What to do while in Ukraine

Spain claimed a huge scalp as they ended the title hopes of Croatia in a thrilling quarter-final at the U16 European Championship Men. In a finish worthy of classic status, Spain saw a 20-point lead evaporate to almost nothing at the death but Croatia missed two chances to tie it in the final seconds as Spain clung on to reach the semi-finals. It was Croatia's first loss in a tournament they bossed through the first two rounds, and the upset win sparked joyous celebrations on the Spanish side with their coaches leaping about the court arm-in-arm. Croatia will reflect on a dismal second quarter when they managed just five points, allowing Spain to take a 36-21 lead at half-time. Their advantage was 48-28 when  Xabier Lopez-Arosteguj  sank a three-pointer with 6:30 to go in the third quarter, but Croatia are too good a team to go out with such a whimper and they soon set about a stirring rally. Back-to-back lay-ups from  Lovro Mazalin  completed a 15-3 spurt that got

Gutman & Co. fall to Ukraine in 2-0 friendly for first international loss for Israel in five games. Israel suffered its first defeat since last November on Wednesday night, losing 2-0 to Ukraine in Kiev in its last tune-up match ahead of the final stretch to its 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. Since falling 2-1 to Belarus in a friendly in Jerusalem last year, Israel had managed to resurrect its qualifying campaign with a 3-3 draw against Portugal and a 2-0 victory at Northern Ireland, while also winning its past two friendly encounters against Finland and Honduras. However, it was outplayed for most of Wednesday’s game – played under driving rain in Kiev – giving coach Eli Gutman plenty of food for thought before next month’s resumption of the qualifiers. The blue-and-white currently sits in third place in Group F with 11 points from six matches, trailing second-placed Russia, which had 12 points from five games before Wednesday night’s match at Northern Ireland. Portugal l

German consumer goods company Henkel has pulled a toilet freshener from the eastern European market after Ukrainians complained it looked like the former Soviet republic's flag. A television advertisement for the Bref Duo Stick freshener run in Russia ( here ) caught the attention of Ukrainians - many of whom watch Russian television - last week. In the ad, the yellow-and-blue freshener which is shaped like a small flag is put under the toilet rim. "A delirious idea from uncultured people," one person commented on the YouTube clip. Tore Birol, Henkel's general manager for laundry and home care products in Ukraine, told Reuters on Wednesday the company had pulled the product within three days of seeing the complaints. "We are very sorry if people were offended by the design of our new product," he said. "We stopped the production, distribution and television advertising (of the product)." Birol said the freshener, which had been mark

A press-conference was held in Kyiv dedicated to the start of the U16 European Championship Men 2013 that will be held from 8 to 18 August in the Kyiv Palace of Sports. The press-conference was attended by the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Olexander Vilkul, the president of the Basketball Federation of Ukraine Oleksandr Volkov and Tournament Director Markian Lubkivskyi. "In August the European basketball world will be centred in Kyiv, where from 8 to 18 August the U16 European basketball Championship will be held," claimed Vilkul to open the press-conference, continuing: "Ukraine is creating new international stars. There is no doubt that in a few years the young men who take part in this tournament will become main leaders in their adult teams. But they will always remember the games they played on our courts." Vilkul also discussed the importance of making the tournament accessible to all. On the initiative of the Ukrainian Government and the

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry says an ammonia leak at a chemical plant has killed five people and sickened more than 20. The ministry said that a pipe carrying liquid ammonia depressurized Tuesday at the Stirol plant in the east of the country, causing the release of the chemical. The ministry refused to provide further details. The plant said on its website that the faulty pipe was soon fixed and there was no danger to the population in nearby areas. Production of chemical fertilizers is a key sector of the Ukrainian economy.  Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/08/06/3426467/ukraine-5-killed-20-sickened-in.html#storylink=cpy