UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on recent U.S. attacks on Venezuela

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss recent U.S. military attacks on Venezuela.

Calling it a "grave time", UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concerns about U.S. strikes on Venezuela and its capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in a statement to the Security Council, read on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo.

Guterres said he is worried about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.

The government of Venezuela has characterized the United States action as a military aggression carried out in civilian and military areas, and as a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, posing a threat to international and regional peace and security, the UN chief said.

He called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future.

He also urged Venezuela's neighbors, and the international community more broadly, to act in a spirit of solidarity and in adherence to the principles, laws and rules that promote peaceful coexistence.

Maduro made his first court appearance Monday morning in New York after he was seized by U.S. forces in his country.

UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on recent U.S. attacks on Venezuela

UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on recent U.S. attacks on Venezuela

UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on recent U.S. attacks on Venezuela

UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on recent U.S. attacks on Venezuela

China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.

The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.

Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.

Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.

The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.

Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.

"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.

China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth