Mind Soup

From the king of pop to the queen of reality TV, from swine flu to MPs' expenses, these are among the year's most-read stories. There are goodbyes and near-misses, extremes in the weather, and a few light-hearted moments alongside more serious tales. JANUARY Two near misses and a certain Time Lord grabbed the headlines in January. It was new year, new Doctor, as  Matt Smith was named  as the actor to take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who. At 27, he will be the youngest to take on the role when he appears on TV in 2010. A pilot ditched an Airbus A320 in the Hudson River after a double bird strike Attention turned to Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who  wrote off his Ferrari  in a crash near Manchester Airport but walked away unscathed. Another lucky escape attracted plenty of attention when  a pilot crash-landed an airliner  in New York's Hudson River after birds disabled its engines. All 155 passengers and crew were rescued....

Actress Natasha Richardson has died, a family spokesperson announced Wednesday evening. The 45-year-old mother of two and wife of actor Liam Neeson, succumbed to a head injury sustained during a skiing accident at Mont Tremblant. "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha," a statement issued by the family Wednesday evening said. "They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time." The New York City medical examiner's office reported on Thursday that Richardson died of blunt impact to the head and that her death was ruled an accident. Hailing from one of Britain's most illustrious theatrical dynasties, Richardson was the elder daughter of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and the late director Tony Richardson. Her other famed relations included sister and "Nip/Tuck" star Joely Richardson,...