Putin named most powerful person in the world

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named the most powerful person in the world by Forbes. According to the U.S. business magazine published Wednesday, Putin moved two places from last year's rating, while U.S. President Barack Obama dropped one place to the second. "Putin has solidified his control over Russia while Obama's lame duck period has seemingly set in earlier than usual. Anyone watching this year's chess match over Syria and National Security Agency leaks has a clear idea of the shifting individual power dynamics," the magazine said. According to Alexei Pushkov, head of the International Committee of the State Duma, or lower house of the Russian parliament, the Forbes list reflects the place Russia occupies in world affairs. "Putin's first place and Obama's second speak about the role of Russia in the changing world," Pushkov said in a message posted on his Twitter account Thursday. The 72-name list includes three more Russians: Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (53), head of Rosneft oil company Igor Sechin (60) and businessman Alisher Usmanov (63). Forbes first published the list in 2009, based on influence and financial resources.