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As Malian forces backed by French and African troops have retaken the West African nation's contested northern region, there have been allegations of human rights abuses. Human Rights organizations accuse the Malian army of summary executions, among other abuses.

The industry has changed rapidly, but amendments exempting the workers from minimum wage and overtime pay have not. The Obama administration has yet to formally approve new rules, though the president has come out in favor of them.

Wreckage believed to be from the 2011 Japanese tsunami is washing up thousands of miles away in Alaska. The debris isn't just unsightly — it poses environmental worries for the landscape and animals. One conservationist says the problem may be worse than the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The prefabricated nuclear reactors, which would be small enough to build in a factory and ship on trucks, would generate about one-tenth the power of a typical nuclear power plant. It's potentially a growth opportunity for American industry, but critics say the reactors carry a host of safety, security, environmental and economic concerns.

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.

The president will visit the city's police department — most police organizations favor tougher gun laws. The president leaves behind a new Congress that's getting down to business. Consuming most lawmakers' time are the budget and deficit.

The Canadian mint stops distributing pennies on Monday. Canada stopped making one-cent coins last year to cut costs, since each penny cost 1.6 cents to make. Most stores will round out change to the nearest five cents.

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.

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.

The world's largest retailer says its investing in one of the fastest growing segments of American agriculture: local food. But small farmers say they aren't necessarily seeing the benefits.