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.

Some experts say that President Prabowo Subianto’s administration’s recent austerity measures have placed significant financial strain on many regions, prompting them to sharply increase property taxes.

Former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as well as former vice presidents Try Sutrisno, Jusuf Kalla and Ma'ruf Amin attended the annual People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary meeting to hear President Prabowo Subianto's first State of the Nation address.

Legal proceedings against alleged accomplices in a sugar import corruption case continue despite a presidential pardon having been granted to former trade minister Thomas Lembong, the main suspect in the case.

In 1971, about three years after Soeharto took office, military historian Nugroho Notosusanto led a project to write the national history book that emphasized the military’s role in “crushing rebellions” while downplaying civilian contributions to safeguarding the state.

While withstanding multiple political and economic disruptions throughout its 80 years of existence, Indonesia continues searching for its definition of nationalism, with observers saying the country may have veered off course from the direction set by the nation’s founders.

The latest draft for the global plastic pollution treaty shown on Wednesday did not display ‘strong ambition’ to cut the polymer production that is believed would be effective in reducing the waste generated each year, environmentalists said.

The administration of Prabowo Subianto has denied reports that budget shortfalls from the austerity measures prompted a now-scrapped tax hike in Central Java’s Pati, as it called for dialogue to resolve public unrest in the regency that culminated in massive protests on Wednesday.

Some Acehnese and local historians believe that the figure depicted on the Salem city seal is Po Adam, a prominent local leader from Kuala Batu, an area now part of present-day Southwest Aceh Regency.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has imposed a travel ban on former religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, as part of its investigation into alleged misallocation of last year’s haj quota.

A recent study led by a team of BRIN archaeologists suggests that the artifacts found at the Calio site in South Sulawesi's Soppeng regency could actually be stone tools, meaning that prehistoric humans lived in the Wallacea region around 500,000 years earlier than previously known.

Once a dominant force in the nation’s politics, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo now appears to be facing an increasingly precarious position, with key allies under pressure, family members’ influence faltering and his successor President Prabowo Subianto making moves that suggest he is asserting independence from the former president’s shadow.

The protest triggers local councilors to open an inquiry to investigate alleged misconduct of Regent Sudewo that could lead to his impeachment.

PPATK reveals that thousands of SOEs employees and even doctors were included as social aid recipients.

The victim’s body was found inside the South Bukit Barisan National Park, which is a conservation forest and wild animal habitat.

Bazarsah’s death sentence marks one of the few instances in recent years where a military court has imposed the death penalty on a soldier for committing an unlawful killing.

The consulate general in Johor Bahru has helped facilitate the return of over 300 Indonesians, mostly migrant workers, in three batches this year, with the latest group touching home soil on Aug. 9, almost exactly a week before Independence Day.

The upcoming animated movie Merah Putih: One for All, themed around nationalism and timed ahead of Indonesia’s Independence Day, which falls on Aug. 17, has sparked widespread criticism over the poor quality demonstrated in its recently released trailer.

The return of state policy guidelines, a practice during the authoritarian New Order era, could trigger a constitutional amendment that could snowball into wider changes, including reinstating the status of People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) as the nation’s highest authority and its long-removed power to appoint the president.

Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas promoted an international mechanism that would balance the rights of creators with global platforms that represent consumers using their works.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at around 5:24 pm (0824 GMT), was around 193 kilometres northwest of the town of Abepura in Papua, USGS said. 

Doctors in Lumajang, East Java, have reported a rise in patients experiencing hearing problems after attending events featuring horeg sound systems.