Esquarium Today [Regional News, CLOSED]

[Korivania]

Korivanian ShadowEagles are ready to fly

Korivanian fans having a party outside Great Kiptar FC headquarters

Tirana, Korivania According to coaches of the Korivanian ShadowEagles, the ShadowEagles are ready to go on and as coach Aber Izimaj put it "take on the world". After the great Korivanian football "draft" that took place four weeks ago, the drafters have chosen those with a strong football record of being the best perfoming. This will be Korivania's first time entering into the "Coupe D'Esquarium" ever, although the nation would've entered earlier if it weren't for that the Fifth Korivanian Civil War was raging at the time.

Korivania will be starting out in Group D, against the following nations: Vitoria, Masseau, Crolacia, and Montezelo. Despite beimg Korivania's first Coupe D'Esquarium, analysts believe that Korivania will do very well in this years Coupe D'Esquarium. According to the Odissian news website "Deportiva", analysts claim that Korivania may take the top spot with Crolacia not far behind. Our own analysts would to an extent support this claim; however, Masseau and Crolacia will be a strong threat to Korivania getting the top spot in Group D. We spoke to Team Korivania's manager, Mr. Matthew Konikalaj earlier today, and he seemed quite optimistic about Korivania playing well in this years Coupe D'Esquarium, claiming "Our finest individuals have been in the process of practicing and training for this contest since they were drafted, and according to my observations, I believe that they will be very strong in the upcoming matches this year."

Tonight, enthusiastic fans are holding a large going away party for their nations team at the headquarters of Great Kiptar FC, a football club a large amount of the players on Team Korivania are part of, and there are similar parties going on at the headquarters of Skodra FC, and a few other football clubs. But the question remains, how will they stand against the rest of Esquarium?

Other Articles:

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- NOSDO Nevanmaa booted out of military organization, as a result of effort spearheaded by Vjaarland
- Esquarian Community Defense treaty rejected by Crolacia
- Bay of Pashkuar Man-made islands being built as processing centers for refugees.

[Scotia-99]

11 December, 2015

OP-ED: Does Luziyca even have a team this CdE?
By: Michael Abercrombie

The Kenyen Fighters, Luziyca's choice for its "national team" this Cup

The Esquarian Cup is upon us now, as you might have heard from friends, family, and pub-mates, and with it comes Scotia's next chances of making it to the Round of 16 once more (it may be tougher now that both Arkiasis and Nevanmaa are in the same group, but hey, who's to say we can't make it out of the group?), and then triumphing in the final at Ettsen on the 28th. Some surprises are in store for all of us, as many of you figured out already from the reaction (or lack thereof) to former Michillian head coach (and current Dumfries FC coach) Cristofor Chieses "joining the Tartan Army," as we call to the legions of supporters. But, as the old saying goes, "the more things change, the more they stay the same," and thus such is true of Luziyca's national team, which is a really strange oddity in and out of itself.

The makeup of Luziyca's team is very strange indeed. Unlike most other countries (Scotia included), where their teams are comprised of some of their best players, the Luziycan team is essentially the team that won the recent Chaska i Luziyca, a title that is currently held by the Kenyen Fighters. The Fighters are of course, a team from the disputed territory of Nantai whose observers point out have never been to the Cup before and probably don't have the experience in dealing with the likes of say, Ainin, East Nataurya, or the QSR, an observation which we can't say for previous teams like the Emperors and Patriots. To Scotians, it's like putting either the Rangers or Celtic (to use Aberlefen's "Old Firm") in the Cup and saying it's the national team. Yet, by sheer indifference on the part of the Luziycan Football Federation, this crazy way of determining the national team continues, with some like Professor Andrei Robinov attempting to justify this peculiarity.

In fact, if I may, Robinov's sorry excuse of "Aristotelian reasoning" to justify the Fighters in the Esquarian Cup make little sense (if at all) to anyone with a degree in Philosophy in St. Andrews University. From his point that "he form of the football team is a football team, with eleven football players" or "The end is to play a nice game of football, to win both the CdE and the following year's Chaska i Luziyca" (both of which are obvious to anyone who watches any football match) to the downright disturbing assertion that "The material cause of the football team, what they are made of, are living skins and bones, that happen to take the form of people" (which not only doesn't make sense, but sounds like it should be heard in the hospital room) left me completely confused and dumbfounded, since it ignored the fundamental question on whether or not Luziyca has a real team in the Cup. After all, for all we know, the Fighters might have won on sheer dumb luck, and when faced with the likes of Michillies, could easily snap like a twig, since they don't take advantage of the more experienced players in the Luziycan leagues, like the ones in Bethlehem and Gijirokastra.

So I ask anyone who reads this: "Do you think Luziyca's team could win this Cup?" We say "No", if last Cup with the Emperors and its brutal takedown by both the Royal Stewarts and Firebirds (both real national teams) was anything to go by.

[North Daecon]

OOC: This was posted ICly on December 10, but forgot to put it into this thread.

The Rangers gears up for Coupe d'Esquarium V as national team regroups ahead of first match against Ainin

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December 10, 2015

WATERWITT, DAECON/DENKOM, LYONSLAND - The Daeconese national football team has regrouped in Denkom today as they prepare to face off against Ainin in the Coupe d'Esquarium on December 12 in the semi-annual association football tournament in Esquarium.

The Daeconese, as observed by critics have been proven to be a up and coming team within the football world, with its two defining moments managing to draw the United Republics with a 2 all draw and besting the Jahistic Union in a 2 for 1 smash in the Coupe d'Esquarium III in October 2014, and managing to hold on against Nevanmaa, Kraq and Masseau in Coupe d'Esquarium IV earlier this year in March. Although criticised for not getting out of the group stages in either contest, the team has not seen the shattered reorganising that plagued other teams, with the Luziycans bringing in the winners of the Cup of Luziyca the Kenyen Fighters (the location of the club in the disputed Nantai region and the general dispute over the powers that own Nantai that has contributed to Namor pulling out of the competition in protest) after the thrashing the Jerusalem Emperors received via the likes of Qianrong, Scotia and Arkiasis; and the infamous overkill firing of the Michillian head coach after being knocked out on home soil.

The Daeconese Rangers has been put into Group G, with its opponents being the afro-mentioned Luziyca, East Nautarya, Ainin and South Qianrong, which according to the Deportiva rankings, the 6th, 7th, 25th(?) and non-ranked teams of the group and Daecon is ranked 16th overall. Due to the reputation of the infamous Luziycan club sending system to the cup, they are considered the main opponents, favorites and rivals of all the teams in the group. According to predictions made by Deportiva, they predicted that the Rangers will get knocked out, however still beating Vitoria, Soled, Kraq and Ziegenhain as one of the better-off last placed sides, having one win and 3 losses, alongside Montecara.

Although the predictions were saddening, coach Richard Frederick has made reassurances that if they are eliminated from the cup early, they won't go down without a fight.

Matchday CdE V - December 12, 2015: Daecon vs Ainin at 10 pm DAST, on DFRT Sport 1.

[Luziyca]

Luziycan Football Association says that "the Kenyen Fighters are our team"

Luziycan Football Association President Isaac Dobrev

BETHLEHEM, F.C. - With various questions from all across Esquarium regarding whether Luziyca really has a national football team, the Luziycan Football Association has been left with no choice but to explain why they select the Luziycan national football team the way they do. A press conference was held to explain this, as well as to finally answer the question whether the members of FC Kenyen should be considered to be a debuting team or not.

Luziycan Football Association President Isaac Dobrev explained that "The reason why our national football team is chosen like this is to save money. It is much less expensive to maintain a team which comprises of the winner of the Chaska i Luziyca than to actually keep a dedicated national team. This is why the Premier League has banned foreigners from competing in their teams: it is against EFA rules for foreigners to compete in national teams, and due to this system, it is not worth the risk because any team can win the Chaska i Luziyca."

When asked if Kenyen is a "debuting team," Isaac Dobrev says, "it is complicated. The members from FC Kenyen, they may not have witnessed any Chaska i Esquarium, but they were chosen to represent Luziyca. Consequently, the Kenyen Fighters are our national team. They may not be the same team as the Patriots or the Emperors, but they are still the Luziycan national team. It is a true national team, and I have full confidence that we are going to win. The Fighters are incredibly wonderful, they make for a good team, and I am sure that with the support that we have from both Namor and Luziyca, they will have strong moral support."

In other news

• New Zepuha - Football team to debut in CdE
• Inleda - Supreme Court overturns 2008 law that bans unvaccinated children from going to school (excluding medical reason), says it violates the right of education and freedom of integrity
• Namor - PTH coverage omits Luziyca in place of Nantai
• Lombardia - Firenze Mayor Orlando D'Alessandro hospitalized following gunshot wound, in critical condition

[Lyonsland]

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News In English | Nuchett i Lejonir | Uutiset nevaksi | Novisi Luziyci | Ongeuengs en Vyvluder| Actualités en Français | Nòvitèt in l’hespeirana | Novitáti in l’ odýssiána | Nàechdan na Gàelig

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CdE IV: What to expect + The ones to watch
As the country prepares to grind to a halt this evening as footie fever hits the country, RTL looks ahead to the tournament.

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The Stadd Lejonsland prior to tonight's opening ceremony.

As an estimated audience of 45 million prepare to crowd into living rooms, pubs, bars and viewing areas across the country along with many millions more abroad for the kick-off of the fifth Coupe d'Esquarium in Ettsten, we look at the possibilities for Lyonsland as well as the ones to watch as the biggest ever sporting event to ever be hosted in Lyonsland launches.

Lyonsland's group and possible future foes
As per standard football tournament convention, Lyonsland has automatically been assigned Group A. At the draw which took place earlier this week, Lyonsland was joined by Lydland, Katranjiev, Montecara and the Francilian territory of Grand-Océan. Considered a "fantastic" draw by some, manager Samuel Rijllö has warned his team not to get too confident going into the group. "If we go into the group with the assumption that we'll dominate the group, we'll get caught out," he told the press Thursday morning. "There were obviously top-tier teams that we could have been paired with, but there's always the possibility of an upset. At the moment, we're just working to make sure we get out of the group soundly". While the team is expected to do just that, the Cjarrettcusett will undoubtedly have a tough Round of 16 opponent. Michillies and Odissia are widely predicted to get out of Group B, and if that is to happen it would mean we would have to compete against them for a spot in the Quarter Finals. Michillies are considered to be one of the sport's best national teams, despite their early exit from the last Coupe on home soil. Odissia are also expected to pull of a decent performance, despite their rather low world ranking.

The ones to watch
Should we then qualify from the Round of 16, we will face a team from either Group C or D. While the latter has been described as "one of the most uninteresting groups in CdE history", Group C has been given the infamous label of being the "Group of Death". The group contains reigning champions Vyvland, the team no one seems to want to compete against for obvious reasons. CdE IV quarter-finalists Britanno and Francilie have also been drawn into Group C, the latter's win over Michillies led to the mass riots at the last Coupe and the wave of support of the Lyonese team by Michillians. Kraq is also among Group C. They managed to get as far as the Round of 16 before losing to the eventual runners-up Pavonistade. Also in Group C are the Ocelot Isles who failed to qualify out of their group in the last tournament.

Outside of Lyonsland's field of possible opponents, there's Atlantia Creek and Walminghaven in Group E. If there's a runner-up for the title of "Group of Death", Group F surely wins that award with neighbouring Arkiasis, Nevanmaa, Litorea and Scotia, all of which could provide some interesting matches. Group G sees Daecon, Ainin, South Qianrong and the controversial Luziycan team. Notable teams in Group H include Atlantica, CdE IV runners-up Pavonistade and Ziegenhain, where the arrival of the latter nations' leader into the country to watch the games has been criticized by many politicians, citing it as an "endorsement of dictatorships and state-sponsored terrorism".

CdE V: already a controversial tournament
So far, the major talking point of this tournament has been the Luziycan team. Once again, Luziyca has entered a club team: the Kenyen Fighters, winners of the Luziycan Premier League. While the Luziycan tradition is to send a club team to every CdE, many have seen the decision to send a team from the disputed territory of Nantai as a "provocation" by the Luziycans. However, as the Lyonese Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have an official viewpoint on the issue and that both Luziycan and Namorese passports of Nantainese citizens are accepted, the team is allowed to compete without any Lyonese intervention. While Namor has failed to qualify for the tournament, its government has widely criticized the team's inclusion. A major Twitter spat also took place during the week between current Luziycan President Breuvi Shjoraski and North Qianrong Vice President Song Li-Chao over the issue, in which Chao told Shjoraski to "go f**k himself". In a poll carried out by Lyonese newspaper Angbharrs among 1,000 readers, 61% did not support the inclusion of the Luziycan team at the tournament.

Another talking point here at home has been fears that Lyonsland's rather cold winter temperatures could affect the tournament. With temperatures set to drop below zero over the Christmas period as well as the likely chance of snow, various people involved with the tournament have enquired about the possibility of the temperatures affecting games and in particular, what affect it could have on the organisation of the tournament as a whole. However, officials have ensured that all venues will be heated and all ten stadia have had new stand-by roofs installed in case of bad temperatures and snow.

The opening ceremony of the fifth Coupe d' Esquarium is live on RTL1, RTL1 HD, RTL 4K and RTL International from 19:00 LST, followed by Lyonsland v Montecara at 20:45 LST. Other matches will commence on RTL2, RTL3 and RTL CdE Extra 1-10.

News In Brief

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#CdEV: Who will win? Our RTL Expert Panel predicts the results of every match
#CdEIV: Police announce new "rioting prevention" measures ahead of CdE V
#DavidStAdam: Patriotic Front leader Dabhid St. Adam has been banned from attending CdE matches after he announced he was worried about "coloureds roaming our stadia"
#Luziyca: Poll: Do you agree with the status of the Luziycan team?

[Qianrong]

Қасқыристан Орталық Ақпараттық Агенттігі
Kaskiria Central Information Agency

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KASKIRIA SET TO FACE VYVLAND IN COUPE D'ESQUARIUM FINALS; EASY VICTORY EXPECTED

OQTAS, KASKIRIA/ETTSTEN, LYONSLAND- DECEMBER 12, 77- Analysts from across Esquarium have agreed that the finals of this years Coupe d'Esquarium, the fifth edition of the international soccer tournament to be held, should be an easy victory for the Kaskirian national soccer team over the team sent forth by Vyvland, which won the previous edition only because Kaskiria did not participate in the tournament.

Analysts from Odissia's Deportiva, Daecon's Waterwitt Leader, Aucuria's News of the Republic, Luziyca's Constitution, Ainin's Burning Tire, and host country Lyonsland's RTL News all predicted Kaskirian athletic victories ranging from 4-0 to 11-0 against the Vyvlander team. With such unanimous agreement among sporting experts, even experts from inferior countries, it is clear that the final- set to be held later tomorrow in the Lyonese capital of Ettsten- should be an easy victory for Kaskiria's Hawks. The third place match, between Masseau and Unolia, took place earlier today and ended with a 3-0 victory for Unolia.

Sixteen teams qualified for the Coupe this year: Kaskiria, Ziegenhain, Unolia, Vyvland, Lyonsland, Nevanmaa, Ainin, Luziyca, Namor, Arkiasis, Scotia, Odissia, Michillies, Pavonistade, Masseau, and Francilie. In the round of sixteen, Kaskiria was placed against the team from Nevanmaa, which they defeated easily 7-0. Advancing to the quarterfinals, they then defeated the team from Michillies 9-0. Semifinals saw Kaskiria defeat Masseau, who hosted and won the third edition because Kaskiria did not compete, 5-0. The other finalists, Vyvland, defeated Ziegenhain 6-2, Luziyca 7-5, and Unolia 4-1, though there have been allegations that referees intentionally failed to notice Vyvlander fouls in their games against ZIegenhain and Unolia so as to humiliate them, sullying the name of the sport of soccer.

The full bracket can be viewed here.

Our Qasqırbaşï Nurzhan Qoramiyev has expressed his utmost support and faith in the brave athletes playing in this final game. "Kaskiria's atheltic capability is unparalleled by any other nation in the world," Our Qasqırbaşï told a crowd of cheering supporters today. "Our victory is inevitable. No other soccer team in Esquarium can ever parallel the capability of the Hawks in any field- stamina, dexterity, or strength."

Across Kaskiria, thousands will turn out to public squares and parks for great rallies, where they will be able to watch the Kaskirians defeat the Vyvlanders on live television. "I am incredibly excited to watch the Hawks play this game," said one resident of Khromtau who will be joining thousands of others in watching the game in the city's main square, constructed by our government as part of its glorious reconstruction of our nation following the destruction of the Kaskirian Civil War. "I have the utmost confidence that our team will show nothing but the utmost sportsmanship and skill in this match, and that they will easily defeat our opponents."

Many of the people living in our Triumvirate allies are also cheering for Kaskiria, the only Triumvirate nation to remain within the Coupe. For Ziegenians and Unolians especially, the match will no doubt be sweet revenge for the duplicitous actions of the Vyvlanders and of anti-Triumvirate referees who ignored blatant fouls in order to guarantee Vyvlander victories. But Our Qasqırbaşï has assured us that the Kaskirian team is so skilled that even if the referees continue in these ways, victory is inevitable. "We will not be brought down by corrupt cronyism in sports rulings," Our Qasqırbaşï proclaimed. "Even if these referees accuse us of blatant falsehoods, we will win. There is nothing that the Vyvlanders can do to counter the power of Kaskiria."

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OTHER STORIES:
- Our Qasqırbaşï Nurzhan Qoramiyev named person of the year by Namorese Mojing Sibo
- Suspected foreign spies captured by brave soldiers using help from heroic Kaskirian citizenry in Tashkek
- Numerous nations in various foreign alliances make unprovoked aggresive moves against Triumvirate nations

[Victoriala]

聲 音 豆 人
Voice of the Beanman
The Meme Masters of Min journalism

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11th Month (Change) 2, 2786 | Christmas 13, 2015 | The Guvmint can't blackbag us lol

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Virtual Goverment shutdown since yesterday
Glorious Majesties too busy surfing the nets to even bother

SOKAN, SOJU - Since yesterday, all works and functions of the whole Imperial Government—from the Imperial Court to the lowest street sweeper—have been de facto halted indefinitely due to apparent inaction of Their Glorious Majesties for the past two days. Major government officials, particularly those of the Glorious Council of State have been heavily concerned at the sudden lack of activity in the central bureaucracy, fearing gradual social disaster and civil unrest should this inactivity go on (other than the effects to their high salaries, of course). Esteemed members of the Imperial Nobility and the Lesser Banners have also called for the Imperial Government to resume daily work out of similar reasons. Recently, a demonstration has been done by these people in front of the Lion's Hall to to protest for thr resume of government activities.

"I mean, Konohana dickriding Christ, Nigga we've been doin' nothing for two days straight! Aw hell no we ain't gonna stand here and do the same thing we've been doing for two days, we gotta get Their Majesties back the fuck up from their little iPhones, and get back to work!" Said one of the protestors, Eminent Aatos Erkillä, governor of the city-banner of Sinienvesillä (Resohikan). "We, as members of the Min Empire, have the inherent obligation to remind Their Glorious Majesties of their duty as Emperor and Empresses. This ain't the Real Nigga Hours y'all, you gotta stop making us crucify that muthafuckin like button!"

Since the beggining of the shutdown, there has been a tremendous spike of social media activity both in Internet and Ryongkan from Their Glorious Majesties, particularly from Her Glorious Majesty who has been using Twitter for a long while. This has been confirmed as the singular factor for the sudden loss of governmental activity in the Imperial Capital. Other members of the Imperial House have been noted as well of their increased networking activity, such as His Glorious Majesty, on reddit (specifically in thr subreddit r/spacedicks), Her Glorious Highness Shoniho on Tumblr and His Glorious Highnesses Kuzukyang and Bakha on Vine and 8chan, respectively. The nature of their activity have been nonsensical at best (His Glorious Highness Kuzukyang's "vine pranks" have been notably and ambivalently popular in the last months).

The Beanman have tried to contact Their Glorious Majesties regarding this issue, in which His Glorious Majesty replied, "MEMES ARE MY LIFE". Other members of the Imperial House have been a challenge to find an opinion regarding the matter, especially with His Glorious Highness Kuzukyang, who's been just smacking pies on our reporter's faces like a fucking bitch yelling "IT'S JUST A PRANK BRO". Her Glorious Majesty is yet to say a word about this.

More News Down Below

• Everything is just all about football nowadays, its really fucking stupid and you guys know there are other things to report at other then the goddamn Cup, right?
• Juhani III deserves Mojing Sibo's "Person of the Year" award because he's cool and hip, says Crown Prince Nikolas, Prince of Karenmaa and Crown Prince of the Nevan Realm has called for the awarding of the title "Person of the Year" to his father, Juhani III under the reasoning "He's coolio and hippo"
• Kaskiria joins Esquarian Cup Nobody gave a fuck since they didn't, really. In the slight possibility that they DID, how the fuck would they even win, anyway?

[Francilie]

I'll bring this again in somedays

Retconned for now

[Namor]

Nantai Act passes Nantai Reunification Cadre, proceeds to rest of CenCo

December 12, NMR 2377

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98 DAYS
until NMR 2378
presidential election

NAMO, CAPITAL DISTRICT - A bill with the intention of "clarifying" the Namorese government's stance on question of occupied Nantai was introduced by Socialist deputy Tao James and passed the Central Council Legislative Cadre on Nantai Reunification, meaning that the whole Central Council is due to discuss and vote on it.

The Central Council Hall in Namo

What does the act say?

The bill, full name "An act to clarify the stance taken by the Government of the People's Republic of Namor in regards to the question surrounding the occupied parts of Nantai Prefecture, West Namor," is known by its supporters as the Nantai Act and by its opponents as the "Tao Act" - a reference to its chief sponsor, presidential candidate and Nantai defector Tao James.

The supposed aim of the bill, as suggested in its title, is to clarify the government's stance regarding the status of occupied Nantai since the October 7 Consensus, in which both Namor and Luziyca recognized occupied Nantai as "Namorese territory under Luziycan administration," was reached.

It explicitly took note of "certain elements in Luziyca that seek to undo all past efforts to bilaterally diffuse tensions across the barrier by advocating an unilateral redefinition of occupied Nantai's current status without seeking the consent of either the Government of the People's Republic of Namor or the Namorese people."

According to Section one of the law, the term "Namorese territory under Luziycan administration" means that although Luziyca has "administrative rights" over the region, sovereignty over the region belongs to "Namor and no other country." As such, the Namorese government, as the representative of Namor, "reserves the right to determine the ultimate status of its territory, and the means by which such a status is determined."

Section two of the law reaffirms that reunification between occupied Nantai and the People's Republic is the ultimate goal of Namor's Nantai policy, adding that in the event of reunification, occupied Nantai will be guaranteed a framework in which it enjoys a "high degree of autonomy" from the central government. The area will be allowed to maintain its legal, political and educational systems, retain its membership in the Monic and Esquarian Unions, and maintain its own self-defense and police forces.

These terms are reminiscent to Tao James' formula for reunification, commonly known as the "Tao Plan." The plan has not been officially adopted by the government, and was rejected by occupied Nantai "chief executive" Kung Alicia.

Section three lists the conditions that may render efforts at peaceful reunification "impossible," among them "Luziycan aggression" and failure by Luziyca to exercise its administrative duties.

"Should any one of these conditions occur, the Government of the People's Republic of Namor is under no obligation to resolve the question by means accepted by the Luziycan authorities," reads Part B, Section Three of the law.

"Long overdue:" Left, People's Firsts endorse Tao bill

The bill was co-sponsored by a number of deputies from the Namorese left. Among its co-sponsors include Liberationist party leader and presidential candidate Shohai Antelope, who is locked in a rivalry with Tao James to secure the Popular Front nomination next month.

"Reaffirming our stance on Nantai isn't a leftist or rightist, dove or hawk thing. It's a Namorese thing," Tao said on Twitter. Tao also quoted former President-General Alicia Wolf, who said "Unity is the mother of all things."

Shohai Antelope called the act "long overdue" and viewed it as a "consensus between patriots."

"The government's rambled long enough about [occupied] Nantai being Namorese territory under Luziycan administration, without actually going in depth about what that means," he said in an interview with Tungfang TV. "That has led to several misconceptions, especially from the Luziycans, who are taking advantage of the ambiguous nature of the [October] Consensus by trying to change the meaning of the status quo. That's why we, the Namorese people, must stand behind this act and clarify our stance on the question before it's too late."

Antelope denied claims by some New Democrats that the act is a provocation against Luziyca.

"This has nothing to do with them, it has everything to do with us," he said. "If you read closely, you can see that the bill is pretty much everything we've been saying since the revolution."

The People's First Coalition, which is not aligned with either the left or the New Democrats, endorsed the act. Party chairman Kuo Zhang said the bill "keeps the end in mind."

"Our goal is one thing: reunification. A very modest demand," he said. "But President-General Fu seems to be forgetting that. Which is why we need this law to remind him about why we lay claim to Nantai in the first place."

"A provocation:" NewDems slam bill

On the New Democratic side, several legislators criticized the bill, accusing it of stirring up unneeded tensions.

Leading the criticism is presidential candidate and deputy Huan An, who took offense at sections one which affirmed Namor's right to determine occupied Nantai's status.

"The Nantainese people are the inhabitants of Nantai. This law deprives them of their right to decide their future by public vote, and gives that right to 2,549 people who never spent their whole lives in Nantai. How is this fair by any magnitude?" he said. "And section three is very concerning. It doesn't make an effort at defining 'Luziycan aggression,' and bluntly states we have the power to forcefully reunify Nantai if we ever feel like that's the right thing to do. Summing it all up, I don't think the average Nantainese approves of this, and if anything it's only going to drive them closer to the Luziycans."

Huan accused leftist legislators of stirring up a provocation ahead of the upcoming general election, even connecting the introduction of the bill to occupied Nantai's presence in the Coupe D'Esquarium.

"They saw the Luziycan team in Group G and pissed their pants," he said.

Tuyet An, the other New Democrat running for President-General, questioned the left's motives behind the act.

"If they want reunification, they should do something to make it look like something the people [of Nantai] will accept, instead of lounging around and drafting legislation that won't change a thing," she said.

Veto or no veto?

With the left-wing parties and the People's Firsts supporting the bill, it has a substantial chance of passing the Central Council, where these parties combined make up the majority.

While the New Democrats are currently the largest party in the legislature, they are nevertheless left in a vulnerable situation if the left-wing parties and the PFC vote in favor of a law.

Not every New Democrat may vote against the Nantai Act; some in the center-leaning establishment may vote for it or abstain from voting, putting hard-right New Democrats in an even more precarious situation.

However, it remains uncertain whether the Act will pass the CenCo with a veto-proof majority. Two-thirds of the CenCo (1,700 deputies) must vote in favor of a bill in order for it to be considered veto-proof. Combined, the left-wing parties and the People's First Coalition take up 1,529 seats - nearly 200 votes short of a veto-proof majority. That means proponents must be able to get around 200 New Democrats to support the Act.

The President-General has yet to comment on the legislation.

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Other News

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• CdE V - Nantai defeats South Qianrong, 7-3
• BREAKING Explosions in Pontnouveau Subway - Seven metro and tramway stations were bombed in Francilie's capital.
• ELECTION '78 Arrows vs. Yellows - What you need to know about the upcoming elections in Namor.
  

[Namor]

THE PICKLE - Почаи Симмун
Breaking the news
until it's broken

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DEVELOPED NEWS Song Li-chao on Luziyca: _______ ___ _______ _______

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Song Li-chao when asked about what he felt about Luziyca's participation
in the CdE

Yucheng, Qianrong - Today, The Pickle had an exclusive interview with Song Li-chao, the former Chancellor of Qianrong and the current Vice President of Qianrong. We met Vice President Song in his residence in Yucheng, and asked him about his take on some very important issues.

P: Thank you for sitting with us today, Vice President Song.

SLC: My pleasure.

P: Our first question is very simple: have you recovered from the torture dealt upon you by the ASQ when they abducted you?

SLC: Uh...let's just say that I lost a lot of stuff when I was held captive by the ASQ terrorists. Some of that stuff I'm getting back, others I'm not. Next question.

P: Alright, then, next question. As you may know, Luziyca is ostensibly in the Coupe D'Esquarium. Their Kenyen Fighters recently defeated South Qianrong in their first match, 7-3. What are your thoughts on -

SLC: Aw, ____ the Luziycans, I ______ hate them!

P: Whoa, Vice President -

SLC: These ____ ____ ______ ____! Remember when that ____ Shjoraski said we Qianrongese have no balls? Well, ____ that ____ _ _ ____, he was referring to my ____! So I told him to ____ ______, because let me tell you, these ____ ____ ______, all they do is ____ ______, nothing more! ____!

P: Vice President, what about the South Qianrongese? I thought that as the leader of a competing government in Qianrong, you would -

SLC: Yeah, so what? South Qianrong is Qianrong in the end of the day. And the Luzzies, they ____ ___ ______ __ ________ __! I ____ hate them!

P: So you prefer fellow Qianrongese over Luziyca any day, is that what you're saying?

SLC: ________

P: Is this how you're going to react if, say...Luziyca beats everyone in Group G and advances to -

SLC: ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________!

P: No, not at all, we're not implying that they might win Group G, we're just speculating -

SLC: Look here, ________ ________ __ ________ ________ __ ________ __ ________ ________ ________ __ __ ________ ________! ________ ________ ________ ________ __ ________ ________... ________ ________ __ ________ ________! So, ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________!

P: With all due respect, Vice President, we can't publish this interview if all you're going to say is profanity.

SLC: Alright, I'll say this instead: 我特别讨厌卢萨蒂亚的足球队，因为他们不懂足球的规则，又在我们面前夸耀。他们不遵守传统，又说我们“没有球。” 球？什么球？他妈的，我操他们还不够！

P: ...

SLC: That means ________, in case you're curious.

P: ...Onto final question. Do you see Namo-Qianrongese relations improving in the future?

SLC: ________ Namor.

P: ...Vice President Song Li-chao, thanks for your time.

SLC: Sorry if I said too much...?

P: Don't worry, we managed.

[Qianrong]

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BREAKING NEWS
THE RIOTERS MARCH ON BETHLEHEM
Stereotypically, the Michillians are often considered the most-soccer-riot happy group in Esquarium-
But after a 7-3 loss for the Thunderbirds, riots in Qianrong have left cities in flames and Luziyca's ambassador dead.


A building in Lumangdaungan burns amidst ongoing soccer riots.

YUCHENG, QIANRONG- DECEMBER 12^th, 2015 - The first night of the fifth Coupe d'Esquarium was filled with upsets and surprises. The internationally feared Vyvlanders lost their first match against Britanno; Daecon surprised many with a tie against Ainin; Ziegenhain defeated Pavonistade; the Scotians were humiliated by the Litoreans with a five-zero loss.

But no loss was perhaps as upsetting in QIanrong as the seven-three loss suffered by the team sent by the Qianrongese Soviet Republic against the Kenyen FIghters, the so-called "Luziycan national team". Ling Jun-Qiu, Nguyen Sinh Tan, and Breuvi Ryshenko- who was substituted in to replace Deng Chao-Zi late in the game- all scored on Luziyca, but the Luziycan offense was able to get seven goals of its own. To many Qianrongese, the defeat was all too familiar to the third Coupe d'Esquarium, where the club team sent by Luziyca to the tournament intentionally humiliated the Firebirds on two separate occasions.

In Denkom, Lyonsland, where the game was being hosted, many Qianrongese fans left before the match was over out of disappointmen and disgust. But in Qianrong, the reaction was outright violent.

In numerous cities, both in the Second Independent State of Qianrong and the Qianrongese Soviet Republic, widespread looting and rioting have been reported. Police forces across the Qianrongese archipelago have been called out to try and stop the violence; some sources have reported military troops being deployed in a last-ditch attempt to end the madness. Rioters frequently burnt Luziycan flags, as well as effigies of Luziyca's president Breuvi Shjoraski and president-elect Sera Svensson. Street signs and other signs designating locations named after Luziycan figures, especially historical figure Huswa Varanken, have been widely defaced.

In Yucheng, however, the reaction was particularly violent. Rioters in Yucheng stormed the Luziycan embassy in the city, breaking down its gates and storming the walls before Luziycan security forces could respond. There were the two major buildings in the complex; one was burnt to the ground by rioters with embassy workers still inside; in the other, Luziycan forces kept rioters off-guard just long enough for staff to escape into a basement safe-room, but rioters eventually broke in, sacking the building, seizing confidential documents, and taking the staff hostage.

The casualty counts nationwide are unclear; as many as three hundred people may have died amidst rioting and looting. 77 officers of the Yucheng Police Department are also dead, with at least 218 injured. Thirty-two embassy workers have also been confirmed dead; as many as 101 have been taken hostage by the rioters, with at least sixty-two of them being injured. Luziycan ambassador Anna Dorogov, who was pregnant at the time, is believed to be among the dead.

Long Jiao-Dan, the self-declared Chairman of the Qianrongese Soviet Republic, has issued a public statement urging for "calm" within Qianrong, and has vowed to respond harshly to "all forms of public disorder... I understand the intense anger felt by many Qianrongese, but this is not a proportionate reaction for a soccer loss." A statement released by the QSR's politburo, however, has alleged that the Kenyen team cheated by using illegal substances and steroids to artificially improve their abilities before the match. Prime Minister Qi Chien-Xuan has also given a speech urging "an immediate cessation of all violent activities", vowing to free the hostages as soon as she can. "This will not be permitted to stand."

The Luziycan government has not yet responded to the news.

This is a breaking news story. Updates will be provided as available.

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COMMENTS
There are no comments on this article.

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OTHER NEWS STORIES
Uncensored, Unedited Truth
Aucuria: Four-way presidential race narrows as voting approaches
Francilie: 130+ dead after terrorist attacks on Pontnouveau
Kaskiria: Kaskirian government claims country will win Coupe
Luziyca: Kenyen team's participation draws ire, outrage nationally
Namor: Namorese media lists Kenyen FIghter team as "Nantai"

[Pavonistade]

CdE V ZIEGENHAIN BLASTS PAVONISTADE IN SPECTACULAR MATCH
First CdEV surprises ripple through Pavonistade and other parts of Esquarium

Date: December 12, 2015

Manager Lawrense Dawn seen during the match between
Pavonistade and Ziegenhain

Goalkeeper Sean Johansen spoke about today's match

In a demoralizing first CdE V match that has left Pavonistadians and other spectators in shock, the Ziegenian Wolves won 4-1 against the Pavonistadian Fearless. As other surprises were made in other group stage matches, the Pavonistadian team - which was defeated only by Vyvland in the CdE IV finals - would likely be forced to re-evaluate their strategies and whatever went wrong.

The Ziegenian Wolves, known for having females in their team, were able to bypass the Pavonistadian defenses twice in each of the two halves of the match. Kurtt Stannek successfully launches the ball past goalkeepers Sean Johansen in minute 17, while Katrine Paulussen made a similar feat in minute 35 as the Fearless goalkeeper and midfielders failed to block the attack. In the second half, Stannek repeated his attempt with success in minute 61. This goal was followed by a move by Ute Stechmann, which was successful in taunting Johansen and scoring for the Wolves at minute 70.

While the Fearless were negatively impacted by the four goals scored against them, they were nevertheless able to recuperate and resist the Wolves until the end of the second half. Frederik Kamef went as far as to successfully booting the ball past goalkeeper Siegmund Roesner in the 78th minute. A Ziegenian victory was already certain by the end of the match, but optimistic supporters of the Fearless were content that at least one goal was scored against the unexpectedly-impressive Wolves. All Fearless attempts to break the Ziegenian defenses were denied prior to Kamef's goal.

Manager Lawrense Dawn commented on the match, in which the results were believed to be shocking. "It was undeniable that we [the Fearless] have underestimated the potential for other teams such as the Ziegenian wolves," Dawn stated. "This is a surprising victory for a team that many of us consider to be less impressive at best, but losses like this provide us with a valuable lesson for future matches. I [...] am hopeful that our team will be able to assess all problems and improvements to better prepare for the December 16th match."

Goalkeeper Johansen was also optimistic about the future prospects of the Fearless. "I can do nothing but apologize for my mistakes in the match, and this is only one of many chances where more room is open for improvement," said Johansen in a post-match interview. "We should not worry excessively over our defeat today, instead looking forward to the next chances." He also said that he was quite "amazed" by the efforts of the Ziegenian Wolves.

Pavonistade's loss was also seen as a humiliation to "free Esquarium" as a democratic country lost to a dictatorship in CdE V. Numerous tweets and Facebook posts complaining about the defeat were rapidly generated in one hour after the conclusion of the Pavonistade-Ziegenhain match, including one tweet by President Oppenheim saying, "Disappointed to see our free country trumped, but there's still more to come! #Fearless #CdEV". Prior to the match, the satirical animation series Countryballs and many other netizens poked fun on the Ziegenian government and presence of females in the Wolves, two of which went on to score against the Fearless.

In other group stage matches today, Luziyca's Kenyen Fighters had overcome the South Qianrongese Thunderbirds 7-3. Vyvland experienced a surprise defeat as it lost to Britanno 0-1, and Odissia scored against Michillies in a match taht ended 1-0. Pavonistade's next match will be on December 16 as December 14 is a bye day for the Fearless, and this match will pitch Pavonistade against East Cortoguay. The Ocelot Isles will face Vyvland in the former's first match on Pavonistade's bye day.

Matchday	Opponent	Outcome
One, December 12	Ziegenhain	4-1 (loss)
Bye day, December 14	No opponents	N/A

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[The Ocelot Isles]

COUPE D'ESQUARIUM V
Expectations for December 14 Match, Based on What Happened Today

I predict what will happen in the second
round of CdE V matches.

As the first CdE V matches were played, there is a ton of speculation as to what the final group stage results would be. Indeed, the Pavonistadians were shocked when their team was blown the fug out by the Ziegenian Wolves 1-4. Daeconese and Aininians may be surprised to see that they have tied 0-0 in their Group G match, and Britanno managed to beat Vyvland 1-0 (that one goal sounds pathetically low, but it was scored against a reigning champion).

Today is a bye day for the Ocelot Isles but this doesn't stop us from predicting what lies ahead in the fiery international competition. To get the chance to summarize what could go down in history before it happens, I am here to do the job for y'all. Please welcome Josef Hammock (me).

Well let's start off with our first match on December 14, shall we?

Ocelot Isles VS Vyvland, December 14
Vyvland failed to beat their opponent Britanno in today's match, as many spectators had expected. In fact it was vice versa that did it. Personally I'm not that surprised, since anything can happen in the wildly exciting realm of Coupe d'Esquarium. Results can be as shocking as succeeding in a guerrilla campaign by using only gorillas.

Obviously if Britanno can knock out Vyvland, so can any team in Group C, including the Ocelots. Our team seems to be looked down upon by other people. The bitter Brits said that we "won't progress unless they pull out some big surprises"... but of course any team can pull off surprises. I can see that in our first match, the Ocelot Isles will be able to make a decent standoff against the Vyvlanders. While I won't expect that an Ocelotian victory will be likely, both a tie or a light Ocelotian defeat have higher chances of occurring.

Ocelotian success would also have to depend on how well they hold their shizzle together. The Ocelots was fugged when North Cortoguay goaled against them in CdE IV and Charles Liefobe (considered to be one of the best Ocelots) was injured in a match. If they learned from their mistakes, and if they started living off ancient Jopj wisdom like the Pavonistadians are doing, then maybe - just maybe - they won't get their butts whooped by the Redheads.

Predicted Ocelotian record range: 0 to 2
Predicted Vyvlander record range: 1 to 5 (yup, we're kind of fugged still)

Ocelot Isles VS Francilie, December 16
The next team that will get some nasty clawing from the Ocelots are the Francilian Coqs, or Roosters. Their country appears to have suffered a weird terrorist attack of some sorts. Whatever this attack is, the Roosters would be inspired somehow to go more aggressively after slapping at Kraq once.

Francilie is a country to watch out for because it has a decent record in previous CdE's. It was a runner-up in CdE III, but it was knocked straight out in the play-offs by Atlantica Creek on its mysterious streak. As for CdE IV, the Coqs pulled an upset when it stomped host nation Michillies in the Round of 16, resulting in rioting that left four people dead. The rioting was stupid as hell but we can't blame the Coqs for the actions of a few Michillians. The Coqs should be minded as they can handle teams well, depending on what happens.

In a match where the Ocelots are pitched against Roosters - interestingly we're pitching nocturnal hunters against meaty birds with poor night vision - we should see a greater chance of an Ocelot victory but not without the Roosters pulling off some tricks that even I can't predict. I guess that's why the Michillians said they were so cocky in the last CdE. Perhaps what can't be disputed is that the Ocelots will have to fight the Francilians with considerable effort.

Predicted Ocelotian record range: 0 to 3
Predicted Cocky record range: 0 to 4

Ocelot Isles VS Kraq, December 18
The Pavonistadians said that they have survived the earth-Kraq (their team is actually called the Sand Dragons) in the previous CdE. The case involving the Ocelot Isles and Kraq is interesting because of all the opponents that we will face, Kraq is likely the easiest to deal with.

I say this because Kraq has less experience in the competition than the other teams in the Group of Death, excluding the Ocelot Isles, because they have debuted in CdE IV just like us. Relying on the quickly-assumed belief that newbies will perform less spectacularly is dangerous, since anything can happen as said earlier; for example, Pavonistade's debut was followed eventually by their ascension to the finals. In the case of Kraq, it trolled the white-supremacist Nevanmaa hard and tied with two other teams.

We will go against Kraq four days from now. When that happens, we should have an easier time pushing into Kraq's defenses or denying their offenses, even though they have the capability to shock others. I cannot deny that the Ocelots may risk defeat but victory in this match can prove to be more probable.

Predicted Ocelotian record range: 0 to 3
Predicted Kraqi record range: 0 to 3

Ocelot Isles VS Britanno, December 20
Five days before Christmas, our last match will be on as we attempt to goal against the Britannons. This is when the Ocelots wil have to get tough again because even though their opponent is BritanNO, they are much more formidable than what their name suggests.

Why are they formidable? Even though Britanno didn't fare well in CdE III, they came back in CdE IV looking to kick some butts in compensation for their losses and they did so to a degree. They won all their group stage matches except for the one with Michillies (in which case Michillies won before Francilie avenged Britanno), and Britanno got into the Round of 16 only to be kicked out. Indeed they'll be back again to do something more than being sent home oer a Round of 16 match, and this isn't good news for the Ocelots.

Speaking of the Ocelots, they will need to maintain good morale throughout their match with the bitter Brits, as this is the last match that the Ocelots can be involved in. A bust means that their departure home will be ascertained. And speaking of busts, the Ocelots may have to resort to ancient Jopj wisdom again in order to avoid being blasted by Britanno, which is more likely to happen than even a tie.

Predicted Ocelotian record range: 0 to 3
Predicted Britannon record range: 0 to 5

Other Predictions
Ziegenhain managed to prove the beauty of their girls by - surprise muddafukkas - beating Pavonistade (at this point, poking at Ziegenian girls is starting to become old and boring). But don't worry, freedom-lovers, even if the freedom-stomping Ziegenhain wins its first CdE V match they still have to go through East Cortoguay, North Qianrong, and Atlantica in chronological order. East Cortoguay lost to Atlantia today, so the country that may reasonably avenge Pavonistade is North Qianrong.

The debuting Luziycan team did interestingly well against South Qianrong, but I can't say that their streak of victories will last long. I expect that Ainin or to a lesser extent Daecon will at least tie with the Kenyen Fighters as retribution for the first match success. I also see little chance of Atlantica Creek being able to revive its CdE III football spirit, or Soled (and some other irrelevant countries) being able to survive the group stages. Litorea's scoring phenomenon may be followed by further victories for Litorea but I cannot guarantee that they are as well-done as 5C0TIA.

Final Words
Tee-hee, I might very well be wrong on everything I said here. Coupe d'Esquarium is a very fiery and unusual competition that can yield any kinds of upsets and results. I can't know everything that could happen in the next few days. Good day to you readers! Hope that the Ocelots will get their shizzle together this time.

The article by Josef Hammock does not represent the views of the Ocelotian Gazette.

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• CdE V | Explanation of the Controversy Over Luziyca's Football Team
• Twitter | Korivania's PM Becomes Latest Person to Break 140-Character Limit
• Politics | Coalitionist-Conservative-Alternative coalition Rapidly Attaining Support

[Luziyca]

Day 1: Seven to three victory against the Qianrongese

Riots in Yucheng

ETTSTEN, LYONSLAND - Last night, the match between the southern regions of Qianrong, and the Fighters marked the first match that the Luziycan national team has played this Chaska i Esquarium. Almost instantly, it was marked with significant drama, that has been building up over the past few days prior to the beginning of the fifth CdE.

The match
At the first half of the game, Ling Jun-Qiu scored the first Qianrongese goal 22 minutes in, followed by Nguyen Sinh Tan at 31 minutes in, and Breuvi Ryshenko at 40 minutes in. Just seconds before the first half ended, Yi Ronald scored, bringing the match to a score of 1-3: it looked like a Qianrongese victory was inevitable.

Following the start of the second half, 12 minutes in the second half, Gregory Todorov scored a goal as the Qianrongese team was not looking, followed by Song Edward at the 15 minute mark, bringing the score up to 3-3. 17 minutes in the second half, Yi scores another goal, and 24 minutes in, Dylan Clifford scores a goal. Luziyca is now firmly in the lead, and despite efforts by Deng Chao-Zi to score a goal at the 29 minute mark, it was successfully repelled by Tu Alex. 31 minutes after, Jung Henry inadvertently scores a goal after failing to complete a pass to Fu William. As the second half reaches its end, with a score of 6-3, Wen Alexandrov scores a final goal at the last second, bringing the score up to 7-3.

As the Luziycans celebrated...
The manager, Dong Harry said that "It was a fantastic game. There was some heated emotion, yes, but all in all, I think that we played incredibly well."

In Luziyca, there was some celebration. Not as large as those as if that happened at the finals, but many were proud to have witnessed a defeat against the southern Qianrongese team.
Ellen Rubayov said that "I am glad that our national team proved our worth against Qianrong: there was a lot of beating and abuse hurled at us over the past few days on cyberspace. Even our President was involved! I feel incredibly confident that we can continue this path of success when we face East Nautarya on Monday."

In Kenyen, many residents have celebrated their victory, and even the outgoing Chief Executive, Kung Alicia has explained that "I am proud that the Fighters are fighting their opponents abroad. The victory over southern Qianrong is quite lovely to see, and I hope they can continue on that path."

...the Qianrongese were rioting.
In the Qianrongese archipelago, riots have broken out in both the so-called "Qianrongese Socialist Republic," and the legitimate Qianrongese government based in Yucheng. Many cities in the islands are now in flames, and looting is widespread. Police and troops have been deployed in a vain attempt to restore order. But in Yucheng, the crowds have stormed the embassy in Yucheng, with 101 embassy staff taken hostage by the rioters: most of them injured, as well as 32 embassy workers including the ambassador, Anna Dorogov. As well, it is estimated that around 300 people have been killed in the riots.

As soon as the news of the storming of the Luziycan embassy reached Bethlehem, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alfhild Amandus has summoned the Qianrongese ambassador over the storming of the Luziycan embassy in Yucheng.
Shjoraski has stated that "these riots are unacceptable, and that the rioters are violating international law. We will do everything we can in our power to free the hostages, and to make sure Qianrong does the same."

In other news

• Francilie - Terrorist attacks strike the capital of Francilie, Shjoraski and Svensson send condolences
• Namor - Act to "clarify" Namorese position on Nantai passed by committee, Nantainese views it as a "positive step" to reaching peaceful resolution
• CdE V - How the other nations did
• Mingwok - Virtual government shutdown due to the neglect of the monarchs

[The Republic of Lanos]

National Broadcasting System
Lanos National News

BREAKING NEWS
Qianrong rioters storm Luziycan embassy, kill ambassador and loot facilities, after national team's loss to "Luziycan national team"

In a surprise that no one saw coming, the nation of Qianrong saw massive violent riots in response to their national team's 7-3 loss to the Kenyen Fighters, the "Luziycan national football" team playing in the fifth Coupe d'Esquarium. Across the two nation-states, the extreme violence brought by the riots were so massive, the military had to be mobilized in an attempt to stop the chaos. Yucheng saw rioters storm the Luziycan embassy complex, taking hostages, burning a embassy building down, and killing the Luziycan ambassador. There are reports that the death toll is in the 300s and could go higher. There are about 101 hostages held in the looted Luziycan embassy and Qianrong officials are attempting to secure their release without the use of force.

The riots, caused by a populace angered by a crucial CdE loss, may finally call attention to the Luziycan national team, or Luziyca calls a national team for every contest, and future Luziycan participation in CdE. Luziyca's system of switching its Premier League clubs into the national team for CdE is often criticized for multiple reasons. Chief among them in Lanosian circles is a practice of sending a fresh soccer club, already coached and well-rested, to compete in international play to face against national teams that are comprised of player/nationals from differing clubs in their homelands or elsewhere in the region. While the Luziycans justify this measure as cost-saving, the reactions across the region have varied from approval to hostility towards the measure. The Qianrong riots are surely the largest measure of recent disapproval to the Luziycan tactic, albeit done in a way that nobody rational would sanction.

As another public relations problem, potentially for this contest and future ones, the controversial Luzyican team selection system might be overshadowed by rumblings of an investigation into the CdE. Rumors from the Justice Department and the Department of Public Safety, the nation's law enforcement and national security cabinet department, agree upon an investigation into allegations of high-level corruption against officials involved in the governance of Esquarium's major sports ruling bodies. While nothing has been officially verified, one Justice Department source alleges that arrest warrants are about to be issued during the height of the CdE. While seemingly ill-timed, it could have the effect of forcing major reviews of the governance of sports in Esquarium.

The same source also said, in jest, that the Luziycans could finally be forced to host their own national team as a result. However, according to the source, "it's likely they'll still find a way to cheat the system." Further context to this comment was not provided.

Stay tuned.

[United Provinces of Atlantica]

The Atlantican Daily

The Bears decisively win their first match in the Fifth Coupe d'Esquarium!

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Arnbergur Önundursson playing.

GRODERNEN, LYONSLAND - The Bears decisively won their first match in the Coupe d'Esquarium V, winning 3-0 against East Cortoguay today. The move comes at what many see as vindication of the Bears' embarrassing last place when it debuted in the Coupe d'Esquarium IV, having scored no goals last place; whilst East Cortoguay, in its third Coupe (having participated in both the Coupe d'Esquarium IV and widely-panned Coupe d'Esquarium III), was defeated in a stunning defeat, having scored no goals, in comparison to Atlantica's three; this defeat is especially embarrassing for the East Cortoguayan team as it was, prior to this, universally considered to be better than the Bears, albeit not in the leagues of Vyvland or the Michillies.

The Bears quickly dominated the match after it began, with Eyríkur Kaspersson scoring the first goal on the eleventh minute of the game; afterwards, the East Cortoguayan team went all-out on the offensive, but were consistently stopped by a highly successful defence team; the closest the East Cortoguayans came to scoring a goal was on the 31st minute, going to far as to make a well-aimed kick to the Atlantican goal, but a heroic save by Röðull Ingbergsson stopped the ball; throwing it far across the field, the Bears made a comeback, with Hárekur Böðvarsson scoring a second goal on the 33rd minute.

However, tragedy struck shortly after the heroic goal as Böðvarsson sprained his ankle whilst making the goal; he was subsequently taken off the field, replaced by Konstantínus Húmisson. Luckily, however, the injury is minor and he will be able to come back to the field to face off against the Firebirds (the football team of North Qianrong, officially the Second Independent State of Qianrong) on December 14th. After the goal and Böðvarsson's spraining, the East Cortoguayans were once again on the offence until halftime, but, as before the 31st minute, the Bears were able to thwart the East Cortoguayans' attempts to score goals yet again and again, in a testament of the incredible strength of the Bears' defence today.

After halftime, however, scandal struck as Gunnvaldur Freygarðursson, in the 53rd minute, spat on the East Cortoguayan left midfielder, resulting in the referee issuing a red card; however, Freygarðursson will not be suspended from any subsequent matches for this offence as the offence of the Laws of the Game was not considered serious enough by the referee to warrant suspension of Freygarðursson in subsequent games.

The red card proved to be little hindrance to the Bears, however, who were able to fend off attempts by the East Cortoguayans at scoring a goal, and later played the game in such an unhindered ferocity that, on the 74th minute, Konstantínus Húmisson heroically scored a third goal for the Bears, despite both the red card and the East Cortoguayans' best efforts. The game after that was largely focused on the Bears' successful attempts to prevent the East Cortoguayans from scoring goals and thus tipping the balance of the game.

The result has quickly ignited celebrations throughout Atlantica, with many feeling that this was the beginning of the vindication of the Bears' disastrous results in the Coupe d'Esquarium IV.

[Kraq]

وكالة الانباء العراقية العربية
Al-Wakālah al-'Arabīyah as-‘Krāq al-'Anbā
Kraqi Arab News Agency

BREAKING NEWS: Kraq Losses to Francilie 1-0; Luziycan Solders and Police Clash with Hooligans

Head Coach Iman Mohammed during the match between Francilie and Kraq

ETTSTEN, LYONSLAND - Match day one was a day full of shocks and surprises, twists and turns, and plenty of controversy which will certainly be talked about over the next few weeks. Riots in Qianrong, the mighty Redheads losing against the Royals, Ziegenhain defeating Pavonistade, and Scotia being absolutely destroyed by newcomers Litorea.

Emotions were running high in Kraq's first Group C match after a wave of bombing shook the city of Pontnouveau; killing 132 people. Before the match began, players from both teams stopped to take a moment of silence to remember the victims of the attacks.

The Roosters dominated the beginning of the first half of the match, boosting 65% of the possession but failed to make any clear changes in the early stages of the match. A clear chance for the Roosters finally came in the 25th minute, when a superb pass from Emmanuel Pellerin found the feet of Mamadou Havako, who put the ball wide of the post. The sand dragons hit back in the 31st minute, when a Brevui Themvako free kick clipped the crossbar and when over; keeping things level. For the rest of the first half, both sides struggled to make any chances as excellent defending and poor finishing left things 0-0 at halftime.

During halftime, Head Coach Iman Mohammed brought on the all experienced Atiya Ajam on for Anwar El-Mofty - who'd struggled and had been ineffective up-front, having only one shot at goal. The Second half began similar to the first half, a midfield stalemate with neither side having the quality to unlock each other defences. A breakthrough came in the 50th minute, when Morgan Comtois was brought down inside the penalty box by Duha Karim after allegedly diving; resulting in a second yellow and automatic red for Duha Karim. Comtois was the player to step up and scored from the penalty spot - giving Francile the lead. The sand dragons responded brilliantly, creating two in the 60th and 67th minutes respectively - both going wide of goal. A quality Francilie side keep the Kraqis at bay and during the latter stages of second half - commanded the rest of the game.

Kraq's loss sparked a cacophony of booing from the Kraqi fans who'd decided to stay and hadn't left before the final whistle. A small minority of five or six Kraqi football fans chanted slogans in support of the terrorists attacks in Pontnouveau - prompting Lyonese police to arrest three people on incitement.

In an post-match interview Head Coach, Iman Mohammed, had this to say. “Of course the entire team is disappointed not to get at least point...especially in a group people have nicknamed the ‘Group of Death’,” an openly despondent Iman told to reporters. “But we have another three games to focus on. There's no point beating ourselves up over the loss, instead I’ll be looking to get the full three points against a tough Britanno side, who’d being looking to win just like us. We need to train harder and be prepared for everything the Royals will throw at us.”

In Kraq, disappointed football fans - further enraged by Luziyca's 7-3 victory over South Qianrong - wondered onto the streets and vented their anger violently. In the cities Haj'dah, Ragobad, and Al-Riyan, small CDEV viewing parties and groups of youth attacked Luziycan soldiers stationed in Kraq - many of whom were celebrating Luziyca's 7-3 comeback from behind victory - and clashed with security forces overnight. Many threw rocks and over blunt objects at the Luziycan solders - who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Smaller groups of Hooligans - mostly made up of two or three men wearing masks over their faces, attacked two dozens Luziycan Kraqis; leaving fourteen of them in the hospital with minor injuries. According to the Ministry of Health, a total of forty people were injured during the clashes - including two Luziycan soldiers who sustained minor head injuries - while eleven people have been arrested by police for various charges relating to Hooliganism.

The sand dragons will face Britanno on 16 December, it what will be a must win game for Kraq if they want to keep their hopes alive of advancing into the Round of 16.

Other News

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• FRANCILIE - 120 people dead in a wave of bombing
• LYONSLAND - Keep up with our live coverage of the Coupe d'Esquarium V
• QIANRONG - Riots erupt in Qianrong - leaving 300 people dead; including the Luziycan ambassador Anna Dorogov

[Qianrong]

RIOTERS DEMAND $250 BILLION FROM LUZIYCA IN RETURN FOR HOSTAGE RELEASE
CLAIMS MONEY WOULD BE COMPENSATION FOR LUZIYCA'S SUPPORT OF FDRQ REGIME, INACTION IN TERROR WAR

Qianrongese troops patrol Yucheng after riots that left hundreds dead in Qianrong.

DECEMBER 13, 2015- Yucheng, Qianrong- What started out as a disproportionate reaction to a soccer match has turned into a geopolitical crisis as the rioters who seized 101 Luziycan embassy workers as hostages and killed 32 formally demanded $250,000,000,000 as Luziycan compensation for support of the Free Democratic Republic of Qianrong and for failing to take action in the Second Domestic Terror War.

The riots began yesterday after the so-called Luziycan national team, the Kenyen Fighters, defeated the team sent by the so-called Qianrongese Soviet Republic 7 to 3 in Denkom, Lyonsland. For many, the match was uncomfortably familiar to the matches of the third Coupe d'Esquarium, where the so-called Luziycan team intentionally humiliated the Qianrongese. Tensions had also been rising over increasing international criticism of Luziyca's decision to send a club team, instead of an actual national team, to participate in the soccer tournament. As Luziycans, including Luziycan President Breuvi Shjoraski, went to gloat on social media, tensions boiled over and riots erupted. Rioters burnt Luziycan flags and effigies of Luziycan politicians and athletes in multiple cities; in Yucheng, the riots culminated when rioters broke into the Luziycan embassy and razed part of the complex, killing Ambassador Anna Dorogov, and took the surviving embassy staff hostage.

Up to 900 Qianrongese civilians and 500 policemen are estimated dead nationally in the wake of the riots that led to the embassy seizure; though the exact value is unclear, at least several hundred thousand dollars worth of property has been damaged or destroyed. Martial law has been declared nationwide in the so-called Qianrongese Soviet Republic and in multiple major urban areas in the Second Independent State; both Prime Minister Qi Chien-Xuan and so-called Chairman Long Jiao-Dan have called for an end to hooliganism and violence.

Sixty-two of the hostages are believed to be wounded, some severely; it is unclear if the rioters will allow these hostages to receive medical attention. The bodies of the thirty-two deceased embassy workers are possibly still in the wreckage. Rioters are also believed to be in possession of sensitive or classified documents stored in the embassy. The exact number of hostage-takers is unclear, though it is believed to be somewhere between 75 and 150.

The National Self-Defense Forces have surrounded the embassy complex, and have reportedly engaged in negotiations with the rioters in an attempt to free the hostages without further bloodshed. Speaking to a press junket this morning, Prime Minister Qi Chien-Xuan said that the primary goal of the Qianrongese government was to end the crisis quickly and peacefully. "Our goal is to free the hostages as soon as we can without engaging in aggressive action," Qi explained. She has also vowed that the individuals involved in the riots would be charged, and that those responsible for the deaths of Qianrongese police officers nationwide and Luziycan diplomatic staff in Yucheng would be brought to justice. "This behavior cannot and will not stand," she told reporters.

The hostage-takers themselves, however, have issued their own demands to the government of the Christian Republic of Luziyca. In a video posted online, several masked individuals inside the embassy presented a demand for a payment of $250,000,000,000 by the Luziycan government to QIanrong, in exchange for the release of the hostages. However, the rioters put a new spin on their actions, claiming that the soccer riots were "only the spark needed to ignite decades of justified resentment against Luziyca." They claim the money demanded is compensation for Luziyca's backing of the Free Democratic Republic, its secret police and chemical weapons programs, and for Luziyca's failure to uphold its now-defunct alliance during the Second Domestic Terror War.

The Luziycan government has not yet responded.

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News from Across Esquarium
KRAQ- Riots erupt after Kraqi loss to Francilie in the fifth Coupe
FRANCILIE- Terrorist attacks on Pontnouveau leave hundreds dead
LUZIYCA- NSDF soldiers lay siege to rioter-occupied embassy compound
AUCURIA- Presidential candidates debate security, economics
QIANRONG- VP Song, QSR politburo allege Kenyen cheated in CdE

[Korivania]

Korivanian ShadowEagles defeat Montezelo 2-1

Two members of the ShadowEagles celebrating their victory after last nights game.

Lyonsland Last night, the Korivanian ShadowEagles soundly defeated the team from Montezelo in a 2-1 victory. Yesterday night in Lyonsland, when the teams entered the stadium, the stadium was filled with the cheers, screams, and even jeers of the audience.

The first to score was the team of Montezelo, who caught the Korivanian defense off-guard and scored their one and only point for the game. Despite this setback, the ShadowEagles came back, and with a vengeance. The ShadowEagles were able to score two goals, the first goal being scored by Franco Demaj, and the second goal being scored by Josef Patan. As a result, the Montezelans, as one of our observers in the stadium put it, were "trounced and smashed" by the ShadowEagles in what was the first ever match for both teams. We interviewed Matthew Konikalaj, the manager of the Korivanian ShadowEagles, who also happened to be attending last nights game. One of the things that Konikalaj told us was that "I am definitely proud of the official team of Korivania. I don't know what kind of practice the Montezelan team has gotten, or what kind of training they have received, but here's something I do know. The Korivanian ShadowEagles have worked hard and trained hard to get this well deserved victory they have received in their first ever CdE match, and I can say for certain that they will play well in their next match."

The last part of Konikalaj's statement kind of brings us to the next part of this article. In the next match, which is on December 14th, the ShadowEagles will be going up against the team from Crolacia. Unlike the ShadowEagles, this is not the first time the team from Crolacia has been in the Coupe d'Esquarium, and as a result, is probably more experience in this realm. However, there is still a large chance of a Korivanian victory.

Other Articles:

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- Qianrong - Rioting breaks out and rioters kill Luziycan ambassador and take hostages
- Josef Hammock - Man from Ocelot Isles predicts outcomes of some games in CdE V
- Nantai - Namorese government passes bill clarifying stance on disputed territory

[Luziyca]

Two different approaches: Shjoraski denounces the rioters, Svensson wants to negotiate with them

Police in Yucheng

YUCHENG, QIANRONG - The rioters have occupied the Luziycan-embassy, taking 101 workers hostage and killing 32 people, including the ambassador, Anna Dogorov. The hostage-takers have demanded ₤125,000,000,000 in ransom to release the 101 hostages from the embassy, of which 62 of the hostages have been injured, as "reparations" for the inaction on the Qianrongese Terror War and the support of the FDRQ's government.

In a video posted online (according to The National Report), several masked individuals inside the embassy presented a demand for a payment of $250,000,000,000 (₤125,000,000,000) by the Luziycan government to QIanrong, in exchange for the release of the hostages. However, the rioters put a new spin on their actions, claiming that the soccer riots were "only the spark needed to ignite decades of justified resentment against Luziyca." They claim the money demanded is compensation for Luziyca's backing of the Free Democratic Republic, its secret police and chemical weapons programs, and for Luziyca's failure to uphold its now-defunct alliance during the Second Domestic Terror War.

There are two reactions, one that could symbolize the stark contrast between the administration of the outgoing President Breuvi Shjoraski and the President-elect Sera Svensson.

We will not negotiate with these hooligans
At a press conference, President Breuvi Shjoraski was defiant. He explained that "The 75-100 hostage-takers have committed a serious violation of international law. They have refused to acknowledge diplomatic immunity, and we are going to issue an international arrest warrant for every single one of the rioters. They will not be permitted to enter Luziyca."

Shjoraski added that "While we acknowledge that the police attempted to stop this, they could have done much more to stop these riots."
He then told the reporters that "We heard of the video that has been uploaded online. We are not going to negotiate with terrorists. We are not going to accept their demands, because while we may have committed some wrongs in regards to Qianrong, the fact of the matter is that if they are going to refuse to obey international law, if they do not follow the basic principles of diplomatic immunity, we will not negotiate with these hooligans."

Shjoraski then outlined his demands towards the hostage takers. "We will demand from these hostage-takers the immediate release of the hostages, and to pay ₤101 million to the 101 hostages as compensation, as well as ₤62 million to the family of the 31 diplomatic workers killed. They also must pay ₤25 million to the family of ambassador Anna Dogorov. The government has felt that this amount is justified considering the extreme breach of international law." In total, the value that the hostage-takers have to pay would be ₤188 million ($376 million).

Shjoraski also explained to the Qianrongese government that "you now have a duty, for the sake of the international community: you must commit your government forces at all costs to dislodge the rioters and release all of the hostages, and force the hostage-takers to pay the damages to the Christian Republic."

You will get home, but you will need to be patient
However, Sera Svensson has made a different approach from her home in Jerusalem. "While I do not approve of these riots in the Qianrongese archipelago," she explained, "this matter regarding the hostage and the murder of diplomats must be taken extremely seriously, and we will issue an international arrest warrant for the murderers of the 32 diplomats, as well as those who took the embassy hostage."

She explained "That being said, I do not object to negotiating with the hostage-takers to release the hostages being held at our embassy in Yucheng. We are willing to pay ₤75 billion ($150 billion) to get the hostages released, to the northern Qianrongese government in Yucheng, and we are also willing to negotiate an official reparations treaty with both states on the Qianrongese archipelago."

"To the 101 diplomats that have been held hostage," she explains, "know that we are not turning our back on you. You are in the hearts of millions of Luziycans. You will get home, but you will need to be patient. May God protect you all."

Inside Luziyca
A Gallup poll has revealed that 58% supported Shjoraski's approach to the issue, compared to 13% supporting Sera Svensson's approach. 29% are undecided or did not care of the issue.

In Gijirokastra, a vigil was held for the 133 people at the embassy who were either taken hostage, or killed in the terrorist attacks. The figure "133" was arranged by placing 133 candles on the Square of Nations. Similar vigils were held in Jerusalem, Yerevan and Bethlehem.

In Bethlehem, protests have broken outside of the Qianrongese embassy, with protest banners demanding "RELEASE THE HOSTAGES," and "DOROGOV SHALL BE AVENGED!" There were also chanting, with those statements. One protester threw a Molotov cocktail, and was arrested by the Bethlehem Police Department. The fire was put out.

In other news

• Francilie - 120 dead in terrorist attack in Pontnoveau
• Kraq - 40 injured in riots, including 2 Luziycan soldiers: 11 arrested
• CdE V - Allegations of corruption plague the CdE
• Nantai - Act to "clarify" Namorese position on Nantai passed by committee, Nantainese views it as a "positive step" to reaching peaceful resolution

[Namor]

Моджинг Сибо | Mojing Sibo
December 13, NMR 2377

TRUTH TIME: QIANRONGESE NATIONALISM HAS GONE TOO FAR




Qianrongese rioters take to the streets to protest the South Qianrongese loss to the Nantai team

By the Editorial Board | MANY NAMORESE agree that a little nationalism isn't a bad thing. As a nation that suffered a century of humiliation at the hands of foreign powers, we were in a desperate need of a strong national identity, for we understood that a strong national identity was essential to our salvation. For the most part, our nationalism was healthy and justified: it united the Namorese people against Chorean aggression. It made Namorese proud of being Namorese again. Most importantly, it invigorated our aspiration for prosperity, inspiring us to contribute our all in establishing Namor as among the world's emerging powers.

But Day 1 of the Fifth Coupe D'Esquarium was marked by the ugly side of nationalism. Many countries share this guilt, but nowhere did we see more hate than in Qianrong, where rioters stormed the Luziycan embassy, overran embassy security and killed the Luziycan ambassador, who was pregnant. Around 300 people have been killed in the riots, which broke out as a result of South Qianrong's humiliating 3-7 loss to the Kenyen Fighters - the team sent to represent Luziyca in the Coupe and was disparaged by many as a debuting team. The riots and the destruction that followed are the worst cases of sports-related violence to happen in years, dwarfing the Vulan Incident in terms of casualties.

The violence in Qianrong was so shocking, it left even the most Luziphobic segments of Namorese society speechless. The Foreign Ministry condemned the riots. Many Namorese were disgusted at how a pregnant woman wasn't spared from the anger of the rioters, comparing the riots to the disturbances of the Green Fever. Ultranationalist presidential candidate Kuo Zhang said the riots are proof of the evils of football. Appearing on PTH, Shohai Antelope had to choose his words carefully when asked about his thoughts on the Yucheng embassy siege.

We can simply attribute the riots to some Qianrongese people's obsession with football, which isn't unknown. But there is more to it than just frustration over a loss in a football match.

To begin with, one should understand why a majority of Qianrongese harbor an antipathy for numerous countries, mainly Namor, Luziyca, Nevanmaa and Ainin. As a small country surrounded by superpowers, Qianrong has relied heavily on surrounding powers to survive. This resulted in a love-hate relationship between Qianrong and its neighbors. On one hand, Qianrong needed to be in good terms with the outside world to sustain itself, but this led to a feeling of vulnerability that Qianrongese loathe. A main reason why Zheng Hye-Jeou's seizure of power was welcomed by the Qianrongese people was because he promised "independence" from the foreign powers, similar to how Namor's Jung To and Yunglang Antelope promised independence from the Choreans and Luziycans. Zheng's vision of a Qianrong free of foreign influence appealed to those who craved for the day when Qianrong could do without the world.

Unfortunately, the Qianrongese took their independence too fiercely, and healthy nationalism evolved into paranoid xenophobia. The former regime had a habit of blaming malicious foreign powers for stirring up domestic turmoil. It invested much of its time convincing the Qianrongese public that the Second Domestic Terror War was the product of a Namo-Aininian conspiracy. Even after the regime's fall and the loosening of restrictions to the flow of information, most Qianrongese continue to identify the outside world as the source of their problems. The Qianrongese government is in an awkward situation where it accepts foreign military and humanitarian aid, but suggests to its own people that foreigners cannot be trusted.

Both Qianrongese prime minister Qi Chien-Xuan and rebel leader Long Jiao-dan condemned the rioting and taking of hostages. In Yucheng, Qi ordered the military to negotiate the release of the 101 Luziycans trapped inside the embassy. The fate of these workers is more uncertain than ever; they may come out alive, but only if the Luziycans pay P1.75 trillion's worth in ransom. However the situation may turn out, it should be a clear sign to all Qianrongese that their nationalism has gone too far. If this problem remains unaddressed, there will be more unpleasant incidents to come.

[United Provinces of Atlantica]

I wrote this earlier before Lyonsland released the results of the Firebird-Bear, but wasn't able to submit it until know.

The Atlantican Daily

Predictions for the Firebird-Bear match

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The 14 December match between the Bears and the Firebirds will be the first match for the Firebirds in Coupe d’Esquarium V, but in spirit will be the second match for the Firebirds, for they in spirit represent not just North Qianrong, not just the Second Independent State of Qianrong, but all of Qianrong and all Qianrongese; as demonstrated by the reaction to the Thunderbirds’, officially representing South Qianrong/the Qianrongese Soviet Republic, loss to the Luziycans in North Qianrong. The 14 December match will, of course, be the second match for the Bears, after their heroic victory against East Cortoguay on 12 December.

The Firebirds will doubtlessly fight with such an unhindered, mighty ferocity that is only a characteristic of a burning, fierce nationalism; or religious beliefs; or even ideologies, in this case the first. However, this ferocity is doubtlessly not all that is required to win; the Thunderbirds fought with both that nationalism and socialist idealism on the 12th of December (in addition to the fierce hatred of Luziyca among the Qianrongese people, something that is not a factor in the match today), and this obviously did not carry them to victory against the Kenyen Fighters on the 12th of December.

The Bears, on the other hand, will still fight with a mighty ferocity, but this ferocity is doubtlessly weaker than that of the Firebirds’, for Atlantica has not the great perils Qianrong has, nor does it have as strong a desire for vindication. Whilst the Bears do certainly seek to vindicate the national embarrassment that was the Bears’ performance at the Coupe d’Esquarium IV, this vindication is merely a matter of football; the Firebirds’ have a desire for vindication of a divided nation, of the events of the 12th of December, of everything Qianrong has faced in both this year and the year before that; indeed, a desire for vindication of everything that has gone awry in the islands of Qianrong, even if this game is, in reality, only the matter of a football match.

In the end, however, the reality is, the result of this game is truly up in the air. Whilst the Bears have started off with a strong game so far, and the Firebirds a burning, mighty ferocity, as past games have told us, neither of these things can make or break a game. Thus, we are but to speculate and wonder what will happen if either the Firebirds or the Bears win.

If the Bears win...

The Bears will be almost guaranteed to set off to the round of 16; as long as they do not lose both of their games to Ziegenhain and Pavonistade, and the other teams do not have exceptionally good results in the other games, that is.

However, a major and legitimate concern if the Bears win is the possibility of riots in Qianrong; as the events of 12 December have shown us, this is no joke and is a real possibility. However, it is doubtful that any riots would be as serious as the 12 December riots are; the Qianrongese people do not hold a deep grudge and fear of Atlantica like they do Luziyca, and thus there is no real possibility of a geopolitical crisis caused by the Bears defeated the Firebirds, nor is there a real possibility of the amount of casualties in a potential riot being nearly as high as the 12 December riots are causing.

If the Firebirds win...

The chances of the Bears making it to the Round of 16 are severely reduced, but are nonetheless still a possibility; it is not uncommon for teams to lose games during the group round but still advance onwards, especially if the loss was not a severe one. The Firebirds, on the other hand, will certainly have a possibility of advancing onward to the Round of 16, like they would if the Bears won, but such a win today will doubtlessly increase their possibility of advancing onward to the Round of 16; a loss today would significantly hinder that possibility for the Firebirds.

A riot is a very slim possibility; Atlantica, unlike the Michillies or now Qianrong, is not known for dramatic football-caused riots; its times of riot and protest are not during football-caused riots, but rather in Atlantica’s legendary general strikes.

Of course, we know nothing for certain, and now have nothing to do but watch the game and history unfold, causing history to go the way it will go.

[Namor]

INFINITY SPORTS NETWORK
Namor's goldest source of sports news

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KASKIRIA BEATS VYVLAND 10-0 ON KASKIRIAN STATE TV
Despite not even being in the Coupe, Kaskiria claims it crushed Vyvland - and has the footage to prove it

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By Ta Made, Sports Correspondent reporting from Lyonsland

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A screenshot from footage aired by Kaskirian state television purportedly
showing the Vyvlander team trying to cope with their defeat at the hands
of the Kaskirian victors

Lyonsland/Oqtas, Kaskiria - All of Kaskiria is up in celebration today after news broke that the "undefeatable" Kaskirian underdog team crushed Vyvland in its first match in the fifth Coupe D'Esquarium, scoring ten successive goals and giving no chance for the Vyvlanders to respond. This is perhaps the most devastating defeat in Coupe D'Esquarium history, one that Vyvland won't fully recover from for years.
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
So said Kaskirian state television, which broadcast a 45 minute-long footage showing the entire match that allegedly occurred between the Kaskirians and Vyvlanders during Day 1 of the Coupe D'Esquarium. The Kaskirians, in red and black uniforms, were seen shooting goals from twenty meters away, exhausting the Vyvlander goalie. Any Vyvlander attempt to score a goal past the Kaskirian goalie was hopelessly discomfited by what the announcer called "supreme Kaskirian defense abilities."
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
The game ended with a 10-0 victory for Kaskiria, and was followed up by a speech delivered by Kaskiria's supreme leader, Nurzhan Qoramiyev.
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
"This is a great day for the United Republic of Kaskiria. Our team has shown its superiority by wiping out the supposedly strong Vyvlander team and reducing them into pieces," Qoramiyev said. "Now the whole world knows what they're standing up to if they play the Kaskirian national football team. I encourage all citizens to continue watching the Coupe D'Esquarium and cheer on our boys in Lyonsland as they obliterate the rest of the EFA [Esquarian Football Association]."
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
Kaskirian television also showed footage of thousands of football fans cheering in the streets of Oqtas, the capital, chanting slogans in support of the team, leader Qoramiyev, and burning Vyvlander flags.
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
It is one of the latest lies published by Kaskiria's repressive, closed-door fascist regime, which is notorious for its powerful propaganda machine that misinforms the people. Kaskiria is in fact not participating in the Coupe D'Esquarium, as its national team failed to even quality for it.
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
To save face, Kaskiria's Central Information Agency said in Saturday that an "easy victory is expected" ahead of the Kaskirian team's fabricated match with Vyvland, even publishing a bracket showing Kaskiria defeating every other team and winning the Cup.
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
"Our victory is inevitable. No other soccer team in Esquarium can ever parallel the capability of the Hawks in any field- stamina, dexterity, or strength," supreme leader Qoramiyev was quoted as saying in the article.
Infinity Sports Network is a subsidiary of The Pickle.
This isn't the first time Kaskiria fabricated the news to paint a rosy image of itself. Last December, state television reported that Qoramiyev had won 100% of the popular vote in Namor's presidential election.

[The Ocelot Isles]

Keep up with the Ocelotian Gazette for CdE V updates! Click here.
CdE IV Ocelots Shock Home Country by Tying with Redheads in First CdE V Match

Midfielder Antonio Watsen prepares to pass the
football to captain Patrik Sonna in the first half.

In the first match engaging our Ocelots against another team in Coupe d'Esquarium V, an unexpected 0-0 tie incurred with the Vyvlander Redheads, also known as the Red and Yellows. Neither team was able to overcome each other in both halves of the football match. Since the Ocelots were up against a two-time CdE champion, a tie was quite unpredicted as more people anticipated defeat.

There was intense competition between the Ocelots and Redheads in spite of the lack of victory or loss for both sides. Most highlights were notable saves occurring after the 30th minute; Redhead forward Alec Ngubane and captain Li Pikok each tried to goal against goalkeeper Ian Barren, while Ocelot captain Patrik Sonna and midfielder Charles Liefobe were denied success by the Vyvlander defense.

But one of the most spectacular events ended up with the referee pulling the yellow card for an Ocelot. During the 25th minute, a failed attempt was made by Pikok to score past Barren. Soon Ocelot captain Sonna retrieved the football from midfielder Antonio Watsen, but later received a yellow card after tripping Ngubane in a move to outplay the Redheads.

The tie emerging from today's match, which was predicted by several personalities such as analyst Josef Hammock, was justification for the Ocelotians to celebrate but also for us to pay close attention to our performance in the next few days. The inability of the CdE IV champion Redheads to defeat the Ocelots came after the former failed to score a single goal against the Britannon Royals. "It was right to think that if a formidable force like the Redheads can be defeated, then there is a chance that we can at least prevent them from scoring even once," said Ocelot captain Sonna during an interview.

At the same time, there was skepticism for the continued success and luck of the Ocelots. They were able to hold out the Redheads but how well they can proceed in the group stage is yet to be determined. Manager Carlos Agapito stated that "it is too early to tell if the Ocelots will survive the group stages" and that the answer will unveil as they stay united and vigorous. Nevertheless Agapito added that "there is time to celebrate today's result".

The Ocelot Isles currently sits at third place in Group C, often referred to as the Group of Death due to the presence of Vyvland and high expectations for their team.

Other News

• CdE V | New teams that spectators should watch out for in the fifth Coupe
• Sinhako | Sinhakese government praises and expresses supports for the Ocelots
• Sinhako | Recent polls and studies reveal Ocelotian-Shudri tensions significantly subsided

[Korivania]

Korivanian ShadowEagles defeat Vitoria 1-0

Some of the ShadowEagles walking onto the field near at the start of the match

Ettsten, Lyonsland Last night, the Korivanian ShadowEagles scored another victory, defeating the Vitorian team 1-0. Two days earlier, the ShadowEagles defeated the Montezelan Thunder Warriors in a 2-1 victory, so this is the second victory in a row for Korivania's team.

Yesterdays match was quite heated with anticipation, as the ShadowEagles were this time up against a team that had played in the Coupe d'Esquarium a year earlier, and had more experience in this matter. However, the Korivanian ShadowEagles, scored the first and only point relatively early in the game, probably because the Vitorian defense was most likely caught off-guard. However, after that point, the Korivanian defense shaped up and managed to keep the ShadowEagles from scoring another point; but the Vitorian offensive was quite lacking and the Vitorian team didn't score another point for the rest of the game, thus leaving the game with a Korivanian victory. As a result of this match, the ShadowEagles now have a two game winning streak. According to some stats released yesterday, Korivania is currently in the top spot in Group D with six points, with Crolacia and Montezelo not far behind with both having three points. Two days ago, we interviewed ShadowEagles Manager, Matthew Konikalaj on the reason why the ShadowEagles were so successful. Konikalaj said that the fact that the ShadowEagles practiced quite often would be the reason for their success. If this is the case, then their practice has indeed paid off quite well.

Two days from now, in the next match, the ShadowEagles will most likely be going up against the Montezelan Thunder Warriors again in a rematch, and if not them, then it will most likely be the Crolacian team. Anyway, the question remains: will the ShadowEagles continue their winning streak.

Other Articles:

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- Kaskira - State TV falsely claims its team defeated Vyvland, although Kaskira isn't even in the CdE
- Poll: - Should an IQ test be required in order to vote?
- Qianrong - People in both the north and south of the country are still rioting