NPR News

Libyan rebels battling forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi are falling back from the oil port of Brega in their latest setback. The momentum has remained with the pro-Gadhafi forces as fighter jets pound rebel positions. The Arab League Saturday called for a no-fly zone over Libya. As NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from rebel-held Benghazi, Saturday also saw the first death of a journalist in the conflict.

This year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the race's history and could set a new speed record. Host Liane Hansen gets an update from Tim Bodony of the Alaska Public Radio Network.

Japan continues to report strong aftershocks following the most powerful earthquake in its modern history. Teams of emergency workers, including soldiers and volunteers, are still looking for survivors along the hardest hit areas of Japan's northeastern coast. In addition, reporter Doualy Xaykaothao says an estimated 170,000 people have been evacuated in the Fukushima prefecture to avoid exposure to radiation from nuclear reactors at a power plant.

Several reactors lost power after Japan's earthquake and tsunami, and the primary challenge now is to keep them from melting down. Some radiation has been released into the air, and while safety officials say the levels are not dangerous, about 200,000 people have been evacuated from the area. Host Liane Hansen discusses the latest on nuclear reactors damaged by Japan's earthquake and tsunami with NPR's Christopher Joyce.

While Japan remains focused on its damaged nuclear reactor and other urgent needs, the nation soon will have to address the damage to its economy. Host Liane Hansen talks to Kenneth Cukier, business and finance correspondent in Tokyo for The Economist magazine, about the potential economic impact of the earthquake/tsunami on Japan.