Ukrainian court delays former PM's trial for 25 time

A Ukrainian court on Friday adjourned the trial of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko for the 25th time, after she refused to appear due to health reasons. Presiding judge Kostyantin Sadovsky delayed the trial till Dec. 27, saying the case could be considered only in the presence of the defendant. Tymoshenko, who was charged with evading taxes while heading an energy company in the 1990s, failed to show up at the court in the eastern city of Kharkov due to severe back pains she was reportedly suffering. The 53-year-old, a key opposition leader, is now receiving medical treatment in a state hospital in Kharkov. She was convicted in October 2011 in a separate case on charges of abuse of power over a 2009 gas deal with Russia.