AFTER being called a strongman, President Rodrigo Duterte was featured anew as one of the most powerful people in the world by Forbes magazine, which cited his tough stance on illegal drugs and his “raw and vulgar” rhetoric. Taking the top of the list is Duterte’s ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Putin and Duterte made it together on the cover of TIME magazine as strongmen. The magazine noted that Xi broke Putin’s streak on the list after being featured in the top spot for four consecutive years. “This year’s list comes at a time of rapid and profound change, and represents our best guess about who will matter in the year to come,” Forbes said.

Source: Manila Times May 09, 2018 02:37 UTC