Teh Lip Li – Twenty-three years after its independence, Timor-Leste confronts fundamental questions as it prepares to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the bloc's summit later this month: namely, what value does it bring to regional cooperation, and how will it transition from an ASEAN observer to a constructive partner?

Michael Rose – Two decades after Timor-Leste gained its independence, the country is a complicated and qualified success story. Poverty and deep economic problems persist, but the country boasts a thriving democracy. Its ascension to the ASEAN regional bloc will come later this month.

Li-Li Chen – Recent years have witnessed the rise of what some have termed the "Gen Z movement" – a wave of activism from young people born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s.

Kuala Lumpur – Timor-Leste, Southeast Asia's youngest nation is finalising preparations for its imminent entry into ASEAN as a full member this month, having fulfilled 97 per cent of the regional bloc's membership requirement.

The government of Timor-Leste on Wednesday approved a Council of Ministers resolution to cancel licences for online gambling and betting, citing risks to security and social stability.

Ravaged by a brutal military occupation, East Timor won its independence just over two decades ago. The young nation has built itself into a stable democracy, but poverty remains widespread.

Timor-Leste's economy will slow down and grow by an average of 3.7% in 2025, 2026 and 2027, compared to 4.1% in 2024, according to the World Bank's (WB) biannual economic report.

"That growth will be driven mainly by public investment in infrastructure, the expansion of the service sector and improvements in digital connectivity and transport," the WB said in the report.

Alastair McCready – Demonstrators were angered by a plan to spend $4.2m on cars for lawmakers in one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries.

Lawmakers in East Timor have voted to end a law providing lifetime pensions for parliamentarians, following student-led demonstrations against lavish perks for public officials in one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries.

Dili, Timor-Leste (Bernama) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim commenced his official engagements with a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential Palace this evening.

The historic two-day visit began with a formal ceremony led by President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta at 4.10 pm local time.

Dili – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has played a key role in advancing Timor-Leste's aspiration to join ASEAN, will begin his inaugural two-day official visit to the country tomorrow (Sept 23).

Dili – Timor-Leste has assured Myanmar's military regime that it will no longer allow Myanmar opposition groups to engage in political activities or open offices on its territory.

The diplomatic breakthrough came during a two-day visit to Naypyitaw by Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas.

Lawmakers in one of the world's poorest countries have scrapped plans for lavish spending on themselves amid days-long protests led by Timorese students.

Dili (Reuters) – East Timor's lawmakers have agreed to scrap plans to provide lifetime pension allowances for themselves, they said Wednesday, bowing to pressure from thousands of students who have staged demonstrations against the plans since Monday.

Dili, Timor Leste – Timor Leste's parliament has bowed to public pressure and dropped a plan to buy SUVs for lawmakers in one of southeast Asia's poorest nations, but sceptical protesters returned to the streets on Wednesday.

East Timor police fired tear gas on Tuesday at protesters railing for the second day against a plan to buy new official cars for lawmakers, which became the latest flashpoint in one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia.

Timor-Leste police have fired tear gas at protesters who rallied against a plan to buy new official cars for MPs, which triggered anger in one of the poorest nations in South-East Asia.

Jakarta – Crime syndicates may be setting up a scam centre in Asia's youngest nation, East Timor, the United Nations said on Thursday, as a multibillion-dollar online fraudindustry spreads across Southeast Asia.

The industry involves sprawling compounds housing tens of thousands of workers, many of them trafficked, who are forced to scam victims around the world.

Kuala Lumpur (Bernama) – Timor-Leste President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta has reaffirmed his nation's commitment to deepening relations with Malaysia through a comprehensive strategic framework.

The President highlighted the deeply-rooted history of Malaysian support dating back to Timor-Leste's 1999 Popular Consultation process.

Rome (AsiaNews/Agencies) – On Wednesday, some 300,000 people gathered at the Taci Tol esplanade in Dili, Timor-Leste, to mark the first anniversary of Pope Francis's visit to the Southeast Asian country.

Timor-Leste has welcomed 10,000 rabies vaccines donated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the southeast Asian nation races to contain an outbreak of the deadly disease, Lusa reports.

Beijing – Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Friday met with Maria Fernanda Lay, president of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste, who is in China for a visit and the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Timor-Leste's national parliament has approved a US$4 million budget to purchase 65 new cars for lawmakers, which critics say is "irresponsible" in a country where nearly half of its children are malnourished.

The Timorese government announced the launch of formal negotiations with neighbouring Indonesia to delimit the maritime border between the two countries, reports Lusa.

Seremban (Bernama) – Timor-Leste's permanent membership in ASEAN is now in the documentation phase before its formal admission at the October summit.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed the progress during a press briefing today.

James Pearson – Estrella Resources has shifted its Timor-Leste campaign into top gear after trenching unearthed primary manganese with uber-rich visual estimates at its Ira Miri project. The company has sent samples to Jakarta for testing and expects to receive assay results in about six weeks.

The Timor-Leste government has dropped a proposed legal clause that sought to criminalize media freedom to criticize the state, following protests from journalists and civil society.

Criticisms continue to rage against the Timor-Leste government's plan to build a football stadium in a historically, culturally, and religiously significant environmental zone.

The opposition has grown as the government reportedly aims to start this year the proposed US$20 million stadium at Tasi Tolu, some eight kilometers west of the national capital, Dili.

Faced with a growing number of dengue cases and deaths, Timorese authorities are releasing thousands of mosquitoes bred to slow the spread of disease.

A proposal to amend Timor-Leste's media law has sparked strong criticism from journalists and activists who allege the move seeks to curtail press freedom and muzzle dissent in the tiny Catholic-majority nation.

The Secretariat of State for Social Communication recently proposed an amendment to the Social Communication Law, passed in 2014.

Adinda Jasmine, Jakarta – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his support for Timor Leste to become a full member of ASEAN. He believes Timor Leste's inclusion will strengthen the regional organization by complementing its geographic presence.

The Myanmar junta's rhetoric against Timor Leste is reaching hysterical pitch as the island state's accession to ASEAN looms.

Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has denied violating the Catholic-majority nation's constitution and dismissed a ruling from a top court that accused him of interfering in judicial independence.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta boasted about Dili's economic strength, including its investments and low foreign debt, during a trip to Jakarta on Friday, as the half-island nation is set to join ASEAN in about two months.

Yogyakarta – Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has proposed the establishment of an ASEAN Community Peace and Reconciliation Study Center by involving universities and civil society organizations across the region.

Winston Mwale, Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified Timor-Leste as malaria-free, marking a remarkable achievement for the young nation that emerged from conflict and built a robust public health system from the ground up, writes Winston Mwale.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – ASEAN is set to officially accept Timor-Leste as its when the group's leaders gather in Kuala Lumpur this October, thus finally ending the half-island nation's decades-long wait.

Max Lane – ASEAN faces an intriguing test of its own decision-making procedures, as consensus might be elusive given the apparent obstruction of one member to the full accession of its eleventh member.

ASEAN member states have agreed to expedited completion of the documentation process, ensuring that Timor-Leste can take its place as a full member of the Southeast Asian bloc in October, reports Malaysian news agency Bernama.

Kornelis K, Tegar Nurfitra, Kupang – The governments of Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province and Timor-Leste have discussed the plan to form a technical team to advance economic cooperation and support development for their communities.

Timor-Leste has dismissed Myanmar's objection to it becoming the 11th member of ASEAN as "inconsequential and irrelevant."

Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said his country's path to full membership of ASEAN has already been secured, according to UCA News.

Poramet Tangsathaporn – Thailand will support Timor-Leste joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as its 11th member despite reported opposition from Myanmar, officials said yesterday.

Bolbongse Vangphaen, director-general of the Department of Asean Affairs, reiterated the country's official stance during the ministry's weekly press briefing.

Jakarta – Timor-Leste will officially become ASEAN's 11th member later this year, according to the Foreign Ministry's Director General for ASEAN Cooperation, Sidharto R. Suryodipuro.

Timor-Leste has dismissed Myanmar's reported objection to it becoming the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as "inconsequential and irrelevant."

Kuala Lumpur – After 26 years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set to welcome its first new member since 1999 as Timor-Leste nears full accession.

This milestone carries significant implications for both the nation and the regional bloc amid shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.

Sukegawa Seiya – 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.

Kuala Lumpur (Xinhua) – China's poverty eradication efforts will serve as a role model for other countries to follow suit, Jose Ramos-Horta, president of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, has told Xinhua.

Hundreds of ethnic Timorese who fled to the Indonesian territory of West Timor decades ago to escape Timor-Leste's violent struggle for independence have called for land ownership from the government and rejected a resettlement plan.

Kuala Lumpur – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday said ASEAN remains committed to supporting Timor-Leste's full membership in the regional grouping, while acknowledging that the process of meeting key requirements is complex and gradual.

Lusa – The President of Timor-Leste, Jos Ramos-Horta, began a private visit to Malaysia on Tuesday, from where he will travel to Monaco for a working visit to promote regional cooperation and strengthen international partnerships.

Catholic-majority Timor-Leste has reversed its initial decision to abstain in a vote on a United Nations resolution concerning the protection of civilians in Gaza and voted in favor of it a day after the vote.