Regional Security & Diplomacy: Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta met Vietnam’s President Tô Lâm in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, with both sides pushing deeper cooperation after Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership in Oct 2025. Humanitarian & Engineering Capacity: The U.S. Navy’s Pacific Partnership 2026 kicked off from San Diego, with stops including Timor-Leste, bringing medical, engineering, and emergency management support to disaster-prone areas. Energy & Infrastructure: Woodside says it’s making progress with Timor-Leste on the Greater Sunrise LNG development concept, while noting project timing depends on its wider portfolio. National Budget & Energy Resilience: Timor-Leste’s PM Xanana Gusmão tabled the first amendment to the 2026 General State Budget, citing global energy-market shocks and proposing a national strategic fuel reserve worth US$174.3m. Education & Development Links: A JICA-supported piece highlights how engineering education cooperation is expanding at Timor-Leste’s National University (UNTL), including a masters programme launched in 2024.