Government Budget Oversight: Timor-Leste’s Council of Ministers held an extraordinary meeting in Dili to review 2026 General State Budget execution, reporting 30% spending as of May 26 (about US$736m of US$2.445b), with key bottlenecks tied to the new Procurement and Public Contracts Code and the rollout of a computerised procurement system. ASEAN & Tourism Infrastructure: Timor-Leste broke ground on a new International Convention Centre in Dili’s old port precinct, meant to boost tourism and events capacity ahead of the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship, with conference and exhibition spaces plus visitor attractions like a promenade, aquarium, and Ferris wheel. Regional Diplomacy: Australia and Timor-Leste reaffirmed bilateral cooperation during the Australian Deputy Prime Minister’s official visit for Restoration of Independence celebrations, as ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn and senior leaders backed the convention centre project.