“The Mystery of Mikhail Khodorkovsky”, “Gorby versus Thatcher: How the USSR charmed Britain's Iron Lady”, “Lenin Statue Toppled in Ukraine in Ongoing Vandalism Wave”, “US faces record low temperatures with fresh cold blast”, “Australia saw hottest year on

reuters.com. “Gorby versus Thatcher: How the USSR charmed Britain's Iron Lady” - Britain shed light on Mikhail Gorbachev's audacious bid to save the ailing Soviet Union on Friday, publishing previously secret documents showing his attempt to forge better ties with the West during the depths of the Cold War.

ria.ru. “Lenin Statue Toppled in Ukraine in Ongoing Vandalism Wave”- A statue of Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin was knocked to the ground in southern Ukraine, regional police said Saturday, in what appears to be a continuation of an ongoing string of vandalism attacks on monuments to the Soviet leader.

bbc.co.uk. “US faces record low temperatures with fresh cold blast” - Parts of the US are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as an Arctic chill brings more freezing weather. A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow.

“Australia saw hottest year on record in 2013” - Australia experienced its hottest year on record in 2013, officials have said. Temperatures were 1.2C above the long term average, the warmest since records began in 1910, the Bureau of Meteorology said in its annual report.

“Bitcoin crosses $1,000 on Zynga move”- The value of Bitcoin has topped $1,000 (£610) again after social gaming firm Zynga said it would start accepting the virtual currency as a payment option. Zynga is perhaps the most significant video games firm to accept bitcoins to date.

haberler.com. “Downright Chaos In Berlin On New Year's Eve” - Celebrating New Year's Eve in Berlin can be chaotic and sometimes even a little dangerous. For US-native Carl Nasman, "Silverster," as the turn of the year is known in Germany, is both a shock and a blast. 

xinhuanet.com. “Fourteen dead in mosque crush in China's Ningxia region” - Fourteen people have been killed and 10 injured in a stampede at a mosque in China's northwest Ningxia region, according to state media. It happened as traditional food was being handed out at an event to commemorate a religious leader.

thedailybeast.com. “The Mystery of Mikhail Khodorkovsky” - When Soviet dissidents came to the West, they cleverly defied their old masters. The former prisoner of Vladimir Putin has said almost nothing since being released. Why?