World Scene

MEXICO

Official says attacks are sign of success

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s top security official blamed organized crime for the brazen killing of an acting federal police chief, saying yesterday his death shows a nationwide crackdown is hurting gangs.

Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna said authorities would not be deterred by an onslaught of attacks against police as he presided over the funeral of Edgar Gomez Millan and two other federal officers killed this week.

Mr. Millan, 41, was shot 10 times early Thursday by gunmen inside the courtyard of his Mexico City apartment complex.

HUNGARY

Denmark to schedule vote on euro

BUDAPEST — The Danish government expects to decide within two months on the date of a referendum on joining the eurozone, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Budapest yesterday.

“Denmark has to become a full-fledged member of the eurozone,” Mr. Rasmussen said after receiving an honorary degree at the Corvinus University of Budapest.

Denmark has already voted twice against introducing the common currency of now 15 members of the European Union. The country opted out of common defense policy and cooperation on justice affairs as well.

Currently parliamentary negotiations are under way on the date of the referendum and whether all three exemptions are to be reassessed by voters.

AFGHANISTAN

NATO soldier killed in military operation

KABUL — A NATO soldier was killed yesterday during an operation in eastern Afghanistan, while several militants were killed in the south, officials said.

The alliance soldier died in the Wuza district of Paktia province, the alliance said. It did not identify the nationality of the dead soldier or give details of the operation.

Meanwhile, U.S.-led coalition troops killed several militants during an operation Thursday against militants involved in weapons smuggling in Garmser district of southern Helmand province, the coalition said in a statement yesterday.

ZIMBABWE

Opposition shuns mediator Mbeki

HARARE — The Zimbabwean opposition yesterday said that no one from the party would meet with visiting South African President Thabo Mbeki, who it says should be replaced as mediator in the country’s political crisis.

President Robert Mugabe met Mr. Mbeki at the airport as the South African leader arrived for another round of talks. Neither spoke to reporters.

George Sibotshiwe, spokesman for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, said Mr. Mbeki was regarded as biased toward Mr. Mugabe.

SRI LANKA

Blast kills 11 ahead of elections

BATTICALOA — A bomb blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels tore through a cafe yesterday evening in eastern Sri Lanka, killing 11 people and casting a cloud over crucial provincial elections scheduled for today.

The elections were meant to be a final step in restoring normalcy to the Eastern Province, which the government freed from 13 years of Tamil Tiger rule last year.

To ensure a smooth vote, the government sent an unprecedented 28,000 police officers and an extra 4,000 soldiers to back up the thousands of troops already in the province, authorities said.

From wire dispatches and staff reports