In 2005, Myanmar's military rulers picked up the government and moved it to a remote city newly built in the country's jungle. Naypyitaw boasts manicured boulevards and well-stocked supermarkets — but not many residents. The impressive surface, many say, belies an aging dictator's paranoia.

President Obama says his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Myanmar next month, the first such visit in half a century. Relations between the U.S. and Myanmar have been strained during years of rule by a secretive military junta, but its new president has started a process of reform that the U.S. wants to encourage. Michele Kelemen

Long-simmering tensions between Egypt's ruling military council and post-Mubarak political parties could burst into the open. Islamist and secular parties are both planning mass demonstrations in Tahrir Square to protest what they see as efforts by the military to enshrine its power at the expense of an elected government.

In the past few months, four people suspected of posting information about the Zetas drug cartels online have been murdered and decapitated in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Some websites continue to post information about the cartels, making those contributors potential targets.

Italy's new prime minister, Mario Monti, said Friday that he'll meet with other European leaders next week to lay out his plans for reforming Italy's economy. Investors have been growing more concerned about Italy's ability to pay off its debts — and that's driven the cost of borrowing higher. But Italy's problems won't be easy to fix. The country has seen its growth rate slow to a crawl in recent decades, and unemployment — especially among the young — has risen. Jim Zarroli