https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/20/the-mecca-pact-a-new-quest-for-strategic-autonomy https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178770_1787027057.jpg Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left), Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center) and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meet in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 7, 2026. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement on Aug. 7 amid violence in the region from Houthi attacks and the United States-Iran war. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/20/10-foreigners-arrested-rp-7-79b-seized-as-police-raid-batam-casino https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178796_1787067676.jpeg Detectives escort detainees during a raid at the Nine Stage Lounge and Bar in Nagoya Indah Shophouse Block B2 No. 9, in Batam, Riau Islands, on Aug. 15, 2026. Detectives from the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) raided the gambling den in cooperation with the Riau Islands Police and Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) Police, arresting 197 staff and gamblers as well as Rp 7.79 billion (US$435,715) in cash. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/20/how-a-decoy-court-ruling-shields-indonesias-ruling-elite https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/14/2026_08_14_178684_1786713385.JPG Participants in a protest by a civil society coalition known as MBG Watch display a poster reading “Free Nutritious Meals and Red-and-White Cooperatives = Vampires of the State Budget” outside the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) office in Central Jakarta on Aug. 14, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/20/behind-the-white-coat-the-human-cost-of-being-an-intern-doctor-in-indonesia https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178815_1787114557.jpg Doctors perform a free cataract eye surgery on a patient under a charity program funded by the Ministry of Health at Meuraxa Hospital in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on June 14, 2026. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/04/01/2026_04_01_174269_1775062416.jpg Protect young lives: A doctor attends to a toddler receiving a measles vaccine on March 27, 2026, at the Ibrahim Adjie community health center (Puskesmas) in Bandung, West Java. A doctor in Cianjur, West Java, died that month from a measles outbreak that had spread across the country. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178816_1787114564.jpg An eye doctor (left) examines a resident during a free health screening on Aug. 11, 2026, at the Semarang City Hall complex in Central Java. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/20/indonesia-is-buying-defense-it-should-also-buy-reach https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/16/2026_08_16_178723_1786850903.jpg Earthquake victims are treated in a temporary medical tent due to fears of aftershocks, on August 15 in front of the Ruteng hospital in Ruteng, Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Rescuers combed through debris for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores Island, killing at least 47 people, according to disaster officials. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/20/constitutional-experts-oppose-revival-of-new-order-era-policy-guidelines https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/16/2026_08_16_178726_1786857551.JPG President Prabowo Subianto is displayed on screens as he delivers his annual State of the Nation address ahead of the country's 81st Independence Day anniversary in front of the members of the legislative bodies during the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session on Aug. 14 at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/20/prabowo-jokowi-display-unity-amid-strained-ties-speculation https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178813_1787113477.jpg President Prabowo Subianto (center) talks with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (right) and former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday before the ceremony commemorating the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/20/when-intellectuals-respond-to-the-dictates-of-power https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/06/19/2026_06_19_176827_1781852155.jpg Student demonstration cartoon https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/20/analysis-shooting-from-the-hip-prabowos-unscripted-presidency https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178818_1787119392.jpg President Prabowo Subianto delivers a statement on March 9, 2026, at his private residence in Hambalang village, Bogor, West Java. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/20/jakarta-police-plan-to-limit-protest-sites-draws-backlash https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178819_1787123480.jpg Students stage a protest in the city center on Aug. 18, a day after the 81st Independence Day in Jakarta, demanding the government eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism, end wasteful programs, and lower the prices of basic necessities and fuel. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178820_1787123759.jpg A student protester holds up a placard reading “reform” on Aug. 18 in the city center a day after the 81st Independence Day in Jakarta, demanding the government eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism, end wasteful programs, and lower the prices of basic necessities and fuel. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/20/ris-mineral-exchange-plan-faces-positioning-governance-tests https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/16/2026_08_16_178726_1786857551.JPG President Prabowo Subianto is displayed on screens as he delivers his annual State of the Nation address ahead of the country's 81st Independence Day anniversary in front of the members of the legislative bodies during the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session on Aug. 14 at the Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/20/govt-urged-to-expedite-ntt-earthquake-recovery https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178826_1787146356.jpg Children walk past a damaged school on Aug. 19 in Sukka regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). A 7.7-magnitude earthquake off the northern coast of Flores Island damaged hundreds of homes and other buildings in the region. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178825_1787146355.jpg Residents take shelter in a temporary tent for earthquake survivors on Aug. 18 in Ronting, East Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Nearly 60,000 people are taking shelter after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake off the northern coast of Flores Island, with the largest group of 20,000 evacuees in Manggarai regency. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/20/font-is-never-the-point https://img.jakpost.net/c/2022/01/04/2022_01_04_121087_1641274269.jpg Natural sciences: Senior high school students read a biology book together at SMAN 1 Pekalongan, Central Java. (Unsplash/Courtesy of Ed Us). https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/ev-motorcycle-subsidy-to-return-in-september-purbaya https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/05/04/2026_05_04_175340_1777864720.jpg An electric vehicle user charges a motorcycle on April 20, 2026, at a public electric vehicle charging station operated by PLN UP3 in Surakarta, Central Java. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/leading-first-bi-meeting-destry-stresses-growth-vigilance https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/04/2026_08_04_178303_1785817542.jpeg Financial Services Authority (OJK) Chief Friderica Widyasari Dewi (left), Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa (second left), interim Bank Indonesia (BI) governor Destry Damayanti (second right) and Indonesian Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) chairman Anggto Abimanyu pose for a photo in a press conference following the conclusion of the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) meeting on Aug. 3 in Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/ikn-earmarks-rp-5-3t-for-work-on-legislative-judicial-buildings-in-2027 https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178817_1787117031.jpeg Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) head Basuki Hadimuljono leads the Sacred Reflection Night ceremony ahead of Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day at Kusuma Bangsa Park in Nusantara, East Kalimantan, on Aug. 16, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/19/indonesia-seizes-26-tonnes-of-meth-in-major-bust https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178823_1787124830.jpg President Prabowo Subianto (center), accompanied by National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo (right), inspects seized narcotics amounting to 214.84 tonnes worth US$ 1.77 billion seized over the past year, before they were incinerated during a ceremony in Jakarta on October 29, 2025. https://www.thejakartapost.com/sports/2026/08/19/womens-soccer-finds-fresh-hope-as-indonesias-league-returns https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178822_1787124441.jpg League launch: Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chairman Erick Thohir (center), flanked by Indonesia Women's League CEO Teddy Tjahjono (left), PSSI secretary general Yunus Nusi, president director Ferry Paulus and PSSI executive committee member Vivin Cahyani Sungkono, speaks on Aug. 11, 2026, during a press conference launching the Indonesia Women's League in Jakarta. The league will kick off on Oct. 17 with six clubs competing in its inaugural season. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178821_1787124440.jpg Fresh start: Baiq Amiatun Shalihah speaks to reporters on Aug. 11, 2026, during the launch of the Indonesia Women's League in Jakarta. She will play for Dewa United in the league's inaugural season. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/govt-to-set-rates-for-on-demand-food-courier-delivery-fees https://img.jakpost.net/c/2024/06/11/2024_06_11_151354_1718116017.jpg Three 'ojol' (online motorcycle transportation) drivers for different companies, Gojek, Grab and Shopee, wait for the green light at a crossroads in Jakarta on Feb. 10, 2022. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/indonesias-peatlands-show-restoration-can-work https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/07/21/2026_07_21_177844_1784612474.jpg A forest fire burns peatland shrubs on July 19, 2026, in Cot Seumeureng village, Samatiga district, West Aceh, Aceh. https://www.thejakartapost.com/culture/2026/08/19/from-bandungs-forests-to-southeast-asia-lalala-festival-turns-10 https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178772_1787033560.jpg The Flaming Lips will bring veteran psychedelic flair to the 2026 LaLaLa Festival's alternative-pop lineup on Aug. 22-23, 2026, at the Jakarta International Expo in Central Jakarta. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178773_1787033560.jpg Steve Lacy will join a broad mix of international alternative and pop acts at the 2026 LaLaLa Festival on Aug. 22-23, 2026, at the Jakarta International Expo in Central Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/when-diplomatic-neutrality-meets-defense-network-warfare https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/07/01/2026_07_01_177185_1782907490.jpg President Prabowo Subianto (left) looks inside the cockpit of a Rafale jet fighter during a ceremony to hand over six new Rafale jet fighters, four Dassault Falcon 8X aircrafts and one Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft to the Indonesian Air Force on May 18 at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/trump-pauses-50-tariffs-on-canadian-goods-for-three-days https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178811_1787110918.jpg A truck passes over the Peace Bridge between Canada and the United States, in Fort Erie, Ontario, on Aug. 18, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/why-aceh-peace-remains-fragile-21-years-after-the-helsinki-accord https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/15/2026_08_15_178713_1786796990.jpg A man (top left) climbs a flagpole on Saturday as he attempts to raise a Free Aceh Movement flag alongside the Indonesian national flag during a rally outside the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh province. Thousands of people gathered to mark the 21st anniversary of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) peace agreement, which ended nearly three decades of conflict. The raising of the separatist-linked flag, although not explicitly banned by the 2005 peace deal, remains a highly controversial issue, with central government authorities often prohibiting its display. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/the-global-land-agendas-moment-of-truth https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/07/30/2026_07_30_178127_1785412457.jpg A road bisects untouched forest (left) and land cleared and prepared for industrial planting (right) on Feb. 11, 2026, in Lahei Mangkutup, Kapuas regency, Central Kalimantan. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/beyond-aid-rethinking-disaster-assistance-to-indonesia https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/16/2026_08_16_178724_1786850903.jpg Displaced residents look on after spending the night in an open field near Nangahale village in Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Aug. 16, 2026, after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake off Flores island. Rescuers combed through debris for survivors on Aug. 15 after the powerful earthquake had led to the death off at least 47 people, according to disaster officials. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/global-bond-markets-put-governments-on-notice-over-fiscal-inflation-risks https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/19/2026_08_19_178810_1787104311.jpg A Peterson Foundation bus stop sign displays the national debt on June 12, 2026, in Washington, DC. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/asean-at-59-a-ship-with-no-captain-adrift-in-the-storm https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/07/22/2026_07_22_177873_1784689197.JPG United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio poses during the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with the US on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay City, Metro Manila, on July 22, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/19/mt-anak-krakatau-erupts-more-than-two-dozen-times-blankets-nearby-island-in-ash https://img.jakpost.net/c/2022/04/28/2022_04_28_125172_1651112731.jpg A man fishes at Pasauran Beach, Anyer, Banten, on April 24, 2022 while Mount Anak Krakatau spews thick smoke into the air. https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2026/08/19/chinas-wang-yi-to-visit-jakarta-for-diplomacy-defense-talks https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178786_1787054964.JPG Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reacts during the High-level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative on July 28, 2026 in Beijing. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178787_1787054964.JPG Foreign Minister Sugiono (right) talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with China on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) on July 22, 2026 in Pasay City, Metro Manila. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/19/ntt-quake-survivors-await-aid-as-tremors-continue https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178788_1787057434.JPG Caroline Cellomita Kasang, 3, who suffered a head injury after she was hit by a collapsed wall while escaping from a house during an earthquake, rests along with her grandmother Katarina Dadona, 58, at a makeshift medic-tent serving as temporary shelter for people affected by the earthquake in Reok, East Nusa Tenggara, on Aug. 18, 2026. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178790_1787057676.JPG A man rides a scooter along a cracked road, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Dampek, East Nusa Tenggara, on Aug. 18, 2026. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178789_1787057675.JPG Haji Salahuddin, 63, imam of the collapsed Babussalam Mosque, examines the earthquake damage in Salamah village in Reok, Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Aug. 18, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/analysis-danantaras-hedge-fund-gamble https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178795_1787066173.jpg (Courtesy of Danantara Indonesia) https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/19/papuan-rebels-shoot-one-soldier-dead-injure-two-on-independence-day https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/07/23/2026_07_23_177942_1784809887.jpg A group of rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army-Papua Freedom Organization (TPNPB-OPM) gather behind a couple, identified as Kumis Kogoya and Seli Wenda, before their execution-style killing along the trans-Papua highway in Seradala district, Yahukimo regency, Papua Highlands, on July 21, 2026. The rebels killed a total of three civilians in execution-style shootings accusing the victims of being intelligence agents for the Indonesian government. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/19/govt-to-centralize-public-procurement https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/14/2026_08_14_178658_1786689145.JPG President Prabowo Subianto gestures as he delivers his annual State of the Nation address before lawmakers, while Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka sits next to him in Jakarta on Aug. 14, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/19/students-rally-against-decaying-freedom-as-indonesia-turns-81 https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178793_1787060124.JPG University of Indonesia (UI) students take part in a protest against wasteful state budget spending, President Prabowo Subianto's flagship programs and expanded military roles in civilian affairs in Central Jakarta, on Aug. 18, 2026. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178785_1787054202.JPG University students argue with police officers during a protest against wasteful state budget spending, President Prabowo Subianto's flagship programs and expanded military roles in civilian affairs on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Aug. 18, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/08/19/pray-for-flores https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/15/2026_08_15_178706_1786766758.jpg Rescuers from the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) work amid the rubble of a damaged building on Aug. 15 after an earthquake in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara. A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Flores Island early on Aug. 15, killing at least two and sending thousands running in panic after authorities issued a tsunami warning. https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/18/wildfire-smoke-drives-surge-in-respiratory-infections https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178783_1787040910.jpg A helicopter drops water on burning forests and land in the Petuk Katimpun area, Palangka Raya, in Central Kalimantan, on Aug. 13, 2026. https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/08/18/2026_08_18_178791_1787057880.JPG A car passes by next to flames as a wildfire burns in Rambutan village, Ogan Ilir Regency, South Sumatra, August 15, 2026. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/18/idx-outperforms-asian-markets-on-domestic-optimism https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/07/08/2026_07_08_177405_1783489393.jpg An electronic board displays stock prices at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on Jan. 29 in Jakarta. https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2026/08/18/asian-allies-stress-critical-cooperation-as-trump-slashes-korea-drills https://img.jakpost.net/c/2019/02/28/2019_02_28_66571_1551323340.JPG US President Donald Trump gestures as he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sit down for a dinner during the second US-North Korea summit at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam February 27, 2019. https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2026/08/18/former-sritex-workers-pin-hopes-on-danantara-takeover https://img.jakpost.net/c/2026/01/13/2026_01_13_171381_1768321238.jpg Former workers of textile company Sritex hold a banner on Jan. 12, 2026, during a protest in front of the Semarang District Court in Central Java.