German chancellor Angela Merkel has come top in a Forbes magazine list of the world's most powerful women, beating US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice despite Berlin's first lady not even featuring in the 2005 ratings.
Forbes writes in a commentary accompanying the table that the 52 year-old Christian Democrat politician from east Germany "has been impressing world leaders from Tony Blair to George W. Bush."
While pointing out that Mrs Merkel's domestic approval ratings droppe...
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