Esquarium Today [Regional News, CLOSED]

[Pisdara]

15 April, 2016

---

First constitutional draft sent to Aininian National Assembly as debate rages on independence and free trade
Releasing its first draft on the possible constitution today, the Territorial Council is still out to lunch on the issue of outright independence. “The current drafts mentions a possible sovereignty-association agreement with the Aininian Republic, which is a re-evaluated examination of our current agreement, granting us autonomy and recognizing our sovereignty while accepting Aininian help in issues we as a smaller nation cannot supply. They in exchange secure our customs union and are awarded various free trade and visa agreements.” Stated Enmerkar Ibnatum, leader of the Liberal Party and proponent of the proposed system.

However, the notion of simply ‘re-evaluating’ Pisdara’s relationship with Ainin instead of a full push for independence has alerted many. “It won’t change anything”, stated Social Democracy deputy Ili Ikisham. “It will simply allow Ainin to economically dominate over us.” Labourers in the textile and other related industries have threatened to go on strike if the constitution is passed with the sovereignty-association clause intact. “I have made fabrics for over twenty years, in deplorable conditions.” Stated Tarkurtum Nigbau, a employee of an Ashuragar textile mill producing clothing for the Nevan-based Achrén Group, which operates on the island via an unnamed Aininian company. “We should be ending this, not encouraging it by allowing rich nations to use us as excess labour.” According to census statistics from 2010, 69 percent of those working in the industrial sector state their workspace ‘is or is approaching conditions internationally recognized as symptoms of a sweatshop’.

However, it is not only free trade that is a contentious issue with the new constitution, but the notion of an independent Pisdara itself, and the process the constitution is being approved by. According to the Liberal Party, which has championed the current draft, states that “an independent Pisdari state would be too economically unstable and unpopulated to warrant certain institutions, such as advanced medical care and higher education. Therefore, we need Ainin to help provide these services to our citizens”. Critics agree that Pisdara will ultimately need to seek international help in order to provide certain services to islanders, however they believe these agreements should not be enshrined into the constitution. “What if our relationship with Ainin sours and they reject to provide those services? Would we stumble into a constitutional crisis simply by just trying to find another state that can help us?” Asked an anonymous commenter. Others are still angered over the process in which the constitution is being approved. Officially, the Territorial Council sends the draft to the Aininian National Assembly, which must approve the document by a majority vote. Failure to do so would see another draft emerge to be voted on. Many critique the lack of local representation as an issue, and have recently called for the process to occur via a island-wide referendum. Although the Territorial Council has not officially taken a stance on this particular issue, Citizen-Protector and Governor Alain Bergeron stated that “a referendum occurring after the draft is approved by the National Assembly is possible”.

To view the current draft of the constitution sent to the National Assembly, please click here.

---

[FreYhill]

---

Shes back
Former Prime Minister Mangjol Chihye confirmed as Liberal candidate for Gangbaek Metro
Pae Yong Chol, The Freyhillian | Posted: 16 April 2016 8:26 AM FST|

---

TOP STORIES

---

Queen Elis of Katrnjiev
causes Aininian outrage

---

Cédric Liet is sworn in
as Prime Consul of Francilie

---

Pisdara sends constitution
to Aininian National
Assembly.

---

Chia Bovang suggests
sanctions on Luziyca within
Namorese Central Council

---

Luziycan Government files
injunction on Nantainese
referendum

Former Freyhillian Prime Minister Mangjol Chihye representing the Commonwealth in the Council of Esquarium

---

- (Goldglass, Freyhill) With 2016 Federal Elections drawing a near close, the major parties of the Commonwealth (Liberal/National Coalition, Labor and One Nation) are working endlessly to appoint candidates for unfilled electorates before the ballot deadline is met by the electoral commission. With The Liberal/National Coalition announcing multiple candidates for electorates currently held by Labor, the race is on for a strong swing across the nation against the Labor Party, whom is loosing their momentum fast. Since the resignation of former Prime Minister Mangjol Chihye, the electorate of Gangbaek Metro has been highly hostile when it comes to elections; with constituents voting for another candidate repeatedly since the 2000 Federal Elections. During today's Liberal/National Coalition, prominent figures within the establishment such as Mats Lundgren and Lucas Widforss pledged to bring back stability to many hostile electorates, with the Liberal party announcing multiple candidates that are said to bring "a strong voice that will be listened to by the coalition establishment." Mangjol Chihye was one of the announced candidates for the coalition, ending the strong suspicion that she will run for her former electorate Gangbaek Metro in a positive.

Odds in favor:
With Gangbaek Metro being a hostile electorate since 2000 Federal Elections, Mangjol Chihye has been urged by its constituents to make a political comeback to reinstate stability with a strong political voice. Mangjol has been ahead on multiple polls after the announcement of her candidacy, giving the Liberal/National Coalition a hopeful secure in its once strong safehold. Although that Mangjol's comeback shows prosperity for the future of Gangbaek, Labor will be very nervous to see whether their Shadow Minister for Education will hold onto the electorate. With Mangjol being the candidate of the Liberal party for Gangbaek Metro, Lundgren could be protected from the threat of opposition from the first 2016 Federal Elections.

Cabinet spot:
With Mangjol Chihye holding multiple portfolios within the cabinet before receiving the Prime Ministership, Chihye is expected to take part of Lundgren's first ministry, however this is yet to be confirmed by the Liberal establishment. Whilst in Federal Diet, Chihye was the minister of Education, Minister for Social Services and The Minister for Immigration and Border - multiple prospects for Mangjol Chihye in the Lundgren administration.

[Lyonsland]

---

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

---

Deputy PM announces independent commission into Lyonsland's electoral system
Bartt Frellin says change is needed in the wake of "disproportional" Esquarian election results

---

---

Following up on the results of the Esquarian elections last weekend, dubbed by many pundits as "the most disproportional election in Lyonese history", the Deputy Prime Minister has announced the establishment of an independent royal commission into the country's electoral system. The commission, headed by Lord Macdirmidd of the Supreme Court, will examine Lyonsland's electoral process on both a federal and provincial level as well as the legislative system currently put in place for both of Lyonsland's houses of parliament.

It follows the controversial results of Lyonsland's Esquarian elections last weekend, in which parties who got similar results ended up with drastically different seat numbers. Despite a margin of just 9,000 votes (out of 33.65 million cast overall) between the SDP and DFP, the SDP had one seat more than the DFP. The Unity Party had a 2% vote share lead over the Patriotic Front, despite the fact the Patriotic Front won 2 more seats than Unity. While the Greens were only ahead of the Centre Alliance (Bartt Frellin's party) be a mere 500,000 votes, they still managed to get three seats more than the Centre Alliance, who were wiped out seat-wise. The vote/seat discrepancy in this election has renewed calls for a more proportional method of voting.

Lyonsland currently uses single transferable vote (STV) for all federal, provincial and local elections. While this is classified as a form of proportional representation, many still claim the method, and its 3-seat-per-constituency rule for the federal parliament, is still bias towards the larger parties and can still easily produce disproportional results. Similar sentiments have been raised by Green Party leader Naya Tahtinen and Socialist Party leader Garitt Hegenn.

The commission will also look at other important issues regarding the electoral system other than the form of voting. One of them is the issue of Sashausen representation for the overseas territories. At present, the residents of overseas territories do not have a vote in federal elections, but do have elections to their territorial councils as well as local elections, the latter being synchronized with local elections on the mainland. Territorial enfranchisement for federal elections has been a major topic of discussion in the territories of St. Brigid & Tausiga, Jarkvensa and Carrig don Fynnictacc. Another issue the commission will examine is the size of parliament. The Sashausen has 810 delegates, making it the third largest directly-elected legislature in the world. Anti-Establishment Movement leader Sara Tommhilss has referred to the size of the parliament as a "pit of bureaucracy".

While the commission announcement has been welcomed by various parties and figures, the Centre Alliance's senior government partner, the Democratic Progressives, have reportedly dissed the commission. The party, which won 365 seats out of 810 in the 2013 election, is likely to be afraid of a new system in the case that it may make a repeat of their 2013 election result impossible. Damien Dujll, political analyist for the Araltt broadsheet, says that the commission could be a "divisive issue for the coalition in its final year".

The members of the commission will be announced next week, and is expected to then invite for public submissions. The commission will announce its recommendations in June and a lengthy legislative process and debate is to begin following the report. If the final bill succeeds in parliament, it is likely to come into force before the next federal election, scheduled for next summer.

News In Brief

---

#Pisdara: First constitutional draft for an independent Pisdara sent to Ainin's National Assembly
#Lejonbhicss: The nation's favourite TV event take place tonight - the songs
#CdEVI: Calls for Lyonsland to boycott "corrupt" Livancian tournament
#EP16: The region-wide results

[The Jahistic Unified Republic]

Zheng Boycotts CdE
Announces International Open Tournament

Amid recent allegations of corruption in the awarding of the Sixth Esquarian Cup to the Emirate of Livancia by the Esquarian Football Association, Premier Zheng Zhuli joined many other nations in boycott of the Cup. Allegations include bribery by the Emir of the previously unheard of nation to secure the awarding of the Cup.

Zheng Zhuli announced that he and the Jahistic Union Games Committee (JUGC) would organize a football tournament for the protesting nations, now called the International Open Tournament. Any nation may send their national team to this Tournament so as long as they don't play in the Esquarian Cup for this edition.

This Tournament will not have the endorsement of the Esquarian Football Association or the Esquarian Games Committee. Zheng is on record as saying that he wants "Six or Eight" nations to show up at a point, for a brief tournament.

[Livancia]

THE EMIR REBUTS ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION IN CDE

His Royal Highness, Emir Yaqoob iben Rushdi

MINAKBIR, KHUSUBA GOVERNORATE - The Emir has made a public speech today following the controversies regarding the awarding of the sixth edition of the Coupe d'Esquarium to the Emirate of Livancia. The speech was aired live on national television, following news of the boycott of the Coupe d'Esquarium by Ziegenhain, Francilie, and the Jahistic Union.

The Emir's speech
In his speech, that was broadcast on Royal Livancian Television, the Emir stated that "In recent days, nations have been boycotting the Coupe d'Esquarium on completely baseless allegations that there has been corruption in the bidding process."

"However, these allegations are completely and blatantly untrue," the Emir declared. "Nations who plan to boycott due to the so-called 'corruption' are hiding their real motives: they are boycotting due to the fact that we are the first Muslim nation to ever host a Coupe d'Esquarium, and because we never participated before in the Coupe d'Esquarium."

He then said that "We would like all those who plan on or are boycotting the CdE to reconsider their hasty and ill-advised decisions, and compete in this edition of the CdE."

"That said, we will keep politics out of the Coupe d'Esquarium, " the Emir stated. "We will do everything we can to prevent violence in our home turf, and we will make sure that everyone has a great time this edition. To all the fans of this game, I will reiterate the motto: Fair and peaceful. We want this game to be fair, and we want it to be free of violence. That is all!"

The reaction
The head of the Royal Livancian Football Association, Ġwann iben Maharib stated in a press release after the speech of the Emir that "there has been no corruption in the bidding process," and urged the Esquarian Football Association to implement "stiff penalties to nations who choose to boycott the CdE and participate in the Unolian International Open Tournament."

In Minakbir, many people have clamored in support of the Emir's speech, and Iben Maaharib's press release. On the street, we found plenty of supporters:

A 21-year old woman, Zahra bint Yusuf said that "I am thankful that our first CdE shall be held in our home soil. I don't care how we were able to get it, but I am thankful to Allah that we got it at all."
A 33-year old man, Mohammed iben Mohammed stated that "If there was corruption, we'd know right away. I've heard that the Emir is an honest person and a real nice guy."

Even in Belt tal-Lvant, lots of people were supportive: Jims iben Andru, a Christian Livancian footballer who played for FC Belt tal-Lvant from 1994 to 2006 said that "this boycott is complete and utter nonsense. Nations who participate should get some penalty for doing that."

[Fascesia]

17.04.2016

---

Divided opinions on growing rightist parties all over the EC

Holère – The Grand-Océan territory which is neighbouring Fascesia is obivously a part of the Federal Consulate of Francilie. Because of the local EC parliamental elections it became conspciuous that its populace tolerates and even is in approval of nationalist politics. Cédric Liet has won the race and is now in charge of the nation. But Francilie does not stand alone: In many other EC member states right-wing parties are on the rise e.g. Arkiasis, Crolacia, Freyhill and Ainin. This trend has become notable and is being discussed by many parties throughout Fascesia, partially very emotionally.

The left-wing coalition Nouvel Avenir regards the international events with great disappointment. Dominique Beutler, chairman of the Radical Democratic Party, commented:“It is very regettable that the citizens of the affected nations chose the easy way, the way of the accusation of others, instead of admitting their own faults and straightening them out with long-term solutions. The right can pull uninformed voters on their side with short, gripping sentences and paroles, while these who want to inform people with social, objective and humane methods must work long and hard to acheive theit goals. Nevertheless we can’t do anything but accept these elections as a result of democratic process.“

The moderate right appears to be very pleased by the results, while the extreme right sees the outcome with a more perspective view. Fascist NWPF president Vincent Martin stated in a press conference:“The time had to come where people realize that many problems come from the oustide. Uncontrolled immigration, extreme liberalization of society and the undermining of traditional values were identified and now it’s important for them to eradicate these problems. But conservatives cannot crack down on them quickly and efficiently enough in modern democracies. This lack of rigorosity will make people unhappy with their policies and in the end it will lead to deselection.“

Also worrying is the behaviour of the ruling National Central Union. Whereas the right-wing advocates of the militaristic party are appreciating the growth of the rightists throughout Esquarium and are pleading for more international cooperation with them, the left-wingers see the increasing strength of conservative nationalists as a threat to well-being and security of the whole region. Daniel Verbier, representative of the so-called <Roots-Socialauthoritarianism Movement> within the NCU sees the case as follows:“A good dose of patriotism is vital for every nation. If the love of one’s country turns into nationalism through xenophobe agitation and scaremongering it would be an alarming development and this is what’s happening right now. This is another example for citizens not having the right in their mind…“

Ex-member of the now defunct NPFW and current NCU general-minister of internal affairs Jean-Pierre de la Frédéricie views the issue positively:“Revolutions don’t have to take place militarily all the time, as you can see in most election results today. In Fascesia, extreme capitalism was the arch-enemy for a long time, what lead to the merger of both left and right-wing anti-capitalists, who then showed the old system what the people thought of it. Now, in democratic EC nations not capitalism is the enemy, but rather growing liberalization and exorbitant immigration. And to fight these problems citizens elected representatives, who will resolve these issues. Back in the day of the regime we hadn’t had this opportunity. That’s why these people should be very happy that they acheived such a great thing through democracy.“

The left and the right are once more split. This time even the normally homogenous appearing NCU is not sure how to react. What’s next? What are the next steps of the government? We don’t know that yet, but certain is: As soon as something happens, we will report as fast and as neutral as we can!

-Your Gaston Delaville

Other Stories

---

>Planned military exercises near the Sandhelm/Grand-Océan border - More military taxes? - Reasons the National Legions must be cut down to size
>Boycotts following CDE in Livancia - Fascesia never intended to participate - But why?
>Pisadaran independence - Reasons why Fascesia has to help - Not only because of beach parties
>German separatists plan rallies - Self-determination is good, separatism is bad - Here's why we have to seek other solutions
>Miss Fascesia 2016 - From panties to parties - See what the girls are telling us

[Vajorr]

---

ELECTION 2016: PARTIES LOOK TO FEDERAL ELECTION.
Winning parties look to consolidate their votes while the losers look to make a comeback.

HAUSTADT - The EC elections saw a dramatic loss for the establishment parties and a surge for all brands of populists. The Liberals and Social Democrats each saw a dramatic ten-point drop according to the final results by GM. They only managed to scoop up 19 and 18 percent respectively. In the wake, the National Front, Conservatives, and the New Democrats surged ahead with stunning results. If the outcome were to translate directly into the Federal Elections next week, the nation would experience the most dramatic electoral shift in 48 years.

The major winners were the National Front, Conservatives, and the New Democrats; collectively known as the People’s Parties Völkerparteien, nicknamed for their populist platforms. The elections for the Parliament of the Esquarium Community were the first major test for these parties and they have completely excelled. The New Democrats won the lion’s share of the three parties, winning 3.8 million votes or 12 percent and four new seats. “We thank the people of this great country for supporting us,” Jörg Maus, the party leader said in a press conference. “Our victory is a statement by the Vajorrian people that they are the tired of the establishment running the country. They want to see a party that does not discriminate against any Vajorrians; one that protects the multinational country that we are.” Aside from their broad liberal label, New Democrats are frequently criticized as ideologically incoherent and difficult to categorize due to their catch all nature. However they promote major ecological, direct-democratic, and populist themes.

The two other parties, the Conservatives and the National Front represent the resurgence of Vajorrian nationalism. The Conservatives won 2.9 million votes or ten percent and a total of four seats. An esquariseptic party, it opposes Vajorr’s ascension to international organizations such as the Esquarian Community and the Nordianian League. Its social policies are conservative; it calls for the recriminalization of soft drugs, restrictions on abortions, and tougher stances on crime. However their free market economic policies are more in line with the Liberals instead. Arguably the most infamous party, the far-right National Front scored 2.6 million votes or 8.7 percent of the vote, earning a total of 3 seats. The Front displays extreme anti-immigration policies as well as national conservative and nationalistic elements. The most controversial stance of the party is its views on the Vajorrian Commonwealth; the Front states that the constituent country system should be scrapped and that Sønderland and Suji Fellen should be denied the ability to secede from Vajorr.

Support for the Liberals and the Social Democrats have been tanking for over a year. Traditionally they represented the two main dominant factions in the National Council; social democracy and free market liberalism. However since the 2008 election the threat of international terrorism, economic troubles, and Sønderlandic nationalism has generated increasing uncertainty. Since then, both parties have been trying to regain support across the country. “Chancellor Kopf will appear in last Federal Debate on Monday,” a spokesperson for the Liberal Party stated. “She will represent her party and her voters before the other candidates.” He declined to state in detail what are the Liberal’s strategy to sway votes in their favor in such a short time. “The party will continue inform voters about its principles and policies up into the election.” Meanwhile, the Social Democrats has a slightly different tactic, “We still stand for the values of social justice and equal opportunity but the electorate is changing and we will change with them.” Both parties are polling at both 19 percent, the lowest for both parties in fifty years. Many experts predict that 45th Council will be one of the most fractured in recent history. In fact, not just Vajorrian politics are fractured, but Sønderlandic politics as well.

According to polling by the Northern Journal, unionist and separatist parties are virtually tied in the polls. In addition the population is evenly split as well on the subject of Sønderlandic independence. In addition to their elections for their State Council in June, Sønderland has to elect 35 seats to the National Council. In addition to the traditional left-right political axis, the political parties are also divided whether they want independence (separatists) or continued union with Vajorr (unionists). The centre-left Social Democrats and the centre-right Union both support the status quo. Meanwhile the Progressive Party, Republic, and Independence Party support Sønderlandic independence. The Progressives work on a catch-all basis similar to the New Democrats, except that they espouse ethno-nationalism; in fact they consider themselves resident Vjaarlandics than Sønderlandics. The right-wing Independence Party shares many policy similarities with the Vjaarlandic National Party, and they support unification with Vjaarland. The Republic party are democratic socialists and support an independent Sønderlandic state from both Vajorr and Vjaarland. Union and Independence are expected to snatch 7 seats, Social Democrats and Republic 6, and Progressives 4.

[Pavonistade]

NEWS IN BRIEF
Date: April 17, 2016

Pavonistade to participate in CdE VI, attacks allegations

Logo of CdE VI, to be
held in Livancia

The Pavonistadian Government confirmed that the Pavonistadian Fearless will be sent over to participate in the next Coupe d'Esquarium, despite abstentions from previous CdE participants.

The sixth edition of the international association football tournament is to be held in Livnacia, making the CdE the first to be held in a Muslim country. Minister of Recreation Vonna Merrens announced Pavonistade will participate in CdE VI. However multiple countries, including Francilie, Ziegenhain, and the Ocelot Isles, are to boycott the CdE due to risks, concerns, and allegations of corruption.

Emir Yaqoob iben Rushdi responded to allegations and boycotts by calling countries to "reconsider their hasty and ill-advised decisions, and compete in this edition of the CdE." President Yksteldehs Oppenheim recently targeted abstaining countries, saying that "each country has the right not to take part in the CdE, but reasoning abstention with unproven and irrational elements is preposterous."

-Read full article-

---

President Oppenheim announces bid for 2017 election

President Oppenheim

In a press conference in the Presidential Palace, President Yksteldehs Oppenheim declared he will be running for presidency in the upcoming 2017 election.

Carrying out a speech in the president's workpalce and residence, President Oppenheim stated that "our country needs a president that will advocate for its people and lead them through a period of uncertainty." He mentioned numerous subjects and events, such as the economic recession, refugee crises, and surge of nationalism in other countries. In response to difficulties, he declared he "will oversee the generations of today and tomorrow."

"It is now that we build a contemporary Pavonistade, and I will lead that building," President Oppenheim wrapped up.

Oppenheim is the first to announce candidacy for the 2017 election. It is expected the other presidential nominees that ran in the 2013 election will return for the next one. The 2017 election will have significance as it will be the first federal election in which Millennials born in the 21st century will be able to directly participate.

-Read full article-

Share these stories with:

---

Other Recent Reports

• Vajorr | Country prepares for federal election following EC counterpart
• CdE VI | A look into which countries are in or out of the next CdE
• INTERPROS | Hacktivist group continues to hit PCG and other "extremists"

[Luziyca]

---

A spark of new racial war?

Mayor Di Cosso of Firenze

FIRENZE, LOMBARDIA - Today, Firenze Mayor Tizio Di Cosso was shot as he was exiting the St. Giacomo Cathedral at 12:15 pm WST by a 22-year old Shudri man, named Gregari De Riggi. Tizio was taken to hospital where he died at 3:02 pm. Gregari De Riggi was charged with first-degree murder by the Firenze Police Department, and De Riggi has admitted that he did it, saying that "My murder was revenge for the unjust murder of [Schiavo] Padyatri."

Already, reports are coming in that mobs have began to march through the Shudri neighborhoods, smashing windows and hurling insults and abuse towards the Shudri residents of the neighborhoods. Some allege that members of the Firenze Police are actively participating in the mobs, or at least "standing by" and letting the mob serve their revenge.

A mob member, 25-year old Ivone D'Arco said that "For centuries, we have tolerated letting those goddamned gyps live here and take our jobs, our resources and our welfare. In exchange for our generosity, they murder our mayor, Tizio Di Cosso! We must put them in their place, and drive them out of Firenze until not even their bodies are left!"

When asked by reporters about the unfolding situation, the Acting Mayor of Firenze, Lea De Santis, just shrugged and said in an apathetic tone that "It [the riots] was inevitable and unavoidable. There's nothing we can do about it, except let nature take its course."

More as the story develops.

[West Cedarbrook]

Sports Central

Chief Nacirema Unretired: Kansky Gives Clearance to Field First CdE Team Since 1993

Here Comes Chief Nacirema!

Meanwhile, in soccer activity, External Affairs Kansky's office announced this afternoon approval for the West Cedarbrook Chiefs to attend this year's Coupe d'Esquarium in the Emirate of Livancia. There has been controversy surrounding the nation's hosting of the event, mostly regarding security for visiting teams and fans. This marks the first time in 23 years that the Kramden will be fielding a team, after agressive pursuit of corporate sponsorship by Coach Jackie Gutman proved successful in enlisting pledges from Atilenia Hotels, Tremonsky Beverages, and many other consumer oriented firms. Viewership is expected to be considerable in Port Yehoshua and parts of Coastal State, and Cedarbrookese team members are eager to compete under the Blue and White. It has also drawn the attention of several college standouts, who've put on hold their plans to enter the draft elswhere in Conitia and as far away as Daecon. The External Affair's memo announcing clearance for the Chief's participation pointed out that "Emir Yaqoob iben Rushdi has publicly assured all participants that extraordinary preparations have been made for team and fan safety, and our inspectors in Livanica have verified that. Of course, we are advising Chiefs fans to comport themseves well, in respect to the host country's laws and traditions. But overall, we think this should be a great event for soccer fans in the Kramden.

And Go Chiefs!"

Reached at Western Wrycova College of the Arts' Blizney Training Center, Coach Gutman told Sports Central "This is just great! The boys have been looking forward to international participation for a long time, and we hope this will really be a boost for soccer in the Kramden.

Chiefs Return for First Time in 23 Years

We've had our problems, and a lot of men's college programs have fallen by the wayside in the last couple of decades. But for those who've stuck with it, it's a real opportunity. I know all the board members on the West Cedarbrook National Club and Intercollegiate Soccer Association can't wait to get to Livancia and see what the Chiefs can do in real world-wide competition. And we're hoping this will draw enough fans to the West Cedarbrook 1 Sports' coverage to prove to potential sponsors that a revival of the Kramden Soccer League would be a possibility. From what I've heard, a good showing could be enough to get one, maybe two teams going in Port Yehoshua, and in Ironton. Throw in a few more, probably in Wrycova, maybe in Fairmount and Fort Joseph, and we may be able to bring back a spark of interest to the Kramden. Many thanks to Secretary Kansky in giving the Chiefs a go-ahead".

End to end coverage of Chiefs Soccer will be provided live on West Cedarbrook 1's Sports International Channel.

[Pisdara]

19 April, 2016

---

Protests grow as textile workers march on Ashuragar

600 textiles workers joined the protesters in Ashuragar today,
calling for a re-evaluation of the constitution on economic
terms.

In a show of solidarity, six-hundred textile workers throughout Pisdara entered Ashuragar in order to join the protesters rallying against the current constitutional draft being debated in the Aininian National Assembly. United against the free trade agreements and perceived neoliberal connotations of the document, the arriving demonstrators began to march towards the Territorial Assembly, shouting slogans of “for labour, for all” and calls towards others to unionize their workplaces in order to fight the economic consequences of the new constitution.

The protests have grown even larger since the first draft of the Pisdari constitution was released, and included those from both the left and the right. Issues span from economic independence to the full sovereign independance of Pisdara, and the form in which to draft is being processed. Police now count the amount of protesters regularly in Ashuragar to be around 2,700. More on the situation as it develops.

---

Pisdara to debut at Coupe d’Esquarium
After a series of meetings and conferences, the Pisdari Football Association confirmed today it will field its first ever ‘national’ team to compete in the fifth annual Coupe d’Esquarium in Livancia. The competition will be the first time at a major sporting event that Pisdara is independently represented. Previously, Pisdari athletes have competed under the Aininian teams, due to a lack of funding for an island-wide team. The PFA, founded in 2014, are currently in the process of holding tryouts and finding a stadium in Ainin in which they can properly train for the Coupe.

---

[Namor]

Shohai Antelope sworn in as Namor's 11th President-General
Kicks off presidency with appeal to "new revolutionary values"

April 20, NMR 2378

---

Shohai Antelope at his inauguration speech

NAMO, CAPITAL DISTRICT - After swearing the Oath of Office to the President of the Supreme People's Court, Shohai Antelope is now the 11th President-General of the People's Republic of Namor.

Six million people attended Antelope's inauguration - the highest attendance since Fu Wen's inauguration in NMR 2368. Millions more followed the inauguration on national television. But this is not very surprising, as President-Generals who are sworn in for the very first time tend to draw larger audiences.

Antelope appeared in the inauguration with his wife, First Lady Shang Ha, his two children, Haili and Kaivu, and running mate and vice president Long Jiao-Che. A few members of the President-General's family, including Shohai's father Txo Antelope, uncle Tzang Antelope and cousin Feipao Antelope, were present.

Prior to the inauguration, Antelope had met with outgoing President-General Fu Wen in the last meeting before Fu formally steps down from office. The two conversed in front of the Executive House, which will be the new President-General's residence for the next five years at least.

Following the meeting, Fu issued his last address as President-General.

"Once again, I wish Shohai the best of luck in administering the People's Republic. May he work well with the people and may this country continue to prosper under his watch. As for myself, I thank everyone for having supported me in my ten years in office. It was a pleasure to serve the Namorese people. I will never forget you," he said.

After leaving office, Fu will return to his hometown in Hoy Phong. He plans to redouble his philanthropy and chair a group focused on promoting food safety.

Antelope: Namor should be "a beacon of progress"

Shohai Antelope held an optimistic tone throughout his inauguration speech. He noted the "various challenges facing our country and the world at large today," namely growing frustration with the "current order," the rise of "fearmongers" and people's shrinking confidence in their future.

"A lot of people are mad for a lot of reasons. They want their problems solved immediately. That's why the elements of fear are growing in strength, both at home and abroad. They are the only ones who have the audacity to tell others that they have what it takes to ensure a better future for all. Unfortunately, they really don't, and those that actually do are not speaking up. This is what we have to do. We have to speak up and boldly proclaim that we, too, have our ideas and we believe our ideas are better for us.

"Our problems do not come from the heavens. The same is likewise true with our solutions. They're right here. This is a collective effort. If we really want to solve today's problems, we must look within ourselves."

In "uncertain times," Namor should be "a beacon of progress," Antelope said.

"Our job as a beacon of progress is not to lead the way, but to prove that sanity lives on, right here and right now. We can do it, and we will do it."

New administration will promote "new revolutionary values"

Antelope alluded to the "revolutionary values that guided Namor's people in the War of Resistance [against Chorea] and the Civil War."

"Recently, we've had people say these values are better off discarded. No, they are not better off discarded, and my administration will place them back to where they rightfully belong. The founders of our People's Republic designed our values in a way that they can be flexible with the times. Our national motto, which contains these values, is not a motto from NMR 2290, but a motto from NMR 2378, NMR 2379, NMR 2380 and so forth.

"And that motto reads: Freedom, Peace, Democracy, Progress, Unity."

Namor Reacts

For the most part, attendants of Antelope's inauguration say they share the new President-General's optimism.

"It's great to have a new leader in Namo," said Yu Fang, a student from Namo University who came to Liberation Square to witness a presidential inauguration for the first time. "Whether you agree with him or not, it's a fresh start for all of us. I, for one, have high hopes for him. He's going to tackle some of the pressing issues of today."

63 year-old Chu Yi, a Defensive Counterattack veteran and self-described diehard supporter of the Liberationists, was also at the inauguration.

"I hope he toughens up on the Luzzies, they're especially vile. The last President-General's been sucking up to them for too long," he told PTH.

Still, some cynics in the square dismissed Antelope as another politician.

"People say he's better than Fu. Right on! Five years later he'll be kicked out of office, mark my words," a man said to PTH when asked about his thoughts about the inauguration.

---

Other News

---

• Twitter Wars getting out of control? Txo Antelope says yes - In an opinion piece, former Liberationist party leader Txo Antelope said the rise in spats between world leaders on social media is "becoming a global epidemic."
• Shudri man shoots Firenze mayor - Mayor of Firenze Tizio Di Cosso was shot by a man who claimed the murder was committed to avenge the death of Schiavo Padyatri.
• Numerous countries boycott CdE in Livancia - Citing allegations of corruption and security concerns, numerous countries said they will not send their national teams to compete in the Coupe D'Esquarium in Livancia. However, the Emir of Livancia denied that corruption was involved in the bidding process.
• What will Shohai Antelope do in his first days as President-General? - PTH brings forth a panel of commentators to explore what the Antelope administration will do as it begins its first day in power.

[Luziyca]

Racial riots break out in Firenze

A fiery scene in Firenze

FIRENZE, LOMBARDIA - Last night, riots broke out between the Shudri community and the Lombardian community following the murder of Firenze Mayor Tizio Di Cosso. At 6 pm Lombardian time, police chief Barnaba Panciera said that "about 25 people were killed, and about 250 people were injured in the riots."

Since the murder of Mayor Tizio Di Cosso by 22-year old Gregari De Riggi, angry mobs have been going through Shudri neighborhoods, throwing Molotov cocktails at Shudri houses and looting Shudri businesses. Footage has shown some Firenze police officers in uniform actively participating in the looting, or helping lead demonstrations.

39-year old Shudri man Iginio Padyatri, uncle of the deceased Schiavo Padyatri said that "the police cars were leading a bunch of angry men: armed with molotov cocktails, some armed with guns, and all marching to exact revenge. The police clearly cannot keep us safe." He added that "the police knocked on our doors and ordered to let them in: we had no choice but to do so, or we'd risk being shot dead."

Iginio lost his 3-year old daughter to lynch mobs, with Iginio stating that "one of the cops just strangled my daughter: it took her several minutes of agony before she finally left this Earth." His wife and seven-year old son were elsewhere during the incident. The house where they resided in was burned to the ground.

However, Firenze Police Department chief Baranaba Panciera stated that "the allegations that our police officers are actively participating in this Shudri-perpetrated incident is ridiculous. We are not leading lynch mobs: to the contrary, we are trying to keep a full-fledged massacre from happening here, and we're trying to keep things from escalating."

In Yerevan, Chief Executive Arcibaldo Mattiace condemned the riots and criticized Acting Mayor Lea di Santis for "refusing to take a strong stance to condemn this heinous crime against the Shudri," and condemned Baranaba Panciera's statements for being "pure and utter lies," when compared to the video evidence that have been uploaded.

The Chief Executive has issued a mass arrest warrant, targeting the Acting Mayor, the Firenze City Council, the Firenze Police Department, and around 2,000 suspects, and has warned that "a state of emergency might be declared in the Firenze Metropolitan Area if things continue to deteriorate."

In other news

• Namor - Shohai Antelope sworn in, President Sera Svensson congratulates him
• Nantai - Courts approve of injunction, referendum postponed sine die
• Pisdara - Elis states that "human rights can only be guaranteed if labor rights are protected."
• Pavonistade - Incumbent President to run for another term

[The Ocelot Isles]

Sinhako Veshchaniya Pradhikarana
Sinakes Autoritas debakting
Sinhako Broadcasting Authority

---

Sinhako (and others) responds to race riots in Firenze

Vehicles pictured were ablaze in the Firenze riots.

PRASANTA, SINHAKO - Dasta Andolana founder Johannes Sikari and interim president Helga Duta were among the Sinhakese that were quick to address the Shudriphobic riots that have erupted in Firenze. The violence, which already claimed more than a dozen dead, led to condemnations from Lombardians and Sinhakese, but it was not long before rabid support was given to the hooliganism.

Tensions between the Shudri and the Lombardians escalated after the mayor of Firenze, Tizio Di Cosso, was shot by a Shudri name by the name of Gregari De Riggi. He was hospitalized before he died at 3:02 pm local time, and the gunman claimed that his killing was "revenge for the unjust murder of [Schiavo] Padyatri." Racist mobs then assembled and entered Shudri neighborhoods to vandalize and terrorize the local Shudri populace.

As the violence built up, acting mayor Lea De Santis shrugged it off while reports of police misconduct appeared. Eventually Firenze devolved into riots in which the Shudri and Lombardians clashed, resulting in about 25 dead and 250 injured at the time Firenze police chief Barnaba Panciera made a report on the situation. Chief Executive Arcibaldo Mattiace denounced the riots and apprised the public of a possible state of emergency. Among the affected was Schiavo Padyatri's uncle Iginio, whose daughter was ruthlessly killed by a police officer.

Not long after the onset of the ongoing race riots, interim President Helga Duta severely criticized the hooligans. She said that while "Gregari De Riggi did not have any valid justification to murder the mayor of Firenze, the riots in Firenze are beyond degrading and inhumane. A Shudri killing of a Lombardian is horrendous, but a riotous genocide against Shudris - most of whom are innocent - does far worse than undermining basic dignity. [...] I can only hope that peace will quickly return to the terribly-torn city."

Johannes Sikari also condemned the rioters, calling them "nothing more than murderous racists oriented only towards the destruction of the Shudri people." He added that this riot "highlights the necessity for the right to return and the right to freedom from racism." Markos Putrivaya and Durga D'Arpino made limited remarks towards the rioters, either Shudri or Lombardian, and have called for dialogue between the two sides to at least resolve the worst of the tensions. D'Arpino also contacted Iginio Padyatri, the cousin of Schiavo Padyatri, to express sorrow for the loss of his daughter to the heartless mobs.

However, there was support for the race riots and the killing of Shudris. The Purity Congress was one of the sympathizers of the rioting mobs; its leader, Valdis Kortchens, vowed that his organization "will offer unconditional support to the proud Lombardians that are rising up to defend themselves, avenge the death of a fellow Lombardian, and resist the dirty Shudri." It is unknown if any Purity Congress members are participating in the race riots, though it is very possible that they will follow their bigoted leader in opposing the Shudri, especially through violent means. It is also known that certain non-PCG Ocelotian nationalists are sympathizing with the rioting Lombardians but only a few would advocate extreme acts seen in the riots.

As yet there has been no reports of Sinhakese or Ocelotian casualties.

[Luziyca]

Svensson to deploy military in riot-torn city

Another fiery scene in Firenze

FIRENZE, LOMBARDIA - President Sera Svensson has announced that in her position as Commander-in-Chief of the Luziycan Armed Forces, that she will deploy the Luziycan Army to Firenze to restore order and co-operate with the Lombardian Police to execute the arrest warrants issued by Arcibaldo Mattiace to the local police, city council, and around two thousand suspects.

Sera Svensson said that "The city of Firenze, from the news footage, seems like a war-torn city: our immediate priority is to restore the peace here, and then our next focus is to investigate the root causes of the problem, and to prevent riots like this from occurring again."

Already, countless officials have condemned it: interim Sinhakese President Helga Duta has condemned the riots and murders, while the opposition leader in Sinhako, Johannes Sikari has condemned the riots.

In the city, Acting Mayor Lea di Santis said to reporters that "to be honest, this riot was instigated by the damned gypsies living in their ghettoes. They are going around to our neighborhoods and attacking us. We are defending ourselves from them." She stated that "about 15 Lombardians were killed, and about 105 gyps were slain. I assume about 3,000 were wounded."

Police Chief Baranaba Panciera released the count, stating that "14 Lombardians were killed, and 124 gypsies. 2,483 were wounded as of one o' clock this afternoon." He urged for "peace and calm," and ordered the police to be mobilized to crack down on the riots.

More as the story develops.

In other news

• Namor - Shohai Antelope sworn in, President Sera Svensson congratulates him
• Nantai - Courts approve of injunction, Nantai status referendum postponed sine die
• Pisdara - Elis states that "human rights can only be guaranteed if labor rights are protected."
• Pavonistade - Incumbent President to run for another term

[Qianrong]

Because modern news media is already a fiasco

---

Ecgwulf Oswinessunu, Narsete la Via, Cedric Liet, and Charlotte Durrough were
among the far-rightists whose inflammatory rhetoric was being considered.

CALIPHATE RECRUITERS STRUGGLING TO DECIDE WHICH FAR-RIGHTISTS TO INCLUDE IN NEW RECRUITMENT VIDEO
November 3rd, 2015 - Ragobad, Kraq - Growing increasingly tired and frustrated as they pored through several hours worth of speeches, hundreds of pages of campaign advertisements, and more than two thousand tweets, members of the Islamist militant group known as the Caliphate confirmed they were "really struggling" to decide who to quote in a soon-to-be-released recruitment video aimed at radicalizing Muslims living in Nordania, Velkia, Artisia, with the words of several dozen individuals being considered for inclusion in the video.

"It's well-known that most Muslims from outside Nautarya that become mujahideen, whether they join groups like us or conduct 'lone wolf' attacks, were pushed to radicalization by the rhetoric of Islamophobic people and groups," Caliphate recruiter Ibrahim ar-Ramadi told Trang Vai reporters earlier today. "This makes Nordanian, Artisian, and Velkian Muslims feel unjustly attacked or threatened, which makes it much easier to argue that glorious jihad is a justified response. It also really nicely dovetails with our claim that there exists a never-ending war between the righteous Muslim ummah and the infidel crusaders, and that all faithful Muslims should rally to side with Allah and the Prophet, peace be upon him. These mujahideen then martyr themselves and strike terror in the hearts of the enemies of Allah, which increases the popularity of Islamophobes, which in turn increases our recruitment further."

"As a result, we've been using the rhetoric of people like Ralph Normansson or Nestori Konala in recruitment propaganda for some time now," ar-Ramadi continued. "But with the sudden rise of the far-right in so many countries, we simply have too many potential options to choose from. We're just not sure whose inflammatory words would be the best at convincing Muslims that shariah law must be enacted globally and all non-Muslims should be forced to convert, pay jizya, or die."

"We've spent at least nine days now cutting down our video to feature only the most inflammatory anti-Muslim statements to attract new soldiers of jihad to the Caliphate, but it's still over 40 minutes long- and no one's going to sit through that," said Caliphate film editor Abu Talib al-Sayyaf, adding that he and his team of jihadis had already pulled several long nights focused solely on finding the most egregious clips of Narsete la Via dehumanizing Muslims before even beginning to catalog statements from other far-rightist Esquarian politicians. "After staring at the monitor for so long, you lose the ability to tell whether a clip of Cedric Liet effectively saying Christendom is at war with Islam has the same level of impact as a clip of Charlotte Durrough talking about entering every Muslim in Daecon into a government database, or a tweet from Ecgwulf Oswinessunu describing Islam as a 'mental cancer', or a bill proposed by Maxime Cornell to shut down every mosque in Ainin."

"I think the worst part is that we're still barely scratching the surface here," al-Sayyaf continued. "I mean, we haven't even looked at anything from the PCG yet."

"It is a real shame we're going to leave so much great recruitment material on the cutting room floor, but we're confident we'll be able to use the extra footage to roll out a brand-new propaganda video every week or so for the foreseeable future," Caliphate spokesperson Abdulfattah al-Husseini told Trang Vai. "With so many far-rightist leaders set to roll out proposals to categorically disparage and degrade Muslims living in their countries, the potential for radicalization has never been higher. We're expecting to be able to reinforce our battalions fighting in Kraq and Irvadistan without limiting our ability to conduct attacks on the havens of the infidels. Truly, it is a great time to be a warrior of Allah."

Others, however, have expressed concern. "What if we select the wrong quotes?" Caliphate propagandist Abu Hasan ibn Qadri asked. "With so many Islamophobic things being said by so many people in so many countries, we run the serious risk of losing all the most inflammatory pieces of anti-Muslim rhetoric amidst all the noise. And if Caliphate leadership finds out that we passed up that sort of opportunity..." Ibn Qadri then proceeded to draw his finger across his neck while imitating the sound of a knife cutting through flesh.

As of press time, a member of the team working on the video had been ritually beheaded after he had informed the others of a tweet from Atlian Premier Muhemet Hasanoğlu, in which Hasanoğlu had accused the Caliphate of "failing to understand the true message of Islam", and proposed that they use the tweet to "demonstrate the threat of traitors within Islam leading the faithful astray".

---

Top 3 News Stories
LUZIYCA: Declaring that the government of the City of Firenze had been warned about the consequences of failing to restrain ongoing anti-Shudri riots, a defiant President Sera Svensson reportedly held aloft the severed head of interim mayor Lea di Santis before a session of the Luziycan Congress. "We vowed that a failure to end the violence plaguing one of Luziyca's largest and most prominent cities would not be tolerated," said Svensson, her pantsuit spattered with blood, as she threw di Santis's head into the crowd of horrified legislators sitting before her. "Order will be restored." Sources confirmed that Svensson later mailed di Santis's severed hand to Firenze police chief Baranaba Panciera as a gruesome warning.
NAMOR: Covering their ears as the thunderous sound violently shook buildings and shattered glass windows, residents of Namor reportedly cowered in terror as President-General Shohai Antelope's inaugural address reverberated across the entire country. "Thank you for proving that this great country of ours remains the People's Republic of Namor," he said as his deafening address boomed across the landscape, setting off car alarms and forcing drivers to pull over to the side of the road. At press time, sources in Ainin- the first country to be visited by Shohai as President-General- reported witnessing ripples in their water glasses as he began a speech commemorating the longstanding Namorese-Aininian alliance.
UNOLIA: Expressing concern that he had failed to instigate widespread social upheaval with calls for the purging of all counter-revolutionary elements of Unolian society, Unolia's Zheng Zhuli privately confided to reporters yesterday that he's worried he'll never possess the charisma necessary to incite the Unolian people into a crazed and violent ideological frenzy. "I know I've been able to clearly lay out a great variety of critical policy proposals, but I don't have Jarrod Thuman's ability to incite a crowd to accusing their neighbors of treason," said Zheng. Zheng added he was very concerned his legacy would be negatively impacted by the lack of major purges conducted by the Jahistic Youth corps during his tenure.

[Luziyca]

---

State of emergency in effect, military arrives in Firenze

Soldiers in Firenze

FIRENZE, LOMBARDIA - Today, with the passage of a State of Emergency for the Firenze metropolitan area in the Lombardian Legislature, federal soldiers and Lombardian police have entered the city, with large concentrations entering Shudri neighborhoods to quell rioters: pepper spray and tear gas were tossed at the rioters, resulting in many of them dispersing, though some attempted to fight the military.

About 1,235 people were arrested by the military or the Lombardian Police on multiple charges, ranging from theft to first-degree murder, while about 25 were killed by the military or the Lombardian police.

The Lombardian Police has advised all civilians in the metropolitan area to "remain indoors until hostilities subside," and has implemented a curfew for all residents in the eastern neighborhoods where the worst of the riots has occurred: all residents cannot leave their homes between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am.

Commander Amore Marandola, in charge of enforcing the martial law has urged all residents to "follow orders to ensure that all hostilities cease," and is serving as interim Mayor following the arrest of the Acting Mayor for "negligence," as well as interim police chief as a consequence of Baranaba's arrest for being complicit in the riots.

Marandola said to reporters that "our first and utmost goal is to end the riots: so far, the riots are dying down and we are making progress in suppressing them. But our next goal will be to investigate the causes of the situation, and how we can implement reform within the city of Firenze." He also banned all Purity Congress activities within Firenze, stating that "they would only incite more rioting," and demanded a full investigation into the Purity Congress.

[The Ocelot Isles]

OOC: Certain details in this article have been discussed with Luziyca.

Sinhako Veshchaniya Pradhikarana
Sinakes Autoritas debakting
Sinhako Broadcasting Authority

---

A new look into the PCG in Firenze and its racial riots

Police officers in Firenze. It is alleged that
police forces and the government had
been infiltrated by racial supremacists.

FIRENZE, LOMBARDIA - The Firenze metropolitan area is put under a state of emergency as the armed forces and additional police were deployed to subdue the city's racial riots. In regards to the despised Purity Congress, Commander Amore Marandola outlawed its activities and ordered a full investigation of its Lombardian branch. New documents and information obtained by Sinhako Veshchaniya Pradhikarana stressed a dark truth about the PCG and its involvement in the riots.

The 124 documents the SVP acquired proved that the racist organization had a role in influencing police departments, and many city councillors of Firenze were tied to the PCG at some point in their lives. Sinhakese analyst Leander Amdhi was among the many that studied the recently-acquired documents.

It is shown that the PCG took all opportunities possible to infiltrate police departments so as to carry out parts of their agenda, such as altering or belaying response to certain incidents (particularly those involving white supremacists and Shudriphobes). Amdhi stated "it is certain and clear that PCG members use blue privilege to prejudicially profile and attack non-whites while staying out of justice." She also believed that "based on the behavior of chief Baranaba Panciera and Firenze police officers, the painful truth still exists."

The Firenze municipal council had also been "infiltrated" according to some of the 124 documents, which alleged that up to two-thirds of the incumbent councillors were members of the PCG at earlier periods of their lives. It is also alleged that some of the councillors still participate in PCG activities, though no names or further information could be recovered. Amdhi suspected that corruption is to blame for what she called "a systematic cover-up of the racial abuses against the Shudri and non-whites" and the lack of public knowledge about the 124 documents.

Such revelations came while the Firenze riots are dying, but it is believed that they will affect Lombardian-Shudri relations and the reputation of the PCG. "There is no certainty about how the 124 documents will change the situation in Firenze and elsewhere, now that they are disclosed," said Amdhi, "but it definitely will have a severe impact."

The Purity Congress spread to Luziyca not long after the founding of the Second Congress in 1982. It founded popularity in the Bible Belt region and Lombardia, and a ban on the racist organization in Inleda was overturned in 2000. The Purity Congress in Luziyca, especially the Lombardian branch, grew more prominent after the last province of Pavonistade outlawed the organization in September 2015. Many Pavonistadian PCG members integrated into the Lombardian branch.

In the wake of the racial riots in Firenze, the PCG expressed a show of support for Lombardian rioters and hooligans. Valdis Kortchens, who leads the PCG, said that they "will offer unconditional support to the proud Lombardians" and to help them "resist the dirty Shudri." PCG members did participate in the racial riots, but most resorted to verbal attacks and threats. Their activities quickly wound down after Commander Marandola called for a ban on and investigation into the PCG.

[Luziyca]

The Coupe d'Esquarium: our chances of survival

Design evolution of the footballs

MINAKBIR, LIVANCIA - Tomorrow, we witness the first match of the Coupe d'Esquarium: the new national team of Luziyca has left a few days ago to adapt themselves to the tropical environment and to practice for their first match tomorrow: the match would be against the Scotians, who have decided to participate in this edition.

Despite being smaller than previous editions due to a boycott as a result of allegations of corruption, and/or security concerns (with eight nations who officially boycotted), many football powers like Ainin, Luziyca, Vyvland, Pavonistade and Nevanmaa are participating in this edition of the CdE.

This edition, the Patriots are sorted in Group B, alongside Scotia, Lydland, and Nevanmaa. This is the first major international competition under the new system that was implemented as a consequence of the controversy that plagued the previous edition of the Coupe.

The greatest challenge, as examined by Aucuria's "News of the Republic" is that "[i]t's unclear how well the Luziycan team will work as a unified group." While they have practiced quite hard over the past few days in the town of Imbiegħed, this is certainly a match that will determine our future. Why?

If we are able to win this one, we may have secured the group qualifications, for our next match shall be that of Lydland. As far as we are concerned, we have that match in the bag: that match is going to be a cakewalk, and if we pass that, we basically get to go into the Round of Sixteen, since we won two out of the three matches.

However, should we lose the match against Scotia, while we may recover in the match against Lydland, it will be an uphill challenge to beat Nevanmaa, what with their racism, bigotry, and their football prowess. Losing the match against Scotia means that the match against Nevanmaa will be very important.

As for Nevanmaa's odds? They will likely crush Lydland tomorrow, and then on Monday, comes their challenge: the match against Scotia will be critical. If Scotia lost their first match, they would be significantly demoralized, and it can help Nevanmaa boost their odds of getting into the Round of Sixteen, thus eliminating Scotia from the running.

Scotia will have a tough battle: they have to deal with the Luziycan Patriots, and then the Nevan Lions on the first two days: it may as well be their group of death.

And for Lydland? Hell will freeze over before Lydland wins the Coupe, let alone the group stage.

Thus, we wish the Patriots good luck, and may they play well tomorrow!

In other news

• Lombardia - Leaked documents show that Purity Congress inflitrated Firenze government: VP Hardage urges ban
• Nantai - Protests against cancellation of referendum, accuse Bethlehem of betraying their interests
• Upper York - Otekians in Upper York hold protest condemning federal injunction against Nantai referendum
• Opinion - Why we should have boycotted

[Namor]

Namor confirms it not participating in CdE VI out of security concerns

April 24, NMR 2378

---

Kong Chang, Minister of Public Security

NAMO, CAPITAL DISTRICT - Minister of Public Security Kong Chang confirmed that Namor will not participate in the sixth Coupe D'Esquarium held in Livancia out of security concerns.

Kong's announcement comes days after the Namorese national football team released a short statement stating that it will not participate in the Coupe. But the team did not state why it made the decision, leading to days of speculation.

"We are not participating in this Coupe for two reasons, both having to do with security," he told the press. "One, we question the host's ability to guarantee the safety of the athletes there. Second, we are unsure whether the violence that had occurred in the past Coupe will occur in the next. And if it does, we do not want any of our people involved in it."

Kong noted that successive Coupes have been marred by fights between fans and riots. The last Coupe in Lyonsland saw an increase in violence, such as the deadly riots and subsequent hostage crisis in Qianrong that left several Luziycan diplomatic personnel dead.

"Unfortunately, no one has proactively stepped up to address this issue. Unless that happens, the safety of not just our athletes, but others cannot be guaranteed anywhere."

Namor is not the only country that has declined to participate in the Livancia Coupe. Francilie, Ziegenhain, the Ocelot Isles and the Jahistic Union have all announced that they will boycott the Coupe. Whereas the former three countries say they did so out of security concerns, the Jahistic Union did so on grounds that corruption was involved.

President-General calls referendum on EC membership

---

Shohai Antelope announced a nationwide referendum
on EC membership

NAMO, CAPITAL DISTRICT - Not so long after taking office, President-General Shohai Antelope addressed the nation to announce a nationwide referendum on Esquarian Community (EC) membership.

In the address, Antelope argued for Namorese entry into the EC.

"We have remained an observer of the Esquarian Community for quite some time, and it's time to take the extra step. Not only will full participation in the Esquarian Community enhance our cooperation with member states, it will also cement our alignment with the liberal democratic order, thereby strengthening our own democratic credentials. After a decade of political reform and several decades of economic reform, Namor has become a truly pluralistic society. Membership in the Esquarian Community will serve as a testament to this."

While ratification by the Central Council by itself is sufficient for Namor to submit an application for membership, Antelope said he is letting Namorese voters decide whether Namor should join the EC because they "are the ones who will be impacted the most" by membership.

"I can simply submit legislation to CenCo, and if a majority approves, then we can submit an application for membership in the EC. But this is not an issue that concerns 2,549 deputies and myself. It concerns all 938 million Namorese - all of you - and certainly you should be able to decide whether membership is good for our country."

Article 6 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution allows the President-General to organize a nationwide referendum. After the President-General calls a referendum, the Central Council decides the referendum date.

---

Other News

---

• Luziyca sends military to suppress unrest in Lombardia - Sources say the Luziycan military and police killed 25 people and arrested 1,235 people while trying to quell the unrest in the Lombardian town of Firenze.
• Numerous countries boycott CdE in Livancia - Citing allegations of corruption and security concerns, numerous countries said they will not send their national teams to compete in the Coupe D'Esquarium in Livancia. However, the Emir of Livancia denied that corruption was involved in the bidding process.
• What will Shohai Antelope do in his first days as President-General? - PTH brings forth a panel of commentators to explore what the Antelope administration will do as it begins its first day in power.

[Ainin]

---

---

CIVIL SERVANTS' UNION COMES OUT AGAINST PISDARI CONSTITUTION
Disarray in National Assembly as Social Democrats' support for new Pisdari constitution waver

---

---

National Federation of Civil Servants (FNFP) chairwoman
Marie Barette speaks to media

Via the Aininian Press Association - The Fédération nationale des fonctionnaires publiques (FNFP), or National Federation of Civil Servants, representing 7.8 million government employees throughout Ainin, has come out against the draft Pisdari constitution currently before the National Assembly of Ainin.

The draft proposal calls for a "sovereignty-association" agreement, in which most of the remaining Aininian institutions in Pisdara would be turned over to the local government, the Aininian presence reduced to a largely advisory and aid-providing role. However, in return, Pisdara would enter an indefinite free trade and customs union deal with Ainin. This latter clause has sparked heated debate in Pisdara, where critics say this will encourage Ainin to treat Pisdara as a source of excess labour and simply outsource poor-paying jobs to the islands. They point to a recent study that found 65% of Pisdari industrial workers, working largely in Aininian-owned factories, worked in conditions reminiscent of a sweatshop.

The proposal has also gathered criticism in Ainin for these reasons. The Socialist Freedom and Green Parties have come out against the bill and vowed to fight it for "perpetuating a historic injustice of colonialism and economic exploitation," while the NGO Social Responsibility Ainin has panned the bill as "an insult to the dignity of the Pisdari people." Today, Ainin's influential public-sector labour union added their voice to the fray, calling on their political allies, the governing Social Democrats, to withdraw their support from the bill.

A Social Democrat withdrawal would be disastrous for the bill's chances of passing. The Social Democrats hold the most seats in the National Assembly, and together with the left-wing and right-wing opposition parties who have vowed to oppose the bill, would far outnumber their coalition partners who are in favour of the bill: the Citizens' Alliance and the Bloc for Rural Development.

"I believe this bill still has a good chance of passing," Deputy Prime Minister and Citizens' Alliance leader Maxime Bélanger told République. "We'll have to see where the cards fall."

Prime Minister and SDP leader Marianne de Lotbinière could not be reached for comment.

[Qianrong]

QI: "COUPE-RELATED VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED"
DECLARATION COMES AS SIXTH EDITION OF INTERNATIONAL SOCCER TOURNAMENT APPROACHES

Prime Minister Qi said soccer riots would be "quickly and firmly suppressed by police".

APRIL 24, 2016- Yucheng, Qianrong- With the sixth edition of the Coupe d'Esquarium soccer tournament approaching, QIanrongese Prime Minister Qi Chien-Xuan declared earlier today that Qianrong's national and municipal police forces would be "working overtime to maintain public order and to prevent any sort of sporting-related violence", vowing that any attempts by Qianrongese soccer fans to incite a soccer riot would be treated as a criminal attempt to disrupt public order.

The declaration comes as the Firebirds prepare for their fourth appearance at the international soccer tournament, held this year in the nation of Livancia. During past editions, Qianrongese soccer fans frequently rioted following losses to Luziycan club teams; in the fifth edition, these riots eventually culminated in a crisis in which Luziycan ambassador to Qianrong Anna Dogorov was murdered and numerous other diplomatic officials were taken hostage by rioters. The crisis was eventually resolved when the government of Luziycan President Sera Svensson agreed to pay a ransom demanded by the rioters in exchange for the release of the hostages.

"For too long this nation's name has been sullied by the actions of drunken hooligans," Qi said. "I will not allow this to be the case any longer. Coupe-related violence will not be tolerated by the government of the Second Independent State." Qi said that municipal and national police would be deployed during matches to quickly end any soccer-related violence before it could spin out of control. Individuals attempting to provoke soccer riots would be charged with disorderly conduct and attempting to provoke violence; rioters who attacked others or damaged property would be charged with assault or destruction of property as applicable. "We will show no tolerance to those attempting to provoke or incite violence. All riots will be suppressed quickly and firmly by police... being belligerent or destructive does not and will not prove your devotion to a team, and it will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

While the Firebirds are not facing Luziyca- the target of most previous Coupe violence - in the group stage, the Firebirds have been placed in the same group as the team sent by the so-called Qianrongese Soviet Republic. Some analysts have speculated that the match between the two teams could potentially turn violent, and possibly even destabilize the ceasefire created by the Xiangmen Accords. As a result, it is probable that Qi's announcement is an attempt to dissuade those who might consider rioting in the event that the Firebirds lose the match.

The first match for the Firebirds, against Ainin, will be held on April 24.

Comments
Nobody has commented yet. Be the first!

---

News from Across Esquarium
AININ- Social Democrats in disarray over Pisdara constitution
NAMOR- Antelope announced EC membership referendum
LUZIYCA- Soldiers deployed to quell anti-Shudri pogroms
PAVONISTADE- Oppenheim set to run for presidency in 2017
AUCURIA- Parties make final push in legislative elections

[Pisdara]

24 April, 2016

---

As the Coupe d’Esquarium opens, Pisdara ties in first international spar

Ekur En-Me-Nuna was able to score a goal
late in the match, causing Pisdara to tie
with Vyvland in its first international match.

The Pisdari team, the Pelicans, at the sixth Coupe d’Esquarium in Livancia may do better than expected. In its first game, it has tied with the Vyvlander team one to one, giving hope for Pisdara’s athletic debut.

The game, played at the Qasam al-Qadhar stadium in il-Duhl, saw team captain and forward Ekur En-Me-Nuna score a goal a mere minute a half before the game’s close, ending Vyvland’s 1-0 lead for the majority of the game. Calling it “a miracle”, En-Me-Nuna was quick to thank his fellow players in stopping Vyvland from gaining a 2-point lead during the match. No red or yellow cards were given, and no injuries were reported, as the game proceeded almost robotically, save for the Vyvlander goal early in and the Pisdari goal later during the match. Although the Peilcans did not outright win, the fact that the fresh-from-the-islands Pisdaris can go up against former Spring 2015 champions is a good sign.

The Pelicans will play against Korivania, who today also tied, albeit 2-2 against Montecara, tomorrow at the same stadium.

---

Workers unionize as constitutional draft faces uphill climb
During a rally outside the Territorial Council, a dozen protesters, many working in the textile industry, called for the unionization of all Pisdari workers in order to combat “neoliberalism and the destruction the current constitutional draft will bring to the proletariat”, stated historian and radical Inanna Ku-Asharru, a former deputy of the Council who joined the demonstrations early on. Earlier today, among a crowd of roughly five hundred, Ku-Asharru and her comrades signed a declaration forming the first non-trade-specific labour union in Pisdara.

The newly-minted Revolutionary Labour Federation is, according to the collective leadership, a trades union espousing “anti-capitalist, anti-state, and pro-labour sentiment that can benefit not just Pisdaris, but the world”, the organization’s first pamphlet stated. Political analysts have called the new union anarcho-syndicalist, collectivist, and, according to political scientist Louis Camplaine, “progressive, distrustful of the state, and it seems very careful to organize itself as a non-hierarchical organization”. The union has been compared to the now-defunct libertarian socialist Revolutionary Democracy party, whose former members may be funding and supporting the Revolutionary Labour Federation. When asked if the union will become politically active any time soon, a supporter stated “Of course! We want direct action, and we’ll fight for our rights and those of others.”

---

[Livancia]

MATCHDAY 1: JEWS WIN FIRST MATCH

The match against West Cedarbrook

MINAKBIR, KHUSUBA GOVERNORATE - At the evening game at the Qasam al-Watan, in a stunning humiliation for the hosts, the West Cedarbrookese national team defeated the Livancian national team 2-0. Despite having the names of their players not released, we are going to take a look back at yesterday's match.

Highlights of the first half
Quraish iben Osman at the 13 minute mark attempted to score a goal for the royals, but was deflected by one of the Jewish players in the West Cedarbrookese team. From there, the player began to make a pass to another West Cedarbrookese player, but was intercepted by Yves Baillairgé.

Yves went on to make a pass to Amjad iben Muammar, who attempted to score another goal at the seventeen-minute mark, only for the ball to get intercepted yet again by another Jewish player. Despite the valient efforts of the Livancian Jihadis to keep the Jews from making a score, Muhajir iben Mahmud did a horrible job and managed to let a goal slip at the twenty-two minute mark.

The score was now 1-0 in favor of the Jews. Over the next few minutes, the Livancians attempted to put in an all-out assault on the pitch: once again, at the twenty-nine minute mark, Quraish iben Osman was given a second opportunity to score a goal, but in a shocking turn of events, another Jew was able to seize the ball from Quraish, and then began to advance once more upon the Livancians.

It seems like the goalkeeper was sleeping, since at the 33 minute mark, Muhajir iben Mahmud failed once more to keep the ball from going into the net, giving the Jews an additional point. The first half came to a close with 0 for the Livancians, 2 for the Jews.

And from the second half
This was much less lively than the first half of the match: so much so that it is like watching paint dry. There was very little action as Louis Mahdavi and *sigh* yet another Jew manage to intercept the ball. This resulted by the sixty-third minute the end of all serious efforts to score, and a routine began to form, whereupon the Livancians pass the ball to one of the forwards, and then they get intercepted by the Jew, who then passes the ball to another Jew, only for the ball to return to the possession of the Livancian team, and so on and so forth...

Needless to say, the match ended at a 0-2 loss for the Jihadis.

[Senterland]

NationalReport

---

Attack on Coupe pitch. National Front blamed

Controversial view shared
after football fight by
National Front's
parliamentary leader
Erik Szabo, MCP.

Mohammed Al-Bashir took the pitch despite an attack made by a crazed spectator while the Sentrist squad was entering onto the pitch. The fan, identified as Bram Lankhorst, is a distributor of National Front propaganda which predicts an Islamization of Senterland. Al-Bashir was hit in the leg with a sharp object. Bram Lankhorst's actions were brought to the attention of National Front leader and Member of the Chamber of People's Erik Szabo. "This is what happens when people ignore the modern Jeremiahs' warnings. One Jeremiah will vent... Tolerance of outside ideals by the neo-coumnistic left will prevent these national embarrassments."

Reaction towards the attack, and comments made by a major member of parliament have been fiery. The Shadow Department for nondiscrimination proposed new hate speech legislation relating to distribution of violence begetting anti-islam material. "It's just about traditional for us to hear these words from the National Front and especially from it's demigod, Erik Szabo," Sport, Culture & Performing Arts Minister Martin Han told parliament. "But," he continued "the opposition's attempt to introduce more hate crime legislation though this drama is just as sickening." The Prime Minister, Claudia Bettina Dobias congratulated the national team for it's Coupe debut while also condemning the "nationalistic fever from a sport infiltrating nationalist fringe."

Prejudice in football is rare in Sentelrand. But over the last six to eight years, anti-islam chants, firms and attitudes have arisen in noticalbale numbers. Al-Bashire has been called "Locust eater" by members of a banned Airyassia City firm Purity of The Game. "What racists don't realize is that they've made another symbol now for people who've face prejudice. They've even shown it off at the world's stage." Goalkeeper Bart Riise told reporters after the match. Al-Bashir suffered a gash in his leg which was stitched up and he returned to play on the 13th minute. All reports suggest Al-Bashir will play in the second match against Atlia.

---

Old wounds reopened by investigation.

An investigation into the 2006 and 2011 outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease has cause embarrassment for the Labor Party. the 2006 outbreak was mired by failed countermeasures and reportedly being close to spreading internationally via sea travel before the outbreak could be quelled. In contrast the 2011 outbreak last four weeks and was contained into three northeastern counties. The report establishes that the 2006 outbreak was more difficult, the issue has been thorn in labor's side since 2006. Labor Party presidential nominee Eulogia Kazimier "When your handling epidemics in counties like Nord and Sud-Dangmarus, you will take longer."

Prolific local Christian Unionist politician Bert Ryser suggested the differences were symbolic of "the major party state myth; that government can solve all your problems." Polling suggests a dead heat between the Christian Unionists and Labor in the parliamentary elections. Both major parties promise a retention of the state owned healthcare system. Minor right wing parties, such as the National Libertarian Party and New Right are continuing to propose reforms and repeals.

---

Other headlines
Progressive-Center Leader to perform in charity weightlifting competition.
Man stuck in Upper Lyddburg Police building wall and found after ten hours.
Wuxony County Councilor defects to Anti-Austerity Coalition. Labor hits an all time seat low in the county.