ASEAN Future Forum 2026: Timor-Leste is set to take part in the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi (June 9–10), with officials calling it a high-level “track 1.5” space for long-term policy ideas on peace, prosperity, digital transformation, and sustainable development—while also reinforcing ASEAN’s Community Vision 2045. PM visit and regional ties: Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão is in Vietnam for official talks and the forum, framed as a step to deepen bilateral cooperation and support Timor-Leste’s growing ASEAN integration. Energy transition angle: A new regional study on the ASEAN Power Grid says cross-border power plans are still held back by regulatory, institutional, and technical hurdles—highlighting the need for shared tools to model costs, reliability, and emissions, and noting Timor-Leste’s data gap. UNESCO conservation boost: UNESCO added new biosphere reserves worldwide, including Timor-Leste’s Nino Konis Santana, expanding the global network to 797 sites across 145 countries.