ASEAN Summit Fallout: Energy security and disaster resilience took center stage at the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, as leaders pushed for tighter disaster management coordination and faster cross-border response—while Middle East tensions keep fuel prices and supply risks front and center. Timor-Leste Diplomacy: Timor-Leste PM Xanana Gusmão used the summit trip to deepen ties, touring Cebu’s heritage sites and signaling more promotion of Cebu back home. Energy Cooperation: Timor-Leste’s economic and tourism chief Francisco Kalbuadi Lay visited Brunei’s LNG facility, aiming to learn how natural resources are managed and to expand energy and investment cooperation. Regional Trade Push: ASEAN also backed a bigger financing push, with ADB pledging a $30B pipeline by 2030 to support priorities like power connectivity and resilience. Ongoing Watch: The week’s coverage also flagged ASEAN’s need to stay agile amid Middle East-driven shocks, but details on how Timor-Leste will plug into the new resilience plans were still light.