Russia cuts off gas to Ukraine

Moscow

In the face of mounting economic troubles, Russia cut off deliveries of natural gas to Ukraine on Thursday after Ukraine rejected the Kremlin's demands for a sharp increase in gas prices.

A similar reduction in supplies to Ukraine in 2006 caused a drop in pressure throughout Europe's integrated natural-gas pipeline system, and led to shortages in countries as far away as Italy and France.

But with a recessionary drop in demand, ample supplies and assurances from both countries that gas would flow westward without interruption, there were few signs of the near hysteria in Europe that accompanied the 2006 cutoff.

Bangkok, Thailand

Club fire witnesses blame fireworks

Several witnesses said a fireworks display during the New Year's countdown ignited the blaze that killed at least 61 people and injured more than 200 at a popular nightclub in a glitzy Bangkok entertainment area.

But one foreigner said he saw no pyrotechnics at the club and a video shot by a guest showed many inside the club waving sparklers shortly before the fire erupted.

The Santika Club was popular with young, affluent Thais as well as tourists and expatriates.

Among the casualties were a Singaporean who died and at least 35 foreigners who were injured, including citizens of Australia, Belgium, Britain, France, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United States, according to officials and reporters.

Canberra, Australia

U.S. asks Australia to take detainees

Australia confirmed Friday that the U.S. has asked it to consider accepting detainees from the Guantánamo Bay detention camp for terror suspects, and the acting prime minister said they would do so on a case-by-case basis.

Julia Gillard, who is filling in for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is on vacation, confirmed the request in a statement, but it did not say how many detainees were proposed.

Rudd's center-left Labor Party, which came to power in 2007, had criticized the prison camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as unjust and had demanded the repatriation of two Australians held there: David Hicks, who was held at Guantánamo for 5 ½ years without trial, and Mamdouh Habib, an Egyptian-born immigrant who was arrested in Pakistan in 2001 and returned to Australia in 2005. President-elect Obama has pledged to close the prison and American officials have expressed concern that some detainees might be persecuted if returned to their home countries.

Accra, Ghana

Presidential revote boycott urged

Ghana's ruling party said it would boycott a presidential revote Friday in the western district of Tain that could decide the African country's next leader.

Voters in the tiny district were unable to vote in a tight runoff Sunday because of problems distributing ballots to polling stations there.

Opposition candidate John Atta Mills leads by about 23,000 ballots out of around 9 million cast, election officials said. There are 53,000 registered voters in Tain.

Also

Egyptian ship seized: An Egyptian official says that Somali pirates have seized an Egyptian cargo ship with 28 crew members on board. The Blue Star was carrying 6,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked after it passed through the Red Sea and entered the Gulf of Aden on Thursday.

India bombings: Three bombs exploded in India's restive northeast Thursday, killing at least five people and wounding 50. Police suspect the militant separatist group the United Liberation Front of Asom was behind the attacks in Gauhati, capital of Assam state. ULFA wants an independent state for the region's ethnic Assamese and is the largest of the northeast's many militant groups.

Seattle Times news services