In 1990, the two parts of Germany reunited in a process whereby the much wealthier West absorbed the East. After decades of separation there were cultural divergences as well as economic ones. In the years since, the gaps between east and west have closed substantially, but in many ways they persist. Here's a look at a few different ways in which that's true.
U.S. President Donald Trump hosts his first cabinet meeting with Elon Musk in attendance as he sits next to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 26, 2025.
Donald Trump hosted the first Cabinet meeting of his second administration on Wednesday. Here’s what went down.
Ukraine agreed on Wednesday to cede control over a substantial share of future mineral riches to the United States, part of a sweeping deal US President Donald Trump has suggested as a condition for continuing to support Kyiv. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the deal – which his administration says is worth $500 billion – is about “rare earths.”
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown, seen here at the White House in Washington, in 2023.
The Cook Islands’ recent entry into a strategic partnership with China has spawned protests in front of Parliament, angered long-time ally New Zealand, and this week, nearly toppled the islands’ government.
A man holds a picture of hostages of Shiri Bibas and her two children Kfir and Ariel, on the day of their funeral procession, at a public square dedicated to hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel February 26, 2025.
REUTERS/Shir Torem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Israel has demanded the complete demilitarization of Southern Syria -- why?
As expected, Friedrich Merz is set to become the next German chancellor after his conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) won one of the tightest and highest-turnout elections in the country’s postwar history.
Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: Ukraine PresidentZelensky once called Trump’s critical minerals deal “colonial.” Now, he's close to signing it. What’s behind the shift—and who really wins here? Ian Bremmer examines in this Quick Take.
Autonomous, action-driven agents with advanced decision-making skills are already here — set to reshape industries, drive efficiency, and transform the global economy. Stay ahead of the shift. Explore and subscribe to Bank of America Institute to uncover how AI is shaping the future.
What happens when you ask artificial intelligence to create a video of gilded Trump statues (straight out of Turkmenistan) and new Trump Hotels (straight out of Atlantic City) featuring an up-tempo, pro-Trump track (straight from the J6 Prison Choir’s club remix album)? You get the US president’s Truth Social post advertising his postwar Gaza proposal, of course.
Last November, a Romanian election generated shock headlines across Europe when an obscure pro-Russia, anti-vaccine populist named Călin Georgescu finished first in the initial round of voting. The Romanian government annulled the election result, blaming Russian influence but failing to prove there was interference. On Wednesday, police detained Georgescu as part of an investigation into possible violations of an anti-extremism law. What lies ahead for Romanian democracy?