The UN Human Rights Chief said he was concerned by reports of intimidation ahead of planned protests.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana said Thursday that it will seek help from the United Nations’ top court to deter plans by neighboring Venezuela to elect a governor to rule its western Essequibo region, an area rich in resources long claimed by Venezuela as its own.

The UN voiced alarm Thursday at reports of arbitrary detentions and intimidation of opponents of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro ahead of his inauguration for a highly-contested third term.

The Maduro government says it has arrested at least nine U.S. citizens in the months since Venezuela’s widely discredited presidential election.

Aides to Maria Corina Machado say the Venezuela opposition leader has been arrested when her convoy was intercepted by security forces as it departed an anti-government protest in Caracas.

Opponents of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday decried a worsening crackdown 48 hours before he is to be sworn in on the back of elections he is widely accused of having stolen. More than 2,

Venezuelan authorities must respect people's rights to life, liberty and personal security in the run-up to the start of President Nicolas Maduro's third term on January 10, UN experts said Thursday.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Monday that 413 more people arrested over election protests are to be freed, taking the total number of prisoners released to 1,369.

The Venezuelan leader, who counts on the backing of Russia and Cuba, the military, courts, and electoral commission, has claimed that a senior FBI official was among a group of seven "mercenaries" arrested this week. The US State Department denied US involvement in any coup plot.

The average global temperature in 2024 was 1.6°C higher than in the 1850-1900 period, commonly known as the pre-industrial era, before large-scale fossil fuel use. This increase crossed the critical 1.

THE Pope, accusing the world’s multilateral institutions of failing to uphold stability and peace, has called for a new “diplomacy of hope” to ensure truth, forgiveness, and justice. He also urged united world efforts to resolve conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and a final end to all forms of slavery and exploitation.