THE Ukrainian supreme court yesterday rejected motions from lawyers of defeated presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich as it started hearing his appeal to annul the results of last month’s election.

The Ukrainian Supreme Court rejected an array of motions from lawyers of defeated presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych today as it started hearing his appeal to annul the results of last month's election.

The Ukrainian Supreme Court began hearings today on what appeared to be the last appeal by former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych over alleged fraud in the presidential election he lost to Viktor Yushchenko.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, making his first public comments on the Ukrainian presidential election lost by the Kremlin-favoured candidate, said today he hoped the country would move from rhetoric to pragmatism.

Vitali Klitschko has revealed he came close to cancelling next week’s world heavyweight title fight with Danny Williams as he was so concerned at the political crisis in his native Ukraine