KIEV (AFP) - The Ukrainian parliament Thursday approved the appointment of Mykola Azarov, an ex-finance minister and top ally of President Viktor Yanukovych, as the country's new prime minister.

JERUSALEM (AFP) - The crisis with key ally the United States over settlement expansion in east Jerusalem has ended, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.

FRANKFURT (AFP) - German luxury car maker BMW reported on Thursday a 36.4 percent drop in 2009 net profit to 210 million euros (287 million dollars).

YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's military junta has appointed the country's new election commission ahead of this year's polls, just days after announcing electoral laws, state media said Thursday.

GAZA CITY (AFP) - The Islamist Hamas movement will on Thursday release a British reporter it arrested in its Gaza enclave last month, his lawyer said.