US politician Condoleezza Rice is the world's most powerful woman according to Forbes magazine.
The US Secretary of State tops the magazine's list of 100 most powerful women for the second year running.
Dr Rice is the first African-American woman to become the US Secretary of State and advises the leader of the world's largest superpower with unparalleled access to the president.
China's vice-premier Wu Yi is second on a list that is dominated by politicians and also sees Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoschenko, included for the first time at number three.
Fourth on the list is Philippine President Gloria Arroyo but also ranked in the top ten are Ebay chief executive Margaret Whitman, Xerox boss Anne Mulcahy, Citigroup chief executive Sallie Krawcheck and television mogul Oprah Winfrey.
Melinda Gates, who is married to Microsoft owner Bill Gates, completes the top ten which has been compiled according to the number of times a woman has been mentioned in the media and their effect on economics.
Melinda Gates is one of the list's eight humanitarians which include Jordan's Queen Rania for her advocacy on behalf of oppressed women in her country, and Susan Berresford of the Ford Foundation which funds major initiatives to tackle world health problems and poverty.
As well as chat show queen Oprah Winfrey, the world's media industry is also represented in the list by Marjorie Scardino, who runs the Pearson group which owns the Financial Times, as well as Time Inc boss Ann Moore and People magazine chief Martha Nelson.
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