KIEV, Oct. 25 - Royal Dutch Shell jointly with a Ukrainian company on Thursday started drilling for natural gas in Ukraine in a project that President Viktor Yanukovych said will strengthen the country’s energy independence.

KIEV, Oct. 25 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday said Ukraine would be better off not listening to political advice from abroad, adding that the new Parliament to be elected on Sunday will be “more effective.”

KIEV, Oct. 25 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Tuesday it may take one month for his government to negotiate a new natural gas agreement with Russia that calls for lower gas prices.

KIEV, Oct. 24 – Criminal charges cannot be brought using evidence obtained without respect to the constitution or in violation of the law, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine has announced.

KIEV, Oct. 24 – Ukraine is interested in participation of Brazilian companies in implementation of the New Energy national project (projects involving the use of alternative energy sources or diversification of energy supplies to the country) and the national project for construction of a terminal for re-gasification of liquefied natural gas.

KIEV, Oct. 25 – Ukraine is ready for practical cooperation with Canada in all social and economic sectors, President Viktor Yanukovych said.

"We are ready to start to consider all areas of our cooperation," he said during talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Kiev on Monday.

KIEV, Oct. 25 – The BYT has denied all accusations of U.S. auditors and the Chief Audit Department of Ukraine.

KIEV, Oct. 25 - Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies gave conflicting statements on Monday about a massive cache of allegedly undocumented ballots found by opposition groups in Kharkiv region.

KIEV, Oct. 25 – The International Monetary Fund warned on Sunday that a controversial bill that dramatically increases social payments must be vetoed in order for Ukraine to qualify for a $3.4 billion next installment of its Standby loan program.

KIEV, Oct. 25 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, two of Ukraine’s most popular political figures, over the weekend formally announced their decisions to run for the presidency in January 2010.