Athens, May 16 (RHC)-- Greece’s president spoke of “fear that could develop into panic” at the country’s banks in the weeks before fresh elections that might mean the country's exit from the Euro zone.  Minutes of meetings between President Karolos Papoulia and other political leaders showed that Greeks are withdrawing Euros at an alarming rate, afraid of the prospect of rapid devaluation if Athens leaves the single currency.

Caracas, May 16 (RHC) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has expressed his strong condemnation of a terrorist attack in Bogotá’s financial district, which killed two people and wounded 39 others, including former Interior Minister Fernando Londoño.

Santiago de Chile, May 16 (RHC) -- Social protests in Chile gained their early momentum Tuesday with a new march on the main streets of Santiago, called by the Confederation of Chilean Students. The march aimed at rejecting segregation generated by the socio-political model in the education system.

La Paz, May 16 (PL-RHC) -- A national summit in Bolivia will draw up a new health policy, according to official sources.

Brasilia, May 16 (RHC) -- Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota described as inconceivable negotiations of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) with the European Union excluding Argentina, which is a member of the South American regional bloc.

Mexico City, May 16 (RHC) -- Representatives of Mexican society met Wednesday at the Palace of Fine Arts to honor writer Carlos Fuentes, a renowned author from the late 20th century, who died in Mexico City.

Caracas, May 16 (RHC) -- The Finance Committee of the National Assembly of Venezuela has approved seven additional budget allocations for public institutions, for a total of 627 million U.S. dollars.

Caracas, May 16 (AVN-RHC) -- A recent survey conducted by the polling firm Consultores 30-11 shows that incumbent President Hugo Chavez leads voting intentions with 56.8 percent, while right-wing candidate Henrique Capriles obtained 27.1 percent.

Damascus, May 16 (RHC)-- The results of the Syrian parliamentary elections reflect the process of renewal and changes introduced by President Bashar al-Assad, according to the SANA news agency.  A total of 209 deputies, many of them new faces, are preparing to take their seats in the Parliament, which brings together 250 representatives from different areas of Syrian society,

Madrid, May 16 (RHC)-- Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the May 15th Movement in Spain.  For four days running, protesters -- called the "indignados" -- demonstrated against cuts in public spending and corruption in government.

Ramallah, May 16 (RHC)-- Palestinians across the Occupied Territories rallied Tuesday to mark the Nakba, or "catastrophe," when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their homes during the period around Israel’s declaration of statehood in 1948.

New York, May 16 (RHC)-- A human rights organization is accusing NATO of failing to properly investigate at least 72 civilian deaths in the bombing of Libya last year.  In a new report, Human Rights Watch says NATO "took important steps to minimize civilian casualties," but adds that NATO has yet to properly examine the air strikes that killed dozens of civilians, including 24 children.

Washington, May 16 (RHC)-- The website CNET is reporting the FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance.

United Nations, May 16 (RHC)-- A United Nations investigator has said the United States should restore land to Native American tribes, including South Dakota’s Black Hills, which is home to the famous Mt. Rushmore monument.