RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Citizenship Test Slammed as Stupid, Racist

Prospective Australian citizens will now be required to pass a citizenship test which will, according to the federal Government, assist in providing aspiring Australians with an understanding of "Australia’s values, traditions, history and national symbols".

POLITICS-AUSTRALIA: Walking the Tightrope in Asia

The reinforcing of Australia’s relationship with the United States and Japan, combined with the country’s growing ties with China - highlighted by agreements made at APEC - have led some analysts to view Australia’s position in the region as akin to walking a tightrope.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Aborigines Insist on Ancestors’ Repatriation

Successful negotiations with the renowned Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, for the repatriation of human remains against claims made by indigenous Australian communities, have extended the hope that more institutions will follow suit.

AUSTRALIA: APEC Security Over the Top – Activists

Activists and civil libertarians say that security measures put in place for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum - currently being held in Sydney and leading up to the weekend summit - are excessive and undermine democratic freedoms.

AUSTRALIA: ‘Uranium Sales May Fuel Asian Arms Race’

Australia’s deal to export uranium to India - which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty - will strengthen India’s nuclear capabilities and could lead to a heightened arms race on the subcontinent, say activists.

POLITICS-AUSTRALIA: Uranium for India – Business or Strategy?

Leading Australian academics say that while the United States’ nuclear deal with India may be part of the Bush administration’s "contain China" policy, Australia’s own agreement to provide uranium to the South Asian giant is based more on economic gain.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Ambiguity on Cluster Bombs Draws Flak

As the campaign to prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions - known as the Oslo Process - builds momentum, Australia is among those countries seeking to exclude from the treaty munitions which have a self-destruct mechanism.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Gitmo Inmate’s Trial a Charade – Law Council

The Law Council of Australia’s third and final report on the trial of former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks slams the Australian Government’s acquiescence in the process and faults the overall trial.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Minister&#39s Evidence in Haneef Case Flawed – Activists

Human rights activists are unwilling to accept information released during the week by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews that he said was an important reason behind his decision to revoke Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef's Australian visa.

AUSTRALIA: Suspect Cleared But Bomb Plot Scars Indians, Muslims

Australia had to drop charges against Dr Mohammed Haneef, the Indian doctor who was arrested in connection with the failed London and Glasgow bombings, but leaders of the Muslim and Indian communities have appealed to the federal government to help counter the fears and stereotyping of their people.

AUSTRALIA: Plan to Curb Aboriginal Child Abuse Sparks Debate

Australia's federal government says its plan to protect Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory from abuse is altruistic and necessary, but a range of critics call it paternalistic, culturally insensitive and short-sighted.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Despite Cop’s Acquittal, Furore Far from Over

Despite last week’s acquittal of a policeman on charges relating to the death of an Aboriginal man in custody, the furore around it – along with concerns about discrimination against indigenous Australians - is far from over.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Cop in Rare Trial for Custodial Death of Aborigine

For the first time in decades an Australian policeman is facing trial on charges of manslaughter and assault in relation to the death of an aboriginal man while in custody.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Too Little, Too Late for Lost Generation Aborigines

A decade after the release of the landmark 'Bringing Them Home Report' on the forced removal of indigenous children from their families - known as the Stolen Generations - the situation for indigenous Australians remains desperate.

MEDIA-AUSTRALIA: Tightening ‘Anti-Terrorism’ Censorship

The prospective widening of Australia's censorship laws to crackdown on material that advocates terrorism has alarmed civil society groups.

DEVELOPMENT: Australia Social Forum Is Possible

While the organisers have proclaimed the third Melbourne Social Forum (MSF), which concluded here on Sunday, a hit, some participants say the event could have been more representative.

AUSTRALIA: Sudan Survivors Lost in Their New Home

While Australia magnanimously accepted large numbers of young Sudanese, who survived one of the most vicious wars of the last century, many have serious adjustment problems in their new home.