Budget Boost: Timor-Leste’s Council of Ministers approved a first amendment to the 2026 General State Budget, adding about US$101.1 million to reach roughly US$2.39 billion, mainly to cushion rising international fuel prices tied to the Middle East conflict and cover new regional and Oe-Cússe costs. Trade Integration: Trade and Industry Minister Nino Pereira used the ADB–World Bank Trade Forum in Bangkok to stress Timor-Leste’s push for a rules-based trading system, pointing to WTO accession in 2024 and full ASEAN membership in 2025. Culture on the Spot: Cebu’s Governor Pamela Baricuatro defended the omission of the Santo Niño from an ASEAN summit dance, saying it was done for religious sensitivity toward diverse delegates. Diplomacy Moves: President José Ramos-Horta received a Doctor Honoris Causa from Charles Darwin University in Darwin, while Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea agreed to open reciprocal embassies after talks in Port Moresby. Online Scams Law: Cambodia approved a draft anti-online scam law—an external story, but it echoes the region’s wider crackdown mood.