Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Weeks on from a controversial Rugby World Cup final, just-retired referee Wayne Barnes has released a new autobiography.

‘Throwing the Book’ examines the highs and lows of officiating rugby at the top level- and takes shots at New Zealand and former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the mass reaction to this book.

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The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has pulled a controversial video campaign accused of mocking fraud victims.

As part of Fraud Awareness Week, the FMA partnered with comedian Tom Sainsbury to depict a 'Boomer Dad' getting scammed out of his planned trip to France.

New data released from banks showed that New Zealanders lost almost $200 million in scams in the year to September.

Financial adviser Rachelle Bland says this video campaign shamed the people the FMA was designed to protect.

"I think it's a case of inappropriate targeting. Maybe it's catchy, but it's really not appropriate to laugh at people who've been scammed."

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New Zealand's hard road to the Cricket World Cup final will become impossible if they don't hold their chances.

The Black Caps will face off against hosts India in tonight's semi-final in Mumbai at 9:30pm.

There's controversy brewing ahead of the match, with reports claiming India have switched the pitch to favour their spinners.

Former Black Cap Peter McGlashan says this is a sign India feels threatened by the Black Caps' chances.

"It's one of those things where it's difficult to do late, so I would be surprised if the New Zealand team probably knew about this a day or two ago. Generally when you arrive at a ground to practice, you're shown where the match will be played."

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Doctors Without Borders is outraged patients and medical staff are being put in harm's way, as Israeli military forces raid a hospital in Gaza.

Israel says it's carrying out an operation against Hamas at Al-Shifa Hospital - the largest medical complex in the Gaza strip.

Doctors Without Borders' Simon Eccleshall says staff were given just minutes warning before the raid.

"And the indiscriminate bombing of the hospital over the last few days has been in blatant disregard for the safety of patients. This is clearly a contravention of international humanitarian law." 

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New Zealand's migration has hit record levels, as Kiwis flock overseas.

The year to September had a historic net loss of 44,700 citizens.

Overall annual net migration was at a record near 119,000 for the same period.

Demographer Paul Spoonley says they're extraordinary figures, unlike anything seen before.

"Last year, the Productivity Commission did a fantastic report, which looked at migration. One of the things they said is- we've got an infrastructure deficit. I thought we might have a bit of a pause, but no."

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A political commentator says leaks from post-election talks are rife this year.

The leaders of National, ACT and New Zealand First have now all sat around a table together, a first in their negotiations.

Prime Minister elect Chris Luxon has wanted talks to stay private.

But Ben Thomas says that hasn't been the case.

He says it may reflect the parties playing off against each other.

"There's the question of how Winston Peters is going to kind of conduct himself as part of this trio, and maybe part of that is distancing himself from the other two."

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Fresh from hanging up the whistle after last month's Rugby World Cup final, referee Wayne Barnes detailed the trials and tribulations of officiating at a professional level.

In his new autobiography 'Throwing the Book', Barnes took aim at former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry and his response to the All Blacks' upset loss to France in 2007.

Former All Black Sir John Kirwan says it's likely Barnes is exaggerating his points to generate interest in the book.

"I know Wayne, I know his wife- he's a family man. That's a bit of an exaggeration, he's probably got to sell books. "

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It’s time that we stop making excuses for why we can’t make it a crime to stonewall the cops.

And instead just do the right thing and make it a crime for every adult in the house to stonewall the cops if someone has bashed a baby to death.

This is becoming a pattern with child deaths in New Zealand. Just off the top of my head, I can give you four cases where babies have been bashed and the adults didn’t want to tell on each other:

• The Kahui twins
• Nia Glassie
• A case in South Auckland with an unnamed 4 moth old baby who survived months of bashing in 2019/2020
• And now- baby Ru

There were three adults in the house when baby Ru was bashed, and last we heard none of them are properly assisting police.

It is not novel to raise the idea that we should write a law that criminalises those three adults, and any others like them for keeping silent.

But every time we have this debate, out come the naysayers and they warn us we can’t do that.

Because it overturns a fundamental principle in our law where you are not compelled to help the prosecution, where you do not have to speak under threat of being charged. So every time, nothing gets done.

Today, I called a retired law professor to ask what he thought.

And he said that as long as a law was written that was very specific, that only criminalised people in a very specific example of bashing a dependent - like a baby or an elderly person -and as long as pressing charges required a sign off form very senior people - like the Attorney General or the Solicitor-General - it could be acceptable.

And it could work. To give you an example- that case of the 4 month old that I mentioned earlier.

The parents weren’t talking, so the cops charged both the mum and the dad. And that forced her dad to confess it was him. He went to jail for four years, and the baby survived.

It's time that we start doing this. Sure, it overrides principles but there’s another accepted principle- you don’t bash a baby to death and get away with it.

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David Cameron has been named the UK's new Foreign Minister.

It comes seven years after he quit as PM over the outcome of his Brexit referendum.

Cameron's appointment is part of a major Cabinet re-shuffle by current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, sparked by the removal of Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says this is a risky decision, as this will alienate many prospective voters.

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Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!

In coalition updates: Luxon's trip to APEC is officially off, Winston has been AWOL from Parliament- but the parties are set to meet later this week. Who knows what's going on? What can we expect in the coming days?

NZ First's Shane Jones told Radio Waatea his party supports a 'reset' on the Treaty of Waitangi. Will Luxon approve? Is this too divisive?

Former Prime Minister David Cameron is back in Parliament following Suella Braverman's departure? Is this a good move for the current UK Government?

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