Time Hails Blair As Hero

Tony Blair may no longer enjoy the trappings of power in Downing Street but, if Time magazine is any judge of these matters, his influence in the world has grown since his exit from the premiership.

Blair makes it to the Time list of the world's 100 most influential people this week - his first appearance among the august crowd. The magazine's editors are clearly under-whelmed by the rank of UK prime minister: Gordon Brown is notable by his absence, though he did feature in 2005, when he was chancellor.

The encomium of Blair comes from his old mate Bill Clinton, another one who knows all about the sustaining influence once out of high office. Clinton reveals that when Blair stepped down last year he advised the former prime minister to take it easy and have some time off. "Tony listened to my advice graciously but ignored it completely," Clinton writes.

Blair's entry is filed under the "heroes and pioneers" category in the Time feature, which lists the top 100 without ranking them. He shares the distinction with several Hollywood and media stars, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Mia Farrow and Oprah Winfrey, all lauded for their campaigning (in the case of Winfrey, by Barack Obama's wife, Michelle).

Those three strayed out of the category of artists and entertainers, which in timely fashion includes Miley Cyrus, the Hannah Montana star who may have taken a few knocks this week over that revealing photograph but who, according to Donny Osmond, is "riding a huge tidal wave at the pinnacle of her career".

Alongside her are the British playwright Tom Stoppard, actor George Clooney, and Hollywood directors of the moment, Judd Apatow and the Coen brothers.

Other categories clock a mention for Rupert Murdoch, Apple's Steve Jobs and the UK band Radiohead for breaking new ground by allowing punters who downloaded their album In Rainbows to pay what they wanted for it.