In celebration of the “Green” Olympics in Beijing, I agreed to be a torch bearer to honor and support the athletes of the world who demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit.

Isabel Allende writes novels about self-reliant women who thrive in the midst of political turmoil. In her passionate TEDTalk, Allende praises women whose grit and selflessness transform the meaning of modern feminism -- mentioning, in particular, three women of rare courage: Wangari Maathai, Somaly Mam and Rose Mapendo.

A new satellite monitoring system to help the inhabitants of the Congo rainforest protect their environment was among the initiatives announced today by Gordon Brown and Douglas Alexander as they launched the Congo Basin Forest Fund.