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KIEV, Ukraine — After four months of wrangling, Ukraine's pro-Western president faced a midnight deadline Wednesday to decide whether to accept his chief political rival as the country's next prime minister. President Viktor Yushchenko can also dissolve parliament and call new elections, but doing so would prolong the political turmoil that has seized this ex-Soviet republic since March's indecisive parliamentary election. A return to power for Viktor Yanukovych, a former prime minister, would complete a startling comeback. His attempt to win the presidency in the 2004 election was marred by fraud and triggered the mass protests known as the Orange...

KIEV, Ukraine - Marathon talks to end Ukraine's political paralysis broke off early Saturday without an agreement between President Viktor Yushchenko and the pro-Russian parliamentary majority that has nominated his former Orange Revolution rival as prime minister. Yushchenko spent more than 10 hours negotiating with Victor Yanukovych, whose fraud-marred run for the presidency in 2004 sparked the Orange Revolution protests that swept Yushchenko to power, and the country's new parliament speaker, Oleksandr Moroz. Yanukovych's nomination as premier earlier this month was an embarrassing setback for Yushchenko, whose popular support has suffered amid infighting and allegations of corruption and incompetence against...

KIEV, Ukraine, July 14 — Ukraine’s political landscape shifted radically on Friday when President Viktor A. Yushchenko’s pro-Western party, Our Ukraine, said that under certain conditions it would join a coalition with its archrival, the pro-Russian Party of the Regions led by Viktor F. Yanukovich. Our Ukraine is insisting that a new government exclude the Communists, who were part of an earlier coalition proposal. Another contentious issue is control over who would become the next prime minister. [...] The Socialist Party, which opposes economic reforms and Ukraine’s joining NATO, would also join the proposed coalition. The Socialists’ participation in a...

MOSCOW – Orange is out, at least for the moment, as Ukraine's political roller coaster seems set to reject at least some results of 2004's pro-democracy revolt and vault Moscow-leaning politician Viktor Yanukovich back into the country's driver's seat. After a week of wild surprises in the 450-seat Supreme Rada, Mr. Yanukovich's Party of Regions announced Tuesday that it had formed a new "anticrisis coalition," holding a slender 12-seat majority, with the Communists and the formerly Orange-allied Socialists. Oleksandr Moroz, the Socialist leader, announced that he had forwarded Yanukovich's name to President Viktor Yushchenko as the new coalition's choice for...

AL ASAD, Iraq (July 10, 2006) -- Hollowell, a band from Orange County, Calif., entertained a crowd of service members at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation building here June 29. According to Jared Daniels, bassist for Hollowell, the band decided to come out to Iraq to show their support for the men and women fighting for our country. "The is the best way we can think of to say thank you to all of the troops," said Daniels, a native of Orange County, Calif. "We need to show our support for everything the men and women over here are doing....

KIEV, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's Socialist Party blames President Viktor Yushchenko for a virtual collapse of a coalition majority formed in the country's parliament in June, a party member said Friday. Ivan Boky said, "The president ruined the coalition by nominating Petro Poroshenko for the post of [Supreme Rada] speaker." The coalition of Western-leaning forces broke up when the Party of Regions, holding 186 seats in the Rada, and the Socialist and Communist parties with 33 and 21 seats respectively joined forces late Thursday to elect Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz as speaker. The three parties are currently holding...

Pro-Russian parties form new governing coalition in Ukraine by Yana Dlugy KIEV (AFP) - Ukraine's pro-Russian parties formed a new governing coalition in a stunning move that promises to slow the pro-Western course taken by the ex-Soviet nation after the "orange revolution." In front of reporters in parliament, the Regions Party and the Communists signed a coalition agreement with the Socialists, who in a surprise move had defected from the pro-Western "orange" camp the previous day. The coalition said it was open to other parties. "We're not closing the doors," said Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of Regions. "They are open...

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) - Turkmenistan on Friday said its natural gas contract with Ukraine for 2006 was invalid, as it continues to pressure Ukraine to pay about 50 percent more than what it currently pays for Turkmen gas. [...] Turkmenistan's gas supplies have taken on even greater importance for Ukraine after a bitter dispute in January with Russia over gas prices, but Kiev has repeatedly stalled on agreements to pay off debts, and Turkmen officials have repeatedly criticized Kiev. [...] "Turkmenistan proposed Ukraine sign a contract on gas deliveries to Ukraine for the fourth quarter at a price of US$100...

[Babel Fish Translation, use your wit :)] A coup of the secret services Everyone remembers the stormy enthusiasm of the orange revolution on the Meidan of Kiew, which help the separatism to the victory. The heroes of this national Ukrainian rising of the people, at her point president Viktor Juschenko, lost since then their prestige. Its party "Nascha Ukraina" came with the recent parliamentary election on miserable 13 per cent - and in the Donezk basin the Ukrainian nationalism played never a large role. Above all it was in the meantime confirmed that enduring the "revolutionary measures" was financed...

Kiev 17:45 Neftegaz Ukrainy admits the possibility of unauthorized tapping of gas pipelines if its underground gas reserves run out this winter, as stated in the company's letter to the Ukrainian PM Yury Yekhanurov of June 8, 2006. "Under such conditions Ukraine will be forced to tap off gas which is supposed to be transported further, thereby giving Russia grounds for accusing Ukraine of theft and presenting the country as an unreliable partner in the eyes of the European community," the document reads. The company explained that if the planned volume of gas was not injected into the underground gas...

United Ukraine parties to form new gov't By NATASHA LISOVA, Associated Press Writer Thu Jun 22, 8:04 AM ET KIEV, Ukraine - Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced in parliament Thursday that she and other allies from Ukraine's Orange Revolution had reunited into as a majority coalition and would start forming a government. "Today we start our struggle so that our country can be democratic," Tymoshenko said. "We were given a second chance, and ... if we don't use this second chance, then the Ukrainian people will say it serves us right." The coalition of pro-Western reformers who aim to...

KIEV -- President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine announced Thursday that it was in talks with the pro-Russian Party of the Regions to create a governing coalition amid a continuing struggle to form a new government 11 weeks after parliamentary elections. Party of the Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych predicted that a coalition would be formed by Tuesday. "We held the first preliminary consultations with the Party of the Regions," Our Ukraine's Roman Zvarych said in parliament. "But we propose holding multilateral negotiations as well as bilateral [talks] with any political force to find a way out." Ukraine's government has been paralyzed...

In city of Dnepropetrovsk the Communist deputies and deputies from the Party of Regions [Yanukovych] were not admitted to the session of provincial council. Entrance for the elected officials was blocked by the dense cordon of soldiers from Special Forces. In order to enter the chamber, parliamentarians broke the side doors and after the battle they got into their work seats. Party of Regions requested the Attorney General of the Ukraine to open criminal case against the responsible.

The conflict has little to do with Russia’s neo-imperialism, but a lot to do with Western reluctance to foot the bill of Soviet de-colonisation. • The “genuine democracies” created in the former Soviet Union in the wake of the so-called “colour revolutions” are failing to deliver political stability and economic prosperity. Insofar as they have failed to reduce dependence on subsidised Russian gas, they are also implicitly failing to deliver real independence. • Ukraine’s demands for continued supplies of cheap Russian/CIS gas in effect mean that Kiev is promoting the preservation of Soviet economic structures. Thus, it is implicitly promoting...

An "orange coalition" is still the most likely outcome of a Ukrainian election won by the revolution's opponent, says Taras Kuzio. ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: By Taras Kuzio Open Democracy, London, UK, Tuesday, March 28, 2006 Ukraine held its fourth parliamentary elections on 26 March in an atmosphere totally different to earlier elections. President Viktor Yushchenko can be credited with ensuring that it has been Ukraine's first free and fair poll since the country became an independent state in January 1992. The democratic breakthrough initiated by the orange revolution of November 2004-January 2005 has been consolidated. This is in stark contrast...

Ignore the broad smiles, firm handshakes, cheerful backslapping and toasts raised to "everlasting friendship" between well-dressed, smiling Russians, intense Germans, glib Americans and deceptive Brits. The Second Cold War has already begun. If forced to be perfectly frank, every diplomat, spy or banker from Boston to Baku would acknowledge this. Anyone who reads the press or watches television must have noticed by now that the most dynamic, aggressive and self-assured force in the world today is Russia. Daily reports in the media announce that Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom is buying a pipeline network here or a European gas company...

Are those 1200 calorie survival bars I see advertised actually edible? Do they really last 5-7 years? I've always (always here means for about 2 years) made sure I had enough food stockpiled in my house for a couple of weeks and water for two or three. My mom, however, decided that not only should I do that, I should have a portable 72 hour kit too. She made one for all her kids. They're big orange backpacks that contain just about everything a person would need to survive for three days. I actually think its kind of cool, and...

[...] The constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the authorities restrict this right in practice. Although Article 16 of the 1996 amended constitution that resulted from the illegal referendum reaffirms the equality of religions and denominations before the law, it also contains restrictive language that stipulated that cooperation between the state and religious organizations "is regulated with regard for their influence on the formation of spiritual, cultural, and country traditions of the Belarusian people." [...] In March 2004 the government began forcing state employees (some 80% of Belarusian workers) to sign short-term work contracts. Although contracts may be concluded...

CHERNOVTSY, Ukraine -- Thousands of Ukrainians with Russian last names may not recognize their names on voters' rolls when they try to vote in parliamentary elections Sunday. Their names have been translated into Ukrainian. Central Elections Commission officials are urging regional officials to recheck the rolls, and lawmakers have taken steps to allow voters to challenge the spelling of their names in court. But opposition politicians are warning that many voters in the country's east and south could end up disenfranchised. Taras Chernovil, the deputy campaign chief of the pro-Moscow Party of the Regions and a leading candidate, accused local...

Florida Capital: TallahasseeState abbreviation/Postal code: Fla./FLGovernor: Jeb Bush, R (to Jan. 2007)Lieut. Governor: Toni Jennings, R (to Jan. 2007)Senators: Mel Martinez, R (to Jan. 2011); Bill Nelson, D (to Jan. 2007)U.S. Representatives: 25Historical biographies of Congressional membersSecy. of State: Glenda Hood, R (to Jan. 2007)Atty. General: Charlie Crist, R (to Jan. 2007)Chief Financial Officer: Tom Gallagher, R (to Jan. 2007)Organized as territory: March 30, 1821Entered Union (rank): March 3, 1845 (27)Present constitution adopted: 1969Motto: In God we trust (1868)State symbols: flower orange blossom (1909) bird mockingbird (1927) song “Suwannee River” (1935) Nickname: Sunshine State (1970)Origin of name: From the...