LONDON (Reuters) – With its two biggest victories in nearly a year in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State has energized its fighters, littered the streets of two cities with the bodies of its enemies and forced Washington to re-examine its strategy.

The near simultaneous capture this month of Ramadi west of Baghdad and Palmyra northeast of Damascus has reinforced the sway of the self-proclaimed caliphate of all Muslims closer to the ramparts of Islam’s two great historic capitals.

LONDON (Reuters) – With its two biggest victories in nearly a year in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State has energized its fighters, littered the streets of two cities with the bodies of its enemies and forced Washington to re-examine its strategy.

The near simultaneous capture this month of Ramadi west of Baghdad and Palmyra northeast of Damascus has reinforced the sway of the self-proclaimed caliphate of all Muslims closer to the ramparts of Islam’s two great historic capitals.

KIEV (Reuters) – The rhetoric is as melodramatic as ever, but this time around Russia’s threat to cut off Ukraine’s natural gas is mostly hot air.

After months in which Kiev has been faithfully paying for gas and Moscow reliably supplying it under a deal brokered by the European Union, this week has seen the quarrel erupt anew.

KIEV (Reuters) – The rhetoric is as melodramatic as ever, but this time around Russia’s threat to cut off Ukraine’s natural gas is mostly hot air.

After months in which Kiev has been faithfully paying for gas and Moscow reliably supplying it under a deal brokered by the European Union, this week has seen the quarrel erupt anew.

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine announced on Thursday that it would begin withdrawing artillery from the front line with separatist rebels in the east, a move that amounts to recognition that a ceasefire meant to take effect on Feb. 15 is holding at last.

The pro-Russian rebels have already been pulling back heavy weapons for two days, but Kiev had held back, arguing that fighting had not yet ceased.

KIEV, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s central bank unexpectedly
banned most currency trading on Wednesday, only to abruptly
reverse the decision overnight, causing havoc in the market for
the plunging hryvnia.

The ban had been imposed in the morning, drawing a rebuke
from Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, and had been due to stay
in place until the end of the week. But hours later, without
giving any explanation, the bank did a sudden U-turn.

DONETSK, Ukraine, July 22 (Reuters) – A train carrying the
remains of many of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines flight
MH17 arrived in a Ukrainian government-held city on Tuesday on
the first leg of their final journey home to be reclaimed by
their families.

Five refrigerated wagons containing 200 body bags reached
the city of Kharkiv after pro-Russian separatists agreed to hand
over the plane’s black boxes to Malaysian authorities and the
bodies to the Netherlands, where many victims had lived.

DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) – A train carrying the remains of many of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 arrived in a Ukrainian government-held city on Tuesday on the first leg of their final journey home to be reclaimed by their families.

Five refrigerated wagons containing 200 body bags reached the city of Kharkiv after pro-Russian separatists agreed to hand over the plane’s black boxes to Malaysian authorities and the bodies to the Netherlands, where many victims had lived.

DONETSK, Ukraine, July 22 (Reuters) – A train carrying the
remains of many of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines flight
MH17 arrived at a Ukrainian government base on Tuesday on the
first leg of their final journey home to be reclaimed by their
families.

Five refrigerated wagons containing 200 body bags arrived in
the city of Kharkiv after pro-Russian separatists agreed to hand
over the plane’s black boxes to Malaysian authorities and the
bodies to the Netherlands, where many victims had lived.

DONETSK, Ukraine July 22 (Reuters) – The remains of some of
the nearly 300 victims of the Malaysia Airlines plane downed
over Ukraine were making their way to the Netherlands on Tuesday
as a senior Ukrainian separatist leader handed over the plane’s
black boxes to Malaysian experts.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a news conference on
Monday that a train carrying around 200 body bags was on its way
to rebel-held Donetsk and then to Kharkiv, which is in Ukrainian
government hands, from where the bodies would be taken back to
the Netherlands to be identified.