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National Archives · by **Ord Caprica** » Sun Aug 28, 2016 5:10 pm

''President Kenway applauds referendum results''
President Kenway applauds referendum results as greatest victory for the forces of good in recent memory.
James McManus (@JayMcManus)

^{August 5, 2016 6:00 AM | Ulysses, C.D, United States of Caprica}

President Kenway, 51st President of the United States giving a speech to a joint session of Congress. UP photo

Ulysses, C.D., Caprica- Earlier this week; President Oliver Kenway addressed a special session of Congress in regards to the recent referendum in Insula Fera earlier this month in favor of a unified Insula Fera. The Kenway administration has been noticeably silent on the results as the peoples of Pangus, Spar'ia and Prudenesia voted to unify their nations going forward into the new year. The administration issued a short statement following the initial declaration of a vote towards unification shortly after the polling stations closed.

''This administration applauds the steps taken by the free people of Insula Fera this day towards a new and bright future for their country and we look forward to standing side by side with them in the eternal march towards prosperity, peace and progress.''

Independent observers from the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance and the Astyrian Trade Organization have reported a free and fair election process with minimum electoral irregularities with the small exception of a bombing of a primary school in the relatively quiet streets of a suburb in Corvus the morning before the referendum, which killed a Aquitaynian Marine and more than a dozen children. The amount of security leading up to and during the voting process was beefed up substantially by Aquitaynian and EATA forces in order to ensure a smooth and fair count of the votes, the relative lack of violence is a great credit to their efforts.

While it will be some time before a new unified state can be established in Insula Fera and it's component states, foreign policy analysts expect that the U.S and it's allies will be major partners in the process and will continue to maintain a military presence in the area for the foreseeable future.

President Kenway in his address said,

''[that] Insula Fera and all of New Pangus can count of Caprica to continue to work with them during these tumultuous times and dangerous days until the freedoms that we all hold so dear, are assured to all of mankind until the end of time. ''

The full text of the President's speech can be found SPEECH TO COME LATER

Cracks in the EATA?

In the shadow of the referendum in Insula Fera is the United States stubborn refusal to level sanctions against the Rombergian government in response to it's forays into the northern tundra region of Astyria. A large number of regional powers and EATA members were among the many nations to enact biting economic sanctions against the regime starting in early August and continuing throughout the month.

The Kenway administration has been incredibly tight lipped about the situation but sources within the Presidential Residence in Bright Hill have revealed that the U.S Ambassador to the EATA has had several high level meetings with senior officials from the Blackhelm Confederacy and other major EATA players in Paradise City for the past several weeks now with no intent on slowing down.

Paradise City's failure to get Caprica on board with it's sanctions are pointing to cracks within the alliances' old guard as the U.S' seeks to increase it's multilateral relationships across the world in a global effort against international terrorism and economic criminality.

A number of international experts have expressed opinions that the U.S might be looking to strike out on it's own and build a coalition independent of the EATA to fight a separate crusade against increasingly violent and successful terrorist against the world over.

Another insider in Bright Hill has said that, ''The feeling in the [executive branch] is that Paradise City, and the EATA isn't doing enough to fight terrorist groups like the Holy Domain and the STO. If the Confederacy can't be counted on to do something then, the U.S will have to do something, by itself if need be.''

One way the President might be trying to get results is with Romberg itself which is in a position to strike against the Holy Domain and other nongovernmental paramilitary groups in Central and Northwestern Astyria. If this is the case, he might not be considering sanctions in order to preserve the Kaiser's economic strength in a later prolonged battle against terrorists in the region some time down the road.

The War on Terror

The War on Terror for most Capricans on May 9th, 2005 when the Soldiers of The One bombed four maglev trains in downtown Caprica City. President Kenway who was the Mayor of Caprica City during that time, has been a outspoken critic of existing anti terrorism measures and something of a war hawk in recent times, ordering U.S troops into active combat operations Insula Fera just hours after being sworn into the office. Since he has been president; the U.S has taken on a increasingly active role in combating global terrorism and international crime in general with no sign of slowing down in 2017 and beyond.

U.S naval and air assets have been deployed in Eastern,Central and Southeastern Astyria since 2014, in partnership with a variety of nations in a complex maze of anti-piracy, anti-terrorism, and anti-smuggling operations. Kenway's personal approval ratings have allowed him to act unilaterally, often without the expressed approval of Congress as his party continues to possess the largest congressional majority in recent memory.

The result is that the U.S is one of the largest and most capable states in regards to the global policing actions in the near future.

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by **Trellin** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 11:17 am

Scientists find 2,500 year-old shipwreck
Coastal surveyors uncover Aqvatanzian oak timbers on a Hyseran beach

Last updated: 7:17 PM TCT | 04/09/2016

A team of Hyseran researchers has unearthed evidence of the Ethlorek migrations while investigating changes in sand level along Hysera's coast. The team, consisting of surveyors from the Academy of Hyser and Ledigar College, was taking core samples to a depth of five metres on beaches from Aloyu to Maira to improve our understanding of how coastal erosion has altered our western coastline. While conducting their sediment survey on Eleru Beach, a sheltered bay northwest of Runiba, they discovered part of a wooden craft three metres down.

As the core sample was extracted, a long cylinder of sand, mud and plant remains, the surveyors were surprised to see chunks of treated timber. "We had no idea of what we were looking at at the time. No one could have guessed we were looking at something as old as the Hyseran Empire itself," researcher Caivra ti'Luyoa said. Their first assumption was that it was relatively recent debris, no older than the nineteenth century. "But as we looked at its place in the stratigraphic record we realised it was centuries older than that, at least." They decided it was most likely a Gaulish trade vessel from the tenth century and sent the wood sample back to a lab for confirmation. What the lab technicians discovered was something much more startling.

The wood sample was of the species Quercus robor, commonly used in shipbuilding across northern Astyria for thousands of years. Further analysis of the wood grain revealed it to be a subspecies indigenous to Aquitayne and northeast Lorecia while the tar used most likely came from Pinus cembra, the mountain pine. Taken together, they are almost certain proof that the timber is from an Aqvatanzian ship. The wood is believed to be roughly 2,550 years old, although the pine resin might be from as recently as 430 BC. "Of course, it was the norm to replace tar that began to lose its binding properties," ti'Luyoa noted, "so it's not unusual for it to be younger than the actual wood." The dating techniques used give a range of one hundred years on either side of that estimate, meaning the boat might just barely predate the Ethlorek departure from Aquitayne.

After the discovery, archaeological teams were brought in from the two universities and from the University of the Sidereal Crown at Mar'theqa. Temporary coastal defences were installed to protect the site, which lies well below the high water mark on the beach. Further excavation revealed frame timbers in a definite hull shape, although nothing else seemed to remain of its contents or the mast or oars. The three institutions are currently investigating the possibility of moving the hull to a safer location.

Although the wreckage is small and seems rather uninformative, researchers - including historians, archaeologists and linguists - claim it sheds new light on huge areas of Trellin and Hysera's mythologised past.

"The size of the boat can reveal something about its contents, whether they were passengers or cargo, for instance," says Professor Kilera Saimara of the Academy of Hyser. "In this case, the craft seems quite shallow, which would have allowed it to be pulled right up onto the sand. It was probably left there on that beach and never moved again by man, only shifting with the tides until storms started to fill it with sand."

The location of the find is also significant. Literary evidence has always claimed that the Ethlorekoz first arrived on the shores of the Hyseran Empire before being driven south across the Serëtanz to settle the marshy Trelum. The discovery of an abandoned Aqvatanzian craft seems to confirm that story, despite arguments that a small craft, or even a fleet of such craft, could not have made the journey from Aquitayne and around the Mederano Peninsula to modern Trellin. Although this boat is not without its fair share of new mysteries to explain, we can finally fit a new piece into the puzzle of the Ethlorek migrations.

Jemeg Saliaka
Runiba

by **Neu Engollon** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:46 am

ZHIRPUR!

by **Lexmark** » Tue Sep 13, 2016 3:46 pm

[ ENGLISH VERSION ]|BY JEAN TRUDEAUX|JTRUDEAUX@SRN.CO.SR

Citadelle Arsenault, Saint-Paulet Prefecture+

As I am quietly ushered through a sparsely-decorated, chilled utilitarian corridor at CMC Arsenault’s command-and-control hub, I am reminded of the first-person shooter video games I would play growing up. The jarring dichotomy between Arsenault’s militaristic vibes (apropos whilst serving as the nation’s central command center since the attack in the capital) and Citadelle Royán’s classical aesthetic was off-set by the down-to-earth demeanor of the nation’s newest Chancellor. He was waiting for me by the door, sipping from his coffee mug with relaxed posture, as if he were on his break, and not preparing for his grand exposé before his new charges... and, in a real sense, the world at large.

“Hopefully they didn’t give you too much trouble,” the native Saint-Pauletier smirked, the highland brogue thick in his dialect. “Sometimes the gendarme can be a bit rough around the edges towards outsiders.”

They have sufficient cause for alarm, following last month’s devastating terrorist attack which killed the late-Chancellor and most of his senior staff, along with several military attachés. The civilian toll, as grievous as it was, could only pale in comparison to the emotional destruction wrought by seeing the nation’s most historic city wrought with fiery destruction. You can see the pain etched in Chancellor Proulx’s features, along with the stress of a man who has just inherited the highest office in the land.

But who is the 64-year old son of a cordwainer from Pennautier, nestled deep in the forested hills of Palaja? Emerging from a distinguished-yet-quiet career to lead Cassonne in its gravest hour since the Great Astyrian War, Chancellor Sacha Proulx’s humble origins denote a fascinating contradiction when viewed from the splendor of the Chancellery, and the immense power which he and his emergency council now wield in this, the reckoning, the reaping days of the nation’s enemies. And no greater enemy threatens the Republic's center than uncertainty.

THE EARLY YEARS IN PREIXAN
“I used to play in the streets surrounding the bazaar in Pennautier,” the Chancellor remarks casually as he eases himself into a simplistic office chair in his barely-furnished office. Aides are busy this day bringing furnishings in from trucks coming to and from the main compound. “On a good day, we could see Preixan off in the distance, but we didn’t really concern ourselves with the city. We enjoyed the solitude of our mountain villa.”

The Chancellor was born Sacha Kylian Proulx, the first and only child of the late Timotheé and Maria Proulx on April 11th, 1952. Born and reared in Pennautier, the young Sacha was an ambitious, eager child, yet presumed to be destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a shoemaker for the small, remote village. Life in the hills was a far cry from the bustling nature of the locales he now finds himself residing in.

“People don’t leave Pennautier very often,” he remarks candidly, pointing briefly at a map of the central highlands mounted on the office wall. “You are born there. You live there. And you die there.”

For the first fifteen years of his life, his path seemed to follow the tradition. Educated in the local charter school, young Sacha aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and carry on the business which had been in their family for six generations. Unfortunately, tragedy struck on January 22nd, 1968: while navigating the narrow high passes surrounding the village, Sacha’s parents were caught in a blizzard which closed the roads and precluded their escape to safety back in town. From the tattered remnants of a note found on his father’s body three weeks later, it appears as though Timotheé sought to find help, and went out into the storm, where he ultimately slipped on the icy surface and tumbled into a ravine, where his body was discovered.

The Chancellor’s mother was found bundled in the car, having presumably died of exposure at some point the next day.

“I will never forget trekking up the mountain with a rescue team from the village,” Chancellor Proulx recalls, the melancholy tinging his voice all these years later. “They were the village elders, people I had grown up under. The city alderman was the first upon the car, but I was the one who found my father in the ravine. I laid beside him and hugged him for several minutes before I called out on the radio.”

In the aftermath of the tragic accident which claimed his parents’ lives, the teenaged Proulx was forced into a communal flat when his only living relatives refused to relocate him to their domicile in Preixan. With the closure of his family’s business, and no prospects to make a living in the city beyond menial labor, young Sacha took the only option that seemed open to him: join the military. It was a fateful decision that would change his life in profound ways, though he had no way of knowing this at the time.

ENLISTING IN THE GRANDE ARMÉE
“My first day of basic training was like stepping into an alien world,” Chancellor Proulx laughs, leaning back into his chair more comfortably now, tapping on his coffee mug. “Life in the mountains was laid back, pastoral in a sense. The Army was something else entirely… To be completely fair, it kicked my ass but good.”

Sacha was the youngest member of his training class, having been granted a hardship exemption to enter service several months early. His diminutive stature and young age earned him the nickname Souris, or Mouse—a name that he proudly safeguards to this day. “That was my moniker, and I wasn’t going to yield it for anything. What started out as a catcall and good-natured hazing became a term of endearment.”

In that era, enlistees were not expected to make a career out of military service. Conscription was seen as the predominant path through national service, with most enlistees returning to civilian life following their two-year stint. Without prospects at home however, and lacking anything in a formal collegiate education tract, the military quickly became Sacha’s new career path. It was a career path with significant ups and downs to start with.

“I had trouble abiding by the strict discipline,” the Chancellor recalls with a barking laugh, shaking his head. “I would ask my commanding officer, ‘Why do I have to do this?’, and he would respond by taking his riding crop to my helmet. After a few solid thwacks, I learned to keep my mouth shut and my eyes facing forward.”

Sacha completed his two years of basic soldiering training at GA/TF Alzonne before being deployed to GAF Cuzhac in the northern reaches, where he underwent specialist training as a radar technician and data analyst. From there, he served as the staff technician at a five-man listening post along the Heidish border—important groundwork for his promotion to the Army’s Intelligence and Reconnaissance Corps.

“Working in RRC was mind-blowing,” Proulx confirms slyly, gesturing with his hands as though his head were swiveling upon entry there. “You would not believe the work that goes into keeping this country secure from internal threats.”

Proulx was breveted to Sous Lieutenant while working at RRC Central, though he would eventually enroll in the OTS program for career enlistees. Upon his formal commissioning as a full Lieutenant in 1982, the new officer would be transferred to Army’s Administrative Corps, where he served in the capital battalion as a field logic researcher for six years before a promotion to Captain. In 1988, Proulx was appointed the head of Army Command West’s R&D Program at GAF Catherines. By 1993, he had reached the rank of Colonel, and was in charge of Mazamet Prison in Armans-Lacombe.

“I was on my way to being promoted when I had my accident.”

The accident referred to by the Chancellor was a serious helicopter crash in October 1993 that left him in a coma for two weeks. Suffering a severe concussion and impaired hearing from a ruptured ear drum, Proulx was forced to take early retirement at the age of 41 due to Army regulations. He wouldn’t remain retired in the civilian sector for long though, as his military career made him an attractive appointee to the National Sortition.

ENTERING THE POLITICAL FIELD
"I was set up with a government pension and a flat in Aigues-Vives during my convalescence. I think I was there for a month before I received my summons to report to Citadelle Royán as a representative of Villesèquelande, a place I'd only had thirty days or so of experience living in.”

The move was not a chance encounter: years later, Proulx discovered while serving as a junior political liaison to the Defense Secretary that several of his high-ranking friends in the Army had arranged to install him on the political tract, hoping to make use of his talents in the civilian sector at the behest of the Army.

“It was a very emotional experience, learning that people had saw so much potential in me, as to really push for my personal advancement,” the Chancellor beams nostalgically, instinctively placing his finger on his OTS class ring. It made me feel like I had a family again.”

As an erstwhile-representative of Villesèquelande Prefecture in the National Sortition, Councilor Proulx would serve his term with distinction, and would earn reappointment for another twelve terms. In time, he became one of the legislature’s most senior liaisons to the Defense Ministry, ultimately earning appointment as then-Chancellor Monahan’s senior envoy to Army Command in 2006. Two years later, the late-Chancellor Laurent would hold over his appointment—the only official granted such a privilege from the Monahan Administration.

“It was a tremendous honor,” the Chancellor describes vividly, recalling the conversation he had with his predecessor. “He expressed his optimism that I could help bridge the gap in the two regimes’ security policies. I was held on for four years, and they were the best time I had in my life. When it was over though, I was ready to go home.”

In late 2012, Proulx tendered his resignation to the Laurent Administration, intending to retire to a newly-purchased villa near his former hometown of Pennautier. For several years, he cultivated grapes, becoming a locally-respected vinter with a prosperous young business. Yet the untimely passing of Defense Minister Charles Labroudeux due to cancer last February led to his reactivation, serving as Chancellor Laurent’s interim Defense Minister. Proulx was taking his first extended vacation since assuming the interim mantle of Defense Minister in August when the terrorist group Oiseaux de Proie sur Cassonne launched their catastrophic attack on the capital.

“In the span of six months, I had gone from being retired to being the last surviving senior official in the administration of Chancellor Laurent.”

FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
In the aftermath of the attack on Citadelle Royán, there was considerable controversy over who should be appointed to succeed Chancellor Laurent. Though legal precedent entitled Proulx to accept the mantle of leadership, his classification as the interim Defense Minister led some to question whether the legality of his ascension could be called into question.

“A strong part of me wanted to just run back home and hide,” the Chancellor confesses, his hands clasped together on his desk. “I knew that I couldn’t, but if someone had challenged the succession, I had serious aspirations of yielding to their judgment.”

Those reservations never came, as the Sortition quickly motioned to formalize Proulx’s legal claim to succession. The Army quickly moved to quash any dissent by petitioning the Sortition under the national constitution for certain extraordinary emergency powers in the event of a national catastrophe, which was quietly approved. The Army then installed Proulx directly to his post, relocating him temporarily to the military’s new command hub at CMC Arsenault. The new Chancellor splits his time between his office there and frequent trips back to Citadelle Royán for conferences with the national legislature.

“It works out pretty well for me, since I never got married,” the Chancellor jokes. “I have no family to speak of, no children. So the travel doesn’t really bother me that much.”

What did bother him was the monumental challenge lying before him, in stewarding the country through its most difficult internal crisis in almost a century. With the national economy buffeted by the terrorist attack, and the senior administration in the country all but decimated, the new Chancellor now finds himself in the unenviable task of rebuilding a new administration, while working hand-in-hand with the military and its emergency authority to restore normalcy to a nation reeling from extraordinary events.

“I guess it’s a good thing I started making wine,” the Chancellor chuckles. “Thinking about this for too long could drive a man to drink himself to excess.”

RELATED TOPICS OF DISCUSSION IN GOVERNMENT NEWS

Citadelle Royán EMS struggle to cope with the carnage in Quartier Seigneurs.
Displaced residents in the capital struggle to find missing loved ones, friends.
Grande Armée Chairman: "We will hunt the perpetrators to the end of Earth."

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^{© S.R.N. Central Bureau — Foreign Edition 2016 (Credit to Virana)}

by **Lexmark** » Wed Sep 21, 2016 12:56 pm

[ ENGLISH VERSION ]|BY JEAN TRUDEAUX|JTRUDEAUX@SRN.CO.SR

Citadelle Arsenault, Saint-Paulet Prefecture+

The Seraphic Republic of Cassonne is under a State of Emergency at this hour, pending a formal press conference this evening at 9 PM Cassonnian Standard Time, where the Chancellor of the Republic is expected to announce an ultimatum against the United Realms of Greater Romberg over their militaristic expansion into Central Lorecia. The move comes on the heels of the formal announcement of the Seraphic Republic's intention to pledge its full diplomatic and military support to the aims and goals of the coalition of states known as the Tel Al-Riyah Pact, and the opening of a new naval base in the United Kingdom of Aquitayne and Symphonia.

"The situation is far more serious than most people realize," Dr. Meredith Leclerc, a senior fellow at the Institut Royán, a geopolitical think-tank located in the former capital mentioned Wednesday in an exclusive interview with SRN. "The new Chancellor is far more politically aligned with the military than his predecessor, and the senior command wants to go in and re-establish the prestige of the Seraphic Military in the region."

While no formal press release has been made regarding the exact content of Chancellor Proulx's nationwide broadcast this evening, members of his cabinet have confirmed to SRN that the Collège plans to enact its Singulier Commande de Réponse Intégrée (Singular Integrated Response Command), or SCRI. The activation of SCRI brings the Forces de Défense of the Seraphic Republic to operational alert, in preparation for the potential order for a full-scale military deployment. Sources inside the Defense Ministry claim that materiel has already begun leaving Cassonnian ports for NS Wausa in the north as a layover towards the blockade.

Paul LaVoie, a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, refused to speak with SRN on the nature of these reports, but did release a prepared statement to our news bureau in Citadelle Royán: "The Seraphic Republic has been in direct contact with delegates from the Tel Al-Riyah Pact, and Citadelle Arsenault has given them full assurance that the Republic will not only support their blockade of the United Realms, but will answer any punitive provocation made against them with military force. The Republic stands ready to defend freedom in Lorecia."

The Singular Integrated Response Command is a 'deploy on warning' order which mobilizes the defense forces of the Seraphic Republic for a potential counterattack, should its military or political interests be directly attacked via the punitive actions of an aggressor party. The command speaks to the preparations of the Seraphic Republic to join the blockade of Romberg, and to fulfill any possible commitments made to the member-nations of the Tel Al-Riyah Pact.

The move capped off an extraordinary eighteen-hour session of the National Sortition early Wednesday morning, when the parliament passed a unanimous decree levying sanctions against the United Realms of Greater Romberg, along with a public condemnation of their quote unquote 'Criminal Annexation of territory in Central Lorecia, against the prescribed rules of conduct espoused by the community of Astyrian states'.

Any and all assets of the United Realms located in the Seraphic Republic have been declared illicit by the central government, with plans made to freeze any holdings possessed therein. Further, the visas of any citizens of the United Realms will be suspended indefinitely, with ex-pats and tourists alike detained for deportation by national authorities. The Maritime Republic of Valle Crucis followed suit earlier today through the auspices granted it in the Charte du Saint-Catherines, announcing the seizure of any and all assets of the United Realms and the suspension of visas granted to ex-pats and tourists. Valle Crucis also joined with Citadelle Arsenault in announcing an indefinite embargo of all goods emanating from the United Realms, pending further sanctions.

The news Wednesday afternoon of the Seraphic Republic's intention to join the blockade with military arms is a new escalation in the Crisis in Central Lorecia, which many observers warn is spiraling out of control. At this time, it is unclear whether diplomats from Citadelle Arsenault have reached out to their counterparts in the United Realms, but precedence would suggest such communications will begin shortly, if they have not already done so. Regardless, observers continue to sound the alarm over the Republic's new aggressive posture, and the risk that it may pose to the rapidly-deteriorating peace in Northern Astyria.

"The military chiefs want a war," Leclerc warned, "and Cassonnians should be prepared for it."

Stay tuned to SRN for the latest updates on this volatile situation.

RELATED TOPICS OF DISCUSSION IN GOVERNMENT NEWS

Citadelle Royán EMS struggle to cope with the carnage in Quartier Seigneurs.
Displaced residents in the capital struggle to find missing loved ones, friends.
Grande Armée Chairman: "We will hunt the perpetrators to the end of Earth."

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^{© S.R.N. Central Bureau — Foreign Edition 2016 (Credit to Virana)}

by **Aurora Confederacy** » Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:56 pm

THE FORUM
The Voice of the nation

With growing political protests across the Western half of Astyria, The speaker of the civic forum and indeed the home affairs minister was put under the spotlight when a member of the public was allowed to address the council, Nikita Blood, seen standing in red as she addressed the speaker of the house put the question about Rombergian aircraft using the airspace of the Auroran territory, Her question was blunt and pretty much straight to the point. Dr Lange Schrodinger, had this to say:

Lange Schrodinger

"Given the current political climate, the Aurora Confederacy has been watching the situation closely and has decided that in the light of recent events, any military aircraft from Romberg, as of Midnight twenty five - September two thousand sixteen, will no longer permitted to transit our airspace, furthermore, the canal that cuts through to the tundra has been formally closed to all shipping. Vessels heading to sea will be granted safe passage out into international waters whilst vessels flying the flag of Romberg that are bound to the Tundra via the canal are now to be turned back. In addition to this, any citizen of Northern Lorecia who wishes to leave Northern Lorecia to avoid Romberg shal be granted safe passage to the Aurora Confederacy where upon they can apply for assylum"

In a further ramping up of the Aurora Confederacy's border protection, The minister of defence has ordered the relocation of VF24 sqn to Kai'Ilana airbase to begin patrolling the skies over the Aurora Confederacy with the orders to escort any Romberg military aircraft out of Auroran airspace. Article 4 of the rules of engagement however maintains that aircraft are to be escorted with use of force permitted only as a last resort to aircraft violating Auroran airspace and refusing to leave the airspace when requested to do so.

Fears grow over Mount Sula'M'Buru
In the north of the Aurora Confederacy, one of the nations 2 known to be active volcanoes has recently began to show signs of activity, rattling the city of Barentsburg with a powerful earthquake and several aftershocks as magma is believed to be moving into the chamber beneath the volcano, This volcano with its close proximity to mount Halvaar which also had a major eruption a couple of years ago pose a significant danger to the north western city of Valkyrie City which several years ago was wiped off the map when Sula'M'Buru last erupted, and now its showing signs of possibly erupting again. Measures are now in place to ensure the protection of Valeria Port Aurora nuclear power station and Barentsburg nuclear power plant and to ensure that radiation safety is maintained as the recent eruption was so powerful that Barentsburg and Valeria had to be temporarily shut down.

Surveillance cameras captured this image

by **Lexmark** » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:40 pm

[ ENGLISH VERSION ]|BY JEAN TRUDEAUX|JTRUDEAUX@SRN.CO.SR

Citadelle Arsenault, Saint-Paulet Prefecture+

Chancellor Sacha Proulx addressed the nation tonight via live televised press conference from the steps of the newly-constructed Sortition House, exercising his authority under the Emergency Provisional Powers Act of 1926 to issue the Arsenault Declaration to the United Realms of Greater Romberg. The Seraphic Republic of Cassonne has issued a formal edict demanding that the United Realms begin to vacate its unlawfully-seized territory by no later than 11:59 PM Cassonnian Standard Time Sunday evening.

The region may very-well sit just ninety-six hours from the precipice of open war.

The terms of the ultimatum call for the usage of punitive military force to compel the United Realms out of Central Lorecia should Romberg refuse to heed the edict from Citadelle Arsenault. It is unclear at this time whether the Forces de Défense will gain release authorization to begin a military operation to free Central Lorecia from the grip of the United Realms upon the expiration of the theoretical deadline, or whether the deadline Sunday precludes a formal declaration of war by the Seraphic Republic against Greater Romberg.

In his address to the nation this evening, Chancellor Proulx made it clear that the country was mobilizing for war. "The people of Central Lorecia have come to know a horror ill-met in the annals of history. Never has such wanton and naked aggression been perpetrated against a peaceful people as has been conducted in Central Lorecia by the United Realms of Greater Romberg. Though their flag may fly over Central Lorecia for the moment, we are prepared to spill our blood to sweep it away unto the dustbin of history."

"The eyes of the world are upon us, and we shall lead the charge for freedom," the Chancellor concluded. "Let the remembrance of our sacrifice wipe the stain of their sin from history's memory."

The speech punctuates an extraordinary twenty-four hours in Citadelle Arsenault. As expected, the Chancellor announced that the military would be granted release authority in the event of a probable attack under the Singular Integrated Response Command system beginning at 0500 Hours Thursday morning. This was further empowered with the announcement that elements of Bataille Alpha of the Republican Navy's Première Flotte (First Fleet) were already underway to join up with the Aquitaynian-Riysan Blockade, per the Republic's newly-established treaty commitments to the member-states of the Tel Al-Riyah Pact organization.

The convoy is expected to reach the naval quarantine zone late Sunday evening.

"This will be the closest Astyria has come to catastrophe since the Heider Missile Crisis nearly half-a-century ago," Institut Royán fellow Dr. Meredith Leclerc commented to SRN News following the conclusion of tonight's speech. "Given the tepid response to the invitation for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, we are forced to conclude that our worst nightmare—open warfare in Lorecia—may be inevitable."

Earlier this afternoon, the Honorable Ludwig Adam Herzog von Hohenstein, husband to the sister of Proconsul Alexandre III and the senior functioning diplomat of the United Realms to Cassonne was summoned around 4 PM local time to an emergency meeting with the Chancellor and his council. Though not confirmed at this time, it is believed that a copy of tonight's speech, along with pertinent instructions were ordered by the Chancellor to be delivered to the Foreign Ministry of Romberg prior to the live broadcast of the speech.

"The region may be just four days away from the brink of oblivion," Leclerc lamented.

SRN will continue to track the latest developments in the Lorecian Crisis.

RELATED TOPICS OF DISCUSSION IN GOVERNMENT NEWS

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by **Trellin** » Thu Sep 22, 2016 7:18 am

"Are you even watching?"
» Brinkmanship and balderdash in Western Tundra Crisis

By Carenter ti'Meda, Day after/Azura's post/'16?

In an Astyria so familiar with reckless aggression and unprovoked retribution, it should come as no surprise that the default setting for its various foreign ministries is paranoia. Whenever a potential rival makes a wrong move, a pack of wolves set upon it to denounce its evil ways - and in such a world as this, 'rival' denotes anyone who isn't unquestionably a friend. Even state news outlets (or especially, some might claim) are guilty of distorting the facts to hype the latest nonconformist up as an unimaginably villainous regime with dreams of universal hegemony.

It's a phenomenon familiar to citizens of the Trellinese Empire. A century of isolation gave outsiders a century to fabricate rumours and urban legends about a Trellin that was hardly in a position to defend itself. Trellin, at least, wasn't faced with unanimous invasion.

Somehow, the response to Romberg's pretensions has escalated far outside the realm of prediction. Some sources suggest a nuclear war might be on the horizon. No doubt the intelligence community is fighting its own war in the shadows as Riysa and others threaten to dismantle Romberg in every way possible. Yet rather than fighting in the shadows, it seems more that they are fighting the shadows themselves. Articles decry Romberg's annexation as though it has already happened and paint it as an aggressor when its troops have not even left their bases. The Seraphic Republic just gave Romberg four days to leave the Tundra, but Romberg isn't even there yet. The only Rombergian presence in the Western Tundra is that of the forces already there to protect archaeological expeditions, or those deployed to resolve the ongoing crises in Glisandia and Yellosia.

I don't mean to directly address the SRN article, as it is merely one of many such pieces that assert verifiably false claims to legitimise the media attacks on Romberg; it just happens to be the most recent major update, and the one that exemplifies the sort of escalation characterising this particular crisis.

The author, one Jean Trudeaux, predicted open war would likely erupt between Cassonne and Romberg if the latter did not abandon "its unlawfully-seized territory" before the Cassonnaise deadline. He feels so strongly about this, apparently, that he needed to make this prediction twice - first in his own words, and then by quoting verbatim an academic commentator. This commentator somehow concluded that Romberg's reluctance to reach a "diplomatic solution" would irredeemably set Lorecia on the road to open warfare.

Lorecia has already experienced open warfare, at the hands of terrorist groups like the GGA. Romberg is not a new arrival on that particular scene, having been there for some time in a pacifying capacity. Cassonne, on the other hand, has no prior experience of that region and seems to be involving itself in the affair because all the cool people are doing it. The wording of their ultimatum further shows all too clearly that they are leaping into the fray without even checking the facts on the ground. The situation is already dire with Riysian and Aquitaynian elements campaigning for action, but the Seraphic Republic's intervention represents afurther additional - and, it must be noted, totally excessive and unnecessary - escalation of that crisis.

Precisely why Cassonne suddenly feels it is the dispenser of international justice is somewhat of an enigma. The country is still emerging from a cloud of smoke after appalling terrorist attacks devastated its government and very nearly set the stage for a coup which never came. Perhaps it is the ambition of the newly-conceived government to assert a new position on the international stage and thus ensure its legitimacy and a central place in Astyrian politics. They are performing an elaborate show of bravado and heroism which, they must imagine, transforms them into the titans of south Astyria.

In reality, it makes them look childish.

Cassonne has, in the words of Professor Tariq Rizuya, "No business whatsoever intervening in Lorecia." Their threatened intervention is to expel Romberg from a territory it has not occupied; to curtail aggression which has not taken place; to take down a flag in a place where it has never flown. They have, in effect, threatened to become the aggressor. "It's almost hard to believe that the Cassonnaise chancellor has watched the news in the last few days. His country's ultimatum shows a remarkable lack of knowledge about the situation." Rizuya is the head of the Politics and Government department at the Imperial College of Ro'ekha. He has studied numerous crises such as this one and published many articles criticising them. "Escalation like this will accomplish little, in the grand scheme of things. Had nations such as Cassonne chosen to actively pursue a diplomatic solution from the get-go there would be no talk of open warfare now."

The Duke's office has been similarly critical of the latest developments in this crisis: "While we stand with our allies in the Tel Al-Riyah Pact in seeking a just end to this egregious error in judgement, Cadenza cannot condone reckless responses to rash decisions."

Cassonne is now to be included in that list of allies, and it is its membership of the alliance that also includes Aquitayne and Riysa that may be motivating its hostility to Riysa, but the Tel Al-Riyah Pact does not demand unanimity of action. Indeed, Cadenza is one of a vocal minority - and the only dissenting member of TARP - decrying the international response as disproportionate and excessive. Others included in that opposition are the Andamonian government, certain members of the EATA, and the seldom-heard Astyrian Peace Organisation. #BoycotttheBlockade has been circulating on Twitter, with some users citing the Riysian response as a better example of imperialism than Romberg's own movements.

The culture of misinformation that permeates Astyrian politics is a serious threat to regional harmony. As much as Romberg's claims may be based on shaky foundations, so too are the accusations that it is perpetrating an imperialist agenda. Many have argued that Rombergian leaders should sit down and find a diplomatic solution. Some of those apparently refuse to heed their own advice as they prepare for war more readily than they prepare for peace.

"The crisis in Lorecia is not entirely Romberg's doing," Rizuya wrote to me in an email shortly before I published. It seems he was very right. The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of all Astyria, and it is all Astyria that must work to find a solution amenable to all - not just Romberg on its own, while the rest sit back and dictate terms.

by **Ionicus** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:08 pm

Sentra to Host International Peace Conference
Ionician capital city to take center stage in the peaceful resolution of the Lorecia Crisis
Ronald Gates

28 SEPTEMBER 2016, 1300 IST | Sentra, The United Technocratic Republics of Ionicus

The Konstantine Memorial Building where the conference is to be held

Earlier this morning city officials announced that Sentra will be hosting an international conference aimed at a peaceful resolution to the 2016 Lorecia Crisis. The crisis — which started when the Kaiser of Romberg, Johann von Lenesov, announced the Rombergian annexation of Lorecia — has escalated out of control in the past two months. Initially the annexation of the territory was met with heavy economic sanctions from EATA and several other non-EATA nations. Following the sacntions, The United Realms of Greater Romberg refused to refute its claims. A naval blockade has been formed around the Rombergian mainland with warships from a coalition force comprising of Risya, Aquitayne, and more recently the Seraphic Republic. Tensions continue to build as the Seraphic Republic delivered its intentions to declare war on Romberg if the nation does not withdraw from the Lorecian tundra by September 2nd.

Officially, the United Technocratic Republics of Ionicus has stated that it wishes for a "swift and peaceful" resolution to the crisis. At first seemingly apathetic towards the annexation of the territory, the UTRI did not enact any sanctions against Romberg in fear of economic damage. However, as the situation seems to be set in a downwards spiral which some speculate could end in nuclear war, Ionicus has stepped in to help negotiate a deal that would prevent such a catastrophe.

Defense experts have noted that if the situation does devolve into an open war between Romberg and the coalition forces, Romberg would almost certainly face a crushing defeat. Although, Romberg is in possession nuclear weapons which could be used in a last ditch defensive effort. Romberg's arsenal also includes nearly a dozen Ionician made ASBM-7 anti-ship ballistic missiles. When delivered to the nation they were outfitted with conventional warheads, but analysts have concluded they could be modified to accept a nuclear warhead, a great danger to any naval vessel operating within 1,500 km of Rombergian territory.

General Nore, head of the UTRI Western Command, stated that the Ionician military stands ready for war, should it be brought into it through the nation's ATO membership. General Nore has confirmed that a naval task force paired with a regiment of amphibious assault troops has been deployed to Northwestern Astyria. The National Defense Force also continues to stand at the ready, vigilantly monitoring the airspace surrounding the nation.

//Ronald Gates//

by **Blackhelm Confederacy** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 4:37 am

Eaglebrand to seek billions, 40,000 more troops for Kamalbia

PARADISE CITY (BCNN) -- Eaglebrand's new strategy for the war in Kamalbia will include requests for billions more in economic aid and more than 40,000 more solders to secure the troubled region, according to media reports Sunday.

The requests are expected to be part of the EATA's plan to stabilize and develop the region, which will likely be further fleshed out with coalition members in the coming weeks and months, according to the reports.

The administration's strategy shift also includes diplomatic, national security and military changes, according reports in online editions of The Daily Confederate and other outlets. Eagllebrand is said to be prepared to ask for billions in new spending to fund reconstruction, economic growth and job creation as part of a broader effort to help embattled Kamalbian people, TDC said.

In his speech, the Chancellor will also call for the deployment of more than 40,000 additional Blackhelm Confederate combat troops to Kamalbia as part of a controversial "surge" designed to stabilize the violent northern areas of the nation, according to the report.

Chacnellery officials and military experts say far more troops might be needed to make a real difference, but this represents a crucial first step in remolding an bringing law and order to the consistently turbulent, war town nation.

by **Aquitayne** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 9:53 am

[ ENGLISH VERSION ]|BY JEAN TRUDEAUX|JTRUDEAUX@SRN.CO.SR

Citadelle Arsenault, Saint-Paulet Prefecture+

The Grande Armée is on high alert across the Seraphic Republic today as the Département de la Défense announced that Republican troops had officially crossed the Kamalbian border into its southern region of Oduya along the northeastern Republic-Kamalbia border. The military movements were conducted overnight using the cover of darkness, and not even SRN could validate the authenticity of the rumors of massive military movements along the border last night until the DoD press briefing just moments ago. Military officials are tight-lipped about the operations, and it remains unclear just exactly what has taken place.

Defense Secretary Jean-Pascal Lahaye and Chancellor Proulx stood side-by-side at the press briefing earlier this morning to announce the actions undertaken last night. Chancellor Proulx stood firm and stated that "we believe the perpetrators behind the Citadelle Royán attacks, the terrorist group known as the Oiseaux de Proie, are hiding in the southern border regions of Kamalbia." The Birds of Prey, notoriously known for the devestating attack perpetrated just weeks ago, have become the number one sought-after terrorist group by the Seraphic Republic, and their leader is wanted for dozens of counts of manslaughter in Republican courts.

When asked why Chancellor Proulx was taking such drastic action, he responded by saying that "no stone will be left unturned. If we have an opportunity to rid this world of these animals, we will do it."

Defense Secretary Lahaye was asked about the recent shelling of a Kamalbian town by Heideland, and asked to comment on whether or not these military maneuvers had anything to do with countering Heideish influence in Kamalbia and the region at-large. He responded by saying that, "Heideland is, as it always does, continuing an environment of hostility and subjugation on the people that live within it and those that live around it. The wanton shelling of a peaceful village across the Kamalbian border is outrageous, and we implore the Eastern Astyrian Treaty Alliance to ensure Heideland doesn't further their acts of murder on any more innocents."

The strong language and developing situation in Kamalbia, in which EATA forces are actively hunting down ALA fighters, is getting increasingly complex as the days go on, and the Republic's entrance into the neighboring conflict will not work to ease these tensions. The Chancellor nor the Defense Secretary would disclose just how many Republican troops were involved in the operations in Kamalbia, but did state that the maneuvers and overall combat operations in the country were categorized under Operation Desert Axe.

In the briefing, defense officials did state that they have strong evidence to believe that the Birds of Prey are hiding out in Kamalbia, having retreated over the border after the attacks. One reporter did ask why such a large number of troops were required to hunt down a small number of terrorists, to which Secretary Lahaye responded, "this is not just a group of ten or twenty guys who conducted these attacks. This is a sophisticated network of terrorist cells and leaders that have infiltrated the social fabric of these border communities and must be flushed out of their hiding places. In order to secure the Republic border, and prevent these attacks from happening again, we must be committed to this endeavor and ensure that we root them out wherever they crawl into."

Some policy experts believe that the current number of troops that have crossed over the Kamalbian border to be anywhere between 10,000 and 35,000 troops. Some reserve elements of the Légion Est have been called to active service, and are organizing at their staging areas for possible further deployments to Kamalbia. Chancellor Proulx assured the people of the nation that this fight is one worth fighting, and that Cassonne would remain committed to the fight until it was over. When pressed about just how long and how many resources and manpower would be needed to successfully root these terrorists out, Chancellor Proulx only stated that "time will determine what and how much of everything we really need. For now, I can't give a time table for our involvement in Kamalbia - we will be there as long as necessary to ensure the national security of the Republic is upheld."

SRN will be covering the invasion live on our network, and will be updating here with whatever new information we've gathered.

RELATED TOPICS OF DISCUSSION IN GOVERNMENT NEWS

Defense officials scurry to ensure logistic needs are met for Kamalbia.
SRN asks the public how they feel about getting involved in Kamalbia.
Former Commandant de l'armée Matthieu Bruneau: "Our boys will see that this is done, and done well."

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^{© S.R.N. Central Bureau — Foreign Edition 2016 (Credit to Virana)}

by **Scottopian Isles** » Sun Oct 16, 2016 6:35 pm

The Scottopian Isles Telegraph, First in News for

High Water Warning Before Hurricane Josephine Hits Islands

Waves batter Kuono Bay on the north shore of the island of Ala, with swells 40-50ft higher than anticipated

Severe flooding in the south-eastern portion of the nation has left at least 3 dozen people dead and submerged hundreds if not thousands of homes in low laying coastal areas ahead of Hurricane Josephine, as it continues on its path towards the islands. Top officials of the National Disaster Planning Program have issued several orders including immediate evacuation to higher ground based on the advise from the affected Councils. The order has been set for the next 48 hours.

A man looks out to sea after being informed of the closure of all public beaches

Worst affected so far is the eastward laying Council of Ala Moana, still reeling in the aftermath of the 2 year conflict that brought the island republic under the Royal CommonWealths control last year, where at least 16 deaths have been reported. Already faltering crops have also been destroyed and livestock washed away by the sudden influx, bringing destruction and ruin before the expected hurricane is due to make landfall. Although a majority of flooding has been caused by torrential rain, local media say sudden discharges from nearby reservoirs, currently under control of the armed forces, worsened the flooding.

In the Ala Moana capitol of Kamehameha, questions were being asked over the sudden release of water by hydropower plants. A city official said, "The dam operators should have informed locals properly in advance..." he was quoted as saying, "...These discharges have caused water levels to rise faster than we thought. Many, who lost much after the Conflict, have now lost everything"

On the city limits of Kamehameha, the River Muliwai has overflown its banks

At the time of this article on Sunday night, the storm has already passed the Scottopian Economic Exclusive Zone limits, and is hurdling towards populated centers. The Scottopian Coast Guard had previously released a directive to all shipping in the affected area, to withdraw to northern waters or remain 300 miles from shore. The directive also outlined that during the following days, emergency rescue operations by vessel & aircraft could be delayed, weather permitting.

Several tens of thousands have left their residences for shelters set up by the government on major islands ahead of the weather as property damage, such as flooded homes, downed power lines and fallen trees have been reported. However, the flooding has affected hundreds of thousands more across minor islands, who don't have the same resources as the bigger islands. Images have shown individuals standing on their houses, with only their roofs above water. Various officials have called for their Councillors and other high officials to request Royal Scots Guards assistance to the over-burdened local services .

Royal Scots Guards set up beds for those seeking shelter in the city of New Greenock, currently in the path of Josephine

by **Blackhelm Confederacy** » Thu Nov 10, 2016 5:22 pm

EATA hands over power in Kamalbia

Kamalbia's EATA-led administration this morning transferred sovereignty to the interim Kamalbian government in a surprise move that came two days ahead of the scheduled November 12th handover date. The transfer of power took place in a ceremony in the city of Tellar, set to be the country;s new capital, where Marcellus Redwall, the outgoing EATA governor, signed over control of the country - and its security troubles - to the interim prime minister, Absame Gureey.

"This is a historic day. We feel we are capable of controlling the security situation," Mr Gureey said after the ceremony, which was followed a few hours later by the swearing in of members of the new government.

The Blackhelm Confederate Chancellor, Octavius Eaglebrand, speaking from Milpitas Bay, Scottopian Isles, where he was attending a EATA summit, described the handover as "a day of great hope" for Kamalbians. However, Mr Eaglebrand acknowledged that the new government would have to make "tough security decisions" to restore stability.

He added: "Eleven months after the first EATA forces crossed into Kamalbia, and two days ahead of schedule, the world witnessed the arrival of a sovereign and free Kamalbia."

Mr Redwall, who served as the chief administrator in Kamalbia for much of those tumultuous months, left the country within a few hours of the handover taking place.

Mr Gureey has been pushing for an early return to Kamalbian self-rule. Last Thursday, the EATA authorities transferred the final 11 of 26 government ministries to full Kamalbian control, meaning Kamalbians were already handling the day-to-day operations of the interim administration.

"We have been laying down strategies for protecting our people," Mr Gureey said, adding that he would spell out details at a later news conference.

He said his government was committed to holding elections next year and gave March 2 as the date, despite reports last week that security concerns could cause elections to be delayed until April or May.

Within hours of the handover, EATA leaders at the Scottopian summit had agreed on a package of support for the fledgling Kamalbian military that will help it to deal with the spreading insurgency. "We have decided today to offer the EATA's assistance to the government of Kamalbia with the training of its security forces," a statement adopted during the opening session of the summit read.

The statement called on EATA officials to "urgently" discuss details of the training plan with the Kamalbian authorities. The EATA said it would also urgently consider "further proposals to support the nascent Kamalbian security institutions".

Although the interim government will have "full sovereignty", according to an EATA security council resolution on the handover earlier this month, there are significant constraints on its powers. It is barred from making long-term policy decisions, and will not have control over the many thousands of foreign troops who will remain in Kamalbia to help to restore order. The government has the right to ask them to leave, but has made clear that it has no intention of doing so.

The early transfer of power had been under discussion between Mr Guyeer and EATA officials for at least a week, a senior EATA official said.

"Prime minister Guyeer was the person who believed he was ready," the official said. "This was his decision. All the ministries are ready. He concluded yesterday it strengthened his hand to assume control early."

The President of the Red River Free State, Octavius Brownwood, gave a brief press conference earlier today in which he welcomed the transfer of power, saying the Kamalbian people would now see "Kamalbian leaders representing them". He also praised Red River troops, who today suffered further casualties, saying: "They've all given their lives in the cause of trying to give a better and different future to the people of Kamalbia."

Mr Brownwood's official spokesman said the accelerated handover was partly designed to combat terrorists in the raucous southeast of the country, and partly simply to "seize the political initiative". But, he added, "nobody should think this means there won't be terrorist attacks".

Insurgents have this month carried out a series of bombings and shootings aimed at disrupting the handover, and several foreign hostages have been seized over the past week.

In an additional step to contain the extreme violence that has been witnessed in the area, and to ramp up pressure against warlord Abdel Bin-Addad, a portion of the area is set to be directly annexed to the Heidish Democratic Republic, allowing that nation to better bring order and control to the embattled region. The move was met with some concern by a number of Kamalbians as well as EATA officials, but Heidish officials have assured that this will be the best decision to bring about stability in the area.

National Archives · by **Ord Caprica** » Mon Nov 21, 2016 4:26 am

''OPINION: EATA handover anything but peaceful''
COA power swap with provisional Kamalbian government anything but peaceful
Dr. Jeffrey Banks (@DrJTBanks)

^{November 21st, 2016 6:00 AM | Ulysses, C.D, United States of Caprica}

U.S Servicemember conducting operations in rural Kamalbia, 2016 UP Photo

Ulysses, C.D., Caprica- Earlier this month the BCNN broke the news that the EATA-led Coalition Occupational Authority transferred sovereignty to the interim Kamalbian government in a ''surprise move'' in that country's new capital of Tellar.

For those not familiar with the situation on the ground, Kamalbia has been a nation occupied by the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance for just under a years time and is home to some of the region's most infamous terrorists, arms dealers and all around bad men. The EATA went in early 2016 under the pretext of stabilizing the country and rooting out the notorious Astyrian Liberation Army and it's numerous supporters in the country, of which there are many.

So with a handover of power back to the sovereign interim government and the standing up of it's security forces, the question that's lingering in the back of our minds is, is it over?

For the uninitiated into the ways of global politics, the short answer is HELL NO!

The EATA didn't root out the ALA, it's supporters or even really stabilize the country in any meaningful way. Troops on the ground still report almost daily firefights and skirmishes between their patrols and ALA militiamen and the Coalition hasn't reported killing any of the warlords that it set out to kill when this whole thing began almost a full calendar year ago.

To put it simply; nothing has changed except that we've spent literally billions on funding a occupation that wasn't necessary and sent off our young men and women to die in a conflict that wasn't of their choosing and then we pull them out before they've actually done anything worth mentioning other than throw up some fresh military buildings and play cowboy in the middle of Astyria for eleven months.

Not counting the almost two hundred casualties the United States suffered during the initial invasion, Caprica has given one hundred and twenty one of it's soldiers to cause that for all intents and purposes served no purpose at all.

But that's not my sticking point today, the point I want to make is that this ''handover'' is nothing of the like. Eventually the people would get around to accepting that we literally didn't do anything and we'll forget this whole debacle after a couple weeks when the Lorencian Conference in Sentra starts grabbing all the headlines. But we won't because this not a actual transfer of power in any sense of the term.

The interim government of Kamalbia is really just a glorified native-run civil service to give the global community someone to blame when images of people hungry, homeless and abused start to populate the internet during the middle of the winter holiday season. When the EATA and it's cohorts invaded Kamalbia, they conducted a war which means very big bombs and lots of shooting, lots of shooting means damaged infrastructure and no one except the very stupid are under the impression that a force of under a quarter of a million warfighters can and are capable of repairing and improving an entire countries infrastructure in eleven months while also ''hunting'' terrorists and fighting a very well supplied and entrenched insurgency.

No, the coalition is transferring the day to day administration to the Kamalbia so that Kamalbia can get back to taking the blame for all the bad things that are happening and will continue to happen inside their country despite suffering a invasion and occupation in order to prevent it. Kamalbia's interim Prime Minister, Mr. Absame Gureey is the chosen fall guy for when the inevitable public outcry comes and the sad part is, I don't think he knows he's been picked out to be screwed over by the string pullers in Paradise City.

Kamalbia isn't in for a new era of peace and stability; it's going to continue to receive the same treatment that it always have and unless some very important people step in to tell the Confederacy to stop tossing the buck for it's responsibilities then we'll continue to have dead bodies broadcast all over BCNN and CBC World News.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Ulysses Herald and it's affiliates, subordinate organizations and/or it's parent company, Liberty Media Corporation

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by **Woodstead** » Mon Nov 21, 2016 7:46 pm

A SPOKESPERSON from Oppidum Airports Authority have today confirmed that the renovations on Oppidum's Charterside Airport, formerly Oppidum International Airport, are "on track". The statement, exclusively released to Woldland Now, also states that when the redeveloped terminals open in 2017, two terminals could be decommissioned and re-purposed.

Residents in the local area have applauded the recent handover to the local provincial-level government under the Oppidum Authority. Any extension, flight path changes, and services which are likely to directly involve issues of noise control, pollution, congestion, land and property value, and substantial funding changes, are now in the hands of the city's government which has promised to grant the local electorate a vote on such issues- not in just Oppidum, but in surrounding districts in other provinces which also somewhat benefit from this extension.

In January 2014, former mayor Terence Wolf announced his intentions to allow the local government to take control of the airports, or at least "democratise transportation". The motion passed last year, and the local taxpayer is expected to have funded part of this project- about $5bn with much more coming straight from federal funds under the Essential Services Grant.

Until 2015, five terminals were operating with low retail occupation and congested roadways outside. Three of these terminals have been in use while two have been extended, meeting at a corner of the site. Five runways were also in use, but many services will have been moved to Iley Airport for the last two years. Oppidum Airports Authority has confirmed that two of the terminals will be decommissioned upon the full functioning of the refurbished terminals and will be added to the city's Strategic Redevelopment Zone. The fifth runway will be kept as an emergency landing strip.

The internal dimensions and floor space are yet to be publicly confirmed, though the first holidaymakers and business people to step through the overhauled airport should expect marked improvements with shorter queuing times, an increase in support staff, wider corridors, clearer signage, audio notifications, high-tech passport control, simpler layouts, more seating, and even a significantly extended airport car park.

The airport's new icon has also been released. Courtesy of Signklinik, the 'Tower' insignia (pictured) is inspired by the original AC Tower and the undulating petal-shaped rooftop of the current Cargo Centre, originally built as the Millennium Airport.

Woldland Now have also been chosen as the default scrolling news service on televisions across the airport. We are very happy to be part of this new airport's life.

Local residents who have concerns over noise, air and water quality, maintenance, or anything else regarding Charterside Airport's extensive works can contact Oppidum Airports Authority. Check contact details which work best for you at flyopx.gov.wd.

National Archives · by **Ord Caprica** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:38 pm

Antillean Separatists gun down Dunwall Chief of Police
A DPD spokesperson confirmed the death of Chief of Police, Sebastian Pierce
James McManus (@JayMcManus)

^{December 17, 2016 6:00 AM | Ulysses, C.D, United States of Caprica}

A separatist mural on the face of a church in downtown Dunwall

Ulysses, C.D., Caprica-The day started off normally for Sebastian Pierce, he woke up, ate breakfast with his children, enjoyed morning tea with his wife before heading out for his morning constitutional with fellow police officer, Collin Smith before reporting to Washington Park to participate in a Dunwall Police Department sponsored community outreach program with local football teams and at risk youth.

A innocent text from his loving wife, Anna-Marie distracted him just long enough for his assassins to gain the element of surprise on the veteran police officer and gun him down in the parking lot of the local Omni supermarket, a mere half mile from his home in the suburb of Glastonbury. He was 52 years old and is survived by his loving wife, Anna-Marie and 3 children, who all followed their father's footsteps into the Police Service of the Caprican Antilles(PSCA).

Hours later, the local daily newspaper received an anonymous call claiming to be from Provisional Antillean Defense Force(PADF), the territories own violent paramilitary organization that's hell-bent on obtaining independence from the United States and has for the last 75 years, waged a brutal, unrelenting war to that end. The unfortunate reality of the situation on the ground is that the death of Chief Pierce, is just one more innocent taken away from his community and family in a pointless struggle for control of the 6 counties of the United States westernmost territories.

Chief Pierce grew up in Whitehall, a suburb of Dunwall and after secondary school made two of his most important life decisions in quick succession, marrying his high school sweetheart Anna-Marie and joining the army, where he became a culinary specialist serving with the 12th Mountain Division for 5 years.When the couple returned from service in 1987, he worked in security and before being hired as a police officer in Dunwall. They moved to Glastonbury in 1990, where they raised two sons and one daughter, Sebastian Jr., Marcus and Valerie Pierce. Mrs. Pierce then became a nurse, and has worked at the Dunwall Medical Center since 1991.

Pierce's time as Police Chief had been marked with escalating conflicts with Antillean Separatist groups and increasing pressure from federal authorities to do more to combat terrorism both on the islands and to prevent it from spreading over to the mainland. Chief Pierce founded Dunwall's first domestic anti-terrorism unit the, elite Crisis Response Unit(CRU) as well as extensive community outreach programs aimed at at-risk youth such as the football program that he coached mere hours before his assassination.

As a native of Dunwall, Pierce was no stranger to violent separatist actions, and friends and family so he was strongly opposed to the rampant militarism that was held the community in a stranglehold and worked tirelessly to combat it, a decision that ultimately cost him his life.

Antillean Separatism has been a major political force on the island since the Gristol Agreement in 1942 between the United States federal government and the Kingdom of Aswick which cemented territorial claims which had been in dispute since the Aswick War of 1861. Militant Separatists have been active since 1944 when the Provisional Antillean Defense Force was founded and subsequently declared war on the United States, engulfing the 16 counties in one of Astyria's longest running armed struggles. The ADF has for the last 70+ years perpetrated one of the most violent armed campaigns against the United States, leaving more than 6,000 dead and more than 50,000 injured with the group's most infamous act, the May 9th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New Oured City, Allegheny has forever changed the face of Caprican foreign and domestic policies.

Captain Jacen Smith has been named interim Chief of Police and funeral services for Chief Pierce have been scheduled for December 26th.

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by **Nikolia** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:49 am

NIKOLIA CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAY
Today marks 91 years from December overturn after which Nikolia became a constitutional monarchy

^{SHARE THIS:}

Jasna Savich (@s_jasna.rtn)
^{17 December 2016 | Carigrad, Nikolia}

Citizens assembled in the streets of Carigrad. 2016 RTN

Today marks 91 years since the December overturn, a series of events after which a constitutional monarchy was established. On 17th of December, 1925, then-Grand Prince Petar VII led some 500,000 people assembled at the King's square (then Imperial Square) towards the Petrovski dvor in order to stop the tyranny of his brother Milan III. Main reason for overturn is definitely a declaration of independence of Fyngaria, an imperial subject in Lorecia after successful war of succession led by the Communist party. Then-Emperor Milan III did not respond to the threat adequately after his advisors and even the Duke of Fyngaria warned him of the rising problem. Even shocking was the fact that Emperor Milan III ordered the entire military contingent to leave Fyngaria and retreat to Noordenstaat.
The growing dissatisfaction of the people across Nikolia eventually led to mass protests in Carigrad which was quickly joined by the Imperial Constabulary and the Imperial Army members. On 16th of December, Grand Prince Petar VII appeared on the streets in front of the crowd and called the protesters to go with him to the Petrovski dvor tomorrow at noon. Tomorrow at noon, the assembled crowd of more than 500,000 people led by Grand Prince Petar VII made their way towards the Petrovski dvor. They entered the palace, removed the Tyrant Emperor from the throne and installed Petar VII as their new Emperor.

As of early in the morning, citizens started filling city squares and pedestrian streets flying Nikolian flags, while the Nikolian Royal Army arranged a military parade. The National Folklore Ensemble 'Kolo' will hold a concert accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the Royal Theatre House in Katowice, while the Royal Family will organise a ball in Jan's Castle on St. Andrew's hill with foreign politicians and diplomats attending.

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by **Dungeyland** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:07 pm

IMPERIAL

First Lord resigns; Lady Walker to lead Liberals and go to country

By ANITA WOODARD
21 DEC. 2016

Lady Sophia Walker, the new leader of the Liberals, in Avantmare.

NEW LONDON - The Marquess of Cratley, the Lord Richard Scylla, has offered his resignation as First Lord of the Treasury to Her Majesty the Queen this morning. He simultaneously resigned his position as Leader of the Liberal Party and appointed the Secretary of State for Foreign and Colonial Affairs, the Lady Sophia Walker, as his successor. Lady Walker, in a speech to her party, announced her intention to dissolve Parliament and fight an Imperial general election on 1 February 2017.

Lord Scylla had served as First Lord for just under four years, winning two general elections for the Liberals and defying the odds to remain in the nation's highest post. Aged 71, his resignation was widely expected but his choice of successor has come as a shock. The Marquess was widely predicted to appoint Mr. Robert Delapole MP, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as his successor. The appointment of Lady Walker is believed to be linked to a desire to draw a clear line under the Scylla ministry and improve the Liberals' electoral prospects.

The new First Lord, Lady Walker, has served in the Scylla ministry since its inception. First as President of the Board of Trade and latterly as the Foreign and Colonial Secretary, Lady Walker is a Baroness representing Hickley, in Nashensteg. Her time at the Foreign Office has been marked by an increased willingness on the part of Her Majesty's Government to expand the Empire and to incorporate its colonies as dominions or provinces, and she is widely credited with reviving Cape Feldman's accession process to dominion status.

In a speech given to Liberal parliamentarians, Lady Walker announced her intention to dissolve parliament and call a general election. The decision to go to the polls was unexpected, given the current parliamentary term does not end for another year. Lady Walker also provided the Empire with early hints of her electoral and governing agenda: parliamentarians were promised a review of the government's defence plans, a new education act, and regulatory reform to ease both workers' and firms' concerns.

The Conservative leader, Sir Charles Hew MP, welcomed the announcement of an early general election whilst imploring voters to consider the Conservative alternative to the current government. Sir Charles told The Times that the party would campaign on a platform of lower taxes, decentralisation and a smaller role for government. He also ruled out a potential grand coalition with the Liberals, citing serious opposition to the party's trade policies and approach to the E.A.T.A.

by **Andamonia** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 1:04 am

Timaloc: "Religion and politics cannot go together"

Timaloc speaking to reporters this morning

Presidential hopeful Azanj Timaloc has spoken out against the relationship between religion and politics in Andamonian society, criticising several of his rivals by name after their campaigns made a last-minute bid to gain the votes of specific religious communities across the empire. The sixty-eight year old former governor of Khorvu made the remarks early this morning after a late-night rally in Palafuyin by Letroc Saluis, the former mayor of Naratunza, where Saluis called on the large Christian minority in the Tirati province to vote for him on Saturday, saying "A vote for Saluis is a vote for salvation." Saluis' campaign has focussed around giving religions pride of place in any new constitution, which Timaloc denounced as "creat[ing] a breeding ground for intolerance", saying that it "will breed a culture of persecution and a victimisation complex" immediately in the aftermath of a bloody civil war.

Timaloc's remarks also attacked candidates such as Maliyaia Rihasanai, founder of the political action group Andamonians for a Traditional Tomorrow. Rihasanai has made immigration a central point of her political platform, insisting that immigrants must adopt elements of Andamonian culture such as the national religion and language. Her comments to the National Committee on Toleration and Equality on Sunday were deemed "inflammatory" and "abusive and irrational" after they singled out members of the Silvier Sacerdotium, the Kylarnatian national religion which has an estimated six hundred adherents in Andamonia. Politicians and other supporters were quick to distance themselves from Rihasanai, who is polling at just 4% — a severe drop from her high of 9% last month. Saluis' polls have similarly fallen a point to 6% over the past two weeks. Timaloc's attack on these two rivals, who he called "utterly unsuitable for the leadership of a multicultural empire," have helped him scoop up their dropping popularity. Current polls put him at 16%, leading the ragtag pack of presidential hopefuls but far from a clear winner.

Other candidates have attacked Timaloc's career, pointing to 2014, when he surrendered Khorvu to the Trellinese navy without resistance. His main rival, Mirhitoc Hyaalna, has called him "the ultimate pushover" in debates, arguing that Andamonia needs a strong leader to prevent Trellin from steering the country's future. Others have praised the same decision as having saved lives; in comparison to the eighteen killed in the capture of Rha'gutza, the Trellinese takeover of Khorvu was a bloodless occupation. Possibly out of an awareness of his own controversial past, Timaloc has kept the focus of the political debate on the country's future, and the majority of candidates are inclined to leave behind the far too recent memory of civil war.

Still no clear frontrunners as election day nears

The field of candidates continues to show little sign of a leader emerging, with just thirty-six hours left until ballots open. Emperor Amahuiz Tlacapilzi has called for all candidates to remember the principles of democracy and equality both before and after election, while the Election Commission has stressed that the option to write in a candidate's name is still available for this election: "This is our country's first presidential election," said Auhaz Nihrai, Andamonia's chief electoral officer. "Perhaps some of the people best suited to that office are still unsure whether to stand for election. If any citizen believes he can change Andamonia for the better, it is not too late to put himself forward. Just because a name isn't on the ballot doesn't mean you can't vote for a candidate."

Write-in candidates rarely win elections and indeed the system is only used in a few jurisdictions across Astyria. With so little time before the election it is unlikely that any more candidates could announce their candidacy and build a serious base of support. It has been used on occasion by local governments across the region but extremely rarely on a national level. Ahakili Tcaxahus was famously elected as a write-in candidate in Andamonia's 1868 election, a serious upset for the political establishment, but failed to deliver on most of his campaign promises.

It has been over a century since Andamonia's last nation-wide election returned Qualizian Luhiatl, who only secured 26% of first preference votes and was ousted by the military five months into his term. Four emperors have ruled the country since then. Presidential elections, even in neighbouring countries, are unfamiliar territory to the average Andamonian citizen. Many are unsure just how much power their votes hold, or how much power the president will hold. A constitution has not yet been written, and the entire process is operating within the framework of a series of last-minute decrees by the emperor. Rallies and protests have continued for nearly three months against his decision to dissolve the monarchy, and although the general population is slowly coming to terms with the monumental change to their lives it is clear that, come election day, the electorate will be voting to cling on to the familiar. As candidates scramble to be the most culturally average, we can only wonder who will capture the hearts and minds of the Andamonian public.

by **Andamonia** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:05 pm

Trellinese endorsement devastates Timaloc's ratings

Midnight polls have revealed a last-minute twist in the impending election. With just three hours until polls open, a poll conducted by telephone and online shows lead candidate Azanj Timaloc falling from 16% of the projected vote to just 9%. The sudden drop comes after a spokesman for the Trellinese monarchy endorsed Timaloc's campaign, stating that a Timaloc presidency would bring closer relations between Andamonia and Trellin. The destructive remarks also recalled Timaloc's governorship of Khorvu, citing this as a hopeful sign for "future cooperation between the Azara government and our neighbour, Andamonia."

Timaloc seemed uncertain what to do with this endorsement, and many among his campaign were likely scrambling to provide damage control. Throughout the campaign he has attempted to move on from the loss of Khorvu, which he surrendered to the Trellinese navy without a fight after his counterpart, Iizok Nethil, surrendered Rha'gutza after some bloodshed. He responded via Twitter, ignoring the allusion to Khorvu: "Thank you Azara for your support. Andamonia looks forward to peace, equality and good relations with all our neighbours" and a repeat of his social media catchphrase "#Timaloc4Tolerance"

His rivals, in contrast, cut him no slack and were quick to seize on Trellin's favour as a weapon against the former Khorvuan administrator. Raxemtli Pakrimoi accused Trellin of spawning the ongoing refugee crisis and of doing nothing to help, asserting that Timaloc would do nothing to look after the disadvantaged and noting that his campaign has not focussed on offering solutions so much as criticising his rivals'. Mirhitoc Hyaalna, meanwhile, accused Trellin of attempting to gain Andamonia as a puppet. This apparently struck a chord with much of the electorate; Hyaalna scooped up a further four percent in the polls, bringing him to 15% and giving him Timaloc's lead.

Other than Timaloc's drop to third place and Hyaalna's slide up the ladder, the field is little changed. Telmaa has moved up to third place although her popularity remains fixed. ha'Alhlatli remains in fourth. Most of Timaloc's losses have been distributed among minor candidates, although Saluis, Taleznaan Monyaan have shown last-minute gains of a percent each. There is now only a short window before polls open, and with the favourite seemingly out of the running it remains difficult to tell who will be our next president.

by **Dungeyland** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 9:45 am

THE TIMES VIEW

Mr. Timaloc can provide the stability Andamonian democracy needs

By EDITORIAL TEAM
24 DEC. 2016

Azanj Timaloc before giving a speech to a rally.

NEW LONDON - It's been two years since the Trellinese reconquest of the Trophy Ports and the Txekri lands devastated what was then the Andamonian Empire. Since then, land has been transferred, a monarchy has been abolished, and a fragile democracy has planted its roots in the new Andamonian Third Republic. Tomorrow, on Christmas Day, voters across Andamonia will go to the polls to elect their next head of state. The Times, and indeed the people of the Dangish Empire, does not have a vote in this fateful election. However, we do have a voice, and we believe that the best decision for a fledgling republic would be to elect Mr. Azanj Timaloc president.

In many important respects, Mr. Timaloc is a sub-par candidate for president of a recently war-torn nation. His tenure as Governor of Khorvu saw peace at a time when the empire desired war; though this newspaper supported the Trellinese claims in the Trophy Ports, we accept that a head of state must be seen to defend the state's territory. Were Mr. Timaloc to surrender Andamonian territory without any conflict as president, he would rightly be subjected to impeachment proceedings. Besides, Mr. Timaloc's programme has met fierce local criticism for its timidness and its seeming eschewment of radical change in the republic.

What Andamonia needs, however, is not radical change. The liberal institutions which will make it prosperous are now in place, thanks to the efforts of the outgoing administration and its Trellinese helpers. Prosperity will come not by closing the door to the world, as the second-placed candidate Mr. Hyaalna proposes, and nor will it come through a candidate as distrusted by the general public as Ms. Telmaa. The other candidates, though the election will be run according to the alternative vote, do not stand a sufficient chance. A steady hand is needed to ensure stability in the region and to allow the steady return of prosperity.

Of course, the real contest for Andamonia's future will be decided by legislative elections. The president's powers are limited by statute, and the legislature has the historic opportunity to issue regulations, create welfare schemes, and build infrastructure in a way that will affect Andamonia's economic and political trajectory for decades to come. That said, the president is the head of state and an important figurehead in Andamonian democracy. A president with a message of 'Andamonia First,' as proposed by Mr. Hyaalna, would send the wrong message to the electorate.

That's because as we begin 2017, a political and economic system predicated around 'putting Andamonia first' is no longer credible. Though Andamonia's share of Astyrian trade is tiny, events across the region affect Andamonia in ways beyond comprehension. If politicians lead Andamonia to act in isolation from the region, Andamonians will be poorer in decades to come. The Trellinese, who have recently emerged from such a cycle of isolation, are living proof. And Andamonia does not have the resources of Trellin and its empire.

For this reason, the Times must support Mr. Timaloc. We harbour no doubts that there are problems with his candidacy; for one, his inability to lay out his positions clearly damage his candidacy and the institution of electoral politics altogether. He will need to learn to know when to stand up for his republic. These are challenges to be met, however, rather than icebergs to avoid. For Mr. Timaloc, at least, at least poses no threat to democracy in Andamonia. He must learn to defend it.

National Archives · by **Ord Caprica** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 1:01 pm

The Rise of Paramilitarism
OPINION: The rise of Paramilitary organizations across Belka causes defense experts worry
James McManus (@JayMcManus)

^{December 24, 2016 6:00 AM | Ulysses, C.D, United States of Caprica}

A Belkan paramilitary platoon poses for a group photo

Ulysses, C.D., Caprica-What is a paramilitary organization. To most of the world, it's simply another group in a myriad of groups operated by or for the benefit of the state and by default,society as a whole. A look in any generic dictionary will have it defined as, ''[of, relating to, being, or characteristic of a force formed on a military pattern especially as a potential auxiliary military force'', which could be applied to any number of harmless organizations that we interact with in our daily lives such as the police or gendarme.

However for the people living under the shadow of the Wehrwache(Literally, Armed Guard) in Belka, the term has taken on an entirely different meaning and not for the better.To better understand the organization as it exists today, you have to delve into the recent history of the state that has ushered in it's existence and nurtured it until it's become what it is today, a second army.

Belka, a nation tucked away in a little pocket in Central Astyria, home to almost one hundred and fifty million people is by no means an insignificant country despite what you may have heard. One of the first names to industrialize in the region, it led Astyria in scientific, medical and military advances during the first part of the 20th century until an unfortunate turn in the Great Astyrian War and the rise of violent socialist faction led the country down a dark path, one that it has yet to recover from. They turned communist in 1921 and remained that way for almost eighty years until the turn of the century when that regime too collapsed and brought about the Belkan Federation though not as we know it today.

In 2007, Belkan President Johannes Starke, unable to stomach the reports of the discrimination and murder of ethnic Belkans across the border in Platteisen Adler, and on September 27th, 2007, he ordered Belkan Army troops into the country, sparking the two year year conflict known as the Lorencian War.

When the war ended on February 7th, 2009 , a number of things had changed. The People's Republic of Frankengeit was formed as autonomous region along the Belkan-Alderite border and the Belka-Glisandian border was transformed into a demilitarized zone, one that remains in place even today.

President Starke died in 2008, the result of a fatal heart attack that some suspect wasn't as natural as it was made to seem and then Prime Minister Winter assumed his powers and negotiated a ceasefire on the northern front and fought the allies to another ceasefire in Glisandia. Now Premier Winter sit's in Dinsmark, ''leading'' the country through the tumultuous postwar period. If the capital of Belka is to be considered his personal fiefdom, then the Belkan Worker's Party should be thought of as his personal administrators and it's accompanying Wehrwache, his personal enforcers.

Originally, the Wehrwache was a small volunteer militia that had been involved in small border clashes with partisans in Glisandia and according to some sources, cross border raids on allied supply columns. It was from these humble beginnings that a new organization was born. After the war, Premier Winter set about reorganizing the state apparatus and political machine; friendly groups and militias were folded into the Wehrwache and the opposition was bullied into disbanding or going into exile abroad under the threat of imprisonment and death.

Wehrwache volunteer battalions grew in both number and skill as demobilized Belkan troops sought jobs and prestige with the new regime. The military nation of the group was only highlighted further when in 2011, Winter announced that Wehrwache soldiers could be nationalized in ''times of need'' to act as a reserve force for the Belkan state, one completely separate from the existing structure of the Army.

The yet unsolved thefts of government munitions in broad daylight from Belkan Army Reserve armories in 2010 and 2011 exasperate the fact that, the Wehrwache or WV- VT troops are more than a pro-state militia, it's a fully functioning Belkan Working Party(Belkan:Belkan Arbeiterpartei) paramilitary force whose loyalty isn't owed to the state or it's democratic ideals but it's political paymasters in Dinsmark who have a history of both violence and extralegal actions.

WV offices have sprung up all across the country; recruiting openly in the street, promising their countrymen the opportunity to fight the good fight and serve their fatherland. Behind closed doors however, they are the instruments of terror and have been documented participating in riots in Belka, Glisandia, and Platteisen Adler. WV volunteers operate separatist training camps almost publicly along the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ), with the tacit blessing of the party in Dinsmark and provide security for illegal cross border supply convoys into both the People's Republic of Frankengeit and the Free Belkan Army(the umbrella term for Belkan separatists in Glisandia) and have under multiple occasions been suspected of directly participating in clashes with allied forces in both countries.

The Wehrwache and groups like it are operating with varying amounts of impunity all across Astyria and unless they are stopped and stopped now, blood will continue to be shed without cause and without repercussions.

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by **Nikolia** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:30 pm

Public announcement

By Article 22, Paragraph 2 of the Law on the State of Emergency of the Kingdom of Nikolia posted in Royal Gazette n°25/09 and by the authority given by His Royal Highness the King, and the Crown Council, Joint Emergency Command of the Kingdom of Nikolia hereby declares a

STATE OF EMERGENCY - EPIDEMIC
for municipality of Aleksandrovo

The Institute of Public Health of the municipality of Aleksandrovo received reports of over 25,000 cases of flu (Latin: Influenza; ICD-10 code: J10 and J11), which, by the definition of epidemic, can be characterised as such. The Institute informed the Ministry of Health which instructed installation of state of emergency - epidemic. The Municipality of Aleksandrovo installed the state of emergency on 27th of December, 2016 at 12:00. Anti-epidemic teams of EMERCOM and Red Cross of Nikolia have been assembled to assist with distribution of hygienic packages to citizens as well as disinfection of all areas with high crowd flow.

Instruction for public institutions:

All public institutions shall establish higher degree of sanitation. Areas of frequent use, such are, but not limited to: door and window handles, taps, toilets, elevator buttons, banisters, switches and buttons are to be disinfected at least 3 times a day.
In all medical institutions, higher degree of sanitation is to be established. Visits to patients shall be limited or prohibited. Medical personnel shall wear protective gear when in contact with potentially contagious person. All medical personnel with common symptoms of flu, all or some of them, and those include: fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and feeling tired should inform their supervisors and should not appear to work until symptoms disappear.
Persons working on such positions where exposure to large amount of people, such are bank tellers, receptionists, workers at counters and information desks, ticket sellers, public transit ticket controllers... with common symptoms of flu, all or some of them, and those include: fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and feeling tired should inform their supervisors and report in a medical institution and should not appear to work until symptoms disappear.

Instruction for general public:

Level of hygiene is to be increased. It is advised that citizens wash their hands before getting contact with food or after spending time in public institutions.
All citizens with common symptoms of flu, all or some of them, and those include: fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and feeling tired should immediately report in a medical institution. It is advised that persons do not go to work/school or travel.
Teams consisted of anti-epidemic teams from EMERCOM Nikolia and Red Cross of Nikolia will be giving hygienic packages. Citizens in need of such packages shall report to EMERCOM Nikolia or Red Cross of Nikolia.
Follow instructions of EMERCOM Nikolia or Red Cross of Nikolia.

List of contacts

EMERCOM Nikolia - Tel: 11011; Web: http://emercom.prv.nk; Twitter: @EMERCOM_Nik
Red Cross of Nikolia - Tel:6724-5545-3131; Web: http://redcross.org.nk; Twitter: @RedCrossNik
Institute of Public Health of Aleksandrovo - Tel:7324-1221-6761; Web: http://zzjza.org.nk

by **Nova Deseret** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:30 pm

New Managers, Same Owners: Scottopia/San Joaquin Working to Undo Peace

San Joaquin troops (lower left) watch from a highway in Stanislaus County (right hand side) as a Nova Deseret Border Patrol drive towards a border checkpoint in Aputsiq Province (left hand side)

Despite great strides in cooperation between our nations for the past decade, the Scottopian Isles is reportedly to give its largest pledge of military assistance outside of the tyrannical East Astyrian Treaty Alliance to the San Joaquin Valley, in a move that will surely escalate regional tensions. According to anonymous sources who spoke to our entrusted associates at Deseret News, reports out of Fresno is that the two countries recently came to the final agreement on a military assistance pact that will see the Royal CommonWealth give the Valley Republic at least §3 Billion Scots a year for the next decade. Under the previous deal, which expires later in 2017, San Joaquin Valley received roughly §1.75 Billion Scots annually. Nova Deseret officials were hopeful that any new treaty between the partners would decline from that amount.

However, in addition to being the Scottopian Isles biggest-ever grant of military aid to its longtime ally, the agreement which is set to be signed within days, contains several controversial clauses that our government finds alarming. The funding includes money set aside for an increased missile defense program within their nation, as well as the "donation" of various naval vessels that were seized from Ala Moana after the illegal occupation of the nation by the EATA. In exchange for the military package, the San Joaquin Valley will refrain from lobbying the Scottopian Parliament for additional funds throughout the duration of the new pledge although the wording of the deal may allow exceptions to be made in the outbreak of war.

Our sources also informed that the Valley Republic made several concessions in the deal, including the right for the establishment of Scottopian Military outposts in the event of a conflict that would allow "limited numbers" of their fellow EATA thugs to be present on San Joaquin soil. Additional parts of the deal are seeming to be aimed at having San Joaquin scale down the amount of aid money it spends on its own defense industry or others outside that of the EATA. Currently, experts assume the Valley Republic spends about 38% of previous aid on domestic contractors; Scottopia City wants that to go to so called "EATA-friendly companies" instead.

The San Joaquin government has claimed that the deal is the result of negotiations that were reportedly made due to "tensions that developed after their plea to the international community regarding the access of Bahia Bay via the San Joaquin River Delta", both of which are integral Nova Deseret territory and do not need to be opened to foreign commence. They also took the opportunity to make further comments on our own continuation of peaceful nuclear aspirations, to which San Joaquin Valley is staunchly opposed to. But information leaked to us by these informants depicts another reason behind their new & improved cooperation.

Multiple of Nova Deseret's new Main Battle Tank, the T-15 'Predator' await orders during trials in Ujarak Province

An uncovered document detailing a major concern about the ability of the Valley Republics ground forces to contend with our recently acquired T-15 'Predator' tank, particularly if those forces are suddenly short of foreign assistance. The concerns were alerted earlier this year following Scottopian elections, when several Ministers of Parliament floated the idea of reducing the Royal CommonWealth from its international commitments citing domestic concerns after the Ala Moana Crisis & Invasion of Kamalbia. The once classified briefing warns that the new weapon is currently peerless on the regional battlefield and as such, "...represents the most revolutionary step in tank design by Nova Deseret in the last half century.”

According to analysts, among the things that make the T-15 'Predator' so remarkable is a completely automated turret system of the top element of the vehicle, where the main gun and some smaller weapons are located, is operated by crew members who are in an armored pod underneath the weapon. This differs from traditional Novan design, where crew members were inside the turret operating the weapons and are therefore more exposed to harm. In addition, the tank boasts a more powerful main gun than anything Nova Deseret has produced previously. New armor design also makes it lighter and faster than its predecessors. It has also been rumored to have an improved active defense system meant to protect it from most guided anti-tank weaponry in the San Joaquin armed forces current armory.

Announcements from the Chancellor in a declaration to the national government is that the agreement between their biggest rivals was unnecessary and only upset the balance of peace. The investments in the new armor design were necessary in an all encompassing update of the Nova Deseret armed forces, which have to compete with not just San Joaquin Valley, but other regional powers like Aswick, Caprica & Mesoland. Additional mention was given to the neighboring state Zitru, who is a member of the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance, just as the Scottopian Isles are. In regards to the prospect of Valley Republics gaining an improved naval advantage, up from their typical gunboats that patrol their portion of the San Joaquin River or Ilsa California, an island which is situated within the Bahia Bay, his excellency laughed citing "How does a nation that does not reach the sea posses a qualified port for these vessels? Also, they would have to cross our territorial waters to reach their destinations, which will be a breach of our sovereignty and they do not have the ability or training to combat our ships, in such, we do not fear these outdated boats pawned by the imperialist's.''

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