Venezuelan opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez has been returned home after being taken back to jail nearly a week ago.

Venezuela's chief prosecutor is seeking a court order to block Friday's planned installation of a nearly all-powerful assembly to rewrite the country's constitution.

Venezuela’s biggest oil refinery remained offline today after firefighters extinguished a blaze that raged for more than three days following an explosion that killed at least 41 people.

An intense fire at a Venezuelan refinery spread to a third fuel tank nearly three days after an explosion killed at least 41 people and injured more than 150.

President Hugo Chavez has threatened to nationalise Venezuelan banks that broke regulations.