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Indonesia Wants to Lure SpaceX to Build Rocket Launch Site

Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk hopes to be able to one day launch several space ships to Mars | AFP
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk hopes to be able to one day launch several space ships to Mars | AFP
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Indonesia Wants to Lure SpaceX to Build Rocket Launch Site

Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk hopes to be able to one day launch several space ships to Mars | AFP
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk hopes to be able to one day launch several space ships to Mars | AFP

Indonesia has invited Tesla boss Elon Musk to build a launch site for his SpaceX's rocket in the Southeast Asian country, pointing out the benefits of a location next to the equator, officials said.

"Indonesia has several areas located near to the equator," Jodi Mahardi, spokesman of Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry, told AFP on Monday.

"The cost of SpaceX's rocket launch will be lower because its satellite won't need any maneuvering to adjust its orbit to the equator," he added.

President Joko Widodo officially extended the invitation to the world's second-richest person in a telephone conversation on Friday.

Indonesia's space agency announced last year a plan to build its first spaceport on the island of Biak, off the north coast of the island of New Guinea, and has been in talks with foreign partners.

SpaceX last week launched a prototype Starship rocket from Texas which it hopes will be used for Mars missions. The rocket crashed on landing but Musk was upbeat, saying they got all the data they needed from the experimental flight.

Musk and Widodo, along with Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut B. Pandjaitan, also discussed investment opportunities for Tesla in Indonesia, according to a press statement.

The pioneering electric car company is reportedly eyeing Indonesia's large nickel reserves, a key component for its batteries.

"Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo by planning to send his team to Indonesia in January 2021 to explore all the opportunities for this collaboration," the ministry statement said.

However, Mahardi said no exact date had been confirmed.

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Saudi Arabia Leads Global Coral Reef Efforts as ICRI Adopts Five Key Recommendations

Saudi Arabia Leads Global Coral Reef Efforts as ICRI Adopts Five Key Recommendations
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Saudi Arabia Leads Global Coral Reef Efforts as ICRI Adopts Five Key Recommendations

Saudi Arabia Leads Global Coral Reef Efforts as ICRI Adopts Five Key Recommendations

Saudi Arabia has enhanced its global leadership role in coral reef protection by chairing the 39th General Meeting of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), a step that paves the way for the Kingdom to host the first Global Coral Reef Summit in early November 2026.

The four-day meeting featured high-level dialogue sessions and scientific and policy discussions focused on developing an integrated practical framework that brings together science, policy, and sustainable financing, enhancing international coordination and tangible on-the-ground impact.

The meeting unanimously adopted five strategic recommendations proposed by Saudi Arabia. The recommendations focused on boosting the link between international commitments and actual implementation at the national level, developing supportive regulatory frameworks, unifying scientific references, and enabling sustainable financing, SPA reported.

The recommendations also endorsed the first Global Coral Reef Summit, which Saudi Arabia announced it would host during the Saudi House events at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos.

This reflects international consensus on the summit's importance and its pivotal role in supporting a Saudi-led effort to develop a comprehensive global framework that integrates science, policy, and sustainable financing while enabling countries to implement practical and actionable solutions to protect coral reefs.

The meeting also witnessed the acceptance of membership applications from four new countries: Somalia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, the World Bank and the UN Global Fund for Coral Reefs joined the initiative, reflecting the expanding scope of international partnership and enhancing global momentum toward coral reef protection and sustainability. The total number of member states has now reached 48, accounting for some 84% of the world's coral reefs.

Varieties

Russia Unblocks Roblox after Widespread Child Anger

People rest outside the Kremlin on a warm summer day in downtown Moscow, Russia, 05 June 2026. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
People rest outside the Kremlin on a warm summer day in downtown Moscow, Russia, 05 June 2026. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
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Russia Unblocks Roblox after Widespread Child Anger

People rest outside the Kremlin on a warm summer day in downtown Moscow, Russia, 05 June 2026. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
People rest outside the Kremlin on a warm summer day in downtown Moscow, Russia, 05 June 2026. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

Russia has lifted its ban on the popular gaming platform Roblox, after tens of thousands of children and parents sent letters complaining about the measure.

The platform -- which allows users to build their own games and share them with others -- was among Russia's most popular mobile games, tying third with TikTok in usage time among children in early 2025, according to Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based global cybersecurity firm.

In a statement published Wednesday, Russia's digital ministry said Roblox had successfully implemented measures to "protect children, including by launching a mechanism to restrict access to games by age group.”

"Roblox has also committed to continuing to combat the spread of undesirable content on the platform," the statement added.

Russia banned access to the US-owned platform last December, accusing it of distributing extremist materials and promoting "LGBT propaganda.”

A Roblox spokesperson told AFP at the time that the company was committed to safety and respected "local laws and regulations.”

Ekaterina Mizulina, the head of Russia's state-sponsored internet censorship watchdog, said in December she had received "63,000 emails" from disgruntled schoolchildren and parents commenting on the ban.

"This raises a question. Perhaps it's time to look for other ways to combat pedophiles and provocateurs who target children online?" she said.

Around 100 million people use Roblox daily, with under-13s accounting for around 40 percent of its 2024 users, according to the company.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Roblox's unblocking in Russia "shows that all services can return if they comply with the law,” in comments to the state TASS news agency.

Varieties

Moose Put Down after Wandering Into Central Oslo

People and personell from the wildlife board mill around a dead moose that had strayed into Majorstuen,a inner city area in Oslo, Norway on, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Javad Parsa / NTB / AFP)
People and personell from the wildlife board mill around a dead moose that had strayed into Majorstuen,a inner city area in Oslo, Norway on, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Javad Parsa / NTB / AFP)
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Moose Put Down after Wandering Into Central Oslo

People and personell from the wildlife board mill around a dead moose that had strayed into Majorstuen,a inner city area in Oslo, Norway on, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Javad Parsa / NTB / AFP)
People and personell from the wildlife board mill around a dead moose that had strayed into Majorstuen,a inner city area in Oslo, Norway on, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Javad Parsa / NTB / AFP)

Norwegian police said Thursday that a moose that had wandered into downtown Oslo, drawing curious crowds, had been shot and killed.

Videos taken by witnesses and published by Norwegian media show the disoriented animal galloping through the streets of the Norwegian capital, weaving around cars and pedestrians.

"For animal welfare reasons, the moose was put down" by the wildlife authorities, AFP quoted the police as saying.

Although such incidents remain rare -- moose tend to avoid metropolitan areas -- this is the second such incident recorded in two days in Scandinavia.

On Tuesday, a young moose was put down in Sweden after it strayed into the streets of Stockholm.