Caracas, May 10 (RHC)—Venezuelan foreign minister Nicolas Maduro reiterated his government decision to consider its withdrawal from the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, since he said it serves the interest of US policy.

Damascus, May 10 (RHC)-- Two powerful car bombs exploded Thursday in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killing at least 55 people and leaving scenes of carnage in the streets.  It was one of the deadliest bombings in the past year, when terrorist attacks against Syria began.

Caracas, May 10 (RHC) -- Director of the polling firm GIS-XXI, Jesse Chacón, said President Hugo Chavez has changed the political scene in Venezuela and most people see him as the only candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

Cochabamba, May 10 (RHC) -- A total of 28 social organizations marched Wednesday through the streets of Cochabamba, in central Bolivia, in defense of democracy and against the “new outbreak of plots orchestrated by right-wing groups against the Government of Evo Morales.”

Santiago de Chile, May 10 (RHC) -- The Chilean Senate approved on Wednesday a draft anti-discrimination law that had been under discussion for seven years. The government sped up discussions after the death of Daniel Zamudio, a young man with homosexual tendencies, killed on March 27th by a group of neo-Nazis.

Tegucigalpa, May 10 (NNN-AGENCIES-RHC) -- A senior journalist from a top Honduran radio station in Tegucigalpa was kidnapped on his way to work on Wednesday, according to police and co-workers.

Seoul, May 10 (PL-RHC) -- Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung Bak signed a comprehensive strategic association agreement, following the establishment of close economic links with a free trade commitment signed in 2011. According to an official statement, the two leaders also agreed to increase exchange, political consultations and establish joint committees for bilateral association.

Rio de Janeiro, May 10 (NNN-MERCOPRESS-RHC) -- The challenge of exploring and extracting Brazil’s massive pre-salt offshore hydrocarbons deposits will be addressed at a congress to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June.

Paris, May 10 (RHC)-- According to official projections published today in Paris, the French economy will have zero growth in the second quarter of this year.  The Bank of France forecast zero growth for April through June, marking two quarters running of stagnation -- just as president-elect Francois Hollande gears up to match austerity with stimulus.

Cairo, May 10 (RHC)-- Foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement have categorically rejected a military solution to the conflict in Syria and demanded more support for Palestinian aspirations for an independent State.

Charlotte, May 10 (RHC)-- Hundreds of people marched in the U.S. State of North Carolina on Wednesday for a rally outside the annual shareholders' meeting of the financial giant Bank of America.

Abidjan, May 10 (RHC)-- A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will travel to Guinea Bissau to address the need to return to constitutional order in that country.

Washington, May 10 (RHC)-- At least five people have been killed in an apparent U.S. missile attack in the south of Yemen.  Yemeni officials said the victims were militants in the al-Qaeda stronghold of Jaar.

Washington, May 10 (RHC)-- The Barack Obama administration is hosting Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa in Washington just as the Bahraini regime is vowing a harsher crackdown on anti-government protesters.

MOSCOW, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences Thursday to Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over the crash of a Russian aircraft in Indonesia, the Kremlin said.