KIEV, March 25 - A section of Ukrainian natural gas pipeline carrying Russian gas to the European Union was damaged by fire late Wednesday, forcing the authorities to re-route gas supplies through other pipelines.

European gas supplies had not been affected by the fire, thanks to the quick re-routing, the emergency ministry reported Thursday.

KIEV, March 25 – President Viktor Yanukovych, in his first speech addressing defense issues, said Thursday that Ukraine will come up with a broad initiative aimed at strengthening security in Europe.

MOSCOW, March 25 – Ukraine and Russia on Thursday failed to reach a compromise for lowering natural gas prices, but agreed to continue discussions next month to explore a range of unspecified options.

KIEV, March 25 - Consumer confidence in Ukraine in February improved in the light of the stabilization on the labor market, reads a press release of the International Center of Policy Studies (ICPS).

"In February 2009, consumer confidence stopped plummeting started in September 2009... at the end of winter 2009 consumer confidence slightly improved, which is evidence of a rise in the consumer confidence index by 0.5 notches to 42.3.

KIEV, March 25 – The International Monetary Fund will probably send a team to Ukraine next week to see if the country qualifies for a $1.85 billion installment within its $16.4 billion rescue package, President Viktor Yushchenko said Wednesday.

TOKYO, March 25 – The prime ministers of Japan and Ukraine on Wednesday hailed a deal under which the eastern European country sells to Japan rights to pollute and uses the proceeds to buy Tokyo's latest green technologies, AFP reported.

KIEV, March 25 – Ukraine’s opposition Regions Party on Wednesday unveiled plans for massive street protests throughout the country on Friday targeting Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s government for its failure to ease the country’s severe economic crisis.

KIEV, March 25 – Optimism regarding the state of the current account of Ukraine's balance of payments in February fell, according to Valeriy Lytvytsky, the head of the group of advisors to the central bank's governor.

KIEV, March 24 - Ukraine hopes for compromise in the hitherto unsettled aspects of trade cooperation with Russia at the World Trade Organization negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria said in an interview in the Monday issue of the weekly Business.

KIEV, March 25 - Ukraine’s two biggest oil refineries are under investigation and may face penalties for alleged gasoline price fixing, Oleksiy Kostusev, the head of the Antimonopoly Committee, said Tuesday.