Spread of Latin Script in Belarus Making Moscow Nervous. Berlusconi: "Bribes Are Necessary - They Are Not Crimes". Ice thaw could spell bad news for polar bears. The gold rush begins for fragments of Russian meteor. Britain OKs First Russian Extradition i

The Daily Mail - The gold rush begins for fragments of Russian meteor selling for up to £6,500 each as astronomers warn UK had a lucky escape - The race is on in Russia to find space rocks worth tens of thousands of pounds from the 40-ton meteor that hurtled across the Urals last week.

The Telegraph - Two reasons why the Left hates Lady Thatcher - “Why did she have to leave the bathroom two minutes earlier?” he asked himself when Mrs Thatcher survived the bomb blast that destroyed her bathroom in the Grand Hotel.

Zero Hedge - Berlusconi: "Bribes Are Necessary - They Are Not Crimes" - “Bribes are a phenomenon that exists and it’s useless to deny the existence of these necessary situations when you are negotiating with third world countries and regimes,” Mr Berlusconi, leader of a centre-right coalition and seeking his fourth stint in office, said on Thursday.

Reuters - Ice thaw could spell bad news for polar bears - A thaw of sea ice floating on the Arctic Ocean last year sent extra plant food to exotic creatures on the deep sea floor in a shift that might leave polar bears hungry at the surface, scientists said on Thursday.

The Washington Post - A new look at America’s first ladies - Dolley made her mark as the quintessential hostess. Eleanor broke new ground by tackling liberal causes. Lady Bird, we learned, was a quiet but effective counselor to her husband.

And what of Michelle — what will be her legacy?

RIA Novosti - ‘Pregnant’ Boy Sues Kazakh Medics for $300 - A male pregnancy in a human is supposed to be a medical sensation grabbing headlines worldwide. But all a Kazakh teenager got after a doctor declared him pregnant was a handful of erroneous medical prescriptions and, later, a check for 50,000 tenge ($330).

Radio Free Europe - The Strange Death Of 'Medvedevism' - Russian President Vladimir Putin is clearly determined to eradicate any traces of the weak little mini-thaw that was Dmitry Medvedev's odd interim presidency.

Window on Eurasia - Spread of Latin Script in Belarus Making Moscow Nervous - The replacement of Cyrillic with the Latin script has proceeded so far in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Moldova that few Moscow authors display concern. These writers are still contesting Kazakhstan’s plan to make this shift, but they seem especially concerned about the new interest in the Latin script in neighboring Belarus.

Xinhua - Russian meteor explosion generates heated discussion - It pushed various countries to strengthen efforts to counter space threats.

BBC - The Oscars in numbers - To celebrate this year's Oscars, we look at the films and stars who've made the biggest impact on the awards over the last eight decades.

The Moscow Times - Britain OKs First Russian Extradition in Decade - This case shows that the British authorities considered the accusations brought by Russian authorities to be reasonable,” not politically motivated

Eurasianet - Uzbekistan: Currency Confusion Sparks Booming Border Business - That bewilderment helps fuel a booming business at Uzbekistan’s main land border with Kazakhstan, where intermediaries are on hand to help the perplexed traveler navigate the obligatory customs forms – for a small consideration, naturally.