As Russians mark the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union, their political system has reached another watershed moment. Tens of thousands turned out Saturday for another huge protest against apparent fraud in this month's parliamentary election. The urban middle class in Moscow has risen up to demand greater political rights.

The Holiday season is a time for cheer. But in Norway, the memory of the horrific bombing and shooting seven months ago, still lingers. Weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz talks with Anders Gaiever, a Norwegian newspaper columnist, about what he remembers from that day, and how the man who carried out the attacks might avoid jail time.

Weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz speaks with Lucy Craft, a reporter based in Japan, to get an update on the status of the country 10 months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami. Craft says Tokyo appears mostly normal, but northern Japan still has a long way to go.

If every conflict has a theme song, then Libya's is as unlikely as it is fitting: "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers. A reporter's driver and her translator reflect on what the song has to teach them in a country caught between hope and a mounting despair.

It's been a particularly bloody week in Syria, especially in the north, where as many as 200 died in clashes between army troops and defectors. Friday, two explosions in Damascus killed more than 40. Amid the escalating violence, the Arab League sending in monitors to oversee a peace plan. NPR's Deborah Amos speaks with host Scott Simon.

The Cape Race Lighthouse has warned boats off Canada's rocky coast for more than a century. It lies just south of the eastern-most point in North America. On the kind of stormy day the lighthouse was built for, its keeper talks about hanging on in one of the farthest corners in North America.