SRR Sondstead World – Sondstead, Maredoratica, & Intl. News

[Sondstead]

World Cup 65: Rematch with Wight "Tough, fair, but disappointing"
Wight beats Sondstead 4–2 at sold-out Eästerkjirkjh stadium

4 July 2013

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Windstrand — In front of a sellout crowd, the Sondstead national football team played their second match against Wight, the 18th-ranked in the world team whom they had unexpectedly tied in the first half of the World Cup qualifiers. No such unexpected success would ultimately be forthcoming, but the Sondsteadish team managed to put up a tough fight regardless.

Coach Tomas Rum chose a 4-3-3 starting formation, with Agócs, Eskola, Muharukua, and Karlman on defence, Markussunr, Henrikjrssünr, and E̊sbjussunr on the midfield, and Rummo, Karimi, and Ästerssünr as forwards, with Karl E̊nokssunr filling in for usual goaltender Edelwülfssünr. The game kicked off with Wight on the offensive, with "Big John" Corfe Sheviock quickly scoring a goal at 12 minutes. Before play restarted however, an altercation occurred between Sheviock and Tom Karlman, which broke into fisticuffs between the two players. While the referee judged that Sheviock had, it seemed, swung first, both players were embarrassed by being sent off, with Rum replacing Karlman with Durante Abandonato.

When play restarted, Sondstead was able to go on the offensive, with Gamal Karimi scoring a dramatic goal at 20 minutes. Wight quickly took the lead again, going back on the offensive, with Israel Falcon scoring a second goal for Wight at 33 minutes. While Sondstead was able to swing the game back in their favour and Katie Ästerssünr was able to line up a shot thanks to an opening in the Wightling defence, the game reached half time just before Ästerssünr kicked the ball, forfeiting the scoring opportunity.

Sondstead returned to the field with an unchanged lineup and immediately attempted to gain the upper hand again to equalize the score. However, Wight was able to easily retake the initiative, with Israel Falcon scoring his second goal of the game, and his team's third, at 54 minutes. The game continued it's rapid changes in direction, and soon Sondstead seemed to have the upper hand again, with Kalju Rummo scoring at 68 minutes in. Gamal Karimi almost managed to equalize the score with a dramatic shot at 75 minutes, but it was blocked — narrowly so — by Wight goalkeeper Antrim Quentine.

Again, the volatility of the match showed, with the lead swinging once again back to Wight. Despite the best efforts of the Sondsteadish defence, Lorccán Cotterill snagged a fourth goal for Wight at 84 minutes, by which point it was apparent that Sondstead had no time left to even equalize the score.

"We played a good game, I think.", said Kalju Rummo at a post-game interview. "But Wight is absolutely a great team. The match was tough, fair, but disappointing.".

Tomorrow evening Sondstead will play their away match with Karditan.

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Also in the news today

• KMF snags new aircraft orders at Bürnbrügjh Airshow
• Weekend heatwave predicted in Alisna; health authorities urge caution
• Prekonati army shells Milograd border villages

[Sondstead]

First Bora superplane for Loft Sündstedr delivered
"Next-Generation" supersonic airliner quietly whisks 128 passengers at twice the speed of sound

26 July 2013

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Loft Sündstedr supervisory board chairwoman Kada Abrams-
-sunr tours the Bora cockpit at Aerosalon Findel 2010.

Venezia — In a gala event at the factory of Van Luxemburg based aircraft maker Monteluci in Venezia, Sondstead's largest airline was handed the keys to the first of two Bora supersonic passenger jets by representatives of the manufacturer and of the lessor, Firema Capital Services — becoming the first airline in Alisna to acquire the 2,400 kilometre per hour plane.

"The Monteluci Bora is a phenomenal engineering achievement, and we are incredibly proud to be the first in Alisna to fly it.", said Loft Sündstedr's CEO E̊sbjus-Karl DeFris, on hand for the delivery ceremony. "Our planned supersonic route to Kington Langley and Maltropia will allow us to further leverage our codeshare agreement with Royal Kingtonian Airways and Windstrand's strong potential to be a gateway hub for Maredoratica and really make us a visible player in the premium international market.".

Flights on the aircraft will certainly come at a premium for customers; the cheapest round trip fares to Maltropia will be business class tickets starting at Kr 74,000 ($12,669), more than a 10% premium above present business class fares, and first class will set travelers back a whopping Kr 141,000 ($24,140). For the few who can afford it however, little expense has been spared; the aircraft will even feature an onboard bar stocked with a dizzying array of beverages ranging from Sondsteadish craft beers to premiere Morivaine wines — with a bottle of some choices setting one back over Kr 15,000 ($2,568) on it's own.

Not everyone is convinced however — some analysts warn it could be a flight of fancy.

"Loft Sündstedr has a good reputation, yes, especially when it comes to safety.", says Helmut Däumler, an aviation expert based in Brunswick-Swabia. "But it's not the kind of premium reputation for example GFG or Jungastian Imperial enjoy, so to capture that segment of the market will be an uphill battle, and it's not necessarily an uphill battle the airline can afford given it's under-performace financially in recent years.".

Nevertheless, the airline is optimistic.

"High risk plans also tend to be high-reward.", explained DeFris. "And with our existing Maredoratic network and Windstrand's geographic position longitudinally between the major markets and latitudinally north of them, it's a logical hub point for polar routes between Maredoratica and other destinations. Other connecting hubs potentially mean backtracking to get to a given final destination.".

Loft Sündstedr will use the Bora on normal routes to Clairmont, Grouse, Käldrweder, and Saint Eustace starting 5 August in order to train crews and demonstrate the aircraft to the public, before beginning regular service between Windstrand and Corcaigh Nua (via Kingsmouth) on 2 September. The aircraft delivered today, christened "Sündstedr", will arrive in Windstrand this evening.

[Sondstead]

Karamish diaspora, others react to Pope Innocent comments on civil war
Comments seen as advocating genocide of Karamish Muslims denounced as "disgusting and inflammatory to the highest degree"

29 July 2013

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Windstrand — The ethnic Karamish diaspora in Sondstead and Muslim organizations, among others, have reacted with revulsion to an address made today by the Sévérac Pope, Innocent IV, on the subject of the civil war in Karaman.

Part of the address included a call to arms by Pope Innocent, who stated "I beseech you, in God's name, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends!".

The comments, widely seen to be advocating genocide of the majority Muslim population of the island nation, came in the wake of fierce sectarian tensions in Karaman and reports from Questarian and Morivaine intelligence of atrocities against the country's Christian minority and the discovery of mass graves alleged to be interring Christians murdered by Islamist militias. Particularly with this background in mind, the comments have been created controversy internationally as well as in Morieux.

"It is an outrage that a figure in that sort of position of respect and influence, who is also alleged to be closely influencing Morieux's foreign policy, has made such vile comments.", Ceren Tiryaki, a Socialist Labour MPA of Karamish descent representing Bänkjstedr-Centre told SRR in a radio interview. "Those comments were disgusting and inflammatory to the highest degree and will only serve to make things worse for everyone.".

An official statement of the Sondsteadish government also condemned the statements, calling them "unwise, inflammatory, and counterproductive.". The government also called for a more cautious, multilateral approach to the conflict, warning that unilateral intervention, particularly by Morieux in light of the Pope's comments, runs the risk of "engendering further escalation.".

Various Muslim and Karamish community groups, as well as anti-war activists, have called called for protests in Windstrand at both the Morivaine consulate-general in Centre Sten and at Windstrand's Sévérac Catholic cathedral in Asttun this Wednesday.

[Sondstead]

KMF AlisnaJet AJ310 airliner successfully completes maiden flight
New 100 passenger jet from Sondsteadish manufacturer promises cost savings for ailing airlines

3 August 2013

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Artist's conception of the KMF AJ310 airliner in future Loft Sündstedr service.

Rive — Two months after a ceremonious rollout in June, the latest product of Sondsteadish planemaker KMF, the AlisnaJet AJ310 regional airliner, reached a major milestone by completing it's maiden test flight today. With company executives on hand, the aircraft took off from Rive's Niklas Äldjeärd airport where it is assembled at just before noon, and safely landed two hours later.

The new aircraft is an important step for the Sondsteadish company, which is seeking to grow into new markets to build on the success of it's smaller planes; the AJ310, which will typically seat 100 to 110 passengers and can fit up to 123, will be the largest capacity aircraft it — or any other Sondsteadish firm — has built to date, and directly competes with smaller aircraft produced by the dominant player in the Maredoratic aircraft industry, Monteluci.

KMF has faced an uphill battle in securing sales for the aircraft against more established manufacturers in the segment, despite being a strong player in the regional propellor aircraft segment. While the AJ310 and it's sister aircraft, the AJ308, received sizable orders from large, respected airlines Akimonadi Airways and Loft Sündstedr, KMF's total of 90 aircraft sold to six customers over the course of two years of marketing it falls short of it's established competitors. The planemaker hopes that the successful first flight sends a signal it is serious. The bevy of suppliers committed to the program hope so as well; subcontractors from nearly a dozen countries will produced major portions of the plane, including the entire wing and much of the aircraft's advanced systems.

The aircraft's selling point, according to KMF, is a promise of a very high level of efficiency — up to 15% lower operating costs than it's present competition — stemming from the use of new generation materials and technologies such as composite body panels and geared engines. It's a proposition that has many airlines, feeling the pinch of ever lower fares and ever fiercer competition, interested.

The most important test for the company, though, will be ensuring the aircraft is delivered on schedule and with as few of the sorts of grueling teething troubles that keep airline and manufacturer executives — and maintenance workers — up at night when introducing a new type.

"It's always a big job to integrate a new airplane into an airline's fleet.", said Klas Bürher, a former Loft Sündstedr executive. "Pilots, mechanics, and flight attendants need to be trained, spare parts need to be acquired, new technology needs to be learned. It's an even larger job when it's a type that is just entering service and you need to be there figuratively writing the book.".

[Sondstead]

Breaking: Federal Diet approves support for MASTAMIK
Special joint session of Senate, People's Assembly approves deployment of peacekeepers to Karaman

3 August 2013

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Sidebar: Karaman
conflict in pictures

Sondsteadish Prime Minister Kristinä Lindkwist
addresses the Federal Diet on 1 August, tabling a
a motion to deploy up to 1,000 peacekeepers.

Morivaine First Citizen Monique Duclerc speaks at a
media round table on 31 July, following the beginning of
Morieux's formal peacekeeping mission in Karaman.

Abandoned, battle-damaged Karamish Republican
Army tank outside Ortaca, southwestern Karaman.

House destroyed during fighting in rural
southwestern Karaman, near Narlıca.

Breakdown of aye votes, nay votes, and absentions
by party, in both the People's Assembly and Senate.

How did your MPA vote?
Click here for the full roll call and breakdown by state.

Asteriopol — After an additional — and unusual — day of debate called for by Prime Minister Lindkwist following yesterday's official Maredoratic League sanctioning of the peacekeeping mission in Karaman — now dubbed MASTAMIK, for Maredoratic Stabilisation Mission in Karaman — both houses of the Federal Diet have granted approval by wide margins to a motion tabled by the Lindkwist government authorising the deployment of up to 1,000 peacekeepers to the war-torn island nation.

In the People's Assembly, just over seventy percent approved the motion, with 247 members voting in favour, 84 against, and 20 abstaining. Four out of the five major parties — all except the Green-Left Party — gave the motion their support, with the Christian Democratic Alliance doing so unanimously.

Lindkwist's Conservatives were almost unanimous in supporting the motion, with all signs suggesting they would have voted strongly in favour even without the government whipping the vote. Unexpectedly however, twelve Conservative backbenchers rejected the party whip and abstained from voting, largely to protest the very short timeframe for a decision being pushed by the government. While all coalition parties strongly supported the motion, a backbench revolt was also seen from the Centre Liberal ranks, with fourteen CLP MPAs voting against the motion and one more choosing to abstain.

The Socialist Labour Party by and large agreed with the humanitarian goals outlined by the government, although expressing reservations over potential escalation of Sondsteadish involvement later on, and strongly supported the measure as well, while the smaller parties largely opposed it on various grounds.

Following the Assembly roll call vote, the Senate approved the measure, with 37 Senators voting in favour, 10 against, and one abstaining. In the Senate, all parties save the Party for Makeland either voted in favour of the motion, or, in the case of the Green-Left Party, evenly split.

The Maredoratic League mission comes after evidence was released by the Morivaine government of mass graves, predominantly in the more heavily Christian regions of the majority Muslim country, and after Morieux, Prekonate, and Questers committed to intervention even if Maredoratic League sanctioning was not secured. In particular, concerns over Prekonate's human rights record have been raised with some suspecting Ostrava's intention is explicitly to back the country's Orthodox Christian minority. Some eyewitness reports on social media have suggested evidence of Prekonati war crimes in northeastern Karaman.

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Also in the news today

• KMF AlisnaJet AJ310 airliner successfully completes maiden flight
• Summer food trend: National dishes out, "Cool Cuisine" in?
• Windstrand Consulate-General attack sparks distrust in heavily Arab southern Morieux

[Sondstead]

Breaking: Sondstead to recognise Karamish Provisional People's Government
Government promises aid to "Corum Commune", recognition as "legitimate interim government" of Karaman

5 August 2013

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Asteriopol — In an early morning press conference, Prime Minister Lindkwist unexpectedly announced a deal had been struck with representatives from the Provisional People's Government of Karaman to grant official recognition as the "legitimate interim government" of Karaman and to provide aid, making Sondstead the first western country to recognise the so-called "Corum Commune".

The interim government, established by rebels early in the revolt against the military government of General Mehmet Yunnus Pasha, has secured effective control over much of the Corum metropolitan area despite continued resistance from the remnants of the Karamish Army. Presently the government is being lead by a provisional council, chaired by self-proclaimed Acting President Mustafa Serkan Askoy and largely made up by secular liberals and socialists, with a significant minority bloc of moderate Islamists.

Western support for the "Corum Commune", as the (Geçici Halk Hükûmet, Provisional People's Government) has been dubbed, has not been forthcoming, both due to concerns about the Islamist presence and about the biography of Acting President Askoy. Askoy, the former Home Minister for the pre-coup government who was sidelined by the military government of General Pasha, nevertheless cooperated with Pasha despite being a critic of the regime before defecting to the GHH. At the time Askoy was the most senior official to defect to the rebels, raising accusations of him being an opportunist interested in seizing power himself.

Concerns have also been raised that a significant number of the members of the GHH — and an even larger portion of the GHH-backed fighters — are Islamists, particularly after allegations were raised by Morieux and Questers that Islamist groups, predominantly based in the countryside, have been involved in atrocities against the minority Christian population. GHH representatives however have contended that the government represents a broad section of Karamish society and that the moderate Islamist groups participating in the provisional government are distinct from the fundamentalist groups carrying out sectarian attacks in the rural areas of Karaman, pointing out that members of the Christian, Jewish, and Shiite minorities in Karaman are represented among it's supporters.

The announcement comes the day after the commander of the Morivaine forces in Karaman, General Simon de Monfort, called on the GHH to surrender within twenty-four hours and allow Morivaine troops to enter the city, an ultimatum which expires at 22:00 this evening. Lindkwist denied the announcement had "any significant correlation" with the Morivaine ultimatum, stating that negotiations with the GHH had commenced several days ago, but did state that if Morieux followed through on it's ultimatum it would "destroy a nascent democratic government with strong native support" and represent "a significant obstacle to peace". Lindkwist also confirmed that, given the agreement to support the GHH, Sondsteadish peacekeepers would be deployed to Karaman "as soon as is practical.".

The government signaled that it expected further recognition of the GHH to come from other governments as early as this evening.

[Sondstead]

Federal Election 2013: Elfred Wirt voted next Centre Liberal leader
Hawkish Defence Minister to replace Kle̊mssunr, will lead CLP in October elections

18 August 2013

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Defence Minister Elfred Wirt speaks to supporters
after his narrow leadership election victory.

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CLP conference at a glance

• Round 1: Jülia Gran 37.86%, Elfred Wirt 27.90%,
  Wiktorja Ingjessünr 21.55%, Hörner eliminated,
  E̊ugje̊nssunr withdrew
• Round 2: Jülia Gran 42.95%, Elfred Wirt 30.86%,
  Wiktorja Ingjessünr 26.19%, Ingjessünr eliminated
• Round 3: Elfed Wirt 51.43%, Jülia Gran 48.57%,
  Wirt elected

Nörtkjeäben, Windstrand — At the conclusion of the Centre Liberal Party conference in Nörtkjeäben, Defence Minister and foreign policy hawk Elfred was elected by party members to replace retiring Interior Minister Rübert Kle̊mssunr as party leader, raising concerns in some circles that tensions with Questers and Prekonate may continue to rise.

Wirt was one of five candidates to be on the ballot at the leadership convention, which was primarily held as an internet vote open to all party members, along with Agricultural Minister Wiktorja Ingjessünr, Immigration, Integration, and Equality Jülia Gran, and backbenchers Gaard E̊ugje̊nssunr and Kjen Hörner.

Over 39,000 voters cast ballots, straining the internet-based voting system. Despite Gran taking an earlier lead over a party right split between Ingjessünr and Wirt, she struggled to break fifty percent and when it came down to a head to head vote, Wirt emerged victorious, although by a much narrower than expected margin of just over one thousand votes.

As Defence Minister, Wirt has been a particularly staunch critic of armed forces downsizing and budget cuts which previous governments had carried out since the collapse of the communist regime in Prekonate in the mid 1990s, and is reported to have been instrumental in killing a plan to significantly cut the armed forces' personnel and abolish national service proposed by the Socialist Labour government in 2009 and rejected by the centre-right coalition shortly after it took office in October of that year. Wirt has also been a key supporter of a plan passed by the People's Assembly in June to extend mandatory national service to women.

Wirt's advocacy for stronger defence measures and perceived hawkish tone towards Questers and Prekonate have made him a polarizing figure, even within his own party; during the leadership campaign, both E̊ugje̊nssunr and Gran criticized Wirt's foreign policy positions as "provocative", while criticism from the opposition has been especially sharp, with Green-Left Party co-chairwoman Hedjin Le̊fssunr describing Wirt's rhetoric on armed forces policy as "dangerous to continued Sondsteadish neutrality".

Wirt reiterated his party's intention to contest the elections in October in cooperation with it's Conservative and KDA coalition partners, and that the three parties will coordinate their candidate slates to attempt to maximize overall coalition gains.

[Sondstead]

Jungastia's King Edouard IX, 62, dies
Monarch passed away of unspecified causes early this morning

20 August 2013

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Saint-Andre — Jungastian Prime Minister Angélique Aveline Tailleur this morning unexpectedly announced that at 5:35 (3:35 EAST) the Jungastian monarch, King Edouard IX, had passed away of unspecified causes after twenty-nine years on the throne.

The King's death came as a shock to many Jungastians; nothing had been mentioned in the news of the King's health prior to the announcement of his death, and the King had reportedly been in good health just weeks before when he presided over a meeting between representatives of the Jungastian government and the ambassadors of Morieux, Prekonate, and Questers.

While the King had been highly regarded among Jungastians over much of his twenty-nine year reign, he distinguised himself from most other monarchs in Maredoratica by taking a more expressly political role, and because of this was often not immune from political criticism, particularly for his overtly conservative, traditionalist politics and manner. While the King introduced and championed a bill allowing for gay marriage in 2009, he did so only after his son, Prince Jacques, came out as gay. Personally, the King was renowned for his short temper; the memoirs of former Sondsteadish Prime Minister Eädweärd Tomassunr described one encounter during the King's first state visit to Sondstead in 1987, during which a visibly frustrated Edouard left a state dinner early after a contentious discussion on trade policy.

Despite political disagreements some had with his governance, however, both Edouard and the institution of the monarchy remained popular in Jungastia, and the King in his later years had grew out of his image as a brash monarch, ascended to the throne at a relatively young age, to become a respected Maredoratic statesman.

Edouard is survived by his wife, Queen Marianne, three sons, and a daughter, and will be succeeded as King by his son Augustin, 29, who will accede to the throne as King Augustin III. King Christopher IX offered the Jungastian people and royal family his "sincerest condolences on this sad day for their country", and the Prime Minister's Office also released a statement offering the government's condolences.

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Also in the news today

• Federal Election 2013: D'Ambrosio promises gay marriage "a major priority" if SAP elected
• Bigger, Better vegetables; the upside to a sunnier, hotter Sondsteadish summer?
• Editorial: What lessons can the left in the developed world learn from Rochehaut? (Hedjin Le̊fssunr)

[Sondstead]

Federal Election 2013: Parties deliver final pitches as voting approaches
Incumbent coalition touts strong economy against opposition accusations of growing inequalities

4 October 2013

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Prime Minister Lindkwist prepares to
speak in the industrial town of Eskerrös.

Eskerrös, Chamrland — Prime Minister Lindkwist's campaign jet landed at Eskerrös-Fikjen Airport today for a final stop in traditional Socialist Labour territory, to deliver a last election pitch before returning to her home constituency in Windstrand City; touting strong economic growth in response to opposition accusations that her premiership has coincided with "the most significant growth in inequity in this country in decades", as opposition leader Karl D'Ambrosio described it.

"My primary goal has been to competently manage the economy without the sort of ideological and divisive rhetoric or policies some on both sides have suggested.", Lindkwist told supporters gathered — despite the drizzling, clouded weather — on a market square in the town. "I am confident I have accomplished this and that common sense reforms and job creation efforts have succeeded in creating an environment that is both good for business and good for employees. This good business environment is partly responsible for, in this city, KMF creating 1,200 new jobs to export cars around the world."

Tomorrow, Lindkwist will fly home to Windstrand, holding a final campaign rally in her home constituency before voters cast their ballots on Monday.

Elsewhere in the country, Lindkwist's coalition partners repeated many of the same economic talking points, while at the same time attempting to shore up support among core support bases who have questioned coalition policies; new Centre Liberal Party leader Elfred Wirt, likely to become Deputy Prime Minister if the coalition wins reelection, campaigned in his home town of Öfreräberg, Mideldal emphasising the coalition's continued commitment to a neutral foreign policy, strong defence, and agricultural policies favourable to farmers — issues closely watched by rural CLP voters. Some analysts have suggested gains in the polls made by the right populist, anti-immigrant Sondsteadish People's Party may be attributable to CLP supporters disgruntled with the coalition's internationalist foreign and trade policy jumping ship.

The opposition Socialist Labour Party, hoping to make gains despite slipping poll numbers and a popular incumbent government, held major coordinated rallies in a dozen cities, including an appeal to expatriate voters in Mannheim, with party leader Karl D'Ambrosio speaking at a union hall in Bankstead, where he told steel and heavy equipment workers an SAP government's first priority would be "not just jobs, but good jobs" and touting his plan to supplement tripartite bargaining with a guaranteed minimum wage of 68 Kr ($11.64) per hour, while tieing a stagnant average wage and increasing gap between the salaries of a base level employee and a CEO in an average company to Lindkwist's policies.

Concurrent elections

Elections will also be held in three states and territories concurrent with the federal elections.

In Sitonland, all 40 seats of the State Senate, the upper house of the state's bicameral legislature, are up for reelection.

In Windstrand State, 128 seats in the State Diet are up for election. The 2013 state general election is the first to be held under a reform passed earlier this year abolishing Windstrand's tricameral Diet and it's replacement by a unicameral legislature elected using mixed-member proportional representation; leaving Sitonland as the only state retaining multiple chambers in it's Diet.

In the Sondsteadish Antilles, all 19 seats in the Territorial Council are up for reelection.

A non-binding referendum will be held in all states and territories asking voters if they approve or disapprove of Sondstead joining the Maredoratic League; the Lindkwist government has been involved in negotiation Sondsteadish membership in the transnational organisation since this May. Prime Minister Lindkwist has guaranteed that the government will respect a potential no vote.

Opinion polling

International Policy Opinions Centre/Tet Mörgen Post, Mäximiliän Hanssunr Institut, OQ Media, and SRR Pölidigen released their final opinion polls before the legal cutoff Friday evening. The SRR Composite Poll, averaged from all four sources, showed;

• The Conservatives at 36.8%, down from an early August peak, but remaining 4.5 points up from the 2009 election.
• Socialist Labour at 28.3%, improved from a February low point and 2.2 points down from 2009; just outside the (averaged) 2% margin of error. However, this would never the less represent the lowest vote share for the party since the 1957 federal election, surpassing 1981 as the worst SAP performance in the past half century.
• The Centre Liberals at 13.9%, down 1.3 points, within the margin of error, from 2009.
• The Christian Democrats at 6.7%, virtually unchanged from 2009.
• The Green Left Party at 4.9%, another within the margin of error drop (0.9 points) from 2009.
• The People's Party at 4.0%, a 1.1 point gain from 2009 (within the margin of error), despite continued controversy since the party entered parliament in 2009.
• The Party for Makeland at 2.7%, up 0.7 points from 2009.
• In the Maredoratic League referendum, the Yes side maintains a thin lead at 49.6%, with 44.1% saying they'll vote No and 6.3% remaining undecided. While narrow, the Yes side's lead is now firmly outside the margin of error.

Such numbers holding would, roughly, result in a People's Assembly with the Conservatives holding 134 seats, Socialist Labour 107 seats, Centre Liberals 46 seats, Christian Democrats 23 seats, Green Left 17 seats, and the Party for Makeland and the People's Party 9 seats each, with other parties holding 6 seats as the balance. The KP/CLP/KDA coalition would return holding 203 seats in total, increasing by nine seats and holding a comfortable 27 seat majority.

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Also in the news today

• Federal Election 2013: Some SAP officials having "second thoughts" about 2011 D'Ambrosio/Sjole̊r matchup
• Human rights group urges boycott of Prekonati walnut flour in traditional Christmas "Hnutkak"
• Mammoth find on Nystromian island suggests species may have survived as recently as 4,000 years ago, scientists say

[Sondstead]

Federal Election 2013: Official results confirm coalition gains, Yes vote on ML
Coalition takes home smaller than expected net gain of four seats, voters approve Maredoratic League membership


Prime Minister Kristinä Lindkwist, supporters, watch election night returns on television

8 October 2013

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Asteriopol — With preliminary official results released by the Federal Election Returns Bureau, the incumbent coalition government, while performing less dramatically than some anticipated, has made small gains.

The Conservatives received roughly 34.9% of the vote, up 2.6 points from 2009 and a high water mark since the 1981 elections, but markedly below pre-election poll numbers. When the People's Assembly returns to session on 21 October, the party will hold an estimated 129 seats, up eight from the outgoing parliament, and remaining by a fair margin the largest party in the assembly. The Christian Democratic Alliance also made small gains, going from 23 to 24 seats.

In comparison, the Conservative's largest coalition partner, the Centre Liberals, took 13.5%, down 1.7 points from 2009 and expected to return to parliament with 45 seats, down five from the outgoing one. The Centre Liberals lost ground to their Conservative partners, but also to the far right Sondsteadish People's Party; the later likely drew some support off from the CLP among voters unhappy with the party's tacit support for the coalition foreign policy. The SFP was able to gain more than half a point and go from 6 to 9 seats in parliament.

In total, the governing coalition took an increased majority with 198 seats. However, this represented a slightly smaller than expected four seat net gain and a relatively small change in the internal dynamics of the coalition.

The night went poorly for both of the former coalition partners in the 2005 to 2009 centre-left government, who, as expected, suffered additional loses on top of their dramatic fall in the 2009 elections. Socialist Labour declined to 29.4% and an estimated 109 seats, while the Green Left Party declined slightly to 5.4%, losing a seat and entering the next parliament with an estimated 19 seats.

In Makeland, the nationalist Erakond Mägimaa picked up half a point, to receive 2.5% and take an additional two seats, finishing at a total of 9 seats and becoming the largest party in the state's assembly delegation. The minor parties of the Independent Working Group made up the balance with 2.4% and 7 seats. Turnout declined slightly to 73.5%, despite a potentially contentious referendum also appearing on the ballot.

In gaining an increased majority on the strength of a strengthened Conservative performance, Lindkwist was able to convince voters about the coalition's economic record, despite more contentious issues of defence funding and foreign policy surfacing.

"While very rarely is it the only thing on the mind of voters, the state of the economy is generally a top issue for most people", said Mäximiliän Hanssunr Institut analyst Lars Lütsebürher. "If the state is stable and the economy is growing, it naturally favours the incumbent, if the economy is unstable and people can't find work, it favours the challenger."

Maredoratic League referendum

Concurrently with the People's Assembly election, voters were also given a chance to make their opinion known on one of the longest running questions in Sondsteadish foreign policy; if the country should remain outside the Maredoratic League, or join it. After continual discussions since the transnational organisation's establishment in 1973, Sondsteadish voters rejected full membership by a nearly ten point margin in 1997, although by that point the country had became an observer state and established less official cooperation.

In 1997, the Yes campaign had only cautious support from the Conservative and SAP leaders, despite supporters convincing then Prime Minister Peder Fritssunr to hold the referendum. In contrast, the 2013 Yes campaign had strong support from the Conservative leadership, especially from Prime Minister Lindkwist who was instrumental in organising renewed membership talks on the back of heightened fears in some circles over future Questarian or Prekonati militarism.

It is likely this change of tone that helped the Yes side achieve a narrow victory, 51.7% to the No side's 48.3%. However, analysts also see a bigger shift in opinions.

"It is now a popular opinion that being a Maredoratic League state does not mean giving up neutrality", said Tödrikjr Ärtemssünr, a fellow at the Sondsteadish Maredoratic Institute, a leading think tank. "There is a marked shift toward a different view of neutrality, which does not see international participation as being opposed to the traditional model of neutrality. The present view also doesn't value as much the sort of non-involvement doctrine which was popular in the mid 20th century. To a degree, anti-internationalist movements such as the People's Party are a reaction to the fact that anti-internationalism is no longer the definitive mainstream, so proponents of it are forced to look toward movements which are outside the prevailing establishment."

The previously issued government roadmap in the event of a Yes vote suggested that Sondsteadish accession should be achieved by the end of 2014 but that additional negotiations will likely be necessary even following a referendum.

[Sondstead]

Transcript: Royal New Year's Eve Address

31 December 2013

---

As we celebrate the coming of the new year, I always find it important that we also reflect back upon the year that has now all but passed us, to savour the good memories and mourn the bad ones. This past year saw it's share of challenges and of tragedies for Sondstead and for the rest of the world; our country watched as our diplomats fell under attack abroad and as Windstrand faced an instance of shameful hooliganism, while the whole world mourned the unparalleled tragedy in the city of Amaria in ViZion. In Maredoratica, the international community was shaken by the tragic events in Karaman.

The situation in Karaman remains an ongoing concern for Karamish, for us, and for all the peoples of Maredoratica. Only this month, our nation mourned the death in action of Constable Eädweärd Archibald, of Beckin in West Windstrand. Nearly 1,000 Sondsteadish men and women are, as I speak to you, serving in Karaman, away from their homes and families over this holiday season, and many of them will continue to serve into the new year. As we celebrate, we should stop and remember them and their families, and the service they are doing to build a lasting peace in our Alisnan neighbor.

And yet, we also have much to remember fondly from the year past. Even in tragedy, our resolve has not been broken, and the state of the realm has remained resiliently prosperous. Many of you cheered, as I did, as our national team participated in the football World Cup for the first time. After the World Cup Qualifier Riots in Windstrand, ordinary people were some of the first to help clean up the damage. It is that sense of community that has always, and will always, keep us together as a nation.

We can already predict many of the new challenges, opportunities, and experiences we will face. By the end of this coming year, especially topical given the men and women of our armed forces serving abroad this year and in the year to come, women will for the first time be eligible for national service call-up. While recognising many of the points that have been raised in criticising this measure, which I signed earlier this month, it is my humble opinion that the institution of national service helps instill the sense of responsibility and community, some of our most core values. In making both men and women equally eligible, the government has also made an important step forward for gender equality.

In the next year, Sondstead will also complete it's accession to the Maredoratic League as a full member state. I sincerely believe that increased international understanding and cooperation is an absolutely vital part of building true regional peace, and of creating an ever more prosperous world, and I wholeheartedly look forward to Sondstead cooperating more closely with our national friends and neighbors, in the Maredoratic League and otherwise, in continuing our work in furthering peace and prosperity around Maredoratica.

Entering this new year, we will, assuredly, continue to grow, together, as a nation. There will be hard times, but there will be good times, and I have no doubt that one year from now we will sit here stronger, not weaker. God bless you, and have a happy new year.

Address delivered by HM King Christopher IX at 18:50 EAMT 31 December 2013. Translated from the original Sondsteadish by the SRR Sondstead World radio staff.

[Sondstead]

Rjub.com boss floats Rochehaut airline investment
CEO and cofounder Fisjer "interested" in stake in flagging flag carrier

30 January 2014

---

Bankstead — Speaking at a lunch event for investors, Rjub Air Lines CEO Jöhän-Karl Fisjer expressed interest in further expanding the fast growing low cost airline's international presence by purchasing a stake in the money losing Rochehautese national carrier, SONATA. The government of Rochehaut yesterday confirmed reports that it would privatise it's remaining 51% share in the airline.

Fisjer was questioned by investors about international expansion after sharing his opinion that, in light of lower than expected profits in 2013, the airline sees fewer opportunities left in the Sondsteadish market.

"More expansion into foreign markets is a given", Fisjer said. "Besides continuing to move into southern Alisna, we will look into other markets where the regulatory environment is friendly, and grow additional medium- and long- distance markets. We could also look at investing in an existing long-distance carrier. I would be interested in SONATA, the Rochehautese airline. It's an interesting opportunity."

A Rjub.com spokeswoman refused to comment on the CEO's statement. Some aviation analysts were skeptical of Fisjer's comment, noting that Rjub.com, while profitable, is a significantly smaller airline than SONATA. SONATA also has an existing partnership with Loft Sündstedr.

Labour market analyst Gjorg Kristjanssunr, however, notes another potential sticking point.

"About half of SONATA is held by an employee fund, and the company's employees are heavily unionised. At Rjub.com, Fisjer has been combative with the pilots and flight attendants over wages, benefits, and working hours. As an investor, maybe, but labour would likely not trust him in any significant management role if they could help it."

Privatisation of the national airline is the first step taken by a newly elected liberal government, which rode to power in Rochehaut in the wake of recent revelations of governmental corruption and the poor state of government finances.

[Sondstead]

Pollona; The Case for Engagement
"Looking at the issue with open eyes, this may be the last best chance to act"

7 February 2014

---

by Bendt Hettinger

I have never seen the town where my father was born. He called it Straubing, but others call it Štrubina, a name my father recoiled at. "If you had been born there", he told me "it would be illegal for you to speak your own language, or to move freely, or to become Prime Minister, like you could here".

It is impossible for me to separate my emotions towards Pollona, the country of my father's birth, from anything else, and I have throughout my academic career been a vocal supporter of the sanctions placed by Sondstead and by some other members of the international community, such as Brunswick-Swabia. on the Pollonan regime and it's leadership. Of course, I have found almost no one in academia who considers the racist "retribution" policies of consecutive Pollonan governments justified, not in Sondstead and not in Van Luxemburg where I have also taught.

In thinking about the recent election of Josef Laszlo as Pollona's Lieutenant Governor, equivalent to a President, my first reaction was a sense that, obviously, it will change nothing. But then, I had to stop myself and do the one thing it is impossible for me to do, and try to approach what this means with open eyes.

Mr. Laszlo is a self described liberal. He is very popular, with a "squeaky clean" image that seems to have appealed to voters after a major corruption scandal. He has some amount of political capital accumulated.

The Czech populace of Pollona, while by and large being at best indifferent to the gross injustice their government carries out on their fellow citizens, seems greatly concerned with the economic underperformance their country have suffered from, and in a noxious bit of irony, grumble about their country's strong relations with Questers and Prekonate, countries they hypocritically decry as tyrannical. And so, they voted for the "change" candidate, and seem to desire the ill-defined change Laszlo has offered

In short, despite the endemic doublethink integral to Pollonan society which thus far has precluded any progress in their country's situation, the time for someone in Pollona to remind the country that the emperor has no clothes is now.

"Why then", you may ask, "should there be a higher level of engagement when the key to this opportunity, the dissatisfaction of the populace with their economic situation, stems from a closed-door policy?".

The problem with such a view is that, figuratively, it takes money to make money. Why, necessarily, would a Pollonan government be responsive if they signal a willingness to engage or commit to reforms and the UHS parties which have instituted the harshest sanctions against Pollona, namely the UKBS, Sondstead, and Schaumburg, do not respond in kind? While the problem with positive reinforcement can be that it creates a false perception that the work is already done, negative reinforcement can easily create an opposite reaction and make one party less willing to engage the other.

And in this case, their are third parties involved; other countries, such as, most disappointingly, Van Luxemburg, are all too willing to look the other way. More insidiously, for both Questers and Prekonate, Pollona occupies a significant strategic position, one which would be called into question in Pollona if relations with other liberal democratic states improve. Because of this, both states would have their own incentive to oppose ethnic reconciliation in Pollona, which would indirectly hurt their geopolitical positions in the long run. And both states have Liberec's ear more closely than most, not to mention their demonstrated lack of compunction about unscrupulous use of their foreign intelligence agencies.

And so, looking at the issue with open eyes, this may be the last best chance to act.

Bendt Hettinger teaches history and Holtlandic Studies at Windstrand University and has also taught at the University of Mideldal and the University of Villacoublay. His first fictional book, A Dream Made Nightmare, an alternate history positing the aftershocks of an unsuccessful assassination of Michel Senneville, will be released in English this summer.

All opinions are the intellectual property of the author and neither belong to, nor represent the opinions of, SRR Sondstead World. This article was translated from the original Sondsteadish by the SRR staff.

[Sondstead]

Islanders offer tongue-in-cheek response to Westerü map error
Rytuic Sea island was accidentally shown as Lagunian territory on Mare League map

9 February 2014

---

Maredoratic League maps (pictured), released
last Tuesday, erroneously shows
Westerü (circled) as Lagunian territory.

Westerü, Cheruskerland — A relatively small error that slipped under the noses of Maredoratic League mapmakers when new official maps were issued Tuesday did not go unnoticed on one of Sondstead's coastal communities.

In his Westerü home on Thursday, Günder Liljande̊le̊r, an Esker University geologist and geographer studying post-glacial rebound, happened to look at the newly released maps, and saw something he found curious.

"I realized when I glanced at the Rytuic Sea islands, that Westerü had been coloured in as blue rather than as red like the rest of Sondstead; apparently they had believed it was a Lagunian island."

As it happened, Liljande̊le̊r visited the home of a friend, on the staff of the island's only newspaper, the Westerütiden, for an afternoon meal the next day.

"His wife fixed the three of us a plate of sandwiches and we got to discussing things; the weather, how work was going. I mentioned I had gotten a chuckle out of this little error in the map and we had a good laugh. 'Oh those bureaucrats in Luxembourg!', you know."

The Saturday paper ran a tongue-in-cheek, front page piece on that little error the next morning, which by the evening had went viral on the internet and elicited a statement from the Mayor, Elene-Kada Rasmossunr.

"I was just as surprised as the rest of you to find out about the recent Lagunian occupation of Westerü", Rasmossunr wrote on her blog. "While the occupation has been fairly benevolent and I have noticed no unrest among anyone on the island, I believe I speak for most of us when I say that I miss Sondstead and hope we can negotiate a return to Sondsteadish sovereignty very soon and without hurting our long-standing friendship with our Lagunian neighbors.".

Rasmosssunr also noted that she planned to invite the Foreign Minister, a representative of the Lagunian Federal Council, and a representative of the Maredoratic League to a summit in the island's main town of Westerüstränd to broker a peace deal.

Westerü has a population of about 5,000 residents and is governed as a municipality of Sjalhokr Riding, Cheruskerland. It can be reached year round by flights to Käldrweder and Twedmünster, in the summer by ferry, and in the winter by one of the longest Rytuic Sea ice roads to the Sondsteadish mainland; Rasmossunr noted that the ice road is presently open.

[Sondstead]

SAP head D'Ambrosio will not seek renomination in July
Focus turns to future of party's leadership, ideological direction

30 March 2014

---

Karl D'Ambrosio (pictured campaigning
last year) will not continue as SAP head.

Windstrand — Discussing the political future of the Socialist Labour Party in the wake of last October's federal election on AUF's Sünderin mit Cris Granholm, party leader Karl D'Ambrosio unexpectedly — and unceremoniously — confirmed reports surfacing earlier in the week that he would not seek renomination at the annual party conference.

"I won't serve if the party does not have confidence in me, and quite a few of our backbenchers have expressed that opinion", D'Ambrosio said during his discussion with Granholm, political analyst Lars Lütsebürher, and MPA and former Conservative deputy leader Hugo Karlman, when asked about the reports. When asked directly if he planned to step down, allowing a leadership election to take place, he simply replied "Yes, I do".

D'Ambrosio, considered to belong to the party's right faction, struggled to excite a more left-leaning party grassroots — which preferred Antonia Sjole̊r and E̊sbjus Kristofssunr in the 2011 leadership election — in 2013, and also suffered due to his close ties with former Prime Minister Rübert Hnütjeärd, who resigned in 2009 following allegations of corruption.

Particularly with D'Ambrosio confirming he would not return as SAP leader, the panel turned to discussion of the party's future leadership. Antonia Sjole̊r, the left-leaning party deputy leader, shadow education minister, and the runner-up in the last leadership race — still considered a rising star in party circles — is expected to seek the leadership again, while shadow labour minister Ändres Je̊nssunr has been mentioned as a potential younger, more charismatic face for the party's right faction.

D'Ambrosio also commented on the SAP's decision to change it's leadership election procedure, returning to a conference vote rather than a two-round primary election format as used in 2011; however, the vote will be open to all party members via online ballots or computer ballots on the conference floor. The conference is scheduled to run between 30 July and 2 August at the Alisnan Exhibition Centre in Windstrand.

[Sondstead]

Market shock as Questers announces Pound float
Pound selloff, stock market hit on first full day of trading after announcement

6 June 2014

---

Windstrand — With trading closed for the weekend, economic analysts can begin to quantify the aftershocks felt on the Windstrand Stock Exchange and currency markets following the announcement that Quester will allow the Pound to float beginning on Monday.

According to many Questers watchers, such as Pierre Fauré of the Moselle Consulting Group, the Questarian Pound has been kept significantly overvalued to facilitate commodity imports, vital to the relatively natural resource poor Questarian economy. When the currency is floated analysts expect the Pound could lose as much as half it's value in a relatively short period.

On Thursday, traders immediately responded, with the currency markets in Windstrand seeing a large spike in turnover of Pounds. By Friday afternoon, the average price paid for one Pound on the Windstrand markets had fallen to just above one Kron as holders sold off Pounds and confidence in the Questarian currency plummeted.

Shockwaves were quickly felt on the Windstrand Stock Exchange, with commodities firms in particular, including MMT, Sändberg, StatHydro, and Ümn Resources, seeing sizable drops in stock prices on fears that exports to Questers will decline significantly if the Pound is substantially devalued. On the whole, the WBX 35 fell by a net 4.0% in two days, with the 3.5% drop on Thursday being the index's largest in a single day since 2009. However, morning losses on Friday were offset by a slight rebound later in the day.

Sondsteadish investors signaled Friday evening that reassurances that the potential for further instability in the Questarian market has been overstated will be critical before trading reopens and the new floating exchange rate for the Questarian Pound takes effect on Monday.

"The markets panicked and assumed a worst case scenario particularly as the Questarian government was very mum about details, which did not help the situation.", commodities investor E̊sbjus Kristjanssunr told SRR. "The market will settle into an equilibrium of sorts in time, but it isn't necessarily going to be as pretty as anyone would like. There is also the potential that the situation could deteriorate further, which is why it is critical that Questers communicates better to investors.".

[Sondstead]

Questers orders general mobilisation
Questarian intentions "a mystery"; government urges "measured response"

10 June 2014

---

Jesselton — In the wake of the Questarian government's decision to float the Pound, which set off panic in the financial markets over the past several days, multiple sources are now confirming that yesterday morning Questers ordered full mobilisation of six million troops and declared martial law nationwide.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a brief press conference in Asteriopol confirmed previous reports that the Sondsteadish embassy in Jesselton had noticed a Questarian mobilisation, first reported just after midnight this morning. Questers, which has remained uncommunicative on either the market turmoil or the developing diplomatic crisis since Thursday's announcement, has not released any statements to the foreign media since yesterday guaranteeing repayment of loans denominated in Morivaine Ecu.

The news of Questarian mobilisation has shocked many analysts and governments around Alisna and further afield.

"I don't think anyone could've anticipated this move.", defence analyst Mart Le̊fssunr of the Sondsteadish Maredoratic Institute told SRR. "There is no security rationale; Questers faces no serious threats to it's sovereignty or integrity, only perceived threats or slights. This has seemingly nothing to do with their economic crisis. So Questers may be posturing, for what reason we can't be sure, may be preparing to make a first strike on a neighboring country, or may simply be moving to distract from their own gross mismanagement of the economy. But at this point their intentions are a mystery."

The foreign ministry conference made clear that while the armed forces have been put on high alert Sondstead will not mobilise any reserves "pending developments in the security situation in Alisna". The foreign ministry also urged Sondsteadish private citizens in Questers to return home and promised assistance in securing "prompt, safe passage" out of the country. While urging a "measured response", it also suggested all Sondsteaders as well as Sondsteadish citizens in northern Berry, the border prefectures of Lagunia, and Schaumburg exercise caution and remain informed.

Other governments have yet to fully outline their response to the public in wake of the general mobilisation order, news of which first became public in Sondstead earlier this morning. In response to the mobilisation and the market turmoil over the past three trading days, the Windstrand Börse and other major stock exchanges including Brno, Esch, Gênes, and Ostrava will not open for trading today in hopes of avoiding a "Black Tuesday" event.

[Sondstead]

Breaking: "Positive match" found for Flight 533 black boxes
Radio beacon pings detected in approximately 450 metres of water; recovery could begin Saturday

20 June 2014

---

Watervoort, Philipsbaai — In a press conference this morning at the joint centre coordinating the search for the missing Caledonian Airlines Flight 533, Flight Accident Enquiry Bureau (FUEB) investigator Linda Larssunr and Navy Fleet Captain Swen Jöhän Akland announced that the corvette HSoMS Sünterländ yesterday detected the trademark radio "pings" of the ATR-42 airliner's black boxes.

"After some two weeks of searching, yesterday afternoon the Sünterländ picked up multiple pings roughly eight kilometres north by northwest of the fuel spill sighted on the first day of the search in an estimated 450 metres of water.", Larssunr told reporters. "We examined this signal and we have a very high level of confidence in it being a positive match.".

"The four countries involved in this search have a large SAR capability in theatre already.", Akland noted. "We will be able to launch a recovery operation as early as Saturday evening if weather permits to bring the flight data and voice recorders to the surface and locate any wreckage on the sea floor, which will be targeted for future recovery after we secure the highly time-sensitive flight recorders".

The locator beacons, fitted to every black box to aid in underwater recovery, broadcast a short 37.5 kilohertz "ping" every second for thirty days after activating on contact with water. Akland and Larssunr both emphasized that the recorder will only continue to ping for another twelve to thirteen days before falling silent and that recovery efforts must proceed quickly before the signal is lost.

Larssunr also dispelled the theory, increasingly in vogue on conspiracy aficionado websites such as maredoraticatopsecret.org and questersnewsrochehaut.net, that Flight 533 was shot down by an air-to-air missile fired by the Van Luxemburger Marine during an exercise.

According to Larssunr and other aviation experts, the oil spill, confirmed by Van Luxemburger investigators to be aviation fuel matching that loaded onto the aircraft in Sèvres, proves the aircraft must have been "intact or nearly intact" when it impacted the water, as if the aircraft broke up in cruise the fuel would have vaporised before reaching the surface, suggesting the damage was inconsistent with a radar-guided missile which would have impacted near the centre of the aircraft where the radar "cross section" is the largest, likely destroying the wings and causing the aircraft to be destroyed in midair.

In addition, Akland characterized Questers News Rochehaut's claim that a Questarian Navy jet caught the supposed shoot down on radar as "baffling" based on his study of civil and military ground radar data from stations in the Antilles.

A spokeswoman for families of the crash victims told SRR that the families of Flight 533 are "greatly hopeful" that the discovery will shed light on what caused the airliner to "simply drop out of the sky" and help bring them closure.

[Sondstead]

Borgosesia's Marshall Ulfo Baglio, 79, dies
Former long-time Grand Marshall and fascist reformer dead after heart attack complications

25 June 2014

---

Seso — Marshall Ulfo Baglio, who governed Borgosesia for 29 years between 1975 and 2005, has died at the age of 79 five days after suffering a heart attack at his Seso home, reports the country's Stampa Nazionale news service.

Marshall Baglio had been in poor health after retiring in January 2005 in favour of present Grand Marshall Regolo Vertucci and suffered a stroke two years ago, from which he was reported to have fully recovered.

Baglio acceded to the positions of Grand Marshall and Chairman of the Party for National Liberation on 7 December 1975 following the death of the founder of the modern Borgosesian state, Matteo Zappa. Baglio, having lived effectively his entire life under the fascist system established in 1935, was initially seen as a doctrinaire Zappaista but quickly plotted his own path, reforming and expanding the country's Republican Guard into a national gendarme while curbing some of it's worst abuses and, in contrast to Zappa's autarkic, corporativist, and syndicalist ideas and rhetoric, implemented market-oriented reforms.

Promotion of foreign trade and tourism and decreasing state control of the economy rapidly turned Borgosesia from a largely agrarian, semi-industrialised country into a newly industrialised economy with one of the highest growth rates in Alisna. However, the authoritarian security state and near cult of personality surrounding the position of Grand Marshall remained in place despite minor reforms, while the role of the church increased. Although Borgosesians were materially far better off, with gross domestic product more than tripling and doubling in relation to Sondstead, Baglio's Borgosesia left a trail of forced labour and disappearences just as brutal as Zappa's.

Despite Baglio's faults and even despite few Borgosesians believing in the personality cult surrounding him, the Marshall continued to draw the respect of the country's people.

"Borgosesia will struggle to come to grips with the loss of Marshall Baglio.", the PLN Deputy Chairman, Furio Binda, told Stampa Nazionale. "Borgosesia has lost one of its great heroes, but his spirit and vision for Borgosesia lives on in the Charter of the Fascists, the Party and the People.".

The Prime Minister's Office released statement expressing condolences and calling Baglio "one of the pivotal figures in Borgosesia's 20th century history" and noting that under Baglio, Borgosesia "saw impressive economic development raising millions out of poverty". The statement only briefly touched on Baglio's governing style, expressing regret at the Baglio government's "reported human rights abuses". The statement was notably more favourable in tone than many past Sondsteadish statements on Borgosesia from Lindkwist's and prior governments.

Baglio is survives by his wife Carlotta and sons Matteo and Domenico and will receive a state funeral on Sunday. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that neither the PM or King will attend; Deputy Prime Minister Wirt and Crown Prince Erik Christopher will attend in their place.

[Sondstead]

Mare Cup 2014: Group A rundown
What to expect from Sondstead, Ruccola, Jungastia, and Aquileia

27 June 2014

---

Sondstead – Sondstead is the seeded team for Group A and had no qualifying battle to get into the Mare Cup, by virtue of being the host nation. However, besides any home field advantage they may have Sondstead is statistically somewhat weaker than Jungastia or Ruccola; the Sondsteadish team recently saw a significant turnover in it's roster including the departure of long-time forward Jen Weäldrberg. While the new players bring a significant amount of talent they are also relatively green.

The two new players the focus on will be Bashar Karimi, the younger brother of the team's star forward Gamal Karimi, and Swen Ärtemssünr, a talented forward who nevertheless has Weäldrberg's shoes to fill.

Ruccola – Ruccola is one of the traditional football powerhouses of Wilassia alongside their long-time friendly rivals Rochehaut, and widely regarded as the strongest team in Group A and solidly favoured to be one of the two teams to advance to the quarter-finals. Sondstead will face off with them in the opening match in Windstrand tomorrow, a matchup they are likely to win. Losing, will not unexpected, would cast a long shadow over Sondstead's chances. Winning would be a strong start and set Sondstead up well to advance.

Jungastia – Jungastia, while not a major footballing nation, has assembled what is likely their most impressive Mare Cup squad to date. They also have the strongest offence in the group, although their defence is lacking and it's not unimaginable that their strong offensive line could wash up against the robust Sondsteadish defence.

Aquileia – Aquileia is a relatively weak team overall but a fairly close match for Sondstead. The Aquileian offence and defence are well balanced with a slight lean towards offence, but the Sondsteadish rear should be able to rebuff them. Under most circumstances, Aquileia would be a must-beat team for Sondstead, but Sondstead–Aquileia will be the last Sondsteadish match of the group stage, so at this point it's unclear how the situation will develop before then.

Group verdict – On the whole, the weakest of the four groups, but without any particularly strong or weak teams the results are anyone's guess. Ruccola will likely be among the two teams to advance, but even that isn't assured.

[Sondstead]

Mare Cup 2014: Sondstead 2–1 Ruccola
Sweating off slow start, Sondstead surprises

28 June 2014

---

Swen Ärtemssünr scored the first
Sondstead goal of the Mare Cup

Windstrand — Despite stumbling against the favoured to win Ruccolian team, Sondstead managed a solid performance in the opening match of the Maredoratic Cup, narrowly eking out a surprise win.

The game got off to a quick start, with the Ruccolians pushing forward and catching Sondstead off guard. With Sondstead on the defence, Õspjuus Eskola kicked Ruccolian forward Gianluigi Rabuano, which the referee, Borgosesian Erminio Lagomarsìno, judged to have been intentional and within the penalty box. Leo Cavalcante took the penalty kick and aimed high and centre as Gustaf Älexssünr dove left, scoring at 12 minutes in and leaving Sondstead scrambling to catch up.

Sondstead manager Tomas Rum briefly spoke with Eskola and chose to send him off, bringing Mark Rikjardssunr from the bench. Sondstead quickly regrouped and pushed back, and at 33 minutes Swen Ärtemssünr scored, netting him his first Maredoratic Cup goal and equalising the score. Sondstead struggled to hold on for the remainder of the first half but ultimately held on, keeping the score at one to one going into half-time.

From the start of the second half, Sondstead frantically attempted to score a second goal to take the lead but hit up against a strong Ruccolian defence, until, after spotting an opening, Tom Markussunr set up a shot, passing the ball to Gamal Karimi who hit the second goal for Sondstead at 78 minutes. Sondstead quickly fell back into a defensive posture and managed to stall out Ruccola until full time.

However to the surprise of Rum and to the Sondstead fans, Lagomarsìno signaled for five minutes of stoppage time. Ruccola mounted an unexpected withering offence that battered Sondstead but ultimately failed to equalize the score before the clock ran out. Both teams appeared in good spirits after the game despite the disappointment for Ruccola in the second half.

"It was a very close game throughout and both teams played very good, exciting football," Rum told SRR after the game. "I am very proud of our team and I also want to say that Ruccola played an excellent game. It was a very good way to open the Maredoratic Cup I believe."

[Sondstead]

Government urges caution in Lagunia border crisis
Lindkwist: "All sides must not make any new provocations"

5 July 2014

---

Asteriopol — Prime Minister Lindkwist along with Foreign Minister Älekssünr-Meärt and Defence Minister Arnman held a morning press conference to address tensions on the Lagunia-Questers border today, urging both sides to exercise caution and to avoid any further provocation.

"I have spoken to my Lagunian counterpart, Prime Minister Josipović, and he confirmed that three divisions of tanks have been moved to the border prefectures of Lagunia," Lindkwist told reporters. "While we respect that Lagunia has the right to position their forces as they choose within their own sovereign territory and I take Mr. Josipović at his word that this deployment was intended as a defensive posture, the fact is this is a very large movement of troops and has been perceived as provocative by Questers."

"All sides must not make any new provocations, and while it would do no harm in terms of escalating this crisis for Lagunia to withdraw it's forces as a sign of goodwill, any preemptive attack over this deployment would be entirely unacceptable."

When asked by a reporter for Questarian state television if, given the implication that Lindkwist apparently considered a Questarian first strike more likely, the Government would condone a Lagunian first strike against Questers, to which the Prime Minister replied that the Government's position is that "any first strike against a sovereign state would be an unacceptable, illegal act" but that a preemptive attack by Lagunia appears "rather unlikely". Lindkwist added that she was "confident the Lagunian leadership are intelligent and level-headed enough" to avoid taking such an action and that she is also "very confident Questers will seek to deescalate as well."

The Foreign Minister noted that the while the Morivaine response has been "measured and simply within its treaty commitments to Questers" that the Morivaine and Varnian responses "unfortunately do carry a small risk of encouraging further escalation" and urged that the major powers outside Alisna in particular be "patient and cautious" in responding to a "continental matter."

Less diplomatically, an anonymous Foreign Service source told SRR that the Foreign Ministry is "skeptical" that the deployment is a threat to Varnia's security and finds it "difficult" to work with Varnia's "somewhat inconsistent and passive-aggressive foreign policy". The Foreign Ministry refused to comment except to say that it "takes the issuing of unauthorised public statements seriously."

Defence Minister Arnman took several questions about the specifics of the Lagunian force in question, telling reporters that a Lagunian armoured division would comprise "roughly 250 tanks plus organic support" and noting that the deployment is "at least twice the size of our (Sondstead's) entire complement of tanks."

[Sondstead]

Mare Cup 2014: Morieux 1–1 Sondstead, 4–3 on penalties
Sondstead bloody Les Rouges, dragging Morieux to a penalty shootout but failing to advance

6 July 2014

---

Swen Ärtemssünr celebrates after his
surprise goal put Sondstead in the lead

Windstrand — Going into the quarter-final matchup, Sondsteadish fans were disheartened to face the incumbent world champions on home ground. Despite a loss, fans took the tough-fought match well and, paradoxically, came out satisfied.

Morieux opened strong, quickly going on the offensive, but, after facing off against three other teams with a strong offence focus, failed to crack a tough Sondsteadish defence. Morieux took five times as many shots as Sondstead and dominated possession throughout the first half. At halftime, Morieux switched to an unconventional, heavily offence-biased 2-4-4 formation, hoping to break through and take the lead.

However, the change also contributed to a weak Morivaine defence, which Gamal Karimi and Swen Ärtemssünr broke through, with Karimi's shot being blocked by Jean-Pierre Vincent. However, Ärtemssünr managed to intercept the ball as it rebounded, scoring at 75 minutes and putting Sondstead in the lead. By full time, netizens in both countries had expressed themselves; Sondsteadish Wikipedia had been edited to declare Gustaf Älexssünr Minister for Defence, while in the French-language edition visitors to Karimi's page redirected to that for consulate firebomber Ataullah ibn Kader and Morivaine keeper Vincent dubbed "Morieux's biggest failure since François René Tanguay".

In the first minute of injury time, Morieux dramatically equalised thanks to Philippe Saadé, forcing extra time. Sondstead focused on defence, only coming close to close to scoring at 100 minutes with a longshot attempt by Karimi which touched down somewhat short of the goal and was ably intercepted by Antoine Yacoud. Morieux had a much stronger chance at 107 minutes thanks to Saadé and Ibrahim Melki, which was narrowly saved by Älexssünr.

The match ultimately came down to penalty kicks. Karimi was first up, delighting the Sondsteadish fans by kicking the ball high and center over Vincent, followed by Saadé for Morieux, who hit also easily scored a point. Ärtemssünr took the next penalty, putting Sondstead ahead again, but Henri Renard quickly equalised, dramatically ricocheting the ball off the left post. Osgar Sarman's shot was blocked by Vincent, with Auguste DeRosier putting Morieux in the lead. Kristjan E̊sbjussunr equalised for Sondstead, but Ibrahim Melki quickly took back the lead, and Tom Markussunr missed a chance to keep the game going, kicking the ball off the crossbar.

After the game, the Sondsteadish fans and players were in remarkably good spirits for a loss, on the national holiday no less.

"At first, losing so narrowly made me feel worse," Ärtemssünr told reporters after the game. "But we played our best and brought the world champions to extra time and to a penalty shootout, which is no small achievement itself. Besides that, we are also their hosts, so we should be hospitable and keep our heads high."

[Sondstead]

SAP leadership candidates discuss defence, detente
Je̊nssunr and Sjole̊r express agreement on "more peaceful foreign policy", engagement with Questers

13 July 2014

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Windstrand — With only some two weeks until the party convention opens in Windstrand, the two main leadership candidates for Socialist Labour, Ändres Je̊nssunr and Antonia Sjole̊r, have frequently debated domestic policy, presenting differing arguments on pensions, trade unions, and welfare administration, but on SRR's Sündermörgen Forkost with Masego Hölejnkwist to discuss the SAP's foreign policy both were largely in agreement.

The focus of the discussion was clearly on the developing situation in Questers, where civil government has been restored and former dictator Marshall Richard Rawlinson reported to have been killed.

"We've seen clear indications that the new Questarian government intends to be more reasonable," Sjole̊r told Hölejnkwist in response to a question about her opinion of the still young civil government. "They have already signaled their intent to cut a quarter of their military budget. Their rhetoric towards Lagunia was concerning, but it was understandable and they expressed a willingness to address the matter multilaterally by negotiating with Berry and Sondstead. There are still problems but I am optimistic about engagement."

Responding to Sjole̊r, Je̊nssunr broadly agreed but took a somewhat more cautious and pessimistic tack.

"I agree with Mrs. Sjole̊r that a goal of an SAP government should be a more peaceful foreign policy, and diplomacy is always important, but keep in mind Questers has been very unstable and it still isn't clear what is going on, besides that there has been a power struggle. The standoff with Lagunia was deeply concerning and I hope both sides recognised after that the message the international community sent them; war is no longer the acceptable way to resolve disputes."

Both candidates also broadly agreed on opposition to the government's plans to embark on a large-scale update of the armed forces coupled with increases in the defence budget and and numbers of active duty troops. Both supported abolishing national service, which the government recently expanded to include women, and Sjole̊r stated she is in favour of cutting at least 12,000 active duty troops and $2 billion in defence expenditures.

[Sondstead]

Breaking: More than 200 dead in Pollona bombings
Truck bombs in southwestern province of Sazavou target barracks, hotel

14 July 2014

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Příštpo, Pollona — Two blasts went off shortly after eleven in the morning in the southwestern Pollonan port city of Příštpo today with more than 200 believed dead and hundreds more missing or injured in what is already the worst single terror attack in the country's history.

At 11:18 the first of two bombs, each containing an estimated tonne of explosives, was detonated at a marine barracks in the Příštpo Naval Base. Two minutes later a second bomb went off one kilometre away on a street in the city centre, near the Hotel Růže and former Navy offices at the Jerez Annex building. The Annex collapsed in the blast with debris striking pedestrians and motorists on the street and impacting the hotel and surrounding shops.

The attacks have shaken the country, which has enjoyed peace since the brutal suppression of the ethnic German uprising between the 1930s and 1950s.

"My whole family lives in Příštpo," one student told SRR in Liberec. "I tried to call my parents but couldn't get through. I'm just, just worried sick."

Almost before mourning the attacks, speculation began to swirl on social media about possible culprits; despite cautions from local authorities against reckless speculation Pollonan users quickly suggested the possibility of state terrorism on the part of Alpinia or Lagunia, particularly given the Příštpo base is slated to become a station for Prekovi submarines in the near future.

The Prime Minister's Office released a statement deploring the attacks as "an almost unprecedented terrorist act", expressing hope that Pollona will "swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice", and calling for Maredoratica to put politics aside in mourning. Prime Minister Lindkwist also invited Pollonan Ambassador Nicole Burget to attend an interfaith service to commemorate the victims at the First Arian Church in Asteriopol this Sunday.