The Democritus Times (Democritus Only)

[The Russian Federated States]

PROJECT: FRONTIER

VLADIVOSTOK - Soviet Union and San Martinia's bilateral trade has been increasing since the beginning of mutual relations and both countries strive to expand it, the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the news agency .

"It is very positive that our bilateral trade is growing. Russia exports mainly petroleum products and imports agricultural products, pharmaceutical products and parts for the machine industry. We remain interested in broadening the scope of trade and increase its volume. Therefore, we look at possibilities in agro-food and food processing, mining, logistics and other industries," the ministry said.

Governments of both countries strive to facilitate mutual relations and to create favorable conditions for increasing mutual trade.

"To achieve this objective, there will be some mechanisms introduced like the regular meetings of Soviet-San economic cooperation repressentatives," the ministry said.

Another mechanism is provided by the Soviet economic observers stationed in San martinia and investments which went towards developing the Chilean coast. The special committee supports businesses not only in selling goods and services abroad, but also in the implementation of investment projects overseas.

It can provide business people with sector and market analyses, select potential contractors and arrange business-to-business meetings, organize companies' participation in the most important trade fairs and missions around the world.

"Mutual efforts have already brought results as the trade turnover between Soviet Union and San Martinia is growing. According to preliminary estimates, it 2ill reach $2.4 billion last year," the ministry said.

MILITARY INVOLVEMENT N AFRICA

[[[MEANT TO BE OLDER NEWS DURING MY ABSENCE]]]

MOSCOW - The Ministry of Defense presented a military plan at a meeting of top national security officials last week that would send as many as 20,000 Soviet troops to the CAR-DRC border in the event that the FSR forces continue their presense in the DRC areas that the Entente troops were operating in, UnionToday reported Monday.

UnionToday said the plan, which does not call for a land invasion of the DCR, was suggested in part by KGB director Vadim Putin.
Citing administration officials, UnionToday said it was unknown whether the Supreme Chief Aleksandr Dibrov had been briefed on the plan, including the number of troops. UnionToday said the meeting occurred days after Kremlin cited specific and credible intelligence last week that suggested the FSR soldiers were tresspassing on the Entente-occupied areas in the DRC. But no decision regarding the deployment of troops has been finalized yet.

The earlier plans to send troops to the DRC to attack the SCR were abandoned after the majority of the National Sovet voted against it citing economic recovery.

[The East African Commonwealth]

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The Afrika Times

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The Commonwealth Mobilizes, Support for HDMC Declared

For the last few months the Commonwealth has sat by and watched as its neighbors in the DRC have been shattered by a civil war unlike any yet seen in Africa. The Commonwealth had taken a neutral stance in the fight stating that the DRC will be allowed to make its own choice in the matter of who will govern the country, however, that is no longer the case. With the former deployment of 40,000 FSR troops to the DRC its has become clear that this is no longer a civil war but an international one where the success of one faction could lead to a puppet state being set up in the region. This is something the Commonwealth Government will not stand for and as such the East African Commonwealth officially declared support for the HDMC and began to move its forces into HDMC territory to begin supplying their forces and sending five divisions to bolster military forces.

This force of 45,000 soldiers has been trained for the last few months by Canadian Advisors and armed with modern equipment as well, making them the most well trained native African force. They also are accompanied by nearly 300 armored vehicles and 100 aircraft. These divisions have begun to reinforce the frontline with Divisions 1,2, and 3 spread thing themselves across the front to bolster HDMC ranks. Division 4 is stationing itself in the city of Kamina to act as a reserve guard for the front while Division 5 is spread across the supply lines ensure that the HDMC has a steady flow of equipment and materials. The Commonwealth has also begun to mobile its five remaining divisions consisting of another 45,000 men to bolster the home ranks. Support for the war has been mixed with some unhappy for intervention while other are ecstatic to see Africa stand up for itself. Many within the Africa First movement have decided to join up within the military and the organization itself has seen growing support.

The complete mobilization of the East African Army is expected to be completed in a few weeks, however, the EAC itself has stated that it is currently only bolstering the HDMC's position. The EAC does not have any intention of conducting a massive campaign across the DRC nor a large scale war against the SRC at this current time. However, should the SRC continue to occupy lands that it is not entitled to under international law the Commonwealth will intervene directly in the conflict as the SRC will be no longer recognized as a national entity but a rouge one that is a danger to its neighbors in Africa.

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| Hundreds Enter Military Amid Patriotic Fever | Short Range Missiles On Alert | Military To Receive Additional Funding |

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[Saif Fara]

الجمهورية اللبنانية

General Saddam Omar Aladeen hailed President Sarah Palverio of Lusophone's visit a success. Apart from the state visit being an educational opportunity on multiculturalism for the President of Lusophone, the General also confirmed that Lebanon will purchase more than 100 tanks from Lusophone, which will come with air defense and anti-tank missile systems. General Saddam's also said the purchase include 108 cutting-edge M1A2 Abrams tanks, 1,240 TOW anti-armor missiles, 409 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 250 Stinger man-portable air defense systems.

In his weekly address to the nation, he stated that the $2 billion dollar purchase will make Lusophone the new main supplier of weapons to Lebanon, and he added that he is also seeking 66 F-16 fighter jets in the most advanced configuration. Purchase of M1 Abrams would mark a significant upgrade from the aging tanks Lebanon's army now uses, while the TOW and Javelin systems would upgrade Lebanon's ability to repulse any attempt by hostile tanks and troops. The Stingers will also help boost Lebanon's defenses. In his weekly address, General Saddam emphasized that beefing up Lebanon's armed forces is a central task for him even though Lebanon has no enemies. He said that upgrading the military is necessary to keeping Lebanon's enemies to zero, to show the power of the people. General Saddam also told the nation of his dream to revamp the domestic arms industry.

Before the President of Lusophone left, he also expressed his condolences and the people of Lebanon's condolences on the recent terrorist attacks in her nation. General Saddam publicly told President Palverio in fron of the cameras, that he hopes her visit has enlightened her views on Arab culture and on Islam.

[Lusophone]

‘They will regret it’: President Palveiro’s remarks after Norte attacks | Público Translated from original Portuguese to English

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The Norte region reeled Friday from a night of shooting rampage, explosions and mass hostage-taking that President Sara Palveiro called an unprecedented terrorist attack on Lusophone. Her government announced sharply increased border controls and heightened police powers as it mobilized the military in a national emergency.

Lusophine television and news services quoted the police as saying that around 100 people had been killed at a concert site where hostages had been held during a two-hour standoff with the police, and that perhaps dozens of others had been killed in apparently coordinated attacks outside a Vila Real sports stadium and four other popular locations in the Norte region. But estimates on the total number of dead varied. Witnesses on Lusophine television said the scene at the concert hall, which can seat as many as 1,500 people, was a massacre, describing how gunmen with automatic weapons shot bursts of bullets into the crowd.

“What your policies are doing, you are going to pay for it now,” one of the gunmen shouted, a witness said.

Ambulances were seen racing back and forth in the area into the early hours of Saturday, and hundreds of survivors were evacuated in police buses. Lusophine television said Northern hospitals were overwhelmed with wounded. News agencies quoted the Norte region head of the police, as saying early Saturday that all the assailants involved in shootings or bombings were believed to be dead, and the prosecutor’s office said that eight attackers were dead, according to The Associated Press. But the total number involved in the attacks, including accomplices still at large, remained unclear. “We are going to try and determine what happened, determine what the profiles of these terrorists are, find out what their course of action was, find out if there are still accomplices or co-attackers,” said a Braga public prosecutor. No individual or organization has declared a claim of responsibility.

A witness told a news reporter on television that he heard rounds of automatic rifle fire and someone shouting “Fck Palveiro” at the concert hall. Another witness who escaped the concert hall said: “When they started shooting we just saw flashes. People got down on the ground right away.” The police ordered bystanders in that area of the city to get off the streets as officers mobilized. Government officials urged people elsewhere to stay indoors. Other Lusophine news media reported that Kalashnikov rifles had been involved in the shootings and that many rounds had been fired. Police sirens sounded throughout the four terrorized districts on Friday night.

Despite the increased border security, air travel in and out of major areas like Lisboa appeared to be unaffected. Officials at the Lisboa Portela Airport confirmed that flights had not been suspended, although security had been heightened significantly. Both departing and arriving passengers and baggage were being screened thoroughly. It has also been reported that counterterrorism officials were reviewing wiretaps and other electronic surveillance records, but a senior security official said there was no immediate indication that there had been suspicious chatter or other warning signs before the attack. Terrorism experts have stated that the attacks on the targets on Friday had no apparent rationale. Instead, assailants appeared to strike at random in hip neighborhoods on a Friday night when many people would be starting to enjoy the weekend. “It’s a Friday night, and there’s a lot of people out, a lot of tourists out,” said a senior counterterrorism official. “If you want maximum exposure, you do it like this, in the dark, when it’s scarier and more difficult for police to act.”

President Sara Palveiro's declaration of a state of emergency and closing the nation's borders, hastily comes after her return from a state visit to Lebanon. Read her speech:

My dear compatriots, I speak to you as our nation underwent terrorist attacks of unprecedented proportions in the Norte Region. There are dozens killed, there are many injured. It is a horror.

The government, on my decision, has mobilized all forces possible to neutralize the terrorists and make all concerned areas safe. I have also asked for military reinforcements. They are currently in the Norte region, to ensure that no new attack can take place. I have also called a cabinet meeting that will be held in a few minutes.

Two decisions are being taken: A state of emergency has been declared, which means that some places will be closed, traffic may be banned, and there will also be searches which may be decided throughout the Norte Region. The state of emergency will be proclaimed throughout Lusophone, including in the Azores. The second decision I have made is to restrict travel. We must ensure that no one enters to commit any crimes and that those who have committed the crimes that we have unfortunately seen can also be arrested if they should leave our country.

This is a terrible ordeal which once again assails us. We will find out where it comes from, who these criminals are, who these terrorists are and they will regret it. In these difficult moments, we must — and I'm thinking of the many victims, their families and the injured — show compassion and solidarity. But we must also show unity and calm. Faced with terror, Lusophone must be strong, it must be great and the state authorities must be firm. We will be. We must also call on everyone to be responsible.

What the terrorists want is to scare us and fill us with dread. There is indeed reason to be afraid. There is dread, but in the face of this dread, there is a nation that knows how to defend itself, that knows how to mobilize its forces and, once again, will defeat the terrorists. I ask you to keep all your trust in what we can do with the security forces to protect our nation from terrorist acts.

Long live the Republic and long live Lusophone.

Palveiro then visited the concert hall in Porto, where armed assailants stormed the venue and more than 100 people died, with the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The Australian Prime Minister was hosted by Prime Minister Téa Lacerda prior to Palveiro's return in Lisboa, signing a $100 million Agricultural Trade Agreement. The Australian Prime Minister's reception was low-key instead of the usual pomp and ceremony put together for foreign leaders, out of respect for the recent Norte Attacks. At a press avail with the Scott Morrison, Prime Minister Téa Lacerda thanked the Australian leader for offering his condolences with victims' families and said that Australia can expect future military training exercises and military cooperation. PM Téa Lacerda dodged the topic of the prospects of a Visa Waiver Program.

Prime Minister Téa Lacerda also used the press avail to thank foreign nations for offering their solidarity and support and declined the Iberian Federation's offer of assistance from their special forces, Grupo Especial de Operaciones. This is the first instance of interaction with the Iberian Federation's government that the Lusophine government has engaged in, following weeks of silence after mass protests of President Briana Alcabu and the Iberian Federation in Lusophone. The government has opted to stay silent, with many media speculation saying the government is continuing to consult on the matter.

In what started as an insignificant protests by a few ultra-nationalists, many right-wing Lusophines have steadily rallied against Briana Alcabu of the Iberian Federation and, the Iberian Federation.

It has been quite some time since President Briana Alcabu last visited Lusophone, but since then, anti-Iberian Federation and anti-Alcabu sentiments have grown. Lusophines who have continually protested throughout the country and outside the Iberian Federation's embassy are specifically offended by Briana Alcabu's live broadcast address, in which she said

My State Visit to Lusophone was a stepping stone in relations with our Iberian Sibling, as the bigger sister we take responsibility to support our sibling like family.

A majority of the protests originally stemmed from a very small faction of the President Sara Palveiro's party, the Frente Nacional. These protesters are often dismissed in the party, labelled as extreme far-right idealists that no longer comprise of the party's backbone. Protesters who were interviewed described her remarks as "disrespectful," "minimizing" and "dismissive." They assert that Lusophone is not the Iberian Federations little sibling. The Lusophine government and the Frente Nacional has stayed silent on the issue, hoping that it would just fade away on it's own.

The Lusophine government's hopes however, seems to dwindle as more moderate conservatives and the mainstream nationalist members of the Frente Nacional have picked up and joined the protest. Twelve MPs have co-sponsored a bill that would condemn the Iberian Federation for it's name. The bill references the Lusophine Identity Law, in which the law declares that:

the Iberian peninsula is the historic homeland of the Lusophine people, and that “the right to exercise national self-determination of the Republic is unique to the Lusophine people.”

The MPs have included in the bill that the Iberian Federation has no right to call itself "Iberia" and "Iberian Federation" as it is not just home to "Spain" but to Lusophone, which has declared the peninsula its historic homeland, and to Galicia.

The bill has earned no traction and the Lusophine government has continued to stay silent on the matter. The only comment from the Lusophine government has been from the Interior Minister, who was appearing on a TV interview and was questioned on the topic, replying that the government is "consulting on the matter."

[Lusophone]

These news reports broke at different times IC and OOC, but I've compiled them here because they are the first reports, separate from another news article that summarized the events.

BREAKING: Explosions at Lisboa Portela Airport| Público Translated from original English to Portuguese

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Two explosions, moments apart, tore through the check-in area of Lisboa Portela airport at 07:58 local time.

One eyewitness reported hearing shouts just before the explosions.

Airport security has stated that the bombs were detonated just seconds apart at opposite ends of the departures hall. Witnesses said people ran from the site of the first blast, only to be caught in the second, near the main entrance.

Speculations have arised that this may be connected to the Norte attacks, a few days ago.

BREAKING: Attack at Metropolitano de Lisboa| Correio da Manhã Translated from original English to Portuguese

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An hour later after explosion incident at Lisboa Portela Aiport, a blast happened at Metropolitano de Lisboa metro station in the city center, close to several government institutions.

A three-carriage train was just leaving the station, when the blast happened, according to the transport operator.

Survivors say that the the bomb was apparently detonated in the middle carriage, which was running along the platform at the time. The driver immediately halted the train and evacuated the carriages.

[Grandes Terres]

31st August 2023

Farnesina updates travel advice for Italians in Lusophone

Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Borut Pahor, announced that Farnesina (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) has updated its travel advice for Italians in Lusophone, increasing the safety risk rating from Low to Medium, making Lusophone the only country in Europe to not have a 'Low' or 'Insignificant' rating. The announcement has come immediately after reports of another wave of deadly terrorist

Borut Pahor said he is 'deeply saddened' by the situation

attacks in Lusophone, making the threat from terrorism no-longer a 'one off' possibility and possibly a 'prolonged issue', according to Farnesina.

The official advise from Farnesina has also been updated, stating that "When traveling, you should avoid visiting built-up areas in the Norte Region of Lusophone and instead visit other regions of the country. However you should still remain alert at all times throughout Lusophone when in built-up areas, particularly major cities such as Lisboa. If you see any suspicious activity immediately report it to Lusophine police even if you think you may be overreacting. In the unlikely event that you are caught up in a terrorist attack or some other kind of attack, you will be contacted by Farnesina and if unharmed it is essential that you travel to the nearest Italian consulate to check you off as present. If you happen to be injured and are bed-bound in hospital or another location, you will be contacted and asked for your location and a representative from Farnesina will visit to ensure you are checked off as present."

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has expressed his condolences to the people and leader of Lusophone, saying he is 'deeply saddened by the loss of life' and has offered the support of the Cybernetic Operations Command (COC) to Lusophine security services to help in the monitoring of communications and the internet in search of possible perpetrators or individuals connected to the series of terrorist attacks that have struck Lusophone.

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Other News

- Increased vetting of individuals arriving in Italy from Lusophone after further attacks in the nation
- Government proposes creating 3 new national parks

[Lusophone]

Here's what we know about the Lisboa terror attacks | Público Translated from original Portuguese to English

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Just a few days after coordinated terrorist attacks in the Norte region of Lusophone, 31 people have been killed and more than 300 are injured from new terrorist attacks in Lisboa.

Still, no individual or group have claimed responsibility. Details are still emerging about who are behind the attacks, their victims and the possibility that more plots could be in the works. Here's what we know so far:

7:58, Lisboa Portela Airport
Two suicide bombers struck the departure lounge of Lisboa Portela Airport in Lisboa about 37 seconds apart, killing at least 10 people. One blast took place outside the security checkpoints for ticketed passengers and near the airline check-in counters, according to an airline official briefed on the situation.

A federal prosecutor said Wednesday that a third bomb, which he described as the "heaviest," had been left at the airport by a suspect who left the scene. He said it exploded "a few moments after the bomb squad arrived" because the explosives were unstable, but no one had been injured "thanks to the professionalism of the authorities at the scene."

An hour later, Metropolitano de Lisboa
About an hour after the airport explosions, Kaelan Baros, a Lisboa-born 27-year-old, detonated a suicide bomb on the Lisboa subway at the end of rush hour. The bomber, whom the federal prosecutor said was identified by his fingerprints, was in the second car of a train at the Lisboa metro station.

Authorities also believe there was a second suspect in that bombing, a senior Lusophine security source told Público. But that person's whereabouts -- or whether he was killed in the blast -- is unknown. The station is in the heart of the city, where government institutions are based, making it a symbolic target for terrorists. Unlike the Norte attacks however, security response to these attacks by Lusophine officials were far robust.

Lusophine authorities have released an image of three suspects believed to have carried out the airport attack.

The man on the left is Narciso Leite, a federal prosecutor said Friday. A senior Lusophine counterterrorism official told Público that investigators believe Leite has been arrested three times before on accounts of assault from political protests. Investigators believe Leite, believed to also be a suspect in the Norte attacks, was killed at the Lisboa Airport, multiple officials told Público. The man in the middle is Idan Braz, 29, Leite's classmate.

Authorities haven't identified the man on the right, but they say they're looking for him. That man, authorities said, planted a bomb at the airport and left. The man is believed to have been a guide, charged with ensuring the others carried out the attacks, according to federal prosecutors and experts.

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Intelligence commentators say they weren't surprised that Lisboa was attacked, because of concerns about terror threats, particularly after recent raids and the arrest of a suspect from the Norte attacks a few days ago in Lisboa.

Thirty-two people died in the three explosions or later from their injuries, in addition to the three bombers, the Crisis Center said in an update a few hours ago. Sixteen of them died in the airport attack, and 16 others at the metro station. Seven of the dead were French, and five were German, the Crisis Center also confirmed. In total, 340 people were injured in both attacks, and 57 victims remain in Lisboa hospitals according to another update. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that they are already in contact with French and German government and consulates.

"What we feared, has happened," Lusophine Prime Minister Téa Lacerda told a news conference. "We realise we face a tragic moment. We have to be calm and show solidarity." The Prime Minister also announced that Lusophone has accepted cybersecurity assistance from Italy and Canada.

The Lisboa attacks come as Lusophine police carried out raids around the country, bringing to 150 the number of raids under the country's state of emergency since the Norte attacks. A rocket launcher and bulletproof vest were among the items authorities seized, the Interior Minister said. The interior minister said he had ordered that 104 people be put under house arrest since the attacks. In Lisboa itself, authorities arrested seven people in raids. Five of them have been released, according to a federal prosecutor's office.

The country is at edge, with Lusophines returning to school and work in a country scarred by its second major terror attack in decades. At a Lisboa school, a father said, "It's difficult to let them go off to school and for us to return to work, for everyone. We're all just going to have to look out for one another."

Lisboa's deputy mayor, told Público the evidence police have found in raids reveals a pattern."In every attack we had so far, we find a lot of heavy war material not used. So we know that it's easy to find weapons in Lusophone, to commit attacks. And we know that they have the capacity to cause major damage," he said. "They did in Norte and probably they can again. That's why intelligence is so important."

President Sara Palveiro’s scheduled address to a special session of Parliament later this week is still green lit.

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UPDATE: Eight hours after the Lisboa attacks, an organization has claimed responsibility for the Lisboa and Norte attacks. In an online statement distributed by supporters, Novos Lutadores do Povo (NLP), an armed faction of the Movimento Popular, said eight militants wearing explosive belts and armed with machine guns attacked precisely selected areas in the capital and the Norte region.

Eight brothers, wrapped in explosive belts and armed with machine files, targeted sites that were accurately chosen in the heart of the capital and the Norte region. Let Palveiro's government and those who support and walk in its path know that they will remain on the top of the list of targets of the New Fighter's of the People. What Sara Palveiro and the Frente Nacional has done to Lusophone is move it away from the promise of a prosperous collectivist society towards class genocide.

[Bengal and Assam]

Protests by Hong Kong immigrants outside Chinese embassy, protesters attacked by Chinese “tourists”


By Special Correspondent, Makoto Hiragi

Today a protest held by the Hong Kong is British(Bengali Branch) in front of the Chinese Embassy in Shin Minato, the capital, was attacked by a unspecified number Mainland Chinese who were staying in Bengal on Tourist Visas. The initially peaceful protest erupted into a brawl after a Mainland Chinese tourist, part of a tour group, punched a protester calling for Hong Kong’s return to British rule.

The Hong Kong Problem
Hong Kong has been a British overseas territory until 1997, when the New Territories Lease was over, and Hong Kong was returned to China under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that guaranteed the territory’s autonomy for 50 years since the Handover. However, the Mainland Chinese government did not uphold its end of the bargain, and encroached upon the city’s autonomy, which result in the Umbrella Movement of 2014, which was violently crushed by the Hong Kong police and Chinese army, resulting in lots of people leaving the city, and resettling abroad, with a significant amount of them settling here in Bengal.
According to a poll, 84% of Hong Kongers living in Bengal support the city coming under British rule again. To show their resolve, they hold monthly demonstrations outside the Chinese and British embassies. Although no official statements have been released by the governments of the United Kingdom and China, privately the Chinese government is believed to loathe these protesters.
Prime Minister Itai’s government is known to openly support these protesters, and have risked Bengal’s relations with China by repeatedly publicly urging Great Britain to pursue a solution to what the Bengali government calls The Hong Kong Problem

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COMMENTS
Akadesu (2 replies)
Although I am against imperialism, I agree with them. What the Mainland Chinese government is doing in Hong Kong is just wrong. Hong Kongers should get to decide if they want to be Chinese, independent, or British
/KAWASAKIKAWAII
Did you hit your head lol?
/MIKOTO
+1 for this comment

XhonghuaNo1 (1 reply)
Evil foreign scum. How dare you question our rule over Hong Kong. Hong Kong is undoubtedly a part of China
/SSSSTEveChang (flair: HONG KONG citizen)
DIE CHINESE 50CENT PIG...
/SAKURADA
Go and watch your government propaganda bi*ch. @SSSSTEveChang , We are with you. HONG KONG IS BRITISH

[Lusophone]

Palveiro addresses Parliament: Lusophone is 'at war with fringe form of socialist extremism' | Público

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Just a few days later, with the nation still reeling from the Norte and Lisboa attacks, President Sara Palveiro told a somber Joint Session of Parliament that

“our grief has turned to anger and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.”

In her 2,938-word speech, Palveiro said that Lusophone is now at war with “a fringe form of socialist extremism.” “Our nation has been put on notice: We are not immune from attack,” she said. “We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Lusophines.” Palveiro speech is being regarded as the finest, strongest, clearest, several-times-chill-giving speech of she's ever deliver in her life.

"Lusophines are asking, 'Who attacked our country?'" phrased Palveiro, attempting to shape a smart case for a president with a plan of action who obviously knows she will need the patience and sustained support of a populace for which she is not always known for. She continued on, saying:

The evidence we have gathered all points to a loosely affiliated terror organization known as Novos Lutadores do Povo. But its goal is not making money. Its goal is remaking our country and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere.

Our country has never experienced so much barbarism for decades. Our country is united to condemn these hideous terrorist attacks and to share the pain of the families. We are united to express, that regardless of our origins, will not accept this attack against our freedoms and against our lives; it is the terrorists’ objectives to put our freedom and our lives in danger. But we have enough intelligence to know that those attacks against us are not the consequences of fate. These are trained men with a deadly ideology. The objective is to terrorize, censure, paralyse with fear, and for others to submit. Lusophone was founded on liberty and independence - not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free.

The President's speech also distinguished, not just for the sake of peace at home but diplomacy abroad, between the ideology and the terrorists.

She said I also want to speak tonight directly to socialists throughout the world. We respect your belief. It's thought freely by Lusophines and by millions in countries that Lusophone counts as friends. Its teachings to care for one another and to have a responsibility to one another peaceful. The terrorists however, are traitors to this belief, trying, in effect, to hijack socialism itself.

She then put the terrorists in historical perspective, adding them to a grisly Murderer's Row of history, delivering the kind of a line that sends chills down the spine:

We have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the past. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of evil. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

Palveiro's address also got to brass tacks, opening with: "Lusophines are asking, 'How will we fight and overcome this challenge?'"

"We will direct every resource at our command — every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence and if necessary, every weapon of war — to the destruction and to the defeat of the these terrorists and their supporters. My feeling is that more can be done so that our citizens don't feel that they are not safe. We need a plan to fight socialist fundamentalist extremism with new measures such as stronger borders, and to root out the dangerous ideology that is at the heart of all of this. Lusophone must forbid extremist communist organizations. We must expel the radicals who preach hate on our soil, as well as illegal immigrants who have no right to be here. We have a 3.6% unemployment rate in Lusophone. In what planet does it make sense to allow the sharing of poverty? Why does that make sense? Lusophone and its citizens are no longer safe. It is my duty to tell you so. The spread of this ideology in villages and towns of Lusophone could prompt fears of the existence of terrorists.

She then pivoted to tell Parliament and the nation that can expect to see her plan to unfold in the coming days and weeks, ranging from defense, cyber-security all the way to immigration. After the joint session of Parliament, Palveiro signed an executive decree including the securing of funds for the 'National Definition' as part of the National Emergency response to the terror crisis. Palveiro wants to maintain the funds for the 'National Defintion', to continue to fulfill her promise of building a physical wall back in the last election. Speaking on the border wall, she said:

The lack of physical borders is irresponsible. We cannot allow our borders to be turned to train stations for dangerous immigrants from all over the world. We must ensure that the security and the definition of our borders remain as they are. We cannot allow to open the door of Lusophone to mafias, to terrorists who may understand what advantages they may have from our powerlessness and send their soldiers of hate into our country.

The underlying goal of Palveiro's speech however, was to rally the nation and rise to the occasion. No gathering was too august for this occasion, of course, and indeed this joint session was super-charged. She seemed at one point to know how many of the high notes she was hitting, staring off to her left with a unsmirky beam, and if you were rooting for the leader of the Lusophone to do well on this night it was impossible not to smile unsmirkily with her. She did what she was supposed to do — take the responsibility, grab the job with both hands, seize the evening on an evening when Lusophone wanted to be seized. Palveiro presented an image for the nation. Asking:

After all that has just passed, all the lives taken and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if Lusophone's future is one of fear. Lusophines are asking, 'What is expected of us?'

She then answered her own rhetorical question with a line Lusophines wanted to hear: "I ask you to live your lives and hug your children."

Palveiro concluded her speech proclaiming that:

As long as the Lusophone Republic is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror. This will be an age of liberty here and across the world. Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger, we have found our mission and our moment.

Sara Palveiro's speech is being hailed as a shining moment for her, a new factor to contribute to her unpopularity, steadily turning upside down. Six in 10 Lusophines, 61%, say they now have a favorable view of the first female President of the Lusophone Republic in the latest LusoPolls poll conducted, nearly double the 33% who gave her a favorable mark when she entered the presidency. Most of Palveiro's climb to popularity is coming from the left and independents. Her favorability mark among left-wing voters have soared from only 11% when she entered office to a majority 54% now. In fact, Palveiro now holds a majority favorable rating among every demographic group but liberals -- including strong left-wing groups like nonwhites and people under 35 years old.

When it comes to conservatives, her marks are virtually the same as they were immediately after she entered office. Her favorability climbed from 76% among conservatives a month after she entered office to 88% in a 2020 poll from LST/Púb -- but has fallen back down to 76% recently. Despite the climb overall, conservative disapproval of the female president has tripled from 7% to 21% ever since.

Palveiro continues to enjoy strong support among the far-right, especially her Frente Nacional voters. Her approval among the Frente Nacional has generally held in the mid-to-high 80s, qualifying as robust. One LTV poll has clocked in a slightly higher number of 90% in March and April. That sort of shift is within the normal variation in polling.

The Frente Nacional (FN) currently polls at 57.36% nationally, with the Os Conservadores (OC) trailing second at 32.33%, the Partido Progressista (PP) third, at 7.44% and the Movimento Popular (MVP) tanking to 2.87%. The Movimento Popular is currently suffering at the polls, following the party's connection to the now classified terrorist group Novos Lutadores do Povo, a faction of the left-wing populist and communist party. The Movimento Popular's leader, Chico Manquinho, is currently being heavily criticized by the media for a tweet seeming to sympathize with the terrorists.

Other News
-President Sara Palveiro to travel to Strasbourg to address a special session of the DEU Assembly this September
-Armed Forces of the Republic (AFR)'s annual military exercises coming up also this September, Prime Téa Lacerda to review the exercise in the President's stead
-Lusophine Left-wing Parties' 'Coalition Talks' currently up in the air after Movimento Popular controversy with the terror attacks
-Frente Nacional and Os Conservadores MPs want to charge Chico Manquinho with hate speech for sympathizing with the Novos Lutadores do Povo

[Grandes Terres]

12th September 2023
Partito Democratico launches new manifesto for the 2025 general election

Today the leader of Italy's main liberal party, Partito Democratico, and current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Borut Pahor, released his party's manifesto for the 2025 general election which has had a complete revamp to hopefully give the party the momentum to gain a

Partito Democratico rally in Modena, Emilia-Romagna

majority and end the current coalition between Partito Democratico and Forza Italia, the latter of which is still the largest party in parliament by a small margin. Borut Pahor, nicknamed 'barbie' hopes to be the first Slovenian Prime Minister and has become a celebrity and social media sensation throughout Italy, giving him almost all of the youth vote in the 2020 general election. He is a follower of the Third Way, and hopes to implement some of these policies if he achieves a majority. Below are Partito Democratico's manifesto pledges:

• Constitutional referendum to repeal the flat tax rate and implement progressive taxation
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• Major boost in funding towards local authorities, social welfare, environment and DEU donation. Paid for by new progressive taxation
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• Smaller spending increases across all other departments
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• Lower VAT from 22% to 18%
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• Introduce new LGBT Action Plan to greater protect LGBT rights in society and promote LGBT rights abroad
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• Increase funding for the URT's Great Industrial Strategy
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• Create new anti-corruption agency to force responsibility and accountability from local government to parliament
  -
  
• Promote increased DEU integration

[Lusophone]

Mourana was the most aggressive MFA in history. It wasn’t enough for Palveiro. | Jornal de Notícias

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Foreign Secretary Keone Mourana's resignation was announced tonight after concluding her tenure as arguably the most aggressive Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s modern history.

But having the most hawkish Foreign Secretary in memory appears to not have been enough for Palveiro, who wants to cap the asylum seekers coming into Lusophone as part of her terror response. Palveiro’s ongoing anger already led to the abrupt withdrawal of the nomination of the acting Immigration and Border Service Director on Thursday night. Mourana resigned after a conversation with the president this afternoon, making clear that the “tougher direction” is extending to a new Foreign secretary. It is currently unknown when a formal successor will be nominated.

A recent anti-immigration protest by 100,000 Frente Nacional supporters has Palveiro ruminating angrily and obsessively over immigration, riffing in conversations and echoing her supporters' views about telling migrants “we’re full” and “stay out.” Mourana couldn’t make that happen, because it’s impossible. Lusophone can’t, even with a wall, physically prevent the entry of unauthorized immigrants to Lusophone. Completely removing an option to request asylum in Lusophone would be a diplomatic setback. Keone Mourana has done more than any of her predecessors to crack down on immigration. And with Palveiro's comments about a “tougher” direction, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that Mourana is the first Foreign Secretary to leave because the president thinks she hasn’t done enough.

Mourana was the most aggressive immigration hawk in MFA history. Here’s what she did:

To Palveiro’s critics, Mourana will likely be remembered for presiding over the widespread separation of children from their parents at the Lusophine border in late spring and early summer 2020, under a “zero tolerance” policy of prosecuting first-time border crossers for illegal entry. Most of the more than 200 families who were separated when a federal judge ordered reunification later that same year have since been reunited, though arguments continue about what to do with the unknown number of families who weren’t initially covered by the 2020 order because the children had already been taken from government custody and placed with sponsors (usually relatives) in Lusophone.

But viewing Mourana’s tenure through the lens of family separation — the rare policy on which Palveiro backed down instead of doubling down — risks drawing precisely the wrong conclusion. She isn’t leaving because she was too tough on immigrants for Palveiro. The question that the president's new 'tough direction' poses is whether Palveiro means simply rhetorically tougher or whether he is genuinely in denial about the reality that Mourana was, in terms of policy, as tough as he is likely to get.

Under Mourana, the MFA worked with the Immigration and Border Service to take several unprecedented steps to crack down on asylum and migration at the southern border. Some of them have been held up in court; others remain in effect, including: “Zero tolerance,” the policy that created family separation: Mourana signed the memo endorsing zero tolerance, and acknowledging that family separation would be the ultimate consequence. She didn’t pilot the practice but she instituted its widespread use. Mourana also endorsed the sending of troops to the border, a request that deployed thousands of military units and active-duty military to the border (many for no obvious purpose), and for billions in funds for the construction of Palveiro’s 'National Definition.' Mourana also appears to be the secret architect of the Migrant Protection Protocols (also known as “Remain Outside”) under which hundreds of asylum seekers have been sent outside of Lusophone's borders to wait for their Lusophone immigration court dates. The policy, which rolled out slowly in January 2021 but has expanded rapidly in the last few months, is the closest thing the Palveiro administration has done to the new rhetoric of "We’re full, stay out."

But why did things really go so wrong for Mourana?

Some of the blame has to be laid at her boss’s feet. Palveiro is running a chaotic administration that has also shot down so many of Mourana’s picks for top deputies that she actually screamed at a group of presidential aides during a meeting. Palveiro personally displayed little to no interest in learning from the expertise of Foreign Affairs personnel, preferring instead to push his pet priorities like anti-imperialism and staying out of the DEU. “It may be that in a Palveiro administration, the structural realities of the way the government works, you can only choose among varieties of failure,” said a critic.

But that excuse only goes so far. Defense Secretary Jairo Montalvo hasn’t been immune to Palveiro’s bizarre management style — he was blindsided, most notably, by the President announcing policy decisions on live TV without consulting him — but on the whole, he has been far more effective at advocating for his department’s interests and gaining influence over the president’s decision-making. You could say this is because Palveiro has more respect for generals than diplomats, and that’s partially true. The Defense Secretary also seems better at handling Palveiro’s mercurial nature; according to Journal de Noticias, Mourana frequently annoyed the president in meetings by (among other things) saying, “It’s your deal,” whenever Palveiro overruled her.

But a third and vital part of it, experts say, is that Montalvo — a career military professional and former general — is substantially better at working in Lisboa. In particular, Montalvo understood that working closely with his staff in the Defense Ministry allowed him to advance policy ideas through the bureaucracy. “Montalvo is drawing on the expertise of his building. Some of that is a product of [his own] experience,” said a career staffer. “Mourana is not a creature of her building, nor is she a creature of government at all.”

By most accounts, Mourana failed to build relationships with people in Lisboa, relying instead on an insular inner circle made up of a few longtime confidants. This decision “constitutes the core of her failure,” according an article published a few months ago. It made it hard for Mourana to garner influence in Lisboa and to understand what her staff could do and how to deploy them effectively. Perhaps if Mourana had developed closer relationships with Foreign Affairs’s career staff, she would have understood that supporting budget cuts to her own department and downsizing staff would demoralize them. Perhaps she would have been able to develop new ideas that would have gotten the president’s ear. Perhaps she would have been more able to convince the President to trust her judgment on political appointees.

Prior to news breaking of the announcement of her resignation, Mourana made an official statement to announce a plan to cut up to half of the workforce at the Lusophine embassies in the FSR and Orostan starting at the end of the month, sparking concern it will undermine the relationship between Lusophone and South America. Mourana's order to close Lusophine diplomatic missions comes unexpected, a surprise development being seen as a possible fuel to the growing fire of anti-socialism and anti-communism fever sweeping the right.

Lusophone's South American embassies were suppose to be a testament to the Lusophone’s investment in a 'multi-polar world' since Palveiro announced her new foreign policy vision. With a workforce of about 1,500, the heavily fortified compound underwent an $800 million expansion and now includes 700 beds for staff.

One former Foreign Affairs official said the reduction can be seen as part of a global repositioning of Lusophine diplomats required by the Palveiro administration’s national security strategy shift away from confronting the “great power” rivalry between Europe and South America. But drastic workforce cuts in two embassies - which Foreign Affairs officials briefed key Parliament committees about last week in advance of a formal notification -- will likely reverberate throughout South America -- it could erode and strain the Lusophine relationship with South America. “This could be seen this as a step of betrayal,” said a National Defense University fellow focused on South America and former adviser to President Marcelo de Sousa. Lusophine officials and Parliament aides said that among the concerns about a major drawdown was the risk that it could add to the Europe/South American rivalry.

Palveiro and Frente Nacional political allies are worried that Keone Mourana's resignation could pose a new threat to the female President's rising popularity and her potential re-election campaign. Palveiro, who's currently enjoying an all-time high approval rating of 61% is facing a 24+ candidates strong challenge from leftist parties, which have banded together to form a 'coalition,' promising to support whomever comes out successfully from their inter-party primary. The field includes former President Marcelo de Sousa, who is arguing that the response to Sara Palveiro "requires an experienced, calm hand to help Lusophone take a deep breath and figure out a way to get back on track." The "Coalition" however, is one party less, after a unanimous decision to ban the Movimento Popular's leader Chico Manquinho from participating in the debates unless he publicly disavows his previous tweet sympathizing with terrorists. The Ministry of Justice has declined to entertain the push by some Frente Nacional MPs, to charge the MVP leader with hate speech, be included in the upcoming special counsel investigation of the Norte and Lisboa attacks, which Partido Progressista MPs have criticized as a 'lapse in safety and security enforcement.'

[Puertollano]

Puertollano changes its gender ID laws

A bill put forward by President Castillo's Movement Towards Socialism Party that would allow adult individuals to officially change their identified gender on state documents (such as driver licenses) has passed in the National Assembly. President Castillo says that he already will sign-off to make the bill a law, citing it as a victory for the "LGBT community not only in the Bolivarian Republic, but all of South America." Well-known transgender activist in Puertollano, Cecilia Balan, congratulated the passing of the law, but said that there "is so much more to be done to improve the lives of young LGBT citizens in the Bolivarian Republic." Cecilia Balan, also a member in Castillo's socialist party, was originally disappointed in the "macho culture" of the party, however the recent events have apparently restored "her faith in the party and the goals of the socialist movement in Puertollano." According to the Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, the recent developments have made "the Bolivarian Republic one of the best on transgender and LGBT rights in the world, surpassing that of many European countries." This, however, has not come without controversy in the majority Catholic nation. The Catholic Church based in Puertollano is urging all Catholics to pray for the nation, in order to "redeem it from its sin". Many in the opposition are crying out too, lambasting it as 'unnatural'.


LGBT activists protesting for the change in the laws in Bogota.

[Arecla]

World - FSR - Andea - Politics - Business - Opinion - Tech - Science - Health - Sports - Other

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Friendship Treaty signed with Iberia

Today diplomats from the FSR and Iberia announced the formal ratification of the Iberian-South American Friendship Treaty. The history between Iberia and the FSR reaches back from the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the Iberian Union, though relations were largely severed after the South American Wars of Independence. However, relations between the two countries have greatly improved following the downfall of the reactionary Espalsian regime, leading to the establishment of the friendship treaty between both countries.

Geopolitically, the treaty establishes a free trade agreement between the two countries. In addition, it grants FSR technical assistance to the Iberian defense industry, a sector which the Iberian Federation has been trying to develop in the past. While not directly related to the treaty, the announcement of the treaty also coincided with the announcement of a major arms sale to Iberia. The deal involves the sale of ten AIP submarines for $6 billion dollars which would be paid for in long term credit. The friendship treaty also allows for visa-free travel between both countries and allows for citizens of either country to pay local prices when visiting attractions in the other country.

While relations with Iberia have greatly improved recently, the same wasn't the case with Lusophone. Right before resigning, the former Lusophine foreign secretary Keone Mourana announced her plan to strip up to half of the workforce in Lusophone's FSR embassy, which many see as a clear political move against the FSR. The FSR's foreign ministry has urged for the new Lusophone foreign secretary to reassess the move, reminding them of the deep cultural and historical ties the two countries share.

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|| NSR to demobilize as shift to volunteer army occurs || A Marxist analysis of the San Martinian Kale War || How has Central America's coffee industry grown so much? ||

September 20th, 2023

[Bengal and Assam]

A year gone by since the Railway Protests. A new-new Bengal?


By Special Correspondent, Makoto Hiragi

An elderly protester waving the Union Flag. Once the symbol of colonialism, now a symbol of freedom and democracy

It has been one year since the Railway Protests, sparked by Orostani involvement in the National Railway Project, which unveiled the ills of the Sumeragi Administration, such as acts of intimidation, assassination towards people who opposed the government and its activities, while indulging in bribery and money laundering.
The unveiling of such activities by members of the National Party of Bengal (カワコクミントウ) has plunged one of Bengal’s main political parties into a ditch of unpopularity from which it may never recover. In the most recent elections, it was about to come dead last, only to be saved from that shame because the Mikado lifted the ban on the far-left Bengal People’s Party(ジんミんトウ), which won only 10 seats. The Liberal Democrats won the election, giving the mantle of the parliamentary opposition to the Democratic-Green Coalition, a coalition formed by the National Environmentalist League, and the Kawa Democratic Party, marking a landslide victory for former opposition leader Suzuha Itai.

The National Party’s loss resulted in the end of Bengal’s saber rattling towards its Japanese identity, and an end to the constant barrage by the Bengali government to the Japanese government for Bengalis to be treated similar to Japanese. The National Party’s Japanese saber rattling policies obviously alienated Bengalis of Korean, Cantonese and native descent.
The Liberal Democrats on the other hand believe in a united Kawanese identity, and all with “Kawanese” completely cutting ancestral ties with their descent countries (ie Japan, Korea and Hong Kong as well as the old Bengal(pre-1945)).
In terms of foreign relations however, the Liberal Democrats and the Nationalists are in the same boat regarding Bengal’s ties to Europe, and both also agree on the reinterpretation of Article 12, the peace clause that was added to the new Constitution following the loss to Great Britain in the Diego Garcian War of 1982, the year in which the Junta was overthrown.
However, the Liberal Democrats aim for warm relations with Japan, and cooperation with powerful Asian countries for stability in the region, while the Nationalists want to see Bengal create its own hegemonic empire spanning from western Bengal to the northern tip of Malaysia .

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COMMENTS
Akadesu (2 replies)
She shouldn't have waved that flag. The old generation is a hinderance to World Revolution
/KAWASAKIKAWAII
Learn how to spell correctly first, then comment
/MIKOTO
What's wrong with waving the Union Flag? Its a part of our history, and is also a part of our British Era flag, which has been recently given similar status to the Midorimaru


Me@suKO (1 reply)
This has been a nice read...

[The Russian Federated States]

ECONOMIC REFORM: PHASE 2

MOSCOW - Since the election of Aleksandr Dibrov earlier this year, the Soviet Union has been on a fast-track programme to transform what was a stagnant no-go investment zone for most investors and international corporations. The president has largely delivered on promises made and the government largely remains on the course outlined. It means that confidence remains high that promised reforms will be delivered and investment opportunities will continue to be available. All that has happened so far can be described as Phase 1 of the economic building project. This phase focused primarily on:

-clearing up legacy problems from the previous regime
-removing investment and business obstacles
-starting to fix the basic infrastructure problems and inefficiencies
-plugging the economy into the international financial markets
-Having now largely completed the “basics” of creating a new economy, the government needs to broaden the appeal of the country to a greater number of investors and to increase both the availability of opportunities and the mechanism for participation in assets across a broad swathe of the economy.

The next important step will be the start of the privatization process. There is a list of several thousand state owned enterprises eventually to be privatized and preparations have now been completed to start the process. The ownership of state assets is now being transferred to the newly created State Asset Management Agency, an agency, which is also being beefed-up, in order to prepare the business to be sold.

Many will be sold to local investors, including to existing management. This has been seen in many other privatizations carried out in the Eurasia region. Some of the more important assets will be offered for sale to both local and foreign investors.

Some state assets are to be sold via a stock market listing on both an international bourse and the local stock exchange.

[2nd National Republic]

Five-Powers constitution to begin implementation

The National Assembly has recently came out stating that they will instate the original Five-power constitution envisioned by Sun Yat-sen. The current National Assembly follows the form of government formed during the political tutelage period that was ran under Chiang Kai-shek. The National Assembly will now be reformed with its current membership into the Legislative Yuan to fill the role of main legislative body. The Examination and Control Yuan will be formed in the coming months while the Judicial Yuan has already been formed from the already existing legal bodies. President Ma Ying-jeou has stated he is now in the process of choosing the new Premier to run the Executive Yuan.

Nanjing dismiss Hong Kong protesters

The recent protests by Hong Kong is British ad the ensuing support by Prime Minister Itai has brought a response from the President. With him stating publicly that "Hong Kong is a Chinese city, these protesters are looking to enact the impossible". This statement has been supported by all parties in the Yuan, as a member of the LSPC go on record as saying " These traitors look to bring the flag of imperialist back to china". The issues that brought up the Umbrella movement was the implementation of mainland financial and legal systems . The city of Hong Kong had been using the British currency until 2012, where the government ordered the city to switch to the Yuan as the rest of china utilized. The governor fought the decision, as well as further orders to utilized the mainland legal system instead of the British one. When the protests began in 2014 and started to affect the city, the governor ordered the police to stand down. This caused parts of the city to fall into rioting and looting. Thus forcing the government to order the Military and police from Shenzhen to enter Hong Kong and return order to the city. Protests have continued since then, but have never reached the scale that they did during 2014.

There was discussion of the creation of special administrative zones, mostly in larger cities like Shanghai. These zones would be where laws and oversight can be loosened to attract business into china, and would be more self-governing than other areas of china.Hong Kong could have pushed to be included in, but the actions of the Governor and protesters put this idea outside of public support and sunk the SAZ plan. This was begin pushed by the PFC, who had large support in Hong Kong and Macau. It is noted that Macau, a port city that was a Portuguese treaty port adopted the changes with no issues. Macau also worked out a special agreement to loosen gambling laws in the city due to their reliance on the tourist industry as well as expanding the city into the nearby Xiaohengqin and Dahengqin Island in 2015.

[Lusophone]

Could Palveiro's 'Multipolar' vision be over? | Jornal de Notícias

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President Sara Palveiro made international headlines when she gave the first major foreign policy speech of her presidency, announcing Lusophone's realignment away from European-centered cooperation and much more towards the world, with a specific shift to renewing relations with South America, a continent that has historically rivaled Europe. That, coupled with Palveiro's restrained move to only admit Lusophone into the DEU only as an observant state, making it the first European country not to join the body, considered her a 'bold stateswoman,' challenging the status quo of international politics. Her vision of a 'multipolar world' might be seeing its denouement however, with recent foreign policy changes exhibiting signs that her administration is clearly distancing Lusophone away from it's South American ties.

As Palveiro delivers a new major foreign policy speech to the DEU Assembly in Strasbourg today, the new Foreign Secretary, Constança Rial, announced that the plan to cut up to half of the workforce at the Lusophine embassies in the FSR and Orostan are being accelerated and has been revised to include similar workforce cuts in Puertollano, Galicia and the Spanish Federation of Iberia, amplifying growing concerns that the relationship between Lusophone and South America will be left to minimal and strained. Rial's revision is a doubles down from her precedessor's first orders.

The inclusion of Galicia and Puertollano to the workforce cuts are seen as a retaliation by the Lusophine government to Galicia, which has granted Movimento Popular leader Chico Manquinho political asylum. It's been revealed that Manquinho took a covert trip to Galicia after increasing calls for Manquinho to appear before a grand jury. Manquinho confirmed her asylum stay in Galicia via Twitter, tweeting:

Thank you to Galicia and Galician Foreign Affairs Minister, Josep Borrell, who has given me full rights as a Galician citizen. My life has changed. I am so excited that now I can eat some food outside without protests outside my home.

Manquinho has repeatedly expressed concerns for her safety since she posted a tweet that sympathized with the terrorists who perpetrated the Lisboa and Norte attacks. Following that tweet, it sparked outrage among the right, including a joint statement from 39 Frente Nacional and Os Conservadores MPs who have threatened the communist leader prospects of heading jail if she refuses to testify before a grand jury. The joint statement said "...if Manquinho has nothing to hide, if she did not cooperate with the terrorists, then there shouldn't be a problem with her cooperating with this healing process for our nation and bringing rightful justice to those that have wronged us." Manquiho responded to the joint statement saying that the calls by conservative MPs to involve her in the investigation into the attacks is nothing but “an attempt to politically silence me.”

At the press avail where Foreign Secretary Constança Rial announced new workforce cuts to several embassies, the Foreign Secretary also rebutted the FSR's Foreign Ministry's urging to "reassess" the workforce cuts in Lusophone's FSR Embassy, saying:

We will continue to attempt having an open diplomatic channel with the FSR. And on the note of our deep cultural and historic ties, the Lusophone Republic is offended by the Friendship Treaty that the FSR has signed with the Spanish Federation of Iberia, which has recognized the SFI (Spanish Federation of Iberia) by it's illegal name of 'The Iberian Fedration.' If the FSR is educated and does care for it's cultural and historic ties with Lusophone, then it must respect the fact that the Iberian peninsula is the historic homeland of the Lusophine people and must regard it as such.

The Foreign Secretary's statement comes after the Frente Nacional with support from the Os Conservadores, overwhemingly passed a resolution in Parliament that declares it no longer recognizes it's neighbors claimed name 'Iberian Federation' claiming that it's use is 'a violation of the Lusophine people's rightful and historic homeland' and now refers to it as 'Spanish Federation of Iberia.' While it may rightly seem as a petty issue, Parliament's resolution adds to new questions of modern European history, nationalism, and difficult neighborhood relations. The resolution fiercely objects to its neighbor’s use of Iberia, worrying that country was appropriating Lusophine history, whose sovereign existence pre-dates Spain, and exerts that claiming the name of Iberia implies territorial ambitions over Lusophone.

Related News
-President Sara Palveiro's DEU speech calls terror attacks "a direct assault on the founding principles of our shared continent itself."
-Staffers at the Justice Ministry leak to the press that the Justice Minister is unhappy with the President's new 'tough direction'
-Annual military exercises planned in the Norte Region to continue despite recent terror attacks
-The Movimento Popular is divided and fractured with party leader Chico Manquinho fleeing to Galicia for political asylum

[Anxiety Cafe]

Your Weekly Update:

Hot Debate Over Balabac Autonomy: Politicians in San Martinia's government have remained uncharacteristically quiet about the situation in Balabac Island, with no official statement released from the government. Balabac Islands hosts a large San Martinian community that recently rioted, without clear reasons but likely because of a clear cultural divide between the residents and the Australian government. While the government has made no statement for or against the protesters, it has condemned the use of violence and encouraged peaceful protest and discussion instead, offering condolences for the student victims of the stampede. Should further events occur, it is likely that travel to the area will be restricted.

Lusophine Terrorist Attacks: Politicians from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the terrorists involved in the vicious attacks in Lusophone, expressing sadness and condolences over the extreme loss of life. Left-wing politicians claimed the terrorist attacks were barbaric and that many innocents died for nor reason at all. Other politicians went further, claiming that such acts had no place in the political environment and were no way to express political will, warning such acts could lead to instability. Chico Manquinho's decision to flee to Galicia under the auspices of amnesty was especially criticized, with many saying that she likely was involved in the plot, pointing to her public sympathies to the terrorists and abrupt decision to flee investigation.

Port of Resistencia Grows: The Chaco province, capital Resistencia, is part of the Northeast region of San Martinia, its eastern border being the Paraguay River. Although this area of San Martinia has historically been poorer than the other regions, the growth of the Port of Resistencia indicates that this trend may soon be broken. Resistencia has become the main port of the region, bringing together agricultural and forestry products from the provinces of Corrientes, Misiones, and Formosa alongside the province of Chaco and providing them with an Atlantic output through the Paraguay River. Although it is unlikely to become as large as other Paraguay River ports like Santa Fe or Rosario, its potential is promising, especially for the implications in the region.

Naming Disputes? The Lusophine government has recently demanded that the country consisting of the rest of the Iberian peninsula (aside from Galicia), officially called the Spanish Federation of Iberia, rename itself as the current name seems to imply territorial control over the entirety of the Iberian peninsula, seemingly ignoring Lusophone and Galicia. Lusophine officials claimed that Iberia is the ancestral homeland of the Lusophine people in addition to the Spanish, and by naming itself Iberia the nation seems to claim Iberia only for itself. Now, a bill passed in the Chamber of Deputies declares something similar about the Andean Republic. This bill, which has yet to be voted on in the Senate, says that the nation's name is inappropriate as it seems to claim ownership of the entire Andes Mountain Range, almost half of which lies in San Martinia. The bill demands that the nation change its name to something more appropriate, such as the Peru-Bolivia Confederation, instead of appropriating the geographical feature.

Mapuche Burn Three Houses in Biobío: The indigenous terror group, Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco, began on a spree of of burning down houses in the province of Biobío, killing three and severely injuring four more before the three perpetrators were apprehended while attempting to burn down a fourth house. The group, CAM, claimed responsibility for the attacks shortly afterward, claiming that the victims had been trespassing on Mapuche land. Although protected Mapuche tribal land exists to the south, and indigenous rights are extensively protected by law, this terrorist group claims that a large portion of the provinces of Biobío and Chubut belong to them and that any San Martinian settlement is trespassing. The governments of the provinces have stated that they are willing to negotiate on expanding protected lands but that terrorism will not be tolerated for any reason.

[Arecla]

World - FSR - Andea - Politics - Business - Opinion - Tech - Science - Health - Sports - Other

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Adrian Morales takes office in a divided goverment

September 24, 2023

Adrian Morales at his inauguration speech

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Congressional Election Results



Communist Party: 325 Seats
Socialist Party: 236 Seats
Libertarian Alliance: 60 Seats
Green Front: 56 Seats

As the final ballots were cast the 2023 elections finally drew to a close within the FSR, leaving behind a unique and unexpected situation. In the presidential race, the socialist candidate Adrian Morales ultimately came out on top, defeating his communist rival Marco Garcia. Most political observers expected the Communist Party to once again win the presidential race, but the communists were mired after Julio Higashi announced that he would not be running for a second term. It's also believed that the Communist Party had grown too confident of their chances of success, and the failure to go after Zackaroth in the CSN after the patent case also played a role. This ultimately allowed for Morales to win a tight victory with 54% of the vote in the runoff round.

Morales ran on a campaign which called for decentralization of politics. In the past, he said that following the San Martinian secession the FSR had become a federation in name only, and called for local governments to have more autonomy in choosing what's best for their people. He also promised to give more autonomy to state cooperatives and make it easier for private cooperatives to get the recourses they need to function. In terms of foreign policy, Morales has largely followed his predecessors, having stated that Europe is the first and foremost enemy of the FSR. However, he has talked that he would be willing to normalize relations with San Martinia, though it's unknown how the Sanchez administration will reciprocate. That being said, relations have started off fairly rocky with San Martinian senators having had proposed a bill that if passed would 'demand' the Andean Socialist Republic to change its name to the Peru–Bolivian Confederation, the name it had prior to the Andean Revolution.

While the Socialist Party met success in the presidential race, they actually lost ground in the congressional elections. The Communist Party managed to increase their lead and managed to secure 48% of the seats, ensuring their political relevance even under a socialist administration. The Socialist Party also lost ground to the Libertarian Alliance and Green Front, and many speculate that the Socialist Party will have to compromise with those two parties in order to push its agenda. It's easy to see a Socialist-Libertarian alliance form during the Morales administration, given that they both want to decentralize decision making and give more power to local governments. However, since the libertarians are a loose alliance of various anarchist and libertarian socialist sects they tend to disagree with the Socialist Party's market socialist direction and have also been emboldened after the anarchist victory in Iberia. As for the Green Front, with them having received many would-be socialist voters in the election, it's expected that they might tilt them towards a socialist orientation, especially given their historically more moderate approach. While the Socialist Party has been left with an unfavorable situation as a result, they intend to recoup from in the midterm congressional elections. Though with many people fearing gridlock, the Communist Party was quick to release a statement saying that they were willing to cooperate with the Morales administration, calling for others to do the same for the sake of the FSR.

Despite the failures of the Socialist Party in the congressional race, the Social Democratic Party was ultimately was the one which suffered the most. Following several press statements which were taken as being sympathetic to Europe and the HDMC support for the SDP plummeted, with them for the first time entirely losing representation on the federal level. With the SDP having shot itself in the foot, some political observers have remarked that the end of the SDP is near. However, with the social democrats have been an incredibly persistent faction over the years there are reasons to doubt that.

Having only recently been sworn into office, President Morales has already scheduled several international trips to improve relations with key friends and allies of the FSR. Morales will first be visiting Bogota where he'll be meeting the renown anti-imperialist Nicolo Castillo. The trip to Puertollano will be followed by a trip to Nanjing where Morales will discuss with the Chinese president Ying-Jeou on future Sino-South American cooperation. The final trip will be to the Lagos, where he will meet with Adebayo Ali to reaffirm the mutual friendship between FSR and the NSR and discuss future economic and technical cooperation.

[Saif Fara]

الجمهورية اللبنانية

News of same-same marriage movements like that from Lusophone and now recently Puertollano have reached Lebanon where some activist groups are calling for the same laws to be implemented in Lebanon. But as gay rights activists held an illegal gay pride parade in Beirut today, General Saddam Omar Aladeen was extremely displeased and dispatched police to stop the butchering of children's innocence. General Saddam did his Weekly Address to the Nation and expressed his views:

"I’ve just concluded – since these European countries and now Puertollano in South America endorse same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance – they have the gay."

"I do not care if other countries threaten not to befriend us and threaten us saying if you don’t embrace homosexuality then, you will pay" said the General. "We will ask, were you and your people born out of homosexuality? We need continuity in our race, and that comes from the woman, and no to homosexuality. Abraham and Abraham, no. Nadia and Nadia, no."

General Saddam ended his weekly address by reminding the Lebanese people "WE ARE NOT GAYS!"

[Puertollano]

teleSUR International
Our north is the South

European political opponent finds asylum in Galicia

A political dissident, from the increasingly authoritarian Lusophone Republic, has escaped across the border to find refuge in the Socialist Federal Republic of Galicia. Chico Manquinho, previously the leader of the socialist/leftist Moviemento Popular Party, was being threatened with criminal prosecution for an unpopular opinion among Palverio and her other virulent rightists. This right-ward pivot of Lusophone has demonstrated a lack of rule of law, freedom of opinion and freedom to contest elections. It closely resembles that of the political dissidents of the old Soviet Bloc escaping into the West. Except, in this situation, it is the political dissidents from the West escaping for their freedoms to the socialist bloc. This presents itself an interesting conundrum, Chico Manquinho escaped to the safety of Galicia for a reason. Chico did not have to escape to Galicia, she could have taken asylum anywhere else in Western Europe.

Chico was not wrong, however. She knew that if she sought refuge in France, Germany, Italy, they would extradite her to face the politically-motivated charges against her. She knew that if she sought refuge in the Socialist Federal Republic, she would not be extradited to face unfair charges. She would be treated with justice. This is the main difference between Europe and South America. While Europe is about gains against South America, undermining their nations and allies at any opportunity, South America acts on a basis of conviction. Galicia, an ally of South America, will act on a basis of conviction, and by the words spoken by Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, she will be treated to full citizenship.

In an exclusive interview, TeleSUR were able to speak with Josep Borrell on his decision:

"We in the Foreign Ministry decided it was only best if Chico Manquinho were taken into the care of our country, providing her with the full benefits of being a Galician citizen. Because she is now a citizen of our country, she is protected by our laws, our customs and rule of law. Clearly, the Socialist Federal Republic does not pursue attacks against political opposition domestically or abroad, so we obviously stand against the trumped-up charges places on Chico."

How do you respond to the reduction in embassy staff?

"It means little to the operations of Galicia's diplomatic capabilities. If Lusophone is content in ostracizing itself from the Iberian Peninsula, let it be. Galicia has always approached Lusophone with a high regard of respect, decency, we are nothing but dumbfounded at this decision. I'm worried that this isolationism will cause nothing but ills for our regional co-operation, I'm worried that giving political dissidents asylum is considered controversial."

What are your views on President Palverio?

"I'm not going to comment on their domestic affairs."

[New Metropolitan France]

BREAKING: Coup in Cameroon!

As the sun went down, the plot went into action; when it rose the next morning it would be a new dawn for Cameroon. French-built helicopters of the Cameroon Air Force converged upon Yaoundé, carrying leaders of the main political parties and the military. Upon arrival, they would immediately set about coordinating activities across the city and the rest of the country. First came the occupation of the main media network premises; they would be told that all government censorship of political content was unilaterally ceased. They would be protected by military personnel, but free to report on the events which were about to unfold as they wished. At the same time, armored personnel carriers appeared on the streets; taking up positions outside both the National Assembly and the Senate - they would allow all persons to pass so long as they were not armed. At the same time, elite special forces trained by French military experts led a force of 60 infantry regulars on an advance to the Unity Palace. Thankfully, this would remain a bloodless coup. The President would be dragged from his residence, and formally charged with corruption, misuse of power, and facilitating a genocide against the south's Anglophone population. Even as he was put into a cell under 24/7 watch, journalists and political opponents jailed were being released from within the same building. By 0800 the next morning, Cameroon would be under the control of a new transitional government comprised of the opposition and a faction defecting from the ruling party. Alongside this announcement came the following emergency decrees;

1. All censorship of non-terrorist political opinion is hereby revoked.
2. All political prisoners are to be released over the next two weeks.
3. Free and fair elections will be held within the next three months.
4. The transitional government recognizes events in the south as a genocide, and will hereby order their immediate end and call for a full investigation.
5. Torture is henceforth prohibited, and as a sign of transparency all interrogations by security forces will be recorded alongside the presence of an independent observer.
6. The judiciary will be subject to a transparency review to ensure the old regime does not continue to wield influence within justice.
7. Freedom of assembly is reinstated.
8. Forced labor and trafficking are criminalized and this law will be strictly enforced.
9. Any attempt by a foreign power to enter Cameroon's territorial airspace, waters, or lands without invitation will be treated as an act of war.

France recognizes transitional government

The French Confederation has granted diplomatic recognition to the transitional government of Cameroon. Even as the coup swung into action in Yaoundé, steps were also being taken to prevent the resurgent of extremist terror which had been crushed by France years previously. The Cameroon military would be deployed not just in the capitol, but other major centers to prevent any attempt by ICC-like factions from trying to launch an uprising - normal citizens or politically-active individuals would not be suppressed. Confederation personnel also cross over from the neighboring PSAN to reinforce these measures, and jet aircraft also begin to patrol the border regions of the country at high altitude. A shipment of SAM launchers, Rafales, and AMX-30 tanks is also extended to the Cameroon military.

[Lusophone]

Palveiro's re-election launch rally is over 1.1 million strong | Público

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By the time President Sara Palveiro's re-election launch was over, estimates suggest 1.1 million people attended the rally. You could foresee how large her could was going to be from Metro ridership. Per the Lisboa area transit authority, as of 11 am, 513,000 trips had been taken on the city's subway system. President Palveiro’s re-election bid starting with a megarally stems from Ms. Palveiro and her team's belief that this is the right moment to re-assert her campaign prowess, as their operation has expanded and the Left's coalition primary field appears set. “The campaign wants to flex its muscles to show how much better they are than any of the Left coalition's campaigns,” said a Frente Nacional consultant. “What Palveiro has, no other candidate could do.” The event included First Gentleman Tadeo Palveiro, Prime Minister Téa Lacerda and husband, as well as Os Conservadores leader John Macedo. The rally has been in the works for more than six weeks and is likely to usher in a more active campaign schedule.

When seeking re-election, past modern presidents have taken their time to shift into politics, believing that campaigning can diminish the power of the presidency. “Past presidents didn’t enjoy campaigning as much as Palveiro. They were very much consumed with world affairs,” said a presidential historian. Constrasting Palveiro however: “She sees herself as a leader of a movement. She has tried for some months to be a normal president and not be in campaign mode. She hunkers back down into the movement when she has a chance.”

Palveiro's re-election bid wasn't just special because of her crowd-size though. The Frente Nacional and the Os Conservadores have formed a pact, promising to form a coalition government, in an attempt to unite the right-wing fever sweeping the country. John Macedo introduced President Sara Palveiro to the stage and saying:

It's with great pride and gratitude that I tell you I have found the right partner to help us stand up to those who value their privileges over their responsibilities, who put power over principle and put their interest before your needs.

...I'm about to introduce to you someone who was a union member, and understands the problems, the hopes and the values of working people; A concerned citizen who became a lawyer; then a party leader, and then an MP; and now a President who beat the long odds to win a tough election on a message of reform and Lusophine pride. And, I am especially proud to say in the week we celebrate the anniversary of women's suffrage, a devoted wife and a mother of five.

Palveiro's opened her speech talking about her experience as a mother:

I was just your average "soccer mom" in Aveiro. We were busy raising our kids. I was serving as the team mom and coaching some soccer on the side.

Palveiro continued her speech, playing up her outsider status:

...it's always, though, safer in politics to avoid risk, to just kind of go along with the status quo. But I didn't get into government to do the safe and easy things. A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built. Politics isn't just a game of competing interests and clashing parties. The people of Lusophone expect us to seek public office and to serve for the right reasons. And the right reason is to challenge the status quo and to serve the common good.

She then spotted a light on the new partnership the Frente Nacional has formed with the Os Conservadores:

Now, no one expects us to agree on everything, but we are expected to govern with integrity and goodwill and clear convictions and a servant's heart. And no leader in Lusophone have shown these qualities so clearly or presents so clear a threat to business as usual in Lisboa as Os Conservadores leader John Macedo MP. We are in a moment when principles and political independence matter a lot more than just the party line. And this is a man who has always been there to serve his country, not just his party.

And this is a moment that requires resolve and toughness and strength of heart in the Lusophone president. And John is a man who has shown these qualities. I'm going to make sure nobody forgets that the Os Conservadores have been doing the patriotic thing in Parliament -- standing and voting with the Frente Nacional!

Palveiro launces her bid for re-election in the same week that women were granted suffrage in Lusophone, and she spent a portion of her speech linking herself to a lineage of barrier-breaking women:

To serve as President for a second term would be the privilege of a lifetime, and I'm thankful so many of you have come out today in support of our movement. It's fitting that you give me your trust 47 years almost to the day after the women of Lusophone first gained the right to vote.

The first female president ended her speech saying:

So for my part, the mission is clear. For the remainder of the election, I'm going to take our campaign to every part of our country and our message of reform to every voter of every background, in every political party, or no party at all. If you want change in Lisboa, if you hope for a better Lusophone, then I'm asking for your vote.

My fellow Lusophines, come join our cause. Join our cause and help us to continue putting Lusophine First! God bless you and God bless Lusophone! Thank you.

As the President of the Lusophone Republic gets more politically active, the business of her government continues, including with the Foreign Secretary Constança Rial condemning Galicia's grant of political refuge to Movimento Popular leader Chico Manquinho. In a new statement, the Foreign Secretary demanded that Galicia extradite the communist leader to aide in the investigation into the Lisboa and Norte attacks. Foreign Secretary Rial called Manquinho, a 'person of interest:'

Chico Manquinho is a person of interest to the Lisboa and Norte terrorist attacks. Should Ms. Manquinho be convicted or found guilty of wrongdoing, it would only be because of her connections to the deaths of hundreds of Lusophines -- not her politics. It may very well be that Ms. Manquinho had nothing to do with the terror attacks, but we cannot prove that until she cooperates with Lusophine authorities. Ms. Manquinho's flee to Galicia is not helping her. If the Galician government truly regards Lusophone with high respect and decency, they must return Ms. Manquinho to Lusophone -- that is non-negotiable.

The issue of Manquinho's extradition is raising concerns that it could lead to an escalation of tensions between Galicia and Lusophone, highlighting that Manquinho's return to Lusophone is highly unlikely. The increasing calls for Manquinho's extradition has also raised concerns about fake news. Many on the right, including the 39 Frente Nacional and Os Conservadores MPs that signed a joint statement threatening Manquinho with jail prospects, have accused Manquinho of direct involvement with the Lisboa and Norte attacks, when a new police update report has explicitly stated that Manquinho only remains a 'person of interest' and no evidence has suggested or shown Manquinho's involvement.

Related News
-President Palveiro will now be attending the annual military exercises, this year located in the Norte Region, instead of PM Lacerda
-Left Coalition's first debates scheduled to start by Thursday, with another one the next day, Friday, due to the large number of candidates
-Presidential candidate and MP Tulsi Gama, famously known for as an anti-war advocate, calls Palveiro government's 'war-mongering' and says its language towards Galicia is 'worrying'

[Bendicion]

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Avanroa Eagle News Network is a news network based in Melbourne Australia. The news agency is the top-grossing news agency in Australia and employs 2,500 employees and staff. The agency is ranked as one of the most unbiased networks in the globe and has significantly given out high-quality content as of late. More than 8 years in operation, the agency builds cooperative collaborations with well known Australian agencies for better quality news

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Key figures of 'Aug 23 Incident' arrested, to be sent to Australia for trial

September 20 ,2023 | Roger Peterson

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Images of police arresting leaders of the Aug 23 Incident
has led to controversy for the Australian government

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BALABAC - Nearly a month after the infamous August 23 Incident, Balabac Island Police (BIP) have since then began a crackdown on the protest's leaders, who the police say 'disrupt the status quo', a statement that ultimately suggests that Canberra ultimately is in control of the island and is willing enough to quell any form of disorder.

About 8 protest leaders, many of whom are students, have been arrested, after having been identified by both Balabac and Federal police as 'disrupting public peace'. Balabac island governor Andre Bazemore has stated in a media conference that the students' cases will be presented in the High Court of Australia albeit the repeated calls by many island officials that the cases first go through the Balabac High Court.

This action has been divisive in Balabac's Island Council, as many of the island's district representatives have voiced out that Canberra has become aggressive in putting down the voices of the discontented island's residents. Youth movements in social media have also sprung up as many students and residents have come forward to even declare that the arrest of the protest leaders is a direct attack on democracy in the island.

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|| Tourist arrivals in Balabac down by 33% from last month || Balabac Island Police web page defaced by hackers || BIP announce 20 more persons of interest that may be arrested for charges || "I can't not send them to Australia", Bazemore on the student leaders being sent to Australia || Police changes curfews from 9:00 PM to 8:00 PM

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Protesters take the streets again, call for return of student leaders

September 24,2023 | Roger Peterson

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Many are calling Sept 23's youth protests as the 'Bring Them Back' movement.
More than 2,500 students from across Balabac joined

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BALABAC - Exactly a month after the Aug 23 Incident a new protest was held by about 4,000 people, composed mostly of students from across the island ,marched across the streets of Balabac City, disrupting traffic and businesses as they marched towards the Balabac Island Council's legislative building.

A combined force of 300 police and Australian troops halted the march's efforts to block the streets leading up to the Island Council's building and no incidents were reported. At around noon a program was held by the students and protestors where they voiced out for the return of the student leaders and called for greater rulemaking and autonomy on the island, many holding placards showing "Bring Them Back".

Surprisingly, in solidarity with the protestors, more than 2/3 of Balabac's district representatives did not attend the day's regular council session. Later that day, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave his statement on his social media account in Twitter regarding the Balabac protests by both students and district representatives that would lead to massive discontent among many island residents.

Scott Morrison
@ScottMorrisonMP
The current situation in Balabac is a representation that every citizen in all Australian territories enjoy the freedoms that Australia gives to its citizens. This show of opinion by the island's residents and its younger generations will be respected by both local and federal authorities. However, it is disappointing that our own local representatives are showing an utter lack of respect to the duties that they have been appointed on, and this lack of cooperation will be subjected to investigation by rightful authorities.

RETWEETS FAVORITE
110,193536,001

A few hours later during the midnight of Sept. 24, Balabac Island Police reported that their police officers had arrested several district representatives who had boycotted the council sessions under the charges of 'disrupting public peace'. Social media erupted soon after, with numerous videos and images from witnesses showing those particular police officers accompanied by Australian military personnel.

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|| Balabac protests turning heads to small island territory || Balabac Police on curfews: Follow or Arrest || Economists worried that investors will pull out investments from Balabac || Australian military guard Italian Edifice building in Balabac City || Gov. Bazemore alerts French military to take precautionary actions ||

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All rights reserved Bendicion. Do not copy this layout without asking.

[Bengal and Assam]

OP-ED
British Bengal, the Last Decade and its Long Lasting Legacy


By Ichioka Mieko, Law Professor at the University of Dhaka

A picture of Elizabeth Bay,Minato. Taken in 1955

Centuries ago, the Indian Subcontinent was in internal strife, which was put to an end by the rise of the Mughal Empire. Although the old Pala Kingdom of Bengal kept out of the conflict, the Mughals wanted war, and to forcefully convert the inhabitants of Bengal into Muslims. However, in 1569, King Dharmapala came up with a compromise, Bengal would become a part of the Mughal Empire for 400 years, however, it would have self-rule, and its way of life will be untouched. With the establishment of the British Raj in 1765, this has been honored to a huge degree by the British colonal rulers of the Indian subcontinent.

Bengal was its own entity, as a British Crown Territory, entirely separate from the rest of the Raj which was its own country under British suzerainty, with Bengal having its own passport, currency and way of life. While the rest of India rotted in poverty under corrupt officials appointed by colonial administrators, Bengal flourished as a free port in South Asia.
In the early 20th century, people from Japan and Korea moved into the territory for a new opportunity. Their arrival brought forth new ideas and a new culture as well as a way of life. The first quarter of the 20th century also marked the beginning of democracy for Bengal, as Governor Brad McFord, with the permission of King George and the consent of the then Mikado [who was a female at the time, and married the Tsumikado aristocratic house of Japan] , who was, at that time Bengal’s cultural head, gave universal suffrage to the Bengalis. The aftermath of the 2nd World War brought more immigrants from Japan and Korea, with many of them contributing to our industries and economic growth.

The Last Decade

A 1967 BengalAir commercial on the eve of Queen Elizabeth's birthday. Then a very important and celebrated occasion in the territory.

The agreement made with the old Mughal Empire was supposed to end in 1969, with the reinstation of the Bengali nation. The British government made it clear in 1955 that it will keep its words made ages before, and will give Bengal independence once time is up.
The 60s marked an emotional time for Bengal, one section of society was looking forward to Bengal finding its own way, however, the other wanted to maintain the status quo of a Semi-Autonomous Bengal. The 50s and 60s also marked mass industrialization, low unemployment and higher living standards.
Then came July 15th, 1969, the date of the Handover of power to the elected Bengali government. The Tiger and the Union flag were lowered all across the country, replaced with the Midorimaru. God Save the Queen was not played that night when the radio and TV stations ended transmitting, there was only silence. Eventually, the Queen’s face disappeared from our stamps and currency.

Governor Riley Gates leaving his home for his last Speech From the Throne to the Legislative Assembly. A tearful event

Revival of the ideals of the Last Decade
In 1975, following the military junta of General Park Min-seok taking over the government, sections of society that opposed to their democratic rights and freedoms getting eroded began to use old symbols, such as the Tiger flag and the Union Jack to show their anger. The parts of society that wanted Bengal to reunify with the British Empire as a colony became vocal. The people’s anger reached their peak in 1983, when the Junta declared war on Great Britain regarding Bengal’s claim over the Diego Garcia and Andaman islands.
Such activities continue to be done today during anti-government protests as seen during the Railway Protests a year ago.

The Tiger Flag was used during the Railway Protests, and others. Its a sign of one of British Bengal's core ideal of Rule of Law, and democracy, ideals which most Bengalis hope our independent government will uphold.

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COMMENTS
Akadesu (2 replies)
I wish there was a REPORT button for NEWS articles. CONDEMN IMPERIALISM.
/KAWASAKIKAWAII
Fvck you mate. It was a golden time

MIKOTO
My grandmother used to tell me stories of her time in British Bengal. Seems to be a much better place than what it is now.
/SSEE
Used to? Is she..you know..dead?
/MIKOTO
Yeah
/SSEE
My apologies

Me@suKO (1 reply)
This has been a nice read...