Asia’s youngest democracy East Timor heads to the polls
Dili, East TimorReuters Voters in East Timor head to the polls on Saturday, as Asia’s youngest democracy holds its fifth presidential elections since independence, with concerns over political stability and economic security at the forefront of the campaign. The 16 presidential hopefuls include former resistance fighter and incumbent President Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres, independence figure […]
American ex-priest in East Timor found guilty of sex abuse
Oecusse, East Timor AP A defrocked American priest accused of sexually abusing orphaned and disadvantaged young girls under his care in East Timor was found guilty Tuesday and sentenced to 12 years in prison, in the first case of its kind in the staunchly Catholic nation. Richard Daschbach, 84, who spent decades as a missionary […]
US feds charge ex-priest with child sex crimes in East Timor
AP A US federal grand jury has indicted a defrocked American priest on charges of having sex with minors while running a children’s shelter in a remote part of East Timor. Richard Daschbach, 84, faces seven counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct at the Topu Honis shelter that he founded decades ago in the […]
South-East Asia’s coronavirus surge prompts shutdowns and alarm
Reuters A sharp rise in coronavirus cases from new variants in parts of South-East Asia that had been less affected by the pandemic has prompted new restrictions, factory closures and attempts to rapidly scale up vaccination programs across the region. The number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Malaysia has soared past India’s on a […]
Tropical cyclone kills at least 113 in Indonesia, East Timor
Malaka, IndonesiaReuters Floods and landslides triggered by tropical cyclone Seroja in a cluster of islands in southeast Indonesia and East Timor have killed 113 people, with many still unaccounted for and thousands displaced, officials said on Monday. At least 86 deaths were reported on several islands in Indonesia’s West and East Nusa Tenggara provinces, while […]
Floods, landslides, kill dozens in Indonesia and East Timor
Jakarta, Indonesia/Dili, East TimorReuters Flash floods unleashed by torrential rains killed 41 people on the Indonesian island of Flores on Sunday, the disaster management agency BNPB said, and at least three more were reported killed in neighbouring East Timor. At least 49 families were hit on Flores, in the east of Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago, Raditya […]
Australia to refocus international aid to health security on doorstep
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will divert $A280 million in overseas aid this year to bolster the response of its closest neighbours to the coronavirus pandemic, with Canberra warning the stability of the Indo-Pacific region is at risk. The Pacific Islands, Timor-Leste and Indonesia will be the focus of the coronavirus aid strategy, said Australia’s Minister for […]
BOOKS: PEACEKEEPING IN A TIME OF TERROR AS EAST TIMOR LOOKED TO A NEW FUTURE
DAVID ADAMS reads ‘Scorched Earth’, an account of one peace-keeper’s experiences as East Timor moved towards independence…
Pope plans Indonesia trip to promote inter-religious dialogue
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis will promote inter-religious dialogue this year during a trip to the world’s biggest Muslim country Indonesia and make the first papal visit to mainly Catholic East Timor since it won independence from Jakarta, diplomatic sources said. The trip, which will also include a visit to Papua New Guinea, is likely to […]
Remote island off East Timor turns sunlight, air into drinking water
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Villagers on a tiny island off the coast of East Timor who have long struggled with water shortages have secured regular fresh supplies, using just air and the power of the sun. The innovative scheme uses solar power to suck water out of the air and make it drinkable, with […]