KIEV, May 23 – Parliament plans to amend laws preventing illegal seizures of companies, with a total of 246 out of 298 lawmakers registered for voting in the session hall supporting at first reading a bill of amendments to some Ukrainian laws.

KIEV, May 23 – A Kiev court Monday refused to release opposition leader Yuriy Lutsenko, ordering the former interior minister’s five-month arrest to continue for the duration of his trial on charges of allegedly misspending $5,000 while in office.

KIEV, May 23 ??“ Oleksandr Turchynov, the No. 2 man in the opposition group led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, was appointed as deputy secretary of the presidential top security body.

KIEV, May 23 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday questioned legitimacy of the Constitutional Court ahead of its ruling over the presidential decree that had dissolved Parliament and called for early election.

KIEV, May 23 ??“ Ukraine will probably go ahead with natural gas price hikes for households despite threats by trade unions to launch massive rally to protest the increase, Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov said Tuesday.

KIEV, May 23 - Ukraine will seek to sign an agreement with Russia by the end of the next month to prevent a clash over natural gas prices later this year, Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov said Tuesday.

KIEV, May 23 - Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova at a summit on Tuesday decided to strengthen their alliance that is expected to play a key role in establishing alternative energy supplies to the European Union.

KIEV, May 20 ??“ The National Security and Defense Council, a body that advises the president on strategic issues, called for urgent measures to prevent a looming failure to join the World Trade Organization this year.

WASHINGTON, May 22 ??“ Amid concerns over tight global oil supply, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman will travel this week to Russia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine to discuss oil infrastructure projects.

KIEV, May 22 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko clashed over ways of regulating the gasoline crisis at a meeting with Russian oil companies Thursday and Yushchenko prevailed, a newspaper reported Saturday, citing sources.