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YouTube Promotes Channels, Pledges $200 mil in Ads

In a flashy presentation to advertisers, YouTube promoted its new channels of original programming, while pledging to spend $200 million to help market them.

That's roughly twice what the Google Inc.-owned video site has spent launching some 100 channels of niche-oriented programming. The channels are an ambitious initiative from YouTube, approximately halfway through its rollout.

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Dubai Shipyard Firm Could Build Underwater Hotels

Dubai is splashing into the business of underwater hotels again.

The Gulf emirate's state shipbuilding division Drydocks World said in a statement on Thursday that it has signed on with a Swiss company to become the sole Middle East construction contractor of the futuristic hotels.

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Chelsea's Top 4 Stay Looks over as Newcastle Wins

Chelsea looks certain to finish outside the top four of the English Premier League for the first time in 10 years after a 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle on Wednesday.

Papiss Cisse scored twice at Stamford Bridge to take his tally to 13 goals in 12 appearances for Newcastle, which now looks to be going head-to-head with Tottenham for a top-four place.

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RIM Says Will Still Make Keypads for BlackBerrys

Research in Motion Ltd. says future BlackBerry models will still offer physical keyboards.

Some reports suggested RIM would ditch the physical keys favored by its users, but CEO Thorsten Heins said Wednesday that RIM won't lose the focus on physical keypads.

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107 Charged in Medicare Fraud Busts in 7 U.S. Cities

Federal authorities charged 107 doctors, nurses and social workers in seven cities with Medicare fraud Wednesday in a nationwide crackdown on unrelated scams that allegedly billed the taxpayer-funded program of $452 million — the highest dollar amount in a single Medicare bust in U.S. history.

It was the latest in a string of major arrests in the past two years as authorities have targeted fraud that's believed to cost the government between $60 billion and $90 billion each year. Stopping Medicare's budget from hemorrhaging that money will be key to paying for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

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Elephant Plays Tunes on Harmonica U.S. Zoo

An elephant named Shanthi at the U.S. national zoo plays a harmonica with her trunk and appears to love doing it.

Video released Wednesday by the zoo in Washington shows the 36-year-old Asian elephant has a harmonica attached to her stall and plays tunes even when no humans are within view.

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‘Scream’ Fetches Record $119.9 Million at New York Auction

One of the art world's most recognizable images — Edvard Munch's "The Scream" — sold Wednesday for a record $119,922,500 at auction in New York City.

The 1895 artwork — a modern symbol of human anxiety — was sold at Sotheby's. Neither the buyer's name nor any details about the buyer was released.

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Roy Hodgson Hired to Coach England on 4-Year Deal

England's national team is back in the hands of an Englishman — albeit one who spent much of his coaching career abroad.

Roy Hodgson was hired Tuesday as the coach tasked with ending England's 46-year title drought, with the Football Association hoping his international experience and homegrown heritage will blend into a perfect mix.

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Syria's Cultural Treasures Latest Uprising Victim

On its towering hilltop perch, the Krak des Chevaliers, one of the world's best preserved Crusader castles, held off a siege by the Muslim warrior Saladin nearly 900 years ago. It was lauded by Lawrence of Arabia for its beauty and has been one of the crown jewels of Syria's tourism.

But it has fallen victim to the chaos of Syria's uprising and the crackdown against it by President Bashar Assad's regime. Recently, gunmen broke into the castle, threw out the staff and began excavations to loot the site, says Bassam Jammous, general director of the Antiquities and Museum Department in Damascus.

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Jessica Simpson Gives Birth to a Baby Girl

The Jessica Simpson baby watch finally came to an end Tuesday.

Simpson gave birth to a daughter named Maxwell Drew Johnson in Los Angeles on Tuesday, said publicist Lauren Auslander.

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