Farm Productivity & Nutrition: An ACIAR update highlights how Timor-Leste farming is still highly labour-intensive, with hand land prep, planting, harvesting and post-harvest work taking weeks per season—while low soil fertility limits both yields and nutrition, and younger people increasingly look for work off-farm. Climate Risk for Agriculture: FAO warns a new El Niño phase could start within weeks, mapping where drought risk is highest and stressing likely knock-on effects for crops, pasture, livestock losses and food insecurity across vulnerable regions. Disaster Response Readiness: The U.S.-led Pacific Partnership 2026 and Pacific Friendship 2026 began joint humanitarian and disaster response planning with Vietnam, aiming to boost preparedness and coordination across the Indo-Pacific. Energy & Extractives Watch: SundaGas faces a regulatory setback after missing a drilling deadline for the Chuditch-2 appraisal well under its Timor-Leste PSC, with termination now on the table unless it can secure a rig and respond to the upstream regulator. Regional Trade & Energy Diplomacy: At the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan, leaders including East Timor discussed expanded cooperation on energy, agriculture and trade, with Russia urging more transactions in national currencies. Transport Infrastructure: Timor-Leste’s Council of Ministers reviewed progress on expanding President Nicolau Lobato International Airport, including runway and terminal upgrades, with phased completion targeted by 2028.