Celestina Soares – The Director of the Central Basic School (EBC) in Akadiru-hun, Dili, Mateus Pinto Tilman urged the Public Service Commission (PSC) to encourage teachers aged 60 and upwards to retire so that new teachers can be recruited.

Dili – Former Timor Leste independence fighter Jose Maria de Vasconcelos was sworn in as Prime Minister yesterday and pledged to bring unity to the nation after months of political deadlock.

President Francisco Guterres dissolved Parliament in January after former prime minister Mari Alkatiri's minority government faced a legislative stalemate.

Dili – East Timor's president is refusing to swear in 11 members of cabinet because of corruption investigations, marring the formation of a new government following a protracted political stalemate in the young nation.

Harold Mitchell – Today finds me in Timor-Leste. Not too many Australians are aware of this tiny nation just 40 minutes off the coast of Northern Australia. But our influence over this brave band of just over a million people has been enormous.

Nelson de la Cruz, Dili – East Timor will swear in as prime minister on Friday its former president and independence fighter Jose Maria de Vasconcelos, putting an end to months of political deadlock in the tiny Southeast Asian nation.

Michael Sainsbury, Yangon, Myanmar – Former East Timor president and revolutionary leader Taur Matan Ruak has been announced as the country's new Prime Minister five weeks after the Alliance of Progress and Change coalition won a majority of 43 in the nation's 65 seat legislature.

David Hutt – It is almost certain, barring a constitutional calamity, that Taur Matan Ruak will soon be appointed the new Prime Minister of Timor-Leste.

Paulina Quintao – Based on the monitoring done by the Human Rights Association (HAK) of prisoners' situation, many complain of lack of contact with the public defender who defended them in court.

Paulina Quintao – The President of the Women's Association for Aileu Municipality, Cristina da Conceicao said it is difficult for women producers from Aileu to access markets to sell their products and earn money to sustain their families.

Paulina Quintao – The Executive Director of the National Hospital Guido Valadares (HNGV), in Dili, Dr. Aniceto Barreto said currently there are 12 Chinese medical specialists providing health assistance at the hospital.

The specialists are providing care in urology, surgery, ophthalmology, maternity, radiology, as well as in other areas.

Bharati Jagdish, Singapore – "I thought I was going to die. I lost four litres of blood, but my concern was whether the country would slide into a civil war," says Jose Ramos-Horta as we talk about the attempt to assassinate him in 2008.

Paulina Quintao – Human Right Association (HAK) Program Advocacy Officer Xisto dos Santos believes the government has committed a violation against the right of prisoners by allowing 100 prisoners to share a single cell block.

Paulina Quintao – The representative of Catholic Church and Bishop of Dili Diocese Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Silva urges the new government to unify all Timorese and their dreams and to work together to develop better Timor-Leste during the next five years.

Jonas Guterres – Timor-Leste has held a series of successful and competitive elections in the last year; one for president, and two separate parliamentary elections. The country also has gone through peaceful transfers of power despite experiencing political impasse since July 2017.

Nelson de la Cruz, Dili – An East Timor opposition coalition, including a party led by independence hero Xanana Gusmao, won a majority of the seats in the May 12 election, a court has confirmed.

The new ballot was called to end months of deadlock in the country, where there had been a minority government led by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri since July 2017.

Paulina Quintao – The Director for Becora prison, in Dili, Joao DomiNGOs said Becora prison can only accommodate 250 prisoners, but currently it hosts 606 prisoners which puts a strain on prison services.

Hao Duy Phan – On May 9, 2018, the Conciliation Commission in the maritime boundary dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia issued its report, marking the conclusion of the first-ever conciliation proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Jose Belo, Dili, Timor-Leste – Timor-Leste's parliamentary elections on May 12 have returned Xanana Gusmao to the Government Palace in Dili in an alliance that gives him enough votes to govern in his own right.

Rebecca Strating and Clive Schofield – In April, Australia and Timor-Leste reached agreement on their maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea. This resolved a longstanding source of contention between them.

Jonas Guterres – Through the fresh election held on May 12, Timor-Leste has for the time being put an end to nearly half a year of political impasse.

Estevao Nuno – Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Timor Aid aims to preserve Timor's culture through book documentation to inform Timorese in the future about their culture.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Timor Aid, Florentino Sarmento said besides promoting the original culture of Timor, Timor Aid also attempted to regenerate cultures that are becoming extinct.

Muslims in Dili, the capital of predominantly Catholic East Timor, have welcomed Ramadan with great joy.

Paulina Quintao – The executive Director of Luta Hamutuk organization (LH), Jose da Costa urged the new upcoming government to take responsibility for the special zones for social market economy of Timor-Leste (ZEESM-TL) as an investment for the Timorese people, especially those in the Special Administrative region of Oe-Cusse-Ambeno (RAEOA).

Estevao Nuno – Program Coordinator for Timor-Leste's National Youth Council (CNJTL), Manecas Lobo dos Santos urges the upcoming VIII Constitutional Government to prioritize the creating employment for the youth of Timor-Leste.

Sophie Raynor – After ten months of political gridlock and one dissolved parliament, Saturday's decisive parliamentary election result represents one kind of victory for Timor-Leste's fledgling democracy.

Guteriano Neves – After nearly a year of political deadlock resulting from a minority government, and a divisive political campaign, Timor-Leste is set to have a stable government after an early election, held on May 12. The forthcoming government will face an uneasy task in delivering on the promises made during the campaign.

Edward Cavanough, Dili – Timor Leste headed to the polls on May 12 in its second general election in as many years, with the opposition coalition of parties led by the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) claiming victory.

Simon Roughneen, Dili – A three-party alliance led by Timorese independence hero Xanana Gusmao ousted the short-lived Fretilin minority government in East Timor's election held Saturday, though the top party in the ruling coalition refused to concede the outcome late Sunday.

Helen Davidson – Timor-Leste independence hero Xanana Gusmao is expected to be appointed prime minister again after the country's second parliamentary election in less than a year.

Gusmao led a coalition of opposition parties that has secured more than 49.5% of the vote, with 99% counted. The official result will be announced later this month.

Michael Leach – After nearly ten months of political uncertainty, Saturday's parliamentary elections in Timor-Leste delivered a decisive result.

Michael Sainsbury, Dili – Timor-Leste's national resistance hero Xanana Gusmao, a former president and prime minister, is headed back to power in the nation's second general election in 10 months via a three-party alliance that includes his former guerilla colleague Taur Matan Ruak, another former president.

Nelson de la Cruz, Dili – A coalition of East Timor's opposition parties, including a party led by independence hero Xanana Gusmao, was heading for victory on Sunday in an election held after months of deadlock in the tiny Southeast Asian nation's parliament.

Jose Belo – Timor-Leste's general election in 2018 will prove to be like no other.

This is the first time in East-Timorese history that a minority government and the president of the republic have been forced into early elections – less than a year since the last general election in July 2017.

David Hutt – Preliminary results from Timor-Leste's general election on Saturday indicate that an opposition coalition has clinched victory, winning enough seats to form a majority government and end the country's political stalemate.

Simon Roughneen, Dili, East Timor – Voting took place today in East Timor to choose 65 members of parliament, who Timorese hope will form a stable administration after a year of political uncertainty and the quick collapse of a short-lived minority government.

Isabel Ermelita – The Chief of the Election Observers Mission Australia-Timor-Leste, Professor Damien Kingsbury said the Early Election 2018 was different compared to elections of previous years that were marked by peace.

He added the early election this year was tense between political parties' leaders and their militants.

Michael Leach – After a tense month-long campaign and two rest days, East Timorese cast their votes tomorrow in the country's latest parliamentary elections. With the campaign characterised by considerable bitterness between the major parties, much is at stake.

Estevao Nuno – Timor-Leste's National Youth Council (CNJTL) warns youths against falling for political parties' trap and to not allow themselves to be used during the election campaigns for party interest.

The Manager for the Youth Forum for Communication (FKJ) Joao do Nascimento said the youths' who get involved in politics should deepen their knowledge about the parties.

Paulina Quintao – The President of the Press Council Virgilio da Silva Guterres said Timor-Leste received high scores for Freedom of the Press at the international level and in the South-East Asia Region, despite there still being challenges and obstacles remaining.

Paulina Quintao – According to the Labour Code of Timor-Leste, Law Number 4/2012, Article 59 about the entitlement to maternity leave, it states that female workers are entitled to maternity leave for a minimum of 12 weeks with full pay, yet some employers in Timor-Leste cut women's wages during their leave.

Paulina Quintao – According to the data from the Ministry of Health, the number of all HIV registered cases since 2013 increased to 725 in 2017, and from this number 92 people have died.

Jerry Courvisanos – For the last year, the people of Timor-Leste have expected – and received – little from their government except deadlock.

Michael Sainsbury, Dili – It's 4 o'clock on a warm Tuesday afternoon in the East Timorese capital of Dili. Down a rabbit warren of alleys across from the Australian embassy, a dusty, cemented space opens up.

Simon Roughneen, Denpasar, Indonesia – For the second time in less than a year, voters in East Timor will head to polling stations on May 12 to decide who will run the second smallest country in Southeast Asia.

Dili (Timor-Leste) – Timor-Leste is set to hold an election at the weekend, after a campaign marred by violence and political mudslinging as the impoverished country struggles to buoy its oil-dependent economy.

It will be the second general election in less than a year after a months-long political impasse saw the 65-member Parliament dissolved in January.

East Timor is set to hold weekend elections after a campaign marred by violence and political mudslinging as the impoverished country struggles to buoy its oil-dependent economy.

It will be the second general election in less than a year after a months-long political impasse saw the 65-member parliament dissolved in January.

Avery Poole – The people of East Timor are heading to the polls this week for the second time in 10 months. On May 12, a fresh round of parliamentary elections will attempt to overcome the legislative impasse in the current minority government.

John Dennehy – When Asia's youngest nation heads to the polls for the second time in a year on May 12, Abel Da Costa just wants someone to win.

East Timorese independence hero Xanana Gusmao has called on supporters not to be provoked after campaigning for next weekend's elections was marred by violence.

Helen Davidson – Newly declassified documents have revealed that Australia appeared driven by a desire for oil and gas rights when it was deciding to legitimise the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste.

The documents, which date from the early 1970s, were among files subject to a long running freedom-of-information dispute between an academic and the National Archives.