Forbes: Top 5 most powerful people on Earth

1. Putin
2. Obama
3. Xi Jinping of China
4. Pope Francis
5. Angela Merkel

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Throughout the entirety of the Ukraine crisis, Putin has accused the US and other western powers of organizing a coup that put alleged anti-Russian "fascists" in control of the government in Kiev. Putin has charged the US with having a double standard over its intervention against Serbia in support of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in the 1990s. 
Putin has decried that if the US can intervene in the world as it sees fit, then Russia can also do as it pleases. 
"The bear will not even bother to ask permission," Putin said in a speech last month. "Here we consider it the master of the taiga. It does not intend to move to any other climatic zones. However, it will not let anyone have its taiga either."
Forbes ranked President Barack Obama as the second most powerful person in the world, just behind Putin.
Third place went to Chinese President Xi Jinping, fourth was Pope Francis, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was fifth. There are 12 new figures on the list including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (15th) and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (54th).
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Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/forbes-here-are-the-most-powerful-leaders-in-the-world-2014-11#ixzz3IGoTqtSe