Dili – Timor-Leste's efforts to reduce the prevalence of domestic gender-based violence through criminalization and prosecution, already hampered by a general lack of trust in the formal court system, have suffered a fresh setback with the enforced departure of 11 foreign judicial staff who had played a key role in delivering justice in rural areas.

Paulina Quintao – National Member of Parliament MP Bendita Magno wants to know why midwives at the Fatubolu Health post in Hatulia sub-district, Ermera, are using candle light and mobile phones to assist new mothers birthing.

Paulina Quintao – The Education Ministry's declaration that six districts are free from illiteracy is incorrect as it does not take into account adult illiteracy, says Timor-Leste Coalition for Education (TLCE) program manager Matias dos Santos.

Paulina Quintao – Analytical skills and critical thinking will be the focus of the new primary school curriculum to be introduced by the Education Ministry.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) is concerned that recent events in Timor-Leste weaken the country's hard-won constitutional democracy and endanger the right of Timor-Leste's citizens to live in a society governed under the rule of law.

Paulina Quintao – Member of Parliament Antoninho Bianco has criticized the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) for its failure to ensure people in rural areas have voting cards.

Venidora Oliveira – Non-government organization (NGO) Haburas asks the government to explain why it is not doing more to promote local products and ecotourism across the country.

Paulina Quintao – Seventeen children are currently living with their mothers at Women's Forum Communication Timor-Leste emergency accommodation, says the organization's shelter home co-ordinator Judith Ribeiro.

These children were indirect victims of domestic violence, she said. Most of the children are still breastfeeding.

Venidora Oliveira – Member of Parliament Estanislau da Silva has criticized the government for its failure to attract major investors to Timor-Leste.

The Government says it will not carry out its own inquiry into the killings of five journalists from Australia and New Zealand in Balibo, East Timor, just before the 1975 invasion by Indonesia.

Paulina Quintao – Deputy Human Rights Ombudsman Silverio Baptista Pinto has appealed to all people to respect the rights of those suffering from mental illnesses. Pinto said sufferers' family members were most likely to discriminate.

Pierre-Richard Prosper – The recent news that Timor-Leste's parliament voted to terminate contracts of the international judges it has relied upon since the birth of its country should be seen as a major step forward in the small pacific-island nation's path toward true self-governance.

Paulina Quintao – A lack of mental health professionals is making it difficult for Timorese mental health patients to access care.

Commission F (education, health, culture, veterans' affairs and gender equality) president Virgilio da Costa Hornai said the mental health treatment available in Timor-Leste was insufficient, and that mental health patients deserved better.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul on Tuesday urged the government of East Timor to reconsider the dismissing of international judges and prosecutors.

Tom Allard – The shock decision by East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to expel foreign judges and advisers from the country appeared to be connected to corruption cases against his cabinet, a damning report to Australia's judges and lawyers has alleged.

Martinha Gusmao – The Education Ministry, through the National University of Timor Lorosa'e, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Portugal's University of Coimbra committing the parties to the promotion of the Portuguese language in Timor-Leste.

Paulina Quintao – Alleged victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse are being forced to live for years at shelter homes as they await an outcome from Timor-Leste's lethargic justice system.

Paulina Quintao – An absence of opportunities for promotion and the appointment of staff to roles unrelated to their qualifications has led to fragile administrative systems in state institutions, says Member of Parliament Antonio Bianco.

Paulina Quintao – Spanish NGO Paz y Desarrolo (Peace and Development) has been working to improve knowledge of the electoral process and gender relations among Timor-Leste university students.

Paulina Quintao – CAUCUS is providing training for female members of political parties in Aileu, Ermera and Liquisa in preparation for them to compete in the 2016 municipal elections.

CAUCUS executive director Paula Corte Real said the training was targeted to those areas as they had been selected by the government as pilot areas for municipal elections.

Paulina Quintao – Educators are using classroom time to conduct business activities, according to Timor-Leste Coalition for Education (TLCE) program manager Matias dos Santos.

He said the Education Ministry needed to take action on this issue as it had the potential to seriously disrupt the learning process.

Paulina Quintao – The government does not have a coherent policy for the treatment of those suffering from mental illnesses, says Member of Parliament Virgilio da Costa Hornai.

Paulina Quintao – Member of Parliament Manuel de Castro Pereira has demanded answers from the Health Ministry regarding its management of medicines as some health facilities still lack essential equipment.

Paulina Quintao – The State Secretariat for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) is working with the Alola Foundation to provide human rights training to members of the Youth Parliament.

The training specifically relates to the rights of women and women's advocacy.

Paulina Quintao – Limited finances are preventing the National University of Timor Lorosa'e's (UNTL) Gender Studies Centre from conducting research and holding academic debates about gender issues.

The centre's co-ordinator Judite Dias Ximenes said research into issues affecting the development of women in Timor-Leste was planned.

Philip Dorling – The Federal Court is to hear a "top secret" appeal by the Australian government aimed at suppressing information from a diplomatic file on Indonesian military war crimes in East Timor more than 30 years ago.

Paulina Quintao – Tobacco advertising has once again come under fire in Parliament.

Member of Parliament Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said the Parliament passed resolutions in 2006 to restrict the advertising of tobacco and other drugs in Timor-Leste and was also a signatory to several such international conventions but still advertisements went unchecked.

Paulina Quintao – The National Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS in Timor-Leste (CNCS-TL) is working with its Indonesian counterpart in border communities to raise awareness of how to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

CNCS-TL general secretary Daniel Marcal said the border areas were a potential gateway for the disease.

An Australian nun is calling on the Abbott government to finally settle the maritime border with East Timor so the tiny nation can get on with delivering basic services to its people.

Dili – East Timor is facing an uncertain future as resistance hero Xanana Gusmao prepares to step down as prime minister after helping hold the tiny nation together during the chaotic early years of its independence.

Bronwen Reed and Sophie McNeill – The extraordinary generosity of ABC viewers – including an anonymous donation of $200,000 – has stunned the management and medical staff of East Timor's Bairo Pite Clinic and will dramatically improve care and conditions at the overburdened, independent hospital.

Paulina Quintao – The Ministry of Justice and National Parliament have made a commitment to change the penal code to specifically outlaw incest.

Deputy Justice Minister Ivo Jorge Valente acknowledged that currently, incest was loosely defined, making convictions difficult.

Online campaign group GetUp! have produced a television commercial about Australia short-changing East Timor out of billions of dollars in oil and gas revenue and need your help to get it on air this weekend during the G20 summit.

Venidora Oliveira – A lack of adequate transportation is severely affecting the efficiency of the Criminal Investigation Service (SIK).

SIK commander Chief Inspector Manuel Alves said his unit had access to nine cars – two of which are currently out of service – and nine motorbikes. "Sometimes we have to wait for each other," he said in Kaikoli, Dili.

Paulina Quintao – Prohibitive repair costs mean six ambulances will remain out of action, according to national director of hospital support services Horacio Sarmento da Costa.

More than 44 ambulances are operating across Timor-Leste's 13 districts with further 12 working in the districts to transport emergency patients.

Paulina Quintao – Gender studies should be offered by tertiary education providers, according to National University of Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL) Gender Studies Centre deputy co-coordinator Judite Dias Ximenes.

Paulina Quintao – More than 100 cases of domestic violence have been left pending in the Public Ministry due to the alleged victims' reluctance to give evidence.

Domestic violence issues prosecutor Ivonia M. Guterres said the 119 cases would be committed to trial if the purported victims were willing to co-operate with the Public Ministry.

Paulina Quintao – Residents of 244 Timor-Leste sukus do not have access to health services in their villages.

Member of Parliament Domingas Alves da Silva, alias Bilou-Mali, expressed concern and called on the Ministry of Health to take action. "All the people have the right to access health assistance however in reality many communities do not," she said.

Martinha Gusmao – The National University of Timor-Lorosa'e (UNTL) donated $200 to student society AKHANA in support of their march from Larigatu, Ossu, to Dili.

Department of Community Development and Social Action chief in the office of the vice rector for student affairs Juviano Alves Reis said the march was part of the FALINTIL Day commemorations.

Paulina Quintao – The Secretariat of State for Vocational Training, Policy and Employment (SEPFOPE) registered 198 complaints regarding labour disputes in the eight months between January and August this year.

National Directorate for Working Relationships (DNRT) chief Angelo dos Santos Veloso said they received complaints from workers every day.

Aaron Sheldrick – Australia's Woodside Petroleum is in talks with East Timor on building an onshore gas plant, potentially removing one of the major barriers to developing gas fields that could provide billions of dollars to one of the world's poorest countries.

John M. Pile – The Timorese government recently released its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report for 2014. Overall the MDG indicators show that living standards and human development have improved significantly in Timor-Leste since independence.

Sonali Paul, Melbourne – East Timor has ordered five foreign judges out of the country after a court ruled in favour of US oil and gas producer ConocoPhillips in cases tied to $236 million in disputed tax assessments.

Paulina Quintao – Deputy Minister for Industry and the Environment Abel da Costa Ximenes says the government will not intervene to regulate prices for goods as sales tax produces revenue for the state.

Estevao Nuno – The Ministry of Education will permit the Catholic Church to open a privately managed university in Timor-Leste, provided it fulfills a list of criteria set by the government.

Australia and East Timor have quietly begun talks towards a possible settlement of their boundary in the Timor Sea, an issue of immense importance to Timor-Leste.

And an advocacy group for East Timor – in Australia – wants Australians to stand up.

Reports from Fairfax Media that Australia and East Timor have recommenced discussions about how to settle the dispute over maritime boundaries, have been welcomed by Australian community activists calling for fair and permanent maritime boundaries to be established in accordance with current international law.

Tom Allard – East Timor's parliament has authorised the "immediate commencement of negotiations" with Australia to establish a new maritime boundary between the countries.

Venidora Oliveira – The Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP) has recommended the Ministry of Justice establish a mobile court to try sensitive cases such as the sexual abuse of minors.

JSMP executive director Luis Oliveira Sampaio said underage victims of sexual abuse needed a safe place to testify.

Paulina Quintao – Three HIV/AIDS patients are receiving intensive treatment at the Bairo-Pite clinic for complications of their compromised immune systems.

Bairo-Pite clinic director Dr Dan Murphy said HIV/SAIDS was a significant problem in Timor-Leste due to porous borders. "HIV rates are increasing," he said.