Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou survived a vote of confidence late Friday night after pledging he would step aside to form a broad coalition government. Yet, as NPR's Sylvia Poggioli tells host Scott Simon, it's still not clear whether Greece can create a new government.

This week marked the end of the Mars500 experiment, a 520-day simulation of a trip to the red planet that sealed six men inside windowless modules in a Russian laboratory. The crew dealt with fake emergencies and communications blackouts, and finally suited up to "land" on a fake Martian landscape. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports.

Daniel Ortega has been one of the most prominent figures in Nicaragua for three decades and is running for a third term as president.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou survived a confidence vote in parliament. For more, Guy Raz talks to NPR's Sylvia Poggioli, who is in Athens.

Prime Minister George Papandreou survived a confidence vote, but he vowed to start a coalition government and step down if necessary. The vote also means the risk of a Greek default — and by extension a potential world economic crisis — has receded.

The G-20 summit was dominated by Europe's debt crisis and the fear that it could spread. For now, world leaders are hoping that Europe can largely solve the problem on its own.

U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke returns to his ancestral village in southern China for the first time since his appointment. The Chinese-American was criticized as "a fake foreign devil who can't speak Chinese." But his humble behavior — flying economy, carrying his own bag — has won him many fans.