Cuba says no talks yet with U.S., open to dialogue if conditions met
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recen...
Japan’s Expo 2025 in Osaka continues to draw large crowds, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors daily and attracting 25 million since opening nearly six months ago.
The exposition, held on the artificial island of Yumeshima, opened on 13 April under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” and has garnered significant international and domestic interest. At the heart of the site stands the world’s largest wooden structure, the “Grand Ring”, designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. Stretching 2 kilometres in length and 20 metres in height, the structure symbolises “unity in diversity” in a world divided by the pandemic and global conflicts.
Expo 2025 is divided into three main thematic zones: “Connecting Lives”, “Empowering Lives”, and “Saving Lives”, housing over 150 national and international pavilions. Each country showcases its culture, technology, and innovative projects to visitors.
In addition, Japan presents eight signature pavilions – “Better Co-Being”, “Future of Life”, “Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion”, “null²”, “Dynamic Equilibrium of Life”, “Live Earth Journey”, “Earth Mart”, and “Dialogue Theater Sign of Life” – designed by leading Japanese artists and intellectuals. These pavilions have attracted long queues of visitors eager to explore the exhibits.
Sugano Masafumi, Deputy Commissioner General for Expo 2025 at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, highlighted the importance of the event in promoting cultural exchange and Japan’s vision of a future society. He noted that the expo also provides opportunities for international participants to explore cooperation, with high-level officials among the visitors.
Sustainability is a key focus of the exposition. Pavilions are constructed from recyclable materials, and waste separation is actively encouraged. After the event concludes, the island site will be restored to its natural state, while the “Grand Ring” may be repurposed for future use.
The expo’s official mascot, “Myaku-Myaku”, has become widely recognised in Japan. Its red element represents life within the body, while the blue represents the ocean, reflecting the interdependence of humans, animals, and the planet. “Myaku” translates as “pulse”, and “Myaku-Myaku” signifies continuity.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
A daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in Richmond, one of London’s most affluent and traditionally quiet districts, has heightened security concerns among residents and local businesses.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Early voting for Thailand’s parliamentary elections began on Sunday (1 February), with more than two million eligible voters casting ballots nationwide ahead of the 8 February general election, as authorities acknowledged errors and irregularities at some polling stations.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday inspected a thermal power plant in Kyiv that was damaged during overnight Russian attacks, as Ukraine accused Moscow of exploiting an energy truce to intensify its military campaign.
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
The imminent expiry of New START, the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, risks removing transparency, predictability and limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, political analyst Gregory Mathieu warned.
India has not made any statement on halting purchases of Russian oil despite claims by US President Donald Trump that such a step was part of a new trade accord with Washington, the Kremlin said on Tuesday (3 February).
Russia says it is prepared for a new reality in which there are no U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control limits once the New START treaty expires this week, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
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