KIEV, Feb. 20 - Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk has committed to giving half or more of his fortune during his lifetime and after to philanthropic causes, joining the Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative founded in 2010 by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

KIEV, Feb. 20 - Ukraine is considering the introduction of protective duties on imports of gasoline in order to help domestic oil refineries restart production, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytskiy said Wednesday.

KIEV, Feb. 17 - Kiev is considering reconstructing the Energiya incineration plant jointly with Japanese investors, First Deputy Head of Kiev City State Administration Oleksandr Mazurchak said.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – Ukraine plans to assign UAH 2.58 billion (around $320 million) in funding for the national targeted scientific and technical space program for 2013-2017.

A draft plan of the program was approved at a cabinet meeting this week, the State Space Agency of Ukraine announced on Friday.

KIEV, Feb. 17 - Hryvnia stability is in no way under threat, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Governor Serhiy Arbuzov said.

"This year the NBU is taking the necessary measures to maintain a normal - positive or zero - balance of payments, and it can be said with confidence that the currency's movement will also be predictable.

KIEV, Feb. 20 - The banks' non-performing loans (NPLs) in Ukraine remain high at around 40%, with few policy measures so far taken to address them, reads a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Ukraine covering the period of 2012-2016, which has been posted on the World Bank Web site.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – Ukraine's State Property Fund expects it will sign an agreement with ESU LLC, a subsidiary of EPIC, a Vienna-based investment house, on the sale of 92.79% of telecoms giant Ukrtelecom by February 25, according to SPF Chairman Oleksandr Riabchenko.

KIEV, Feb. 17 – State-owned Naftogaz Ukrayiny and U.S.-based ExxonMobil have signed a memorandum on cooperation in the exploration of unconventional hydrocarbon reserves in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry.

KIEV, Feb. 18 – Kontinium Group President Ihor Yeremeev said that he is ready to use 100% of shares in CSJC Kherson oil refinery as collateral for state guarantees to attract investment for the company's upgrade.

KIEV, Feb. 18 – Fitch Ratings has assigned Ukraine's $1.5 billion eurobond, due in 2021, a 'B' rating.

According to the agency, the rating is in line with Ukraine's Long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR), which has a Stable Outlook.