Tag: USA

Paid maternity leave is nearly universal worldwide, but a small group of countries still offer no guaranteed paid time off for new mothers, and the United States remains the most surprising member of that list.

China held an overwhelming lead in global solar power capacity at the end of 2023, with about 610 gigawatts installed, more than four times the capacity of the United States, as a record year of renewable-energy expansion strengthened Asia's position at the centre of the global solar industry.

The family backgrounds of recent U.S. presidents tell a long history of immigration and interwoven European ancestry, with English, Irish, Scottish and German heritage appearing most frequently across the White House since the 20th century.

Mexico remains the world's largest Spanish-speaking country by native speakers, with about 138.1 million people speaking Spanish as their first language, according to World Population Review population estimates.

Spain has emerged as the top choice among American adults to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the most-watched World Cup in history, with an estimated 5 billion people engaging with the tournament across television, streaming platforms, social media and digital channels, according to FIFA's Global Engagement and Audience Report.

The Netherlands could win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a data-driven forecast by economist Joachim Klement of investment firm Panmure Liberum, which used economic and sporting indicators to model the tournament’s likely outcome.

German ancestry continues to shape the cultural and demographic identity of the United States, with millions of Americans tracing their roots back to German immigrants who arrived over several centuries.

The bulk of oil and gas shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, are heading overwhelmingly to Asia, underscoring the region’s dependence on Middle Eastern supplies.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically vital oil shipping lanes, continues to dominate global energy security concerns, with the bulk of crude oil and liquefied natural gas flowing from a small group of Gulf producers, according to recent visual data and reporting by The New York Times.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval ratings across major policy issues have deteriorated sharply over the past year, with new aggregated polling data from Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin showing broad-based declines driven largely by economic concerns and inflation.

Global cotton production is set to remain heavily concentrated among a handful of major producers in the 2025/26 season, with China, India and Brazil accounting for the bulk of output, according to projections from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and market data from Trading Economics.

Iran launched thousands of drones and ballistic missiles in the opening weeks of its conflict with Israel and Western allies, with activity peaking early before declining sharply under sustained airstrikes.

Political parties across the world are amassing unprecedented membership numbers, with India emerging as the clear centre of gravity in global party mobilisation.

Nearly five million Brazilians are now living abroad, with the United States, Portugal and neighbouring South American countries hosting the largest communities, according to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) and migration statistics compiled in recent years.

The United States has emerged as the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), capping a decades-long shift in global energy dominance that has moved from North Africa to Asia, the Middle East and now North America.

The world has experienced all forms of war over the years; however, World War II remains the most expensive conflict in U.S. history when adjusted for inflation, costing roughly $4.7 trillion, according to historical estimates.

Homes in Australia and the United States are among the largest in the world, according to international housing data, highlighting how geography, urban planning and lifestyle preferences shape residential living space across countries.

Air travel across the Middle East faced an unprecedented wave of disruptions between February 28 and March 5, with several major airports recording cancellation rates above 90%, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and more than a thousand drones during the first eight days of the conflict with the United States and its allies, according to military data compiled from Israeli sources.