Merkel tops worlds most powerful women list

Merkel, who has topped the list of the world’s 100 most powerful women in all but one of the years since she became chancellor in November 2005, beat out US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and, in 3rd place, Dilma Rousseff, who became Brazil’s first woman president on January 1 2011.“German Chancellor Angela Merkel is head of the one real global economy in Europe and is the undisputed leader of the EU,” Forbes said.It was Merkels fifth time at the top of the list.The 57-year-old politician led it from 2006 to 2009 but then was bumped back to 4th place last year by US first lady Michelle Obama, Kraft Foods chief executive Irene Rosenfeld, and chat-show host Oprah Winfrey.Clinton, listed 5th in 2010, climbed to the second rung after more than two grueling years as President Barack Obamas top diplomat.After Rousseff was Indra Nooyi, the India-born, naturalized American chief executive of Pepsi; Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg; philanthropist Melinda Gates, India President Sonia Gandhi, Michelle Obama, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, and Rosenfeld.The list was heavily tilted toward Americans, 65 of the 100 places. Australia, China, India and Britain each had three.The oldest on the list was Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, 85 and ranked number 49; the youngest was 25-year-old pop queen Lady Gaga, ranked 11th.