The NG [Nezavavysimaya Gazeta] reports of Tymoshenko's "catching cold" situation, explaining her inability to go through with the planned Moscow visit this Sunday. The news, however, was preceded by Yushchenko's expressions of purposelessness of the visit, so adds the NG.

Moscow pundits conclude on this basis that Yushchenko is holding Tymoshenko "in the shadow", fearing her getting first cut at dealing with the Russian officials.

Юрій Гнаткевич, народний депутат України (БЮТ): Що сказав би Олекса Гірник послу Чорномирдіну?

21 січня минає 30 років відтоді, як біля могили Т. Шевченка спалив себе Олекса Гірник з Калуша. Своє самоспалення О. Гірник назвав у розкиданих по схилах Чернечої Гори листівках протестом проти русифікації українців. А тим часом йде вже сімнадцятий рік Незалежності України. Та чи був би щасливим Олекса cьогодні? Як повів би себе, коли б чув і бачив, що русифікація українців досі триває?

With most border controls in Eastern Europe now gone, people smuggling has become easy business in the Ukraine

Chewing slices of pork fat at his house less than two miles from the border with Slovakia, a Ukrainian people smuggler broke into a grin studded with gold teeth as he predicted a sharp increase in trade this year.

On December 21 border controls in much of eastern Europe were abolished as nine new European Union members implemented the Schengen agreement, which allows people to move between most EU countries without a passport check.

The greatest threat to western Ukraine's distinctive religious art and architecture may come from the faithful themselves. LVIV, Ukraine -- One morning last October, staff of the medieval Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv found the 150-year-old entrance arch lying in ruins.

Two competing versions of the event emerged. Staff of the state historical preserve felt sure that the Orthodox monks who share the complex -- an outstanding monument of Ukrainian history and Christianity -- deliberately destroyed the arch because it prevented them from undertaking construction work.