WASHINGTON (AP) — Actor Sean Penn is urging the U.S. government to pressure Bolivia to free an American businessman jailed there since 2011.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday appointed a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism as a new State Department report warned about incidents in Venezuela, Egypt and Iran. Secretary of State John Kerry named Ira Forman, a long time director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, as special envoy citing a "troubling trend" of anti-Semitism around the world. Forman succeeds Hannah Rosenthal, who stepped down last year. The 2012 report on religious freedom said an increase worldwide in anti-Semitism was "of great concern. ...

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said on Monday she ordered the Federal Police to investigate the source of a rumor that sent thousands of poor Brazilians running to state bank branches seeking payment of a monthly family stipend. A rumor that payments of the Bolsa Familia program would be ended led crowds to line up over the weekend at branches of the Caixa Economica Federal government bank to get their money. The rumor spread by word of mouth and cellphone text messages. ...