It could a sign of the global power struggle to come. China’s leader Xi Jinping has pushed out Russia’s Vladimir Putin from top spot in the latest list of the world’s most powerful people.
In a further sign of changing times, the annual survey by Forbes magazine sees US President Donald Trump slump to third.
Among the newcomers, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia makes the top ten in eighth place, and at 32 is also the youngest.
With 75 names on the list, the President, Sheikh Khalifa, retains his place at 43rd, two places ahead of Egypt’s President el-Sisi.
Inclusion on the list is decided by a complex equation which includes military might, economic resources, and an individual’s power to influence others.
Pope Francis, whose army consists of Vatican guards armed with halberds, and lives in the world’s smallest country, nevertheless guides the spiritual needs of 1.3 billion members of the Roman Catholic Church, and sits in sixth place.
From outside the world of politics, fifth placed Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, outranks Microsoft’s Bill Gates in seventh.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor is fourth and the highest placed woman in a list still dominated by men. Other powerful females include the British prime minister Theresa May, who sits in 14th place despite her struggles with Brexit, and Christine Legard of the International Monetary Fund at 22nd.
One individual whose place on the next list must be doubtful is Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of the rapidly diminishing Islamic State. As the hunted leader of a terrorist organisation, he will be lucky to see 2019, let alone retain his place as 73rd in the ranks of the world’s most powerful.
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Read more:
World's top 10 richest for 2018 revealed as seven from UAE make Forbes' billionaires list
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For the moment, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei and President Bashar Al Assad remain on the list, respectively 17 and 62.
Other notable members of the power club include Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of North Korea, in 36th place, Tesla chief Elon Musk in 25th and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in ninth.
At the age of 89, Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing is the oldest, and with a fortune of US$34 billion, one of the wealthiest.
For the 2018 list there are 17 new names, including President Macron of France and Reed Hastings of Netflix.
Forbes does not name the 17 unfortunates who have slipped from the ranks of the powerful, but only 15 individuals can claim to have been present since the first list was issued in 2009.
As of 2018 they do not include President Obama, or Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil and who must have hoped to retain his place after being appointed US Secretary of State in early 2017 – until President Trump fired him in March.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
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- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
