NEW YORK: Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani school girl and advocate for girls’ education who survived a would-be assassin’s bullet, is among the 100 most influential people in the world, Time magazine said yesterday.
Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban, has also appeared on the cover of the magazine.
The 15-year-old, nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, had surgery in February to repair the hole left in her skull by the bullet, and lives in exile in Britain.
Time’s annual list picks luminaries from art, business and politics whose achievements make them among the most vital and vibrant figures.
This year’s list includes Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day Lewis and Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.
President Barack Obama appears on the list for the eighth time and First Lady Michelle Obama, has made it to the list, too. Other politicians include US Senator Rand Paul, China’s Xi Jinping, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un. SpaceX founder and entrepreneur Elon Musk is mentioned, as is Pope Francis.
Pop music is represented by Justin Timberlake and Jay Z and his wife Beyonce, among others.
In the world of sports, Italian football player Mario Balotelli is included, as are US basketball star LeBron James and Alpine skiing star Lindsey Vonn, although her beau, top world golfer Tiger Wood, is not in the list.
Short bios of each appear in the magazine. Agencies
