Large meteorite fell on a field near a small town in Latvia, creating a 20-meter crater. Nobody was hurt. Local farmers called 911 to let them know about "the flying fire." Scientists, dispatched to the scene, removed the meteorite to determine its composition.

We'd like to join the end-of-the-year lists party and bring you a peculiar interactive list of the top Russian news stories of 2009. That is, the list that shows what the people in Russia thought were the top news stories. Oh, wait! The list shows what the Russian media said and what the people in Russia thought were the main stories.

The figures are out on the volume of bribery in Russia and they are staggering. Experts estimate that bribery accounts for 20% to 30% of Russia's GDP. To prove the experts right, a police detective demanded a multimillion-dollar bribe and got arrested in Moscow.