stranger (strān'jər)
that which is unfamiliar, uncommon, unknown, new or peculiar; behavior which differs from the ordinary or conventional to the point of being bizarre, queer, abnormal, an oddness, outlandish, oddness that is often excessively, fantastic or bizarre

then (ðen)
at a specific prior time, "the then president", "then he left", "go left first, then right", in that case or as a consequence, "if he didn't take it, then who did?", "keep it then if you want to", "the case, then, is closed", at that time; "I was young then", "prices were lower back then", that time, that moment, "we will arrive before then", "we were friends from then on" 

fiction (fĭk'shən)
something accepted as fact for the sake of convenience, although not necessarily true, making up imaginary happenings; anything made up or imagined, as a statement, story, literary narratives, which portray imaginary characters or events

Your Session Quote

To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. I place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared. -- President Thomas Jefferson

Bucks legislator asks N.J. to amend residency bill (source: The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Pennsylvania State Rep. Steven J. Santarsiero (D., Bucks) has asked Garden State legislators to exempt current nonresident employees from a bill that would require all New Jersey public workers to live in-state. (source: The Philadelphia Inquirer) - RSS feeds and Feed widget on Feedzilla.com

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:31 am

Jury begins deliberations in Pa. corruption case (source: The Philadelphia Inquirer)

HARRISBURG - A jury began deliberations yesterday in the political corruption case against former State Rep. Mike Veon and three ex-aides after a prosecutor described what they did as a "form of organized crime" with Veon as the don. (source: The Philadelphia Inquirer) - RSS feeds and Feed widget on Feedzilla.com

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:02 am

Acapulco drug violence kills 13

Thirteen people are killed in an outbreak of drug-related violence in the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco, officials say.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:01 pm

Flaming torches light up whole of UK's ancient Hadrian's Wall

About 500 volunteers holding flaming torches illuminate Hadrian's Wall from coast to coast.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:00 pm

US returns sarcophagus to Egypt

A 3,000-year-old wooden sarcophagus stolen from Egypt more than 125 years ago is returned from the US.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:53 pm

Cocaine found in Colombia artwork

Colombian police find 16kg (35lb) of cocaine inside replicas of sculptures by artist Fernando Botero being shipped to Spain.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:42 pm

Many killed in Afghan bomb blasts

At least 30 people have been killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings in the Afghan city of Kandahar, officials say.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:17 pm

Huge protest against Berlusconi

Tens of thousands of Italians stage a protest in central Rome against the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:15 pm

Bendtner secures late Arsenal win

Nicklas Bendtner's late goal takes Arsenal level with Chelsea at the top of the table via a 2-1 win at 10-man Hull.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:17 pm

Vatican anger over abuse claims

The Vatican denounces efforts to involve the Pope in a child abuse scandal dating back to his time as archbishop in Germany.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 12:12 pm

England toil to draw with Scots

England retain the Calcutta Cup as they fight out a 15-15 draw with Scotland, who now look certain to end with the Six Nations wooden spoon.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 11:54 am

Maliki leads Baghdad poll count

Partial results for Iraq's elections show PM Nouri Maliki's coalition ahead in the crucial area of Baghdad, officials say.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 10:46 am

Clegg 'will not back early cuts'

The Lib Dems would not support any plan to cut public spending too early in the next Parliament, leader Nick Clegg has said.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 10:14 am

Hollies miss Hall of Fame honour

The two remaining original members of pop group The Hollies are to miss the group's induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in New York.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 9:59 am

Tamils drop separate state demand

The Sri Lankan political party closest to the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels drops a demand for a separate Tamil homeland.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 9:12 am

Calls to raise crime age rejected

The age of criminal responsibility will stay at 10, the government says, after a senior adviser for England calls for it to be raised.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 8:39 am

Real crash enlivens Nigerian mock rescue

A Nigerian plane taking part in a simulation exercise for disaster relief operations crashes in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 6:03 am

Kazakh leader's fury over flood

Kazakhstan's president calls for the prosecution of anyone suspected of causing a recent flooding in which dozens died.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 5:53 am

EU 'nearing' Greece bail-out deal

The EU is putting the finishing touches to a multi-billion euro bail-out for Greece after weeks of crisis, senior officials tell the BBC.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 5:07 am

Man held on harassment charge

An 18-year-old appears in court charged with the harassment of a man who collapsed in the garden of his Greater Manchester home.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:35 am

Fever pitch

Is American politics now nastier than ever before?

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:21 am

Tidy tents

Staying safe in Haiti while keeping up appearances

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:18 am

China steps up security in Tibet

The Chinese government boosts security in Tibet ahead of the second anniversary of violent protests against Beijing's rule.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:00 am

Drug ring 'link' in Haim's death

Actor Corey Haim's death is being linked to a major drug ring which is illegally obtaining prescription drugs, US police say.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:39 am

Purple People

The new mass movement against Italy's Berlusconi

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:29 am

Two arrested over 'hero' killing

Two teenagers are arrested by police hunting the killer of a man stabbed to death after chasing handbag-snatchers.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 2:54 am

Suicide bomb hits Pakistan's Swat

A suicide bomber in a rickshaw kills at least 10 people in Pakistan, a day after twin blasts leave dozens dead in Lahore.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:58 am

Out-of-hours GP care 'inadequate'

Too many people in England are receiving poor quality out-of-hours doctors services, the Patients Association says.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:51 am

Curtain up

New rules will transform the Bahrain GP

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:47 am

Thaksin country

Supporters of ousted Thai PM rally for their man

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:21 am

'Red' demonstrators reach Bangkok

Thousands of Thai opposition supporters converge on the capital, Bangkok, to press their demands for elections.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:19 am

Winter Paralympics get under way

Hundreds of disabled athletes gather for the opening of the 10th Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, Canada.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 11:47 pm

California sues Toyota for faults

Prosecutors in California are suing Toyota, claiming the carmaker sold hundreds of thousands of vehicles it knew had defects.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 11:15 pm

Ivory and tuna top wildlife talks

UN wildlife negotiations begin on banning the trade in bluefin tuna and permitting sales of ivory at a two-week summit in Doha.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 9:17 pm

Apollo men decry Obama Moon plans

Nasa Moon astronauts tell the BBC President Barack Obama's decision to cancel the US lunar programme is "catastrophic".

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 8:34 pm

Obese drinkers face 'double hit'

Obese women drinking little more than a glass of wine a day have double the risk of liver disease compared with those who are slimmer, experts warn.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 5:09 pm

Clinton rebukes Israel over homes

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivers a stinging rebuke to Israel over new settlements in East Jerusalem.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 3:10 pm

Chile puts quake damage at $30bn

The cost of rebuilding Chile after its monster earthquake will be at least $30bn, the country's new president announces.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 2:46 pm

Payout over cancer misdiagnosis

A Lincolnshire woman is awarded more than £500,000 damages from the NHS after her cervical cancer was misdiagnosed.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 11:38 am

Should Catholic priests be celibate?

The Pope has said celibacy among priests is a sign of "full devotion" to the Catholic Church. Do you agree?

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 11:26 am

Village of tears

No end in sight to Nigeria's brutal cycle of violence

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 10:30 am

Winnie denies maligning Mandela

Winnie Mandela, former wife of Nelson Mandela, denies giving an interview accusing him of letting down black South Africans.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 9:39 am

British ex-Tory MEP joins Lib Dems

A long-serving Conservative MEP, expelled in a row over the party's new allies in Europe, has joined the Liberal Democrats.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 9:02 am

IPL under way amid security fears

The third season of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament is under way amid heavy security in Mumbai.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 8:59 am

China's stern warning to Google

China's top internet official warns that Google will "pay the consequences" if it does not comply with censorship laws.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 8:17 am

Eurozone industry grows strongly

Factory output in the eurozone rose 1.7% between December and January, the biggest monthly rise since records began.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 6:48 am

Lehman bosses severely criticised

A report into the collapse of US bank Lehman Brothers criticises senior executives and auditor Ernst & Young for serious lapses.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 5:45 am

Net clash for web police projects

A row is brewing over separate projects to use the web to bring people closer to their local police forces.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 4:30 am

Israel charges over human shield

Israel charges two of soldiers over the use of a Palestinian boy as a human shield during its offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 2:59 am

Mogadishu residents told to leave

Mogadishu's mayor tells residents to leave parts of the Somali capital, as fierce fighting against insurgents continues.

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 2:58 am

HSBC admits huge Swiss data theft

About 24,000 clients of HSBC's private banking operation in Switzerland had personal details stolen, the bank admits.

Posted on 11 March 2010 | 11:02 am

BBC World News

Posted on 29 September 2009 | 5:16 am

Swift US financial overhaul is ‘unrealistic’

Republicans have warned Chris Dodd, the Democratic chairman of the Senate banking committee, that his aim to get a financial regulation bill to the Senate floor by the end of the month is unrealistic

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 2:22 am

Lehman file rocks Wall Street

The fallout from the report into the collapse of Lehman Brothers shook Wall Street and London as US officials grilled banks about off balance-sheet trades and questions were raised over the City’s role in the company’s attempts to cover up its problems

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 5:21 pm

Solid economic data give positive backdrop

Global Markets Overview: Record rise in eurozone industrial production help global stocks build on Wall Street’s overnight advance, but gains tempered by uncertainty

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 3:33 pm

Eurozone works on rescue plan for Greece

Members of the eurozone are working on the details of a possible bail-out for Greece ahead of a meeting in Brussels on Monday, although obstacles to a final agreement have yet to be overcome, according to officials

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 1:24 pm

Tensions escalate over China’s currency

China and the US traded barbs over the economy and human rights, raising the temperature ahead of a possible showdown over currency policy next month

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 1:05 pm

Clinton rebukes Israel over new settlements

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, hit back strongly at Israel following its humiliation of Joe Biden, the vice-president, when it announced new settlement construction during his visit to the country

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 12:45 pm

Brown and Sarkozy ‘united’ on bank levy

The UK’s prime minister says France and Britain are united on the need for a global bank levy, after warm talks in Downing Street with the French president

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 12:45 pm

KKR files plans for $2.2bn float

Listing allows firm, founded by cousins Henry Kravis and George Roberts, to match their great rival Blackstone, which completed its IPO at the top of the market in 2007

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 12:27 pm

US takes risks with ties to Afghan strongman

A meeting between Stanley McChrystal, the top Nato general in Afghanistan, and Colonel Abdul Raziq, a suspected drug baron, illustrates a central dilemma: relying on local strongmen to preserve stability risks undermining the broader goal of promoting good governance

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 12:24 pm

Twitter faces a battle for tweets

A Japanese website called Ameba Now is one of the first signs of micro-blogging website Twitter’s vulnerability to competition. The rival has reached 1m visitors in the three months since its launch

Posted on 12 March 2010 | 9:49 am

Utah GOP leader resigns after hot tub confession (AP)

This undated image provided by the State of Utah shows Majority Leader Republican Kevin Garn. A late-night confession Thursday March 11, 2010 by Utah's House majority leader, Garn, about sitting nude in a hot tub with a minor 25 years ago has shocked this highly conservative state's political establishment. (AP Photo/State of Utah)AP - Utah's House majority leader resigned from the Legislature Saturday, two days after acknowledging he paid a woman $150,000 to keep quiet about a nude hot-tubbing incident that took place a quarter century ago when she was a teenager.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 4:03 pm

Mom says daughter held in Ireland in terror plot (AP)

In this undated photo provided by Christine Mott, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, 31, is shown. Paulin-Ramirez was the second American arrested in a plot to kill the Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks over a 2007 sketch depicting the head of the Prophet Muhammad on a dog's body. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Christine Mott) NO SALESAP - Jamie Paulin-Ramirez was a straight-A nursing student when she abruptly left Colorado last fall with her 6-year-old son and turned up in Ireland, where her parents say she was arrested this week in an alleged plot to assassinate a Swedish cartoonist.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:46 pm

Vatican officials defend pope on abuse (AP)

In this photo released by Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, left, meets Archbishop Robert Zollitsch during an audience in his private library at the Vatican, Friday, March 12, 2010. Germany's top bishop has informed Pope Benedict XVI on cases of clerical sex abuse in the pontiff's native Germany and said the pope encouraged him to pursue the truth and assist the victims. Zollitsch said the pope was greatly dismayed and deeply moved as he was being briefed on the scandal during Friday's meeting at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano) EDITORIAL USE ONLYAP - The Vatican on Saturday denounced what it called aggressive attempts to drag Pope Benedict XVI into the spreading scandals of pedophile priests in his German homeland. It also insisted that church confidentiality doesn't prevent bishops from reporting abuse to police.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:44 pm

New Sen. Brown bashes Obama's `bitter' health push (AP)

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, talks with Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 10, 2010, after voting on the Tax Extenders Act. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)AP - Newly arrived Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts accused President Barack Obama and Democrats on Saturday of a "bitter, destructive and endless" drive to pass health overhaul legislation that Brown warned would be disastrous.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:44 pm

Iraqi vote signals shift from religious leaders (AP)

Counting and data input workers at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, March 12, 2010. Partial tallies have been released from seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, excluding Baghdad. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)AP - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's political coalition took an early vote lead Saturday in the election's all-important battleground of Baghdad, pulling away from its two closest rivals in the latest indication that Iraqis want a moderate government instead of Shiite religious hard-liners leading the postwar nation.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:44 pm

Senate, Obama spar over health plan's pet projects (AP)

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., left, looks on as Gina Owens hugs her grandson, Marcelas Owens from Seattle, Wash., whose mother, Tiffany Owens died after losing her job and health care, Thursday, March 11, 2010, during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)AP - President Barack Obama says he wants projects helping specific states yanked from the health care bill Congress is writing. Democratic senators, being senators, beg to differ.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:44 pm

Al-Qaida suspect from US tricked his Yemeni guard (AP)

This 2002 photo provided by Roman Castro shows Sharif Mobley, 26, at a barbecue in Buena, N.J. The FBI confirmed Thursday, March 11, 2010 that the agency is looking into the case of 26-year-old son, Sharif Mobley, who grew up in Buena and is an alleged al-Qaida member raised in New Jersey who is accused of trying to shoot his way out of a hospital in Yemen. (AP Photo/Roman Castro) NO SALESAP - An American al-Qaida suspect detained in Yemen fooled his hospital guards into unshackling him by asking to join them for prayers, security officials said Saturday. He then killed a guard who laid down his weapon as he went ahead at prayer time.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:43 pm

Suicide attackers hit Afghan city; at least 30 die (AP)

Map locates Kandahar and Kandahar province, Afghanistan where multiple explosions have been reportedAP - A suicide squad detonated bombs at a newly fortified prison, police headquarters and two other locations late Saturday, killing at least 30 people in the largest city of the southern Taliban heartland.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:43 pm

Israel orders inquiry into Biden visit upset: official (AFP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured on March 8, ordered an inquiry Saturday into why a contested settlement plan was announced during a landmark visit by US Vice President Joe Biden, a spokesman said.(AFP/File/Gali Tibbon)AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an inquiry Saturday into why a contested settlement plan was announced during a landmark visit by US Vice President Joe Biden, a spokesman said.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:30 pm

Turner leads Ohio St. past Illinois 88-81 in 2OT (AP)

Ohio State's Evan Turner (21) blocks a shot by Illinois's Mike Davis (24) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big Ten conference tournament Indianapolis, Saturday, March 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)AP - Evan Turner rescued No. 6 Ohio State for the second straight day in the Big Ten tournament.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 2:49 pm

Sweden, Turkey jointly denounce genocide vote (Reuters)

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (C) and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu (R) talk to the media after their meeting in Saariselka Inari, in the Finnish Lapland March 12, 2010.REUTERS/Lehtikuva/Jussi NukariReuters - The foreign ministers of Turkey and Sweden condemned on Saturday a vote in the Swedish parliament that defined the early 20th-century killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 2:17 pm

South Afghanistan blasts kill at least 27: health official (AFP)

Afghan and international security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack in southern city of Kandahar in February 2010. A series of suicide attacks in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar killed at least 27 people on Saturday, a senior official said, in the country's deadliest assault so far this year.(AFP/File/Hamed Zalmy)AFP - A series of suicide attacks in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar killed at least 27 people on Saturday, a senior official said, in the country's deadliest assault so far this year.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 1:14 pm

Lesbian sgt. discharged after police tell military (AP)

This Tuesday March 9, 2010 image made from video provided by KOTA-TV shows Jene Newsome during an interview in her home in Rapid City, S.D. on date. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint against the Rapid City Police Department, saying two officers were responsible for getting a lesbian Air Force sergeant tossed out of the military. Police went to Jene Newsome's Rapid City home last November to serve an out-of-state warrant on Cheryl Hutson, Newsome's partner. The officers allegedly noticed an Iowa marriage certificate showing the two were married and notified Ellsworth Air Force Base, which later gave Newsome an honorable discharge. (AP Photo/KOTA-TV) MANDATORY CREDIT. KOTA BUG MAY NOT BE CROPPED OUTAP - Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian. The 28-year-old's honorable discharge under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 12:52 pm

China delivers Venezuela jets for anti-drugs fight (Reuters)

Reuters - Venezuela on Saturday tested six training and light attack jets bought from China for defense and anti-drugs flights in a deal that dodges an embargo banning sales of U.S. weapons parts to oil exporter Venezuela.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 12:14 pm

Irish police release three over cartoonist plot (Reuters)

Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard poses in Aarhus in this September 2006 file photo. REUTERS/Preben Hupfeld/ScanpixReuters - Irish police have released three of the seven people arrested on Tuesday in connection with an alleged plot to murder a Swedish cartoonist over a drawing depicting the Prophet Mohammad with the body of a dog.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 12:12 pm

Netanyahu's position is "perilous": U.S. official (Reuters)

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political standing is "perilous" because of divisions within his coalition over efforts to pursue peace with the Palestinians, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 11:25 am

Iraq PM Maliki leads Baghdad, a big election prize (Reuters)

Journalists monitor a screen showing the initial results of national election in Baghdad March 11, 2010. REUTERS/Mohammed AmeenReuters - Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held a wide lead on Saturday in early results from Baghdad, the major prize in a tight election race that Iraqis hope will bring stability after years of sectarian conflict.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 11:01 am

Afghanistan eases ban on news coverage of raids (Reuters)

Reuters - Afghanistan rowed back on Saturday from a total ban on media broadcasts of "disturbing" images from insurgent attacks or live pictures of security operations.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 9:34 am

Google "99.9 pct" sure to shut China search engine: report (Reuters)

Reuters - Talks with China over censorship have reached an apparent impasse and Google, the world's largest search engine, is now "99.9 percent" certain to shut its Chinese search engine, the Financial Times said on Saturday.

Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:34 am

Suicide bomber kills 11 in Pakistan's Swat (Reuters)

A woman weeps for her missing son at the site of a suicide bomb attack in Lahore March 12, 2010. REUTERS/Mohsin RazaReuters - A Taliban suicide bomber targeting security forces killed at least 11 people on Saturday, Pakistani police said, part of a renewed push against the state after one of the biggest security crackdowns in years.


Posted on 13 March 2010 | 3:09 am