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BT reckons a government plan to put a 50p tax on copper lines in order to fund fibre broadband to the country's hard to get to places can only go so far - and will probably never reach the last fifth of the UK. The plan, unveiled last month in the government's Digital Britain report, is aimed at ensuring superfast broadband is rolled out to areas likely to be ignored by the market. Liv Garfield, BT's director of strategy, said today that she believes the 50p per month levy will still leave a proportion of the UK without fibre. "I...

With the stunning news of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that there is "something else out there" that has forced her to make this decision. There might well be, but ever since her return to Alaska after her electoral defeat in November, it has been very clear that she has loathed the new dynamic that has greeted her there. The recent Mark Sanford saga and other political scandals have trained us to assume the worst, but as a former campaign aide who remains close to Palin cautions, "It’s a sad commentary...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set Nov. 3 as the special election date to replace former 10th Congressional District representative Ellen Tauscher. The primary election will be held Sept. 1.Per special election rules, the primary is an open ballot, meaning that all candidates will appear on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. The top vote-getter in each party plus the nonpartisan candidates will advance to the general election unless one candidate receives in the primary 50 percent plus one vote. If that occurs, the candidate will win the post outright.

To All Humanity: My freedom is yours. You won't be free unless you help me to get my freedom. Don't remain silent while in the dark of night you hear screams of mothers for the lives of their kids. Don't cover your ears when you hear the cries of the children for their mothers and fathers who have been shot by hooligans. They're trying to silence them and me and take away the thirst for freedom when they are done with us they will look for you. Yes, my friend, my freedom is your freedom. Therefore, I beg you, to...

MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police said on Friday they had foiled an Italian drug trafficker's plan to break out of jail in the Canary Islands using climbing equipment and a four-meter-long zeppelin. "The plan consisted of using a remotely controlled zeppelin to bring him night-vision goggles and climbing equipment with which to escape," a National Police statement said.

The Five First Saturdays Devotion How to Precisely fulfill the Five First Saturdays Devotionas Requested by Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Fatima Promises all the Graces Necessary for Heavenif a Catholic Finishes the Five First Saturdays Devotion "Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven." -Sr. Lucy (March 19, 1939) During her July apparition at Fatima, Our Lady said to...

Alaska will be seeing less of Sarah Palin now that she is resigning as governor, but the lower 48 states will be seeing a lot more of her--not in the media capitals of New York or Los Angeles, but in smaller markets, including towns in New Hampshire, Iowa and other states that can give presidential hopefuls a leg up in a primary race. Palin's support doesn't come from big-city elites, anyway. As one of them, Ann Marlowe, wrote in a column for Forbes.com last year, "Why Elite Women Hate Palin": People who become writers and intellectuals and artists tend not...

But let us return once again to the common points in the philosophical foundations of Marxism and capitalism taken strictly. The second point in common-as will already have been clear in passing-consists in the fad that determinism includes the renunciation of ethics as an independent entity relevant to the economy. This shows itself in an especially dramatic way in Marxism. Religion is traced back to economics as the reflection of a particular economic system and thus, at the same time, as an obstacle to correct knowledge, to correct action-as an obstacle to progress, at which the natural laws of history...

SAN ANSELMO, CA — Elizabeth Liebert will become the first Roman Catholic sister named as dean of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminary this summer when she takes over the position at San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS). With more than two decades of teaching experience at the 138-year-old seminary, Liebert will replace the Rev. Jana Childers, who will step down June 30 after nearly eight years as dean. “We are particularly pleased to be attaining a historic ecumenical milestone,” SFTS President Phil Butin said. “Dr. Liebert's deanship is a sterling example of SFTS's thoroughgoing commitment to ecumenical theological education.” “This seems...

So far, there's been very little analysis or speculation over why the June job's report was so bad. That makes some sense for several reasons. First, one month's numbers almost always doesn't give anyone enough data to make any fair determination. Second, it's almost impossible to know exactly what caused the economy to move anyway.

China is scouring the world for oil as its expanding economy needs more crude to fuel its transportation and infrastructure needs. The world’s most populous nation is close to a deal to loan Brazil oil giant Petrobras $10 billion for off-shore drilling. The deal would help China lock up more than 100,000 barrels of crude a day. China has been an aggressive bidder for rights to Iraqi oil fields although it is too early to say how that will work out. Sinopec (SNP) has bid $7.2 billion for oil company Addax Petroleum. The latest move by China to get access...

A source close to the Jacksons has exclusively revealed to X17 Online that family will likely have a traditional Muslim burial for late Michael Jackson. "The family is considering following the Muslim burial traditions because they believe Michael would have wanted to be laid to rest in keeping with his new-found religious beliefs," says the source. "Michael's brother Jermaine is educating the family as to the special rites because he feels it's important to bury his brother according to the Muslim way," adds the source. Despite earlier reports that both public and private memorial services for the late music performer...

Why did Sarah Palin resign?

Hats off to the New York Times for an inspiring profile of Lt. Ben Vargas, a New Haven firefighter who was one of the plaintiffs--the only Hispanic plaintiff--in the Ricci case. The Hispanic Firefighters' Association sided against him and he was hospitalized after being beaten up in the men's room of a bar in an attack that he believes was orchestrated by pro-race discrimination forces. But the Hispanic firefighters' group eventually came around, and Vargas and his co-plaintiffs were finally vindicated by the Supreme Court.

Why did Sarah Palin resign? Had enough of the attacks on her and her family Gearing up for 2012 Scandal coming Other Who cares Leftist trolls have Scandal coming winning right now.

Around 800 British troops have pushed deep into Taliban-held territory in Helmand province after a ten-day battle to secure river crossings. The latest wave of two-week-old Operation Panther's Claw involved one of the most strategically significant operations the British have carried out in Helmand, a British Army statement said. Hundreds of soldiers from the Light Dragoons began moving to secure a large area north of Lashkar Gah after 750 Welsh Guards seized 13 canal crossings. "Hundreds of soldiers from the Welsh Guards Battlegroup have successfully seized 13 key canal crossings in one of the most strategically significant British operations ever...

Prisoners on the run from Holleseley Bay prison cannot be identified because it would breach their rights to privacy, the Ministry of Justice has said.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans to remain extremely visible and will give serious consideration to running for president in 2012, but has made no decision, a close friend said after her startling announcement Friday that she will resign her office. Friends say Palin plans to spend time writing her book, which is due this fall, then promote it heavily when it comes out in spring 2010. Palin is by far the Republican Party's biggest draw for fund-raisers and conservative events, and the friends say she plans to spend a lot of time traveling in "the lower 48" states, as Alaskans...

Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? In Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union, you can. Such a deal is being offered by the Kontora loan company, whose public face is Viktor Mirosiichenko, 34. Clients have to sign a contract, with the words "Agreement" in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, "that is, my immortal soul." Mirosiichenko said his company would not employ debt collectors to get its money back if people refused to repay, and promised no physical violence....

The news of Sarah Palin’s resignation as governor came during my show this afternoon, where we spent most of an hour discussing it with the chatizens and my co-host Duane Patterson. I’ve had a chance to watch the video of her announcement and read through dozens of Twitter messages back and forth attempting to rationalize this, and still, it simply can’t be rationalized on the basis of what Palin said today. It’s easily the most bizarre resignation I’ve seen, and just about senseless. The lame-duck explanation was the most incoherent part of the entire statement: “Once I decided not to...