Work has begun to construct a ring-shaped wooden roof on a Japanese island in the southern Osaka Bay area for the next World Expo.
The 2km structure, known as the Grand Roof, is being readied for the Expo 2025 Osaka, an event that will be held following the success of the Expo 2020 Dubai which drew more than 24 million visits in six months.
On Yumeshima, a man-made island, wooden columns are being winched into place by workers assembling the structure that will take two years to complete.
About 20,000 cubic metres of wood will be used in the construction, making it one of the largest wooden structures in the world.
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition said the roof serves as a symbol of the Expo.
Without nails
The wooden ring is constructed using traditional Japanese techniques found in ancient temples without using nails to hold the timber in place.
Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the association told the Bureau International des Exposition – which oversees the world fairs – that connection and unity were vital themes of the project.
“If you go up on to the grand roof, you can connect with the sky and see the ocean,” he said.
“The design symbolises the idea of unity in diversity.”
He said the roof would be the connecting point to view hundreds of pavilions belonging to participating countries.
The construction cost for the five-storey high structure is about 35 billion yen ($249 million).
Sharing one sky
When visitors walk on the roof, they will be able to have a bird’s-eye view of the World’s Fair site.
The wooden canopy will also protect visitors from the sun.
Sou Fujimoto, the architect of the roof, said the aim was to present a vision so people would see the future positively.
“I designed a large ringlike platform that people can walk on and this will make a link of people and cultures from diverse worlds,” he said in a video message.
“Here we share one sky above us.”
He promised a unique experience for visitors and said more information would be released about the plans in the lead-up to the event.
“It is a place where people from all over the world will unite their thoughts, respect each other and experience something special together,” he said.
“We hope to share our thoughts with all of you from all over the world about this site.”
Vantage points across the sloping roof will provide a clear view of the expo site and the sea.
Flowers and greenery will cover the 30m wide wooden structure that will range in height from 12m to 20m high.
A crescent-shaped waterfront zone, located on the south of the roof, will host events on the water.
The west of the site will be the stage for outdoor events and where best practices from different sectors can be presented in an open space.
Transforming communities is the subject the expo aims to explore with the theme “Designing future society of our lives”.
The expo will run from April to October 2025.
It will be the third Expo that Japan has hosted and the second such event for Osaka, which held Asia’s first World Expo in 1970.
The race to win the bid for Expo 2030 is already under way.
Saudi Arabia, Rome, South Korea and Ukraine have bid to host the event with a final vote in November in Paris.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
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Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECBDC%20real-value%20pilot%20held%20with%20three%20partner%20institutions%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20buy%20now%2C%20pay%20later%20regulations%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20for%20the%202023%20launch%20of%20the%20domestic%20card%20initiative%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPhase%20one%20of%20the%20Financial%20Infrastructure%20Transformation%20(FiT)%20completed%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
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Always check the weather forecast before setting off
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The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
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