Mejli Tatars are holding a protest action in Simferopol, Krym (Crimea). They are doing so in response to provocations by city officials and Party of Regions members. The leader of the protest stated that in actuality the issue has been on-going for ten years and is in reference to the proposed building of a mosque in Simferopol. They are being denied the right to build the mosque at their designated location and have appealed for Pres. Yushchenko's assistance in having land dealings in Krym straightened out. They had received the go ahead to build on their site after three years of procedural delays. But on Jan. 10, 2008 without any documentation, consultation with or agreement from Tartar Moslem religious leaders, the city council passed a decision which changed the site of the mosque construction to another location and so the protest action began.

In Kyiv it is estimated that 40% of all minors (children under legal age of 18) smoke. Most start at age 13 and 65% of minors state that they have no problems obtaining cigarettes. While 20% of minors living in Kyiv reported that they drink alcohol.

Incident in Kyiv's subway system which disrupted service. It was due to an overheated compressor that started smoking and filled up the subway station. People were evacuated from the stop which was the Theater one. It is reported that service is back to normal.

In Kyiv a replica copy of the Monument of the Russian Soldier was erected, right opposite the Estonian Embassy. The original copy of the monument was the cause of controversy and rioting in Tallinn, Estonia when it was moved from the city centre. The replica copy in Kyiv was put up by members of the Party of Regions youth organization. This was done in protest of events in Tallinn.

Today the head of Donetsk Ministry of Coal Production stated that no one has any plans to close the Zasyadko mine which had the highest number of fatalities in a mine explosion, in Ukraine's history ever. (Over the past few months it has had numerous explosions.)  

"On January 19 the Mine Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case upon the fact of the explosion at the Shakhtarska-Hluboka coalmine in Shakhtarsk, Donetsk region. ... As Ukrainian News reported, on January 19 two miners were killed and two more injured in an explosion occurred at the Shakhtarska-Hluboka coalmine." (Ukrainian News)

Article about the rise on Neo-Nazism in Eastern Europe. "Racial and xenophobic tensions in Ukraine generally are low. However, extremist nationalist groups are active in most cities of the former Soviet republic. Most members of such groups are unemployed teenagers or young men from low-income families. Actual violence against ethnic minorities in Ukraine is an infrequent but recurring event. The most common targets are Jews and Muslim Tartars, but in recent years attacks against foreigners from Asia and Africa have increased."

The following is at least heartening "But there's little evidence that extreme right-wing parties will ever be able to attract significant popular support."