Corey Flintoff

The up-scale mall on Red Square is called GUM. It's in the former state-run department store, a Soviet-era monument that was once famous for long lines and unsmiling service. It's been turned into a glittering showplace for high-end foreign brands that most Russians can only look at.

The Russian military is plagued by problems: A top heavy senior officer corps and a defense industry that churns out obsolete equipment, to name just two. Analysts in Russia say the U.S. should be worried about a weaker Russia, which may be becoming a front line in the battle against Islamist extremism.

Less than a year after they separated, Sudan and South Sudan are once again fighting. Both countries depend on oil revenue. A full-scale war could devastate their economies and trigger a humanitarian crisis.

Less than a year after they separated, Sudan and South Sudan are once again fighting. Both countries depend on oil revenue. A full-scale war could devastate their economies and trigger a humanitarian crisis.

In Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin scored a decisive victory in Sunday's presidential election. He'll return to the Kremlin and extend his hold on power for six more years. Exit polling showed Putin winning nearly 60 percent of the vote, but independent observers claimed that the election was riddled with violations.

The critics of Vladimir Putin have been growing more vocal. But the current prime minister does not appear to face any serious challengers and looks set to win a third term as president as Russians choose a new leader in an election Sunday.

Anti-government protests in Russia are taking many forms — one of the latest is a feminist collective's performance in Red Square of a song criticizing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The guerrilla group says it plans more exploits before March's presidential elections.

In Libya, refugees are streaming out of Sirte, the last major town still in the hands of forces loyal to ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Cut off from the rest of the country, without electricity, many knew nothing of recent rebel advances, including the fall of the capital, Tripoli.

In Libya, refugees are streaming out of Sirte, the last major town still in the hands of forces loyal to ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Cut off from the rest of the country, without electricity, many knew nothing of recent rebel advances, including the fall of the capital, Tripoli.

Gharyan, just 55 miles south of Tripoli, is a prime objective of rebels in the country's western mountains. The government says the city is firmly on the side of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but many residents have reportedly left, and the real extent of government support is unclear.