World Scene

CUBA

Mexico expels envoys; U.S. considers action

MEXICO CITY — Mexico announced yesterday that it will recall its ambassador from Cuba and expel the Cuban ambassador, saying the communist-run island had meddled in this country’s affairs.

The government also declared a political adviser in the Cuban Embassy a “persona non grata” and told him to leave Mexico immediately.

The action was prompted by an unauthorized reunion by Cuban Communist Party members, who entered the country last month on diplomatic passports.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported from Washington yesterday that a U.S. government panel is recommending to President Bush a series of measures to cut U.S. dollar flows to Cuba as part of a broader policy to hasten the end of the country’s communist system.

A commission report, in preparation for six months and overseen by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, also calls for steps to overcome Cuban jamming of U.S.-government sponsored radio and television broadcasts to Cuba, the AP reported.

GERMANY

China’s Wen visits farm, auto factory

MUNICH — Chinese Prime Minster Wen Jiabao, on his first visit to Europe since taking office, toured a Bavarian dairy farm and a high-tech German car factory at the start of an 11-day European trip yesterday.

Mr. Wen, who took office more than a year ago, has said his trip is aimed at building trust and trade. He also will try to persuade European Union states to drop an arms embargo.

The prime minister, who began his tour with China’s biggest trading partner in Europe, also will go to Belgium, Italy, Britain and Ireland.

GEORGIA

Breakaway region destroys main bridges

TBILISI — Adzharian forces blew up the three major bridges connecting their recalcitrant province with the rest of Georgia, in what their leader said yesterday was a preventive measure against Georgian military action.

The bridge over the Choloki River that forms the internal border with Adzharia was destroyed, footage aired by Russian television network RTR showed. The destruction cut off auto traffic and dramatically increased tensions in the volatile region.

Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze called the decision to blow up the bridges “a preventive measure against the possible attempt of military action by the central Georgian authorities,” Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency reported.

SPAIN

Iraq called lesson on pre-emptive wars

MADRID — Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said yesterday he hopes the deteriorating situation in Iraq will serve as a warning to countries against using pre-emptive wars in the future.

The prime minister told about 20,000 supporters at a governing-party rally that he had ordered Spain’s troops home from Iraq “because they should have never been sent there.”

FRANCE

Police arrest leader of capital mosque

PARIS — The Turkish leader of a Paris mosque detained by police on Saturday is the head of an extremist Islamic group, which advocates terrorism, the French Interior Ministry said yesterday.

Midhat Guler, 45, was being held near Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International Airport.