CARACAS Jordan 5 Bordeaux For Sale , Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) on Monday downplayed a weekend raid on a military base, saying it was a mercenary attack, not a military uprising.


"There was no uprising here. What they wanted to sell the world was that there was a military uprising," the PSUV's vice president, Diosdado Cabello, said.


Speaking at a rally in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in support of the government and a new Constituent Assembly (ANC) to rewrite the Constitution, Cabello said the attack more than anything "has to do with the breakdown of the Venezuelan opposition."


He added "what is sad is that the (opposition) leadership has not condemned these violent events."


Sunday's predawn raid on Paramacay Fort in the northern state of Carabobo targeted the arms arsenal, with several members of the "paramilitary terrorist" group making off with weapons, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) said.


The attackers, mainly civilians led by at least one deserter, were "mercenaries" paid by the right-wing opposition and its international allies, the United States and Colombia, according to the government.


FANB troops repelled the attack, which left two people dead and another seriously wounded, officials said, adding 10 of the assailants have been arrested.


The opposition said the attackers were motivated by the political and economic crisis affecting the country.


In a statement issued following the raid, the opposition coalition said "the crisis our country is experiencing today in the streets and in homes was manifestly and publicly expressed in the barracks of our national armed forces."




BERLIN， Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 67th Berlin International Film Festival on Thursday presented the Honorary Golden Bear award to respected Italian film costume designer Milena Canonero.


Berlinale has paid tribute to important figures in the world of film since 1977 through the Honorary Golden Bear， but not annually.


Born in Italy's Turin， Canonero studied art， design history and costume design in Genoa. Her first major work as the film costume designer was in A Clockwork Orange (1971).


Canonero was nominated nine times with the U.S. Academy Award for Best Costume Design and won four of them with Barry Lyndon in 1976， Chariots of Fire in 1982， Marie Antoinette in 2007 and The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2015.


Canonero also won twice BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design. She was also in charge of the costume design work for classic films including The Cotton Club (1984)， Out of Africa (1985)， The Godfather Part III (1990).


Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick called Canonero "an extraordinary costume designer， who has contributed decisively to the style of many cinematic masterpieces."


Canonero is the 29th winner of the Honorary Golden Bear award. The award was previously presented to U.S. actress Meryl Streep， German director Wim Wenders， among others.


This year's film festival kicked off on Feb. 9 and runs until Feb. 19.


Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated in Sydney on Thursday against the first visit to Australia by an Israeli prime minister, branding Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal".


A police helicopter hovered over the city as speakers slammed Canberra's strong support of Netanyahu and his government.


"We are here to oppose Australia's support for Israel, for a racist apartheid nation," pro-Palestinian author and Australian lawyer Randa Abdel-Fattah told AFP.