Pro-Russia separatists sat down for preliminary Ukraine peace talks yesterday due to resume later this week in the Belarusian capital Minsk, saying they would be prepared to stay part of Ukraine if they were granted "special status".

Artillery fire has killed at least four people in a residential area in eastern Ukraine, spurring more people to flee the besieged city of Donetsk and its suburbs.

Russia claims it has ordered several trains carrying weapons and planeloads of troops out of its regions near Ukraine.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered troops deployed in regions near Ukraine to return to their home bases, the Kremlin said.

We don’t yet know what Putin’s real agenda is generally with Ukraine and specifically with Crimea. But it echoes the murky events that eventually led to the first global war, writes James G Neuger

Thousands of protesters poured into Kiev’s Independence Square last night, the centre of Ukraine’s pro-West Orange Revolution, to demand that the government reverse course and sign a landmark agreement with the European Union.

Something funny happened the day before Azerbaijan’s presidential election - the election commission announced the winner.

MARCH

The two day Dublin meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe concludes this afternoon.

People can be forgiven for not knowing Ireland held the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

A major security operation is being put in place in Dublin for next week's meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Ukraine’s parliamentary election has been branded unfair by international observers who said the result reversed earlier democratic gains the country made.

Parliamentary elections in Belarus have been condemned by neutral observers after a whitewash victory for president Alexander Lukashenko.

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has given his clearest signal to date that he is willing to meet the Queen.

We cannot let trade opportunities with China blind us to our responsibility to support human rights activists there, writes Colm O’Gorman

Russian riot police detained more than 500 protesters including opposition leader Alexei Navalny yesterday at rallies challenging the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin’s victory in the presidential election.

The head of the major international election observer mission in Russia has said there were “serious problems” in the vote that returned Vladimir Putin to the presidency.

Bill Clinton will attempt today to drum up business for Ireland at a special investment conference in New York being attended by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister.

Three parties have won seats in Kazakhstan’s parliament, ending the total control once held by the president’s party, election officials said.

Russia’s long dominant party appeared likely to lose its edge as voters across the sprawling country cast ballots for Parliament today, many of them frustrated over corruption and the gap between ordinary Russians and the super-rich.

ON New Year’s Day, Ireland will begin a year-long term as chair of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. This week’s visit to Dublin by Secretary General Lamberto Zannier is part of the quickening of pace of diplomatic preparation.

Albania’s political crisis escalated as the government and its opposition traded blame for the deaths of three protesters during a violent demonstration against an administration accused of deeply-rooted corruption.

THE US ordered a sweeping review of access to sensitive government information in the wake of the massive and potentially embarrassing WikiLeaks release of more than 250,000 classified documents.

The US ordered a sweeping review of access to sensitive government information today in the wake of the massive and potentially embarrassing WikiLeaks release of more than 250,000 classified documents.

AMERICAN democracy was briefly braced for an unexpected intervention last night as it was revealed none other than Ivor Callely had placed himself on standby to monitor elections in the home of the brave and the land of the free (lunch).

An informal meeting of the OSCE is underway to discuss the future of European security.

ITALY was hit by a news blackout yesterday as journalists went on strike against a bill curbing the use of wiretapping proposed by the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Nato and Russia have agreed to resume military ties in their first high-level meeting since Russia’s war with Georgia disrupted their relations 10 months ago.

NATO and Russia agreed to resume military ties today in their first high-level meeting since Russia’s war with Georgia disrupted relations 10 months ago.

An explosive device killed a conservative politician as he drove through northern Albania today, 10 days ahead of the country’s parliamentary election, police said.

A RUSSIAN probe yesterday alleged that Georgia committed genocide in its August conflict with Russia, the latest accusation in a bitter war of words between the two foes.

Irish senator Deirdre de Burca is in Eastern Europe today to monitor parliamentary elections in Belarus.

European nations rushed to criticise Russia’s decision to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence today.

Russian soldiers took about 20 Georgian troops prisoner at a key Black Sea port in western Georgia today.

America warned Russia today not to try to redraw the map of Europe in the wake of its invasion of Georgia.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice is expected to push Nato allies today to cut back top-level meetings and military co-operation with Russia unless Moscow sticks to its ceasefire pledge to withdraw troops from Georgia.

The world’s seven largest economic powers today urged Russia to accept an immediate cease-fire with Georgia.

The Government today condemned torture as one of the worst violations of human rights.

Russian voters were expected to endorse Vladimir Putin’s choice of a successor in today’s presidential election, allowing Mr Putin to retain a measure of power in his nation whose wealth and global voice have grown even as democratic freedoms diminished.

Thousands of Serbs destroyed two border checkpoints in Kosovo today during protests over the country’s newly-declared independence.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied today across Georgia’s capital Tbilisi to protest against what they denounced as massive vote fraud that helped Mikhail Saakashvili win his second presidential term.

Georgia’s presidential election was essentially in line with the country’s democratic commitments, but revealed problems that must be addressed urgently, the observer mission of a top international democracy group said today.

Election watchdogs said today that Russia’s parliamentary elections were not democratic.

America was accused of meddling in Russia’s elections by President Putin today. He claimed Washington was advising Western observers to boycott the vote on December 2.