Luhansk and Donetsk, which have been under a shaky truce since early September, would participate in the vote, which Russia's foreign minister has said is "important to legitimize authorities there."
The Marines have departed their biggest base in southern Afghanistan, the scene of heavy fighting throughout the war. This will be one of the main proving grounds for the Afghan army.
Young Iranians are brimming with ideas for tech startups. But extensive financial sanctions facing their country prevent them from entering the global marketplace.
Few scenarios worry the U.S. and its allies more than the prospect of the rise of the Islamic State on the war-battered landscape of northwest Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. In Pakistan, six top Taliban commanders have pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Unlike its Central American neighbors, Nicaragua hasn't waged a head-on military battle with the cartels. The country suffers less violence, but critics says it effectively tolerates trafficking.
Solange Lusiku Nsimire, an editor who has been subjected to death threats and whose family has been attacked, has won a courage award for her journalism in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Commentator Sandip Roy says the traditional sari has been falling out of fashion in the new India, but designers are turning to pop art prints and other changes to boost its appeal.
Working with the government, the Red Cross sends 2 million texts a month to people in Sierra Leone, reminding them to wash their hands, take their temperature and protect themselves from Ebola.