GLOBUS
And so the world turns, days pass, March is upon us
Busy start of the year in Honduran ParlaimentThe small GC-member embarks on wide-ranging reforms.
President Manuel Zelaya came out victorious with his Libre Party in the most recent Honduran election, quickly establishing a new administration. The success of Libre came somewhat as a surprise in light of the deep factionalist schism which had been developing under the recent decade between the Bukharinist wing and the Zelayans, struggling to define the identity and politics of the party moving forward. Libres success proves that the other national parties of Honduras had even greater issues mobilizing enough support to prove a credible challenge to Libre.
The Zelaya administration has been moving quickly since the election victory, announcing a number of wide-ranging internal reforms and well as passing a budgetary package serving to help reconstruct rural communities struck by Hurricane Mitchell. This only worsened the situation in rural Honduras which stands as the poorest country in the Golden Circle by a significant margin and is deeply dependent on primary sector exports to fuel it's economy, most importantly including minerals, coffee, tropical fruits, and sugar cane, as well as a growing textiles industry, most of which is owned by Columbian multinationals. Alongside the plans for rural reconstruction comes a large investment, package for the Honduran road network and most impressively, a project aiming at revitalizing five major urban centers and turning them into centers of technological development. While many economic analysts find the initiatives commendable, many doubt Honduras' capability of funding such an ambitious project without generating a significant sum of foreign investment and probably asking the UASC for a line of credit. Something the great power might be reluctant to do since the anti-corruption act was shot down in the Honduran parlaiment.
German Kaiser announces ambitious policy goals moving forwardThe Reichstag will soon convene on the formulation of
new political action plans.
At the yearly State of the Empire Address in the Reichstag in Berlin, German Kaiser Gerog Friedrich announced an ambitious set of goals for the following decade. Even before assuming his place on the German throne, the then Prince was famous for his commitment to green energy technologies, having donated money to a number of promising independent research projects as well as appearing at fund-raising galas in Anglois, Columbia, Nordbight and Sweden alike, makes his announcement on investment into Germany's Green Energy sectors less than surprising. Still, Green party representatives in the Reichstag are expected to lobby against the extension of nuclear power, still, they are as things stands unlikely to gain enough sway to stop planned expansions.
Other than energy policy, the Kaiser also discussed economic reform, however with little detail as of yet, as well a voicing a diplomatic commitment to resolve the conflict in the Balkans and work toward détente with the Comintern. While the goal of peace in Europe was welcome by large segments of the German population, especially among the youth, it may alienate the Prussian Right and Oster exile community. The people in the Königsberg exclave and those who left or were expelled from the former German territories taken by Poland during the Second Great War, form a deeply influential voting block on the German right and have a strong connection to the officer-corps of the German army, many of whom descend from old Prussian junker-families.
Globo reporters in Germany are monitoring government talks, expect new articles regarding Germany's economic reforms when those are formalized in the Reichstag.
Half a million people in Africa suffer damage to their homes and properties in wake of storms.People fleeing their flooded homes in
Mozambique in the wake of the storms.
A severe thunderstorm moved across southern Mozambique and then moved further inland across Bantuland, bringing with it great amounts of rain and hail. An estimated 500 000 people were afflicted in the regions hit by the storm and unconfirmed reports from the governments of Bantu and Mozambique put the combined death toll at 47 people.
Rescue efforts are currently ongoing with about 2000 volunteers with support from police in Mozambique and over 3500 volunteers aiding victims in the regions of Bantu hit by the storm. The government in Egoli is currently trying to clear debris and make the roads in the affected regions passable again. The rains caused severe problems regarding traffic, cars were stopped by trees fallen across the roads and several bridges were damaged as rivers burst their banks.
Throughout Mozambique red alerts were issued by police along several of the country's rivers as they neared flood stage and over 8000 people were evacuated from their homes. Zimbabwe in turn saw it’s heaviest rainfall in almost 20 years and fears are now spreading across the country that a storm may cause similar flooding and devastation leading to calls on Harare from concerned citizen to prepare for such an eventuality.
New arms race in the Pacific?Japanese warships conducting maneuvers
Many organizations promoting, peace and international cooperation in the Pacific express deep concern over the recent developments in the region involving competing military exercises held by the UASC at Hawaii with Philippine involvement while the Empire of Japan hosted it's own naval exercises with it's Korean and Taiwanese allies in response to alleged crossings of Chinese fishing vessels into the EEZ of the Reorganized Republic of China (Taiwan). The Japanese exercises were also attended by another great power, the Soviet Union which sent four ships to participate. It's involvement mark the deepening relations between the Co-Prosperity Sphere and the Comintern as the two blocks grow closer in the face of a increasingly powerful China looking to assert itself in what the Chinese consider to be their backyard.
While most analysts consider a Soviet pivot to Asia unlikely as the country is deeply embroiled in the civil wars in Yemen and the UAR, it seems that the UASC may be more open to wide-ranging negotiations with China to end the trade dispute between the two nations and exert pressure on the Empire of Japan and GEACPS. If President Featherston does manage to secure a new, more beneficial trade deal with the RoC that increases the flow of goods while extending greater protection to the intellectual property rights of Columbian stakeholders, he will be able to claim victory in his trade policy in the upcoming Columbian elections.
Still no major international response to the Bengali Migrant CrisisScores of people continue fleeing the dire
economic situation in Bengal
The Bengali Refugee Crisis has only continued to spiral out of control, with over a million Bengalis fleeing into Myanmar and India only within the last 6 months. This has only continued to strain the Indian economy, with their migrant population now only increasing at a faster and faster rate. Notable Indian politicians are calling for a summit in the League of Nations on how to solve this humanitarian crisis that looks as though it is only going to get exponentially worse in the next few months as the Bengali economy continues to falter while the country's environmental problems continue to deteriorate. The Indian province of West Bengal, which already has quite a high population density, has been struggling to deal with the continuous influx of people that continuously arrives from the east.
Both India and Bengal are calling for an international response, particularly from the West, but there are many who are skeptical. Notable Bengali critics look at what happened in UAR, and use that as evidence that the West will continue to turn a blind eye to disasters across the globe. This has seen an increase of skepticism in South Asia, that some say could lead to more radical beliefs in this particularly unfortunate corner of the globe at this time. The Indian Foreign Minister has been set on visiting Indonesia for an diplomatic meeting within the next few months, if the trip does occur, the talks are expected to focus of India's relations with Southeast Asia, the Bengali migrant crisis and the route a number of them are taking through Indonesia to Australasia, and economic relations between the two. For all we know, growing anti-western views might expand out of Bengal in the coming years.
UASC-Japanese sabre ratting polarizes opinions around the world.President of India, Sonia Gandhi
The recent strings of insults and diplomatic provocations between the United American States and Empire of Japan have led to outrage and polarization in their wake. Starting with Columbian President Featherston's accusation that Japan and it's secret services could have had a direct hand in the assassination of Australasian King Victor II. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not back down an instead blasted back, accusing Featherston of holding anti-Japanese racist opinions as well as denouncing the Columbian President's previous denunciation of the Treaty of Bangkok which ended the Pacific War. President Featherston's grandfather, Governor-turned-President Luke Featherston was infamous for his anti-Japanese policies which culminated in the JADA Act, which was not fully repealed until the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidency. Reactions came quickly, with German Kaiser Georg calling for cool heads to prevail and hosting an emergency diplomatic meeting between the UASC and Japan even as Featherston supporters in Washington held demonstrations outside the German and Japanese embassies in protest against the talks.
Cooler heads did in the end prevail and many in the UASC, especially Democrats such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden strongly supported the talks and opposed further tensions, both men also publically congratulated Vice President Mike Pence, who represented the UASC in the talks and praised his efforts to decrease tensions and contribute to regional stability. Some have seen Pence as a possible candidate in the upcoming Columbian elections. A polarizing voice, some say there are those in the Columbian Republican Party who would prefer to see a candidate like Pence take the lead in the next election instead of someone as prone to causing controversy in the media as Featherston, who was also accused of holding racist views against persons of Japanese ethnicity by President Gandhi of India, who called for the Columbian military exercises to be cancelled.
Korean economic growth less than expected as sporadic violence continues in the North.Despite successful counter-insurgency operations
remnants of the Korean Liberation Army continue to operate
The arrest of Han Sangwoo and several other central figures of the Korean Liberation Army in the wake of the Seoul Bombing of 2018 which left 41 Korean police officials and Kempeitai agents dead has seemingly not deterred the remaining KLA cells in northern Chosen from continuing the fight against the Korean government and it's Japanese allies. With two recent high-profile actions attributed to KLA activity, namely the still ongoing Nampo dockworker's strike and the disappearance of two Japanese engineers working for local mining companies.
Song Jian, government spokeswoman for the Republic of Chosen has officially stated in a recent press-conference that the Republic's security forces alongside their Japanese partners are working swiftly to establish "lasting order" and to "eliminate any remaining terrorist elements in the Northern part of our country." The Japanese Kempeitai is expected to bolster it's presence in the Protected Republic of Korea over the next few months as attempts are made by Korean and Japanese security forces to isolate and destroy KLA cells in the country, focusing first on major cities such as Pyongyang and Chongjin.
Baathist forces inch closer to Khalidiyah - SLC accepts talksLoyalist troops prepare to advance on
Haqlaniyah - Anbar Province
Loyalist troops have made gains in their advance towards Ramadi as the Baathist regime attempts to take the city that houses the headquarters of the Shiite Liberation Coalition after the fall of Karbala. Advancing along the Euphrates with armored and air-support, Baathist forces took control of the abandoned Al Taqaddum airbase and the town of Habbaniyah from where they began shelling SLC defensive strongpoints on the approaches to Ramadi. The UAR's Air Force has reportedly once again been using barrel-bombs in Ramadi over the last week, their inaccuracy often leading to civilian casualties during the airstrikes while little damage was done to any real defensive positions. With the SLC having been severely weakened after the UAR focused it's resources against it around half a year ago, the Baathist loyalists seem on the verge of securing full control over southern Iraq. The pressure became too much and the SLC agreed to hold talks with government representatives during February, these seem to have borne fruit as joint operations have commenced around Haditha Dam lake, where Loyalist troops and Shia militias fought against the Army of the Prophet, attempting to push the Jihadi forces further north.
In the north, according to the most recent reports, the Kurdish communist forces have dug in at Kal Teppe and Khorsabad as well as particularly around Erbil, shifting forces away from the Mosul Front. Where these troops, which have allegedly included a large number of BMP-1 IFV's and T-72 tanks rumored to have been delivered from the PRK and USSR will be redeployed to is unknown. A number of analysts have however anticipated them to be sent against Al-Iskandarun. Such an offensive would lead to the first major clash between the Hashemite restorationists and the Kurdish communists, with one of the major Entente powers, namely Italy, being the primary foreign backer of the Hashemites, these clashes may worsen the tensions in Europe over the ongoing insurgencies in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Dozens of high-ranking Soviet officials arrested in CPSU’s anti-corruption drive.High-profile arrests have been made across the USSR
Last week, the number of CPSU officials arrested in the anti-corruption crackdown announced by the government rose to 203 after Aleksandr Bogovich, vice-chair of the Mogilev Oblast's OBKOM was arrested along with seven other local officials for charges of corruption which are now pending investigation by the Police. Anti-corruption drives are not new to the Soviet Union but that so many arrests were made in so short a time is almost unprecedented. The persons detained include two ministers but with corruption being such a widespread structural problem in the Soviet administration, the anti-corruption crackdown is not simply an effort to reduce corruption and graft but also has a significant political implication.
According to a number of experts, the new anti-corruption drive is an attempt at institution-building by Zyuganov. By signaling that no one is "off limits" and by targeting retired officials, the campaign is aimed to reduce the influence of party "elders" who were no longer in office but nevertheless wanted to interfere in political affairs and to extinguish vestiges of influence of people close with former General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev's time in power saw a marked increase in patronage appointments that spanned the military, the oblasts, and the party apparatus. Patron-client relationships, rather than merit, became the primary factor in securing promotions, giving rise to the formation of internal factions based on personal loyalty.
By reversing this part of Gorbachev's legacy, some observers believe Zyuganov would be better equipped to discipline and unite the party under a common agenda. Proponents of this view believe that the ultimate aim of the campaign is to strengthen the role of institutions and stamp out factionalism and networks of personal loyalty, thereby creating a more united CPSU organization and achieving greater efficiency for governance.
Rise of Morocco continues.Sultan of Morocco announced a day of celebration
in the country
Morocco has seen unprecedented international praise by many international organizations, most notably by the League of Nations Global Commission on Human Rights, for the expansion of their laws on civic liberties. These increased rights of expression have been widely celebrated in Morocco by supporters of the monarchy, but critics, both in the country and abroad, have widely seen these reforms as not enough, pointing out the fact that it still allows journalists to be widely punished for not abiding to the rules of the monarchy. Whilst their are a number of vocal critics of Morocco's politics at this point in time, their international reputation has generally seen a positive trend with their dedication to green energy, and their expansion of civic rights.
Still, the Rabat Solar Plant has yet to attract any significant foreign investment. The widely popularized megaproject aimed at laying the groundwork for wide-scale exploitation of the great potential Morocco has for the production of solar energy. The construction of the first phase of the Rabat Solar Project has been underway since 2018, Rabat I would bring about 580 MW of power to the region. A step towards the collective goal of 2500 MW or above, though they were still far from it. With Rabat I soon to be online, it may attract foreign investment the Moroccan government hoped for when announcing the megaproject, should it give the expected result.
Northern half of Fraser Island - Queensland Australasia is "a blazing inferno".Will Australian woodlands ever bounce back?.
A large wildfire is burning on Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland, Australasia. It has been raging for the better part of two months and has since grown to 46 miles in length, north to south, covering much of the 76-mile long island. Officials from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) believe it started from an illegal cooking fire that was not completely extinguished. Crews from the QFES are assisting the Australasian Parks and Wildlife Authority rangers who are working hard to contain the blaze with the use of back burns, assisted by air tankers which have been dropping water on the fire before reloading at Bundaberg. Judging from the satellite data, the fire appeared to burn in a mosaic pattern, leaving unburned areas scattered throughout the fire’s footprint. Fraser Island is listed as a World Heritage national park by the League of Nations, is the world’s largest sand-island, covered with rainforests, pristine freshwater lakes, seafront rock pools, colored sand cliffs, massive dunes and more than 75 miles of unspoiled beachfront facing the Pacific Ocean.
People around the world have expressed concern over the future of Australia's forest and woodlands as the wildfires seem to affect the area with increasing severity and intensity. The Australasian Parks and Wildlife Authority has been trying to signal calm, repeatedly issuing official statements that many of Australia’s ecosystems actually require fire to stimulate growth and regenerate some plant species. As a result, the landscape is naturally extremely prone to fire and burns easily so properly securing cooking fires is of particular importance when camping.