Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has accused the US of violating Venezuela’s airspace with an unmanned spy plane, and ordered his military to be on alert and shoot down any such aircraft in the future.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s allies have won a majority in Venezuela’s state elections. But the opposition has made important gains, winning two of the most populous states and the mayor’s post in Caracas.

President Hugo Chavez has threatened to imprison the popular governor of Venezuela’s western Zulia state for allegedly plotting to kill him.

Venezuelan authorities have arrested two people suspected of plotting to kill Hugo Chavez by blowing up the president’s plane with an anti-tank weapon, the country’s top security official said.

The administrator of a Venezuelan prison says at least eight inmates are dead and 16 injured after a surge of violence.

A fledgling church that openly backs President Hugo Chavez is raising the ire of Venezuela’s Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Emboldened by a resounding re-election, President Hugo Chavez has all the political capital he needs to drive Venezuela more firmly toward socialism while posing an increasingly defiant challenge to US influence.

Political opponents of Hugo Chavez called off their primary election and joined forces behind a popular state governor as their top choice to challenge the Venezuelan president in December.

Venezuela today closed its border with Colombia across three western states amid concerns about a mild strain of bird flu detected in the neighbouring country.

French specialists joined an investigation into the crash of an airliner that killed 160 in Venezuela, while Colombia grounded the airline that offered the charter flight to holidaymakers from the French Caribbean island of Martinique.

EARLY indications suggest the plane that crashed in Venezuela, killing all 160 people on board, may have experienced engine trouble.

A plane carrying holidaymakers crashed today in western Venezuela after reporting engine problems, killing all 160 people on board, officials said.

Officials said there appear to be no survivors as a plane carrying residents of the French island of Martinique crashed in western Venezuela with at least 160 people on board today.

A passenger plane crashed in remote western Venezuela with 152 passengers aboard early today, an aviation official said. It was unclear whether anyone survived.