Rehan Oktra Halim, Jakarta – The Palace displayed several cars that were once used by the presidents. The exhibition of presidential cars was held to celebrate the 80th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. According to Antara, these historic vehicles were displayed in the backyard of the Palace.

Antara, Jakarta – Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI), Perry Warjiyo, announced that cross-border Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) transactions with Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand reached a total of Rp1.66 trillion by June 2025.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Law and Human Rights granted remission to hundreds of thousands of inmates during country's 80th Independence Day celebrations.

The Director General of Corrections at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Mashudi, said that both prisoners and juvenile detainees received sentence reductions.

Sita Planasari, Jakarta – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States looks forward to working closely with President Prabowo Subianto's administration to promote prosperity for the people of both Indonesia and the US.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's state address at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Annual Session on August 15 has drawn harsh criticism from civil society activists. His narrative of stability and growth was deemed as merely rhetoric, while the facts on the ground show that the people are increasingly marginalised and the oligarchy is growing stronger.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Advocacy Democracy on Tax Justice (TAUD-SKP) considers the Constitutional Court's decision to reject the lawsuit against the regulation governing value-added tax (VAT) perpetuates injustice in the tax system.

Myesha Fatina Rachman, Jakarta – Indonesia continues to have the highest unemployment rate in ASEAN in 2025. According to a Trading Economics report released on Thursday, August 14, 2025, Indonesia's unemployment rate was 4.76% in March 2025. This figure represents over 7 million people who are unemployed.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – The mastermind behind the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib remains unknown, even though the crime occurred 21 years ago. Suciwati, a human rights activist and Munir's widow, stated that the case should be officially designated as a severe human rights violation by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Beritasatu Team, Jakarta – Indonesia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its independence on Aug. 17 with a grand public festival in the heart of Jakarta, where parades, music, food, and fireworks will anchor the national holiday.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Executive Director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), Bhima Yudhistira, said the organization will file another request for audit to the United Nations, now for Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data on poverty line in Indonesia.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The spokesperson for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, or OIKN, Troy Pantouw, said that the Head of OIKN, Basuki Hadimuljono, will be the inspector at the flag-hoisting ceremony to commemorate the Indonesian Independence Day at Plaza Ceremony, Nusantara Central Government District (KIPP), East Kalimantan, on Sunday, August 17, 2025.

In line with Indonesia's constitutional tradition, ahead of the commemoration of the Republic of Indonesia's Independence Day, the President delivers a state address before the People's Consultative Assembly.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto claimed that Indonesia's unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level since the 1998 monetary crisis during his speech at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Joint Session of the Regional Representative Council (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) on Friday, August 15, 20

Seremban (Bernama) – Timor-Leste's permanent membership in ASEAN is now in the documentation phase before its formal admission at the October summit.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed the progress during a press briefing today.

Petrus Riski – A 54-day monitoring by Indonesia's largest environmental group around a waste-to-energy plant in East Java revealed frequent air quality levels breaching World Health Organization safety limits, raising concerns for public health.

West Papuan pro-independence advocate Benny Wenda has called for a boycott on Indonesia's Independence Day celebrations.

Declaring the raising of the Indonesian flag in West Papua as illegal, Wenda said Papuan Independence Day was December 1, the day in 1963 when the outgoing Dutch authorities handed over autonomy of the region.

Jakarta – In his first State of the Union address on Friday, President Prabowo Subianto's nationalistic approach to the country's economic development became clear, advocating state-owned enterprise while lashing out against the global trend of "my country first" rhetoric amid rising protectionism.

M. Rizki Yusrial, Jakarta The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is currently investigating a corruption case linked to mining activities in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, as confirmed by the Acting Deputy of Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has indicated that construction on the Nusantara capital city (IKN) will continue under President Prabowo Subianto, who has reportedly set a budget for the project.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has once again reported alleged corruption in the procurement of tear gas by the police to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). ICW Chair Wana Alamsyah said it was conducted to ensure the anti-graft agency has handled the previous complaint.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has officially set the 2026 annual economic growth target at 5.4 percent, higher by 0.2 percentage points than what the country had aimed for this year.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – House Speaker Puan Maharani on Friday called on government officials to listen and respond with wisdom to public criticism, even when it takes the form of satirical internet memes that have swept across the country.

More than 900 people have been indicted using the rubber (catchall) articles under the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law and the Criminal Code (KUHP) over the last eight years said Amnesty International Indonesia today in its reflection on 80 years of Indonesian independence.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – In his state of the nation address at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), President Prabowo Subianto said he wants to continue receiving criticism from non-governmental groups. He emphasized that criticism is vital for the government, even if it can be uncomfortable.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, in his inaugural State Address at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), emphasized the government's success in increasing food production, enabling Indonesia to resume rice and corn exports to friendly countries after decades.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set a target for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) to complete the government apparatus in IKN, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, within the next three years.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the distribution of 288,000 smart TVs to schools in remote areas across the country this year. This move is expected to allow children to attend virtual classes with their teachers.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto claimed the flagship free nutritious meal (MBG) program has created hundreds of thousands of new jobs since it kicked off in January this year.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Friday told parliament that Indonesia's newly established sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, will play a pivotal role in creating millions of "quality jobs" through strategic investments, while managing one of the largest asset portfolios in the world.

Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – The Indonesia Composite Index (IHSG) recorded a position at 8,010.0 on Friday, August 15, 2025, after opening at 7,965.1. The IHSG position occurred from 10:30 to 10:31 a.m., while President Prabowo Subianto was delivering a state address at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia reported that 758 civilians have been criminalized under the vague provisions of the Information and Electronic Transactions Law (ITE Law) between January 2018 and July 2025.

These individuals were charged with hate speech and defamation in 710 criminal cases.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has called for sweeping reforms in Indonesia's state-owned enterprises (SOEs), slamming bloated boards of commissioners and lavish annual bonuses paid even to loss-making companies.

Fahri Ali, Depok, W – Java. Police in the West Java city of Depok confirmed that officers shot and seriously wounded two teenagers suspected of involvement in a street brawl in Sukmajaya in the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 9.

Yustinus Paat, Arnoldus Kristianus, Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Friday laid out a 2026 state budget blueprint that aims to shrink the fiscal deficit, ramp up spending on energy security and food resilience, and accelerate the country's transition to renewable power, while committing hundreds of trillions of rupiah to a nationwide free nutritious meals pro

Basudiwa Supraja, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has decided to keep Hasto Kristiyanto as its secretary-general, just weeks after his graft conviction was annulled by a presidential pardon from President Prabowo Subianto.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto decried greedy businessmen in his first-ever state address on Friday as he tried to make his catchphrase "serakahnomics" ('greedynomics') popular.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has put the blame on colonialism for Indonesia's border disagreements with its neighbor, Malaysia, in the Ambalat sea block.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Friday claimed that his administration's flagship free nutritious meal program has achieved progress surpassing similar initiatives in other countries, reaching tens of millions in just months.

Justito Adiprasetio – As the world commemorates International Indigenous Peoples Day on 9 August and Indonesia prepares to celebrate its Independence Day on 17 August, a painful paradox emerges. Although the nation is proud of its liberation from colonial rule, it continues to reproduce colonial modes of domination within its own borders.

James Pearson – Estrella Resources has shifted its Timor-Leste campaign into top gear after trenching unearthed primary manganese with uber-rich visual estimates at its Ira Miri project. The company has sent samples to Jakarta for testing and expects to receive assay results in about six weeks.

On 12 August 2025, a peaceful protest near Sentani Airport, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, turned violent when police officers led by the Chief of the Airport Security Unit (KP3), Officer Wajedi, allegedly used excessive force against demonstrators.

The four political prisoners from the West Papua Federal Republic Organisation (NRFPB), namely Mr Abraham G.

Michael Neilson – Indonesia has delayed plans to publish a set of controversial history books amid backlash from historians and activists who have accused the project of being an attempt to downplay past atrocities, and represents "historical amnesia".

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – Environmentalists have urged the Indonesian delegation to reject the latest draft for a global agreement to eliminate plastic pollution, warning the country to take a bolder stance in the last hours of negotiations that have been stalled by split stances among participating countries.

Nurni Sulaiman, Medan – Nine Indonesian crew members of a ship are in critical condition, stranded aboard a tanker ship off the coast of Beira, Mozambique.

They are among a total of 12 seafarers on the vessel, which also includes three Pakistani crew members. The crew are suffering from a dire lack of supplies, with no remaining food or clean drinking water.

Toronata Tambun, Singapore – Days from our 80th Independence Day, it is worth asking what "rich" means to a nation that vowed in its Constitution "to promote general welfare and to educate the life of the nation."

Agencies, Jakarta – More than 360 people fell ill in Sragen, Central Java after consuming school lunches, an official said on Thursday, in the largest food poisoning case to hit President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals program.

The West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) has called on West Papuans to commemorate the tragic day in their history, the 15 August in 1962 (The New York Agreement) when the Papuan people were betrayed by the international community.

Today marks 20 years since the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), establishing a peace agreement between the two parties.