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Mali gave Hollande a camel as a thank you for sending troops to repel Islamist fighters from the country. Unfortunately that camel ended up a stew.

Bitcoin, the digital currency that trades outside the control of central banks and international borders, reached new heights Tuesday, surpassing the $200 mark for the first time. That level comes just five days after bitcoin approached $150, a development that Mt.Gox, the largest exchange service for the currency, deemed to be "epic."

The spelling bee said the change is a natural extension of the competition. The new test will take effect with this year's bee, scheduled for May 28-30.

Amid deep budget cuts and layoffs, the nation's second-largest school district is spending $4.5 million to hire 1,000 new aides this year. The superintendent says he'd rather use the money to hire back teachers, but the shootings in Newtown, Conn., led to a change in priorities.

As a journalist with Britain's The Guardian newspaper, Rory Carroll spent seven years living in Venezuela. His new book on Venezuela's recently deceased president explores Hugo Chavez's popularity with the poor and critiques his failures in governance and management.

Around the country, budget cuts are bringing some federal public defenders to the breaking point. "We can't not pay the rent, and ... everything else is personnel. We can't send a computer to court," says Washington, D.C., public defender A.J. Kramer.

Thousands of demonstrators backing more generous immigration rules are expected at a big rally on Capitol Hill Wednesday. They're demanding swift action by Congress. But while preliminary agreement has been reached on a range of immigration issues, it could be weeks before a bill appears in the Senate.

South Korean officials say the North has made preparations and looks ready to make its next provocative move. The mood in Seoul remains calm, however.

When French President Francois Hollande came for a visit, Mali's government gave him a camel. Unable to transport the camel home, Hollande left it with a local family who then ate it. Embarrassed officials have promised Hollande a new camel.

Satellite company DirectTV recently introduced DogTV to its line up. The channel, just for canines, will cost humans $5.99 a month. The programs feature soothing music and animations.