Governing coalition collapses

Ukraine's pro-Western coalition collapsed yesterday, paving the way for complicated coalition talks or yet another early parliamentary election.

The nine-month-old alliance composed of parties loyal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and his 2004 Orange Revolution partner, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, fell apart following months of infighting between the two leaders. They have become fierce rivals ahead of a presidential election scheduled for 2010.

It is the latest setback in the country's four-year-old embrace of democracy, amid growing tensions with Russia following its conflict with Georgia last month.