Midday Report Essentials for Tuesday 17 June 2025

In today's episode, the government has paused millions of dollars of funding to the Cook Islands after its government signed partnership deals with China earlier this year, Iran's Supreme Leader has refused Donald Trump's earlier call for unconditional surrender, Aotearoa officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster, and despite the ban on the infamous Waikato instrument, the final between the Chiefs and Crusaders on Saturday is expected to be a sell out with bars looking to soak up the rest of the punters.