Timorese look up to govt with hope

After joyous independence celebrations, East Timor swore in its first Cabinet on Monday to begin the task of building a nation from the ruin...

After joyous independence celebrations, East Timor swore in its first Cabinet on Monday to begin the task of building a nation from the ruins of war and centuries of occupation.

The Cabinet of Asia’s newest and poorest nation took office on a stage in front of government headquarters in the capital Dili. A thatched awning supported by bamboo poles kept off the baking sun as hundreds looked on — among them U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

‘‘We have a responsibility not only to our people but to the community of nations,’’ President Xanana Gusmao told the dignitaries. Mari Alkatiri was confirmed as Prime minister along with 13 other cabinet members. The 52-year-old Alkatiri Left the tiny territory late in 1975 to mobilise support from the international community. Shortly after midnight, up to 100,000 Timorese rang in the birth of a nation after centuries of Portuguese colonial neglect and 24 years of iron Indonesian rule.

East Timor is expected to establish diplomatic ties with a number of countries, including the US, and apply to join the UN and sign international conventions.

'Remain in US, avoid travel': Microsoft, JP Morgan, Amazon advise visa holders to return before Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee deadline

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