Latest audio from RNZ National

The North Island has been hit by rolling storms this afternoon as thunderstorms and lightning darken early summer skies. The Sky Tower took a hit from a lightning strike, while severe thunderstorm… Audio

A kindergarten operator says it will cost hundreds of thousands dollars to decontaminate several Wellington sites that have tested positive for asbestos in the wake of the kid's-coloured sand recall… Audio

A coroner wants the public banned from a deadly but popular rock fishing spot in Waikato, after two more people are believed to have drowned there. Flatmates Olson Canatoy and Eric Dabalos failed to… Audio

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello is back in the firing line over Big Tobacco's influence, with heated debate during a health select committee today on Government plans to roll out oral tobacco… Audio

A smart watch that doubles as an alarm for women at risk of family violence is helping to reduce police callouts. The social service Help at Hand has provided 1200 of the violence prevention watches… Audio

Football fans will get the chance to farewell the All Whites on home soil before next year's world cup. The team will play two games in March in New Zealand before they leave for North America. These… Audio

IKEA is opening the doors of it's first New Zealand store in Auckland tomorrow. Up to 20,000 shoppers are predicted to visit on the first day, along with traffic jams of up to 40 minutes just to get… Audio

Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about the Indonesian island of Sumatra dealing with the devastation caused by flooding and landslides which has killed hundreds, as well as the… Audio

Among everyday vehicles, nearly half are overdue for either their Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or their registration, according to a vehicle management app. Bonnet, an app that links to NZTA data crunched… Audio

Time now to catch up with Our Changing World's Claire Concannon who has been learning about 'time use epidemiology'. Audio

For a lot of people, the files the US Justice department has on convicted sex offender and millionaire Jeffery Epstein are just something to speculate about or turn into political ammunition. But for… Audio

Time for bookmarks now, the feature where an interesting person shares their favourite cultural picks with us and today we're joined by American singer and songwriter Santigold She's headlining this… Audio

Food charities are calling for certainty around government funding, as they prepare for the Christmas season; MetService is forecasting downpours across the North Island today, with possible… Audio

The New Zealand Women's Rafting team has made it to Malaysia to compete in the International Rafting Federation Championships in Malaysia. Captain Janey Megaw and the team spoke to Charlotte Cook. Audio

An update on the latest news from RNZ's rural team. Audio

An update on the latest news and results from RNZ's sports team. Audio