Holiday Breakfast

The Black Foils are “hungry” for a win in this year’s SailGP. 

The event returns to Auckland this February, setting sale in Waitematā Harbour. 

Liv Mackay is the team’s strategist, reading the wind, calling the moves, and helping steer our team to the front of the pack. 

She told Andrew Dickens it’s about performing in that final, and they haven’t quite performed yet. 

But, Mackay said, they’re ready to fight for it this year. 

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Last year saw the Tasman dealing with the aftermath of multiple floods, but where is the district at now?  

Mayor Tim King joined Andrew Dickens for a chat about the impact the weather events had on the area, and what things are looking like for the summer. 

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Weight loss drugs may not be the silver bullet for obesity we hoped they would be.  

The popularity of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy is continuing to rise as more and more turn to the drugs in order to drop weight.  

But patients are reporting that the hunger returns after they stop taking the medications, and many return to their previous weight within a few years. 

The Weightless Clinic Bariatric Physician Dr Lara Courtenay told Andrew Dickens that no matter how you lose weight, whether through exercise, diet, or medication, the body wants to put the weight back on. 

It does this through increasing hunger and slowing the metabolism, she says, so it’s important to have proper wrap around support when using weight loss medications.  

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Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelensky's looking for further commitment on security guarantees after European nations have signed security declarations in Paris.  

The UK and France yesterday made a commitment to defend Ukraine at a meeting attended by 35 nations. 

Ukraine Ambassador to New Zealand and Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko told Andrew Dickens this hinges on the US.  

He says American leadership's instrumental – Ukraine can't achieve peace without US commitment to European security. 

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More details are emerging about data compromised in the Manage My Health portal breach. 

The privately-owned platform has started notifying affected GP clinics. 

College of GPs President Luke Bradford says much of the information is eight to nine years old. 

He told Andrew Dickens Northland appears to be the most-affected region. 

Bradford says although it doesn't have anything to do with Whangārei Hospital, it seems be predominantly files out of its systems. 

He told Dickens they mostly don't appear to include lab results, medicines, or notes of personal conversations with doctors. 

Bradford says they've been told its inwards letters, predominantly coming from specialist appointments in the hospital system. 

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There are hopes new meth-contamination statistics will quell concerns.   

Meth-testing company Safe and Healthy Home Solutions says it picked up detectable residue in about half of properties it tested between 2023 and 2025. 

Safe and Healthy Homes Solutions Director Miles Stratford told Andrew Dickens most have a very low level of contamination, which won't have much impact on wellbeing. 

He says the most contamination is in places where meth was manufactured. 

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US taxpayers could be on the hook to subsidise the rebuilding of Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.  

The US launched strikes over the weekend and took President Nicolas Maduro into custody, shipping him back to New York under duress and detaining him on drug-trafficking charges. 

It’s pressuring Venezuela to end drug smuggling and let in American oil companies. 

US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of the US subsidising energy companies for the rebuilding of the country's oil production and distribution infrastructure. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Andrew Dickens Trump has been focused almost entirely on the oil, saying, among other things, that they’re going to get the oil “flowing the way it should be”.  

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Despite a wobble in the polls last year, Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick thinks the party is in a good place. 

Over this term the party's reached as high as 15% in some surveys, but it dropped to 7% in the last 1News Verian poll of 2025. 

Swarbrick told Andrew Dickens she’s proud of the plans they’ve put on the table and thinks they’re in a really good place going into election year.  

She says New Zealanders have agency, and so they shouldn’t just watch the polls and think that’s their future set in stone. 

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The days of cyclone recovery are over, and the Coromandel is open for business this summer.

Thames-Coromandel District Mayor Peter Revell joined for a chat about the region’s recovery, rates, and all the gorgeous places you can visit on your summer roadtrip. 

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Retail New Zealand's Chief Executive says the closure of Australian retailer EB Games would have a wide-reaching impact.  

The Australian video-game retailer's proposing shutting its 38 New Zealand stores and its Distribution Centre. 

Staff reportedly have until Monday to feed back on the plan. 

Retail NZ's Carolyn Young told Andrew Dickens the retail climate's been really challenging over the past few years.  

She says losing EB is not a small thing. 

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