Today's Top Scoop Stories - News Summary

Suffering from the new fun free environment that Auditor General Kevin Brady has ushered in will be the good citizens of National MP Lockwood Smith's Rodney electorate. Photos of Dr Smith surrounded by his fellow Orewa Surf lifesavers were splashed across NZ's newspapers earlier this week after Finance Minister Michael Cullen claimed a Christmas calendar issued by Dr Smith broke the rules under Mr Brady's new guidelines. Dr Smith's calendar showed more than just the good lads of the Orewa surf life saving club though. See... Nat Calendar And Green Cards Collateral Damage [1]

Check Out Scoop's Audio and Video Podcast Feed (updated)

- Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard today welcomed fresh evidence of the significant benefits the New Zealand’s screen production industry receives from large-budget international productions filmed here. Approximately $600 million was spent directly in New Zealand by the seven productions – representing almost 80 per cent of the total budgets of the productions. See... Govt support for film industry delivers [1]

- The Court of Appeal today handed down its judgement in Estate Priddle v ACC that ACC must pay lump sum compensation to victims of asbestos diseases. “The CTU is delighted that the Court of Appeal has recognised the justice of the claim for lump sum compensation by victims of asbestos diseases” CTU president Ross Wilson said. “The current epidemic of mesothelioma victims is one of the hidden tragedies in New Zealand society.” See... Long-delayed justice for asbestos victims [1]

- At the same time while Norwegian authorities were paying compensation to vaccine victims, the same vaccine was exported to New Zealand and used on small kids. To say it nice, they enlisted hundreds of thousands of small kids into a gigantic experiment, says Jan Helge Solbakk, professor in medical ethics. 1988 started the largest experiment ever conducted on Norwegian population. 180,000 school teenagers were used as test subjects in the largest Norwegian vaccine trial ever. It lasted from 1988 to 1991. See... Norway MENZB Doco: Exported Controversial Vaccine [1] ALSO: French And Norwegian Officials Have Condemned A Meningococcal Vaccine Injected Into Countless New Zealand Children See... Meningococcal Vaccine Fails International Tests [2]

- Selwyn Manning writes Best Foreign Dance Company was the acclaim given to The Australian Ballet at the UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards in January 2006, and this week the company's dancers presented to an attentive Auckland audience a most captivating performance of The Sleeping Beauty. The Australian Ballet performs The Sleeping Beauty at Auckland's Civic Theatre until Sunday October 22. For dance and arts lovers, this is a 'must see' show. See... Australian Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty - Superb! [1]

- A wide mix of veterans and newcomers and a so-called ‘supergroup’ take home the Tuis at the New Zealand Music Awards 2006 announced in Auckland (Oct. 18, 2006). Multi award winners are Bic Runga, the Bleeders and Fat Freddy’s Drop who take home two awards each. Bic’s latest album Birds also previously picked up two technical awards presented in September. See... Variety spices up music awards gongs [1] ALSO:Official New Zealand Music Chart - Official NZ Music Chart & Chartbitz Oct. 18 2006 [2]

Scoop Audio:

[1] Scoop's Yasmine Ryan delivers the latest news on France in Les Yeux on France. This week Riots Anniversary.

Selwyn Manning and 95bFM's Simon Pound discuss: how New Zealand is front-footing it foreign affairs position in the Pacific more so now than during the first two terms on the Labour-led Government. Here's why…

- Scoop's Yasmine Ryan writes that the anniversary of last year’s widespread rioting in France draws near, tensions are rising. In particular, many in France are concerned that there have been several attacks on police in the build-up to the anniversary of the events. In what seems to be a new tactic to counter police intervention in the alienated suburbs, youths have ambushed police on three occasions. See... Les Yeux on France: Rioting Anniversary Draws Near [1]

- The United Nations General Assembly remained deadlocked after a third day of voting this week in the contest to fill a non-permanent seat on the Security Council allocated to the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, with Guatemala maintaining its lead over Venezuela but falling short of the necessary majority. See... Final seat on Security Council remains undecided [1]

UN Audio:

[1] Problem of Israel and Palestine at the Heart of MidEast Conflict: De Soto - Considerable Progress Being Made in Lebanon: Pellegrini - SPECIAL FEATURES: Child Soldiers - Poverty Exposes Children To Violence in Africa - Mozambique Fights Poverty by Investing in Agriculture - TV and Radio Station Gives Somalis a Voice In Mogadishu.