Midday Report Essentials for Friday 29th August 2025

In today's episode, Waikato Police are investigating a fresh sighting of who they think was fugitive Tom Phillips and one of his children; More details of the night the Loafers Lodge hostel caught fire has been revealed in the High Court in Wellington; It's officially the last weekend of winter, and Mother Nature is determined to make it known; The dead stoat unexpectedly found on a track on stoat-free Rakiura/Stewart Island last month was likely transported there from the mainland according to the Department of Conservation.