As director of global initiatives for Human Rights Watch, Minky Worden develops international advocacy campaigns, edits books, and monitors crises, wars, human rights abuses and political developments around the world. She previously served as Human Rights Watch's Media Director, as an adviser to Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee in Hong Kong, and as a speechwriter at the Justice Department in Washington, DC.  She is the editor of The Unfinished Revolution (Policy Press 2012), on the global fight for women's rights; the editor of a book on reform in China, China's Great Leap, (Seven Stories Press, 2008) and co-editor of Torture (The New Press, 2005). Ms. Worden is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, speaks Cantonese and German, and has three sons under 10. Follow her on Twitter @MinkysHighjinks.

FIGHT CLUB

Wojdan Shahrkhani lost her first judo match in just over a minute. But just by competing, she radiated joy as the first woman to represent Saudi Arabia in the Olympics.

Beijing is a growing power, but blocking news of jailed rights activist Liu Xiaobo’s Peace Prize projects weakness—and warning that the honor would be seen as “an unfriendly act” may have helped him win.