OPPOSITION leader Viktor Yanukovych emerged as the apparent winner in Ukraine’s presidential contest yesterday, holding onto a lead of almost 3% with about 99% of ballots counted.

AN INDEPENDENT exit poll indicated Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s party was leading in yesterday’s parliamentary elections by a slim margin — ahead of the bloc led by Yulia Tymoshenko.

Ukrainians voted in a parliamentary election today that could tip the divided ex-Soviet republic back toward Russia just 16 months after the Orange Revolution protests helped set it on a Westward course.

Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Ukraine today for the first time since last year’s Orange Revolution protests ushered in a new, pro-Western government eager to loosen the Kremlin’s influence over this ex-Soviet republic.

Ukraine’s "Gas Princess", blonde millionairess Yulia Tymoshenko, was appointed prime minister today after parliament gave her the go-ahead to lead the former Soviet republic’s new Western-oriented government.