Most powerful people in the world (2008)

A surprise inclusion in the list, which the magazine admits is subjective, is Osama bin Laden.Newsweek describes Osama, who occupies the 42nd position, as a 'global terrorist'.The manhunt may not have been successful, but it has driven him far underground, it says, adding that once a glutton for publicity, he has not shot a new video since September 2007, and no audio message from him has been heard since May 2008.North Korean dictator Jim Jong Il also finds a place in the list. He is ranked 12th.