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.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ A natural gas dispute between Ukraine and Russia worsened Monday when Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the state gas company, warned its Russian counterpart of responsibility for implications the dispute may have on European supplies.

KIEV, Nov. 28 ??“ The position of Ukrainian negotiators may provoke a "gas war" between Ukraine and Russia, Sergei Markov, the director of the Institute for political studies (Russia), said at an international conference dedicated to the anniversary of Ukraine??™s ???Orange Revolution.???

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Germany, Romania, Ukraine and Belgium from Dec. 5-9 to highlight the "enduring importance of transatlantic relations," the State Department said in a statement on Monday.

MOSCOW, Nov. 28 - Russia and Ukraine plan to cancel duties on tobacco products traded between the countries as of 2006, and on sugar from 2009, the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry's press service said Monday.