Sep 1, 2006, 16:51 GMT
Washington - A US magazine rated German Chancellor Angela Merkel the world's most powerful woman Friday, ahead of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
(L-R) German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US Foreign Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Chinese Vice President Wu Yi, Chancellor Merkel of the Christian Democrats (CDU) is the world's most powerful woman at present, according to the latest issue of 'Forbes' magazine, Thursday 31 August 2006. EPA/WOLFGANG KUMM / BERND SETTNIK / KAZUHIRO NOGI
Forbes Magazine placed Merkel at the head for the first time after naming Rice to the top spot last year, in its third annual listing of the world's 100 most powerful women.
Chinese Vice President Wu Yi came in third, ahead of US soft drink maker PepsiCo Inc's designated chief executive Indra Nooyi and Xerox Corp CEO Anne Mulcahy.
Merkel, who became German chancellor last November, did not appear on last year's list. Three other new heads of state made it in for the first time: Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in 17th place, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at 51 and South Korean Prime Minister Han Myung-sook at 68.
Other international notables: Sonia Gandhi, president of India's National Congress Party came in 13th and New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark placed at number 20. Featured in the top 100 are 53 women from the US, five Britons, three Chinese and three French.
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