Boyarka, Ukraine | AFP | Zhan Beleniuk, an Olympic wrestler with Rwandan roots, is seeking to enter Ukraine’s parliament as the first mixed-race MP in a bid to overcome racist attitudes and support the country’s young new leader. The Greco-Roman style wrestler, who won silver for Ukraine at the Rio Olympics, …
Read More »Eight reasons why comedians make good leaders
Researchers on humour know that being a funny person should not be mutually exclusive to being a great boss COMMENT | KATHLEEN CRONIE | If you were browsing Netflix’s comedy section recently, you might have noticed the Ukrainian sitcom, Servant of the People. In it, an ordinary history teacher is …
Read More »From comic to commander-in-chief: challenges for new Ukraine leader
Kiev, Ukraine | AFP | Ukraine’s election has catapulted Volodymyr Zelensky, a 41-year-old standup comedian and television star with no political experience, into the nation’s top job. As leader of a country dependent on international aid and battling separatists, Zelensky will have to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, deep …
Read More »Last laugh: Ukraine comedian who became president
Kiev, Ukraine | AFP | Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky has been elected president of Ukraine twice — first as a character in the popular TV show “Servant of the People”, now for real. The 41-year-old performer’s bid started out as a long shot but, on the back of popular discontent with …
Read More »Comedian heads to run-off against incumbent for Ukraine presidency
Kiev, Ukraine | AFP | Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky topped the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election Sunday, exit polls showed, setting him up for a run-off with the incumbent after voters expressed frustration over corruption and a stalling economy. When he announced his long-shot candidacy at the start of the …
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