A team of Expo organisers have completed an inspection visit to Rome to assess Italy’s bid to stage the 2030 world's fair.
This marks the end of evaluation visits to countries in the running to stage the global gathering.
Missions have already taken place in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and South Korea.
During a five-day visit, the group from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), met national and local Italian officials to examine Rome’s theme of People and Territories: Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation.
I believe what was very impressive is this unique voice we heard, it truly seems this project is coming together under a banner of national unity
Dimitri Kerkentzes,
BIE secretary general
They visited the proposed site in the Tor Vergeta district that would be the heart of the Expo if the country wins the bid.
The area is home to a university, residential neighbourhood and a sports complex designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
Unique voice
Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of the BIE, said it was it was a strong project with sustainability at its core.
“We felt that this is not just a candidature of Rome but is truly a candidature of Italy, for Italy and for Italians,” he told the press in Rome.
Mr Kerkentzes said it was interesting to meet not only the government authorities, officials of the city of Rome but to speak to members of civil society, non-government organisations and the private sector.
“I believe what was very impressive is this unique voice that we heard, it truly seems that this project is coming together under a banner of national unity.”
The BIE is the organisation that oversees and regulates world expos.
Italian officials described the visit as “one of the most important moments before the Expo 2030 final vote by 171 countries in November”.
“The enquiry mission to Italy is the last to be carried out as part of the project evaluation phase for World Expo 2030,” Expo 2030 Roma committee said in a statement.
“The findings of the enquiry missions will be discussed by the BIE’s executive committee in May 2023.
“In November 2023, during the 173rd general assembly of the BIE, the host country of World Expo 2030 will be elected via secret ballot by BIE member states on the principle of one country, one vote.”
The Expo organisers’ visit concluded on Saturday night with a spectacular light and music show with 500 drones sweeping over the ancient Colosseum that formed the backdrop for a theatrical display.
BIE officials met Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome and spoke to consultants, businessmen and NGOs to gauge the feasibility of the plans submitted.
One of the central concepts of Rome’s bid is a plan for one of the largest urban solar farms, renewal of neighbourhoods and new accessibility solutions, deepening the link between industry and agriculture.
The BIE inspection visits began in Riyadh last month to examine Saudi’s theme The era of change: Together for a foresighted tomorrow, as part of the country’s ambition to create an Expo that would lay down the blueprint for a more equitable future.
Ukraine has forwarded Odesa as the host city with the theme of Renaissance. Technology. Future that envisions new technology to serve, help and educate.
South Korea’s project in Busan centres on people working together to face challenges as part of its focus on Transforming our world, navigating toward a better future.
The BIE mission checks the proposed site, planned re-use after the Expo, the level of local and national support, the financial feasibility plans and expected participation figures.
Expo 2020 Dubai was the most recent world's fair to be held just as the world was re-emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Expo Dubai drew more than 24 million visits to more than 200 pavilions between October 2021 and March 2022.
The next World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan in 2025 with the focus on Designing Future Society for Our Lives.
Expo 2020 Dubai - in pictures
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
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Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
SPEC SHEET
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
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GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
