November 08, 2019
In the years since 1989, the population of most former East bloc countries has shrunk as a result of emigration and low birth rates. That has put a brake on potential economic growth, but some argue it's also contributed to the rightward shift in some of the region's countries, as many of the more liberal-minded folks have already left for Western Europe.
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With close ties to both the US and China, can Singapore survive in an increasingly fragmented and chaotic world? Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast.
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, ahead of a bilateral meeting in Beijing, China, on January 29, 2026.
Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS
This week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first UK leader to visit China in eight years. His goal was clear: build closer trade ties with Beijing.
Igmel Tamayo carries charcoal to sell on the side of a road for use as cooking fuel in homes, after US President Donald Trump vowed to stop Venezuelan oil and money from reaching the island as Cubans brace for worsening fuel shortages amid regular power outages, on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on January 12, 2026.
REUTERS/Norlys Perez
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