World
Russian natural gas surged across Ukraine to countries across Europe Tuesday, banishing the specter of immediate and prolonged shortages because of Moscow's price dispute with Ukraine. European officials sought to dispel anxieties left after some European countries saw gas supplies from Russia transiting through Ukraine cut by as much as 50 percent. The shortages were a result of Moscow's earlier decision to switch off Ukraine's gas when Kiev rejected a big hike in prices. Russia was forced to turn the taps back on after key European partners complained. European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said that representatives of EU member states and the gas industry would discuss Wednesday how to deal with future threats to Europe's gas supply.
Egypt will deport 654 Sudanese refugees who were violently evicted from a protest camp in a Cairo park last week, the country's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Spokeswoman Fatma el-Zahraa Etman told The Associated Press the 654 would be flown home on Thursday because "they were either found to be illegal immigrants or refugees who had violated security conditions." The migrants were detained early Friday when squads of riot police evicted more than a thousand Sudanese migrants from a small park where they had camped for three months in a protest against what they saw as the UN's failure to help resettle them. Security officials said 25 died in the incident.
Peru Tuesday formally asked Chile to extradite former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori so that he could be tried on human rights and corruption charges. The 12 cases compiled by Peru against Fujimori include the death squad killing of 25 people in two incidents, illegal telephone tapping, diversion of state funds to the intelligence service, bribery of politicians, and the transfer of $15 million to Fujimori's spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos. Fujimori has been under arrest in Chile since his surprise arrival two months ago from Japan, where he had lived in exile since his 1990-2000 authoritarian regime collapsed amid a corruption scandal.
Mexico took the unusual step of opening an investigation into the killing of a man officials said was shot while sneaking into California. The incident came as Mexico's government continued its vocal campaign against the bill approved by the US Congress last month. Many Mexicans oppose the US measure, which would build more border fences, make illegal entry a felony, and enlist military and local police to help stop undocumented migrants. Ruben Aguilar, the chief spokesman for President Vicente Fox, said Monday that the death of Guillermo Martinez showed that border walls will not curb illegal immigration.
Bolivia's president-elect Evo Morales began a world tour Tuesday to drum up support for his incoming government and to show he can hold his own on the world stage. Mr. Morales, the country's first indigenous president, left for Venezuela on the first leg of a tour that will also take him to Europe, South Africa, China, and Brazil. Notably not on the agenda: the United States.
Uganda's main opposition leader called President Yoweri Museveni a dictator who should be tried for terrorism, speaking a day after being freed pending his own trial on charges he says were fabricated. "My detention was a political detention," Kizza Besigye said at a news conference. Mr. Museveni's 19-year-old regime "is intent on using force to remain in power," he said. Besigye, a former Museveni ally now seen as his most credible challenger, was released on bail Monday and some 12,000 supporters cheered him as he left court. He had been in prison since Nov. 14 when he was first charged with treason and rape in civilian court. Later, a military tribunal charged him with terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.
