Russia has labelled Yale University an “undesirable organisation”, authorities said Tuesday, part of the Kremlin’s crackdown on critics that has accelerated during Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.

Being declared “undesirable” effectively bans entities from operating in Russia and makes anyone who works with them liable to prosecution.

According to the prosecutor general, Yale’s activities were aimed at “violating territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, imposing an international blockade on the state and undermining its economic foundations.”

The prosecutors singled out Yale’s School of Global Affairs, accusing it of preparing opposition activists to organise protests in the country.

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President Vladimir Putin’s top contender, late opposition activist Alexei Navalny who died in prison in unclear circumstances in February 2024, was among the school’s fellows.

The US university joins international organisations and nonprofits such as Amnesty International, British Council, Greenpeace, Elton John’s AIDS Foundation which Moscow has labelled as undesirable.

Russia has also put on the list independent media outlets such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Meduza.

AFP

Three African countries: Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa have earned spots among the world’s top-ranked countries in the 2024 Best Countries Rankings, published by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and global marketing firm WPP.

According to the report, Egypt leads the continent at 35th globally, followed by Morocco at 39th and South Africa at 40th.

The rankings are determined not by economic statistics alone but by global perceptions.

Over 17,000 people—including business decision-makers, university-educated elites, and general citizens—evaluated 87 countries across 73 different attributes, grouped into ten key categories: Adventure, Agility, Cultural Influence, Entrepreneurship, Heritage, Movers, Open for Business, Power, Quality of Life, and Social Purpose.

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To qualify for inclusion, countries needed to meet certain thresholds in GDP, tourism, and foreign direct investment (FDI). Final scores were correlated with GDP per capita (PPP), providing a snapshot of a nation’s perceived prosperity and global standing.

“This project is based on a proprietary perceptions survey that reaches thousands of citizens across the globe,” said Elliott Davis, a reporter for U.S. News & World Report.

“How a nation is viewed by others can play a big role in its global standing.”

Switzerland took the top spot for the third consecutive year, praised for its stability, entrepreneurship, and high quality of life.

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“It’s no surprise that a stable, consistent country like Switzerland would top our rankings seven times in nine years,” Davis added.

The United States made its highest-ever appearance in the rankings at third, driven by improvements in its “Open for Business” and “Movers” subrankings, while Japan claimed second place for its innovation, influence, and advanced economy.

Other noteworthy shifts included China, which rose to 16th, and Ukraine, which fell 12 places to 80th—the biggest drop in this year’s report.

Former UK Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has joined investment bank Goldman Sachs as a senior advisor, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sunak, who was prime minister between October 2022 and July 2024, has returned to the bank where he began his career.

“I am excited to welcome Rishi back to Goldman Sachs in his new capacity as a Senior Advisor,” said Goldman Sachs chairman and chief executive David Solomon.

He will advise clients “on the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape”, Solomon added.

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Sunak was the third UK prime minister to take office in 2022, following Liz Truss’s rapid demise and Boris Johnson’s resignation before that.

After he took office, Sunak faced criticism from political opponents over his vast family wealth and past career in investment funds, with some arguing that he was out of touch with the general population during a rampant cost-of-living crisis.

The Conservatives suffered a landslide defeat to Labour in July 2024, ending 14 years in power.