Indonesia Celebrates Independence in Nusantara, Borneo

Indonesia marked its 79th Independence Day on Saturday with a ceremony in the unfinished future capital of Nusantara, located in Borneo. President Joko Widodo, along with President-elect Prabowo Subianto, attended the scaled-back event, which highlighted ongoing construction delays and funding issues. Originally intended to inaugurate Nusantara as the new capital, the ceremony instead underscored the challenges faced by the $32 billion project, including a lack of foreign investment and environmental concerns. The celebration, attended by 1,300 guests instead of the planned 8,000 due to inadequate infrastructure, was also broadcast at Jakarta's Merdeka Palace. Widodo has begun working from the new Presidential Palace, which is designed to resemble Garuda, but the full transition of the capital remains uncertain.