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Over the weekend, one of the main Syrian opposition leaders held informal talks with the regime's main backers — Russia and Iran. The talks were held on the sidelines of a security conference in Germany. It's unclear whether this creates an opening to a political settlement that could end the bloodshed in Syria.

Twitter was on fire during the Super Bowl, but the twitterverse really lit up when the lights went out at the Superdome. Someone created a Twitter account named "SuperBowlLights." Many people tweeted Beyonce must have caused the failure with her electric half-time show.

Also: Jared Diamond gets into trouble with an indigenous rights group; NFL players re-imagined as Dickens characters; a new theory about the Lockerbie bombing; and the best books of the week.

Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan last October because she had been speaking out about its attempts to block Pakistani girls from going to school. Now the teenager is in England, where she continues to recover from her injuries. Her "Malala Fund" aims to help girls get educated.

The game had drama — including a 108-yard kickoff return and a last-minute drive that almost changed the outcome. But the Ravens' 34-31 win over the 49ers will also be remembered as the night the lights went out in the Superdome. Did the outage make it a better Super Bowl?

Centenary College will host the Kennedy Center regional theater festival this month. More than 1,000 people are expected to come from a six-state region...

Maurice Sendak died last May but left behind a final book: a reflection on loss and love written in memory of his brother Jack. Sendak's longtime friend Tony Kushner describes the book's origins and Sendak's literary heroes.

The desert has inspired a rich literary landscape. Author Ruben Martinez recommends three reads that examine it both literally and figuratively. Do you have a favorite book that takes place in the desert? Tell us in the comments.

Unions in China are typically controlled by management and the government. A union run by democratic vote of the workers would be a huge shift.

Some people enjoy the Super Bowl commercials more than the football game. Host Michel Martin and Tampa Bay Times media critic Eric Deggans run through the best and worst ads; from senior citizens making late night trips to Taco Bell to nerds getting really sloppy kisses.