World Court Asserts Jurisdiction over Guyana-Venezuela Border Dispute.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled it has jurisdiction over a border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, which could determine which country has rights to territory rich in oil and gas. Guyana had asked the ICJ to confirm that the border was laid down in an 1899 arbitration between Venezuela and the then-colony of British Guiana. Venezuela tried to stop the case from moving forward by arguing the United Kingdom should be involved as Guyana was a British colony in 1899, but judges rejected that reasoning and said they have jurisdiction. The next step is hearings on the merits of the case.