Here are some of the top human rights new stories from the past week -
- More than one in every 100 Australians has been homeless in the last year and has sought emergency assistance, according to a new study by the Institute of Health and Welfare: www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/30/2886472.htm
- Hundreds of lawyers rally outside the Victorian Country Court demanding an urgent increase in legal aid funding: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/28/2884277.htm
- Forty per cent of year nine indigenous students in Victoria failed last year’s national reading tests, according to a report by the Centre for Independent Studies: http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/low-marks-for-indigenous-education-20100428-tsi1.html
- The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled that Australia is under an international obligation to provide a remedy — including release from prison — for sex offenders who are being held in Queensland prisons for rehabilitation after the expiry of their sentences: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/un-ruling-a-victory-for-jailed-sex-offenders/story-e6frg6n6-1225858551014
- YouTube video depicting West Coast cult hero Nic Naitanui as a native tribesman has been taken off the internet after complaints from anti-racism campaigners: http://www.theage.com.au/wa-news/racist-naitanui-tribesman-video-pulled-from-youtube-20100429-tw3u.html
- The federal government plans to tighten the medical test that determines a person’s ability to work in its bid to get people off the disability support pension (DSP) and into the workforce: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/push-for-harder-line-on-disability-pension/story-e6frf7kf-1225860426004
- The Queensland Government seeks an order from the industrial umpire to outlaw a planned teachers’ boycott of national literacy and numeracy tests: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/bid-to-outlaw-naplan-boycott/story-e6frf7jx-1225859738856
- Controversial internet filtering legislation set to be shelved until after the next election: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/rudd-retreats-on-passing-web-filter-legislation/story-e6frgakx-1225859630452
- Mental health experts have urged the government to spend more on those with severe psychotic illness in order to reduce the demand on acute care beds in hospitals: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/plea-to-fill-mental-health-gaps/story-e6frg6n6-1225858119399
