In Burma thousands of people are struggling to survive after a cyclone killed 10,000 in one town and devastated the country. Before the cyclone hit the military regime was preparing for a referendum this week-end. The vote was to decide whether amendments to the constitution would go ahead, with human rights groups claiming it was a way of enshrining military power. In a country that has traditionally shunned all outside aid, many are watching to see just how far they will allow international aid to go. Featured in story: Debbie Stothard- Alternative Asean Network on Burma and Alison Vicary – Burma Economic Watch.

As Australia’s need for skilled workers increases, so do the number of temporary migrants entering the country on the controversial 457 visa. 457 visas are the most commonly used way for employers to sponsor workers from overseas. But as the number of people of 457 visas increase, so do concerns surrounding the regulations and transparency of the scheme. Issues regarding the exploitation of workers were discussed today at a forum on temporary migration. Featured in story: John Sutton- National Secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, Bob Kinnaird: Academic at the Centre for Population and Urban Research, Monash and Federal Immigration Minister Chris Evans.

This week Madrid's hosting an annual meeting of the board of governors for the international financier the Asian Development Bank High on the agenda has been the their controversial proposal to fund a new open cut mine in Bangladesh's Phulbari region. This vast untapped reserve of coal is a window of opportunity for the Bangladesh Government in solving the country's energy crisis. Many Bangladeshis are not convinced that they'll benefit. Featured in story: Flint Duxfield Co - Director of Aidwatch and Tim Anderson Senior Lecturer in Political Economics at University of Sydney

Save the Children's 9th Mother's Index was released in Australia today. The study is global, and compiles statistics concerning various health issues, such as Maternal and Child death rates. The report ranked 146 countries according to their scores based on many health issues. The rank, which placed Australia at 6, revealed a stark difference in the level of health care provided in rich and poor countries. With Nordic countries dominating the top of the list and Sub-Saharan countries dominating the bottom of the Mothers index. Featured in story: Karyn Hill- General Manager for Development of Save the Children and Tonia Marquardt - Womens Health advisor for Medicine Sans Frontier

The release of Grand Theft Auto 4 in Australia has re-ignited a long running debate about violence and game censorship. People in the video game industry worldwide are calling for the introduction an R18+ classification for video games in Australia and the Office of Film and Literature Classification is considering the change. Featured in story: Steven Blanks - Council for Civil Liberties