Arts & Culture (Dance): Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival crowned Barangay Granada (Timor-Leste) as grand winner in arena dance, while Barangay Mandalagan took the cook-off barangay title—showing how Timorese stories and food culture are being staged across ASEAN. Diplomacy & Peace (Timor-Leste voice): President José Ramos-Horta used the Shangri-La Dialogue to argue that missiles and tanks can’t replace dialogue, trust, and rebuilding after conflict—placing Timor-Leste’s peace message front and center. Education & Exchange (Regional learning): A higher-education spotlight notes Timor-Leste’s growing university sector and Japan’s JICA support, including an engineering masters programme launched in 2024. Community & Heritage (Visit): Crosslake Log Village welcomed online students, including East Timor exchange students, for a guided tour of the historic site. Sports (ASEAN youth): Timor-Leste is listed in Group A for the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, with regional matchups shaping the next wave of talent. Human stories (Asylum): A book highlights Timorese asylum seekers’ daring escape to Darwin, adding personal history to the region’s wider migration narrative.