World's top 10 most powerful people on Forbes list

Russian President Vladimir Putin was ranked as the world's most powerful leader by Forbes after Russia managed to put US threat of an attack on Syria at bay. Russia also gave asylum to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who spilled the bins on US intelligence for the first time.

US President Barack Obama was ranked second after an embarrassing 16-day US government shutdown caused by a budget and debt crisis in Washington.

Third prize went to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to rule for a decade in which China is set to eclipse the US as the world's largest economy.

Fourth place went to 76-year-old Pope Francis. The first Jesuit and Latin American Bishop of Rome preaches compassion for the poor and a greater role for women while signalling the church to quiet its focus on "only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptives."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked fifth on Forbes list. The world's most powerful woman is the backbone of the European Union and carries the fate of the euro on her shoulders.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is still America's richest man, taking the sixth spot in the Forbes list with a net worth of $72 billion.

Ben Bernanke, the chairman of US Federal Reserve, is ranked seventh on Forbes list of most powerful people.

Saudi Arabia's Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, ranked seventh on Forbes list, holds the keys to the world's second largest crude oil deposit of 265 billion barrels, amounting to 20% of the world's reserves.

Mario Draghi, the President of European Central Bank, is ranked eighth on Forbes list. He faces the Herculean task of trying to maintain financial unity across 17 European Union nations.

Michael Duke, the CEO of world's number one retailer Wal-Mart, is ranked tenth on Forbes List.