Wednesday's service is shrouded in mystery. Nations around the world will be watching for any clues about the country's future. Meanwhile, the heir to Kim Jong Il's leadership post showed a rare bit of emotion earlier today.

Four Arab leaders have been driven from power this year, but only one is facing trial. Democracy activists say prosecution is necessary to establish the primacy of the rule of law. But some pragmatists say the threat of prosecution encourages dictators to cling to power rather than consider exile.

As North Korea prepares for the funeral of leader Kim Jong Il, attention is being focused on the country his son, heir apparent Kim Jong Un, will inherit. Like almost everything to do with North Korea, the picture of how the country's economy works is cloudy.

Syria began withdrawing army tanks Tuesday from the restive city of Homs, an opposition stronghold. There, doctors often treat injured anti-government protesters in an underground network.

U.S. officials may be giving up on their goal of strong relations with Pakistan. That's the suggestion, anyway, in the details of a report by The New York Times. The report describes the U.S. preparing for a much more limited relationship after U.S. forces in Afghanistan killed Pakistani troops across the border. Eric Schmitt, who authored the report, talks to Steve Inskeep about deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.

As the debt crisis spreads across Europe, the economy in the region is slowing to a crawl. One place that's starting to feel the impact of the slowdown is the massive port of Rotterdam in Holland. It's the biggest port in the world outside Asia. Much of what's bought and sold in Europe goes through Rotterdam.