Mexico: Emergency spending

MEXICO CITY — President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday unveiled plans for $4.4 billion in emergency spending on roads, schools, hospitals and an oil refinery next year to help Mexico combat the world financial crisis.

In a televised address, Calderon assured Mexicans the nation's banks are solid and haven't slowed lending to companies or individuals, despite a global credit crunch that has sent stocks here tumbling and seen the peso weaken to a record low against the dollar.

Congo: Rwanda problems

KINSHASA — Congo has accused neighboring Rwanda of sending troops across the border and fighting in support of a Congolese warlord amid fierce skirmishes that escalated Wednesday and wounded dozens of people. A Rwandan military spokesman denied the allegations.

Army tanks fired into the hills at Rwandan-allied rebels, who took control of a military base in the village of Rumangabo. The fighting forced wildlife rangers to evacuate their headquarters in the southern sector of Virunga National Park, home to some of the last remaining mountain gorillas on earth, park spokeswoman Samantha Newport said.

Lebanon: 2 Americans missing

BEIRUT — The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon issued an appeal for information Wednesday on behalf of the families of two missing Americans who have not been heard from since they checked out of a Beirut hotel a week ago.

Taylor Luck, 23, of Oak Park, Ill., and Holli Chmela, 27, reportedly of the Washington, D.C., area, have not been heard from since they left the hotel Oct. 1, telling friends they planned to travel north to the Lebanese port city of Tripoli and then to Syria, a statement from the U.S. Embassy said.

The two worked at the Jordan Times in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Mexico: Norbert strengthens

MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Norbert strengthened Wednesday into a powerful Category 4 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast as it churned on a path expected to take it over the southern half of the Baja California peninsula this weekend.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Norbert will likely turn toward the northeast over the next two days en route to the Baja peninsula and Mexican mainland. Officials across the region were setting up shelters and preparing for possible evacuations from low-lying regions.