hey are the most powerful people in the world. They command respect and obvious admiration from their supporters across the world. Above all that, they are a mirror reflection of the nations they belong to. Newsweek magazine, in its latest edition, lists the 50 most powerful people in the world. Let's take a look at who all have made it to the list: [/color]US President-elect Barack Obama tops the list. According to the magazine, the presidency of the 'intensely charismatic' 47-year-old Democrat will be judged on how he handles the economic crisis that now envelops the US and the world. 'For Obama to be remembered as a great President, he has to do nothing less than rescue capitalism,' the magazine says
ongress chief Sonia Gandhi also figures in the list.[color=black] Placing her in the 17th spot, the magazine says though the Indian political scene is driven by factions, the Congress party remains the strongest national force and rules India unchallenged. 'In the world's largest democracy, she is the queen,' it states
hinese President Hu Jintao has been ranked the second most powerful person in the world. [color=black]According to Newsweek, Hu is the man behind the wheel of the world's most supercharged economy.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy is ranked third. Sarkozy is credited with being the driving force behind the Elysee Palace once again becoming the most important address in Europe. During his six-month term as European Union president, Sarkozy faced down the Russians in Georgia and then helped pull together Europe's response to the economic meltdown.
Ben Bernanke of the US Federal Reserve, Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank and Masaaki Shirakawa of the Bank of Japan are ranked fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. The trio have been working hard with their compatriots in China, India, Brazil and Mexico to avoid global economic calamity in perilous times like these. In 2009, they will be the men to look out for.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is ranked seventh. There was a time in mid-2008 when the 57-year-old Labour leader could do nothing right and provoked intense feelings among his party members and a large section of the British public following the repeated humiliating defeats of the party in by-elections.
But the economic downturn saw Brown, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his elements, and his political revival soon took off. In fact, many believe that if the economic downturn had not happened at the right time, it would have been difficult to rescue Brown politically.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is ranked eighth in the elite list. Though Merkel, head of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, was forced into awkward compromises on taxes and welfare-state reforms, her 'country looks like a rare island of stability' in troubled times like these.
Accroding to Newsweek, 'There's no housing or credit bubble, and the savings rate puts America to shame (11 per cent versus near zero last year). It all lends authority to Merkel's warnings against cheap money and a senseless race to spend billions trying to stop the downturn.'
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin may have officially stepped down from the post of President last May, but he remains firmly in power, says Newsweek. Putin ranks ninth in the list of most powerful people. With political opposition crushed and the media throttled, he's still in charge, says the magazine, adding that if the ex-KGB officer were to stand for Presidential elections in 2012, he could end up being on that post till 2024. vv
The Clintons -- Bill and Hillary -- are ranked 13th and 14th in the elite list of powerful people. According to Newsweek, the most powerful couple in politics may find the times suited to their skills. In fact, the couple are already so popular abroad that when they land at a foreign airport, they can hit the tarmac running on all the bilateral and multilateral issues they know so well.
Timothy Geithner, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, is ranked 15th. Accrdingto the magazine, Geithner is neither a household name nor a typical pick for a Treasury secretary. He's a career technocrat, with stints at Treasury, the International Monetary Fund and the New York Fed. And for what is usually an AARP job -- the average age of the last eight incoming Treasury secretaries has been 59 -- the 47-year-old is a mere whippersnapper
US Army Gen David H Petraeus, the new head of Central Command (stretches across 20 countries, from Egypt to Central Asia and Pakistan), is the 16th most powerful person in the world. Newsweek says, 'As of now, the United States does not have a coherent strategy toward the Arab and Muslim worlds. Petraeus, more than anyone else in the US government, will be responsible for forging one.'
In the words of Defence Secretary Robert Gates, "Petraeus is a pre-eminent soldier, scholar and statesman of his generation."
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is ranked 18th in Newsweek's list. He is credited with rescuing Brazil from 'the edge of ruin'. As a result of his policies, the nation now has $207 billion in Treasury reserves and the lowest inflation rate in the developing world.
Billionaire financier and Berkshire Hathaway Chief Executive Warren Buffett has been named the 19th most powerful person in the world. As the titans of American finance toppled over the economic crisis, Warren Buffett stood tall as one of the few forces of order in the private sector, says Newsweek, adding that as America works to pull itself out of recession, Buffett and the values he champions -- buying assets on the cheap, discipline and a long-term view -- will be at the forefront.
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani ranks 20th in the elite list. Kayani and his troops remain the dominant power in what could be the most dangerous country in the world, says Newsweek, adding that 'the general is responsible for Pakistan's nukes; for the battle against Al Qaeda and its tribal allies along the Afghan border; and for managing tensions with neighbour India.'
'In the wake of the November terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Kayani stood firm on Pakistan's sovereignty while also taking measures against the alleged sponsors of the outrage.'