Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Asean’s new dawn: Malaysia and the rise of Timor-Leste
DURING the early 1980s, when my late father, Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat, was assigned as Malay-sia’s ambassador to Indonesia by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after serving as his Information minister, I had the opportunity to spend my...

Territory to partner with Timor-Leste on crocodile management
NT Government The Finocchiaro CLP Government will partner with the Timor-Leste Government to develop a region-specific crocodile management program to improve public safety in Timor-Leste. This key initiative under the 2023-2027 Strategic...
Timor-Leste on the cusp of digital transformation
Timor-Leste has a reputation for having some of the slowest and most expensive internet services in the world. But things are beginning to change. Timor-Leste is one of the last countries in the region without an active submarine fibre optic...

ILO and Indonesia join forces to boost OSH skills of Timor-Leste's labour inspectors
A recent training in Dili aims to strengthen Timor-Leste’s workplace safety enforcement as the country rolls out its first comprehensive occupational safety and health law. The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with Indonesia’s...

NT partners with Timor-Leste to power sustainable energy future
NT Government The Finocchiaro CLP Government is supporting Timor-Leste’s efforts to deliver sustainable electricity to under-serviced regions through a new energy exchange internship program. The Empowerment Through Energy Program will see four...

ASEAN’s inaction amidst conflict and the path to integration
s I wrote this, there was a real danger that skirmishes between Thailand and Cambodia could have turned into a full-blown conflict. Hours after this crisis began last week, ASEAN’s only official response was a deafening and alarming silence. A...

Singapore Backs Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Entry with eSTARS
Timor-Leste’s path to full ASEAN membership has entered a critical phase, with Singapore announcing a significantly upgraded version of its ASEAN Readiness Support initiative. The Enhanced Singapore–Timor-Leste ASEAN Readiness Support (eSTARS)...

Agricultural research and innovation leading global response to climate change
By Thomas Smith Innovative research from The University of Western Australia is leading a global response to some of the most complex challenges of climate change. Floods, drought and rising temperatures are impacting the lives of people in almost...

Historic court ruling says countries legally bound to prevent climate harm
The world’s top court has issued a landmark advisory opinion saying that countries are legally obligated to protect the environment and present and future generations from the impacts of climate change. This obligation, the U.N.’s International...

East Timor’s gaming aspirations have to balance ambition with significant constraints: Consultant
East Timor is taking its first tentative steps into the gaming industry, but its moves remain largely under the radar and challenges abound, a legal consultant based in the country tells AGB. The small Southeast Asian country has quietly launched...

Timor-Leste is ready for ASEAN, but is ASEAN ready for what comes next?
In October 2025, ASEAN will admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member. The move carries symbolic weight. It affirms ASEAN’s commitment to regional inclusion and gives long-overdue recognition to Southeast Asia’s youngest state. But this moment of...

Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean
SINGAPORE – Singapore will intensify its support for Timor-Leste’s government capacity building, as the region’s youngest nation prepares to join Asean as a full member. The upgraded Singapore-Timor-Leste Asean Readiness Support (Stars) package,...

Singapore unveils upgraded Stars package to fast-track Timor-Leste’s Asean membership
SINGAPORE, July 14 — Singapore on Monday launched the enhanced Singapore–Timor-Leste Asean Readiness Support (Stars) package to support the country’s integration into the regional bloc and its long-term development. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong...

New data hub supports small-scale fishers in adapting to climate change
Roughly 40 per cent of the global fish catch comes from small-scale fisheries. It’s one of the food production systems most vulnerable to climate change, and governments are lacking data to help fishers adapt. To help address that gap, the global...

Asean reaffirms support for Myanmar peace efforts, Timor-Leste's bloc membership
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their support for Myanmar's efforts to restore peace and stability in its Rakhine state, while underscoring the importance of safe and voluntary repatriation of displaced persons. In a joint...

General : ASEAN Seeks To Expedite Timor-Leste's Membership Documents Before October Summit
By Nabilah Saleh, Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid & Zufazlin Baharuddin KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama) -- ASEAN member states have agreed that the documentation process for Timor-Leste’s full membership should be completed swiftly before the 47th ASEAN...

RAEOA and CMC Ignite a New Chapter: Oecusse to Lead Timor-Leste’s Modernization
OECUSSE, Timor-Leste--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2025-- This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250706927600/en/ CMC's Support Centre in Oecusse, Timor-Leste. In a landmark display...

Timor-Leste Joins ASEAN
In October 2025, Timor-Leste will be officially admitted to ASEAN as its 11th member state. This will mark the realization of the long-standing aspiration for regional integration the young country has had since it won independence in 2002. For...

Crising’s pull brings more rains to Cebu, fair weather by Sunday
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Storm or no storm, Cebu is still in for a wet ride. Although not directly hit by Tropical Storm Crising, the weather system’s pull on the southwest monsoon (habagat) continues to dump rains across the Visayas, with local...

Can Myanmar’s junta really stop Timor-Leste’s admission to Asean? — Khoo Ying Hooi
JULY 3 — The recent controversy surrounding Myanmar’s reported opposition to Timor-Leste’s accession to Asean has brought renewed attention to the fragilities of the regional organisation and, more specifically, to the evolving role of Myanmar’s...