KIEV, Nov. 28 - The men who gunned down Ukrainian parliamentarian Yevhen Scherban in 1996 received the payment for this contract killing from firms controlled at the time by then-Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko and then-head of United Energy System of Ukraine (UESU) Yulia Tymoshenko, First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin said.

KIEV, Nov. 28 - Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on Monday urged Ukraine to resolve the imprisonment of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, saying the country’s bid to join the European Union hinges on it.

KIEV, Nov. 28 – Ukrainian opposition parties on Monday demanded an immediate investigation into a crackdown on a street protest in Donetsk as a result of which one person died.

KIEV, Nov. 28 – President Viktor Yanukovych, after a meeting with protesting small business owners on Saturday, said there was a “high probability” that he will veto the controversial tax legislation that had triggered the protest.

KIEV, Nov. 28 – Seven rebellious lawmakers from Our Ukraine-People’s Self-defense, at a meeting with President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday, promised to stop their resistance and to sign an agreement creating a pro-Western coalition, an official said.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ Ukraine??™s eastern regions experienced shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel after Linos, the country??™s second largest oil refinery, had delayed its restart for one week following the scheduled maintenance, an official said.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ Ukraine will shortly lift restrictions on exports of grain that have been imposed by the government last month to prevent domestic shortages of grain, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said Tuesday.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ Parliament voted Tuesday to approve legislation declaring the Great Famine of 1932-1933 as genocide imposed by Soviet leaders against the Ukrainian people. It also declared that public denial of the genocide is illegal.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk and lawmakers from the budget committee are yet to agree on a 2006 budget deficit three days before Parliament is due to vote on the draft.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ Rinat Akhmetov, named by Forbes as Ukraine??™s richest man, will run for a seat in Parliament on a ticket of the Regions Party, an opposition group, party leader Viktor Yanukovych said Monday.