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SAN ANTONIO, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan soldiers on Thursday blew up two makeshift foot bridges that stretched across the border to Colombia in the latest incident to stoke a diplomatic dispute between the Andean neighbors.

NJ dad trying to get son back from Brazil to testify before congressional human rights panel. A New Jersey man who's been battling in Brazilian courts to get custody of his 9-year-old son is scheduled to testify before a congressional human rights panel in Washington.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras's de facto leader said he may give up his presidential duties for a week so voters can focus on an election that Washington hopes will help end a five-month-old political crisis.

Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti said he planned to step down briefly over November 29 elections in an apparent bid to boost their international legitimacy.

Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti said Thursday that he planned to step down briefly during November 29 elections in an apparent bid to boost its international legitimacy.

Honduras interim president may leave temporarily to allow voters to concentrate on election. Honduras' interim president said Thursday he may step down temporarily to allow voters to concentrate on the upcoming presidential elections.

Brazil's leader urges freeze on Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem. Brazil's President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva is joining his Palestinian counterpart in calling on Israel to stop building new settlements in areas claimed by Palestinians.

Israeli settlement expansion on Palestinian territory must stop immediately, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday after meeting Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

Israeli settlement expansion on Palestinian territory must stop immediately, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday after meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

The Honduran de facto regime on Friday ordered citizens to turn in their weapons in a bid to avert violence around disputed presidential elections to be held at the end of the month.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Honduras' de facto leader should make good on an offer to step aside for a week so voters can focus on November 29 polls and resolve the country's political crisis, the U.S. State Department said Friday.

Israeli settlement expansion on Palestinian territory must stop immediately, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday as he seeks to position Brazil as a player in the Middle East.

Israeli settlement expansion on Palestinian territory must stop immediately, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday as he seeks to position Brazil as a player in the Middle East.

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia will not be provoked into armed conflict with Venezuela despite its neighbor's aggressive rhetoric and dynamiting of two border bridges, Colombia's defense minister said on Friday.

The United States on Friday welcomed a move by interim Honduran leader Roberto Micheletti to step down briefly, saying it boosted chances for ending the months-long political showdown.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is calling a meeting of eight Amazon countries next week to forge a common stand ahead of next month's key climate talks, officials said Friday.

Argentina's Congress approves forced extraction of DNA from suspected dirty war orphans. Valuing truth over the right to privacy, Argentina's Congress has authorized the forced extraction of DNA from people who may have been born to political prisoners slain a quarter-century ago ? even when they don't want to know their birth parents.

A UN summit on the plight of the planet's one billion hungry opens here Monday, with activists warning it risks being a waste of time as leaders of the world's wealthiest nations are to be conspicuous by their absence.

A UN summit on the plight of the planet's one billion hungry opens here Monday, with activists warning it risks being a waste of time as leaders of the world's wealthiest nations are to be conspicuous by their absence.