The Western Isles News

[Lesva]

Political Bureau of the State Realm hosts meeting on financial and economic matters

Political Bureau of the State Realm of the Throngist Republic of Lesva hosts meeting of top officials on financial and economic matters

First Secretary of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva Taica Berislavić has appealed to Minister-Secretary General of the Presidium and Political Bureau of the State Realm of the Throngist Republic of Lesva Crisi Ghaném to provide the framework for hosting a special meeting on financial and economic issues. Minister of Economy of the Throngist Republic of Lesva, the Honorable Gedasi Neramo, has been the one to be in the center of this meeting as the official responsible for financial, economic and trade questions. The specific topics discussed in the current meetings were two prospects of integration among the Eastern Tripartite (ET) member states or between specific ET countries. The meeting discussed the proposed financial exchange between the Throngist Republic of Lesva and the Federation of Balnik, where the currencies of both countries would hold a special legal status in both countries' jurisdictions, as well as the possibility of developing a single common currency for all ET member states and possibly observer or associated countries. The bilateral Balniki-Lesvan financial exchange was proposed by the Federation of Balnik, while the common ET currency has been an idea that the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva has been considering to propose. Because both projects have found interest and support in the Throngist Republic, First Secretary of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva Taica Berislavić has decided that Minister of Economy Crisi Ghaném should already start discussing the possibilities of how either of those measures or both of them could be implemented in practice, including plans how Our Homeland could achieve it specifically on our part and what kind of plan to propose to Our Allies, who we will join hands with in these steps.

[Jeriga]

People’s Daily
Montien, Jeriga
12-10-22

80 Members of Parliament, All Socialist, March From Parliament to the Palace, Are Turned Away.

After a night of what insiders have called “angry and high stakes meetings,” 80 members of Parliament, all from the United Workers of Jeriga, marched from Parliament to the Palace to demand that Gonzalo be assented to.

Once the MPs arrived, they were answered by the same guards with rifles in hand. This time, they argued. MPs could be heard yelling at the Gate Master to allow them in immediately.

“The socialists were practically screaming at him,” one witness said. “Cursing the guards, threatening Parliamentary investigations, and demanding to see the King.”

The unprecedented attempt to physically storm the cabinet, so to speak, was met by determined resistance from the guards. As the crowd had approached the gate, reinforcements were promptly called. Soon, a line of smartly dressed and well-armed guards blocked the Former Prime Minister’s way. It wasn’t long that, with only a few shoves, the MPs were pushed off.

This is the latest escalation in a crisis that has rapidly paralyzed the country as King Elroy asserts his constitutional power. While socialists have been seething with rage, traditionalists have been celebrating and even wanting to revive the “Friends of the King,” a party which existed from the foundation of Parliament until 1937.

The crisis is surging as a result of a report which blamed the Prime Minister and the Director of NEMA for the Alcillia City Nuclear Facility (ACNF) disaster. The deaths and the long-term consequences are the basis of the King dismissing the Prime Minister and now rejecting him when reelected.

This is not the first time His Majesty has intervened. In the past, he has written editorials criticizing certain policies from the perspective of the Church of Jeriga. In May, 2015, only 8 months after his coronation, King Elroy wrote a condemnation of the United Workers of Jeriga’s political record and predicted that the “corruption, incompetence, and mismanagement of the Socialists” would “plummet the country into a crisis of a moral nature or, worse, harm the citizens of the nation in a moment of weakness and ineptitude.”

The editorial incensed Gonzalo, who had just been elected in 2014 and was subjected to the first in person “kissing of the hand” since the ’37 constitution. At the time, it was rumored that Gonzalo had taken to calling the King “that damned priest” when he came up. Gonzalo has also made it increasingly difficult for the King to make changes to the Church, which was one of the chief aims of his first years.

The struggles between the King and his Prime Minister mounted for years. The Nuclear disaster seems to have been the anvil on the camel’s back for the King. The combination of incompetence, dishonesty, and attempted cover up were too much for the King to bear.

UPDATE: KING ELROY ANNOUNCES DISOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT, CALLS NEW ELECTIONS

Moments ago, the King announced the dissolution of Parliament while it was still in session following this morning’s protest. Royal Police, along with Parliamentary Guards, cleared the floor with no resistance. MPs were seen exiting the Parliament in shock, though some traditionalists seem to have known what was coming.

In the announcement, the King said that “this morning’s attempt to storm the Palace by members of parliament after their King exercised His constitutional rights. We have resolved, therefore, that the Members of Parliament must be replaced or have their mandates resecured by a general election. There is no other option to secure the future of my Kingdom and our Nation.”

In response, Socialists sounded the alarm, demanding unions call a general strike and that the people “poor out onto the street and defend our democracy!”

No one answered their call.

In fact, recent polls have seen even ardent socialists grow apathetic to the UWJ’s calls to defend democracy. They are, according to recent polls, even happy the King is acting aggressively.

“There is a general feeling that the King is taking corrective action against a corrupt regime,” one pollster said. “The UWJ seems to have lost the support of the people.”

With no elections since 2014, this feeling may have been fueled by a sense that the UWJ and Communists were no longer serving the country, but themselves. Without that support, the UWJ is at the mercy of the Constitution and the Defense Ministry’s adherence to it.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated as events transpire.

KING DECLARES HIMSELF CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE SAYS HIS DECREES WILL BE "CARRIED OUT".

In an announcement and follow up tweet, the King has declared himself the Chief Executive during the crisis.

"To protect and serve the constitution and the nation, Parliament is hereby dissolved. Elections are to be scheduled for three months from now. Until those elections, the King shall be the chief executive."

Paquito Sofronio, the Minister of Defense, and Bruno Reyes, the Foreign Affairs Minister, said they would "support the King in all His actions."

[Dragao do Mar]

13 of December, 2022 | Fortaleza, AL, Dragão do Mar

Dragão do Mar to receive the presidents of Itielia and San Jimenez in this week

A official communication agency of the Marian government confirmed that in this week, Dragão do Mar will receive in Fortaleza both the Chairman of the Presidium Roman Tkatshyuk, the president of The People's Republic of Itielia, and also Lucas Canone, president of San Jimenez. The curious situation has contributed to the political agitation in the country, as a sizeable part of the Marian population view both of these nations as extremist.

It is the first time in the history that the country receives the leader of a Marxist-Leninist nation for a state visit. The visit of the Itielian leader was criticized by the Deputy Carlos Esvael, of the Catholic Conservative Party (PCC), who accused the country to practice torture to political opponents and to doesn't respect freedom of speech. In the other hand, part of the left wing criticized the visit of Lucas Canone, as Chico Lopes, leader of the Party of the Communist Obstinacy (POC), who stated that "San Jimenez is the other side of the same coin of Najimam", claiming that religious institutions has similar interference in state affairs in both countries. The building of diplomatic ties with countries swith diverse political leanings has been a characteristic of PM Lacerda's government, and is an point that seems that will remain in his second act as Marian head of government.

The president Roman Tkatshyuk is expected to arrieve tomorrow in Fortaleza, while Lucas Canone should arrieve in the weekend. However, it hasn't been clarified yet if both leaders of these neighbour countries will meet at any time. Follow our news for the next updates.

[Esterazdravo]

Update on The Archipelago of Luvahira
As the crisis in Luvahira continues to bring suffering from the armed forces of Nisri, the forces of Nisri have began a slow but steady pace to the Esterazian city of Vubākīn. This event has been part of a domino effect after the Nisri armed forces landed on a small, undefended town home to a few thousand Esterazians. In response to the possible siege of Vubākīn, hundreds of men have been called back from the frontlines, just 23 miles away from the key city of Innulis. This call back has seen the Nisri forces trapped in Innulis begin to slowly push back the Esterazian forces by a few miles. However, Nisri forces appear to be failing to defend mulitple cities such as Linuabicu, after Esterazian forces cut of weaponary from reaching the city. Linuabicu is expected to be captured by the end of 2022 if no counter force is made by the Nisri forces. However this possible date could be achieved even sooner if Esterazian forces continue to advance at the same rate.

Made in collaboration with Nisryn

[Jeriga]

People’s Daily
Montien, Jeriga
12-14-22

Analysis: How We Got Here, The Constitutional Powers of the King, and Why They Still Exist

A few days ago, King Elroy exercised all of his constitutional powers in dismissing the Prime Minister, then rejecting the new one, and then completely dissolving Parliament. While the nation is in shock, no one came out to support the Prime Minister or the Socialist majority Parliament. In fact, the only protests to have occurred were in Varlton, where a group of traditionalists called for the King to jail Gonzalo and Rosenda for their roles in the disaster. This was despite the fact that the King took the unprecedented role of “chief executive.”

All of this begs the question: what constitutional powers does the King have, how far do they go, and is he still in constitutional territory or has he gone beyond it?

The Constitutional Powers of the King

In the 1937 constitution, the King retained the power to “appoint, with the advice and consent of Parliament, the Prime Minister and, through him, to appoint the ministers of the government as he pleases.”

The constitution is clearest around this point. The King has a large amount of power in the executive of the government and, constitutional scholars say, that power does not come from the people, but from the King. It was a clause ripped right out of the 1820 constitution and placed in the constitution to avoid further bloodshed in the revolution (more on that below). So, in the first steps of this crisis, the King was absolutely in his constitutional rights by the letter of the law.

In the legislative portion of the constitution (Section 4), how parliament is opened and closed is described:
“Parliament shall open every year on the fifth day of January and shall close and take recesses as it so desires, but may not stay in session for more than six consecutive months without a recess of two months thereafter.”

In a later clause, the constitution gives the King the Power to “dissolve the parliament if it cannot produce a Cabinet which could be approved by the King or in times of great crisis.”

None of the three monarchs until now has used this power.

Is what the King did constitutional? Yes. Parliament played into the hands of the King by reelecting Gonzalo out of spite. By doing so, they specifically enabled the King to use this power against them.

The Chief Executive

The King followed his dissolution of parliament up by announcing himself as the “Chief Executive”, a term in the past to describe the civil role of the King before the Revolution. However, the constitution never mentions this role for the King now. It is meant for the Prime Minister, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces and the chief executive for the executive branch.

This is where the King enters the murky ground where only theory has yet laid a path.

For decades, conservative constitutional scholars have argued that, in the event of a crisis like this one, it is implied that the King would be the Chief Executive in the case that Parliament cannot choose an acceptable Prime Minister.

"In a crisis,” Francisco Rodriguez, a famed constitutional scholar from Varlton, wrote in 1978, “the King has the power to dissolve Parliament. If that happened, current understanding says that without Parliament, there is no Prime Minister, and without the Prime Minister, there is no executive. However, a close reading of the flow of power in the executive refutes this notion. In the case that there is no Prime Minister or Parliament to elect one, the King himself becomes the chief executive as, by appointing the Prime Minister, the power of the executive is still based in the person of the King.”

Rodriguez went on to argue that this could lead to the return of the monarchy if the people allowed it.

“If the Crisis was great enough and the apathy of the people strong enough, the King could, theoretically, take back political power."

As seen above, the King not only has the power to become the executive, but could become an absolute monarch so long as the people allowed it. It is fortunate, then, that the King is a constitutional monarch at heart and has called new elections for Parliament set for March 10th, 2023.

How the King Kept His Powers in 1937

The Revolution of 1937 is a story told everyday in classrooms across the country and even celebrated at multiple points in the year. Yet, people generally do not understand how fragile the revolution was at its victorious moment when the King agreed to a new constitution. In fact, one historian says that the Revolution “was never more than a step away from igniting a terrible civil war”.

Martin Gonzalo (no relation to the Former Prime Minister) is the head curator for the National Museum of History and Science in Montien, founded by the King himself in 1786. He says that the revolution was never quite sure of success.

The revolution was rapidly planned and executed at a moment of weakness in the political will of the Royalists. King Alberto was hardly popular, even among royalists at the time. Still, the revolution was primarily an urban one and it had not had any success in Varlton or Alcillia City. They had less still in the rural areas even on mainland Jeriga. The army was not with them, though the navy was, and the streets were in general disorder as the breakdown of local government progressed. What resulted was a King who was in a position to fight, but with no way to communicate to the outside world that he was willing. The Socialists, who were in contact with events across the country, but were not in a position to fight, realized that getting the King to agree to the basic structure of the constitution would be the best option. And so they did. Without the strength needed to fight a war, the socialists agreed to keep lessened, but still present, powers of the King intact.

Thus, we now have the system that has allowed this to happen. The nation can do naught but hope that the King will honor his word and hold the elections in a free and fair environment this coming March.

[Dragao do Mar]

14 of December, 2022 | Fortaleza, AL, Dragão do Mar

President Roman Tkatshyuk of Itielia arrieves in Fortaleza


The arrival of the Itielian airplane. Leaders of Dragão do Mar and Itielia in the press conference.

Today, in the afternoon, Chairman of the Presidium Roman Tkatshyuk, the President of Itielia, arrived at Fortaleza, the capital of Dragão do Mar. The leader came by invitation of Prime Minister Paulo Lacerda by diplomatic, economic and cultural purpouses, according to him. Since his arrival, the Itielian leader is being protected by a heavy scheme of security to prevent any attack, and he apparently doesn't stay any minute without scout, unless if solicited. Shortly after his arrival, the Itielian president and the Marian PM attended to a press conference in order to end with doubts and combat some recurrent critics to the socialist country. Check here the full substance of the press conference: (Q=Question, R.T.=Roman Tkatshyuk)

Q: What is your response on accusations of torture against political oponents?
R.T.: The accusations are baseless and grounded on motivation to slow down Itielia's progress towards international integration and global cooperation. Itielia aims at comprehensive and all-rounded development in the rule of law, and our laws protect individual and social rights in every respect.

Q: Is Itielia a dictatorship or a democracy?
R.T.: Itielia is a democratic state where the People are true masters of the country. The overwhelming majority continuously choose to support the socialist system in Itielia, and all laws are made by elected representatives after period of rigorous consultation with the people, affected parties, and grassroot participation. Compared to many other countries, overwhelming majority of state officials come from simple backgrounds, such as a factory worker, a rural teacher, or a researcher.

Q: Is religion prohibited in Itielia?
R.T.: This is untrue. The Itielian law fully guarantees freedom of consciousness and we continue to protect it.

Q: Is the socialism showing to be more economically efficient for Itielia than capitalism could be?
R.T.: The socialist system where multiple type of ownerships, led by the public sector, and where type of distributions exist, led by the distribution according to contribution, has continuously proven its effectiveness in enriching the Itielian people both materially and spiritually. We are an middle-income country aspiring at well-balanced and world-oriented growth. Because our policy is not oriented towards a private interest, but towards the public benefit, we have made merited progress in development of Itielia.

Q: How good is quality of life of life in Itielia, compared to capitalist countries?
R.T. Many mis-informed commentators will say that socialism means poverty, but if we compare Itielia to countries on the same stage of development, the truth is that Itielian People enjoy more social security, higher standards of living, and higher quality of life compared to those countries.

Q: What is the Itielian government's view on Dragão do Mar?
R.T.: We have good working relations with the Government of Dragao do Mar, and we will continue to strengthen economic ties and cooperation.

Q: How the Itielian government views San Jimenez? Are you planning to meet with its president, Lucas Canone?
R.T.: We have established bilateral relations with San Jimenez. Meeting with President Canone is not part of agenda of this visit.

The Prime Minister of Dragão do Mar, Paulo Lacerda also answered some questions. This was one of them:

Q: What are the goals of Dragão do Mar in this aproximation with Itielia?
P.L.: In a globalized Western Isles, it is necessary to negociate with everyone. Itielia surely has its own strengths as well as Dragão do Mar, and cooperating we can be able to surpass some of our deficits. Also, I admire the fight of Itielia against the commercial boycot that some nations in the region support, so I stand in favor of the country in this subject. Beyond economic matters, we wish to establish more open visa policies between our nations, as one don't represent a danger to the other. We will promote scientific and educational cooperation by trading some of our technological proficiencies and establishing a student exchange program. And we should unite our voices in international matters as in the combat against the rise of authoritarism, and supporting the de-escalation of armed conflics in the region.

After the press conference, both leaders went to a restaurant of traditional Marian cuisine in the capital, where the Itielian president met dishes as baião de dois, caranguejada and acarajé. Some hours later, the nations' leaderships attended to the ceremony of opening of Memorial dos Mártires (Memorial of the martyrs), a new public square in the capital of Dragão do Mar that pays homage to the people from nations who fought in the Imperial War in the side labelled outside of Dragão do Mar as the "Neo-Imperialists", which are, inside Dragão do Mar called the "Anti-Imperialists".

The Memorial dos Mártires, in Fortaleza.

Each of the columns in the monument represents some of the mains nation who fought in the side of Dragão do Mar, which are from left to right: Itielia, Solaryia, Roendavar, Salimanasia, San Jimenez and Wellsia, with the central column being dedicated to the Marians. After listening to the himns of Itielia and Dragão do Mar, floral wreath were placed at the base of each column, with Roman Tkatshyuk placing at the column of Itielia, Paulo Lacerda placing at the Marian column, and Marian soldiers placing in the others. At the end of the ceremony, the leaders talked for a few minutes and said goodbye with a handshake, and Paulo Lacerda headed to his official residence, while Roman Tkatshyuk went to a hotel where a room was designated for his accommodation, which is owned by the Marian government and was completely emptyed for Tkatshyuk's stay, and fullfils a rigid list of security precautions.

[Baumes]

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Baumish Government Considers on Allowing Romancia Vote for Independence

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Location of Romancia in Baumes

ROCHELLE - After decades of protests, the Baumish government has finally took into consideration of allowing the District of Romancia to vote for their independence. Being ethnically Romancian, a majority of the population in Romancia agreed that they are very different from Baumes and that they were better off as an independent governing state. Since the region was incorporated into Baumes in 1886, Romancians have demanded for their independence, citing its annexation as an illegal invasion of a sovereign state. However, the government has always maintained its argument that it was never formally an independent nation and that as per the Treaty of Lansing, in which the Alteran Republics formally ceded power in Baumes, the national boundaries allowed Romancia to be absorbed into Baumes. Nevertheless, many Romancians stated that they lacked representation in Baumes and that the government had failed to take care of them.

Earlier today, the Baumish government stated that they are currently discussing the matter. They further added that if agreed on, would likely take place within January or February of next year. This decision came after protests across the nation demanded Romancian independence. On October 29, several police officers shot on a crowd of peaceful protestors in Romancia, killing 6 civilians. The incident has been described as a communication breakdown between the officers, all of whom have been fired and are expected to be on trial. Internationally, many nations also urged Baumes to allow for the region for independence. The Baumish government has responded, saying that they are working on it.

For many Romancians, this statement was hope for their independence. Since the late 1990's, the movement for Romancian independence has increased sharply, with this year seeing the largest amount of support for Romancia in many years. The region had attempted to break away from the nation at least nine times since 1930, all of which quickly failed. Romancian District Executive Andric Nikolić said that the Baumish government, although unlikely to, would hopefully allow for a peaceful independence of Romancia.

[Cheongsan]

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#쏙닥쏙닥: Controversial Toechon District Mayor Gang In caught on camera making sexist remarks

By Marie Eum
15.12.22

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Toechon Mayor Gang In (United Liberal Future)

A recording has surfaced onto Cheongsanese social media site ChekChek which seems to show the controversial Mayor of Toechon distruct, Geumhae, Gang In, making a number of disparaging remarks directed towards female staff members. Uploaded by user @더러운비밀 last night, the video has already garnered more than 200k reactions, comments, and forwards.

In the video, which appears to have been filmed secretly by an employee, the Mayor can be seen: stating that his female employees were "only employed for three assets; round breasts, big butt, and sweet smile", claiming that "the only way a woman will get up the corporate ladder is attached to the genetials of a strong husband, and making numerous graphically sexual remarks about individuals who are believed to be members of his office. It is evident that he does not know that he is being filmed, as at one point laughing about what would happen if his discussions were to get out.

Though these recent revelations are shocking, Gang In has been no stranger to scandal throughout the two years of his term. He ran on an openly pro-business platform, referring to unions as "after school clubs for the homeless" and insisting that his rivals only opposed him because they were jealous of his shiny car and personal wealth. A former corporate executive with the Goheung Property group, Gang is believed to be one of the most wealthy individuals in Cheongsanese politics. While we reached out for comment from his office, this was denied, with his communications team instead releasing a statement on ChekChek that called the recordings "an illegal breach of personal privacy which will be closely investigated internally". Gang's team stated that "Mr Gang In has a deep love for women and has had many close loving relationships with women, so statements labelling him as sexist are misplaced and defamatory".

The incident has drawn attention to the state of women's rights in Cheongsan, which despite nominal legal equality are often nonexistent. The patriarchal family structures of Cheongsanese society often lead to men being promoted over women, as they are seen as more needing of money to look after families. The long hours which are expected, as well as a culture of "business fraternity" which forces alcohol-driven social interaction with coworkers, has led to a culture of sexual assault where young women are expected to sacrifice to support their bosses out of respect, then struggle to find husbands as many see working women as less pure and undignified. Though reporting numbers are low, it is known that such pressures often have contributed to suicides among working women. A lack of accountability is also present, as women feel that any attempt to draw attention to misconduct will inevitably be used against them.

This is why the leading reaction to the scandal has been the phrase #쏙닥쏙닥 (Ssokdakssokdak), loosely translated to Hush hush, expressing frustration at the fact that such blatant sexism is rampant in Cheongsanese society. The phrase has all but taken over ChekChek, and posters outside the government house bearing the slogan have also been plastered up. A protest will be held by feminist group Pink Venom, with thousands of women and allies expressing their intention to attend the march on Monday. The HerWorld team will be there to cover the march in its entirety as well as show our support. In these tough times, sisters need to look out for one another.

#쏙닥쏙닥

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[New Aapelistan]

News | Aprosia

Aprosia arrests prominent dissident for insulting the Aprosiatic civilization

Ár Mudarán could face up to 5 years of imprisonment for his writings for violation of Criminal Code Article 159 if convicted by the courts.

Mudarán’s status led him to not have many pictures of himself. Picture from 2015, when he studied communications engineering.

- 15 Dec 2022

In the afternoon of 15th of December, prominent Aprosian internet dissident Ár Mudarán was arrested by local federal police in his home in the outskirts of Ašín. The arrest was the aftermath of a wanted notice posted by federal criminal police for breaches of Aprosia’s infamous All-Union Criminal Code Article 159, coming from Mudarán’s recently posted series of blog posts in an online blog that he maintains. Following his arrest, Mudarán called the arrest as “completely unlawful” and has pledged to do his best to fight against the accusations in court.

The 32-year-old Mudarán is a household name among Aprosia’s politically active netizens as the creator and main writer of the internet bloc “Black Book”, focusing on the past mishaps and abuses of power by the Aprosian nomenklatura and governments. Having founded the blog at the age of 23 in 2013, both him and his blog have had their handful with both Aprosian security and censorship authorities. Access to his blog being blocked in 2015 by decision of federal authorities and additionally being sentenced for 2 years and 3 months of imprisonment in 2016 for alleged organization of mass unrest in opposition to the Aprosian invasion of Charbagnia. Despite his arrest leading him to be expelled from his university and the blocking of his site limiting its reach in the tightly controlled internet scene of Aprosia, he continued maintaining his blog. Two months ago in October, Mudarán claimed that his blog had an average of 700 thousand readers per month.

The success of his blog has led to the local censorship authorities under the Ministry of Public Information ordering the shutdown of the website, with local authorities accusing the blog for sharing false information regarding the state and federal governments of Aprosia.

His arrest follows his most recent blog post, posted on 11th of December. In this, Mudarán goes against the claims of several Aprosian state governments of the absence of historical Ipachi communities in northern Aprosia. While most international historical research agrees on the existence of Ipachi communities in northern Aprosia that later integrated with the local early Aprosians to form the current ethnic groups in the northern states of Aprosia. Despite the international consensus, Aprosian nationalists have long contested the existence of these early Ipachi communities, defending what they see as a pure Aprosiatic heritage. The Aprosian state has long stood with the nationalist view. Mudarán’s public opposition to this has led to him being accused of denigration of the Aprosiatic civilization under Article 159.

What is Article 159?

The All-Union Criminal Code Article 159 of Aprosia was adopted early on in 1971 and punishes the ‘denigration of the Aprosiatic civilization, the union of Aprosian states’ and several other institutions of the state. Furthermore, practically all of the states of Aprosia have adopted similar pieces of criminal law preventing the denigration of national equivalents.

While in Aprosia Article 159 has been treated similar to other laws imposed to supposedly protect the local concepts of a common civilization and race, internationally the article has been seen by many international observers as heavily limiting the freedom of expression in Aprosia and being used as a weapon against dissidents, both within Aprosia and abroad. While the article prescribes a punishment of imprisonment from 1 to 5 years for domestic acts, Aprosian citizens abroad that are found to break the law may be imprisoned for up to 8 years.

In the past 10 years, over 90 people have been convicted according to Article 159, from over 160 prosecutions. The most recent uptick in Article 159 cases happened in 2016. Most accusations are levied by organizations associated with the local federal ministries responsible for media, cultural affairs and inter-ethnic relations.

Many of the supporters of Mudarán are afraid that his latest blog post has been the last straw for the federal government and that the prosecution will try to find a way to bring a harsher punishment for Mudarán, based on his earlier conviction and the order to shut down his website.

In a press release by the Thromsan .humanitas, the institute’s spokesperson Nicolas Gide expressed his worries regarding the case, going on to say

“Despite the attempts by the Hamaném government to improve the situation of freedom of expression and internet freedom in Aprosia, the recent uptick of cases associated with the Aprosian Article 159, especially the case with Mr. Mudarán’s arrest yesterday afternoon, shows a worrying trend in Aprosia. We commend the tenacity of Mr. Mudarán to fight for his right of free expression online and hope that the court responsible for his case sees the absurdity of the accusations levied against him.”

The Federal Criminal Police of Aprosia, currently holding Mudarán in custody, did not accept our requests for an interview with Mudarán and instead stated that media outlets would not be allowed to interact with the person in custody during the investigation.

In other news

• Dragão do Mar - Itielia meeting commences in Fortaleza
• Baumish government allows Romancia a vote for independence
• Cheongsanese district mayor amidst a scandal for sexist remarks

[Itielia]

Comrade General Secretary and Presidium Chairman Roman Tkatshyuk Begins Visit to Dragao do Mar

Dec. 14th (Itielian News Agency) - In the afternoon of 14th December, Chairman of the Presidium Roman Tkatshyuk arrived at the capital of the United Kingdom of Dragao do Mar to pay an official state visit by the invitation of Marian Prime Minister Paulo Lacerda. A special plane of the Itielian Airlines was accompanied by a protocol escort, before descending to the airport.

The visiting delegation headed by Roman Tkatshyuk was warmly welcomed by the Marian side, with the welcoming committee greeted him immediately after leaving the airplane. Two flags have been displayed, as the military band played the national anthems of both countries.

The official talks between two leaders have been conducted in the spirit of global cooperation, democratic and equal partnership, and the mutual respect of national sovereignty. The leaders discussed matters related to the deepening economic ties, expanding trade, strengthening bilateral relationship, and cultural exchange. During the public talks between the two leaders, Roman Tkatshyuk stated that "Itielia strives to strengthen cooperation and partnership with all countries irresponsible of their political and economic systems". Presidium Chairman pointed out to the recent meetings between diplomats and suggested to "build a wider community representative of different nations, political-economic systems, and different races and ethnicities, based on the principles of international partnership, economic development, social progress, and ecological cooperation". As Roman Tkatshyuk pointed out that "socialism and capitalism at the present age are compatible in their political and economic orientation when it comes to the international relations". During the press-conference, Roman Tkatshyuk replied to many questions asked by journalists eager to inquire about the future of relations between the two countries.

The Itielian statement on official visit will be released soon.

Marian Meva, Nina Tseshinskii, and Pelageya Gavrilyuk also participated in the meeting.

[Azataria]

National News Organization of Azataria

Azataria's National Controversy

Recently a video of the Soviet Anthem got through the Azatarian firewall and made national headlines of comparisons between the anthem and the one of Azataria. The Azatarian government had begun doing their best to censor the news headlines however the constitution of the nation prevented this.
The anthem was not known to be similar to the Soviet anthem, the people of Azataria who are very anti-socialist began a protest outside Janden Square in the capital city of Teductan. ACPO officers dispersed the crowd with gunfire and firehoses. Leaders of the protest were rounded up and sent into controlled arrest.
The anthem will be changed by the 2nd Kuesten Games. With the same lyrics but different instrumental.

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Fighting Continues Domestically

A few months ago reports came out with Azatarian forces fighting insurgents in some of the southern counties. Azatarian has lost the capital of both counties but is preparing to put them into a stalemate using modernized trench warfare.
The Azatarian Military has begun requesting for civilians to rise up against the socialists within the region. The 43rd Inferetur Dinitury has been the leading division in this conflict. However there are other things that Azataria is focused on. Some can say the navy has bigger fish to fry.

War Investment
Here at Hanere Investment, our goal is to help you invest in rising stocks during these times of chaos. Our team shall help you make the best decisions possible.

Blockade has Continued

The Azatarian Navy has continued the blockade, as it has started to near the Hajet coastline. The ships have been reported to fire on fishing vessels and civilian ships.
Grand Admiral Guer Tunerster has justified the attacks using the rules setup by the blockade. All ships were warned to be shot on sight. Now Azatarian ships have continued their slow approach to the Hajet coast. Invasion is soon.

[Lesva]

Lesvan-Balniki communique signed on financial exchange

Throngist Republic of Lesva and the Federation of Balnik sign a communique on creating a financial exchange between both countries

First Secretary of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva Taica Berislavić has arrived in the Federation of Balnik. The First Secretary of the Throngist Movement Party of Lesva came to meet with Leader of the Federation of Balnik Andre Chernobog in the national capital Rustov. The two Leaders had signed a Lesvan-Balniki communique on establishing a financial exchange between the Throngist Republic of Lesva and the Federation of Balnik. The communique states that both countries officially plan and intend on moving towards the establishment of a financial exchange between the Throngist Republic of Lesva and the Federation of Balnik by eventually signing a treaty on creating the financial exchange. The communique states that the creation of a financial exchange will now be officially on both countries' common agenda. The financial exchange proposes that the Throngist Republic of Lesva and the Federation of Balnik give official status of each other's currency in each other's countries alongside the local official national currency. Balniki Vrag would enter the Throngist Republic and the Lesvan Les would enter the Federation. The proposal to establish a financial exchange was made by the side of the Federation of Balnik and Minister of Economy of the Throngist Republic of Lesva Gedasi Neramo soon took part in first bilateral negotiations on behalf of the Throngist Republic of Lesva to establish a financial exchange with the Federation of Balnik. That is when the dialogue first opened and will now continue in practice as well.

[Najimam]

Najimam launches its first ever remote sensing satellite

Millions of Najimamians tuned in today to watch the successful launch of TN11, the country's first ever remote sensing satellite. Screams of happiness and applauds were heard all over the streets of Mojtahid, it was a memorable moment.

The satellite was manufactured by the Costavozkan Aerospace and launched by the Costavozkan National Space Program in Somytnoś Isle. Najimam's Remote Sensing Center RSC is the main coordinator and maker of the national remote sensing activities in collaboration with Najimamian ministries and universities. Its primary purpose is the use of TN11's remote sensing applications to contribute to Najimam’s sustainable development.

Remote sensing satellite applications and imagery data are still underutilized in the western isles despite the big benefits and contributions they may bring. Some uses of TN11's imagery and data will include:

• Improving agriculture productivity by collecting precise data on climate changes, water availability, crop development and soil conditions.
  
  
• Accurate statistics for tracking multiple species in remote areas, mapping habitats, and monitoring migration.
• Obtaining data of a wide area in a short time to map different types of disasters in order to assess risk and estimate damage.
  
  
• Mapping environmental changes and urban growth.
• Monitor and detect urban areas that spring up due to incessant urbanization.
• Generate a digital topographic database of Najimam.
• Adequate data and knowledge about population dynamics.

Remote sensing satellite imagery data and applications are a time-efficient way to analyze and study different subjects and fields, especially in larger cities. This method will provide Najimam with reliable and accurate data and heavily contribute to its sustainable development plans in many ways. The RSC is confident that the multimillion dollar investment it made on the TN11 will be worth it, especially in the long term. More info coming soon.

[Uprea]

25th Edition of 2022, Mid December

Finding the Balance: Tourism and Environmental Protection in Uprea

16th of December 2022,
Vasca, Federal Republic of Uprea

While Uprea is very much known as a tourist attraction among foreigners for its white beaches, crystal-blue water, warm climate, mediterranean cuisine and buzzing nightlife. It is also known in the political and economic community as a nation with one, if not the strictest environmental protection laws in place, in the world. Assessing the situation one can come to the concluding question: Did the legislation find the perfect balance between tourism and environmental protection?
Furthermore: Is there a tendency? and if so how can such be explained?

First of, one can not deny, that the strong environmental protection practiced, greatly contributes to Upreas environmental beauty. Even outside of the typical tourist sites, the clear blue sky, lush green rainforests and the variety of flora and fauna can be seen and felt everywhere. Years of Years of legislation, with oftentimes harsh punishments for even small infringements, is that to thank for. On the other side stands the fact that these restriction do not seem to stand in the way of an onslaught of tourists to flock Uprea, especially during the summer time.
While that may seem contradictory, one has to account for the fact that said environmental restrictions mostly restrict the economy rather than the individual. Furthermore the manufacturing industry is the sector that is restricted the most. That already leaves at least some room for the tourism industry to roam about freely.
Secondly are most restrictions, that are in place for the tourism industry, restrictions that can be accepted while not reducing the amount of offered entertainment and without raising the price too much. For example are many areas in the surrounding ocean off of Uprea not accessible by cruise ship. These areas however can be easily circumnavigated and avoided. This in return means almost no rise in cost for the consumer, while abiding by the laws of Uprea.
This is a perfect example of how the legislator purposely tried to avoid restricting in a way that would mean a heavy blow to the industry or even mean the demise of said. With this in mind, one thing can clearly be stated: The environmental protection clearly has been made a priority. But not at great cost for the tourism industry.

Although one can regularly see the rise in fines due to tourism increase over the summer, the tourists flocking Uprea barely make an environmental impact. Reason for that is, among the enforcement of mentioned rules, the great clean up services installed around known tourist spots, as well as the extension of tourist knowledge through signs and information centers of how plastic and other waste can impact the environment. Government sanctioned campaign such as LeaveNothingBehind have greatly contributed to the consumer knowledge and have shown a great reduction of fines being handed out and waste being left behind.

In summary, the environmental protection legislation is probably one that is unique to Uprea, in that it is strict but tailored to the tourism industry which keeps the uprean economy going. A perfect balance may never be found, as the legislation in its strictness outweighs the economic freedom granted to the industry, but it is made as reasonable as possible to allow the industry to give customers a wonderful experience without driving the prices to high, while keeping environmental protection as a top priority.

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Uprea in the Baumish Open

16th of December 2022,
Rochelle, Republic of Baumes

As the Tournament in Baumes is getting into its final stages, uprean tennis sensation Cornelio Tomas has once again shown his incredible talent. The young star, who has won an international tournament just a year ago, is on the best course to take home another trophy to add to his collection. The nation is once again with its eyes glued to the TV as Tomas has already knocked out contestants from Costavozka and Aeteros and will now face Prvekjia, for third place. Portaver Quotes have shown that the match played against Aeteros was watched by more viewers than any NUBL game played that day, which for a nation dominated by basketball and soccer, is an incredible achievement.
Cornelio Tomas in a press conference today:

I am very happy to have made it this far again and to be standing here representing Uprea. I have great respect for the players I have played against and am looking forward to the match tomorrow. Much love to all my fans supporting me here and people watching at home. Its been an incredible experience I hope to continue.

The Game against Prvekjia on the 16th of December 2022 can be watched live and free on Portaver.

In other News:
- Heads of State of Itelia and San Jiminez to visit Dragão do Mar
- Parliament Dissolution in Jeriga
- Najimam to support Nisryn against Esterazdravo

[Lesva]

Balnik, Aprosia and Lesva begin a second joint military exercise in the Tamín Islands (Tamín Adenátud), Aprosia

Countries of the Eastern Tripartite launch new joint drills in the Tamín Islands (Tamín Adenátud), Aprosia, which became the bloc's second-ever exercise in that location

The militaries of the Aprosian People's Democratic Union, the Federation of Balnik and the Throngist Republic of Lesva are partaking in a new round of joint drills. The new comprehensive and all-encompassing joint exercise is taking place in the Tamín Islands (Tamín Adenátud), the Aprosian People's Democratic Union, where ET countries held their April joint military drills. This makes it the second time that this chain of Aprosian islands hosts joint ET drills. The primary scenario of the new joint exercise revolves around defense against outside aggression, which has been part of past training, drills and war games, however, this time the exercise involves a defense scenario of a specific nature.

The armed forces of the Aprosian People's Democratic Union, specifically the allied country's navy, has provided a carrier, which would act as a foreign aggressor attacking the Tamín Islands from the sea. In the meantime, the militaries of the Aprosian People's Democratic Union, the Federation of Balnik and the Throngist Republic of Lesva would jointly engage in the defense of the islands on all frontiers. On land, the allied armies would primarily train to operate anti-aircraft and anti-missile weaponry, which in case of a real combat scenario, would have to be used by ET land troops to counter-attack any aircraft that would head for the islands from the carrier, while also counter-attacking any missiles or firepower from the aircraft mounted weaponry before any strikes could be made at the islands.

ET navies would likewise have a role to play in the defense of the islands. The warships of ET navies would form a line of defense off the coast, with a chain-like defense formation around the islands concentrated largely within the territorial waters of the islands. The defense formation would protect the sea borders of the islands and keep any hostile forces from approaching too close without being stopped. Likewise, the warships could counter-attack any possible enemy aircraft from sea level, upon enemy attempts to fly over the warships in the island direction. Additionally, some warships could be used to surround the enemy aircraft from all sides also in a ring-like formation, limiting its' mobility and attacking it from all sides at once, effectively sinking it.

Finally, the air forces would take over the defense on the air front. Allied aircraft would defend the island airspace and nearby skies around the islands by covering sky borders and training to prevent any potential hostile aircraft from coming too close to the islands without being confronted. Most likely, in the case of a real military threat or active combat action, ET air forces would jointly close the skies and establish a no-fly zone over the islands and in the nearby perimeter. Additionally, ET aircraft could also attack the hostile carrier from the sky and simply sink it, which is a scenario and an option that would also be explored in the drill.

The exercise itself was proposed by the Throngist Republic of Lesva. The primary scenario of the drill was designed by the Military Officials of the Federation of Balnik with some additions from the Throngist Republic's Military Officials. The Aprosian People's Democratic Union provided all conditions for the exercise as the official host. On behalf of the Throngist Republic of Lesva, Minister of the Lesvan Throngist Armed Forces Colonel Velar Shrieva and Chief of the General Staff of the Lesvan Throngist Armed Forces Major General Belo Motar arrived to Tamín Islands to observe the joint ET military exercise. Minister of the Lesvan Throngist Armed Forces Colonel Velar Shrieva said that the Throngist Republic currently has at least three more possible scenarios for military drills to propose to ET allies in the near future.

[Valhapia]

The Sondran Daily Journal

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Lokken suceeds Rosanqist as Conservative party leader

SONDRAN- Earlier today, the Conservative Party hosted a press conference where it was announced that Stig Lokken, the leader of the Patriot Caucus in Parliament, would succeed Dag Rosanqist as Conservative party leader and as Leader of the Opposition.

Giving a speech at the conference, Lokken said, "Our nation is at a crossroads. Do we stand with the communists and their Socialist Democrat friends, or do we stand for patriotism, for tradition, and for God? This upcoming election will dictate the course of Valhapia for decades to come, and we must prevail to ensure the survival of true Valhapian values against the red tide of socialism and communism."

Lokken's rhetoric reflects a rightward shift in the Conservative Party since the 2019 general election, aligning itself with the right-wing Christian Democrats and far-right National Patriots over the more centrist Liberals. Alonir Gesnar, the current Prime Minister and Social Democratic leader has condemned Lokken's rhetoric as, "...encouraging violence against people who aren't right-wing, and all those who aren't ardent conservatives."

[Nhoor]

The latest from Nhoor can be found in Nhoracle nr. 52, which can be found here: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1481342

In it:

• Sárruc thrown into chaos by protesting fishermen
• Pregnant Queen Calaví advised to take extra rest
• Construction new airport of Sárruc officially started
• Negative travel advice to Nisryn and Esterazdravo
• Little chance of constitutional crisis like Jeriga in Nhoor

[Najimam]

Najimam wins the Baumish Open

In Najiman International Airport, hundreds of people were excitedly waiting for the plane carrying Najimamian tennis hero and Baumish Open winner Motaz Nasraoui to land. As soon as the plane arrived, festivities started and Nasraoui was warmly welcomed by the minister of sports Radi Raqi who stated that this big exploit is a turning point for tennis in Najimam.

Motaz Nasraoui's road to the cup was not easy, he had to face some of the best players in the western isles such as Ainslie's Meckarl Lander in the quarterfinals and Uprea's Cornelio Tomas in the semifinals. In the final, Nasraoui faced Geristokia's Gerald Isonov. Millions of Najimamians tuned in to watch the match, most coffee shops were completely full and suspence was felt in every minute. Nasraoui was fully prepared and focused, he knew how to take advantage of his excellent aim and his timing was perfect everytime. In the end he couldn't hold back tears knowing that he made his country proud and will bring Najimam's first ever Baumish Open cup with him.

Upon receiving the Baumish Open cup, Motaz Nasraoui made an emotional speech:

Thank you so much for having me here today. It is an incredible honor to be standing here as the winner of this prestigious tennis tournament.

I want to first and foremost thank my coach, my family, and all of my friends who have supported me along the way. Without their love and encouragement, I would not be here today. I also want to thank the ministry of sports and the Najimam Tennis Association for trusting me and providing me with everything I needed to be ready for this tournament.

Special thanks to Najinsan Sports Analytics for helping me improve and understand the strengths and weaknesses of my opponents.

A big thank you to my opponents for pushing me to be my best and for providing such tough competition throughout the tournament. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience to compete against some of the best players in the world.

I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my country and to be able to play the sport that I love at the highest level. Winning the Baumish Open is a dream come true, and I will always treasure this moment.

Thank you all again for your support, and I hope to continue to make Najimam proud with my performances on the court.

Nasraoui received a letter from the Highest Imam Naji The Fifth congratulating him and inviting him to the Majlis Palace. Moreover, the ministry of sports is reportedly hard at work to ensure that the same achievement is repeated in the 2023 women's Baumish Open. Stay tuned for more news.

[Itielia]

EDITORIAL

Restore Diplomatic Relations with the Throngist Republic of Lesva to Promote Peace in Gael

by Prof. Arsene Vlasic

As the whole Party and Country prepares for the work of the 23rd Party Congress, Itielia continues to improve and develop its international standing. The visit by Presidium Chairman Roman Tkatshyuk to the United Kingdom of Dragao do Mar has yet again broke misconceptions of an isolated and weak country in favour of the country which is both respected and playing a role in the international community. Itielia continues to develop relations with all countries of the world, irrespective of their economic or political systems. Itielian Socialism cannot be compromised by globalization as long as we adhere and preserve the socialist order and the socialist system, and we may reap rich fruits of peaceful co-existence and co-operation with all countries of the world. Nevertheless, despite this a major gap still preserves in the work of our foreign policy - lack of diplomatic contact with Lesva.

Lesva is an important country that is located just a few kilometres from our borders. Spanning a considerable amount of territory, it hols strategic importance by sharing a border with Ainslie and the Cheongsan Republic. Before the events of the Spring of Lesva, both countries maintained stable and bilateral relations like that with any country, but major disturbances and breakdown of civil order in Lesva has forced our government to withdrawal all our citizens and the diplomatic missions. For the time, Lesva was under control of changing provisional administrations, which nevertheless failed to properly address domestic problems that eventually led to their downfall. This chaotic period ended with the proclamation of the current political regime on 16th August, which established a stable civilian government. The goal of our foreign policy as mandated by our principles of peaceful co-existence and non-involvement in domestic matters, has always been maintaining peace and security in Gael region. We cannot leave a country separated from the whole world, as no society in the modern times is ever truly severed from the world system. By establishing ties with the current political regime and entering security and trade talks, we have to establish a system of security and trust between the two countries.

Security and Peace are never matters of a single country but is always a matter of continuous construction of a system of co-operation and dialogue. We should not divide anyone into 'blacks' and 'whites', but rather build a system of dialogue where every interested party may freely participate to peacefully settle disputes without resorting to more extreme measures or violate international law. Therefore, we should strive and work towards reconciliation of our countries, peaceful resolution of our conflicting interests, and build a road forward for greater level of economic and social development. We should re-orient our foreign policy towards the dialogue with Lesva, and re-establishing of diplomatic ties.

Prof. Arsene Vlasic is a senior researcher in the Department of International Relations in the University of Vetromest

[Najimam]

Dar Cargo officially enters Gael's rail freight transportation market

Dar Cargo, the leading international logistics and transportation corporation, announced today the opening of a new inland intermodal terminal in Reti, Lesva and a new rail freight interchange super hub in Deritivya. This move marks the beginning of Dar Cargo's operations in Gaelrail after years of planning and development.

The 86 million dollar Lesvan state-of-the-art facility was financially supported by the Islamic Bank of Industry and Commerce and the Najimam Investment Fund. It will have an annual capacity of 105,000 TEUs and 500,000 tonnes of general cargo. This capacity will be realised on a terminal area of 26.5 hectares, with 5,000 square meters of warehouse storage capacity.

The Reti intermodal hub will facilitate rail freight transport within Lesva, increase transport efficiency and improve freight traffic flow both domestically and internationally via Gaelrail.

In Deritivya, Dar Cargo and FaithPay invested 1 billion dollars in the past 5 years for a new interchange super hub. The 300ha site is the country's largest logistics hub, It has a 743,225 square meters logistics center with a new strategic rail freight interchange in Gaelrail. The interchange hub will drive economic growth, generating 8,500 jobs, a further 8,100 indirect jobs and 109 acres of new parkland.

According to Dar Cargo CEO Samir Naqqal, the new rail freight hubs are a major step forward for the corporation:

We are constantly looking for ways to expand and improve our logistics and transportation services, and the new rail freight hubs in Lesva and Deritivya will be a key part of that effort. We believe they will be valuable assets for our customers in Gael and help us to better serve their needs.

The opening of two rail freight hubs in Gael marks a significant expansion for Dar Cargo, and is expected to drive significant growth for the company in the coming years. It is a testament to the company's commitment to providing top-quality logistics and transportation services to its customers around the western isles.

[Azataria]

National News Organization of Azataria

ANMO Making Changes
Recently the Azatarian National Media Organization has begun reforming the way the news works. Now news organizations do not have to have images and videos approved by the ANMO before they are used. This will allow for all news organizations across Azataria to use images that fit with the articles they make.
The ANMO is able to do this as it does not have to answer to President Acre unlike other government organizations.
Will Azataria begin to reform?

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Azataria Dropping Bombs (Notice: I am using ReHaajl as a NPC for now as they have not been active)
With Azataria's arsenal of mostly United States equipment the Azatarian Military has recently used a barrage of M142 HIMARS on the Hajet capital, the strikes would hit government buildings, industry, and logistics infrastructure. However a few missiles would be miss-calculated and hit civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and train stations.
Azatarian Transport Aircraft has been spotted flying from the blockade recently. This could mean they are attempting to repeat the strategy of D-Day in which paratroops dropped behind the coastal defenses and sabotaged key positions.
It's either that or the unthinkable option. The HIMARS had hit government buildings in the capital, this included the capital building which killed the Hajet president. With a weak government the Azatarians might wish to quickly land and dismantle as much of the Hajet government as they can.
Whatever it may be, it will lead to an escalation in this war. Hopefully it can remain as small as it is.

Insurgents on the Wall
Recently the insurgent leader, Julerp Zaxter had been found and has been sentenced to execution by the means not stated by the court. However some inside from the Azatarian archives has given us an idea of his execution.
He will be shot in both arms, his legs amputated and replaced with metal braces, he will be given only the required amount of food to keep him running, his eyes will be plucked, his hands amputated, and many more unjust acts of torture. He will eventually be executed by a parasite specially developed by the ACPO.
Now Zaxter has not only been a insurgent leader but also the leader of the Ture Cartel, who had been in conflict with Azataria until 1999. Many believe that the Azatarian government will use this torture to show what being in hell will feel like and look like going off the scripts of the Taurzuz religion. However these acts are unjust even for a man like him and international response should be done to condemn the acts of Acre and his government.

Tuneres Medical Care
We are here for you Azataria! We have all the medical equipment you need to stay at home with your loved ones and be treated. Visit our locations across Azataria for more info.

Controlled Infection
Recently Azataria has violated the Geneva Convention with the use of Bioweapons in the form of the new Raterus Parasite which was sent into resistance bases to infect and rapidly spread amongst the members.
Any survivors will be few and will be rounded up and executed for treason. We found a sample of the parasite and have all of it's effects here.
The parasite will first break through the skin and enter the blood stream and much like a virus use cells to incubate more parasites. Each cell can hold up to 30 new parasites which then burst from the cell. Each parasite can infect 50 cells meaning one parasite can create 150 new parasites within half and hour. From there the parasite takes control of vital organs such as the intestines, bladder, and brain and begins injecting a poison that slowly kills the victim.
We must stop this and force the Azatarian government to stop this before it's too late.

[Jeriga]

People’s Daily
Montien, Jeriga
12-19-22

Queen Elira Writes in Favor of Divinely Appointed Monarch in Royal Journal of Virtue

Queen Elira wrote in the Royal Journal of Virtue that “the King and all his family have been appointed by God to lead our nation.” This comes as the nation prepares for snap elections in March to decide the future of the Parliament and nation as a democracy.

The article, which was 5 pages long and contained no less than 23 references to a “divinely appointed King”, argued that the “Crown and its person is the one entity that can lead our nation in a blameless and perfect fashion (she uses perfect in the old traditional sense as not lacking morality).”

The article comes amid a constitutional crisis in which the King claims he is acting in the best interests of the nation against corruption and selfishness. The issue, as seen in this article, is that the public no longer uses the word “corruption” the same way the Crown does. Queen Elira defined the word as “without morality, lacking in faith, and guided by idolatry.”

This devout definition references only the morality of the person and not the practical idea of being corrupt. According to the crown, an ambitious politician who is otherwise blameless would be corrupt. According to the public, he would simply be an energetic politician, possibly worthy of high office. If the crown’s definition is used to understand the King’s speech, it suddenly becomes clear that the King is not trying to rid the nation of Gonzalo, but of all the secular politicians who wish to impede the powers that are divinely appointed.

It is unclear when the King began to think this way. Prior to his ascension to the throne, he was an authoritarian, but not the religious zealot he now seems to be. The obvious reason for the change, argue critics, is that the Queen has taken over his life.

“No one is allowed near the King without going through her,” one former MP said. “She controls the King and all in the Palace.”

The Court responded in a brief message assuring the populace that the King is an “independent and strong-willed monarch as God intended him to be.”

However, if the King is being influenced, then this would explain his sudden about face against the tide of Jeriga’s democratic development.

Former MPs across the nation have called for an investigation into the Queen. But without a parliament, there can be no investigations.

[Valhapia]

The Sondran Daily Journal

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Conservative, Christian Democrat leadership announce withdrawal from extremist noncooperation agreement

SONDRAN- At noon today, the party leaders of both the Conservative and Christin Democratic parties met at a joint press conference. They announced what is likely to be a major shakeup in post-election politics. The two leaders announced that their parties would be pulling out of the Extremist Parties Noncooperation Agreement, a landmark agreement between Valhapia's mainstream parties made a few months ago that committed 6 of the parties in Parliament to not forming a coalition with the 3 more fringe parties: the far-left Communist Party, the far-right National Patriotic Front and the regional nationalist Atamar Party.

Now, with the two major opposition parties having vacated the agreement, coalition predictions for the next Parliament have been entirely upended, with some pundits claiming this is the start of a "far-right alliance in Valhapia." Indeed, the purpose of this agreement seems to be to allow the Conservatives and Christian Democrats to ally with whoever they want to in Parliament. When interviewed by the Daily Journal, newly elected Conservative leader Stig Lokken had this to say: "Many in my party, myself included, are absolutely sick of the Socialist Democrats and their Communist friends keeping us from allying with pure Valhapian political forces like the NPF and Atamar. We have pulled out of the agreement because it is a basic tenet of our Parliament that parties can ally with who they want to. This has been the custom since 1855, and it will stay as such!"

Understandably, the response from the governing coalition was harsh, with Progressive Party leader Jonas Gartun saying, "The Conservatives and Christian Democrats want to bring the extremists to the negotiating table, which is a serious threat to our nation and its ideals of freedom and equality. I have spoken privately with the Prime Minister, and he has said that he will steer his party away from working with those two in the future, and I will assure you that my party will do the same."

[Baumes]

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Baumes Celebrates 205th Independence Day

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Independence Day celebrations in Cagues

ROCHELLE - Today marks the 205th anniversary since Baumes declared independence from Altera. The nation first formally announced their independence on December 19, 1817, although Altera would not recognize its independence until 2 years later. President Armando Guerrero opened up today's celebrations through a televised speech, stating that this marks a major achievement in Baumish history. "This historical event reminds us of the struggles and sacrifices of the Baumish people 205 years ago. In order to progress into the future, we must always remember our past, and learn from it. May this serve as a reminder that history can be used as an inspiration to power your future."

All over Baumes, celebrations were held the entire day. In Cagues, parades all over the city filled the streets. Several roads were closed in response to the celebrations and the yearly Zastere Road Race is set to take place today, with over 30,000 runners expected to participate in this popular Independence Day celebration. Movie lovers can also enjoy watching old movies from small boats in Cagues' Serenity Bay. There was also an airshow event displaying the Baumish Air Forces' newest fighter jets as the sun went down.

Rochelle is also expected to see its annual independence day fireworks show tonight, which is one of the largest such displays in the world. A military parade was also conducted in the capital earlier this morning. In L 'Arres, bands played in the streets all day and parties were held in ships off the coast. In many cities, celebrations took place as early as dawn break and is expected to continue until midnight.

Baumes' duty has and always will be to protect the freedom of speech, religion, equality and their right to basic necessities, and to establish law, peace and order within the nation and ensure safety and protection to all its citizens. Today serves as a reminder of our goal and may Baumes continue to serve and protect its citizens and allies.

[Lucerosa]