Five Big Things: Tuesday, December 12

Ghost houses, bracing for meteor showers and hangover cures ahead of the big Christmas bash.

Is it time to scrap “best before” dates? Experts say they’re adding to the 100,000 tonnes of “avoidable, unnecessary” food waste heading to the landfill every year.

Love Food Hate Waste’s Kate Fenwick says while the “best before” date can be left off many items, people should pay attention to the “use by” date as it’s for food safety.

Kiwis lucky to have clear skies and low light pollution will have the chance to see a spectacular meteor shower this evening.

To find out when to expect the show and which parts of the country will have the best front-row seat, click here.

There’s growing calls for New Zealand to crack down on the owners of so-called "ghost homes" sitting empty during a chronic shortage in rental availability.

Figures show nearly 10,000 homes were intentionally left empty that year – and it's thought to have only grown in number.

Australia's clamping down on "ghost homes" by slapping foreign investors with major tax hikes. So should we be doing the same here?

The Government will amend speed limit rules to "stop blanket speed limit reductions", the Transport Minister says.

Minister Simeon Brown announced the change today, reflecting a National Party election promise made on the campaign trail.

Can you cure a hangover? Or would it take a Christmas miracle?

The silly season's a time for celebration, being merry and, of course, drinking — especially if the boss is picking up the tab.

One GP's given his top tips on how to avoid the dreaded hangover – and it doesn't involve sculling water before bed.

If you're in need of the perfect hangover cure – or a cheeky breakfast – look no further than this classic trifle recipe from Bluebells Cakery's Karla Goodwin.

To whip up this dessert that's even better the next morning, click here.

Hilary Barry's joined Breakfast to revisit some of the highlights from Matty McLean's time at TVNZ.

The outgoing host's gaffes and funny moments over the years can be found here.