It could be months until the government calls a federal election, but the leaders' debates have begun early. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott squared off today in a live debate about health policy. Featured in this story: Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister; Tony Abbott, Opposition Leader; Professor Mike Daube, President, Public Health Association of Australia.

Former Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu allegedly confessed to accepting bribes on the first day of his trial in Shanghai, almost nine months after he was imprisoned for trading in State secrets. Details of the confession are patchy. Journalists are excluded from the proceedings and the only Australian witness – consul-general Tom Connor- says Hu “made some admissions”. Given the trial itself is shrouded in secrecy, how real is this admission of guilt? Featured in story: Associate Professor Vivienne Bath, Director of the Centre for Asian and Pacific, Law at the University of Sydney, Peter Norden- Adjunct Professor specialising in law, crime and justice at RMIT University and David Kelly- China expert at the China Research Centre, Sydney University.

A human rights group in East Timor has renewed its calls for an international tribunal for crimes against humanity committed by Indonesian occupation forces from 1975-1999. Earlier this month, the President, Jose Ramos Horta, repeated that a tribunal was unnecessary and support was marginal. But the group, the Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal, with the support of a large group of victims, say they are sending a clear message that despite their leader’s reluctance, widely unpopular criminal impunity should come to an end. However, the degree of support within Timor for a tribunal is questioned by some, who claim that bilateral and economic relations may come up trumps over justice in the end. Featured in story: Justice John Dowd, President International Commission of Jurists Australia; and Dr Clinton Fernandes, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies at the University of New South Wales.

Police in NSW say crime rates in the notorious Redfern area have declined significantly over the past 5 years. In a rare piece of good news for the much maligned suburb, City of Sydney statistics show that robbery offences by Indigenous youth fell by 80% in just 2 years. Redfern police say they have been working closely with the local community to help reduce drug problems and anti social behavior. Featured in the story: Luke Freudenstein - Commander of Redfern Police.

Elephants living in Zambia and Tanzania may be pleased to know that calls for protection levels to be decreased have been defeated. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, convened in Doha, also rejected a proposal for these nations to sell their ivory stock-piles to China and Japan. Featured in story: Nicola Beynon, Senior Program Manager from Humane Society International; and Helen Ware, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of New England.