KIEV, April 1 – Pro-government and opposition groups, in a rare show of unity, voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to schedule the next presidential election on Oct. 25, three months earlier than required by the constitution.

BUCHAREST, April 1 - Ukraine and Georgia face an uphill battle on Wednesday to persuade NATO nations to put the two ex-Soviet states on the path to membership, as Germany and France lead resistance to their U.S.-backed bids, Reuters reported Tuesday.

KIEV, April 1 – U.S. President George W. Bush put his full weight behind the desire by Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO even though Russia is opposed and the alliance itself is split on the issue.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ Viacheslav Kyrylenko, the leader of Our Ukraine group in Parliament, on Saturday was elected as the leader of the party after President Viktor Yushchenko had declined to take the position.

KIEV, April 1 ??“ Pro-government supporters have been putting up tents in front of Parliament and Cabinet of Ministers on Saturday and Sunday apparently preparing to protect both buildings from an anticipated siege by opposition protesters.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko said Saturday he will dismiss Parliament and call early election unless the government immediately stops its practice of recruiting individual opposition lawmakers for expanding the ruling coalition.

LVIV, March 30 ??“ The Transport and Communications Ministry is to invest $65 million into the reconstruction of Lviv airport, Transport Minister Mykola Rudkovsky said during Thursday.

KIEV, March 30 ??“ The government is not planning to introduce any limits on grain exports in the next marketing year between July 2007 and June 2008, Prime Minister Viktor Slauta said during a conference call in on Friday.

MOSCOW, March 30 ??“ Economic cooperation, free trade zone and joint science projects should be priorities in the work of the CIS economic council in 2007, First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mykola Azarov said.

WASHINGTON, March 1 - President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the U.S. is following Canada and the European Union in banning Russian planes from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, The Associated Press reported.