Reports have come through this afternoon that East Timor’s embattled Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri has resigned, in a move that observers hope will end the political deadlock in the world’s youngest nation. The move followed a bout of political brinkmanship ? last week President Xanana Gusmao threatened to resign if Alkatiri didn’t. Then on Sunday Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta did resign, because of Alkatiri’s failure to step down. So does this spell the end the political and security crisis that has claimed the lives of at least 30 people and left 150,000 people displaced on the tiny island nation. To discuss the implications, The Wire spoke earlier with East Timor Expert, Associate Professor Damien Kingsbury from the International and Political Studies at Deakin University.

Well staying with Timor, back in its capital Dili as we go to air there is still a level of uncertainty about exactly whether Mr Alkatiri has been formally removed from office. Aderito de jesus Soares, is a human rights lawyer, activist and lecturer at the University in Dili. He spoke a short time ago with Erica Vowles about the situation and expressed his concerns that it remained uncertain whether the political crisis was indeed over.

Today’s national summit on violence in Indigenous communities was an opportunity for the Government to take action on issues that have been poorly dealt with or simply ignored for too long. While this provides an opportunity for Government representatives to deal with the issues, what about members of the Indigenous community? Most would agree that the Government needs to work alongside Indigenous groups to tackle problems of violence and abuse in Indigenous communities. Yet there is a distinct lack of Indigenous representation at the Summit. That was Kirsten Veness speaking with Muriel Bamblett, Chairperson of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies and also David Patterson from the Yarrabah Aboriginal Men’s Health Group and Men’s Health research Coordinater and Alf Bamblett, Chairperson of the National Justice Advisory Committee.

Palestinians are counting to cost of a move within the US to stop any flow of aid to the Palestinian Authority. A bill passed by the senate last week, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, will stop the transfer of any humanitarian aid until the PA recognizes the Jewish state of Israel and establishes quote “democracy, rule of law and financial transparency”. Critics have labeled the move as a bid to starve the democratically-elected Hamas government of funds. Dr Mustafa Barghouti is president of the Palestinian national Initiative, a democratic opposition movement and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He spoke earlier to day with Erica Vowles and gave his reaction to the move by the US senate.

Montenegro’s independence vote last month represented the state crumb to fall from the crumbling federation of Yugoslavia. The states of the former Yugoslavia now find themselves rebuilding their systems. For these states the goal is joining the European Union, but there’s a long way to go. For many the transition from Communism to democracy is a confusing process, in particular for the deaf community. In late 2003 The Finnish Association for the Deaf began a training project with 11 local deaf associations in Kosovo to develop a local network and to continue research work on Kosovar sign language. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded the project under the auspices of the Finnish Association of the Deaf, a UN recognised group. Sheena Walters was stationed in Pristina to assist with the project. Sheena grew up in a deaf family and AUSLAN is her first language. On her return to Australia she speaks to Stephanie Raison about the work in Kosovo.