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NEW YORK – October 5, 2009 – Brand America is now ranked #1 by global citizens, according to the GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, a division of GfK Custom Research North America. Results from the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index(NBI), which measures the global image of 50 countries, show the United States taking the top spot as the country with the best overall brand, up from seventh last year.
“What’s really remarkable is that in all my years studying national reputation, I have never seen any country experience such a dramatic change in its standing as we see for the United States in 2009,” explains Simon Anholt, NBI founder and an independent advisor to over a dozen national governments around the world. “Despite recent economic turmoil, the U.S. actually gained significant ground. The results suggest that the new U.S. administration has been well received abroad and the American electorate’s decision to vote in President Obama has given the United States the status of the world’s most admired country.”
What good is the #1 rating? I do hope it will make economic recovery sooner and start job creation by increased exports. The low dollar rate must be another big stimulus. Or is it just a ‘feel good’ rating of the USA in the world?
And then there is the UNDP Human Development Report, published today.
Here’s the AFP-article:
The report is based on 2007-data; it will be interesting next year to see how the financial crisis will affect the index.
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A presidency certainly with more passion …
Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) — Italy’s highest court struck down an immunity law that has shielded Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from two corruption trials that he says are politically motivated.
The Rome-based Constitutional Court ruled the 2008 measure violated the 1948 constitution, saying the grant of immunity required an amendment to the charter, not an act of parliament.
Berlusconi has been acquitted in eight corruption trials since entering politics 15 years ago, according to public records and the 2001 book “Odore dei Soldi” by Elio Veltri and Marco Travaglio. He has won two elections while facing criminal charges.
Berlusconi has said that prosecutors and judges who put him on trial are a “cancer” on society that must be defeated.
Fraud and Bribery
One of the Milan cases that can be revived alleges that Berlusconi bribed David Mills, a U.K. lawyer, to lie on his behalf under oath. The other accuses the premier of tax fraud in purchasing film rights for Mediaset.
Mills, who separated from U.K. Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, was sentenced in February to four years and six months in jail for accepting a bribe from Berlusconi.
“I want all our opposition to know that this government will bring to completion its five-year mission,” Berlusconi said in a statement two days ago after a civil court ruled Oct. 3 that he was “co-responsible” for corrupting judges two decades ago. His holding company, Fininvest SpA, was ordered to pay 750-million-euro ($1.1 billion) in damages in the civil case.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
Pakistan recorded the most striking drop: In 2004, 41 percent of respondents justified suicide terrorism, whereas the number recorded this year was five percent. Terrorism has surged in Pakistan since 2007, and this year alone, at least 750 people had been killed and 2,276 injured in 365 bombings inside Pakistan as of the end of August, according to figures compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal in New Delhi.
The Pew survey also found although majorities in Nigeria (54 percent) and the Palestinian territories (52 percent) expressed “confidence in the al Qaeda leader [Osama bin Laden] to do the right thing regarding world affairs.”
Confidence in Obama Lifts U.S. Image Around WorldIn the other countries surveyed, the Saudi terrorist enjoyed the backing of 28 percent of respondents in Jordan, 25 percent in Indonesia, 23 percent in Egypt, 18 percent in Pakistan, 16 percent in Israel, four percent in Lebanon and two percent in Turkey.
The biggest drop in support for bin Laden was measured in Indonesia (down 34 points since 2003), Jordan (down 28 points) and Pakistan (down 28 points). The trend in Nigeria was in the opposite direction – up 10 points since 2003.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."