The Democritus Sun (approved participants only)

by **Baratheone** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 12:04 am

BASQUE SOVIET REPUBLICS

QUEEN BEATRIZ LEAVES BASQUE CHILDREN TO DIE

General Secretary Ramos gestures against Queen Beatriz

The Royal Family of Argentina is on an international tour of nations that had dropped the Homelands, despite their claims that it was a mistaken report by several news outlets. The Ministry of External Relations has released printed documents of their back and forth with Argentina's foreign department, which included Bilbao in their roster of international cities to visit. The decision to drop the shining city of Basque society has been met with high disappointment in the Homelands, many young women had aspired to get a glimpse of Queen Beatriz of Argentina, someone of glorious Basque descent. However, disappointing the beautiful young comrades of the Homelands was not the only insult Argentina's Royal Family brought with them to the Peninsula.

The Ministry of External Relations also released transcripts of negotiations with representatives of the Argentinian government over the Homelands possibly receiving food aid, especially in this time of great need. The Argentinian government at the last minute, decided to yank crucial aid from the Homelands, just like how Galicia and Andalusia have. General Secretary Ramos, during his visit to the military exercises in Asturias SSR, condemned Argentina's withdrawal from the food aid negotiations. "You would think that Queen Beatriz, someone of Basque descent, someone of our Blood, would have compassion for this orchestrated genocide against Our Peoples. Turns out she doesn't!" said the General Secretary, gesturing where he would stick his knife up into Betraying Beatriz.

Since oil exports from Andalusia Republic have stopped, the government has instituted mandatory energy rationing throughout the Homelands to last the Homelands remaining resources and the imported oil from the Soviet Union. Comrades who have come accustomed to cars as a mode of transport now walk, hitch-hiking and carpool with the realization that conservation of gas and food are far more important. Convenience for the individual is secondary to efficient use of energy. Horses and mules are coming to greater use as well as bike and horse drawn carriages both in rural and urban areas. Many publicly owned semi-truck flatbeds are also being converted to hold up to 300 passengers.

In this time of Great Need, General Secretary Ramos said that the Basque Peoples could've counted on the most prominent example of their blood's success abroad to help. However, the General Secretary revealed what is glaringly obvious, saying that "she's too busy trapped in the opulence of monarchy. She's too used to getting her ass kissed. Our People, we work hard and we were so proud Our Blood represented abroad. But she's no better than Sellout Maria. The Argentinians say they want to stay neutral, yet they will go to visit and give their blessing to incest! Betraying Beatriz is no different from the common whore down the street. She sets a terrible example for our young girls to sell themselves out to opulence instead of caring for their elders, for their kin, for their Blood! To hell with her."

WORLD COMRADES AID HOMELANDS

Europe's most advanced fighters coming to Homelands

As the Kingdom of Leon and the Kingdom of Castile continue to stage preparations to wipe out, skin and murder every single Basque child, the Homelands Liberation Army continue to hold military exercises designed to dissuade their warmongering henchmen from crossing into the Homelands. The force of 11,000 comrades are displaying raw strength and cunning against simulated odds, practicing conventional and guerrilla warfare against the soulless arbiters of Basque genocide.

With the help of the Danubian Air Force, the defense of Our Homelands is now more formidable than ever: 12 Saab 37 Viggens short-medium range combat aircraft are now on their way to the Homelands as we prepare for the imminent invasion that nations like Argentina clearly endorse. The purchase of these aircraft were made possible by the 500 million line of credit that the Soviet Union has loaned the Homelands in our time of Great Need. The government has also signed an agreement that will allow for the Basque Homelands Liberation Army Air Force to be trained by the Danubian Air Force to better their defensive and counter offensive capabilities.

General Secretary Ramos also thanks our comrades in Poland for their generous food shipments of 30,000 tonnes of basic agricultural goods to help alleviate the effects of the genocide against Basque Peoples. With aid from Galicia limited to only humanitarian resources, the Homelands ability to maximize our industrial potential and ability to defend ourselves are increasingly harder to come by. The 200 million developmental loan from Poland "will go along way to sustain ourselves" said the General Secretary.

by **Baratheone** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 10:51 am

ARAGON CONFEDERACY

CHANCELLOR CONDEMNS REALM BRINKSMANSHIP

Chancellor Asesina's latest press conference

At the Ministry of Defense complex in Barcelona, Chancellor Asesina joined the high leadership of the Confederate Armed Forces to announce the Confederacy's 1.5 arms purchase of Portuguese-made defense systems. The purchase includes 34 surface to air missile systems and 224 missile rounds for 120 million, 4 AEW aircraft for 900 million and 9 heavy lift helicopters for 486 million. "With these imports, I hope we'll never have to use them. But we also cannot be naive about the real possibility of the frozen war thawing" Asesina said in a reference to increasing tensions between the Kingdom of Castile, the Kingdom of Leon and the Basque Soviet Republics. Chancellor Asesina simultaneously denounced the ongoing military exercises that the three Spanish Nations are staging so close to one another: "It's nothing shy of high irresponsibility. This brinksmanship is a recipe for conflict" said Chancellor Asesina.

BSSR DISSIDENTS REVEAL HARSH REALITY

Ramos putting on imported luxury sunglasses

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Basque Homelands may talk tough, but it might just be because there's a lot he must compensate for. While it's difficult to get accurate information about the Basque Soviet Republics, a police state that rarely admits foreigners, Heraldo de Aragon was able to interview several BSSR refugees who were lucky enough to escape to the Confederacy. They tell a sobering story different from the positive picture that many Euskadi Roja articles paint.

In theory, the Basques are a bastion of socialism, a country where the state provides everything. In reality, however, the state economy can barely operate. People work in factories and fields, including children, but there is little for to do and they are paid almost nothing. A vibrant private economy has sprung up out of necessity, one where people find ways to make money on their own, whether through selling homemade goods or dealing drugs. In general, many academic scholars regard the BSSR as one of the most miserable places on Earth. "Living standards have deteriorated to such extremes that food security, health and other minimum needs for human survival are just not present" according to a recent report by the Institute for National Unification, a research group based in Madrid. While the Basque Homelands have a "free" medical system, hospital patients are made to pay for their own drugs, cover the heat costs and are not provided food unless they bring it themselves.

Smuggled photo of Ramos with imported clothes, camera

For a country that touts itself as an egalitarian socialist paradise, there is a visible and damning inequality. Like other dictatorships, the Basques have an elite ruling class with access to the trappings of modern life, such as indoor plumbing, cars, meat, coffee and a few luxury goods. Among the elite, cosmetics are viewed as a display of wealth and they prefer Aragonese brands over inferior Galician or Basque products. General Secretary Juan Ramos himself may be worth as much as 5 billion, according to Aragonese intelligence services. The money comes from state enterprises, counterfeiting, and other criminal activity. It's believed his wealth is held in hundreds of bank accounts outside the BSSR.There's also a small middle class that has sufficient food and, occasionally, new clothes, but not much else. Aragonese intelligence estimate the annual GDP per capita in the BSSR to be about 1,800. GDP in the Aragon Confederacy is about 18 times higher. Inflation may also be as high as 100%, due to mismanagement of the currency.

Public transportation in Oviedo, Asturias SSR

According to Basque refugees in Zaragoza, families that can afford TVs often have two, one is preset to state channels that air propaganda and the other is an illegal set, used to watch Aragonese TV programs. DVDs of Castilian telenovela shows are known popular contrabands which many citizens often trade or sell among themselves. However the scarcity of electric power and fluctuating voltage often cause TV screens to keep changing sizes. Electric power is unreliable and homes that have electricity often receiving just a few hours per day. Most homes and apartments are heated by open fireplaces burning wood or briquettes and many lack flush toilets.

"Life is brutal all over the Homelands, far from what the rest of the Realm enjoys," said one dissident. One-third of children are stunted, due to malnutrition, according to the Madrid Institute for National Unification. The families of children who attend to schools are expected to provide desks, chairs, building materials and pay for heating fuel. Some students are also put to work producing goods for the government or made to work state run farms. Parents often bribe teachers to exempt their kids from labor or just keep them away from school, even though that violates official policy.

Starving Basque child refugee in Zaragoza

In state run schools, students are subject to more than 90 minutes of daily ideological education."Revolutionary history" is taught by teachers, lessons about Juan Ramos and the Basque politburo that paint them in great light. One refugee who now attends college in Barcelona said that "It’s like a religion. You learn about the Ramos family, learn that he's basically a God, that you must be wholeheartedly obedient. The leadership uses terror to keep people scared, and that makes it impossible to stage any kind of social gathering, let alone an uprising." Another refugee who now attends high school told Heraldo de Aragon that "They taught us about why we needed to make sacrifices in our daily lives so they could protect our country, keep the nation safe. I was so sick and tired of hearing about all this revolutionary history, I was so sick of calling everyone comrade. I didn’t care about any of that stuff."

by **Nowa Polonie** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 11:29 am

Poland Initiates ''Strategic Advanced Armaments Aide Programme''

Platforms like the ZSU-23-4 'Shilka' have fallen into Polish hands in the wake of the Third Polish-Soviet War in large numbers - alongside platforms like the T-62, T-72 and even T-80 tanks, several versions of the BMP and BTR APC/IFVs, they number in the hundreds of Soviet-made 'prize vehicles' now sitting in Polish inventories. Polish engineers have already been long at work to dissect and reverse engineer every piece of Soviet equipment they have laid their hands on, and domestic reproduction of particularly worthy platforms is touted as a highly likely, inexpensive way for Poland to rebuild its damaged vehicle fleets.

In the wake of the news that the Portuguese have initiated a sale of over $1.5 billion in arms to the Aragonese Confederacy, as well as news of a sale of Danubian aircraft to the Basque Republic, the Polish Armed Forces have initiated their own project, dubbed the 'Strategic Advanced Armaments Aide Programme', the program will intend to provide the Basque Republic with primarily defensive armaments, as well as an attache of military advisors from the Polish Armed Forces.

As the Basque Republic already has a long tradition of relying on the Soviet Union for the supply of arms, the provision of stocks of second-hand Soviet equipment from the Third Polish-Soviet War that have been deemed unsuitable for adoption by the Polish Army itself, is seen as an ideal way to dispose of otherwise potentially useless stocks of vehicles, weapon platforms and small-arms that might otherwise have to be scrapped, or potentially sold on to Third-World actors. Rather, through the programme, Poland intends to provide defensive aide to the Basque Republics in what is clearly an escalating arms race within the Iberian Peninsula.

However, the programme is limited in its scope, and weapons provided to the Basques are of a primarily defensive nature - early shipment reports indicate that for the foreseeable future, the Polish Republic will deliver by either shipment or air-drop a limited number of armoured vehicles, namely; two platoons of ZSU-23-4 'Shilka' SPAA platforms, numbering 24 vehicles in total, 2 S-75 'Dvina' SAM platforms, and a platoon of 24 MT-LB armoured amphibious tractors.

While this initial delivery of equipment may be accomplished in short-order of several weeks, the programme perimeters allow for potential future expansion should changing circumstances make it appear necessary. Likewise, accompanying the shipment of vehicles, the Polish Army has sent an attache unit of 80 officers of the Polish Army itself, to provide both technical advice on the utilization of these new weapons, as well as training to the Basque Army officer corps. Poland has likewise restated its desire for round-table talks regarding rising tensions in the Iberian Peninsula.

[FOR THE EYES OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE, INTERNAL INTELLIGENCE, AND THE PRESIDENT OF POLAND, AND PERMITTED PERSONNEL OF THE POLISH INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, REGARDING THE SITUATION OF THE BASQUE SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS]

Polish Intelligence operatives attached to Military attache to BSSR successful in establishing initial contact with internal dissenters and so-called 'moderate' faction of the Basque Military.

Operatives will continue work to identify and sponsor both military and political dissent against so-called 'Hardline' faction of the BSSR.

Operatives will identify security surrounding Chairman Ramos, and to pursue avenues of potential assassination or deposition - the nature of Basque internal intelligence, deemed 'hopelessly corrupt' by operatives, will serve to aide us in this task.

The work continues.

by **Anxiety Cafe** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 1:07 pm

Bourbon Family Reunion: Argentine Royals in Madrid
Buenos Aires — 2 April 1991

Arriving to the Castilian Royal Palace in Madrid alongside their security detail and diplomatic envoy to much fanfare, the Argentine Royal Family were well-received by their Castilian counterparts. Stopping for photos and to meet with Argentine expats, most of the Royal Family were surrounded by a flurry of activity all day; Queen Beatriz, feeling unwell, excused herself from the later press appearances. Many sources close to the family commented on the Queen’s distress over Basque General Secretary Ramos’ disparaging comments towards her. The Queen was reportedly “moved to tears” upon learning of the Basque women who had been hoping to see her, as she was likely the initiator of the rumored food aid agreement that Argentina had been considering.

Although in Madrid, the Argentine-Castilian discussions focused heavily on the Basques and the Iberian political balance. There, King Alberto departed from Argentina’s previously strict neutrality in his condemnation of the BSSRs annexation of Trevino, due to “the threat it poses to peace and stability on the peninsula.” He also announced Argentina’s intention to label Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or ETA, a terrorist organization. ETA has been under global scrutiny most recently for its role in the annexation of Trevino, but it has also been responsible for several assassinations, bombings, and other terror attacks in the Spanish Realm.

King Alberto took care to avoid criticizing the Basque government and its policies directly, with even the condemnation of the annexation focusing on its political implications, rather than the BSSRs’ ethnic nation-state policy. He also made clear that Argentina’s involvement in the affairs of the Spanish Realm was still emphasizing fairness and neutrality; Argentina, he said, would be happy to establish a food aid agreement with the nation if it were to withdraw from Trevino. Unlike the entirety of the Iberian peninsula, including Portugal, Argentina refrained from implementing sanctions on the BSSRs over the annexation. However, King Alberto warned that destabilization of the precedent established by the April Armistice would be frowned upon by Argentina, and punitive measures, if believed to have the potential to relieve the situation, may be considered.

That “precedent,” apparently, also applied to the upcoming nuptials between Crown Princess Letizia of Leon and Prince Juan, Heir to the Castilian Throne. The couple met in Buenos Aires, and both are distantly related to King Alberto himself; the Argentine Royals, however, refrained from congratulating the two on their engagement, as was expected. Sources present indicated that the meeting between the Argentine Royal Family and Princess Letizia was quite awkward, with King Alberto, rather than praising them, instead cautioning them to consider all the consequences such a union might bring forth.

Despite the initial missteps, the discussions between the royal families were reportedly “very productive.” The two signed an agreement on Cultural Cooperation between the countries, as well as established a framework for collaboration between the Argentine Royal Academy of Letters and Castilian Royal Spanish Academy (the Spanish-language regulating institutions of the two countries). King Alberto, while there, also personally offered to mediate between the BSSRs and Castile-Leon, in an effort to help deescalate rising tensions.

The Argentine Royal Family will remain in Madrid until tomorrow afternoon, when they will then depart to Barcelona in the Aragon Confederacy.

by **Anxiety Cafe** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 1:30 pm

BREAKING: A source close to the Royal Family has revealed that Leonese Princess Letizia apparently has an affinity for royals named Juan; Letizia, who is betrothed to Prince Juan of Castile, has been involved in an "intimate relationship" with Argentine Crown Prince Juan Carlos, beginning as far back as almost a year ago, when the two met in Buenos Aires.

The two have secretly been visiting one another over the past year, and apparently had plans to marry, before Queen Isabella of Leon announced a surprise engagement of her daughter to the Prince of Asturias; Letizia had reportedly not been consulted or notified, and is being forced into the marriage for political reasons.

Our source says that the Argentine Royal Family, including King Alberto, were only made aware of Prince Juan Carlos' relationship after the surprise engagement; those present at the meeting of the two royal families yesterday called the atmosphere "tense" and "inelegant." Princess Letizia could not meet Prince Juan Carlos' eyes, and was intimidated by King Alberto and Queen Beatriz' aloof demeanor.

Whether this may affect Argentina's handling of the delicate Iberian situation remains to be seen; but the royal love triangle, and Letizia's essential imprisonment, cannot be ignored.

by **Baratheone** » Sat Sep 03, 2022 5:59 pm

KINGDOM OF LEON

CROWN PRINCESS TO SUE LA ESTRELLA OVER SLANDER

Prince Juan and Princess Letizia at the Argentinian Royal Reception

The Crown Princess of Leon is said to be planning a lawsuit against an Argentinian tabloid's parent company in light of a false and damning article that recently hit domestic and international shelves. Accusations of slander came out of the Castilian Royal Household after La Estrella published that the Prince of Castile's soon to be wife engaged in an unfaithful affair and that Princess Letizia was forced into marrying the Prince of Asturias.

The move is rare even by the standards of the Castilian Royal Household, who seldom challenges specific publications or articles in public despite their sometimes rocky relationship with tabloids in Castile and abroad. In a statement that publicly rebukes the press, Prince Juan said that his "beloved Letizia" has become a victim of “a ruthless campaign” by tabloids since they announced their engagement and that he would no longer be “a silent witness to her private suffering.” The Crown Prince wrote that “There is a human cost to these false propaganda and even though we've continued to put a brave face on, I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been.”

A spokesperson for the Castilian Royal Household said that “We plan to initiated legal proceedings against the La Estrella and its parent company over the hurtful and false publication of accusations against the Princess of Leon, which is part of a wider inter-Realm and international campaign to disparage and paint a derogatory image of her and the Prince of Asturias." The case will be privately funded by The Castilian Royal Household and the Princess of Leon's personal spokeswoman said that proceeds from any damages won will be donated to her anti-bullying charity.

"There shall be no question of the true love the Princess of Leon and the Prince of Castile have for one another" added the spokesperson for the Castilian Royal Household who in speaking to the press about the lawsuit, also announced that the couple's royal wedding have now been moved up. The wedding's location has been moved to Valladolid, the capital of the Kingdom of Leon instead of the initially announced location of Madrid. An additional 10,000 troops from the Castilian Armed Forces are now being deployed to the Kingdom of Leon ahead of the royal wedding.

The additional deployment brings the total presence of Castilian Armed Forces in Leon to 15,000, 10,000 of whom are currently engaged in the United Resolve exercises. Lord Depradador, Castile's Hand of the King, later confirmed news of the deployment, however he denied speculation that it was a disguised response to the Basque Soviet Republics' own military exercises and unprecedented arms imports from Poland and Danubia. Lord Depradador also said that he is working in conjunction with his Leonese counterpart, Prime Minister Presa, to lift the terror designation and sanctions on the People's Republic of Galicia as promised.

by **Grandes Terres** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 7:30 am

DEFENSIVE AID FOR THE ARAGON CONFEDERACY
02 05 1991 | 15:00

Following the increasing tensions between nations on the Iberian peninsula, the Office of the President of the Federation has granted emergency defensive military aid to the Aragon Confederacy to ensure its security and territorial integrity in the event of hostilities being launched by the BSSR following the increasingly hostile rhetoric emerging from its regime in recent weeks. The defence of the Aragon Confederacy is in the national interest of the FFBR, thus necessitating the unpaid transfer of defensive arms to the country. Details as follows:

- 50 Rapier mobile air defence systems and 80 Crotale NG mobile vehicle-based air defence systems, to be distributed along the Aragon-BSSR border and at critical infrastructure sites including major bridges, airports, logistics centres and SNCF high-speed rail construction sites.

- 12 high powered mobile radar systems to track unauthorised vehicle and infantry movements and/or airspace violations by aircraft or missiles independent of air defence systems.

- 500 Raper missiles and 800 Crotale missiles to provide sufficient stocks to donated air defence equipment.

- 300 Mistral air defence MANPADS

- 800 MILAN infantry anti-tank missile launchers

- 1,500 Thales OB70 Lucie night vision devices

- 150 FFBR soldiers to aid in training of Aragonese soliders

Published by: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION in collaboration with MINISTRY OF DEFENCE.

by **Anxiety Cafe** » Sun Sep 04, 2022 10:05 pm

Royals Cut Castilian Visit Short, Travel to Barcelona
Buenos Aires — 3 April 1991

Despite the itinerary for the Argentine Royal Family’s trip scheduling their flight for 14:00, the royals had apparently left Castile by 11:00, cancelling several press appearances in the process. The Family today were only seen publicly during their tour of Madrid’s Royal Botanical Gardens, which was also cut short just prior to them leaving.

A spokesperson for the Royal Family later clarified that the last-minute changes in the itinerary were solely due to scheduled maintenance for their plane in Barcelona, although public speculation surrounding the relationship between Argentine Crown Prince Juan Carlos and Leonese Crown Princess Letizia, following a release by the La Estrella tabloid, likely also played a role.

Several images of the Royal Family in the Botanical Gardens have surfaced, depicting a crowd of paparazzi surrounding the royals as they attempted to enter the park shortly after the issue was publicized. Public interest in the family’s private affairs also appears to have been sparked, with La Estrella’s breaking issue quickly becoming its most sold in the company’s history.

The Royal Family has offered only offhand comments about the validity of La Estrella’s report, all of which being simple denials of its claims and requests for media to respect the royals’ privacy. Their Castilian counterparts, on the other hand, have vehemently rebuked the allegations, initiating legal proceedings against La Estrella over what it has termed “slanderous accusations.” La Estrella has not commented on the lawsuit, but has defended both the anonymity of its source and reliability of its claims against mounting public interest—and backlash.

Andean President Sánchez Hospitalized Following Assassination Attempt
Buenos Aires — 27 April 1991

Andean President Alejandro Sánchez remains under constant care following an explosion in the House of Pizarro, the country’s executive workspace. While information remains scarce, all revealed seems to point to an attempted assassination of the nation’s leading political figure, likely by malcontents dissatisfied with his response to the oil crisis spreading across Latin America.

Prime Minister Aguirre offered his condolences to President Sánchez and others harmed by the event, and made clear Argentina’s intention to “fully support” investigations into the matter. The PM condemned the marked resurgence in political violence, calling on opponents to the Sánchez government to “trust in their political system”—a plea that some took to apply beyond Andea, as Aguirre’s own approval ratings still falter compared to pre-crisis levels.

Security forces surrounding the nation’s governmental institutions have all been heightened, in fear that the event in the neighboring country would embolden similar action at home.

by **The Pacific Federation** » Mon Sep 05, 2022 6:32 pm

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The Australasian Gazette

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Treaty of Honolulu Signed - Peace in the Pacific?

Federal Republic Ships enter Pearl Harbor for the first time since the end of the Pacifican Civil War

In a move the has sent ripple effects across the entire Pacific Rim, the Australasian Federation and the Federal Republic of Pacifica have come to an agreement over the Protectorates. Set by the agreements made in the Treaty of Honolulu, the two nations have agreed to the following:

1. American Samoa and the Northern Marianas will be given full membership into the Federation
2. Hawaii and Guam will be returned to the Federal Republic and the Line Islands will host joint-operated weather stations
3. End of Pacific Nuclear Weapons Testing by the Federal Republic
4. The Federation and the Federal Republic will sign a joint Non-Aggression Pact
5. Setting a future date for the agreement of Joint Pearl Harbor Basing and military drills between the Federal Republic and the Federation to Promote Cooperation and Stability

This agreement has been viewed with mixed emotions across the Pacific. In Samoa and Independent Samoa, parades and celebrations were held heralding the reunification of the long divided islands. This was matched by the fireworks displays across the Northern Marianas Islands. However, in Guam protests occurred as the Federation forces began to withdrawal from Guam Naval Base and the Federal Republic's Navy took their place. Hawaii meanwhile was more a mixed bag with several protests occurring across the island chain while at the same time a massive celebration occurred in Pear Harbor for the arrival of the main fleet of the Federal Republic. Regardless of the views of either side, the Treaty has solidified Peace in the Pacific and looks to set the groundwork for future cooperation between Pacific and the Federation.

Military of the Federation Restructured

Federation Forces Ship Te Mana escorting a landing ship North of the Solomon Islands

With the largest threat of war in the Pacific now dealt with, the Federation's military has begun a major reorganization. In an attempt to cut costs, reduce maintenance, and consolidate forces the three branches of the military are being merged into a single branch, the Australasian Federation Forces (AFF) with the Navy taking command of the majority of the military. This act has been startling to some, but to many within the government it has been something that has been suggested for a long time. Given the maritime nature of the Federation, running individual branches for an organization that exclusively relied on its Navy as the only major force is something that the nation cannot afford. The Army is being rolled into the Federation Forces Marines and is being reorganized into new combat groups. Meanwhile, the Air Force is being integrated into the Federation Forces Naval Aviation which is likley to see increased funding in the coming years. However, while the Federal forces have been consolidated, the individual national defense forces remain intact allowing for groups like the National Guard to continue to operate within member states. This consolidation is also resulting in an equipment overhaul to standardize the training and weapons used within the Federation Forces. If this means a single weapons system will be chosen for the entire force or there will be new designed presented remains unknown. Regardless, the creation of the AFF heralds a new age in the Federation's military and projection of power across the Pacific.

Massive Fleet Refit Underway

ANZAC Class Frigate bow hull under construction in Adelaide

With the creation of the AFF freeing up millions in funds, the Federation Fleet is about to see a major refit and overhaul. For the last decade, the Navy has been operating at above and beyond its capabilities, costing taxpayers millions in maintenance each year. Now, with the threat of immediate war prevented, the Federation is changing its naval doctrine from multi-fleet patrols to force projection. The first change is half of the existing navy will be sent to the mothballs, particularly the frigates, patrol boats, and corvette type ships. The most modern vessels will be retained within the fleet and the mothball process will occur over the next 5 years as new ANZAC class frigates enter service to replace the aging fleet. Additionally, a new class of destroyer will be produced that will be the primary surface combatant of the Federation Forces. However, this news pales in comparison to the announcement of the plans to build a series of Amphibious Landing, Assault, and Command ships meant to project power across the Pacific. This will allow the Federation to respond to emergency situations across the Pacific and be able to quickly deploy Marines to any of the member states in a relatively short time period. While this new navy will be smaller then the current one, its capabilities, range, and costs make it far superior to the old one. The shipyards in Adelaide have started working around the clock and the newly established Rabaul Mothball is expected to start receiving its first reserve ships within the next month.

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| Pacifican Trade Increases | Federation Army General Resigns in Protest | Steel Imports Rise as Shipyards Boom |

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by **Grandes Terres** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:43 am

14th May 1991

FRANCO-BRITISH NAVY CONDUCTS EXERCISES IN BAY OF BISCAY

With tensions continuing to rise on the Iberian peninsula the Franco-British navy organised preparedness exercises in the Bay of Biscay 25 miles off the coast of the BSSR city of San Sebastian and 25 miles north-west of the French city of Biarritz. The exercises were led by FS Foch, a Clemenceau-class carrier and included live fire exercises against decoy vessels, amphibious landing exercises on the French coast as well as anti-submarine warfare exercises.

The importance of exercises for the newly merged Federal Navy was stressed by Admiral James Norrington, who oversaw the exercises onboard FS Foch. With new aircraft carriers and an entire fleet replacement taking place over the coming years the current fleet is being used as a training pad for new technologies that will be standard on new Federation Ships to ensure that crews can be easily transitioned to new vessels with minimal retraining.

Press from across the federation have covered the exercises, with journalist invited onboard to witness training events, with some later criticising the 'antagonistic nature' of the exercises. The Ministry of Defence rebuffed these claims, stating that the Bay of Biscay has always been used for naval exercises for centuries and that all exercises were standard procedure and did not violate the territorial waters of any foreign nations. Despite this, many journalists reading between the lines have interpreted the exercises as a warning to the BSSR not to further enflame tensions between nations on the Iberian peninsula despite the federations official neutral stance.

FS Foch and her supporting vessels in the Bay of Biscay during exercise 'Herakles'

by **Lusophone** » Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:28 pm

FEATURED NEWS

Portuguese-Argentine commerce council established

The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the world's 6th and 11th largest economies sees its latest pay off.

LISBOA — A bilateral chamber of commerce is in the works between Portugal and Argentina in response to growing mutual business interests. It is latest brainchild of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement and aims to help companies locate local trade and investment partners.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the Portuguese-Argentine Chamber of Commerce will aim to bolster the two countries’ economic and commercial relationship by conducting a wide range of activities, such as seminars, conferences, workshops, executive briefings, trade missions and networking events. These activities will be aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of trends critical for successful economic development between Portugal and Argentina.

The announcement of the Portuguese-Argentine Chamber of Commerce also coincided with the green-lighting of a currency swap agreement between Banco de Portugal and the Central Bank of Argentina. In a move to ease trade bill settlements between Portuguese and Argentine firms, Argentina will shore up its escudo (Є) reserves by Є10 billion (AR ₱14.73 billion), enabling its local businesses to buy Portuguese imports directly in escudos. The agreement will also cut trading costs between Portugal and Argentina, the world's 6th and 11th largest economies.

FEATURED NEWS

LORE | MAP | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SEARCH TAG: LUSOPHONE

by **Grandes Terres** » Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:12 am

29th May 1991

FEDAIR ANNOUNCES NEW SUBSIDIARY TO BOOST CROSS-CHANNEL CONNECTIVITY

Today the executive board of the federal governments state-run airline FEDair announced the creation of a new subsidiary named 'FEDair Channel Hop', which aims to boost cross-channel connectivity by providing frequent short-haul flights between smaller regional and international airports along the south coast of Britain and the north coast of France. With ferry, hovercraft and train services between Britain and France reaching their capacity following the formation of the Federation, FEDair Channel Hop aims to relieve pressure on other services by offering increased capacity for trips between the two coastlines, with domestic flight regulations meaning passports are not required and small pets may accompany passengers in the cabin, flying can offer travellers fast services through the removal of customs checks associated with international flights.

Whilst the government has recognised the limited environmental sustainability that flying entails, it nevertheless argues that increased capacity is an important need as well as the jobs and economic growth that these smaller regional and international airports will bring to their local communities through increased passenger traffic and associated services. In order to tackle the capacity crisis the government has already commissioned a second channel tunnel that will run roughly parallel to the existing tunnel which will contain a motorway carrying vehicles in three lanes in each direction along with the worlds first underground service station to allow drivers to take a break whilst making the journey through the tunnel. However as this project has only just been commissioned its benefits wont be seen for several years meaning that FEDair Channel Hop's service is required for the time being. In addition a second high speed rail tunnel between the federal capital Dieppe and the south coast of Britain is also on the drawing boards but so far has not received federal funding due to the scale of the proposal due to its much longer length compared to crossings at the Strait of Dover.

FEDair Channel Hop will have its own fleet of aircraft separate to that of FEDair's mainline fleet, and will consist of Franco-Italian built ATR-72 turboprops, British BAE ATP turboprops for lower capacity routes as well as BAE 146-300 jet airliners and Airbus A-319's for higher capacity routes. The fleet, whilst much smaller than that of FEDair, will still be one of the largest regional airlines in Europe once all aircraft deliveries have been made and will 'support jobs in both the French and British aerospace industries' according to the federal government.

Route map of FEDair Channel Hop:

by **The Pacific Federation** » Wed Sep 14, 2022 9:39 am

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The Australasian Gazette

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Samoan Reunification Begins

Tribal elders of both Samoas hold a meeting discussing Unification in the Samoan Capitol, Apia

Celebrations occurred today in both the Republic of Samoa and Independent Samoa as both governments now begin working on a unification referendum following the Treaty of Honolulu. The islands which have been split for the better part of a century for the first time look like they will be brought under one banner. It was announced yesterday that independent Samoa would be turning down the offer for membership within the Australasian Federation in favor of unification with Samoa itself. The union of the Pacific nations represents a major step forward for Pacific Regionalism and a victory for the Samoan people. Currently, both governments are in talks discussing new territorial states, military assets, new government positions, and the possibility of a new capitol. However, while the governments and urban centers celebrate the proposal, there is a group of citizens who appear to be against the proposal. The Independent Samoan Front (ISF) is a new political party that has been gaining traction within Independent Samoa. They are primarily made of of veterans from the Pacifican Army, loyalists to Pacifica, and members of the former Pacifican Samoan Administration. They have called for Independent Samoa to retain its independence and remain as a neutral nation in the Pacific. While this movement is not mainstream yet, it is showing signs of support across the island chain.

Federation Forces Deploys 4th Fleet

AFNF Tobruk Docked in Chuuk Lagoon loading supplies for its operations in the Marianas Republic

Earlier today, the Federation Forces deployed the 4th Fleet toward the Northern Mariana Islands from Chuuk Lagoon, the first deployment of assets since the creation of the Federation Forces. The fleet is being deployed to deploy a Seabees detachment to the Northern Mariana Islands to help build infrastructure and port facilities to improve quality of life on the island. The flagship of the fleet, AFNF Tobruk, will also be deploying a detachment of 400 Marines to act as the island's garrison force. The 4th Fleet is expected to stay on site for at least a month both to fully deploy forces to aid the Northern Marianas in their development and conduct training drills off the islands. The Northern Marianas, now under the Marianas Republic, has welcomed the news of the deployment and has stated the following in regards to the deployment:

The citizens of the Mariana Republic and the Armed Forces welcome the arrival of the 4th Fleet today as an independent nation, however, we hope to soon welcome the Fleet sometime in the future nor just as citizens of the Republic, but of the Federation as well. We thank the Federation for its aid and look forward to working with it in future endeavors.

- President Solom Marta

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| Pacific Regionalism Grows | Work on First Amphibious Assault Ship Begins | Ross 5 Station Sees Funding Increase Amid Peace |

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by **Baratheone** » Wed Sep 14, 2022 7:25 pm

CHAPTER 3
A WINTER OF DISCONTENT

The Long Winter thaws, so it seems. It has been more than half a century since the Spring of Violence and in that time, the April Armistice has nurtured a modern age of peace and prosperity never before enjoyed by the nations of the Realm. Coined from an Armistice that has frozen hostilities among the Spanish Peoples, the Long Winter has been an era unburdened by war and blood, though no savvy Chancellor, Lord or Prime Minister have been foolish enough to think that it would ever certainly last. The Armistice is foundational yes, but it was not designed to be so. Its architects meant for it to serve merely as a peaceful step towards a formal conclusion to the Spanish Civil War, though so far their posterity have failed to finish what they started.

It has been a Winter of Discontent thus far: the last 20 years have bore witness to the Realm, a period of high volatility unseen since the lead up to the Spring of Violence. Brewed by increasingly deadlier ETA attacks throughout the Heartlands, the Winter of Discontent truly crystallized when Euskaldunak marched into Leon's exclave. Valladolid accepted Madrid's courtship in response, finally uniting Castile and Leon in a spite against the Basques. Infinitely scheming to preserve their sovereignty, the Confederacy plays itself up to Portugal and the Federation of Franco-British Republics, hoping it will one day come useful. In Galicia, the once unbreakable fraternity with the Euskaldunak is no more, threatened by a halt of food supply from the Heartlands. The mercantile Freehold of Mursiyah and the Free Cities of Gharnata grow ever distant from Andalusia as well, unhappy with the latter's seeming preference towards the Heartlands over the more economically powerful Confederacy.

Over the last year, residency applications from common folk throughout the Realm have flooded the Free Archipelago of the Canaries. A closer look at happenings in the street corners of the Realm's major cities may give indication as to why: nowadays, once disregarded zealots attract people from all walks of life, warning of the Doom of Iberia, the foretold destruction of the Realm as generations have come to know it. While largely conspiratorial in nature, the words of fanatics are no longer dismissed by common folk, especially since the nations of the Realm grow ever jingoistic and engage in a brinksmanship that threatens to bring into the horizon the prophesied War to End All War.

Previous Chapter: A SONG OF LIONS AND CASTLES

ANDALUSIA REPUBLIC

Before this petty Realm, before the Kingdom of Spain, there was al-Andalus.

The Andalusia Republic is the southernmost nation of the Spanish Realm. Andalusians are ethnically distinct and trace their heritage to the Moors who crossed into Hispania 1,000 years ago to conquer the Visigoths. The aftermath of the Spring of Violence founded the Andalusia Republic, bolstered by a Moorish revival undertaken to promote a strong sense of national identity. As a result, Andalusians today have very different customs and traditions compared to the other nations of the Realm. The people of Andalusia are also known for their passion and have more relaxed views on sex and morality than other common folk of the Realm.

Due to their differing ethnic, legal, and political background, Andalusians have grown to be very independently minded and largely stay out of the quarrels of the Realm, although in more recent years the growing political influence of Castilian banks dare change the tide. Home to 8.4 million people, Andalusia is governed from Ḥimṣ al-Andalus or Seville by a semi-presidential popular system. The current President is Nicolas Umayyah of the Andalusian Christian Democrats. Its economy ranks the 3rd highest in the Realm and bests the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon in rice production. Most of the liquid natural gas exports to the Realm also dock in Andalusia before distribution, making it a valuable partner that both the Castile & Leon and the Confederacy contend for.

ARAGON CONFEDERACY

Who knew that from soil sullied by blood and ashes, the Confederacy would emerge to be the envy of the Realm?

Located south of the Pyrenees, the Aragon Confederacy is the leading economic powerhouse of the Realm. It is formed by the constituent countries of the Principality of Aragon, the Catalonia Republic and the Free Cities of Valencia, who enjoy full autonomy over local matters while delegating larger domestic and foreign policy to a multi-national assembly in Barcelona. The incumbent High Chancellor is Elena Asesina, of the Conservative Unionists. The Confederacy's economy is powered by 9.3 million highly skilled and educated inhabitants who keep the wheels of its dynamic, export-driven economy turning.

The Confederacy hosts some of Europe's most strategic infrastructure, including the Ports of Valencia and Barcelona, and is notable for its rags-to-riches story: once an underdeveloped nation, it quickly emerged to become the Realm's most developed, high-income country in just a few generations. In more recent years however, the once-thought untouchable economic growth and stability of the Confederacy have come to suffer stock credit rating damages brought by the belligerence of its neighborhood, mainly caused by the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon and the Basque Soviet Republics. Though despite mounting tensions unseen since the lead up to the Spring of Violence, the presence of French and Portuguese business continue to be incentivized in hopes of entangling two Great Powers to the Confederacy’s defense should the War To End All War ever come.

In the aftermath of the Spring of Violence, Catalan secessionists declared independence with French protection and eventually formed a confederacy with the Free Cities of Valencia, itself a local confederation of independent city states. The newly formed Principality of Aragon, a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state is addressed as a Prince or Princess, later joined the Confederacy after Catalonia’s heavy lobbying. It was a move calculated in part to ensure that the April Armistice’s explicit butchery of Aragon, Castile and Leon would never be reversed to revive the Kingdom of Spain. As a further incentive to join, Catalans also offered to recognize the Crown of Aragon as the Confederacy’s ceremonial sovereigns, hence the “Aragon Confederacy.”

The current Princess of Aragon is Aliza I of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, who in addition to presiding as the Confederacy’s sovereign, shares the co-principality of Andorra with the President of France. Aliza I is also the cousin of both Prince Juan of Castile and Princess Letizia of Leon. The Crown of Aragon inherited much of the titles formerly proclaimed to the King of Spain since the House of Habsburg-Lorraine is a closer cadet branch to the House of Austria than the Castilian House of Bourbon-Anjou. The full title of the current Princess, Alizia I, is as follows: "Her Catholic Serene Highness Alizia I, By the Grace of God, Princess of Aragon, the Two Sicilies, Valencia, Majorca, Minorca, Duchess of Burgundy, Brabant and Milan, Countess of Habsburg, Flanders, Tirol and Barcelona, Lady of Molina."

BASQUE SOVIET REPUBLICS

Let them have their courts, balls, and pageantry. We Euskaldunak have home.

The Basque Homelands, officially the Soviet Socialist Republics of the Basques, is a transnational country that spans the northern Iberian Peninsula. It is a federal union of the Asturias SSR, Basque SSR, Cantabria SSR, and Navarre SSR, centralized in Bilbao, the capital and largest city of the union. It is home to the Basque Homelands Liberation Army, a faction of the ruling Communist Party of the Basque Homelands, who were a key principal combatant against the Nationalists during the Spring of Violence. The founders of the Communist Party of the Basque Homelands are credited as one of the main authors of the April Armistice alongside Catalan secessionists, a foundational document that sealed the fate of the Kingdom of Spain and birth the Realm the world knows today.

The Basque Soviet Republics continue to maintain one of the most centralized economies in the Realm since its founding. It follows the Soviet pattern of 5 year planning with the ultimate goal of achieving self-sufficiency, though its small population and the shortage of skilled labor, energy, arable land and transportation have significantly impeded its long-term growth and resulted in consistent failure to meet objectives. Its population is strictly managed by the party-state as well as all aspects of daily life. Employment is managed by the party-state on the basis of political reliability, and citizens do not have a choice in the jobs they work. There are severe restrictions on the freedoms normally common place in the Realm and the greater Western world. Citizens are also not permitted to leave the country at will.

Castilian intelligence agencies were the first to link the Communist Party of the Basque Homelands to the activities of Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), a paramilitary group engaged in a violent campaign of bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings in the Aragon Confederacy and the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon. This association has since led to a gradual loss of trading partners in the Realm for the Basque Homelands and have caused severe hardships, including widespread famine. A massive international food assistance effort has slightly improved the situation in the Homelands, but its economy continues to suffer from food shortages, poor infrastructure and a critically low energy supply.

The party-state mandates by law to call the ongoing famine as the "Labor of Suffering," and blames it solely on the loss of international trade, though domestic economic mismanagement also bear large responsibility. It’s centrally planned system has so far proved too inflexible to substantially mend hardships in the country. Out of its total population of 3 million, somewhere between 240,000 and 350,000 people have so far died from starvation or hunger-related illnesses. An estimated 100,000 people also starve in prison camps, forced to work slave-like conditions for purported hostility to the government. Satellite images corroborate claims by defectors of the existence of camps where abuses such as torture, rape, medical experimentation, and forced abortions are legal. The Communist Party of the Basque Homelands reject these claims and perceive them as a "smear campaign" aimed at regime change.

The unification of the Kingdoms of Castile & Leon have hardened the belief in the doctrine of "all-fortressization,” credited to the current General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Basque Homelands, Juan Ramos. It is born out of the belief that an Castile-Leonese invasion of the Homelands is a matter of when, not if. The doctrine prioritizes the Basque Homelands Liberation Army in state affairs and resource allocation, serving as the guiding principal of political and economic life in the Homelands. The Basques also protest the use of the title "Prince of Asturias" by the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Castile, perceiving it to be an indication of Castile’s ambitions for unification.

FREE ARCHIPELAGO OF THE CANARIES

Surely Las Canarias contributes something to the Realm, it just doesn't bare to mind easily...

The Canary Islands are one of the Free States located outside of the immediate Realm. It is a western archipelago of islands off the coast of Morocco, with a population of 2.2 million people. The Archipelago interacts the least with the Realm, mainly due to its isolated location and general lack of interest partaking in the Realm’s bickerings. The Islands, a holdover from the Age of Sail, was once a crucial stopover for Spanish galleons on their way to the New World. Little resistance was met to their independence during the Spring of Violence, what with the Spanish Nationalists too preoccupied with a shattering mainland.

As with the rest of the Realm, the first week of April is celebrated, though locally the signing of April Armistice is commemorated as the "Day of the Canaries." Dependent on tourism, the islands receive about 12 million tourists annually. This sector is responsible for nearly one-third of GDP. The Archipelago is also home to agricultural resources like tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cochineal, sugarcane, grapes, vines, dates, oranges, lemons, figs, wheat, barley, maize, apricots, peaches and almonds, though there are concerns of overexploitation especially in the more arid islands.

UNITED KINGDOM OF CASTILE & LEON

The Heartlands is an apt name. Our Castles store the Lion's reap of the grains and fruit that give this Realm its life and sustenance.

The United Kingdom of Castile & Leon is a personal union recently founded between the independent Kingdoms of Castile and Leon, landlocked in the Iberian Peninsula. Economically, it stands as one of the largest in the Realm, second only to the Aragon Confederacy. Its de facto unification was brought about by marriage between the issues of Valladolid's House of Capetian-Parma and Madrid's House of Bourbon-Anjou, though the local administrations of the Kingdom of Leon and the Kingdom of Castile remain largely independent of each other. Since unification, a new office, the Lord Paramount of Castile & Leon, has been created to oversee the overlapping interests of both Kingdoms.

Castile & Leon sit on the most fertile lands of the Realm, blessed with vast livestock, blooming fields of crops, fruit and wine, and numerous well-populated cities. Castile & Leon are sometimes referred to as the “Heartlands" for its dominion over large cultivated volumes of wheat, barley, rye, oats, legumes and sunflowers. Castile is also home to some of Europe’s the most extensive vineyards and is one of its largest producers of garlic and tobacco. Traditionally, both Kingdoms have exported food supply to the Realm’s less fertile nations, although in more recent years, exports have been distributed in a more strategic nature to sway countries like Andalusia and Galicia to act in favor of its bidding. The Prince of Castile's union with the Princess of Leon has also all but in name, ensured the Heartlands near-total monopoly over the Realm’s food and fertilizer supply.

The Spring of Violence distributed the various titles named to the former King of Spain among the newly independent crowns of Aragon, Castile and Leon. The Crown of Castile however, has notable holdovers: the King of Castile controversially proclaims himself to be “King of Spain,” since Castile claims itself to be its legitimate successor state. the current King of Castile is Ferdinand VIII of the House of Bourbon-Anjou. His full title is as follows: “His Catholic Majesty Ferdinand VIII, By the Grace of God, King of Spain, Castile, of Jerusalem, Archduke of Austria.” The title “Prince of Asturias,” used by the heir apparent to the throne of Castile, is also a continuation from the Kingdom of Spain. While it serves as a generic title to name the heir apparent to the Crown of Castile, it is interpreted by Asturias SSR, and in turn the larger Basque Soviet Republics, as a rejection of their sovereignty. The reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Leon is Queen Isabella III of the House of Capetian-Parma.

When Prince Juan and Princess Letizia come to ascend their respective thrones, their joint rule will mark the unofficial revival of Spain. Such a dynastic union have remained unseen since the 1469 marriage of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, together known as the Catholic Monarchs. Scholars notably trace the unification of Spain to the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. Like the Catholic Monarchs, Juan and Letizia too married in Valladolid and are second cousins, leading many in the Realm to call them the "Second Coming" for the uncanny similarities. For the first time since the Spring of Violence, Juan and Letizia's future issues will also be the first to inherit rule over Castile & Leon.

Alongside the sovereign flags of Castile and Leon, a new flag flies above the Palaces of Valladolid and Madrid, purportedly to commemorate the personal union between the issues of Castile and Leon's royal households, although it may also indicate ambitions for the future. The new flag joins Castile's red and Leon's purple as well as their coat of arms, though criticism by the nations of the Realm lie in a newly added symbol: the double headed imperial eagle. The seal dates back to King Sancho III of Navarre, whose crown ruled over territories of Basque culture and language. Its use is also often associated with a historical period that saw the first attempts to unify the Iberian Peninsula. Since it was raised, the flag has been interpreted by the Basque Homelands as the latest rejection of their sovereignty and criticized by the Principality of Aragon for utilizing a seal that rightly belongs to its House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

FREE CITIES OF GHARNATA

Low taxes, pleasure houses, casinos, Gharnata caters to every taste, no matter how peculiar. Many men lose themselves here and their pockets, though when that happens another speciality is granted on the house: poison.

The Free Cities of Gharnata is a collective term for the independent Free Cities of Sabtah and Maliliyyah, both bordered by Morocco. The Free City of Sabtah lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, while the Free City of Maliliyyah lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks. The city states also possess the Alhucemas Islands, Chafarinas Islands and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera among themselves. Like Andalusia, the Free Cities underwent a Moorish revival in the aftermath of the Spring of Violence, resulting in customs and traditions that differ to the rest of the Realm. The mercantile city states share a similar style of government that gives rule to a council made up of its wealthiest and most noble citizens. This council in turn elects a head of state in the form of a Sultan, who holds true executive power and may rule until he dies. Should crops fail or trade be lost during his reign however, the council retains the right to slit the Sultan's throat and elect another. In Sabtah, the current ruling Sultan is Hugo ibn al-Nu'man al-Ghassani V, while in Maliliyyah the reigning Sultan is Alvaro ibn al-Muhallab VIII.

160,000 people divided equally live in Sabtah and Maliliyyah. Together, the Free Cities have the highest GDP per capita when compared to the rest of the Realm as well as one of the world's lowest rates of poverty. One of their main sources of income is tourism, each year attracting many foreigners to see its casinos and pleasant climate for themselves. Casinos litter the streets of the Free Cities, owned and operated by major families who also have total monopoly over hotels, sports clubs, food services, and nightclubs. The Free Cities are known tax havens for the absence of any levied personal income tax on its citizens as well as visiting foreigners. In addition to tourism, the city states are also famed for its pleasure houses and banks that specialize in private banking, asset and wealth management services. Sabtah and Maliliyyah are closely linked to the Freehold of Mursiyah.

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF GALICIA

An honest living, Galicia dreams of nothing more.

The People's Republic of Galicia, often referred to simply as Galicia, is the most northwestern nation of the Realm. Galicia is characterized by mountain ranges and coastal areas in the east and south and is home to 2.7 million people. Prior to the 1986 Orange Wave, it was largely seen as a vassal state of the Basque Soviet Republics, sending much of its budget to the Basque Homelands as a "debt" out of principle to the Basque Homelands Liberation Army for helping Galicia achieve its independence. In its interactions with the Realm at large, Galicia is stretched in several directions: it attempts the hard task of managing a balance between preserving its ideological kinship to the Basque Soviet Republics, its need for food and fertilizer imports from the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon and the potential of receiving huge sums of investment from the Aragon Confederacy.

The 1986 Orange Wave brought democratic reformists to power in Santiago de Compostela, who have since then focused on democratizing Galicia’s political system and undoing the costly and unsustainable party-state planning that the Galician Workers Party had accustomed the nation to. The current agriculture and fishing-based economy is being redirected towards shipbuilding and food processing, a step away from animal husbandry and farming, its historical source of wealth. The Aragon Confederacy and Portugal are currently assisting Galicia in this process, advising its government on which nationalized assets to privatize and what efficient regulations should be drafted. For this, Galicia is currently seen as pro-Confederacy, though recently their President, Maria de la Vega, conceded to Castile & Leon's demands for Galicia to wholly cut its aid to the Basque Homelands.

FREEHOLD OF MURSIYAH

A labyrinth of war elephants, Moorish towns and banking centers for the elite, Mursiyah is the strangest of the Realm indeed.

The Freehold of Mursiyah is the Realm's most southeastern nation and sits right along the Mediterranean coast. The Freehold is bordered by the Andalusia Republic to the west, the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon to the North, and the Aragon Confederacy to the east. Of its population of 1.5 million, about one-third cram themselves in the capital. Long a jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Spain since the middle ages, the Freehold, in aftermath of the Spring of Violence, it underwent a Moorish revival similar to Andalusia and Gharnata, as a reclamation of culture and identity.

Like the mercantile city states of Gharnata, Mursiyah is also governed by similar style: its most noble and wealthiest citizens sit on a council that in turn elects a head of state, although this role takes the form of an Emir rather than a Sultan. The Emir is similarly subject to the same fate of his throat being slit and replaced should crops fail or trade be lost during his rule. The current Emir of the Freehold is Javier ibn Malik ibn Bahdal al-Kalbi IV. Bahdal’s reign has opened up Mursiyah to the world, promoting it as a cultural destination with many highlights for visitors, including monuments and museums, gastronomy, cultural events, historic remains, and festivals.

Out of all countries in Western Europe, the Freehold is the only nation able to closely rival Castile & Leon over the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, with important vineyards in Jumilla, Bullas, and Yecla. Because of its warm climate, the region's long growing season is well suited for agriculture. Mursiyah also boasts a growing tourism sector concentrated in its Mediterranean coastline, attracting many visitors to pleasure houses and casinos similar to those seen in the Free Cities of Gharnata. Despite its accommodating seaside resorts however, Mursiyah remains relatively illusive to the Realm’s common folk and the world at large, indicative of its little interest in participating among the quarrels of the Realm. It continues to be relatively unspoiled unlike Andalusia and Gharnata, who see heavy tourist overcrowding.

by **Baratheone** » Sat Sep 17, 2022 4:05 pm

MORALE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH IN CASTILE & LEON

Prince Juan and Princess Letizia at the Valladolid Cathedral

All throughout the Heartlands, it seems that Prince Juan and Princess Letizia's royal union didn't just bring together the Castilian House of Bourbon-Anjou and the Leonese House of Capetian-Parma. In a study conducted by Diario de Castile y Leon, a third of citizens in both the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon, report that overall, they feel more patriotic and that they look forward to Castile and Leon's newly tied future together. One in five citizens in both Kingdoms also say that they are likely to buy more products from the other, a welcomed boost to local businesses.

Prince Juan and Princess Letizia wave outside Valladolid Palace

The wedding of Prince Juan and Princess Letizia was held last month at Valladolid Cathedral in the Kingdom of Leon. The wedding of the heirs to the Castilian and Leonese thrones were presided over by the Archbishop of Valladolid and was watched by 25 million people from all across the Realm alone. More than 1,200 guests were also in attendance at the wedding reception. It was the first royal wedding to be held in Valladolid since the 1469 nuptials of the Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic Monarchs, whose marriage and later joint rule marked the de facto unification of Spain. The cost of the wedding was shared between the governments of Castile and Leon, who assumed the majority of the budget for security and public decoration of the streets.

King Ferdinand VIII and Queen Isabella III toast their issues

After their nuptials, the newlyweds went to the Royal Palace of Valladolid for the bridal banquet. During the banquet, King Ferdinand VIII of Castile and Queen Isabella III of Leon gave speeches. The King's toast expressed to Letizia the enormous happiness and enthusiasm of the entire Castilian Royal Household for the event and asked the new spouses to "always think of Spain, and to dedicate yourselves to our God ordained mission with love and devotion." Queen Isabella also delivered an emotional tribute to the victims of the Madrid bombing perpetrated earlier in the day, toasting to "the absent, those who were criminally and brutally denied to enjoy with us, this momentous and splendid day." With the marriage of Juan and Letizia, the couple received all the constitutional titles that are recognized to the heir to the Castilian and Leonese thrones. The couple are known as the:

The Prince and Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir of the Crown of Castile
The Prince and Princess of all Galicia, the title of the heir of the Crown of Leon
The Prince and Princess of Viana, the title of the heir of the Kingdom of Navarre
The Duke and Duchess of Leon (city)

ETA FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR MADRID BOMBING

The attack coincided with last month's royal wedding

In the wake from their sleep, the neighborhood of San Blas, Madrid, had merrily anticipated to celebrate the day of Prince Juan and Princess Letizia's royal union. They had so much looked forward to it, that like many cities across the Heartlands, they had decorated their streets with giant Castile and Leonese flags the night before. But what was supposed to be a joyous day started on a tragic note: at 7:00 AM, thousands of residents on Hellín Avenue and surroundings, where the San Blas district police station is located, woke up to a detonation so powerful it claimed the lives of 5 police officers.

An investigation undertaken after the bombing have since determined that the explosion was caused by an amateur device rigged to a car and triggered by remote control. The devices was composed of 50 kilos of explosives and thankfully did not make a substantial impact on surrounding buildings because the explosion's shock waves had collided with several cars and motorcycles parked in the vicinity. The car bomb exploded about 25 meters from the facade of the police station and caused great damage to the San Blas shopping mall, located next to the station, and also caused damage to a 100 floors and 20 cars nearby.

Lord Paramount Monstrou speaking in Madrid

Details of the investigation were made public today by Lord Paramount Monstrou at a press conference outside his Madrid office. Lord Monstrou, while a veteran behind-the-scenes politician, is relatively new to the eyes of both Castilian and Leonese common folk. His office was created in the wake of the union between Castile and Leon's Royal Households, tasked with overseeing the overlapping interests of both Kingdoms. The Lord Paramount speaks for both the Crowns of Castile and Leon and outranks Castile's Hand of the King and Leon's Prime Minister. "all suspicions point to an ETA command" said the Lord Paramount, who continued that "these ETA attacks are simply intolerable. The Crowns vow to hold these vile lunatics to total justice."

The Lord Paramount told reporters that he is currently leading discussions between the governments of Castile and Leon to consider an appropriate response to last month's ETA attack and said that it calls for "a greater cohesion of Castile-Leonese security policies." Lord Monstrou vowed that "the days these ETA thugs roam our streets are over. We will mount their heads on city walls if we have to," very much signaling that there's a bigger cop in town. While on the topic of security, the Lord Paramount also announced that the 20,000 Castilian Armed Forces troops that have built up in the Kingdom of Leon over the last few months, as a result of military exercises with the Leonese Self-Defense Forces, will indefinitely stay to form the "Joint Task Forces of Castile and Leon."

by **The Pacific Federation** » Sat Sep 17, 2022 5:47 pm

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The Australasian Gazette

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Federation Forces Consolidation - A New Commanding Officer

The new emblem of the Australasian Federation Forces

While the process of consolidating the Australasian Armed Forces into the new Australasian Federation Forces under the command of the Navy is expected to take more then a year, the groundwork for the transition has now been laid. Earlier today, the new command structure of the force was unveiled along with the new commanding officer of the Federation Forces, Vice Admiral Issac Sheffield. Admiral Sheffield has had a long history within the Armed forces first under the Australian Navy before being rolled into the Federation Armed Forces. The 54 year old Officer will be holding the temporary position of Federation Forces Head of Operations until the full consolidation of the AFF. The Admiral spoke today on the matters of the military, stating the following:

....here within the Federation we have been lucky enough to avoid war since the end of the Pacific War, however, that war has had an impact we have felt until this day. It has formed our doctrine, our tactics, and our operations. That must change. While the war taught us many lessons, modern naval combat is nothing like the Pacific War and as such the AFF needs to evolve. For that reason, I will be spearheading an effort to reform our military education system, our fleet deployment plans, and our combined arms operations with the Marines and Naval Aviation. The Federation need to also be able to use the armed forces as a means of assisting the populace with civil engineering which is why the Federation is now in the process of developing a Development fleet for construction purposes. Lastly, with a new military, it only makes sense to have a new headquarters. That being said, we will be moving the Federation Forces HQ out of Auckland to disperse our command and control to prevent decapitation strikes. Currently, there are multiple options for this new Headquarters with Rabaul, Brisbane, and Suva being the most likely candidates at the present time. This is all the AFF is currently able to discuss with the public at the moment, however, we plan on being completely transparent with the public and the wider Pacific about our operations and actions as a military force in the future. Good day to you all.

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| Unrest in Samoa over Reunification Grows | Muldoon Moves to Increase Government Powers | Offshore Oil Wells Completed off of Western Australia |

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by **Baratheone** » Sat Sep 17, 2022 6:02 pm

PRINCESS OF ARAGON VISITS BASQUE REFUGEES

Princess Alizia at a Basque Refugee Camp in Ribadeo

Separating the municipality of Ribadeo, Galicia and Figueras, Asturias SSR, the Cantabrian Sea has over the years, become the site of many crossings undertaken by BSSR dissidents attempting to escape the communist regime. They take on the dangers of crossing the waters knowing that if they are caught by the Basque Homelands Liberation Army, they many find themselves subject to "reeducation camps," or a worse fate. Ribadeo is only one of many bordering towns that have become home to Basque refugees, similar to bordering cities in the Aragon Confederacy. The ongoing famine in the Basque SSRs have increased the number of defections never before seen for political, ideological, religious, economic, moral, personal and nutritional reasons. It is in this light that the Princess of Aragon, Alizia I, visited Ribadeo today to highlight the human cost of the Realm's ongoing brinksmanship.

Princess Alizia surrounded by Basque refugee children

Mingling with refugee children and families, the Princess of Aragon then called a press conference in which she invited international leaders and organizations to visit Basque refugee camps in Galicia and Aragon in order to see the effects of crippling sanctions against the Basque Soviet Republics. She also called on the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon, the Realm's biggest food exporter, to adopt similar BSSR-related policies as the Aragon Confederacy, which exempts humanitarian aid from sanctions. "It's painful to come here and learn why families come to leave their homes. It is unbearable to see their suffering. I would like to add my voice to the many that are calling for an immediate end to hostilities in the Realm. I'm here today in Galicia to support people who are in desperate of need peace. The situation here is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world" she said.

President la Vega was all smiles with Princess Alizia

The Princess of Aragon later flew to Santiago de Compostela where she held an open meeting with President Maria de la Vega. In front of reporters, the two called on the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Basque Homelands to tone down his rhetoric and the Basque Liberation Army's posture. "General Secretary Ramos, international community has long offered to mediate your concerns with Castile & Leon. The human suffering your people see can be relieved" said President la Vega. The Basque Homelands' invasion of Trevino, a territory of the Kingdom of Leon and their association with ETA have led to a gradual loss of trading partners in the Realm that have caused severe hardships, including widespread famine. Out of its total population of 3 million, somewhere between 240,000 and 350,000 people have so far died from starvation or hunger-related illnesses. Addressing the cameras directly, Princess Alizia said along side President de la Vega "If there's anything I want the world to come away with here, it is that we cannot be selective about who deserves support and who we defend. Everyone deserves the same compassion. In these times of heightened political tensions, the people of the Basques too need protection and support."

by **Lusophone** » Mon Sep 19, 2022 3:29 pm

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Foreign Secretary announces new 'Iberian Affairs' bureau

With record funding, the Foreign Ministry will establish a new bureau dedicated to policy in Portugal's periphery.

LISBOA — Foreign Secretary Jillian Lureiro appeared at São Bento Palace on Tuesday, to testify before a Foreign Relations Committee hearing that reviewed her department's proposed autumn budget. She argued for full funding of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said it was crucial to the success of its immediate diplomatic missions and foreseeable needs in the coming century.

Lureiro left the budget hearing in success, armed with record funding for her department that enabled today's announcement of the establishment of a new 'Periphery Affairs' bureau to help tackle emerging diplomatic issues in Portugal's neighborhood. The new bureau's announcement was part of broader speech around the reorganization and modernization of her department.
We have a major stake in shaping the events happening around us and making sure that it serves our people, protects our interests, boosts our goals and upholds our values. With the support of the Assembly and the President's blessing, I intend to establish a new Bureau for Periphery Affairs and Policy, headed by an ambassador-at-large and a new Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Affairs
Lureiro said during remarks at the Foreign Service Institute.

The new bureau will address issues including armed threats, regional freedom and human rights, and will work with partner nations to set diplomatic norms and standards in the Iberian Peninsula. Lureiro said that both the head of the new bureau and the new special envoy would report to her directly in its initial launch. The Foreign Ministry will also focus on hiring more individuals with economic and humanitarian expertise.

Diario de Noticias was first to report that the bureau would be established earlier this week, with several key bipartisan lawmakers applauding the move in the days since. Ahead of the 1992 general election, Lureiro stressed the need to leave her department better positioned to face current and future threats under a second Bettencourt administration or whoever succeeds him. Lureiro concluded:
By taking these steps, we will be better able to make sure that Portugal is prepared to lead its periphery and set the standards for constructive engagement. We have a window before us to make impactful change, and we must be determined to seize it.

FEATURED NEWS

Queen of Fado stars in smash historical epic 'Além Mar'

The riveting romantic saga is set during rising protests in 1960s Angola.

French film director Regis Wargnier’s lush and poignant “Além Mar" is a sweepingly romantic historical saga, at once intimate and epic, spanning the last quarter-century of the Portuguese Federation's existence, particularly in Angola.

Filmed in the Ultramar, Além Mar is awesomely gorgeous, both in its landscapes and in its period-perfect settings and costumes. Although steeped in Portuguese elegance and irony, it is more like a vintage movie in its scale, scope, and grand passions.

It tells the story of a beautiful, rich and powerful oil tycoon, and her adopted daughter whose destinies become intertwined with that of their increasingly strife-torn country. Although it embraces an anti-colonial spirit of revolution, it begins in fact like a stormy disaster film.

Renowned fadista and actress Amália Rodrigues stars as the imperious Eriane, appearing in a different costume every scene as she keeps her labor force in line, showers love upon her exquisite, deceptively docile daughter Carlene, carries on affairs boldly, throws fancy parties and takes to the opium pipe in moments of distress. She lives in a self-indulgent, exotic paradise right out of a Somerset Maugham story.

As the 1960s progress, Eriane, despite plenty of ominous portents, continues her regal existence as if nothing will ever change. Yet she finds herself falling hard for a fiery, headstrong young naval officer, Jean-Luc, after many casual affairs that “never leave a trace.” However, a rebel outburst on the streets of Luanda propels the innocent Camille, caught in the cross-fire, into the arms of Jean-Luc, who she believes has saved her life. A couple of plot twists later, Carlene and Jean-Luc, now lovers, are on the run, trying to flee to Brazil as the clash between insurgents and Federation authorities escalate. Carlene and Jean-Luc are classically beautiful characters and naive lovers, as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet.

Além Mar makes a few historical revisions to fit the film's cinematic aesthetic but largely stays true to the sequence of events that eventually led to the dissolution of the Portuguese Federation and the independence of Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique. In its own unique way, Além Mar encapsulates the heartbreak of a Portuguese Federation that spent more than a decade molding its multi-continental territories into one equal country, quickly unraveled by a costly war that grew traditional Portuguese tiresome of fighting their supposed brethren in the overseas provinces.

What gives Além Mar its substance and dimension is the complexity of Eriane. The Eriane we meet at the beginning of the film — a woman who treats her native workers, like children — is not the same woman by the end: Turmoil, heartbreak and loss have given her perspective and made her wise. But they have not undermined her dignity, capacity to love — or her looks. Such is Rodrigues’ presence that she dominates the film even when she is off-camera.

At heart, Além Mar is an old-fashioned woman’s picture, although Wargnier and his co-writers also knew how to move beyond the genre to evoke the often tragic dissolution of a way of life that was privileged and luxurious for the few while cruel and unjust to the many. Indeed, Wargnier is so adroit at turning the heady personal melodrama of Além Mar against itself, shifting focus from the reactionary Eriane, to the revolutionary Carlene, you may not notice it happening, so steadfastly compassionate is he to both women.

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by **Baratheone** » Fri Sep 30, 2022 9:52 pm

HOMELANDS VICTIM TO MALICIOUS SLANDER

The General Secretary's interview with Basque Central Television

Over the last few months, foreign media have orchestrated a campaign to paint Our Homelands in the most undignified light. The nonstop vilification prompted the General Secretary's appearance on Euskal Telebista Zentrala last night, who once and for all put an end to baseless allegations of economic despair and human rights abuses in the Homelands. It all started when Heraldo de Aragon printed a disparaging article that slandered Our Dear Leader himself and our socialist way of life. Recent comments by the Princess of Aragon and the President of Galicia have only further given the fake news credibility. "The gang bang of our socialist paradise stops now!" said General Secretary Juan Ramos.

Asked whether it was true that 350,000 comrades have died from hunger-related illnesses as printed by Heraldo de Aragon, the General Secretary struck back, saying "Official numbers show only 20,000 comrades have died and even then it wasn't our fault! We didn't ask for all these sanctions. If anything, that article revealed they want to kill more of us." Heraldo de Aragon has since been banned in the Homelands for disrespectfully attempting to spin the Genocide of Basque Peoples. The paper also took ungrateful and traitorous deserters for their word, instead of reaching out to the Ministry of External Affairs to corroborate their claims and do some basic journalism.

The Princess of Aragon and the President of Galicia also took some heat from the General Secretary for the recent remarks they made together. In Santiago de Compostela, Princess Alizia I and President Maria de la Vega called on the General Secretary to "tone down" his "rhetoric" and the posture of the Basque Homelands Liberation Army. The General Secretary responded to their call during his interview, saying "First of all, I won't take any lecturing from a MONARCH and a BACKSTABBER, and second of all, what they're asking for is for the Liberation Army to just invite the extinction of Basque Peoples. Castile-Leonese troops gather at our borders as we speak, that is an intolerable idea. They're stupid!"

UNEQUIVOCAL DEFENSE OF THE HOMELANDS PROMISED

The General Secretary speaking at Oviedo Base

During his interview with Euskal Telebista Zentrala, General Secretary Juan Ramos also took the opportunity to condemn the formation of the Joint Task Forces of Castile and Leon: "Nobody listened to us, but guess what, we were right! These military exercises they've been conducting over the last few months have just been an excuse to park an imminent invading force! It won't stand." The General Secretary's interview was conducted in Oviedo, Asturias SSR, where he had earlier in the day inspected the readiness of the Basque Homelands Liberation Army and announced the formation of the "Basque Liberation Army High Alert Force" in response to the United Kingdom of Castile and Leon's permanent armed presence near the Homelands.

Comrades of the High Alert Force

In front of 11,000 comrades who make up the High Alert Force, General Secretary Juan Ramos also promised at a base in Oviedo the "Unequivocal defense of Our Motherland" continuing that if it came down to it, he would fight for the Homelands himself. Well-versed in conventional and guerrilla warfare, comrades of the High Alert Force will be joined by 1,000 vehicles and 70 fighter and bomber aircraft including the 12 Saab 37 Viggens recently acquired from Danubia. The Basque Homelands Liberation Army Air Force are also more prepared than ever, thanks to the training they are receiving from the Danubian Air Force to better their defensive and counter offensive capabilities.

by **Baratheone** » Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:22 pm

CHILDREN MURDERED IN BARCELONA CAR BOMBING

BREAKING NEWS

Tonight Barceloní reel from what should've been just another business day. More than 70 kilos of ammonia, loaded in an unmarked vehicle parked outside of a Civil Guard barracks in the capital, have so far claimed the lives of 7 people, 3 of whom were children. A police vehicle that intervened to rescue victims also accidentally claimed the life of 1 pedestrian as they rushed to the scene. 32 people have so far been known to be injured from the blast as well. Authorities highly suspect ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) cells to be responsible for the car bombing. Print and television reporters are currently on the ground in Barcelona, to gain more insight into what could've motivated this rare ETA attack. The ongoing theory is that the attacks were motivated by the Confederacy's criticism of human rights abuses in the Basque Soviet Republics, and Princess Alizia I's recent visit to a refugee site in the People's Republic of Galicia.

by **Baratheone** » Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:38 pm

SOLDIERS DEAD IN LATEST MADRID ATTACK

BREAKING NEWS

The headquarters of the Castilian Army in Madrid was the victim of an ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) attack earlier today, in what is the latest addition to the wave of ongoing ETA attacks in the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon. An unmarked vehicle loaded with 50 kilos of explosives, parked outside Plaza de la Cruz Verde, was detonated remotely in a targeted strike against a military vehicle transporting members of the Joint Task Force of Castile & Leon. So far known to have killed 7 passerby and all servicemen in transit, the bombing took place just 200 meters from the General Captaincy and also caused extensive damage to buildings nearby. Service members dead include 3 captains, a soldier driving the transport vehicle and a civilian-contractor. The Lord Paramount's office has announced that on behalf of the Crowns, Lord Monstrou will address the Realm early tomorrow morning about what is the deadliest attack to occur in Castile to date.

by **Baratheone** » Sun Oct 02, 2022 5:26 am

BSSR-LINKED ASSETS FROZEN IN RARE SANCTIONS

Mursiyah Emir Bahdal IV (right), with Maliliyyah Sultan Muhallab VIII (left 1) and Sabtah Sultan Ghassani V (left 2)

In a gesture to both the Aragon Confederacy and the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon, the Sultans of Sabtah, Maliliyyah and the Emir of Mursiyah stood together in Qurtajana today to announce that they will impose rare sanctions on several companies and individuals from the Basque Soviet Republics. The announcement comes in response to a wave of attacks that hit the Realm's two powerhouses and is a bid to discourage further ETA attacks. Traders looked visibly anxious as the announcement unfolded on the floors of the Gharnata and Mursiyah stock exchanges: the move is rare for the mercantile city states that have largely stayed out of the affairs of the Spanish Realm.

Tourists and businessmen alike flock the Free Cities of Gharnata and the Freehold of Mursiyah given their status as tax havens and second to none specialized private banks and wealth management services. BSSR institutions are one of many who count on the unrestricted business and wiring the city states offer, and the reality of the Sultanates and Emirate themselves intervening for political purposes threaten market confidence. The assets of more than 103 BSSR-linked entities and 108 individuals involved in finance, natural resources and shipping will be frozen, a total lump sum of more than 200 million.

The announcement stopped short of naming the Basque Soviet Republics as an official sponsor of terrorism and the imposition of total trade restrictions, unlike what has been implemented in the Andalusia Republic, a fellow Moorish state. Notably, the President of the Andalusia was also absent from the meeting, though the Emir of Mursiyah declined reported speculation that it was because President Umayyah does not enjoy a good working relationship with the rest of the mercantile leaders. "There's an election going on there right now, we simply don't want to look like we're favoring one candidate over another" said Mursiyah Emir Javier ibn Malik ibn Bahdal al-Kalbi IV.

by **Lusophone** » Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:14 am

FEATURED NEWS

Portugal to train FFBR in counter-terrorism exercises

The exercises come as terror attacks continue to unfold in Portugal's periphery.

LEIRIA — A combination of 2,400 Portuguese and FFBR soldiers will come together in the Metrópole next week, in a continued demonstration of Portugal and the Federation of Franco-British Republics' alignment when it comes to the national security risk that deteriorating relations between the Spanish Nations pose.

Exercise Periferia, as it has come to be called, is the Bettencourt administration's latest response to unwavering ETA attacks across the Iberian Peninsula. Previously, the Metrópole's defense posture was heightened and a new 'Periphery Affairs' bureau was created to specifically tackle emerging issues in Portugal's neighborhood.

With the aim of developing interoperability and improving skills and response to potential terror attacks in both the Metrópole and the FFBR, Exercise Periferia will train joint military personnel at a purpose-built urban training grounds in Leiria. While not much has been detailed of the exercises, a spokesperson for the Portuguese Army did reveal that it will include training against a fictitious major terrorist incident brought by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, as has been widely employed by ETA.

Civil personnel will also participate in the exercises to better on the ground response in both countries. Firearm trained police will rehearse along side military personnel to mirror real-life scenarios where police units would be backfilled by deployed military personnel to directly support their potential local counter-terrorism operations. The exercises are said to include rural and urban terrains to test the efficiency of interoperability in hunting suspects as well.

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by **Nowa Polonie** » Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:24 am

Operation: YOUNG OCTOBER

A young Polish Army officer sits in an office in Warsaw, writing up what in his own country might pass for a subversive Soviet fifth-columnist tract - the only difference is the language he writes in is Basque, the messages and phrases are given to him in Polish, his only task, to reliably translate them. Easy brownie points towards a promotion. He types away on the electronic typewriter - ''THE REVOLUTION HAS BEEN BETRAYED - RALLY TO THE MOVEMENT OF YOUNG OCTOBER''.

He smiles to himself as he types away - the text of the pamphlet is practically distilled neo-Leninist ideology, its target, Chairman Ramos of the Basque SSR and his government. It rails off every crime; his personal life of luxury while his citizens starve, his betrayal of the 'revolution', his sponsorship of the 'nationalist-fascist' ETA, and most scathingly, the full death figures of the Basque Famine, and just how much of the aide funds provided by the Polish, Soviet and Danubians, intended to relieve the struggling of the population, were instead funneled into the pockets of the Government Ministers, Army Generals and Ramos himself. Within several hours of the completion of the pamphlet's translation, it is being replicated in the thousands by a Krakow printing house - by the end of the day, the pamphlets are delivered to a waiting airport, where a cargo plane bound for the Basque Country is carrying munitions, and an additional cadre of officers to 'train' the Basque Army.

Several weeks later, a fresh troop of young Basque officers, and even some more senior ones, pass their training course with these Polish officers - lectures on modern warfare are supplemented by subtle jabs at the Basque political system by the Poles, who equate it with the shortcomings of their army, and officers receptive to criticisms of the heterodoxical political dominance of the current Basque Government are identified and soon singled-out for 'advanced training'. Within several more weeks, those who have been identified as potential candidates to join a growing, Polish-sponsored subversive movement within the Basque Army, are provided with the pamphlets. The messages contained within are plain; the Basque Army, as it saves its country from enemies foreign, must save it also from itself, and it will have international allies to help them. The nature of the Basque Internal Security apparatus is such that those who have come this far, and who received such a dangerous piece of paper, know that to inform the authorities of such a plot would incriminate them as well - those who would not have a quiet word with their would-be Polish tutors quietly disappear from the classes, and burn whatever evidence they may have of having been involved. They hope - in vain - that with this act they have absolved themselves of involvement with a failed brewing coup. Little do they know that YOUNG OCTOBER will have far greater consequences on their country than they can fathom.

Heavy Metal Comes to Poland

In a sign of the increasing normalisation of post-War life in Poland, Polish fans of the North American heavy-metal band 'Metallica' were treated to a series of concerts in their country of part of the band's tour of Europe to promote their fifth studio album, the so-called 'Black Album'. The album comes as a departure from the band's roots in the thrash metal genre, and has achieved a great degree of reception from more mainstream audiences, with the single 'Enter Sandman' being perhaps the first 'heavy-metal' single to rapidly climb in popularity on the Polish radio charts, displacing 'Winds of Change' by the German rock band, 'The Scorpions' in holding the spot for Poland's No. 1 hit of 1991 - the album itself has rapidly climbed to No. 3 in the best-selling albums of the year, currently behind 'Greatest Hits' by the British band Eurythmics, and 'Out of Time' by the North American band R.E.M, in No. 1 & 2 respectively.

by **Baratheone** » Sun Oct 02, 2022 2:39 pm

STATE OF SIEGE DECREED AMID NON-STOP ATTACKS

Lord Monstrou's address took place at the Royal Palace of Madrid

For the first time ever a state of siege has been declared in the United Kingdom of Castile & Leon, following what has been the most provocative ETA attack to date. Announced earlier this morning by the Lord Paramount on behalf of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Leon, the live television address suspended regular programming subjects across the Heartlands were used to waking up to. The declaration, and its announcement, underscores just how serious the Crowns are taking the latest Madrid attack: it is all but in name an act of war, for claiming the lives of heroic soldiers from the Joint Task Force of Castile & Leon.

“These thugs have made a grave mistake, not only did they incite an act of war, they murdered humble and loyal sons of the Crowns. We will respond in kind and with total unforgiveness” said Lord Paramount Monstrou during his morning address. The Lord Paramount's speech largely explained that the state of siege will temporarily suspend the Parliament of Leon and the Legislative Council of Castile. All members of the Parliament of Leon as well as the Lords of the King of Castile's Council will concurrently, vacate their seats. All legislative and executive functions will also for the time being, be deferred to solely to Lord Paramount on behalf of the Crowns, and the Prime Minister of Leon and the Lord Hand of Castile will report directly to him.

Troops repel invasive migrants at the Leonese-BSSR border

The Lord Paramount's address broadly discussed the state of siege decree, though he also mentioned that Castile & Leon's borders will be temporarily closed until security services deem it safe to reverse. In a later press release, Lord Monstrou's office told news media of the decree's finer details, including the adoption of enhanced measures that give authorities the power to arrest people exhibiting suspicious behavior, seize any privately owned weapons, and carry out search and seizures of private properties. A temporary curfew and ban on public gatherings is also in full effect. So far, 24 hours into the attacks, only 150 homes have been raided and 97 people were placed under house arrest.

Joint Task Force convoy en route to Burgos province

To ensure the safety and continued functioning of the government, the Lord Paramount also decreed 2,000 soldiers from the Joint Task Force for deployment to both Madrid and Valladolid, the respective seats of the Crowns of Castile and Leon. "These ETA attacks have been going far before the Lord Paramount assumed his office. We will not cower to terrorists" said a spokesperson for Lord Monstrou, when asked whether the formation of the Joint Task Force of Castile & Leon may have provoked the latest ETA attack against Madrid. Lord Monstrou himself, seems to be doubling down, assigning 10,000 more soldiers to the Joint Task Force that are currently gathering in the Kingdom of Leon. The deployment now brings the total number of Castile-Leonese troops near the Basque Soviet Republics to 30,000.

The Democritus Sun (approved participants only)

BSSR

Aragon Confederacy

Polski Pravda

3 April 1991

FAKE NEWS!

18 May 1991

United Kingdom of Castile & Leon

People's Republic of Galicia

4 July 1991 IC

Basque Soviet Republics

Aragon Confederacy

United Kingdom of Castile & Leon

Mursiyah, Gharnata

22 August 1990

Polski Pravda

United Kingdom of Castile & Leon

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