Venezuelans on Sunday for the first time elected a governor and other lawmakers for Essequibo, an oil-rich region that Venezuela has laid claim to even though it is widely recognized as being part of neighboring Guyana.

Essequibo’s 125,000 inhabitants, who account for more than 15% of the English-speaking country’s population, did not take part in Sunday’s election.

The vote, which was widely criticized by Guyanese officials, instead saw Venezuelans pick a new governor, six deputies to the National Assembly of Venezuela, and seven to a regional legislative assembly. It is unclear how the officials, once elected, plan on running the territory, which Guyana governs.

The election is the latest provocation in a long-running territory dispute between Venezuela and Guyana.

It comes more than a year after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the creation of a new state within the territory, which is roughly the size of Florida, called “Guayana Esequiba,” following a referendum that saw Venezuelan voters approving the move.

Guyana had called Venezuela’s actions a step towards annexation and an “existential” threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region.

Maduro first announced in January that a vote would be held for the region as part of a larger election for governors and lawmakers across the country. “I call for freedom of conscience for the people and for the people to elect the best for the governorships of the 24 states,” Maduro said on Telegram ahead of Sunday’s election, referring to Essequibo as the nation’s 24th state.

The vote has put Guyana on high alert, with its President Irfaan Ali on Saturday calling the poll “scandalous, false, propagandistic (and) opportunistic.”

Guyana is home to vast oil reserves and is on track to become the world’s highest per capita oil producer. It, however, has an army estimated to be less than 5,000 soldiers, and lacks the hardware or manpower to face possible Venezuelan aggression.

The country in the meantime has sought closer military cooperation with the United States amid the threats from Venezuela.

On Sunday, the US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs called the election a “sham” on X. “The United States rejects all attempts by Nicolas Maduro and his illegitimate regime to undermine Guyana’s territorial integrity, including this latest sham election in the Essequibo region,” it wrote.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López pushed back against the criticism on Sunday, saying, “We are supported by historical, legal, and moral grounds regarding that territory.”

Decades-long claim

Venezuela has claimed Essequibo as its own for decades, arguing that it was within its borders during the Spanish colonial period. It has dismissed an 1899 ruling by international arbitrators that set the current boundaries when Guyana was still a British colony.

Guyana has controlled the region since gaining independence in 1966. The recent discovery of vast offshore oil fields in the area has heightened the stakes in the dispute.

In 2018, Guyana filed an application with the International Court of Justice to try to validate the 1899 decision. The case is still under review. Pending a final decision, the court ordered earlier this month that Venezuela refrain from holding elections in the territory. But Caracas has rejected the court’s jurisdiction over the matter.

On Saturday, the night before Venezuela’s election and two days ahead of Guyana’s Independence Day, Guyanese officials held a National Patriotic Concert in Essequibo to affirm their sovereignty over the land.

The event drew thousands of people who were seen waving the Guyanese flag and wearing shirts that read: “Essequibo is Guyana’s.”

“Essequibo belongs to Guyana and we are going to do everything to ensure that Essequibo will forever be part of our 83,000 square miles,” President Ali told crowds of cheering supporters.

Pope Leo XIV asked Sunday for prayers for China’s Catholics to be in communion with the Holy See, as he made his first public remarks about one of the thorniest foreign policy issues facing his new pontificate.

History’s first American pope recalled that on Saturday the Catholic Church marked a special feast day to pray for the church in China. Pope Benedict XVI had initiated the feast day as part of his efforts to unify China’s estimated 12 million Catholics who were divided between an official, state-controlled church that didn’t recognize papal authority, and an underground church that remained loyal to Rome through decades of persecution.

Leo noted that on the feast day “in the churches and shrines in China and throughout the world, prayers have been raised to God as a sign of the solicitude and affection for Chinese Catholics and their communion with the universal church.”

Speaking from his studio window during his noontime blessing, Leo prayed that Catholics in China and elsewhere “obtain the grace to be strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in the midst of trials, to always promote peace and harmony.”

Pope Francis took Benedict’s unifying efforts further by approving a controversial deal in 2018 over bishop nominations. The details of the deal were never released, but it affords the state-controlled church a say in its church leaders, though Francis insisted he retained veto power over the ultimate choice.

The deal has been criticized by some, especially on the Catholic right, for having caved to Beijing’s demands and sold out the underground faithful in China. The Vatican has said it was the best deal it could get and it has been renewed periodically since then.

Leo will have to decide whether to continue renewing the accord. There have been some apparent violations on the Beijing side with some unilateral appointments that occurred without papal consent. The issue came to a head just before the conclave that elected Leo pope, when the Chinese church proceeded with the preliminary election of two bishops, a step that comes before official consecration.

Leo told the archbishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Stephen Chow, that he had “visited China several times and got to know the Chinese culture and reality,” according to the Fides missionary news agency, citing comments Chow made in his diocesan weekly newsletter after the conclave.

Chow added that he expected Leo would follow Francis’ direction for the church in China. He said he had given Leo a small statue of Our Lady of Sheshan, a statue of the Madonna that is particularly venerated by Chinese faithful and is celebrated on the feast day, May 24.

Chow, a Jesuit, said he had implored Leo “to not forget the church in China and the Chinese people,” according to the newsletter. “He nodded his head to indicate that he will not forget,” according to Fides.

The Vatican has been working for years to try to improve relations with China that were officially severed over seven decades ago when the Communists came to power. Relations had long been stymied over China’s insistence on its exclusive right to name bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican insisted on the pope’s exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles.

The 2018 deal was aimed at uniting the flock, regularizing the status of seven bishops who weren’t recognized by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and the Vatican.

An American man was arrested Sunday after allegedly plotting to throw Molotov cocktails at a branch office of the US embassy in Israel, according to the US Justice Department.

Officials arrested the man, 28 year-old Joseph Neumayer, at John F. Kennedy airport in New York after being deported from Israel to the US, according to a Justice Department news release.

The DOJ says Neumayer, who is also a German citizen, had allegedly arrived at the US embassy office in Tel Aviv on May 19 and spat on an embassy guard without provocation.

Neumeyer managed to break free as the guard attempted to detain him, leaving behind his backpack, the DOJ said, citing a complaint.

Guards found three Molotov cocktails in the backpack, the department said. Law enforcement tracked down Neumeyer to his hotel in Israel, where he was arrested.

Authorities searched Neumayer’s social media, which allegedly included a post from earlier that day that said “join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv.” His page also allegedly included the phrases, “Death to America, death to Americans” and threats to assassinate US President Donald Trump.

“This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

FBI Director Kash Patel said: “This despicable and violent behavior will not be tolerated at home or abroad, and the FBI, working with our partners, will bring him to face justice for his dangerous actions.”

Neumeyer had allegedly arrived in Israel last month. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to the Justice Department.

The revelation of Neumayer’s charges comes shortly after the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC. The killings are being investigated as an act of terrorism after the man suspected of carrying out the shooting yelled “Free Palestine” and told law enforcement he “did it for Gaza,” according to police.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is in Israel today meeting with senior government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the wake of the shooting.

The head of a new aid distribution program for Gaza, backed by the US and Israel, has resigned after weeks of controversy, citing concerns over impartiality and urging Israel to allow more aid into the blockaded enclave.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is meant to run a new, tightly controlled, mechanism for aid deliveries into Gaza, but it has been criticized by the United Nations and others, who warn it risks further displacing Palestinians and endangering civilians.

US military veteran Jake Wood has quit as GHF’s executive director after just a matter of weeks at the organization, publicly launched by the US in early May.

“I am proud of the work I oversaw, including developing a pragmatic plan that could feed hungry people, address security concerns about diversion, and complement the work of longstanding NGOs in Gaza,” said Wood in a statement.

“However, it is clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon,” he added.

The GHF’s plan for delivering aid has been approved by Israel and the US, which both countries say is designed to prevent Hamas from “stealing” aid.

It’s supposed to start operating four distribution sites before the end of May, all located in southern and central Gaza – but it has come under heavy criticism from top humanitarian officials, with the UN and other organizations refusing to work with the new group.

The UN warned that the fact the initial sites were only in southern and central Gaza could be seen as encouraging Israel’s publicly stated goal of forcing “the entire Gazan population” out of northern Gaza, as Defense Minister Israel Katz put it earlier this month.

The US and the GHF have both been at pains to say that it is not an Israeli initiative – despite Israel’s support for it, and its role in designating and securing the distribution sites.

He added in May that he “unequivocally… will not be a part of anything that forcibly dislocates or displaces the Palestinian population.”

In his resignation statement on Sunday, he said he had sought to establish the foundation “as a truly independent humanitarian entity” during his time as its executive director.

Wood said he was “horrified and heartbroken at the hunger crisis in Gaza” and was “compelled to do whatever I could to help alleviate the suffering.”

“I urge Israel to significantly expand the provision of aid into Gaza through all mechanisms, and I urge all stakeholders to continue to explore innovative new methods for the delivery of aid, without delay, diversion, or discrimination,” Wood said.

The GHF is only expected to be able to feed about 60% of Gaza’s population in its first weeks. A private American security contractor will be responsible for guarding its aid trucks from the Gaza border to the distribution sites and will not be involved in distributing the aid to civilians, Wood had previously said.

Starvation in Gaza

His resignation comes as Gaza faces widespread starvation amid a severe shortage of essential humanitarian aid. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has recorded 58 deaths from malnutrition and 242 deaths from shortages of food and medicine since Israel’s blockade on aid began in March, it said.

Last week, Israel said it would allow a “basic amount of food” to enter Gaza due to an “operational need” as the military pushes ahead with its offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots.” The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has said a hunger crisis in Gaza could jeopardize the operation, which Israel says aims to defeat Hamas.

“Gaza is exhausted,” he said. “There are starving people in the streets.”

Another resident, Um Jamal Musleh, said she and her two children relied on the local charity-run kitchen. “Today, we were shocked to see a sign saying it’s the last day for the kitchen. That means we’ll go hungry,” she said.

Asmaa Al-Kafarneh, who was waiting at the kitchen on Sunday, said she had not eaten bread in two months. “If we don’t die from Israeli airstrikes, we’ll die of hunger,” she said.

Israel said it allowed 107 aid trucks into the territory on Sunday – but the UN has said that’s not nearly enough.

The enclave needs at least 500 to 600 trucks daily to avert a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, as civilians face a severe shortage of supplies like food and medicine, said UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza. The UN has also complained that Israel has insisted on humanitarian aid traveling along insecure routes, preventing many aid trucks from safely arriving at their destinations.

North Korea has arrested four people it claims bear responsibility for a launch accident last week that left leader Kim Jong Un’s newest warship lying on its side and partially submerged in a shipyard, state-run media has reported.

The four people detained included Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Party Central Committee, “who was greatly responsible for the occurrence of the serious accident,” a report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday said.

On Sunday, KCNA said three others had been detained: Kang Jong Chol, chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard where the accident occurred, Han Kyong Hak, head of the hull construction workshop, and Kim Yong Hak, deputy manager for administrative affairs.

Kim last week called the botched launch, which he witnessed, “a criminal act” and vowed to punish those responsible.

Last Wednesday’s accident resulted from a malfunction in the launch mechanism that caused the stern of the as-yet unnamed 5,000-ton destroyer to slide prematurely into the water, crushing parts of the hull and leaving the bow stranded on the shipway, KCNA reported on Thursday in a rare admission of fault from an otherwise highly secretive state.

State media reported on Friday that the damage to the warship was less than North Korea’s initial estimate, saying there were no holes in the hull, although it was scratched along the starboard side. It also said “a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section.”

Repairs could take about 10 days, the report said. Though analysts are skeptical.

Kim had ordered the destroyer to be restored before the late June plenary session of the ruling Workers’ Party, calling the matter one of national honor.

Tarp covers

Satellite imagery shows most of the warship covered in blue tarps at the launch site, making it difficult for experts to determine the full extent of the damage it suffered.

But analyst Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, said repair work could take up to six months, well beyond Kim’s June target.

“If the hull damage extends across the ship’s port side covered by the tarp, then we are looking at four to six months of repair work,” he said.

Repairs could be complicated depending on the amount of sea water that entered the warship, according to Schuster.

The interior of the ship would need to be thoroughly flushed with fresh water and then dried to prevent “salt crust” from forming on metal surfaces, he said.

“If it gets into joints and things, then it becomes destructive,” Schuster said.

But the flushing work cannot begin until the ship is righted and any holes in the hull are patched, he said.

KCNA reported Monday that “the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted,” but it did not give a timeline.

South Korean lawmaker and defense analyst Yu Yong-weon said last week that rushing the launch of the ship likely led to the problems encountered on Wednesday and warned hasty repairs could cause more problems down the line.

Schuster echoed that thinking, saying optics may be more important than military value to the Kim regime.

“If Kim Jong Un says, ‘I want that ship fitted out in six months,’ they’ll take shortcuts to make it happen. And usually when you do that you wind up with a ship that’s not, shall we say optimal for operations? But it meets the propaganda criteria.”