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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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 – 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.

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.