Amanda Hodge – At a debate in East Timor's capital Dili ahead of next Saturday's elections, an argument flared between candidates and party flacks over who had the biggest dreams for the 16-year-old nation.

Vincent Paunovic – A country under siege for decades, Timor-Leste has more than its fair share of challenges as it seeks to develop, recover and move forward after decades of struggle under its occupation by Indonesia that only ended in 2001.

Paulina Quintao – The Director of health from Dili municipality, Agustinha Seguerado is concerned with the growing waste problem within Dili that could harm communities' public health especially the health of children.

Paulina Quintao – According to data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2016, 18% of heads of family of the 204,000 families surveyed are women.

Director of the Young Women's Movement (MOFFE) organization, Yasinta Lujina, said this demonstrates the important role of women from family level to the public level that needs greater recognition.

Paulina Quintao – According to data generated from the Health in Family (Saude na Familia (SnF) national program of home visits, 92% of 206,123 families in Timor-Leste present risk factors that may result in disease.

Paulina Quintao – The National Director for Water Resources and Management, Ministry of Pubic Works (MOP) Gustavo da Cruz said Timor-Leste has sufficient water resources within the territory to respond to the needs of communities, but there are limitations in the State Budget create adequate water supply networks for the community.

Andrew Greene – The head of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) has made a historic appearance before a tribunal to argue intelligence files on East Timor and Indonesia cannot yet be released because his agency is too busy.

Andrew Greene – Australian intelligence operations that took place during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor should stay secret, the head of the country's overseas spy agency will argue today.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has refused to explain why documents about Australian spy operations during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor should remain secret.

Since 2014, Canberra academic Clinton Fernandes has been trying to get access to the Australian Secret Intelligence Service's 43-year old records about East Timor through the National Archives of Australia.

Guteriano Neves – For the third time in less than a year, Timorese are going to cast their votes. The early election, scheduled for May 12 is the direct consequence of failed political negotiations among the parties.

Mary Aileen Bacalso, Manila – In predominantly Catholic Timor-Leste, which is battling an exploding population, an estimated 4,500 children were plucked from the bosom of their families and taken to Indonesia over two decades ago. Now they are trying to come home.

Paulina Quintao – Alola Foundation urges relevant institutions, especially the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) to conduct a routine control and checks to the Casino across Dili to prevent activities such as prostitution, drug use and human trafficking from taking place.

Celestina Soares – The General Commander of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) Commissioner Julio da Costa Hornai appealed to the public to not trust information shared on social media sites such as Facebook that frighten the community.

Paulina Quintao – The result of an assessment conducted on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) of health facilities across Timor-Leste shows that from the 380 health facilities within the country, 75% do not have running water.

Celestina Soares – The Second Police Commander from Dili municipality, Superintendent Assistant Euclidis Belo said the National Police Forces of Timor-Leste PNTL will take strong measures against perpetrators of sexual harassment against women in public spaces and on public streets.

David Hutt – The campaign season is now in its second week in Timor-Leste ahead of another general election on May 12. Last July's election led to a weak minority government that failed to pass its mandate, forcing the country's president in February to call for another ballot.

Paulina Quintao – Based on the results of monitoring activities conducted by the Office of the Human Rights and Justice Ombudsmen (PDHJ), high rates of violations against defined criteria for good governance demonstrate government is not fully functional.

Oki Raimundos, Dili, East Timor – Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta has waded back into the young country's politics ahead of parliamentary elections next month, calling the government a total failure in the past decade in crucial areas such as reducing child malnutrition and providing clean water.

Paulina Quintao – The Ministry of Health (MoH) in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) through the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) are discussing about the best mechanism of cooperation between ministries and institutions that best addressed the needs of Timorese living with disability.

Paulina Quintao – At the end of 2017, the number of women in leadership roles including as part of the executive in the public sector is still low according to the data from the Integrated Public Administration and Management System (SIGAP), of the Public Service the Commission.

Celestina Soares – The General Director of the Ministry of Education (ME) Antoninho Pires said many public schools are not in good condition and do not follow prescribed education standard, according to research conducted in 2015.

Lucy Marks – A new study has found children in East Timor have among the highest rates of rheumatic heart disease in the world, with researchers estimating up to 10,000 young people could have the preventable, deadly disease.

Shannon Power – One of the world's youngest nations is powering ahead on LGBTI rights and has come up with a clever way to promote inclusion.

Last year, East Timor's first Pride March made headlines around the world, not only for its color and celebration, but because it was a remarkable achievement.

Raimundos Oki, Dili, East Timor – East Timor's political parties kicked off a month of campaigning Tuesday for new parliamentary elections due in May with promises to boost development in one of Asia's poorest nations.

Michael Leach – Timor-Leste returns to the polls on 12 May, almost ten months after last July's election failed to produce a sustainable government.

Paulina Quintao – The President of the National Election Commission (CNE), Alcino Barris said there is no law regulating parents to not involve their children in electoral campaigns, but is criminal for political parties to mobilize children to take part in political activities.

At least 100 of 100,000 people die each year in Timor-Leste from Tuberculosis (TB) according to data from the Ministry of Health (MH).

Deputy Minister of Health Luis Lobato considers TB a major public health issue in Timor-Leste because of the high prevalence and morbidity with current estimate of 5,000 of 100,00 people suffering from TB.

Ben C. Solomon, Com, East Timor – On a rainy spring morning, Fizzy Moslim strapped on her weathered-chrome oxygen tank and slipped into the warm water.

Few visitors make it out to the sleepy fishing village of Com, a backbreaking seven-hour drive from the capital, and usually no one except the locals ever dives into its waters.

Euan Moyle – A landmark agreement between Australia and Timor-Leste has finally marked their maritime borders and exclusive economic zones, which have been a sore point in relations between the two countries.

Clive Schofield and Bec Strating – On March 6, 2018, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a landmark treaty that draws permanent maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea. The treaty is the result of the United Nations Compulsory Conciliation (UNCC) processes that have facilitated negotiations between the two states for over a year.

Viji Menon – Timor-Leste and Australia signed a historic treaty in New York on 6 March 2018, witnessed by the UN Secretary-General, establishing permanent maritime boundaries between them.

Peter Milne – The Woodside Petroleum-led Sunrise LNG project is in danger of getting left behind despite a recent breakthrough in maritime border talks, as East Timor pursues other gas fields to launch its LNG industry.

Helen Davidson and Christopher Knaus – The Australian government should return the passport of a former secret service agent who blew the whistle on an operation to spy on Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta has said.

The on-oil economy of Timor-Leste (East Timor) contracted by 1.8% in 2017, mainly the country's economy, according to a World Bank report.

Oki Raimundos, Dili, East Timor – Three political parties that brought down East Timor's minority government say they will campaign under one umbrella for new elections due in May.

The parties in the grouping, which calls itself the Alliance for Change and Progress, on Friday announced their official lists of candidates.

Donald Rothwell – The 2018 Timor Sea Treaty signed in New York between Australia and Timor Leste on 6 March 2018 is a landmark agreement between the two countries and provides a pathway for the final settlement of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) maritime boundaries between the countries.

Mike Head – Acrimonious disputes are continuing between the governments of Australia and the tiny neighouring state of East Timor despite last week's signing at the UN in New York of what the media misleadingly called an "historic" maritime boundary treaty covering the oil-and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Alan Boyd – Indonesia's long-held resentment over Australia's sprawling maritime claims along their ill-defined border have spilled into the diplomatic arena following a recent settlement of a parallel dispute in neighboring Timor Leste, also known as East Timor.

Simone Rensch – Timor-Leste spends the least amount of money on healthcare than any other country in the world, a new map has revealed.

Jose Belo, Dili – Timor-Leste's former president and prime minister Xanana Gusmao returned home in triumph on March 11 with a new maritime treaty with Australia, but warned the battle to win a favorable oil and gas deal with the country's giant neighbor remained far from over.

"The Commission instead opted for the easiest way out, which is a shame as in my perception it reveals a lack of impartiality on your behalf!" – Chief East Timorese negotiator, Xanana Gusmao, Feb 28, 2018

Mike Bruce – In 2005, Australian businessman Ian Melrose spent $3.5 million of his own money to support Timor-Leste's fight with Australia over lucrative oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea.

Peter Milne – Woodside's Sunrise LNG project remains stalled as East Timor slams negotiations to agree on a development concept and dismisses incentives to send the gas to Darwin that include a share of the project and $US300 million towards a gas pipeline to the impoverished nation.

James Massola, Jakarta – The Turnbull government has pushed back at Indonesia, saying it was unnecessary to renegotiate the maritime boundary between the two countries, a day after a senior official in Jakarta flagged the possibility.

At long last Australia has done something like the right thing by East Timor in the dispute over the maritime boundary the countries share. But it has done so only after trying every other alternative for nearly five decades.

Michael Leach – When Timor-Leste terminated the CMATS treaty with Australia early last year, it overturned its fifty-year moratorium on boundary negotiations. Ending the decade-old agreement was essential to securing its objective of a permanent maritime boundary.

James Massola, Jakarta – The Indonesian government wants Australia to re-open discussions on maritime boundaries after a deal was finally struck to resolve a similar dispute between East Timor and Australia.

Peter Job – As announced by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on February 25, there appears to be hope at last for a settlement of the prolonged legal battle between Australia and Timor-Leste over the Timor Sea.

Helen Davidson and Christopher Knaus – Australia has received billions of dollars in revenue from contested oil and gas fields which a new border treaty officially confirms belonged to Timor-Leste, civil society groups have claimed.

Christopher Knaus – The spy who blew the whistle on Australia's bugging of Timor-Leste's cabinet room during sensitive oil and gas negotiations is still under "effective house arrest" and has been treated disgracefully by Australia in retaliation for his actions, his lawyer says.