(LONDON) — Former Scottish leader Alex Salmond, one of the country’s best-known politicians, appeared in court on Thursday on charges including attempted rape and sexual assault.

Salmond was arrested Wednesday, and faces 14 charges: nine counts of sexual assault, two of attempted rape, two of indecent assault and one breach of the peace.

No further details were given, and Salmond was not asked to enter a plea.

“I am innocent of any criminality whatsoever,” Salmond said in a brief statement outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court. “I refute absolutely these allegations of criminality and I will defend myself to the utmost in court.”

Salmond stepped down as leader of the governing Scottish National Party in August after two women made allegations of sexual harassment.

Salmond denied any wrongdoing and sued the Scottish government over its handling of the claims.

Scotland’s highest civil court ruled earlier this month that the way the Scottish government handled the allegations against Salm..

(Bloomberg) — A standoff is developing at the U.S. Embassy in the Venezuelan capital after a top Socialist Party official threatened to shut off electricity to the complex amid a growing power dispute in the oil-rich nation.

President Nicolas Maduro quickly severed diplomatic ties with the U.S. on Wednesday after Donald Trump publicly backed the opposition’s Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and gave U.S. diplomats 72 hours to leave the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to Maduro by saying the U.S. doesn’t recognize his authority and therefore won’t pull its staff, prompting Diosdado Cabello, a close Maduro ally, to make the threatening comments.

“They say they don’t recognize Nicolas,” Cabello said late Wednesday on state television. “OK. Maybe the electricity will go out in that neighborhood, or the gas won’t arrive. If there are no diplomatic relations, no problems.”

The deadline Maduro gave for the U.S. to remove its staff would expire in the afte..

(DAVOS, Switzerland) — Europe’s divisions were on display Thursday at the World Economic Forum as hundreds of protesters descended on the Swiss ski resort of Davos to lambast the elite attendees for caring more about their balance sheets than the state of the world.

Shouting “anti-capitalista” and other chants, the gathering of socialists, environmentalists and others waved banners and signs that read “Davos Stinks” or “Let them eat money” — while braving sub-zero temperatures near the Davos train station.

“We want a better world, you’re not deciding for us,” said 20-year-old protester from Geneva, Thomas Bruchez.

The demonstration was originally planned in part to protest against President Donald Trump, who had been expected in Davos this week before cancelling his trip over the U.S. government shutdown. The protest went ahead anyway, training some anger at Brazil’s new nationalist President Jair Bolsonaro, who did attend.

Divisions have been evident all week at the conference cen..