World Expo opens on Sunday with host Japan aiming to bring humanity together, despite global turmoil and tepid public enthusiasm for the six-month event showcasing innovation as well as Hello Kitty in algae form.A Mars meteorite the size of a sourdough loaf and a beating heart grown from stem cells are among the myriad futuristic attractions crammed into a vast waterfront site in Osaka hosting more than 160 countries, regions and organisations.Most pavilions — each more outlandishly designed than the last — are encircled by the world’s largest wooden architectural structure, a towering latticed “Grand Ring” meant as a symbol of unity.But with conflicts raging and US tariffs threatening economic chaos, that goal may be optimistic.”Not for sale” states a yellow and blue sign over Ukraine’s booth — echoing defiant comments from leader Volodymyr Zelensky about the war with Russia, which chose not to mount a display at Expo 2025.Yahel Vilan, head of Israel’s equally compact pavilion, which features a stone from Jerusalem’s ancient Western Wall, told AFP that “we came with a message of peace”.Israel is not at Expo “to deal with politics”, he said. There is also a Palestinian pavilion, but it was not open at a Wednesday press preview. At the imposing US exhibit, absent was any mention of President Donald Trump’s hefty levies on trade partners, most of which he has now paused.Instead, the pavilion focuses on the world’s largest economy’s diverse landscapes, AI tech and space — including a simulated rocket launch where dry-ice blasters appear to ignite above visitors’ heads.- Human washing machine -After enjoying the view and sea breeze atop the Grand Ring’s “skywalk”, visitors can stop by the world’s longest sushi conveyor belt or meet many-eyed Expo 2025 mascot Myaku-Myaku.Among the more bizarre displays are 32 sculptures of Hello Kitty dressed as different types of algae — to symbolise the slimy plant’s many uses — and a “human washing machine” that shows imagery based on the bather’s heart rate.Elsewhere are demonstrations of drone-like flying vehicles, and the tiny artificial heart made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) shown in public for the first time.”It has an actual pulseByron Russel of Pasona Group, which runs the exhibit, told AFP.Human stem cells were modified to become like “cardiac muscle cells” and “grown into the shape of the heart”, he explained. It will not beat continuously for six months but will be replaced every week or so.Themes of sustainability run through the Expo, including at the bauble-like Swiss pavilion, which aims to have the smallest ecological footprint.But Expos have been criticised for their temporary nature, and after October Osaka’s man-made island will be cleared to make way for a casino resort.According to Japanese media, only 12.5 percent of the Grand Ring will be reused.- Slow ticket sales -Expo is also known as a World’s Fair, and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London’s 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years.The 2020 edition in Dubai was postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic, so Osaka Expo organisers say it will “restore much-needed connections” and “provide the opportunity to create a better tomorrow”.Osaka last hosed the Expo in 1970 when Japan was booming and its technology the envy of the world. It attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010.But 55 years on Japan is less of a trendsetter and opinion polls show low levels of enthusiasm for the Expo among the public.So far 8.7 million advance tickets have been shifted, below the pre-sales target of 14 million.This time around “inflation is causing a lot of anxiety, especially among younger generations”, Yani Karavasilev of the APIR think-tank told AFP.Japan is also experiencing a record tourism boom, meaning accommodation in Osaka — near hotspot Kyoto, and home to the Universal Studios Japan theme park — is often fully booked with prices sky-high.A lack of viral online posts about the Expo is another reason for low excitement levels, according to Karavasilev.”I think as long as sharing on social media picks up, ticket sales will pick up as well,” he said.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth floated the idea on Wednesday of US troops returning to Panama to “secure” its strategically vital canal, a suggestion quickly shot down by the Central American country’s government. Hegseth suggested during a visit to Panama that “by invitation” the United States could “revive” military bases or naval air stations and rotate deployments of US troops to an isthmus the United States invaded 35 years ago.He also said his country was seeking free passage through the canal for its Navy ships — which US President Donald Trump had said were “severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form.”Trump, since coming to power in January, has repeatedly claimed that China has too much influence over the canal, which handles about 40 percent of US container traffic and five percent of world trade. His administration has vowed to “take back” control of the strategic waterway that the United States funded, built and controlled until 1999.Hegseth suggested on Wednesday the slew of former US military bases that dot Panama could be used again to host US troops. He said a deal signed with Panama this week was an “opportunity to revive, whether it’s the military base, naval air station, locations where US troops can work with Panamanian troops to enhance capabilities and cooperate in a rotational way.”Hegseth cited the possibility of “joint exercises” but the mention of a “rotational” force is likely to raise the hackles of Panamanians, for whom sole ownership of the canal is a source of intense national pride. The United States has long participated in military exercises in Panama.However, a longer-term rotational force — such as the one the United States maintains in Darwin, Australia — is politically toxic for Panama’s center-right leader Jose Raul Mulino.  His government quickly slapped down the idea.”Panama made clear, through President Mulino that we cannot accept military bases or defense sites,” said Panama security minister Frank Abrego in a joint public appearance with Hegseth.- Perceived threat -Hegseth also said the United States was seeking an agreement under which its warships could pass through the canal “first, and free.”Jose Ramon Icaza, Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs, said “we will seek a mechanism by which warships and auxiliary ships can have a compensation system for services, that is, a way to make them cost-neutral” but not “free.”The independent Panama Canal Authority (PCA) that manages the waterway said in a statement on Wednesday that it was seeking a “cost-neutral scheme” to “compensate services rendered in security matters for warship tolls.”Under current treaties, the canal is open to all nations and all vessels must pay the same rates according to their capacity and cargo, regardless of their country of origin or destination.The PCA said the United States recognized Panamanian sovereignty over the waterway, although Hegseth did not mention it in the news conference.The Pentagon chief’s two-day visit has been peppered with comments about China and its influence in Latin America.He said the United States was not looking for war with China but would counter Beijing’s “threats” to the region.”We do not seek war with China. And war with China is certainly not inevitable. We do not seek it in any form,” Hegseth said.”But together, we must prevent war by robustly and vigorously deterring China’s threats in this hemisphere,” the former Fox News anchor said in a speech.- ‘Bullying nature’ -China hit back after Hegseth’s comments, saying US officials “maliciously attacked China… exposing the United States’ bullying nature.”Trump has zeroed in on the role of a Hong Kong company that has operated ports at either end of the canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for decades.Hegseth asserted that China-based companies are also capturing Latin American land and infrastructure in strategic sectors such as energy and telecommunications, and that China has too large a military presence in the hemisphere. “Make no mistake, Beijing is investing and operating in this region for military advantage and unfair economic gain,” Hegseth said.Under pressure from the White House, Panama has accused Hong Kong-backed Panama Ports Company of failing to meet its contractual obligations and pushed for the firm to pull out of the country.The firm rejected on Wednesday an audit that said it had failed to pay $1.2 billion due under its concession.The ports’ parent company CK Hutchison announced last month a deal to offload 43 ports in 23 countries — including its two on the Panama Canal — to a consortium led by US asset manager BlackRock for $19 billion in cash.A furious Beijing has since announced an antitrust review of the deal.The United States invaded Panama in 1989 to oust dictator Manuel Noriega, killing more than 500 Panamanians and razing parts of the capital.