds of respondents in a new US poll believe incoming President Donald Trump won’t be able to trim the federal budget deficit as pledged in his campaign. The deficit sits at $1.8 trillion. 

In the same poll, 61% of respondents think China will continue to increase its world power, while just 23% are expecting a year of political cooperation. 

US correspondent Richard Arnold tells Tim Beveridge “you might say the summary is ‘challenges ahead’.” 

Meanwhile, two arms of Trump’s Republican support are engaged in a blistering battle over empowering skilled foreign workers. 

Richard Arnold tells Tim Beveridge Elon Musk says he will go to war on the issue of allowing skilled workers to enter the US. Musk supports the entry of workers with skills critical to the tech industry.  

Plus, details of the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter reveal honours with span several days. 

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The Coromandel is one of the country's most resilient regions, overcoming wild weather and its consequences over the past year. 

The town is known for its beautiful beaches and scenery, most notably Cathedral Cove which has just reopened to visitors. 

Coromandel mayor Len Salt joins Tim Beveridge with the low-down on how the year has been. 

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In the space of six months, Hamish Kerr became a world indoor champion and then an Olympic gold medallist, feats that no other New Zealander had ever achieved in high jump.

How does Kerr build the team that leads him to success? 

The 28-year-old reflects on the Olympics and the past year in his career.

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