Venezuela claims Guyana’s Essequibo region, a territory larger than Greece and rich in oil and minerals, as its own and whose future it intends to decide Sunday with a referendum.

The practical and legal implications of the vote, which among other things calls for turning Essequibo into a Venezuelan state, remain unclear, but the referendum has left area residents on edge.

The 61,600-square-mile (159,500-square-kilometer) area accounts for two-thirds of Guyana.

Yet, Venezuela has always considered Essequibo as its own because the region was within its boundaries during the Spanish colonial period, and it has long disputed the border decided by international arbitrators in 1899, when Guyana was still a British colony.

Venezuela’s commitment to pursue the territorial claim has fluctuated over the years. Its interest piqued again in 2015 when ExxonMobil announced it had found oil in commercial quantities off the Essequibo coast.

The disputed boundary was decided by arbitrators from Britain, Russia and the United States. The U.S. represented Venezuela on the panel in part because the Venezuelan government had broken off diplomatic relations with Britain.

Venezuelan officials contend the Americans and Europeans conspired to cheat their country out of the land and argue that a 1966 agreement to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the original arbitration. Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America, maintains the initial accord is legal and binding and asked the world court in 2018 to rule it as such.

Brazil is sending forces towards the border to defend Guyana.

Hindu students of NIT - Srinagar carried out March in support of a suspended Marathi student while chanting "Vande Matram"

2024 is an important election year for the world !!!

Guess how many will have elections this year.

Answer 👇👇👇

https://twitter.com/NoiseAlerts/status/1729926454719451322

From December 1, Russian websites will have to remove login buttons via Google and Apple ID.

Zelensky’s representative Podolyak called the residents of Donbass “mythical non-existent Donbass people”

India has set up an inquiry after the U.S. raised concerns that New Delhi may have had knowledge of a plot to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, an Indian official said. Pannun is considered a terrorist by the Indian government.

The U.S. declined to comment on when or how its officials became aware of the alleged assassination attempt, as well as how it was derailed.

A 4.3 magnitude earthquake rocks parts of South Korea, waking many with emergency alerts - Insider Paper

US Vice President Kamala Harris claims: “Russia interfered in the 2016 [US] election”

This week, the sun experienced multiple explosions, releasing four bursts of plasma from the sun's corona toward Earth. These explosions are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and they could merge into a very large CME capable of triggering powerful geomagnetic storms and aurora over the northern United States and Europe on Thursday or Friday. - Washington post

Hamas frees Dutch, German, US, Russian and Thai nationals - Qatar says

Hamas prepares to trade all detained Israeli soldiers for all Palestinian prisoners

Today's Panchang.

Elon Musk has 3 words for advertisers trying to Blackmail him for Money !!!

Pope Francis has an infected lung and trouble breathing, has suspended public duties.

Time for Prophet Bajinder Singh to rescue.

Embarrassment for the German president when he was in Qatar for 30 minutes without an official reception nor was he met by any representative of the country.

🇺🇸 🇮🇱  After widespread anger and criticism from settlers for not summoning Netanyahu's son to serve in the army, he returned today from Florida, US to answer phones at the Israel emergency room for dispatching ambulances.

Voting begins for the #TelanganaElections2023; 2,290 candidates from 109 parties including the national and regional parties are in the fray.

Four ULFA-I cadre surrender in Assam, DGP calls it "home coming"

According to the police, with these four, a total 11 ULFA-I cadres have joined mainstream this year so far

The surrendered ULFA-I cadres have been identified as Nayan Patmaut alias Bikram Axom, Dipok Hatiboruah alias Dibya Axom, Montu Moran alias Latest Axom alias Kulang Moran and Palash Moran alias Gopal Axom.

Dipok Hatiboruah, is a resident of Charaideo while the other three hail from Tinsukia district.

Nayan joined ULFA in 2010, Dipok joined in 2011, Montu joined in 2018 while Palash joined in 2021, according to the police.

Last week, Assam police started inviting family members of those who have joined ULFA to conduct discussions on how to bring them back to mainstream.

In September this year, ULFA-I executed four cadres in Myanmar

Elon Musk reacts to advertiser boycotts:

"If somebody is gonna try to blackmail me with money… Go f*ck yourself."

Host is stunned and speechless.

Elon repeats: "Go f*ck yourself."

https://twitter.com/MeghUpdates/status/1730068976934486462