Countries Leading in Forest Loss Brazil tops the list for the most significant forest loss over the last decade, amounting to nearly 3 million hectares, equivalent to 0.6% of its forest cover annually. In a relative comparison, Cambodia holds the highest rate, losing -251 thousand hectares over the same period, which accounts for 3.3% of its forest area each year. The region of Latin America emerges as the primary hotspot for deforestation, with countries like Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay also ranking in the top 10. Following closely behind are African nations, with Angola and Tanzania securing the 2nd and 3rd positions on this distressing list, alongside various countries in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Cambodia.

All the Largest Empires in the History of Earth A beautiful visualization showcases empires spanning from the Sumerian civilization to the Roman Empire, illustrating the rise and fall of various Eastern civilizations. The Ottoman Empire's struggle against European colonial powers, who nearly dominated the globe by the late 19th century, culminated in its dissolution in the 20th century. Presently, no empires exist officially. However, likening countries such as the USA and China to small children is inaccurate; their spheres of influence extend far beyond what is depicted. Despite this, the visualization remains undeniably captivating.

US defense expenditures show significant growth in specific categories from 2020 to 2026 Over a 6-year period, US defense expenditures are set to increase by over 1.5 times, rising from $162 billion to $278 billion. The aviation sector, the largest category, sees a minor increase from $57 billion to $68 billion. However, other categories witness substantial changes: expenses for the navy nearly double, reaching a level close to aviation, missile defense systems experience a fourfold increase, and spending on space systems triples. Command/communication/intelligence systems see a bit more than a twofold rise, while missile system development funding maintains an average growth rate. Conversely, ground systems face a decrease in funding, indicating a decline in popularity.

Level of Trust Varies Across Countries Scandinavian nations like Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland lead the world in trust, with percentages ranging from 62% to 74%. Surprisingly, China matches Sweden at 63% in the trust level ranking. Conversely, Albania scores the lowest globally with only 3% trusting others. Similar low levels are found in Latin American countries like Peru and Nicaragua, Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as various countries in Africa and the Middle East. Even a developed European nation like Cyprus only reaches 7%, comparable to Egypt's trust level. In Eastern Europe and the CIS, the trust level stands at 23%, aligning with Poland and Kazakhstan.

Countries banned from participating in the 2026 World Cup The 2026 World Cup will not feature two countries: ours and Congo. However, the ban on Congo has been lifted, leaving only our country ineligible for participation.

The Global Reach of "Wikipedia" About half of the world's population writes the name of the well-known Internet encyclopedia in Latin characters: Wikipedia. The Cyrillic version and the Arabic ويكيبيديا are also widely used. Beyond these common versions, there are more exotic variations. For instance, in addition to hieroglyphs and various versions in different Indian languages, there is a version in Inuktitut (spoken by around 35,000 native speakers): ᐅᐃᑭᐱᑎᐊ.

Significantly Decrease in Value for Top Brands Leading the list of this year's losers is the coffee giant Starbucks, which lost over a third (almost $22 billion) of its value in the past year! Following closely behind are Tesla (-$15.3 billion, despite record-breaking deals not helping Elon Musk), and unexpectedly, China's leading messenger app WeChat (-$8.8 billion). The most expensive brand on the losing list is Mercedes-Benz, accompanied by a mix including delivery company FedEx, auditors EY, Japanese conglomerate Mitsui Group, and oil giant Shell.

Brands that Have Appreciated the Most in the Past Year Despite the recent AI boom, the brands that have experienced the most significant growth in value over the past year are traditional IT brands predating the AI era. Microsoft's brand value increased by $121 billion, followed by Google at +$80 billion, and Apple at +$58 billion. In the realm of AI-related brands, NVIDIA secured the fifth spot with a remarkable $43 billion boost to its brand value, nearly doubling in just one year. Interestingly, even the conventional brick-and-mortar retailer Walmart managed to make it onto the list of top performers.

Countries with Low GDP Growth Projections in 2021 Haiti's GDP is expected to decline by 3.1% this year, with Myanmar following at -2.7% and Equatorial Guinea at -1.6%. Additionally, Yemen and Botswana are also projected to experience negative growth. The majority of countries worldwide are anticipated to have GDP growth rates below 1%, with many European nations falling into this category. For instance, countries like Hungary, Bolivia, Iran, Italy, Finland, Estonia, Venezuela, and Iraq are all forecasted to have growth rates around +0.5% to +0.6% in 2021.

Freedom of Press Declining in Europe The press freedom index in Europe has been decreasing over the past five years, with declines noted in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, Cyprus, and various Balkan countries. These countries have seen a shift from "satisfactory" to having existing issues regarding press freedom. Conversely, there has been an increase in press freedom in Poland, Moldova, and a few Balkan nations. In summary, while press freedom has decreased in 11 European countries, it has only shown growth in 5 nations over the same period.