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Business / 1 week ago

China dominates global apple market

The world’s appetite for apples continues to grow, and at the centre of this fruity boom is China. According to a recent graphic showing the world’s largest apple producers, China alone is estimated to cultivate around 48 million metric tonnes of apples in 2024, by far the largest single-country output. That figure is backed by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS), which, in its “China: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual” report, estimates China’s apple production at approximately 48 MMT for the marketing year 2024/25.

Culture / 1 week ago

Japanese, Italian, and Chinese lead as Australia’s top school languages

From Tokyo to Milan, classrooms across Australia reflect the country’s global connections. A newly-released infographic reveals that in several states and territories, the top three languages taught in schools are as diverse as the country itself, led by Japanese, Chinese, Italian, German and Spanish. For example, in Queensland the top trio includes Japanese, German and Chinese, while in Western Australia it’s Italian, Indonesian and Japanese. In Victoria, Italian leads the way, with Indonesian and French close behind. These patterns underscore how the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority language courses mesh with migration, trade and community language trends.

Culture / 1 week ago

Spanish dominates South America, but its linguistic map tells a richer story

Across South America, it’s the colour orange on the language map that stands out most. Spanish is the official language in most countries of the continent, with green marking the territory of Portuguese, namely Brazil. From Argentina to Venezuela, Spanish is the dominant official language. Brazil remains the notable exception, with Portuguese as its sole official language.

Business / 1 week ago

Global wheat consumption hits record levels as demand surges across Asia and Europe

Global wheat consumption is climbing to record highs, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The 2024/25 season is expected to see both production and demand increase, led by strong harvests in Asia and Europe. Wheat, one of the world’s most essential grains, remains a critical part of diets across continents, from bread and noodles to cereals and animal feed, and current figures show no sign of slowing demand. China stands as the world’s largest wheat consumer, using about 148 million metric tonnes annually.

Politics / 2 weeks ago

UN votes to end U.S. embargo on Cuba

In the latest United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote on October 29, 2025, 165 countries supported a resolution calling for an end to the decades-long U.S. embargo on Cuba. In contrast, only seven voted against and twelve abstained. It’s the 33rd time the UN has called for the embargo to be lifted, yet the United States remains firm in its position. According to Reuters, the countries opposing the motion were the United States, Israel, Ukraine, Hungary, Paraguay, Argentina, and North Macedonia, a small group standing against near-universal consensus.

Business / 2 weeks ago

The world’s top 10 wheat producers in 2025

According to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), global wheat production has reached a remarkable milestone this season. The European Union (EU) and China are tied at the top, each producing around 140 million metric tonnes of wheat, solidifying their status as the world’s wheat powerhouses.

Technology / 3 weeks ago

The world’s longest bridges and how Bahrain is building its legacy

Bridges are more than just concrete and steel, as they are symbols of connection, ambition, and progress. Around the world, engineers have pushed the limits of design to link islands, cities, and entire economies. The latest rankings show China dominating the list of the world’s longest bridges, while smaller nations like Bahrain continue to prove that strategic infrastructure can matter just as much as size.

Business / 3 weeks ago

Where does the world’s milk come from?

India continues to hold its position as the world’s largest milk producer in 2025, according to new data from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The country now produces an impressive 212 million metric tons (MMT) of milk annually, far surpassing the European Union’s 150 MMT and the United States’ 103 MMT.

Business / 4 weeks ago

India leads global banana production but climate, trade tensions threaten the market

India has cemented its dominance as the world’s top banana producer, yielding 34.5 million tonnes in 2022, nearly triple that of China (12.1 mt) and far surpassing Indonesia (9.2 mt), Nigeria (8 mt), and Brazil (6.8 mt), according to FAO data. Despite this overwhelming lead, global banana markets are facing turbulence—from extreme weather to rising trade frictions and disease outbreaks.

Business / 5 weeks ago

Which countries eat the most rice?

From Chinese fried rice to Senegalese jollof, rice features in almost every dish around the globe. Despite it being a staple in many countries, rice consumption levels differ across countries. A new analysis by World Visualized, drawing on data from WorldStats, highlights that Myanmar tops the list of countries with the highest per capita rice consumption at a staggering 278.97 kg per person per year.

World / 5 weeks ago

Global rice exports hit record high but farmers face growing pressure

The global rice export landscape is reshaping under a flood of supply, shifting policies, and volatile markets. According to the striking graphic above, global exports reached 88.4 million tonnes, led overwhelmingly by India with more than 33 million tonnes. Following India in the top ten are Thailand (10.9 M), Vietnam (8.6 M), Pakistan (6.7 M), Belgium (4.9 M), China (3.2 M), Myanmar (3.2 M), the U.S.A (3.0 M), Brazil (2.0 M), and the Netherlands (1.6 M).

Maps / 6 weeks ago

Why South America outpaces North America in scale and impact

At first glance, many assume that North America dominates the Western Hemisphere not only in terms of landmass but also in terms of length. Yet geography tells a different story. South America actually stretches farther from north to south than its northern counterpart, 5,100 kilometres compared to North America’s 4,300 kilometres.

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