The US and Iran are trading threats, with the President warning a massive naval armada is moving towards the country.

Donald Trump says time's running out for Iran to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme.

The BBC reports satellite images show a steady and significant build-up of US military forces in the region since a brutal crackdown on demonstrations in Iran earlier this month.

US Correspondent Jagruiti Dave told Ryan Bridge Iran's mission to the United Nations has responded to Trump's latest warning.

She says they're ready for dialogue based on mutual respect, but if pushed it'll defend itself and respond like never before.

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A struggle to secure GP visits could be playing a role in skyrocketing calls for ambulances.

National ambulance data shows there's been a 30% increase in 111 calls for ambulances over the past five years.

St John fielded more than 700 thousand calls for the first time last year and attended more than half a million incidents.

Ambulance Association National Secretary Mark Quinn told Ryan Bridge minimal access to healthcare in rural areas is playing a role.

He says St John is sometimes used as a "pseudo-GP" because it's the only access to health operating in the area.

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 29th of January 2025, new numbers show Labour's "fees free" wasn't all that it was supposed to be, VUWSA Vice President Aidan Donoghue tells Ryan what it did for students.

ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley shares his thoughts on a housing sentiment survey from Cotality.

Demand for ambulance's was the highest on record last year according to stats from St John, New Zealand Ambulance Association National Secretary Mark Quin tells Ryan why demand has increased.

Plus, US Correspondent Jagruti Dave has the latest on Donald Trump’s latest threat to Iran and layoffs at Amazon.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Reading this story this morning about fees free - you've got to wonder how the policy got through the boffins in wellington.

It has, by all accounts, failed to achieve it's objective.

Did we see floods of people charging into lecture halls and studying at university?

No.

Did we see loads of poorer students benefit?

No.

What did it cost us, again? $2.6 billion. $350-million last year alone.

That's one and half brand new Dunedin hospitals.

This is what it got us.

No increase in participation.

230 students from poor schools were helped. That's 1.3%.

A whopping 70% of the kids who had their university fees paid for (up to $12,000 each) were from above-average socio-economic schools.

They were the wealthier kids.

Did they need it? No.

I've always backed the interest-free student loan idea. You can borrow, not stress about interest, and work hard to pay it down once you finish.

But clearly fees free was too much of a free lunch. Not enough discipline or focus.

Now the problem is Winston and national have kept this policy alive. They've just changed it to the final year of study.

The idea is this will encourage students to finish their studies.

Problem? It's not doing that either. No evidence.

So, you've got to ask, with such a high price tag, is the whole thing worth having at all?

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New data suggests Labour’s fees-free university scheme failed to reach the students it was meant to help.

Of the 26-thousand students who went straight from Year 13 into study in its final year, just 1.3 percent came from the most disadvantaged schools - around 230 students.

The policy aimed to lift participation by 12 percent by removing cost barriers to higher education.

It has since been scrapped by the current Government, with support now limited to the final year of study.

VUWSA Vice President Aiddan Donoghue tells Ryan how the scheme has been for students.

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India and the European Union have announced what's been named 'the mother of all trade deals'.

The landmark agreement will allow the free trade of goods across the 27 EU states and India, which make up nearly 25% of global trade across a market of two billion people.

It comes as both sides contend with economic pressure from Donald Trump's tariffs.

Europe correspondent Mike Pearse told Ryan Bridge just about everything from tea, to cars, to chemicals will see tariffs cut and trade made easier.

He says it's been dubbed the biggest and most historic trade deal ever, being talked about for more than 20 years.

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An ACT MP wants the Broadcasting Standards Authority to be abolished as the watchdog seeks more power.

The authority has been asking for law reform for about 15 years as media companies produce more online content.

A Parliamentary paper notes the watchdog operates off a definition of a broadcaster established 35 years ago.

ACT's Laura McClure told Ryan Bridge she agrees the world has changed a lot in the past three decades.

She says there are many methods of oversight and doesn't believe the BSA is relevant anymore.

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A Wellington bookstore owner is expecting a 35% loss in revenue following the closure of their NZ Post counter - and says she’s “devastated” for affected customers, particularly the elderly.

NZ Post has announced it will close 142 urban partner stores across the country after reviewing how customers use its urban retail services. No rural stores are currently affected.

The decision has left many in the community outraged, saying it was already hard to access a post shop and many people who couldn’t go online would struggle.

Marsden Books Karori owner and manager Briony Hogg said the shop’s estimated revenue would drop 35-40% once the post counter closes at the end of May.

Speaking to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB this morning, Hogg said there were only two post shops in the suburb of 18,000, with the other – a Mobil station – staying open.

The postal counter itself had low margins but closing it would have a “pretty significant” effect on revenue, thanks to the loss of customers.

“People would come in to do their posting and while they’re in there they’ll buy a card and they’ll buy a book and they’ll have a chat and we build a relationship,” she said.

The store and others like it would now have to think of ways to pivot.

Hogg said they had “no idea” why NZ Post chose the petrol station to stay open - “I imagine it was something to do with the bottom line which I understand is important” - but called it “a weird fit”.

“Also, there are a lot of concerns around health and safety, elderly people crossing forecourts, you know, that sort of thing so that’s the thing that we’re really quite devastated about for our customers.”

Marsden Books had gone “above and beyond” to provide social connection and community spirit, she said. “I’m just not sure they’re going to get that same level of service at a petrol station.”

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