Rome (Italy) - It was the perfect Christmas present for art lovers who thought the paintings had been lost for ever after they were stolen – and in particular the Italian art museum which has now got them back.

EU leaders have agreed to extend sanctions against Russia over Ukraine for a further six months.

International prosecutors say the Malaysian airliner shot down in eastern Ukraine just over two years ago was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile launched from a village held by pro-Russian rebels fighting Ukrainian government forces.

Even with tensions again high between Moscow and Kyiv over Crimea, Ukraine has said there has not been any significant increase in fighting in the east of the country where there are regular clashes between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian army troops.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has instructed all military units near Crimea and in the eastern Donbass region to be at the highest level of combat readiness in the wake of Russia’s allegations.

Kiev (Ukraine) - A well-known journalist in Ukraine has been killed by a car bomb in the capital Kyiv.

Pavel Sheremet was a host on Radio Vesti and worked for the news website Ukrayinska Pravda.