Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, has been named the 50th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine, making her the second highest-ranked UK woman behind the Queen.
The SNP leader appears for the first time on the US business magazine's annual list, which is topped for the sixth consecutive year by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel is followed by US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whom the compilers said had a clear shot at number one if she wins the election.
Sturgeon's entry, the magazine said, reflects her renewed push for Scottish independence and her vocal criticism of the Brexit campaign. Her popularity, they noted, could prove crucial in any future independence vote.
Oprah Winfrey is the top-ranked entertainment figure at 21, ahead of Vogue editor Anna Wintour at 28 and television executive Bonnie Hammer at 47. Guardian News & Media editor-in-chief Katharine Viner is ranked 68th globally and fifth in the UK.
The list also features new entries from seven world leaders and two philanthropists, reflecting a rise in female heads of state. Among them is Aung San Suu Kyi at 26, whose party won Myanmar's first democratic elections in 25 years.
