Ukraine president Viktor Yushchenko, the populist politician who survived dioxin poisoning while forcing out the country’s pro-Russian government last year, has been honoured by the US with this year’s John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

Ukrainian weapons dealers smuggled cruise missiles to Iran and to China, prosecutors said today.

Ukraine’s interior minister gave the new government’s sharpest warning yet to former President Leonid Kuchma today, saying he has reason to worry as the investigation into a journalist’s death nearly five years ago proceeds at a breakneck pace.

FORMER Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma is expected to be questioned this week over the grisly murder of an opposition reporter, after his former interior minister implicated in the killing was found dead in what police have called a suicide.

FORMER Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko shot himself yesterday, hours before prosecutors were to question him about the killing of an investigative journalist five years ago.

Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko shot himself today, hours before prosecutors were to question him about the killing of an investigative journalist five years ago.

Ukraine’s former Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko was found dead today, hours before prosecutors were to question him about the killing of an investigative journalist five years ago, officials said.

Ukraine’s former Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko was found dead today at his country house outside Kiev, officials said.

Ukrainian authorities today detained suspects for the beheading of a prominent internet journalist who had revealed top-level corruption in the former regime.

MANY believe it is only a matter of time before the European Union expands to the borders of Russia itself by admitting Ukraine as a member.

Viktor Yushchenko will be inaugurated Ukraine’s new president on Sunday, setting the stage for the transition to a new government following months of divisive political crisis.

Anna Melnichuk, Kiev

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma ordered the foreign and defence ministers today to develop a plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq within six months.

Ukraine Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych showed no signs of giving in to pressure to step down, insisting he would challenge the results of Sunday’s presidential vote that gave opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko a solid victory.

Protesters gathered outside Ukraine’s government headquarters in Kiev today to prevent Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych convening the Cabinet.

Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian election loser Viktor Yanukovych to concede defeat today, after it emerged that opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko won the bitter presidential race by more than two million votes.

Ukrainian Transport Minister Heorhiy Kirpa, a supporter of the trailing candidate in Sunday’s presidential election, apparently killed himself, an official said today.

Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko celebrated his apparently decisive triumph in Ukraine’s protracted presidential contest today, thanking the protesters who spent weeks camped out in the capital’s frigid streets for securing his electoral victory and the nation’s freedom.

EARLY results showed opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko has won the presidential election in Ukraine.

Rival candidates Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych faced each other again today in a repeat election.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych accused his rival today of an unfair election campaign in the run-up to the December 26 re-run of the presidential vote and said his camp would retaliate.

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko promised today to prosecute government officials and their supporters for crimes committed during the last decade should he win the country’s December 26 re-run of the presidential election.

Ukraine’s two presidential candidates mapped out campaign strategies before the repeat of last month’s fraud-marred election run-off, as dozens of protesters maintained a vigil today outside the president’s office.

UKRAINE'S civil servants went back to work for the first time in weeks as the opposition lifted its blockade of government buildings and a political crisis eased following a compromise with the ruling regime.

Ukraine’s outgoing President Leonid Kuchma today fired the country’s prosecutor general, following demands from the opposition.

Protesters in Kiev lifted their siege of Ukraine’s government building today as tensions following weeks of demonstrations ebbed with parliament’s adoption of electoral reform before a new presidential run-off vote at the end of the month.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters sang and danced in noisy celebrations after Ukraine’s Parliament adopted electoral and constitutional changes they hope will pave the way for a fair ballot in a repeat of the disputed presidential election.

The Ukraine’s potentially powerhouse economy is being sucked dry by a crooked government in bed with big business cronies. Europe Correspondent Anne Cahill reports from Kiev.

Ukraine’s parliament adopted electoral and constitutional changes today in a compromise intended to defuse the nation’s political crisis – prompting opposition leaders to say they would lift a blockade of government buildings.

Ukraine’s parliament adopted a package of electoral and constitutional changes today in a compromise intended to defuse the nation’s festering political crisis. The vote was approved in a 402-21 vote with 19 abstentions. MPs stood and cheered as President Leonid Kuchma signed the measure in the chamber.

THE struggle for power in Ukraine shifted to the corridors of parliament as lawmakers tried to break a deadlock between the ruling regime and the opposition over legislative changes ahead of a new presidential runoff vote.

Rival factions in Ukraine’s parliament failed today to agree on passing electoral changes aimed at ensuring a fair vote in the nation’s December 26 presidential run-off.

UKRAINE’S president Leonid Kuchma called round table talks in Kiev last night and said he would go along with a presidential run-off on December 26 as set out by the Supreme Court.

Ukraine’s parliament will meet in emergency session on Tuesday to consider changes to the country’s electoral laws before the December 26 presidential run-off election.

Shrugging off a parliamentary setback and seizing on his Supreme Court victory, opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko pushed for quick passage of anti-fraud legislation to ensure a new vote is fair against his Moscow-backed rival, who has fallen out of public view.

Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko kicked off campaigning for Ukraine’s December 26 presidential rerun with a call for speedy anti-fraud legislation, as supporters began signing up in droves to monitor balloting and ensure a fair vote.

THE Ukrainian President is under siege, with demands for his resignation increasing from the orange revolution that has already effectively forced out the government and had fraudulent elections set aside.

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko kicked off campaigning for the December 26 presidential rerun with a call for quick passage of anti-fraud legislation as supporters began signing up en masse to monitor balloting and ensure a fair vote.

The campaign for a third round of voting in Ukraine’s bitterly fought presidential contest officially opened today, with activists signing up to monitor the election and a top ally of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko speaking confidently of victory.

Ukraine’s outgoing President Leonid Kuchma today accused the opposition of reneging on compromise agreements and called for quick foreign mediation of his nation’s post-election political crisis.

Opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko suffered a setback in the Ukraine’s parliament today when his foes blocked electoral amendments intended to avert fraud in a new presidential runoff later this month.

Ukraine’s parliament is meeting today to set the wheels in motion for a new presidential election, after the disputed run-off was declared void by the Supreme Court.

Ukraine’s The Supreme Court declared the results of the tainted disputed presidential run-off election invalid today and Friday that a repeat vote should be held by December 26.

Ukraine’s Supreme Court today cancelled the presidential run-off election result and called for a repeat vote.