Sudewo was notably absent from the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony at Pati’s town square on Sunday and Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen led the event in his place.

Building peace is one thing, but keeping it is another thing altogether, as a boundary dispute over four small islands off Aceh showed earlier this year.

“They are not former IDF members. They simply underwent mandatory military service while living and studying in Israel. It is strongly suspected that the photos circulating online were taken during that period,” head of the Denpasar Immigration Office, R. Haryo Sakti, said.

The 2005 Helsinki agreement, which ended almost three decades of armed conflict between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government, still stands as a reference for how to forge a path to peace between conflicting parties.

Blora is known for its old oil wells from the Dutch colonial era, with the first oil well drilled in 1893.

Concerns are mounting that President Prabowo Subianto’s free nutritious meal program could overshadow meaningful improvements in education, as nearly half of the mandated 20 percent state budget allocation for education is set to be absorbed by the costly flagship initiative next year.

The Religious Affairs Ministry has pledged to act firmly in addressing recurring incidents of violent intolerance in Indonesia by involving the police and the intelligence agency, while rights groups push for inclusive, grassroots-based solutions.

Former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto has been released on parole after serving about two-thirds of his 12-and-a-half year prison sentence for corruption in the botched e-ID card procurement project.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has reinstated Hasto Kristiyanto in his role as the party’s secretary-general, nearly two weeks after an amnesty from President Prabowo Subianto annulled his corruption conviction.

People across the archipelago celebrated the 80th year of Indonesian Independence on Sunday in a festive mood.

Excitement ran high as Indonesians marked the nation’s 80th Independence Day with a mix of tradition and festivity at the Merdeka Palace on Sunday, as President Prabowo Subianto made his debut at the helm of the ceremony.

Observers have pointed to arrogant attitudes shown by local leaders and a lack of meaningful participation in discussions on tax-related policies as being among the causes of recent public protests on tax rise in various regions across the country.

Among attendees of the ceremony were former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri skipped the celebration at the State Palace and opted to attend one held by her party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The quake, at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), shook the Poso Regency and was felt in the nearby areas. Twenty-nine people were injured, two critically, the agency said in a statement.

The worsening climate crisis is disrupting the lives and future of Indonesian youths, forcing some out of school and into work while threatening their health and access to food.

BMKG’s weather modification deputy supervisor, Fikri Nur Muhammad, attributed the hailstorm to the rapid formation of a cumulonimbus cloud over the region.

Experts have warned that overly restrictive royalty regulations could discourage the public use of copyrighted music altogether, potentially harming artists and songwriters.

President Prabowo Subianto promised in his first State of the Nation Address on Friday to safeguard the country’s wealth for use by the state for the people’s prosperity and to put an end to its continuous outflow to other countries.

Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ascent to the presidency in 2014 stirred hopes for change in Indonesia, but a decade later, he departed leaving what experts have described as modest economic progress accompanied by the weakening of Indonesia’s democratic guardrails.

During its annual plenary meeting on Friday, the People’s Consultative Assembly announced the first draft of the PPHN, a controversial move that critics view as the Assembly's move to restore the sweeping powers it held during the New Order.

Most victims suffered from breathing difficulties after being exposed to tear gas thrown by the police while two policemen suffered from wounds after being hit by stones and blunt objects.

At a discussion on Aug. 6 hosted by The Jakarta Post, academics, former military generals and civil society leaders offered mixed views on the nation’s future. Some expressed cautious optimism, while others warned about democratic backsliding. Two additional public figures later contributed their insights individually.

The government has invited all former presidents and vice presidents to attend the 80th Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta over the weekend, in what will be the first commemoration to be led by President Prabowo Subianto since taking office.

In his first State of the Nation address, the President called on all members of society, including bureaucrats, to engage in government oversight by continuing to offer criticism on his administration and its policies.

The coordinating infrastructure minister says the government aims to draw on the lessons from the Jakarta-Bandung HSR project in ensuring an airtight development plan for the service's second route connecting Jakarta with its East Java capital Surabaya, which he says will be a "breakthrough" in cross-Java mobility.

In his State of the Nation address on Friday, Prabowo has taken a strong stance against corruption, warning all those who engaged in such activities that he would bring down the entire force of the law against them, regardless of their position or party.

Since its launch in January, the free school meals program has been marred by mass food poisoning cases across the country, affecting over 1,000 people.