A good week for ...

Jon Huntsman

He may be starting behind his Republican rivals in the polls, but former US ambassador to China Jon Huntsman could become a strong contender in the race to unseat his ex-boss, President Barack Obama. Huntsman, 51, announced his decision to run for president on Tuesday but lacks national name recognition and many polls put his support at less than 2 per cent. Still, his entry into the race worries the Democratic Obama administration because of his possible cross-party appeal.

Andre Villas-Boas

At 33, the Portuguese is younger than some of his new players at Chelsea, but that did not stop the club's owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, handing him the team's reins last week. Villas-Boas, who has never played professional soccer but studied tactics and coaching since his youth, came to prominence this season at Porto, who he led to the Portuguese league and cup and the UEFA Cup. A former assistant to previous Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, he knows winning the Champions League is vital if he is to avoid becoming not just one of the youngest managers in Premier League history but also the youngest to get the bullet from trigger-happy Abramovich.

Ai Weiwei

Artist-activist Ai Weiwei was released on bail on Wednesday, almost three months after he was arrested. The government says he was released after confessing to charges of tax evasion, and because he has a chronic illness - diabetes and high blood pressure. The artist was taken into custody in April as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong. It came amid the central government's biggest crackdown on dissidents in years, and sparked a public outcry at home and abroad.