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.

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.

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 – 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 – 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 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 – 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.

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.

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.

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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Martinha Gusmao – National Director for Conflict Prevention Lidia Lopes says co-operation between Community Police (POLKOM) and local leaders is necessary to eliminate conflict in neighbourhoods.

Nick Xenophon – Last Tuesday would have been journalist Gary Cunningham's 67th birthday. But, tragically, Gary was killed in cold blood 39 years ago by the Indonesian army to prevent him from reporting about Indonesia's invasion of East Timor.

Also killed were his fellow newsmen, Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart, Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie.

Estevao Nuno – The National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) is overrun by gangsters involved in criminal behaviour, according to Member of Parliament David Dias Ximenes.

"They assault people night and day," he said. "Commission B will find these gangsters in the police and they will be fired immediately. They will not go free."

Sara Everingham – East Timor, a country that counts Australia as a major donor, is sacking all the foreign judges and advisers in its justice system.

The decision was made in a closed session of parliament in Dili on Friday night amid concerns about the judiciary's handling of a bitter dispute between East Timor and oil companies operating in the Timor Sea.

Venidora Oliveira – Political party members lack knowledge of the Public Subsidy Budget which is provided by the National Electoral Commission to registered Timorese political parties.

Chris McCall – More than a decade on from gaining independence, East Timor has made gains in health but still faces an uphill battle to achieve universal health coverage and access. Chris McCall reports.

Andrew Buncombe – Over the years, Maureen Tolfree has grown used to the lies and obfuscation, the tiny steps of progress followed by further setbacks. At the age of 69 she is not ready to be quiet, even though she is now in poor health.

Judith Ugwumadu – The government of Timor-Leste must further strengthen its public financial management in order to smooth spending over the long term to avoid a 'fiscal cliff', the International Monetary Fund has said.

Wellington (Dominion Post/West Papua Action Auckland/Pacific Media Watch) – The New Zealand government is coming under pressure to have the Australian Federal Police reopen the war crimes investigation into the 1975 slaying of five journalists in East Timor by Indonesian special forces.

Paulina Quintao – Members of Parliament (MPs) have criticized health directors who they say are prone to walking off the job during office hours.

MP Domingas Alves da Silva, alias Bilou Mali, urged the Ministry of Health to ensure its public servants were at their office for their rostered hours.

Paulina Quintao – Tuberculosis is on the rise in Timor-Leste with new patients registered every day, says Bairo-Pite clinic director Dr Daniel Murphy.

Dr Dan said people needed to be made aware of the risk factors for tuberculosis and called for a strategy to arrest the disease's spread. About 400 patients test positive for tuberculosis in Timor-Leste each year.