Updated at 5:45 a.m. ET: Judges decide WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal  to the U.K.'s Supreme Court against lower court rulings that he should be extradited to Sweden over allegations of rape and molestation, The Associated Press reports.

Published at 4:20 a.m. ET: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to ask British judges Monday to let him continue his legal battle to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex crimes allegations.

Assange will ask high court judges to let him take his case to Britain's Supreme Court. If they refuse the request, he could be extradited to Stockholm within 10 days.

The 40-year-old Australian behind the anti-secrecy website has spent almost a year on bail in Britain fighting extradition for questioning over claims of rape and molestation made by two Swedish women. Assange, who has been living in Britain since his arrest here in December last year, denies wrongdoing.

Two courts have ruled against him so far.

For his case to be considered by Britain's Supreme Court, Assange's lawyers must persuade two High Court judges that it raises a question of "general public importance."

Assange spent nine days in London's Wandsworth prison after his arrest last year. He was freed a week before Christmas on bail and has since been living at the country house of a wealthy supporter in eastern England.

His arrest came shortly after WikiLeaks published thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that included unflattering views of world leaders and candid assessments of security threats.

Assange says the allegations are politically motivated.

The application to take the case to the Supreme Court rests on two legal questions: Is the warrant for Assange's arrest valid, and can he be considered an "accused" person as required under extradition laws when no decision has been taken over whether he will be prosecuted.

If his appeal fails, Assange could still take his case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, further prolonging his stay in Britain.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Alexey Nikolsky / EPA

The United Russia party of President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin suffered a setback in Sunday's election.

Reuters reports that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ruling party lost 77 seats in parliament in an election held on Sunday, according to projections made by the Central Election Commission based on preliminary results. Putin's United Russia is expected to end up with 238 seats, a slim majority in the 450-member lower house. The party previously held a two-thirds majority allowing it to change the constitution without opposition support.

The Communist Party made substantial gains.

Opposition parties say the election was unfair from the start because of authorities' support for United Russia with cash, influence and television air time. European monitors also said Monday the vote was marred by apparent manipulations including ballot box stuffing.

Updated at 9:50 a.m. ET:  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she had "serious concerns" about the conduct of Russia's parliamentary elections. Speaking on the sidelines of an international conference on Afghanistan, Clinton told reporters that Russians deserved a full investigation of all reported irregularities.

Updated at 7:35 a.m ET: Andrey Buzin, chief of Golos election monitoring, said it had received more than 1,500 complaints about violations as of Sunday night.

"To me, this election was like a game in which only some players are allowed to compete," Heidi Tagliavini, the head of the European election observers, told reporters at a news conference on Monday.

However, President Dmitry Medvedev described the election as "fair, honest and democratic".

Updated at 5:40 a.m. ET: European monitors said that Russia's parliamentary election has been tilted in favor of the ruling party and marred by violations, The Associated Press reports.

The monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other European institutions highlighted issues including limited political competition and a lack of fairness.

• PhotoBlog: Scenes from the Russian election

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party saw its parliament majority weaken sharply in Sunday's vote despite allegations of widespread violations.

The European observers said the vote was tainted by frequent procedural violations and instances of apparent manipulations, including serious indications of ballot box stuffing.

Earlier, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov dismissed the official results as "theft on an especially grand scale." His party made big gains in Sunday's election.

However, Zyuganov told Reuters that police had barred Communist monitors from several polling stations and "some ended up in hospital with broken bones".

Updated at 4:50 a.m. ET: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia received nearly one-third fewer votes than in 2007, Reuters reported.

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganovm, whose party was on target to increase its representation from 57 to 92 in the Duma, alleged that some ballot boxes were stuffed before voting began.

"The country has never seen such a dirty election," he added. 

Updated at 4:40 a.m. ET: With about 96 percent of precincts counted, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia was leading with 49.5 percent of the vote, Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov told The Associated Press.

He predicted that it will get 238 of the Duma's 450 seats, a sharp drop compared to the previous vote that landed the party a two-thirds majority in the Duma. The Associated Press described the result as a "humiliating setback" for Putin, "who has steadily tightened his grip on the nation for nearly 12 years."

About 60 percent of Russia's 110 million registered voters cast ballots, down from 64 percent four years ago.

• Post-election cyber attack?

"Sunday's vote badly dented (Putin's) carefully groomed image," The AP's Vladimir Isachenkov wrote. "It reflected a strong public frustration with the lack of political competition, ubiquitous official corruption and the gap between rich and poor, which will pose a growing challenge to Putin's power."

By msnbc.com's F. Brinley Bruton -- published at 3 a.m. ET: Vladimir Putin's ruling party lost its crucial two-thirds majority in parliament in Russian elections held on Sunday, a damaging setback for the country's prime minister who is running for president once again next year.

Meanwhile, Russia’s communists, which seemed to have no future when the Soviet Union disintegrated 20 years ago, drew students, intellectuals, even some businessmen in forging an opposition to Putin's United Russia party, Reuters reported.

 The party was running second to United Russia as counting continued on Monday, according to the Moscow Times. While the final results have yet to be determined, initial counting indicates that the party, which the Moscow Times said "crushingly dominated" Russia's politics for years, was set to lose its decisive majority the Duma.

 United Russia was set to win about 50 percent of the vote over the weekend, down from 64 percent in the 2007 elections, the newspaper reported.

The results will mean that United Russia will most likely be forced to work with the communists and two other parties that made gains in the elections -- the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and Just Russia, a social democratic party, The New York Times reported. Over 90 percent of the votes had been counted by Monday morning, the newspaper reported.

"We have received thousands of calls from regional offices, confirming massive violations and fraud," Communist Party deputy head Ivan Melnikov said on the party website, according to the BBC. "Throughout the day, it was like receiving reports from a war zone."

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Pentagon says it lost control of a drone during a surveillance mission along the Afghanistan- Iran border. The remains were later recovered by Iran's armed forces. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports.

Pool / Reuters

A policeman drives down Yazahdani Road on the way to the President's Office before a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Myanmar's President Thein Sein in Naypyitaw on Thursday.

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could be forgiven for believing she's visiting two different countries – one called Naypyitaw, the other Myanmar.

Naypyitaw is the new capital of Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. It’s been built from scratch in the middle of nowhere. It's still a work in progress, it was only designated as the administrative capital in 2005, and until recently was largely off-limits to foreigners.

It’s a sprawling, surreal place with so few people that its eight-lane highways are almost deserted – a somewhat shocking site in this congested part of the world.

For several miles down one stretch, I saw just three motorcycles and a truck transporting a group of workers who had been tending the landscaped gardens on either side of the road.

Despite the apparent lack of people, Naypyitaw does have plenty of monstrous government buildings and villas, and several hotels and an international airport are under construction.

"Where's downtown?" I asked a Myanmar journalist. "I keep asking them that," he replied, “But nobody seems to know."

For many, Naypyitaw is a symbol of military ego, a metaphor for the former junta's isolation from the world – and its own people.

Pool / Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Myanmar's President Thein Sein at the President's Office in Naypyitaw Thursday.

Myanmar's new president, Thein Sein, a former army officer, is reportedly a modest man. But there's little modesty about his sprawling palace, where he and other officials from the new and nominally civilian government received Clinton in an ornate reception room. It was so new you could almost smell the paint.

The police made a big show of stopping what little traffic there was to make way for the Clinton cavalcade as it crisscrossed the city.

There was never any danger of congestion.

Myanmar has been so secretive that it's not clear precisely when work began on the city, nor how much it cost. It is lavish by any standards, but almost obscenely so against the backdrop of the enormous poverty elsewhere in the country.

It's hard to say where the money came from – but the military had its finger in many business pies, of various degrees of legitimacy. China has also been a big benefactor.

The government justified the move by saying Yangon was too crowded, and that Naypyitaw was chosen because it is smack in the middle of the country. Though one bizarre explanation was that former military strongman Than Shwe was shaken by an astrologer's warning that an American attack was imminent and Yangon was too exposed. Cynics suggested he was afraid of his own people as well.

The real Myanmar
Clinton flew late in the afternoon Thursday to the country’s old capital, Yangon, the city also known as Rangoon, seemingly a world away. Yangon, 200 miles from Naypyitaw, is a city of stunning pagodas and dilapidated, colonial-era buildings, including the run-down lakeside residence of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Saul Loeb / Pool via AP

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pours water over a Buddhist statue, as she tours the Shwedegon Pagoda, a Buddhist temple founded between the 6th and 10th centuries AD, in Yangon, Myanmar, Thursday.

It’s a real city, with real people and a real soul. And for the most part, its residents are giving the benefit of the doubt to the reforms coming from Naypyitaw.

Clinton met Suu Kyi for a private dinner Thursday evening, the meeting itself a remarkable sign of change.

Many are still skeptical about the government's intentions – although Suu Kyi isn't among them.

She was expected to tell Clinton she thinks President Thein Sein is sincere in wanting change, that he truly believes it is the best way forward for the country.

Suu Kyi will likely test the reforms by standing for a vacant parliamentary seat early next year.

It is an unusually positive response to the government’s claims of reform – she’s been persecuted for years by the regime for her pursuit of democracy, spending 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest.

Thursday evening was the first time the two have met, and Clinton, while welcoming the reforms, is taking a more cautious public line.

Pool / Pool via Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tours the Shwedegon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar Thursday.

That, after all, is her job.

Though it’s my guess that she'll be enchanted both by Suu Kyi and Yangon – a good deal more so than the sterile meeting rooms of Naypyitaw.

Franck Robichon / EPA

Toyota's concept car 'Fun-Vii' is displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday. Click on the photo to see a complete SLIDESHOW of the concept cars on display at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

TOKYO – Japanese car makers have had a tough year.

First the devastating March earthquake and tsunami struck at their supply chain for key auto parts and then flooding in Thailand forced some companies to suspend factory production for weeks. But the natural disasters only compounded larger economic problems for the car companies: the record high value of the yen has greatly hindered profits from export sales.

Add to those issues the growing reluctance among young Japanese to own vehicles, plus the consistent aging of Japan’s population, and all indications point to a shrinking domestic market. It’s what many here fear will eventually result in Japan's “industrial hollowing.”

The bi-annual Tokyo Motor Show will kick-off this weekend despite the adverse obstacles. With more domestic companies participating, a new event venue, and showcasing futuristic energy-efficient vehicles, the show hopes to re-invigorate Japan's domestic auto market.

A ‘smartphone on wheels’
In his opening remarks to the press Toyota President Akio Toyoda vowed he would "never give up” and presented the company's new slogan: "Fun to Drive, Again.” 

And to do just that, Toyota unveiled its new "86" sports car, and the futuristic concept car, the Fun-Vii (which stands for Fun Vehicle Interactive Internet).

Critics have dubbed the Fun-Vii a "smartphones on wheels" or something straight out of the sci-fi movie “TRON.” Cloaked in a sleek black casing, both the exterior and the interior of the Fun-Vii car are designed to act as projection panels for the driver to display images or color depending on the "mood" of the driver.

It also comes with a "navigation concierge" where a Princess Leia-like hologram guides the driver through virtual street maps, and utilizing satellite GPS readings, the car will warn the driver of any in-coming vehicles tucked behind the corner of a building.

At the moment Toyota says there are no production plans for the Fun Vii.

Small cars for the urban, silver-haired consumer
Toyota’s real bid for the domestic market is the Aqua, their latest compact-class hybrid car, which is smaller and more budget-friendly than their popular Prius series.

All of the automakers are showcasing their new fleet of compact-sized vehicles, reflecting Japanese consumer demands for more affordable, even smaller-sized cars with improved fuel efficiency and an emphasis on conservation.

It’s also a trend which reflects the nation's increasingly silver population.

"By 2015, one out of four people will be over 65 years old. And our vision is that those people will be able to continue to lead an active life," said Honda Chief Engineer Ikuo Kurachi explaining to me the thinking behind their new "mini, mini-van" the N Box Plus.

The compact mini-van is equipped with easy-to-open sliding doors and a large interior space with a slope that can hold a 4-wheel electric scooter, the MonPal, which is designed for senior citizens. The idea is that for long distances, one can drive the N Box and then for more local mobility they can take out the MonPal.

Nissan is also looking to the future with their third generation electric vehicle concept model, the Pivo3, a three-seater with a central steering wheel and minimum turning radius of about six feet that allows drivers to park practically anywhere.

"It features technologies that we consider are going to be important for the future, particularly around urban areas. Zero emission. Highly maneuverable, urban car," said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.

It’s a design that takes into account a future in which as  Japan’s population moves, it moves into more urban and compact “smart cities.”

Main problem: How to keep making money in Japan
But despite all these grand vision and ideas, at the moment the biggest obstacle for all of the Japanese automakers is the strong value of the yen. Not only did the yen hit a post-war high in October, it’s 50 percent higher than what it was three years ago.

"Some people can say: You're making money and you're growing. Yes, we're making money and we're growing – outside Japan," said Ghosn, speaking about the current state of the Japanese currency. "But today our main problem is we cannot justify continuing to invest in Japan and projects in Japan. And that's exactly where the problem is.”

Marian Smith / msnbc.com

Barbara Westgate, a senior civilian executive in the US Air Force, recalled how a general once patted her on the head and remarked on how "pretty" she was after he was told of her promotion. She now helps to manage more than $822 billion in Air Force funding.

LONDON — When Barbara Westgate joined the U.S. Air Force as a secretary in 1973, her career goal was to earn $5,000 a year.

"I thought I wanted to be a housewife," she recalled.

Today, Westgate is the civilian equivalent of a three-star general who helps to manage $822 billion (over five years*) in the Air Force's future defense program.

Westgate was among the pioneering women serving in the military, intelligence and security services from around the world who gathered in London this week to discuss their experiences in leadership positions.

She told msnbc.com how an older male general offered his congratulations when she was promoted to director of logistics for the Air Force's advanced tactical aircraft program in 1988. "Of course you got the job, Barb, you're just so pretty," he said, before patting Westgate on the head.

"He was just from that generation," said Westgate, who is now a Washington, D.C.-based officer in the senior executive service of the Air Force. "He thought he was paying me a compliment." Furious as she was, Westgate didn't take it personally.

Amid the neat uniforms, gold insignia, polished medals, ribbons and brass buttons, the stories were often similar. The Royal Norwegian Navy commander who was the world's first woman to serve on a submarine, the British Royal Navy commander who was the first female flag officer, the Swedish Air Force colonel who was the first woman to command a regiment. When the latter was asked how it felt to be a woman in command, she said, "Well, I’ve always been a woman."

There was little bitterness. Delegates were quick to point out that their militaries had only really begun to open their doors to women in the past 20 years. It will take time for women to reach senior leadership roles, they reminded each other.

U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Carol Pottenger said she started her career in 1978 on a tour in Pearl Harbor, a non-operational assignment far from any front line. It was a typical assignment for women then.

In the 1990s, the Navy began opening up ships and other divisions to women. Now 93 percent of assignments allow them – including the Navy SEALs in support capacity roles. However, that's not 100 percent. Pottenger explained the reality of what that meant for her current role as deputy chief of staff for capability and development at NATO Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation in Norfolk, Va.: "I could command 40,000 sailors, but in one of the … [divisions] I commanded, women couldn't even serve."

Marian Smith / msnbc.com

Colonel Lena Hallin, center, is a Swedish defense attache.

Speaking to a room full of nodding heads, she added: "If you're going to recruit and retain the best and the brightest, you can't afford to ignore half the population."

Pottenger commended the mentorship programs and other policies that have opened up the military to women but urged young cadets to actively put themselves forward for more leadership roles and encouraged senior officers to aggressively support the policies from the top.

'I guess the message got through'
"Don’t be silly, we didn’t mean women,” Commodore Elizabeth Steele was told when she applied for a post with Canada's navy on a U.N. mission in Cambodia in 1992. She had joined the navy in 1986, when women weren't allowed to be maritime officers because of a policy that deemed them "not qualified."

But by then sea logistics had opened up to women and Steele submitted her application for the tour. Disgruntled by the response she got, Steele shot back that they should have specified that women need not apply.

"I guess the message got through because I ended up in Cambodia," she said.

Steele, who is now the deputy chief of staff and associate deputy minister at Canada's department of defense, advocates the concept of gender intelligence – or recognizing the different strengths men and women have and using them effectively.

"We have better teams … if we have teams that are diverse," Steele added.

However, one of the most important results Steele has seen of women entering the military is the influence it has on people in countries like Afghanistan — where women are not considered equal citizens.

It is important "for a young child to see women in a combat or military role," she said. “There is a connection that a female soldier makes with a person" that is unique and powerful.

Hosted by the Royal United Services Institute, an independent think tank for defense and security, the Women in Defence and Security Leadership conference wraps up today.

*The initial post failed to indicate that the $822 billion budget was over a five-year period.