Tom Allard – East Timor has called in the United Nations to help resolve its bitter dispute with Australia over a permanent sea border in the oil-rich Timor Sea.

Review by Ian Sinclair – "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." The Hammer Blow is the perfect illustration of anthropologist Margaret Mead's famous quote.

Dili – Timor-Leste today launched compulsory conciliation proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with the aim of concluding an agreement with Australia on permanent maritime boundaries.

The conciliation procedure engages Australia in a formal process conducted by an independent panel of experts, known as the conciliation commission.

Dili and Sydney – Thousands of people recently rallied in front of the Australian embassy in Dili, the seaside capital of Timor-Leste, in probably the biggest demonstration since the tiny country's birth 14 years ago. The protesters were angry at Australia's refusal to negotiate a permanent boundary in the Timor Sea, beneath which lie untold quantities of oil and gas.

Ha Noi – Viet Nam and Timor Leste will intensify their cooperation across politics, economy, investment, trade, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, and communications.

It was a colourful, peaceful protest. But it was the biggest rally since the days of the bloody independence referendum in 1999 – and it was directed at the Australian embassy.

Transfers from the Oil Fund allowed the 2015 budget in Timor-Leste (East Timor) to post a surplus of US$471.8 million, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance issued Wednesday in Dili.

Paulina Quintso – Member of the Timorese Parliament MPs have urged the Australian government to resolve a dispute between the two countries over maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea according to international law during the Governor-General of Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove's recent visit. Mps said they wanted a solution that was fair and just for Timorese people.

David Webster – In the 1990s, the Liberal government maintained close ties with the Indonesian regime that occupied East Timor.

Venidora Oliveira – PRADET said it plans to build more women's shelters in Baucau municipality in 2016 to assist victims of domestic violence.

Rutaban Yameen – Up to 30,000 people rallied on 22 and 23 March at the Australian embassy in Dili to protest Australia's theft of billions of dollars in royalties and tax revenue from oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

Vannessa Hearman and Jose da Costa – In 1995, 18 East Timorese youths sailed illegally to Australia in a small fishing boat. After five nights at sea they reached Australian waters.

Paulina Quintso – The Timorese government has allocated $9 million to support civil society development programs in 2016.

The Coordinator of Aid-Funding for Civil Society, Cabinet of Prime Minister, Joaquim Freitas, said while there would be no funding for new programs in 2016, existing projects would continue to receive support.

Paulina Quintso – Timor-Leste's Women's Network (Rede Feto-RF) organization is working with the Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and Employment (SEPFOPE) to provide gender training for youths.

Venidora Oliveira – The President of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KAK), Aderito Tilman, has urged National Members of Parliament to discuss the adoption of anti-corruption laws in the country.

Ali Saikal and Julmiro Isaac Manuel – Timor-Leste is a tiny country of about 1.1 million people, but estimates suggest that up to 150,000 people – 12 per cent of the population – may be affected by extreme drought brought on by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

New Delhi (IANS) – India looks forward to the southeast Asian nation of Timor Leste joining the Asean bloc, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday.

She said this during a meeting with Timor Leste's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Hermani Coelho da Silva, according to external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup.

[This is an edited article based on a story written by Manuel Ribeiro and published on Global Voices Portuguese.]

Since 1963, Australia has been accused of stealing oil from its neighbor, Timor-Leste.

Valdy Arief, Jakarta – Students from East Timor calling themselves the East Timor Students Association (Klibur Estudiante Timor Leste, Keustil) held a demonstration in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on the afternoon of Thursday March 24 demanding that Australia withdraw from the East Timor Sea.

Jakarta – East Timorese students are calling on Australia to leave East Timor's territorial waters accusing the Kangaroo Country of too long exploiting and profiting from East Timor's natural wealth.

Ann Wigglesworth – An estimated ten thousand Timorese protesters besieged the Australian embassy in Dili on 22 March 2016 to protest Australia's refusal to negotiate with East Timor on a permanent sea boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Tom Clarke – This week over 10,000 people descended on Australia's embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, to demand that the Australian government enter negotiations to finally establish permanent and fair maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.

Peter Theodosiou – One of Australia's closest neighbours, East Timor, is trying to draw Australia into negotiations to redraw the sea boundary between the two countries in the resource-rich Timor Sea.

Paulina Quintso – There are calls for the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) to change the aged payment system as most recipients are unable to walk to collect their benefits.

Cayla Dengate – Every day, more people lend their faces to a viral campaign against Australia.

We – the island nation with a 'she'll be right' mentality – aren't used to being on the receiving end of international discontent but day after day, Timorese people, mostly young, are using social media to send Australia a message: 'Hands off Timor's oil'.

Venidora Oliveira – The Director of the Human Rights Association (HAK), Manuel Monteiro, has criticized the judicial public defenders service, saying it is not functioning properly.

Sara Everingham, East Timor – Thousands of people have protested outside the Australian embassy in Dili, calling for Australia to negotiate a permanent maritime boundary in the Timor Sea.

As thousands of people rallied peacefully in front of the Australian embassy in Dili on 22 March, the organizers of the protest issued two statements, one to Australia and one to Timor-Leste. Tetum versions and photos of the protest can be accessed at http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/Boundary/CMATSindex.htm#Mar16Demos.

Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok – More than 10,000 Timorese besieged the Australian embassy in Dili on Tuesday to protest Australia's refusal to negotiate with East Timor on a permanent sea boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Timor Sea.

Peter Theodosiou – For the second consecutive month, more than 10,000 East Timorese protested outside Australia's embassy in Dili, calling for a fairer deal on maritime boundaries and a carve-up of oil and gas reserves.

Helen Davidson – Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Australian embassy in Dili on Tuesday, accusing the Australian government of "illegally occupying" Timor Leste territory by refusing to renegotiate maritime boundaries over oil and gas reserves.

Paulina Quintso – The Coordinator of Timor-Leste Human Rights Association (HAK), Xisto do Santos, called on the Timor-Leste and Japanese governments to acknowledge sexual crimes committed by Japanese soldiers against Timorese women in World War II.

Frank Brennan – When Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister six months ago, our Timorese neighbours thought there might be an opportunity to draw a line on the past and to kick start the negotiation of a permanent maritime boundary between Australia and Timor-Leste. For the moment, they find themselves sadly mistaken.

Huge crowds are expected at protests this week outside Australia's embassy in Dili, East Timor to demand that the Australian Government establish permanent and fair maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.

Tama Salim and Ganug Nugroho Adi, Jakarta/Surakarta – A misleading post by an infamous social media user has sparked outrage among family members and acquaintances of pro-democracy activist and poet Wiji Thukul, who many believe had been the victim of government-sanctioned abductions and whose whereabouts remains unknown to this day.

Jakarta – Associacao Dos Combatentes Da Brigada Negra (ACBN), a humanitarian aid organization from Timor-Leste, has denied the allegations presented on a Path message about missing human rights and democracy activist Wiji Thukul. In the message, Wiji is described as a bomb-maker for East Timorese rebels fighting against the Indonesian military.

Tom Allard – The Australian Secret Intelligence Service provided the security advice that denied one of its former spies a passport to travel to a tribunal hearing at The Hague on the grounds he could be "cultivated by a foreign power". The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation usually provides such assessments.

Ross Peake – The lawyer at the heart of the East Timor bugging case has accused the former Labor government of planting listening devices in his Canberra office.

Bernard Collaery revealed the alleged espionage for the first time on Tuesday at a rally outside Parliament House, organised to pressure the federal government to recognise the maritime boundary claim of the poor nation.

Venidora Oliveira – The Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Rui Maria de Araujo said during the launch of the Timorese government's website on maritime boundaries for Timor-Leste that this is another medium that will help the country achieve its permanent maritime boundaries.

Venidora Oliveira – Twenty-nine political parties have registered with the National Commission for Election (CNE) to take part in the 2017 national elections.

Venidora Oliveira – Human Rights and Justice Ombudsman (PDHJ) Silverio Pinto said the organization plans to revise its internal laws as several positions and systems need to be improved and updated.

He explained that in the past the director was responsible for good governance and human rights monitoring, as well as advocacy and civic training.

Lisa: New Zealand has committed peacekeepers to Timor Leste for 13 years and lost five soldiers there.

We still give the country $14 million a year in aid. But the oil's running out. Petroleum revenues have halved in a year and some are concerned the country could be broke inside a decade.

The government of Timor Leste (East Timor) has approved the purchase of the stake owned by Brazil's OIi telecommunications company Timor Telecom, a source from the Timorese government said Thursday in Dili.

Paulina Quintso – Executive Secretary of Human Capital Development Fund (FDCH), Ismenio Martins da Silva, said Timor-Leste still lacks in human resources in the discipline of the natural sciences which he hopes to be able to improve in 2016 through the fund.

In a series of recent posts on The Interpreter, Stephen Grenville has suggested that if Australia agreed to enter into maritime boundary negotiations with Timor-Leste and, if necessary, allow an international umpire to determine a maritime boundary in the Timor Sea, Timor-Leste would somehow be worse off.

This is a strange assertion given the facts.

Samantha Yap, Dili, Timor-Leste – More than a decade after gaining their independence, the people of Timor-Leste are fighting another battle. This time, there are billions of dollars at stake.

On 8 March 2016, Timor-Leste celebrates International Women's Day. This is an important day where we acknowledge the contribution of Timorese women and women from other countries and the challenges they face in achieving gender equality.

To mark the anniversary of Australian Government's unscrupulous decision to withdraw its recognition of the maritime boundary jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, various protest actions will be held around the world.

The Australian Governor-General, Peter Cosgrove, has turned down a request by a Timor Sea civil society group to meet during his short tour of Timor-Leste seeking a "frank and open" discussion about the maritime boundary dispute.

Australia took advantage of East Timor's weakness and is now dodging its international obligations over the disputed marine border, a Timorese MP says.