ASEAN & Tourism Infrastructure: Timor-Leste has broken ground on a new International Convention Centre in Dili, aimed at boosting the tourism and events sector ahead of the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship, with conference and exhibition spaces plus waterfront attractions. Regional Integration & Trade: Timor-Leste’s ASEAN accession process is being discussed in ASEAN economic meetings, including progress on joining economic agreements. Energy & Budget Execution: The Council of Ministers reported 30% execution of the 2026 General State Budget as of May 26, flagging procurement and capacity challenges under the new Procurement and Public Contracts Code. Mining & Investment Signals: Tivan (ASX:TVN) received strong initial stream sediment results from its Turiscai project, including up to 434 ppm copper and 0.801 ppm gold, with stage-two prospect exploration now underway. Human Capital for Competitiveness: President José Ramos-Horta urged academics to prepare for globalization and free trade, stressing skills like AI/data, English, and international research links.