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Three steps to buying Insurance
It wasn't too long ago that most people simply bought whatever insurance was mandated by the government and lenders, or recommended by insurance agents and friends.
Nowadays, the Internet has it all, and most of it is free. By far and away, this type of comparison shopping is the activity in which the Internet has had the most dramatic impact.
Use these three steps when buying insurance:
Step One:
Do I need this type of insurance at all? Figure out what the type of insurance you are considering covers and decide whether you need it.
Step Two:
How much of this type of insurance do I need? Policies vary in how much they cover. Some cover specific dollar amounts. Others cover percent of loss. Some have a deductible. Others exclude certain types of damage. Look at these differences among policies and decide which one is for you.
Step Three:
Where will I buy it? You'll be able to buy insurance almost anywhere, especially simple products such as term life insurance. The days of depending on a local insurance agency for everything are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
If you are working on your own, the web has a host of services to help you comparison shop among companies.
Type in "insurance" on most search engines and you will come up with a number of sites. If you are working with an agent, you may be working with a captive agent which means he/she can only sell you policies form one company or an independent agent which represents several.
When selecting a company, consider also whether the company is both able and willing to pay on claims should you make one. You can also ask the company itself or your agent.
Consider also the company's record for trying to refuse to pay claims. Your state insurance commission may have a record of complaints.
When buying any insurance, you will most likely save money if you pay annually or semi-annually. Sometimes buying several types of insurance from the same company will save you money.
When shopping for insurance, also look into group policies offered by alumni associations, professional associations, or religious bodies.
Usually you can forget about specialized insurance advertised on television with paid endorsers. They usually cover very little.
News block
| 09/02/2010 12:00 PM |
| Bid for Middle East peace begins |
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The US Secretary of State tells the Israeli and Palestinian leaders they have the "opportunity to end this conflict" as direct peace talks begin.
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| 09/02/2010 12:08 PM |
| Explosion on Gulf of Mexico rig |
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An explosion rips through an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, west of the site of the blast in April that caused a huge oil spill.
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| 09/02/2010 09:46 AM |
| Pakistan scandal takes new twist |
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The three Pakistan cricketers accused of corruption - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - may have been set up, according to the country's high commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan.
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| 09/02/2010 08:57 AM |
| PM backs Hague over aide rumours |
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David Cameron supports William Hague "100%" following speculation about the foreign secretary's private life, the PM's spokeswoman says.
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| 09/02/2010 08:51 AM |
| Ministers propose 45p drink price |
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The Scottish government says drinkers should be charged a minimum of 45p for every unit of alcohol as part of efforts to cut consumption.
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| 09/02/2010 09:29 AM |
| Strike 'kills Afghan civilians' |
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Ten election campaign workers have been killed in an air strike by Nato-led forces in Afghanistan, Afghan officials say.
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| 09/02/2010 07:57 AM |
| RBS to cut a further 3,500 jobs |
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Royal Bank of Scotland is planning to cut 3,500 jobs from its technical and back office division.
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| 09/02/2010 11:51 AM |
| Burger King is sold for $3.26bn |
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Burger King is being sold to private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $3.26bn (£2.1bn), it has been announced.
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| 09/02/2010 09:29 AM |
| Man beat wife and daughter to death |
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A florist beat his wife and daughter to death with a rubber mallet before hanging himself amid fears he would lose his biggest customer, an inquest hears.
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| 09/02/2010 07:57 AM |
| Pair held over 'honour killing' |
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The parents of so-called "honour killing" victim Shafilea Ahmed are arrested on suspicion of her murder, sources say.
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| 09/02/2010 03:18 AM |
| Creation was Godless says Hawking |
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There is no place for God in theories on the creation of the Universe, Professor Stephen Hawking concludes in a new book.
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| 09/02/2010 07:32 AM |
| Back... but not for long as Madeley rescues show |
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Ex-This Morning host Richard Madeley presents the first five minutes of the show while Eamonn Holmes is stuck in traffic.
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| 09/02/2010 02:20 AM |
| Rare bronze Roman lantern found in field |
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A metal detecting enthusiast finds what is believed to be the only intact Roman lantern made out of bronze ever discovered in Britain.
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| 09/02/2010 09:58 AM |
| Live text - US Open day four |
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Top seed Caroline Wozniacki takes centre stage on day four at the US Open with Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic in action later.
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| 09/02/2010 08:47 AM |
| Carson out of England qualifier |
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Goalkeeper Scott Carson is released from the England squad to face Bulgaria in the Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday because of a family bereavement.
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| 09/02/2010 10:47 AM |
| Surgery rules Onions out of Ashes |
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England and Durham pace bowler Graham Onions to miss the Ashes series against Australia this winter because of a back operation.
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| 09/02/2010 11:23 AM |
| Curbishley linked with Villa job |
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Alan Curbishley is among those to be interviewed for the vacant manager's post at Aston Villa, BBC Sport understands.
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| 09/02/2010 05:33 AM |
| Weir, Miller, Hutton set to start |
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David Weir, Kenny Miller and Alan Hutton all look certain to start for Scotland in Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier in Lithuania.
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| 09/02/2010 10:25 AM |
| Tube strikes on as talks collapse |
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Thousands of Tube workers will strike next week as talks between London Underground bosses and two unions break down.
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| 09/02/2010 09:54 AM |
| Ex-officer jailed for child abuse |
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A retired police officer who sexually abused two boys while he worked for the force is jailed for seven years.
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| 09/02/2010 06:46 AM |
| More Pakistan flood aid pledged |
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An extra £300,000 of emergency funding is pledged by the Scottish government to help the relief effort in Pakistan.
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| 09/02/2010 09:02 AM |
| Fiscal report on dog attack owner |
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The owner of an Akita dog which attacked a girl in Kilmarnock is reported to the procurator fiscal.
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| 09/02/2010 12:03 PM |
| Error made in abuse brothers case |
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The return of two child-abusing brothers to a County Fermanagh village was due to clerical error rather than a legal loophole, it has emerged.
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| 09/02/2010 08:20 AM |
| Policing Ardoyne riots cost £1.1m |
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The PSNI chief constable has revealed that dealing with four days of rioting in Ardoyne in July cost the police just over £1m.
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| 09/02/2010 07:30 AM |
| Suicide after killing ex-partner |
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A nurse found dead at her Bridgend home was unlawfully killed by her former partner, a coroner rules.
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| 09/02/2010 11:15 AM |
| Gillan accepts electoral findings |
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The Welsh Secretary says she is minded to accept changes to the referendum question after watchdog report.
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| 09/02/2010 11:10 AM |
| SA to resume Zimbabwe expulsions |
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South Africa is to start expelling Zimbabweans again, from 31 December, the government announces.
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| 09/02/2010 10:02 AM |
| DR Congo 'genocide' file delayed |
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The UN postpones the release of a draft report that accuses the Rwandan army of possible genocide in DR Congo till next month.
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| 09/02/2010 03:03 AM |
| Independent Wilkie backs Gillard |
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One of four key independent lawmakers endorses Australian PM Julia Gillard, leaving her just two seats short of the majority needed to form the next government.
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| 09/02/2010 02:57 AM |
| Typhoon hits South Korean capital |
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Three people die as Seoul is hit by its strongest typhoon in 15 years, while storms continue to cause heavy rain and landslides in China.
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| 09/02/2010 08:54 AM |
| EU critical of France over Roma |
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The European Commission criticises France over its expulsions of Roma (Gypsies) and requests more information about the crackdown.
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| 09/02/2010 11:42 AM |
| German banker 'should be fired' |
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The German central bank calls on the country's president to dismiss one of its board members over comments he made about immigration and Jews.
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| 09/02/2010 06:22 AM |
| Ecuador in migrant massacre row |
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Honduras accuses Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa of risking the life of a Honduran migrant who survived last month's Mexico massacre.
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| 09/01/2010 11:14 PM |
| Chile miners given first hot meal |
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Chilean miners trapped underground receive their first hot meal in 26 days, as Nasa experts arrive at the mine site.
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| 09/01/2010 10:11 AM |
| Obama hails US operation in Iraq |
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President Barack Obama hails the end of US combat operations in Iraq, saying the US has paid "a huge price" to "put Iraq's future in its people's hands".
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| 09/01/2010 12:16 PM |
| Netherlands frees Yemeni suspects |
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Two Yemenis arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack are released, prosecutors in the Netherlands say.
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| 09/02/2010 02:18 AM |
| Pakistan mourns as Lahore toll up |
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Three days of mourning begins in Pakistan after bomb attacks on a Shia Muslim procession in Lahore city kill 31 people.
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| 09/02/2010 06:34 AM |
| Afghan bank 'to avoid collapse' |
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The head of Afghanistan's Central Bank tells the BBC he will not allow the country's biggest commercial bank to collapse.
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| 09/02/2010 10:08 AM |
| US East Coast on hurricane alert |
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Areas along the US East Coast declare states of emergency as Hurricane Earl churns towards the region, forecast to brush land on Thursday night.
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| 09/02/2010 11:24 AM |
| US accuses 11 of honey smuggling |
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US authorities indict 11 German and Chinese executives for conspiring to illegally import $40m worth of honey from China.
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| 09/02/2010 03:44 AM |
| House prices fall again in August |
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House prices fell for the second month in a row in August, according to the Nationwide building society.
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| 09/02/2010 10:20 AM |
| Four power firms face sales probe |
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Four of the "big six" UK energy suppliers are to be investigated amid concerns of mis-selling to customers, the regulator says.
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| 09/02/2010 10:49 AM |
| Dell pulls out of battle for 3Par |
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Dell withdraws its bid for 3Par after rival Hewlett-Packard raises its offer for the data storage company to $2.1bn.
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| 09/02/2010 05:37 AM |
| Labour defends leader vote rules |
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Labour defends its leadership election rules amid evidence some people can cast multiple votes.
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| 09/02/2010 08:50 AM |
| Blair memoirs 'break sale record' |
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Tony Blair's memoirs, based on his time as the prime minister, break sales records, booksellers say.
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| 09/02/2010 11:46 AM |
| Brown focus on schools and Africa |
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Gordon Brown is to devote time to unpaid education and internet projects, his spokesman says.
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| 09/02/2010 11:59 AM |
| Clue to egg flaws in older women |
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British scientists say they are closer to knowing why older women trying to fall pregnant are more likely to produce abnormal eggs.
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| 09/01/2010 06:07 PM |
| Elderly broken hip care concerns |
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One in five elderly people with broken hips do not get surgery quickly enough, a survey shows.
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| 09/01/2010 06:07 PM |
| Brain training may delay dementia |
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People who do puzzles and crosswords may stave off dementia longer but experience a more rapid decline once the disease sets in, a study suggests.
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| 09/01/2010 06:15 PM |
| School meals 'help fussy eaters' |
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School lunches can tempt fussy eaters to try new foods, a survey carried out in England for the School Food Trust suggests.
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| 09/01/2010 06:15 PM |
| Ellen MacArthur's global ambition |
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Yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur has set herself a new challenge - creating an educational foundation to promote sustainability.
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| 09/01/2010 12:15 PM |
| Shoesmith given leave to appeal |
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Sharon Shoesmith is given leave to appeal over her sacking as the head of children's services at Haringey Council after the death of Baby Peter.
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| 09/02/2010 10:33 AM |
| Memristor revolution backed by HP |
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A potentially revolutionary circuit component, once a laboratory curiosity, is to be mass-produced for the first time.
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| 09/02/2010 07:45 AM |
| Global broadband divide revealed |
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The global disparity in access to broadband around the world and the cost of a connection is revealed by UN figures.
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| 09/02/2010 05:15 AM |
| Samsung releases iPad competitor |
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Samsung has become the latest manufacturer to enter into the tablet computer market with its Galaxy Tab.
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| 09/01/2010 07:15 PM |
| Greatest free-kick 'was no fluke' |
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Physicists explain one of football's most spectacular free-kicks, showing that Roberto Carlos's 1997 "impossible goal" was not a fluke.
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| 09/02/2010 11:34 AM |
| Ants protect trees from elephants |
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A species of acacia tree found in Eastern Africa seems to be protected from elephant damage - by the ants that live on it.
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| 09/01/2010 07:34 PM |
| Weather clash causes snowy winter |
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The collision of two major weather events can explain unusually large snowfall in the US and Northern Europe, researchers say.
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| 09/02/2010 05:16 AM |
| Majority 'agree with arts change' |
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Two-thirds of people agree with the government stance on cutting arts funding and relying more on private cash, a survey suggests.
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| 09/02/2010 08:40 AM |
| Talent contestant denied tribunal |
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A former Britain's Got Talent hopeful who claimed she was discriminated against at an audition fails to get her case taken to an employment tribunal.
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| 09/02/2010 10:28 AM |
| Bob Dylan art debuts in Denmark |
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Some of musician Bob Dylan's artwork, never seen before by the public, is to be displayed at Denmark's National Gallery.
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| 09/01/2010 06:36 AM |
| Been and Gone |
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Our regular column covering the passing of significant - but lesser reported - people of the past month.
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| 08/31/2010 06:57 PM |
| Why does PPE rule Britain? |
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It is the degree of choice among the Westminster elite, claiming six cabinet members and three Labour leadership contenders among its alumni. Why does Oxford's Politics, Philosophy and Economics course dominate public life?
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| 08/31/2010 06:24 AM |
| What has The Bill taught us about policing? |
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After 27 years, ITV's long-running police drama The Bill comes to an end tonight. But did we learn anything from it?
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| 09/02/2010 05:28 AM |
| Marriage proposal to Chile miner |
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The BBC's James Reynolds has been at the San Jose mine in Chile, where he spoke to the partner of one of the trapped miners.
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| 09/02/2010 11:04 AM |
| How does Samsung's Galaxy Tab compare? |
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Tablet computers to rival Apple's iPad are creating a stir as one of Europe's largest technology shows, the IFA, gets under way in Berlin.
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| 09/02/2010 01:20 AM |
| Rare pygmy hippo makes zoo debut |
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A rare male pygmy hippopotamus born in a Polish zoo two weeks ago has appeared in public for the first time.
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| 09/01/2010 11:05 PM |
| Cavers dig for three county dream |
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Cavers Tim Allen and Hugh St Lawrence give BBC News a glimpse of the cramped conditions as they try to connect three English counties by an underground network of tunnels.
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| 09/02/2010 12:24 AM |
| Making money from Peruvian bird poo |
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An island off Peru is making money from selling bird poo to use as organic fertiliser.
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| 09/02/2010 03:08 AM |
| My dad worked for the mafia |
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Jennifer Mascia gave World News America a first person account of her extraordinary childhood and her surprise at finding out about her father's mafia past.
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| 09/01/2010 04:12 PM |
| Cricketer's family reacts to scandal |
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What do Mohammad Amir's family and home-village make of his alleged involvement in a cricket betting scam?
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| 09/02/2010 05:23 AM |
| Hague 'had enough' of allegations |
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Foreign Secretary William Hague has told reporters why he issued a statement rejecting rumours of an improper relationship with one of his special advisers, Christopher Myers, who has since resigned from his job.
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| 09/02/2010 09:25 AM |
| 'In the dark' |
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The hidden world of special advisers
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| 09/02/2010 07:28 AM |
| 'The Stig' |
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Profile of man who has won the right to say he is Top Gear driver
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| 09/02/2010 05:40 AM |
| Breakfast TV quiz |
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7 questions on Roland Rat, Mr Motivator and early mornings
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| 09/02/2010 03:10 AM |
| Hollywood moment |
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Town stars in adaptation of Jack Kerouac classic
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| 09/02/2010 04:57 AM |
| Just a prop |
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Does a Tony Blair-style drink habit do you any harm?
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| 09/02/2010 06:53 AM |
| Stop or go? |
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Is now a good time to buy a property?
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