An Irish man received a touching Christmas gift when a 100-year-old letter from his mother to Santa was printed in the Irish Times. The slightly scorched paper had been stuck in the chimney of her childhood home in Dublin for more than 80 years until the current owner discovered it.

Over the last year, many dictators have fallen from power. To name a few: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was killed, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died. Linda Wertheimer talks to Susan Glasser, with Foreign Policy magazine, about the year that was and which of the world's remaining strongmen need to worry about what 2012 has to offer.

As North Korea prepares for a new leader, China, South Korea and the other nations are recalibrating their policies and weighing new security concerns. The job is difficult because so little is known about Kim Jong Un, the son and presumed successor to Kim Jong Il.

Abdul Wahkeel was the first potter in Istalif to rebuild his business after the Taliban fell. He has largely succeeded, but wonders whether his children will know the same prosperity and peace.