Results emerging so far from East Timor’s presidential poll suggest the a run off poll between Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta and one other candidate is likely, with no candidate likely to get an outright majority. Polls closed unmarred by violence yesterday evening in the contest that is seeing the current prime minister vying for the presidential spot along with seven other hopefuls including the majority Fretilin Party Candidate, Francisco Lu Olo Guterres. However, observers note that while Ramos Horta may still win any run-off presidential poll - which will take place within the next month - who ever takes office will have a big job on their hands to bring together the nations warring factions and ensure that all sides respect the results of the democratic vote. Deakin University’s Associate Professor Damien Kingsbury, is in Timor Leste heading up an electoral observer delegation from Victoria. Earlier he gave an update on how the counting is going so far.

By now most of us have heard of Youtube, we may have a my space page or even uploaded an article or opinion to an online discussion website…but what impact is this having on our democratic processes? Since its inception the Internet has been used as a tool to initiate political discussion and exchange ideas. Activists use it to organize and take action. E petitions, citizen journalism and discussion forums have transformed the political landscape. But now, the established political parties are getting in on the act… using these same methods to engage with their constituents. And activists’ and political commentators alike suggest we’ll see a lot more of our pollies on the net in the lead up to this years federal election. Tom Dawkins, founder of the independent online youth forum Vibewire, outlined whether discussion in the virtual world has led to action in the real world.

Imagine being dragged into a police car, despite having broken no law, then being taken into custody and being raped in a cell by inmates, will prison guards egging them on. Sounds like the plot of a horror film or thriller, right? Well one Honduran activist is alleging that this happened to him recently, because he is gay. The activist in question, Donny Reyes, is the treasurer of Asociacion Arcoiris, or the Rainbow association in Honduras. This group represents the lesbian, gay, bi sexual and transgender communities in that country. Despite statutes in Honduras outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexuality, Amnesty international says this incident is part of a wider pattern of intimidation of the LGBT community. Amnesty International USA’s Ariel Herrerra explained to The Wire how Donny Reyes was targeted one night in March, at 3am.

Refugee supporters gathered at the gates of Villawood Dentention Centre this week in a peaceful vigil as 9 of the centres detainees continued their week long hunger strike. The asylum seekers who have consumed only water since last thursday are protesting the removal of Ms Xiang Ju Hong, a Falun Gong practitioner who had been seeking asylum in Australia on the grounds she would be persecuted in China because of her pro-democracy beliefs. Ian Rintoul a spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition described to The Wire the abrupt manner of Ms Xiang’s removal.

Wildlife officers have warned those in the southern states to not mistake native species of frogs for the dreaded cane toad. This follows the sighting of cane toad as far south as Quakers Hill in New South Wales. According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the foreign interloper, which is decimating many local species of animals, has a distinct purr, like the sound of an old telephone dial tone. They are also warty in appearance, up 15 cm tall with a large glad behind the ear and pointed boney ridges between the eyes and nose. John Ross from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service outlined a recent case of mistaken identity.