The eastern block contains some countries in desperate trouble, like Hungary or Latvia, he noted, but also many others, like Poland, Slovakia or the Czech Republic, which are in much better shape.

ECONOMIST: European politics

The "forward island" of HMS Queen Elizabeth, known as Upper Block 07, contains the main bridge of the ship.

BBC: HMS Queen Elizabeth final section leaves Portsmouth

That has boosted his popularity, but it makes governing tricky, since Congress effectively contains neither a government block nor an opposition.

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