Nina Nguyen – East Timor President Ramos-Horta has ruled out a security pact with China's ruling communist regime but defended his country's decision to sign a slew of deals across areas including agriculture and economic cooperation.

China's foreign minister signed a series of agreements in Timor-Leste on his final stop of a 10-day diplomatic blitz of the South Pacific on Friday, boosting ties between Beijing and Southeast Asia's youngest country.

A parliament minister has brought defamation charges under Timor Leste's Penal Code against journalist Francisco Belo Simoes da Costa, following coverage of an allegation of ministerial corruption.

Ryan Dagur – Timor-Leste is celebrating the appointment of Archbishop Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Silva of Dili as the Catholic-majority country's first-ever cardinal.

The 54-year-old archbishop was one of 21 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis on May 29 and will receive the red hat on Aug. 27. He is one of six new cardinals from Asia – five archbishops and one bishop.

Allegra Mendelson, Dili, East Timor – In the middle of his speech marking the 20th anniversary of East Timor's restoration of independence, newly inaugurated president Jose Ramos-Horta stopped for a moment to tell the audience – more than 100 guests from around the world – that he had invited his "friends" to join the celebrations.

Christopher Knaus – The president of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta, has accused former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer of "avoiding and distorting" the issues around the 2004 bugging scandal, saying recent comments ignored the fact that Australia had spied "on behalf of oil companies and using the cover of Australia's supposedly altruistic foreign aid program".

Elizabeth Byrne – Canberra lawyer Bernard Collaery will face trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October, four years after he was first charged with conspiring to release classified information about an alleged spying operation in East Timor.

Allegra Mendelson, Dili, East Timor – Jose Ramos-Horta, who came out of political retirement to run for president of Southeast Asia's youngest nation a second time, has a raft of challenges as he embarks on his first full week in office.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – New East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta wants Australia to back a major infrastructure drive in south-east Asia's newest nation, saying it's in the new government's strategic interest to retain a "pro-Australia, pro-Western values" near neighbour.

Ryan Dagur – Timor-Leste's new president Jose Ramos-Horta has pledged to maintain democracy and peace in the Catholic-majority country stressing his commitment to defend all sections of society, including sexual minorities, regardless of ideology and religion.

Lisa Palmer – Timor-Leste turns 20 on the 20th of May 2022. It has a freshly minted new (and former) president, Dr Jose Ramos Horta who will be sworn into power on the same day. Fresh parliamentary elections await a date to be fixed sometime over the next 12 months.

Putu Indah S, Nabil Ihsan – "Every drop of blood shed in the Motherland will never be forgotten; it will be remembered under the red-and-white banner."

Alex Soares with Luke Henriques-Gomes – This week, Timor-Leste celebrates 20 years of independence. On 20 May 2002, the United Nations formally handed power to the new Timorese government and, thus, to its people.

The former Portuguese colony, which became independent from Indonesia in 2002 after 24 years of occupation, marked the occasion with a concert and fireworks for

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – A 100-year-old Portuguese Jesuit priest who has spent more than half his life working in Timor-Leste has been awarded the country's highest honor.

Father Joao Felgueiras, who turns 101 next month, was one of several people to be awarded the Order of Timor-Leste by President Francisco Guterres on May 18.

Randy Mulyanto and Sophie Raynor, Jakarta, Indonesia – East Timor's president-elect won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his efforts to liberate his country, but Jose Ramos-Horta may find charting a sustainable path for one of the world's most oil-dependent nations to be his toughest challenge yet.

Parker Novak – This week, Timor-Leste will celebrate its 20th anniversary as an independent nation and inaugurate Jose Ramos-Horta as its new president. Since re-gaining independence in 2002, the world's third-youngest nation has built a functioning state and vibrant democracy from near-scratch amid trials and tribulations that would challenge any nation.

Dili – Former Timor-Leste independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta was to be sworn in as the president of Asia's youngest country on Thursday night as it marks its 20th anniversary of independence.

Elizabeth Byrne – Canberra lawyer Bernard Collaery has asked to be allowed to call for more evidence from two former presidents of East Timor to support his case as a judge orders a trial date must be set.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – The Timor-Leste government and the bishops' conference have renewed a cooperation agreement that extends a concordat stipulation between the Catholic majority country and the Vatican, which provides millions of dollars in funds to assist the Church's services.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Just days before the scheduled inauguration of President-elect Jose Ramos-Horta on May 20, Timor-Leste's parliament passed a bill establishing the president's responsibilities, along with criminal threats, to the country's constitution.

Hannah Thomas – If the 96% of people who want a federal ICAC with teeth get their way after the Election, it's difficult to imagine an institution with a bigger backlog of work from its very inception. From sports rorts to car park rorts, from the Leppington triangle purchase to the Paladin contract – a federal ICAC will have an overflowing pile of cases to investigate.

Christopher Knaus – The federal government has successfully blocked Bernard Collaery from obtaining key documents about the lawfulness of the notorious spy operation against Timor-Leste, arguing that questions about its legality are irrelevant.

The Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) Supreme Court has ruled the lawfulness of an alleged Australian spying operation in East Timor is not relevant to whistleblower Bernard Collaery's charges.

Collaery is accused of unlawfully sharing classified information about the alleged bugging operation of the East Timor prime minister by Australian officials in 2004.

Ryan Dagur – Catholic-majority Timor-Leste will be the first country in the world to adopt a papal-endorsed document promoting peace and harmony between Christians and Muslims.

Ryan Dagur – The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in collaboration with Timor-Leste's Ministry of Health is providing nutritional assistance for hundreds of thousands of malnourished pregnant and lactating women in the Catholic-majority country.

David Blackmon – One of the more interesting sessions presented at the recent Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston focused on the tiny Indian Ocean nation of Timor-Leste, featuring the President and CEO of Timor Gas & Petroleo (TIMOR GAP), E.P., Mr. Antonio de Sousa.

Ryan Dagur – Timor-Leste's government has launched a national program to combat endemic malnutrition that afflicts nearly half of children under five in the Catholic-majority nation.

Ryan Dagur – Timor-Leste's president-elect Jose Ramos-Horta held meetings with Catholic leaders, including the Vatican envoy, to discuss government and church cooperation in addressing poor education, one of the most pressing problems in the Catholic-majority country.

Houston/Melbourne – East Timor's national oil company wants to start producing natural gas from its Greater Sunrise fields by 2028 or 2030, the company's head said on Tuesday in Houston, hoping to develop the offshore project that has been stuck in limbo for decades.

Parker Novak – The results of Timor-Leste's 19 April presidential run-off were unsurprising, with challenger Jose Ramos-Horta besting the incumbent, Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, by a 24 per cent margin. As the dust settles in advance of Horta's inauguration on 20 May, the key takeaways from the election are clear.

What happens next is anything but.

Catholic-majority Timor-Leste has moved forward with the adoption of two international treaties aimed at ensuring the rights of disabled people.

Sofia Tomacruz, Manila – Nobel laureates Jose Ramos-Horta and Maria Ressa have called on Southeast Asians to fight for democracy and continue demanding human rights amid growing threats to democratic freedoms in the region.

Patrick O'Connor – Ramos-Horta received 62 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent Fretilin President Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres with 38 percent. Turn out was 75.2 percent. The former prime minister and president will return to office next month, with the presidential swearing in ceremony scheduled for May 19.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Timor-Leste's president-elect Jose Ramos-Horta says he will adopt a papal-endorsed document on human fraternity into the school curriculum to maintain interreligious harmony and peace in the Catholic-majority country.

He said he had discussed the issue with Aniceto Guerres Lopes, national parliament president, who gave his support.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Timor-Leste president-elect Jose Ramos-Horta said he would work closely with the Catholic Church and acknowledged the important role of various parties, including religious leaders, in jointly finding solutions to the country's problems.

Timor-Leste has awarded five out of 18 blocks in the second licensing round for onshore and coastal oil and gas exploration projects, according to the National Oil and Minerals Authority (ANPM).

ANPM awarded three onshore blocks and two blocks in the Timor Sea, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

Fernanda Canofre and Dercio Tsandzana – As Timor-Leste celebrates its 20th independence anniversary, former president and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has been announced as the new president-elect in the Asian country of 1.3 million inhabitants.

Dili (Kyodo News) – East Timor's president-elect Jose Ramos-Horta said on Thursday he expects his country to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2023 when Indonesia chairs the 10-member bloc.

Dili, Timor Leste – Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta called for dialogue on Thursday, one day after scoring a landslide victory in Timor Leste's presidential election.

The 72-year-old won 62 percent of the vote against incumbent Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres' 37 percent, according to preliminary results announced after all the votes were counted.

Peter Job – May 20 will mark 20 years of independence for Australia's near neighbour, the nation of Timor-Leste.

Independence leader and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has won a second term as president of Timor-Leste.

In the second and final round of vote counting on April 20, Ramos-Horta won 62.09 percent of the vote while ex-guerrilla fighter President Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres trailed with 37.91 percent, according to data from the country's election body.

The Nobel prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta has scored a landslide victory in Timor-Leste's presidential election, according to preliminary results published by the election secretariat.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – A decade after being unseated, Jose Ramos-Horta is headed for a return to East Timor's presidential palace from where he will be charged with resolving the country's bitter political feud.

Kate Lamb and Nelson Da Cruz – Independence leader and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has taken a decisive lead in the second and final round of East Timor's presidential election, early results of the vote showed on Wednesday.

Dili, East Timor – East Timor's citizens head to the polls on Tuesday to choose either a Nobel laureate or a former guerrilla fighter – the incumbent president – as their next leader.

Dili, Timor Leste – Voting in the second and final round of Timor Leste's presidential election began early on Tuesday, with Nobel laureate, Jose Ramos-Horta, the clear frontrunner in the poll.

Parker Novak – Timorese voters head to the polls again on Tuesday 19 April for the second round of the country's presidential election. The campaign, following a first round of voting last month, pits two long-standing political figures against each other – incumbent president Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres and challenger Jose Ramos-Horta.

Peter Job – After East Timor declared independence from Portugal in 1975, Indonesian dictator Suharto ordered an invasion and tried to crush the national liberation movement. Australia knew Indonesian forces were carrying out massacres – and helped hide it from the world.

Interview by Zacharias Szumer

A report on human rights released by the United States government highlights the problems with police in the Catholic-majority country of Timor-Leste, such as violence against civilians and efforts to deter communities from reporting such cases.