Police in Timor-Leste have arrested two foreign nationals for allegedly being involved in a human trafficking case in which several women were smuggled into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without proper documents.

Inday Espina-Varona – Augusto "Gus" Miclat's experience as an activist and peace builder in Mindanao during the years of struggle against the Marcos dictatorship grounded him while helping the people of East Timor weather the violence that dogged their struggle for independence.

Parker Novak – China and Australia's duelling Pacific tours make final stops. East Timor deals cap Chinese foreign minister's 10-day Pacific blitz. Anthony Albanese talks with Timor-Leste leadership as he flies to Indonesia.

Thousands of Timor-Leste Catholics lined the streets of capital Dili to observe the feast of Corpus Christi in a solemn procession of the Blessed Sacrament.

The annual celebration was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid pandemic restrictions.

Pat Walsh – Pope Francis recently announced that on 27 August 2022 he would make the archbishop of Dili, Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Costa, a cardinal. The church in tiny East Timor, population 1.3 million, most of whom are Catholics, has come a long way in a short time.

Joao da Cruz Cardoso – On May 20, Timor-Leste commemorated the 20th anniversary of its independence and celebrated the inauguration of its newly elected president Jose Ramos-Horta, who was beginning his second term in the office.

Timor-Leste's president has expressed concern over the Catholic-majority country's budget allocation and stressed the importance of prioritizing people most affected by natural disasters and the global economic slowdown.

The national major seminary in Timor-Leste has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Catholic university in Indonesia, aiming to improve the educational quality of seminarians.

President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta and visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi have expressed common willingness to strengthen regional cooperation and safeguard multilateralism.

During their meeting in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, Ramos-Horta said his country fully supports the Belt and Road Initiative.

Andrea Fahey – China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week concluded a Pacific tour – featuring some diplomatic gains and losses – with a 24-hour visit to Timor-Leste. The visit marks the island neighbour to Australia's north as another important player in the regional strategic contest.

Lisa Visentin – Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says there are "levers available" to the government on the handling of the Bernard Collaery case but remained tight-lipped about any steps the Commonwealth may take in the matter, as advocates renewed calls for Canberra lawyer's prosecution to be abandoned.

By UCA News reporter – Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has described a new law on the president's responsibilities, which was passed swiftly before his inauguration, as unconstitutional.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.