Israel

Work begins on fence east of Jerusalem

Israel pushed ahead Monday with work on a new stretch of its security fence east of Jerusalem that has been heavily criticized by both the Palestinians and Washington, which says it will complicated the “road map” peace plan.

Israel began confiscating Palestinian lands for the sections in Abu Dis and other areas east of Jerusalem more than a week ago, and workers broke ground there Friday.

The segment is part of a larger barrier — 370 miles of trenches, fencing, razor wire and concrete wall — that is meant to keep Palestinian militants from crossing into Israel to carry out attacks. About a fourth of it has been built.

The United States has threatened to reduce loan guarantees to Israel by the amount spent on the fence.

Liberia

New leader seeks aid in stopping clashes

Liberia’s president asked the United States on Monday to help stop clashes raging in the countryside despite a week-old peace deal, and urged West African peacekeepers to speed up their deployment as well.

President Moses Blah told The Associated Press that U.S. Ambassador John Blaney agreed late Monday to try to contact rebels in hopes of engineering a true cease-fire in the interior. U.S. Embassy officials, reached soon after Blah made his appeal, said they had no information.

West African peacekeepers, who began arriving three weeks ago, have effectively brought peace to the capital, Monrovia. But refugees and combatants in the southeast and north have reported new clashes despite the cease-fire and a week-old power-sharing deal.

Calls for help in the countryside come a day after a 150-strong U.S. Marine rapid reaction force pulled back to warships off Liberia.

Rwanda

Incumbent president declares election victory

Incumbent Paul Kagame declared victory early today after taking a near insurmountable lead in Rwanda’s first real presidential election — a vote intended as the next step in the healing of wounds from the 1994 genocide in which more than 500,000 people were killed.

Kagame spoke as partial totals from Monday’s balloting gave him an overwhelming 94 percent with 50 of 106 districts reporting.

“This victory is a foundation for the next stage of development we are entering to,” Kagame told supporters.

Kagame’s challengers had virtually no chance of catching him. Electoral Commission Chairman Chrysologue Karangwa said the main competitor, Faustin Twagiramungu, had just 3.5 percent, while the third candidate, Jean-Nepomuscene Nayinzira, had slightly more than 1 percent. Unofficial final results were to be released later today.

Mexico

Hurricane stalls, appears to lose strength

Hurricane Ignacio drenched fishermen and tourists Monday as it moved closer to the Baja California Peninsula, but forecasters said it appeared to be weakening.

The storm had forced 3,000 people from their homes in La Paz, the Baja California state capital and a popular tourist destination. But the Red Cross said there were no reports of injury or death.

The hurricane tore up a highway, leveled beach huts and knocked down trees with winds that topped 90 mph. Power was cut to La Paz.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ignacio’s maximum sustained winds had slipped to about 75 mph from 80 earlier in the day and predicted the storm would keep weakening during the next 24 hours.