The violence in East Timor since the April-May Dili riots has caused the displacement of mroe than a hundred thousand civilians. But it's feared another surge of bloodshed will be the result of a United Nations report due for release any day now. The report, requested by East Timorese Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta will lay blame to who was responsible for the turmoil this year. The International Crisis Group has warned of more violence after the report's release and believe the Prime Minister should stand down to ease the crisis. Sydney university lecturer in Asian Political Economy Tim Anderson believes that the resignation would not solve anything.
Mid-term congressional elections are coming up for the United States, but the lead up is not without its fair share of controversy. US Congressman Mark Foley was forced to resign after it emerged he had been sending sexually explicit emails and text messages to young work experience boys in the US Congress. The incident has also thrown several other members into disrepute, including the House Speaker. Now the country is waiting on the results of an investigation held by the House Ethics Committee, results which are looking to be released a week before the election. Andrew Liberts, the Wire's North American correspondent, explained what the scandal could mean for the elections
Falun Gong is essentially a health movement, but it has been outlawed in China, where the ruling Communist Party apparently sees it as a threatening cultural force.There have been stories of imprisonment and persecution of Falun Gong followers for some time but recently allegations emerged that they are also being killed and their organs taken for transplant.Hong Chen was formerly a member of the Communist party in China but when she began protesting the treatment of the Falun Gong she found herself in a labor camp. While she was there she believes she was being prepared to be a donor. Chen has been accepted by Australia as a refugee. She's touring the country telling her story with the help of Australian Falun Gong activist Songf Liu.
The mental health system has been in crisis for a long time, so much so that it now seems to cater only for patients on the edge of breaking point. The government has donned their superhero cape and poured in funding, but it might not be enough to change the structure of the flailing system.
Today in Adelaide, hundreds of white wreaths lay in Victoria Square, in the city's centre, each one representing a sad truth. Part of the White Wreath Association memorial day for suicide in Australia, one wreath was laid for each person that has taken their own life over the past year. Fanita Clarke, organiser of the White Wreath Association, explained how she came to be involved in the organisation.
