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Obama named 'Person of the Year' | Obama named 'Person of the Year' |
(20 minutes later) | |
Time magazine has given its annual Person of the Year award to US President-elect Barack Obama. | |
Mr Obama was awarded the title "for having the confidence to sketch an ambitious future in a gloomy hour," said the US-based magazine. | Mr Obama was awarded the title "for having the confidence to sketch an ambitious future in a gloomy hour," said the US-based magazine. |
It said he showed "the competence that makes Americans hopeful he might pull it off". | It said he showed "the competence that makes Americans hopeful he might pull it off". |
Recent winners have included Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the American soldier and the public. | Recent winners have included Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the American soldier and the public. |
Four runners-up were also announced, as well as 17 "people who mattered". | Four runners-up were also announced, as well as 17 "people who mattered". |
The runners-up were US Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, French and current EU President Nicholas Sarkozy, Republican vice-presidential candidate and Alaskan governor Sarah Palin and Zhang Yimou, creative director of August's Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing. | The runners-up were US Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, French and current EU President Nicholas Sarkozy, Republican vice-presidential candidate and Alaskan governor Sarah Palin and Zhang Yimou, creative director of August's Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing. |
"We would have had to have had some pretty compelling reasons to not chose President-elect Barack Obama," Michael Elliot, Time's international editor, told CNN. | |
"His is an extraordinary story which has captured the imagination of people from Jakarta to Dublin to Iowa to New Hampshire. | |
"There is a degree of excitement surrounding Barack Obama which we tried to capture in our choice," Mr Elliot said. | |
The BBC's Andy Gallacher in Washington says receiving the accolade is usually considered an honour. | |
But is has also been awarded to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin in the past, for very different reasons. |