Diplomats from Russia and Ukraine agreed on a dividing line from where both sides should pull back their heavy weapons.

Dr. Kevin McCarthy’s letter (Irish Examiner, November 24) makes for sad reading. 

Ukraine, Russia and the Kremlin-backed separatists signed a ceasefire deal after five months of bloodshed, and Europe prepared additional sanctions on Moscow.

Ukraine and the Russian-backed rebels have signed a ceasefire deal that starts this afternoon, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) confirmed.

The Dutch safety team leading the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has given permission for wreckage at the crash site to be moved.

Ukraine has accused Russia of helping separatist rebels destroy evidence at the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines plane shot down in rebel-held territory – a charge the rebels deny.

Germany is pushing for a second round of diplomatic talks in Geneva in an effort to halt the violence in Ukraine.

The Crimean parliament has voted that the Black Sea peninsula will declare itself an independent state if its residents agree to split off from Ukraine and join Russia in a referendum.

President Vladimir Putin delivered a robust defence of Russia’s actions in Crimea and said he would use force in Ukraine only as a last resort, easing market fears yesterday that East-West tension over the former Soviet republic could lead to war.

The king and queen consort of one of Africa’s poorest countries were the only heads of state to stay overnight at the State’s €52m Farmleigh House last year.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart are to discuss the Syrian crisis in Dublin.

Ireland’s role as chair of an international security committee shows the respect the country is held in around the world, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has claimed.

The number of suspected terrorists arrested in Ireland reached a new high last year.

Vladimir Putin appears all but certain to return to the Kremlin in tomorrow’s Russian presidential election, but he will find himself in charge of a country far more willing to challenge him.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has insisted that diplomatic relations with the Vatican remain “very strong” despite a furore over the closure of Ireland’s embassy to the Holy See.

A LABOUR backbencher has expressed concern over Ireland’s ability to successfully lead the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) given the financial constraints and crises closer to home.

How much can Ireland really be expected to achieve as the newly appointed OSCE chair, asks Caroline O’Doherty

There was a time as a new young nation when our membership of international bodies, like the League of Nations, was important to our sense of national self-esteem.

TÁNAISTE Eamon Gilmore insisted the Government is determined to achieve a cut in the interest rate on Ireland’s crippling bailout costs at an upcoming meeting of EU finance ministers.

The hardline leader of Belarus was today accused of winning re-election through fraud and violence after more than 16 years of repressive rule.

International observers today praised Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional referendum, saying the vote was conducted in a transparent and remarkably peaceful manner despite a lingering climate of fear after ethnic purges.

International election monitors have hailed Ukraine’s presidential elections as “professional, transparent and honest”.

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan was in relaxed mode when he addressed over 100 parliamentarians in Dublin this week whose conference topic was The World Financial Crisis.

A team of international monitors is ending its 16-year mission in Georgia after Russia refused to allow an extension of the assignment in a dispute over two Kremlin-backed breakaway regions in the Caucasus nation.

Russia today warned the West against supporting Georgia’s leadership and called for an arms embargo against the nation until a different government was in place.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today begins a three-day visit to Slovenia, Austria and Poland offering some relief from the controversy around his financial affairs.

Serbia today vowed to block Kosovo’s attempts to gain diplomatic recognition and membership to international organisations including the United Nations.

EUROPE’S main elections watchdog yesterday called off its observer mission to Russia’s forthcoming parliamentary polls citing a lack of co-operation, but Moscow shrugged off the charge.

EUROPEAN election monitors have declared that presidential elections in Belarus were flawed, but fear of brutal response from authorities makes a repeat of Ukraine’s Orange revolution look unlikely.

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, declared the overwhelming winner of weekend elections, said today that his opponents had failed to topple him in a foreign-backed “revolution".

Azerbaijan’s opposition, emboldened by international criticism of the parliamentary vote and the government decision to annul the count in two districts, prepared for a massive protest rally tomorrow that it hopes will give it irreversible momentum.

Opposition leader Sali Berisha’s coalition was officially declared winner of Albania’s July 3 parliamentary elections today, following weeks of delays in confirming final results.

Supporters of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko kept up their siege of government buildings today after pro-government lawmakers blocked election law changes designed to ensure fair balloting in a re-run of the country’s presidential runoff.

UKRAINE was on the edge of revolt last night after official results showed prime minister Viktor Yanukovych winning Ukraine’s bitterly-fought presidential run-off.

Kosovo’s largest ethnic Albanian party won general elections in the UN-run province, but failed to gain the absolute majority needed to govern alone and will have to form a coalition government, according to final results released today.

A REFERENDUM which allowed Europe’s “last dictator” — Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko — to run for another term suffered widespread violations, election observers and opposition figures said yesterday.

AN independent commission will probe claims by all 15 opposition candidates that Afghanistan's first direct presidential election was marred by incompetence and fraud, a top official said yesterday in an attempt to quash claims the vote was illegitimate.

Voter turnout in Russia’s presidential election exceeded the 50% threshold needed to make the vote valid, Russian news agencies quoted Central Election Commission chief Alexander Veshnyakov as saying hours before polls closed today.

Six weeks after President Eduard Shevardnadze’s dramatic resignation in the face of mass demonstrations, Georgians today vote for his successor, widely expected to be the man who led the protests.

The US has joined European human rights officials in expressing concern about Russian parliamentary elections on Sunday that delivered big victories to allies of President Vladimir Putin.

TWO young sisters and their widowed mother were in hiding last night as immigration officials prepared lay in wait to deport them.