The Federal Government has announced it will apologise to the so-called "Forgotten Australians" by the end of this year. It comes after five years of campaigning by care leavers who experienced neglect and abuse growing up in State care. Featured in story: co-founder of the Care Leavers Australia Network, Leonie Sheedy.

Jose Ramos Horta spent nearly 25 years fighting for independence from Indonesian rule in East Timor, often telling of the atrocities taking place. So why, on the 10 year anniversary of independence, did he call to stop investigations into Indonesian war crimes? Featured in story: John Dowd, President of the International Commission of Jurists Australia.

With Indigenous youth 28 times more likely to end up in jail, a conference in Sydney today brought together different groups to address the issue. But will the Government support measures that don't tick the "tough on crime" box? Featured in story: Tom Calma- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner with HREOC.

Japan has had a change of government for the first time in 50 years, barring a brief ten month period in the in the early nineties. Voters handed power to Yukio Yatoyama and his Democratic Party of Japan over the distressing situation of increasing unemployment and casualisation, and the unchecked power of bureaucracies. The new party is promising to broaden and strengthen social security and address problems associated with the aging population by providing incentives to increase the birth rate. Featured in this story: Jenny Corbett, Executive Director of the Australia-Japan Research Centre, ANU and Tessa Morris-Suzuki, Professor of Japanese history at ANU.

Advocacy group "Homebirth Australia" have slammed the suggestion that women who oppose reforms to midwifery practices are holding back access to quality care in childbirth. Under changes announced by Health Minister Nicola Roxon in the federal Budget, independent midwives attending hospital births will have their fees covered by Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The government will also require professional indemnity insurance for these practitioners, and will provide the insurance for them. But private midwives operating outside the clinical setting will not be able to access the insurance. This means that registered midwives will not be legally allowed to attend a home birth, making it more difficult for women to give birth at home. Featured in story: Associate Professor Jennifer Fenwick from the University of Technology Sydney.