ASEAN Diplomacy in Manila: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit the Philippines for a packed run of ASEAN foreign ministers’ meetings and Indo-Pacific talks, as Manila hosts the chairmanship calendar from July 19–24. Timor-Leste in the regional spotlight: The same ASEAN lineup includes East Timor among the 11 member states, with major dialogue partners expected to attend. Offshore energy survey for Timor-Leste: Fugro has won a contract to run deepwater site characterization surveys for the Greater Sunrise and Bayu Undan developments, using geophysical, seismic and AUV work starting planning in Q3 2026 and offshore operations in Q4. CPLP at 30: Portuguese-speaking countries marked the CPLP’s 30th anniversary, highlighting Timor-Leste’s membership since 2002 and renewed focus on strengthening cooperation. FRETILIN backs Sahrawi prisoner: FRETILIN called for the immediate release of Naâma Asfari, citing his deteriorating health and long hunger strike.