A methane explosion at a coal mine in eastern Ukraine on Saturday killed six people, the country's Emergencies Ministry said.

The first sign was put up in 1887 under Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, by the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Austro-Hungarian Empire. The second one was set up by the members of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The third one was put up in the first years of Ukraine’s independence after the Soviet Union had collapsed.

Inherited wealth is a part of the world’s financial reality, as bulging bank accounts and the advantages that wealth brings are passed from generation to generation. But in Ukraine, it is a relatively new phenomenon.

Somali pirates holding a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks reiterated their demands for a $20 million ransom on Tuesday and denied three of their number had died in a shootout.

"We want $20 million ransom from the ship and we are 53 Somalis," said Sugule, the spokesman of the pirates onboard the Ukrainian ship, which is being shadowed by U.S. navy vessels.

U.S. President George W. Bush is seeking to boost Ukraine's beleaguered leader Viktor Yushchenko.

The pro-Western Ukrainian leader was at the White House Monday. The two leaders said they discussed Yushchenko's aspirations for NATO and EU membership.

As a heavily-armed U.S. freighter patrolled nearby and planes flew overhead, a Somali pirate told The Associated Press that his group was demanding a US$20million ransom to release a cargo ship loaded with Russian tanks.

Poland and Ukraine have won a reprieve from UEFA and will remain as Euro 2012 joint hosts - but with a warning to speed up their preparations.

In an interview in the Black Sea city of Sochi on Thursday, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia.

Putin said his defense officials had told him it was done to benefit a presidential candidate -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are competing to succeed George W. Bush -- although he presented no evidence to back it up.

Polish Ambassador in Ukraine Jacek Kluczkoswki went for a two-day familiarization trip to Transcarpathian(Zakarpattia). In Uzhhorod the diplomat met Head of the Regional State Administration Oleh Havashi, who acquainted the guest with the state of cooperation with Polish regions.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2005 – Ukraine joined a regional European security organization today at a meeting being held here and hosted by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

Foreign secretary David Miliband has said that Russia has a "responsibility" not to start a new Cold War after flying to neighbouring Ukraine.

President Dmitry Medvedev has declared that Russia formally recognises the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

A charitable account of the regional Red Cross organization was transferred over UAH 500 thousand, head of operative office of the regional administration, acting first deputy head of the Kirovohrad Regional State Administration Svitlana Nehoda said.

There may be no two people who value the potato more than Orysia and George Wozniak, proprietors of Taste of Ukraine restaurant, located downtown at Jasper Avenue and 122nd Street.

The Deputy Head of Government will hold a meeting of the Regional Headquarters on Mitigation of Disaster Consequences, as well as a meeting on the issues of design and construction of protection facilities.

The announcement came minutes before French President Nicolas Sarkozy was to land in Moscow to meet with Medvedev to negotiate terms for a possible cease-fire.

"I have reached a decision to halt the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace," Medvedev said. "The aggressor has been punished and has incurred very significant losses. Its armed forces are disorganized."

Georgia's president says he has signed an international-brokered proposal for a cease-fire with Russia in their conflict over the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

Bombs rocked Tbilisi early Saturday morning as the fight between Georgia and Russia over a breakaway region intensified and moved into the Georgian capital.

Day one of the Georgia-South Ossetia military conflict

The number of people who have died or are missing as a result of a devastating flood in western Ukraine has risen to 38, including eight children, the Health Ministry said on Monday.