Author: Reputation Poll

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Sunday that he has appointed Oksana Markarova, the country’s former ambassador to the United States, as his new adviser for reconstruction and investment.“Beginning today, Oksana Markarova will continue serving our nation as my Adviser on Rebuilding and Investments,” Zelenskiy wrote on X. He added that while Ukraine remains focused on defending its independence and sustaining daily operations for survival, the long-term priority is to equip the country with the means to rebuild after the war and revive normal economic growth.

A £500,000 Place Partnership grant, funded by the National Lottery, has been awarded to support Enfield of Dreams—an ambitious two-year arts and culture programme designed to empower young people to help reshape Enfield’s cultural identity. The investment represents a significant step in strengthening Enfield’s status as a Priority Place. Although the borough has historically had limited cultural resources, it is home to a wealth of creative potential. Through skills training, co-created programming, and community storytelling, Enfield of Dreams will give young residents the opportunity to lead and influence the borough’s cultural development. The initiative is led by UP Projects, an…

Johannesburg, South Africa; The recently concluded G20 Leaders’ Summit, hosted for the first time on African soil in Johannesburg, has been widely hailed as a resounding success, significantly boosting South Africa’s international reputation and asserting the continent’s role in shaping global policy. Convened under the theme of “Building a Resilient and Inclusive Global Community,” the summit provided an unprecedented platform for African and Global South voices. Analysts at Reputation Poll International, a global firm specializing in national and corporate reputation analysis, note that South Africa’s leadership has resulted in a measurable enhancement of its soft power and global standing. “Hosting…

Uganda’s main opposition party says more than 300 supporters and officials have been arrested since presidential campaigning began last month. The detentions, according to the National Unity Platform (NUP), have intensified as opposition leader Bobi Wine launched his campaign in Kampala this week. Wine—born Robert Kyagulanyi—is challenging President Yoweri Museveni, 81, for the second time in the upcoming January election. Museveni, who has ruled since 1986, has twice changed the constitution to eliminate age and term limits, enabling him to extend his decades-long stay in power. NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi told Reuters that security forces detained dozens of people in…

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has the flexibility and the incentive to offer crude oil cargoes, which the country mostly sells to China, as a bargaining chip if Venezuela were to hold negotiations with the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which has boosted its military presence in the Caribbean, has said he is open to talks with Maduro, whose government has struggled to lure foreign investment in the country’s oilfields amid U.S. sanctions. The U.S. on Monday formally designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, increasing pressure on Maduro amid preparations to launch further operations in the coming days, according…

A 43-day U.S. government shutdown has disrupted what was expected to be record Thanksgiving air travel, leading many Americans to scrap or rethink their plans. Although millions were projected to fly during the holiday period, mounting delays and cancellations throughout the shutdown made travelers wary. Elizabeth Kelley, 45, chose not to travel from her home to Maine this Thanksgiving, saying the stress and uncertainty simply weren’t worth it. The AAA had forecast about 6 million domestic travelers, a 2% increase from 2024. But after the shutdown reached its one-month mark, bookings began to fall, with the sharpest drop occurring after…

November 25, 2025 — Bangladesh has made major progress in reducing poverty over the last decade, lifting 25 million people out of poverty and 9 million out of extreme poverty between 2010 and 2022, according to the Bangladesh Poverty and Equity Assessment 2025 released today by the World Bank. Improvements in access to electricity, education, sanitation, and general living standards were central to this success. However, the report warns that since 2016 the pace of poverty reduction has slowed, economic growth has become less inclusive, and income inequality has risen. Nearly 62 million Bangladeshis—one-third of the population—remain vulnerable, at risk…

Russia’s government is considering several measures to shore up Russian Railways as the state-owned company grapples with a massive 4 trillion rouble ($50.8 billion) debt load, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. Russian Railways — the country’s largest commercial employer with around 700,000 staff — has seen revenues fall amid a slowdown in the war-driven economy, while soaring interest rates have pushed up borrowing costs to their highest levels in two decades. Most of the company’s debt is owed to state banks. Officials are weighing multiple solutions, including raising cargo tariffs, increasing subsidies, cutting taxes, or tapping the…

Reputation Poll International/ Global Reputation Forum Index offers a comprehensive assessment of governance and policy performance across all 54 African nations. It integrates objective policy implementation data with subjective perception metrics to evaluate how effectively African governments are translating intent into trusted outcomes.Key Continental FindingsA Three-Tier Continent:Leaders (Mauritius, Seychelles, Cabo Verde, Botswana) demonstrate world-classgovernance alignment.Aspirants & Strong Performers (Ghana to Nigeria) show progress but suffer fromperception gaps.Systemic Challengers (Sierra Leone to South Sudan) face structural breakdowns, insecurity, and weak legitimacy.The Trust Gap:The defining governance crisis across Africa is the disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust. Largest trust gaps: Nigeria,…

A court in Singapore has sentenced an Australian man to nine days in prison for grabbing Hollywood star Ariana Grande at a movie premiere. Johnson Wen, 26, was found guilty of being a public nuisance over the high-profile incident last Thursday at the Asia premiere for Wicked: For Good. Videos posted on social media show Wen jumping the barriers, charging at a visibly shocked Grande and grabbing her shoulders while jumping up and down. The incident sparked outrage in Singapore, where many called for the arrest and deportation of Wen, who has a history of disrupting concerts and celebrity events. Several accused…