Caracas, May 29 (RHC) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez proposed that the National Assembly make an amendment or constitutional reform to include social programs of the State in the Constitution of the South American country.

Moscow, May 29 (RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused foreign powers and the opposition in Syria of obstructing the implementation of the peace plan of UN special envoy Kofi Annan.  Lavrov said that there is concern that some countries are using terrorist actions in Syria as an excuse to call for military intervention.

Mexico City, May 29 (RHC) -- About two thousand Mexican teachers held a sit-in at the Zocalo (Constitution Square) of Mexico City, on the eighth day of an indefinite strike of the union, which is replicated in the states of Oaxaca, Michoacán and Guerrero.

Damascus, May 29 (RHC)-- United Nations and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan met on Tuesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in efforts to salvage a six-week-old peace plan for the Arab country.

United Nations, May 29 (PL-RHC) -- Representatives from the 193 UN member countries began an additional week of negotiations on the document to be approved at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (or Rio+20).

Rio de Janeiro, May 29 (Xinhua-RHC) -- Brazil will deploy 15,000 security forces for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to be held in Rio de Janeiro, in June.

Cairo, May 29 (RHC)-- A group of angry protesters ransacked and set ablaze the campaign headquarters of Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq in Cairo, after the Election Commission announced that Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister made it into a runoff vote with an Islamist rival.

United Nations, May 29 (PL-RHC) -- The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization will hold the Pacific Regional Seminar in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito on Wednesday, to review progress of the decolonization process.

Managua, May 29 (RHC) -- Representatives of the drugs project of ALBA, or the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, will meet with the highest authorities of Nicaragua starting Wednesday, in order to align efforts in the area among the member states.

Caracas, May 29 (RHC) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that his government will soon boost the petrochemical project in the South American country with the opening of various plants. Chavez said that plans include the launching of the Plant One of Butane in the Petrochemical Complex Ana Maria Campo de Pequivén, in the Venezuelan state of Zulia.

Rome, May 29 (RHC)-- At least ten people are reported dead in a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck the same area of northern Italy hit by another fatal tremor on May 20th.

San Juan, May 29 (PL-RHC) -- Dozens of people demanded the release of Puerto Rican political prisoner, Oscar Lopez Rivera, held in a U.S. jail for 31 years for fighting for the independence of Puerto Rico.

Washington, May 29 (RHC)-- The Wall Street Journal reports the Barack Obama administration plans to arm Italy’s fleet of Reaper drone aircraft, a move that could open the door for sales of advanced hunter-killer drone technology to other allies.

Kabul, May 29 (RHC)-- NATO officials in Afghanistan say an air strike has killed a Saudi man who is being described as al-Qaeda’s second-in-command in Afghanistan.  Sakhr al-Taifi reportedly oversaw the transport of militants into Afghanistan.

Milan, May 29, (XINHUA), -- At least 10 people were killed while more were injured by a 5.8 magnitude quake that hit central Italy on Tuesday, said the Adnkronos news agency.