State enterprises "Ukrenergo" controlling main and interstate transmission facilities of Ukraine cut off one of the mains to Belarus.

Ukraine has been allowed to export sunflower-seed oil to Europe.

Somali pirates who have taken over a German dry cargo vessel have threatened to kill the crew unless they receive a ransom for the sailors' release, a Ukrainian TV channel reported Friday.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko declares that gas price rise in Ukraine will be gradual.

South Ossetia President Eduard Kokoity said the mobilization has been suspended, but the forces are ready to atack at any time.

Turkmenistan's president told his Russian counterpart on Friday that his country will honor the commitments it has made on natural gas supplies to Russia up to 2025.

Direct economic losses caused by May's devastating earthquake in southwest China have already exceeded 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion), a provincial official was quoted as saying.

Poland has refused to station ten interceptor missiles on its soil as part of a U.S. plan to deploy an anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe. That's according to the Polish TVN24 channel.

Deflation is just as dangerous for the state economy as inflation, according to Alexander Rosenfeld, who expressed his opinion in the course of 'round table' talks in the National Institute of Strategic Research, according to 'Ostrov' correspondent.Mr. Rosemfeld noted that

According to dealers of commercial banks, the market was of low activity due to the day off in the USA.

She announced this when speaking at a counsel devoted to current affairs and prospects of development of the ship-building industry in Mykolaiv region.

The NBU Council and Board have agreed on setting the official hryvnia rate for the second half-year at 4.85 UAH/USD plus/minus 4%.

Presidential press service announced this in a statement.

Council Chairman Petro Poroshenko and NBU Governor Volodymyr Stelmakh announced this at a joint press conference after a meeting of the NBU Council.

Oleksandr Bondar, first deputy head of the VRU Special verifying committee for privatization told the IMC . "Until the Secretariat doesn't give consent to Valentyna Semenyuk-Samosenko's resignation, she will work further, regardless of what decision the committee takes, what decision

MP from the OU-PSD Yaroslav Dzhodzhyk considers that for the preparation for the Championship all authorities should be performed to one organ under the NSDC of Ukraine, which would have real authorities, including directions to mayors and governors of cities

Yuriy Karmazin, MP from the OU-PSD bloc told the IMC, commenting on the statement of the deputy head of the President's Secretariat Maryna Stavniychuk, that there are no legal bases to deprive Ihor Rybakov, member of the BYuT, of MP's

MP from the BYuT Ihor Rybakov does not intend to leave the faction. "I am not going to leave the faction," Rybakov said.

David Zhvania who states that the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko was not poisoned, is not going to apologize.

About 40 people were wounded due to the explosion in the center of Minsk, where celebration took place on the occasion of the Independence Day, according to 'Interfax-Ukraine'.Some injured have severe wounds, though no killed.'Interfax' correspondent advised that on the