Digital Access: Timorese provider VORAKAI is bringing internet to six FOKUPERS sites, including women’s safe houses, a children’s refuge and a preschool, to support safety, education and essential services. Tourism Investment: Marriott has signed a deal with Jape Group for a 100-room Courtyard hotel in Dili. Construction is expected to start in 2027, with opening planned for 2029. Greater Sunrise: TIMOR GAP has agreed to buy Woodside’s 33.44% stake in the gas project for up to US$200 million. If approvals are secured and the deal closes, TIMOR GAP says it will hold full ownership; completion is targeted for the first half of 2027. Timor-Leste plans to press ahead with a pipeline to its south coast, though the project’s commercial viability remains in question. ASEAN Role: Timor-Leste’s defence chief joined regional counterparts at the ASEAN defence meeting in the Philippines. President José Ramos-Horta has also said ASEAN membership is helping lift investor confidence as the country seeks to diversify beyond oil and gas.