Tensions have continued to mount in East Timor, following rioting last weekend by hundreds of rebel soldiers who were sacked from the Timorese Army. Thousands of people have left their homes in Dili to seek refuge in nearby monasteries or fled to their traditional villages in the mountains, many saying they are too afraid to return to their homes. Today, Prime Minister, John Howard announced that Australia would consider sending troops if asked by the East Timorese government. Head of International aid and development group Caritas in Dili, Jay Mahewsaran spoke to Juanita Hanna about the situation.

Foreign oil companies in Bolivia received their marching orders on Tuesday, with the government announcing the nationalisation of the second largest natural gas and oil reserves in Latin America. John Gage, Director of the National Centre for Latin American Studies at the Australian National University says Bolivia’s reforms are a part of a bigger socialisation trend in South America but unless it is accompanied by good governance, furturistically it will not have the desired outcome for the Bolivian people.

Every year more than one hundred thousand people are admitted to hospitals with medication-related problems and for people over the age of 70, about one in three is to the Emergency ward. The Veterans’ MATES program – Medicines Advice and Therapeutic Education Services – is a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Centre at the University of South Australia, and is working to reduce the occurrence of medication-related problems among war veterans. Professor Andrew Gilbert told Andrea Johansen how the program works.

Trapped Tasmanian miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell are going to be surprised by the size of the media contingent waiting for them when they get brought to he surface sometime this weekend. Denise Wood is a South Australian woman who has been through a very similar ordeal, when she fell into a disused mineshaft 6 years ago. By the time she was found and rescued two days later the story had gone around the world. She was unpleasantly surprised by the way the media hounded her for her story and ignored her request for privacy.

The community of Rathdowney in southwest Queensland is protesting against a proposed dam which would flood farmlands and olive groves, and threaten adjacent World Heritage rainforests. Local resident John Robinson says the community is in shock and preparing for battle but the government is not consulting them on the decision. Chris Davis is CEO of the Australian Water Associaition and he says dams are an outdated solution to Australia's water problems.