World Wide Journal (The New Earth Only)

[The Scandinavians]

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Military Operations Begin in Orkney Islands

Nordic soldiers recently deployed to the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland

10 Skerpla, 2018

A week following the terrorist attacks on Scandinavian oil rigs and the declaration of military exercises in the North Sea, [i]Det Lederen has officially announced the Scandinavia will immediately begin a "military intervention" in the Orkney Islands. Citing the need to root out the anarcho-communist cells that have taken control of the islands as well as numerous other locations in the islands north of Scotland, the protection of Scandinavian territorial integrity, and the security of economic interests in the North Sea the Scandinavian invasion of the islands has begun.

Military operations already started as of early this morning with airstrikes on military facilities and the sinking several make ship naval vessels that have been trapped in Scapa Flow by the Krigsvagnen, likely acquired through donations by socialist nations or other sympathetic organizations. Naval invasions carrying land forces on to the islands have already started pushing the local terrorists out of towns and fortified positions, though their resistance has made advancing difficult. Though the locals are mostly armed with older more out of date equipment they have proven to adept at guerrilla warfare and have posed a significant obstacle to early Nordic objectives. Patrols at sea have also proved to be hazardous due to mines being present throughout much of the island's coastlines.

While Stockholm has given Nordic forces strict orders that the civilian population and infrastructure is to be left as intact as possible the resistance posed by the locals have made abiding by this objective difficult utilizing any building an position to that can be used to their advantage. A majority of households have been found to possess weaponry of some kind and their occupants the ability to use them. This unfortunate fact has forced the demolition of numerous buildings to rubble and their owners to be rounded up and detained for the time being. BF units as well as numerous other police forces have been dispatched to the islands to ensure that the process of judging and removing troublesome civilians goes smoothly.

Despite the difficulties faced so far the Ministry of Defense doubts that the island's resistance will last longer than a month without reinforcements or ease of supply. The entire island has been blockaded by sea and closed off by air removing any outside assistance of the island without immediately being spotted. Foreign nations have been advised by the FOFP to avoid the islands to ensure that both military and civilian are unharmed during Scandinavia's intervention, and warning that any entrance into the exclusion zone that has been declared surrounding the islands will be either detained, sunk, or shot down.

[The United Continent of North America]

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Charles II in Aelanias

25 May, 2018

After three days in the Imperial Federation of Gibet His Highness is making his second and final stop in the Queendom of Aelanias, with the American monarch planning to formally the address North African monarchy's situation.

Arriving in the capital of Madalyn City at about noon today, the newly elected monarch's visit to this nation is controversial in both American and Aelanian circles with many Americans decrying the visit to what has been described as an "authoritarian state" and some Aelanians expressing mixed reactions to His Highness's arrival. Despite these reservations His Majesty has voiced his optimism to his upcoming visit believing that the talks with the Queendom will prove to be productive for both parties. His Highness was granted a tour of the many historical and cultural sites of the Queendom such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Pyramid itself which serves as the current Empress, Serena Madalyn's, throne room.

There was an extensive list of matters to discuss with the Aelanian government in the day's negotiations, including the establishment of formal diplomatic ties and possible embassies, the question of Aelanian naval control over the Straits of Gibraltar, and American defense against Edafos, and several other minor topics that required addressing.

The first subject that required discussing was the future of the American-Aelanian diplomatic relations, regarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs who accompanied His Highness as arguably among the most important of the three topics to cover through negotiation. The Queendom is one of only a few nations that does not host an American embassy and vice-versa. Proceeding the talks in Stockholm, which have been viewed by many Americans as a "land grab", an initiative to formally establish lines of communication between the Capital District in Toronto and Madalyn City especially in the midst of heightened Edafosan aggression and the possible establishment of a military base near the now Edafosan controlled canal zone. Though His Highness presented his hosts with this offer it will likely be some time before an answer is given regarding this matter. The Aelanians have traditionally been isolationist, a mindset likely inherited from their former overlords in Ipoli before their rebellion, an embassy would cause a greater stir among the Queendom's population with such an establishment disrupting their isolation.

The second round of negotiations covered a matter that has voiced as important to Aelanian interests and security with their newly created UAF bloc; naval control over the Straits of Gibraltar. American attitudes to the control of geographic points of any single nation has historically been mixed, with the idea of Aelanian control over the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea being no different. His Highness reportedly promised that America would indeed aid Aelanian efforts to patrol the straits on the provision that the status quo of unhampered access for commercial and civilian ships is maintained. If that condition is met the American navy will see that Aelanian and UAF forces maintain their control there.

The last of the three most important discussions between His Highness and the Aelanians involved maintaining Aelanian independence and economic stability from the Empire of Edafos. The proposed establishment of an American military facility near or within the canal zone has been a topic of debate for many decades now, though the Stockholm Conference has made this endeavor more problematic. However, in what can be described as a mutual understanding between the Queendom and the UCNA the Aelanians have permitted the construction of the first military base operated by a foreign nation in Aelanias. The base, located very near the border with Edafos and the canal, will be designated as an "American Overseas Territory" and has informally been under construction by American-sponsored Aelanian contractors for almost a month now. In exchange for use of the land the American government will pay a sufficient amount to cover the bases's expenses as well as an unspecified amount extra number on an annual basis. American ground forces are scheduled to arrive on sight sometime within the next month, however naval forces are expected to begin patrols and joint exercises with Gibetan and Aelanian forces in the region immediately.

Other smaller discussions including possible American investment in Aelanian industries and the alleviation of oil demands should the Queendom request or require it.

[Aelanias]

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Empress Madalyn Addresses An Alenian-Gibetan Alliance and the UCNA

27 May 2018

After recent calls for greater cooperation between Aelanias and Gibet, Empress Madalyn agreed, saying that:

We have always had assistance from Gibet during our times of need and their support was pivotal when establishing the UAF. I've always believed there's a special relationship between our nations, which is why in the past the Gibetan embassy was made an exception to our isolation policy. So the idea of an official alliance is of course a mutual interest and admittedly long overdue.

It's expected that a summit between the countries will take place at some point in the future. She was also asked about the recent talks with Charles II and other UCNA officials.

I am very thankful that the UCNA has made great efforts to respect our traditionally isolated nature while helping to secure our border. We also finalized the details of an American military base at the canal zone. Aelanian control over the Straits of Gibraltar was not disputed, so long as civilian and commercial access is unhampered, which I am more than happy to agree to.

They have also brought up investing in Aelanian industry and providing help in alleviating the rising oil demands, honestly this is an offer we can't refuse. We were not prepared for an oil crisis of this scale, It's hard to predict where Edafos will invade, they're bloodthirsty animals.

While the controversy around the American monarch's visit was expected, Aelanians were relieved to hear a potential solution for the oil crisis that has driven them along with much of the UAF into a recession.

[Bluquse]

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Primer Matthew Santos talking about current military projects during a conference outside the Assembly Building.

Bluquse seeks military moderation amid global hostilities

May 28th 2018

After a week-long series of discussions held by both members of the State Assembly and Council of State within the Assembly Building, located in Jevena, the capital of Bluquse. WWJ journalists and those from local and national news media reported that the government of Bluquse has just recently passed an executive order with the approval of the State Assembly for increased moderation of the nation's military. Currently ranked as one of the largest militaries of the Americas, with nearly 1.4 million total members, it has a large surplus of weapons ranging from bolt-action rifles to surface-to-air missile batteries. Despite a large supply of weapons and the capability to design and manufacture its own guns and missiles. It's current battalions of tanks, squadrons of jet fighters and a small aging fleet of naval ships all go back to the early 1960s to 1980s, making a large portion of the Blusen armed forces technological behind by nearly 40 to 60 years.

As told by leading Blusen military spokesman Major William Reyes at an afternoon press conference, the military has been considering buying armored vehicles, jet aircraft, gunships, and naval vessels from foreign sellers. The Overseer and leading military officials have shown particular interest in buying from both UCNA and Nowistrana, which is due to past purchases including T-64 tanks, F-4 Phantom II jets, four Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and etc. during the later half of the 20th century.

Seeing recent hostilities overseas as seen by recent military actions undertaken by UFIN member states and The Empire of Edafos, some concern has begun to grip the nation due to a significant portion of the military not having undertaken any decent upgrades to more up to date technology for the past decade. As told by Primer Matthew Santos, another speaker at the conference and current head of government, top government diplomats at the moment are already seeking meetings with military officials from any country that has shown any interest in selling any weapons, vehicles and military tech to Bluquse.

Despite seeking larger foreign military vehicles like aircraft and vessels, the country is internationally known to be capable of producing and manufacturing its own firearms, missiles, SAM's, patrol boats and possibly even a main-battle tank, however, the last is still being considered by the State Assembly as resources for such a project aren't currently available at the moment. It's due to a known fact that Bluquse lacks major sources of raw resources to manufacture these weapons, so it requires trade relations with other countries in order to gain much-needed materials. It's because of this that the island nation is considering opening up more trade relations with other countries as discussed at the conference. The status of the nation's current weapons development programs was also discussed during the conference by Santos.

He said that the Blusen military has been working with the state-owned arms industry for the manufacture of two new gun designs. Officially named the SM-P90 and SM-Tacar (Tactically Advanced Combat Assault Rifle), both of which would be entering limited service later this year, with a planned full deployment next year for the rest of the armored forces. Also talked about was the continued development of nation's mobile all-weather air defense system program, named Steel Dome has recently made decent progress in the past year, getting a major boost in its interception success rates from a recently updated targeting system, helped by a friendly partnership with the nation's own technology sector, which had increasingly been growing into a multi-billion dollar industry for the past decade.

Near the end of the conference, several questions from reporters and journalists were answered by the spokesmen. Reyes, as told by reporters, answered politely as he always does before and answered one interesting question, which was about what amount of the armed forces were to be upgraded or replaced with newer equipment?

"The military and the State Assembly had been discussing this for a while now and it's been decided at the moment that at least 10 percent of current military hardware would be replaced within this year. However, if given significant funding and resources, we'll hopefully have at least 25 percent of our forces with new weaponry and equipment by the middle of next year."

While the weekly series of discussions at the capital building was majorly about moderation of the military, other topics were discussed as told by several reports allowed in the meetings due to the declaration of transparency as shown on the 'Sovereign Articles'.

Other such topic included about establishing foreign relations with Aelanias, increasing economic relations with Yonderre and Gibet, talks about establishing a relationship with 'Internationale' along with the possibility of membership even and improving friendly relations with the UCNA.

[The Noiharan Union]

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Noiharan Troops Arrive in Seoul, Korea Surrenders!


Noiharan Army celebrating their victory over Korea

May 29, 2018

Noiharan divisions reached the Korean capital on May 26th and captured the city one day later after its garrison surrendered the city to the Noiharans to avoid destruction of the city and civilian casualties. Meanwhile, the Korean government offered unconditional surrender after the Korean Army is retreating from all fronts due to being unable to fend off the Noiharan invading troops. An actual treaty will be signed in the Noiharan capital Kuromorinime on June 1st, but both sides already ended open hostilities.

While both sides suffered casualties, the Noiharans lost more war material than actual soldiers while the Koreans lost somewhere around 46.000 soldiers. Many of them died without seeing any combat during the heavy airstrikes or artillery bombing somewhere near the front. A disaster says the former Korean president.

Military sites have been seized overnight and all remaining war material left by the Korean army will be confiscated and used by the Noiharan garrisons stationed in Korea. The Noiharan Ministry of State Security confirmed a number of over 26.000 soldiers being transferred and permanently stationed in Korea along with remaining Korean troops who are being integrated into special Korean divisions within the Noiharan army and pro-Noiharan militias.

Now that the war is over people ask themselves what will happen to Korea? According to a government report, the Noiharan Minister of Internal Affairs Kenji Matsumoto proposed the creation of a special administrative zone governed by the Saenuri-Party under Noiharan oversight. While Korea will be fully annexed by Noihara, the so-called Kommisariat Korea will not be ruled by the Supreme Leader Yuuko von Noihara herself but a Governor on behalf of and as direct representatives of the Supreme Leader. The Governor will be a Korean citizen, probably of the Saenuri Party, however.

The Noiharan Supreme Leader Yuuko von Noihara was quick to announce the annexation of Korea in one of her speeches.

Noiharans!

For years we have witnessed the fate of our fellow Noiharans in Korea with deep distress. An eternal racial bond has destined Korea to take its place in the Noiharan national community and share its fate. The suffering which was imposed on this country, first from outside and then from within, we experienced as our own, and we know that the misfortunes of the Empire caused millions of Noiharan Koreans similar anxiety and concern! I decided to offer millions of Koreans the assistance of Noihara.

I myself, as Supreme Leader and as a Noiharan, will be happy to be able to enter the country which is also our homeland. The world, however, shall see for itself that for the Noiharan People in Korea these days are filled with hours of blissful joy and deep emotion. They regard their brothers who have come to their aid as saviors who have rescued them from great distress! Lang lebe das Noiharische Reich! Dai-Noihara teikoku banzai!

[Yonderre]

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AMY enters bid for Bluqese armour contract

AMY 55 in Collinebourg

May 29, 2018

AMY stocks rise amid great interest at possibility of massive armour order
In a press release earlier today, it was revealed by AMY press secretary Guillaume de Klavier that the Atelier de Mechanique Yonderre had placed two bids for the renewal of Bluqese's aging armour fleet. The first bid, the size of which were not disclosed, concerned the company's flagship model, the AMY 55, which was itself made the primary tank of the Yonderian Army some twenty five years ago . The second bid was that of the AMY 40, the predecessor to the AMY 55. The latter bid is seen as a compromise, and de Klavier was quick to admit himself that while a contract for delivery of AMY 55s was what AMY was hoping for, they realized the rather steep price per unit might deter the potential buyer.

We understand and appreciate that not every nation can always afford the best of the best. Naturally we hope that the Blusen will appreciate the inherent qualities of our product and see past the pricetag that follows.

While de Klavier did not disclose the unit cost they were offering, it is known from the Yonderian Army's own contract that each unit delivered cost in excess of 3,8 million $. While experts suggest the AMY 55 is "the world's most survivable tank", AMY themselves acknowledge that and thus place their second bid, that being the AMY 40. The AMY 40 was outphased from Yonderian service only recently, having been the nation's primary main battle tank since the mid 80s until their total replacement by AMY 55s in the late 2000s, thus the AMY-40 comes at a much lower pricetag, though de Klavier still would not disclose neither the total cost nor unit cost of the bid. When asked about the state of these second hand armoured vehicles, de Klavier said he firmly believed that these vehicles still had many years of good service in them

Given the nature of these combat vehicles having been standard for so long we have developed large expertise on the maintenance and reparation of them, an expertise that we will be able to pass on to Blusen should they opt for the vehicle

Although the Blusen Government has yet to release any kind of response, de Klavier says he is "quietly confident" that AMY and Bluqese will be able to reach a deal.

At the end of the day we are out here to offer the best defense solutions we think we can, and I strongly believe we have tailored some excellent bids for the Bluqese state to consider

[The United Continent of North America]

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Reawakening of the American Oil Industry

27 May, 2018

HOUSTON - The Edafosan invasion of Arabia has created a dangerous situation to the economic stability of Europe and Northern Africa, with petroleum prices skyrocketing across the two regions. While domestic reserves are expected to partially soften the impact combined with sources in Kamerun and North Africa taking the brunt of this situation, many have turned their eyes west to America to act as the safest source of their fuel supply. In the wake of this invasion and the pledges of His Highness to counterbalance the potential crisis, a bipartisan bill has been placed into effect to wake the decades dormant American oil industry to begin the harvesting and exportation of large quantities of the fossil fuel abroad.

The UCNA has made the gradual shift away from fossil fuels following the popularization of alternative means of energy production in the 1980's. Despite the intricate plan laid out by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources following parliamentary approval the UCNA has remained behind schedule, the largest obstacle to overcome proving to be that of public and private transportation, though the UCNA currently boasts of being roughly three quarters of the way towards being completely matching completely independent from fossil fuels. The result of this shift has allowed increasing quantities of harvested fuels to be either put into the several strategic petroleum reserves stored throughout the country or exported. The harvesting of such fuels from natural deposits has declined significantly with energy jobs shifting from mining and drilling to maintenance and construction of renewable sources.

Though many of the former oil mining platforms and facilities have been shut down and sealed a sizable number still remain including the extensive pipelines are still kept throughout the country in the interest of national security, enough to ensure that a rapid drain of American reserves is avoided. This infrastructure, at least according to the new bill, will provide the means to harvest and transport the large quantities of oil required to maintain European and African stability until either a greater solution is found to the crisis Edafos has created or until either old facilities are reopened or new ones reconstructed to meet demand. Many port cities, the most important and dominant of which being Houston in the Dominion of Texas which was in the past the heart of the American oil market, are being built to deposit and receive foreign and American tankers that plan to begin transporting oil across the Atlantic early next month.

[The Great Warrior Rivers]

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Riverian Oil Scare

May 29, 2018

The Great Warrior Rivers might be a good place for the environment, but it does not hesitate to act in the national economic interest. This was the sentiment echoed across Alexandria Monday morning. State controllers of the petrol industry were scrambling for answers on how to make the most out of the crisis currently happening in Arabia, where militarist turmoil has finally spilled over. The loss of key oil refineries in the Middle East has opened up new opportunities in the exploitation of oil resources within The Great Warrior Rivers, and has brought fortunes of wealth to places that may have otherwise remained economically unviable. Despite grave loss of life, the Riverian government had prospered greatly from the increased prices in crude oil caused by the conflict overseas, and The Great Warrior Rivers' revenue peaked by 5% over the last quarter through state controlled industry.

However, prices of crude made an acute drop on Monday with the late announcement of new American oil refineries, and this put lawmakers and nationalists alike at a loss on what to do. This drop in crude price threatens much of the Riverian share of the market, and jeopardizes political ambitions for the current Socialist government just ahead of elections. Many have proposed dumping reserves of Riverian crude onto the market in order to put these newfound American refineries out of business, while others see this as aiding imperialist conflict an ocean away. Another argument is that there may not be enough of an oil reserve at hand to effectively undercut the Americans, who have kept the scale of their own oil reserves a closely guarded secret. The stakes are high, as a large portion of Riverian exports revolve around crude oil and petroleum based products. These circumstances may push Riverian politicians to the extreme in the coming days in order to regain control over the markets. The World Wide Journal advises readers to await an American response and anticipate the market's changes closely.

[Edafos]

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The Siege and Fall of Riyadh

31-5-775-3

Frenzied fighting has continued across all fronts in Arabia this past week, however despite the radical resistance by both partisan and non partisan forces the Stratos has continued its march through the Arabian peninsula, killing hundreds of thousands of Arabians in the less than one month of fighting. The lightening warfare tactics have proved devastating to local resistance with entire towns being essentially erased via airstrike and then by local ground forces. Orders have been dispatched by the Imperial High Command that the Stratos is to show 'absolutely no mercy' to any opposition to the crusade, and nowhere else has this tactic been witnessed more than in the city of Riyadh, home to over six million.

The 6th, 14th, and 26th armies have borne the brunt of the ongoing assault in the eastern peninsula with grievous losses being incurred throughout the push due south towards Riyadh with losses expected to increase significantly as these armies continue to assault the city. The scene throughout much of the formerly prosperous city has transformed into a bleak war zone with ruined city zones being entirely devoid of life or motion save for the movement of military units. The city is likely to fall completely into the hands of the Empire within the next week as Arabian forces have become increasingly disparate and unorganized.

The Arabians have been pressured into arming any man and woman capable of fighting into military service, believing that a death in combat would be preferred over slavery and extermination under Edafosan occupation. This edict however has also resulted in an increasingly disastrous migration crisis likely on the verge of overwhelming nearby nations with millions of fleeing people. Officially Arabia has closed its few remaining sea and airports for public use almost exclusively using them now for military purposes. Desperate pleas have been sent out by the Arabians to the international community for any support that can be provided, especially as armies near the read sea approach Medina from the north and Jeddah and Mecca through a naval invasion from the Red Sea. Whether or not these shouts for help will be heard will remain to be seen.

[Aelanias]

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The UAF Continues to Remain Neutral and Turn Away Refugees

1 June 2018

Since crusade in Saudi Arabia the question of whether or not the UAF will step in has been debated, today a second UAF conference was called and took place in Libya. The 6 Nations unsurprisingly voted unanimously that the UAF will remain neutral and continue to turn away refugees. What shocked many commentators were Empress Madalyn's statements during this conference, such as:

I find it very humorous that anyone would be surprised when Edafos continues it's expansion, I guess invasion is only progress when they call for a conference beforehand?

But what brought silence to the room was the Aelanian Empresses claim that:

It's obvious that no nation will intervene to defend Arabia, that's not the point. This conflict is just another Stockholm Conference, but this time the terms were decided behind closed doors.

In Alenias the "new world order" conspiracy theory is actually a very common belief, this is why many Aelanians were outraged with the recent visit from the UCNA's monarch. This sentiment is not shared among the other nations of the UAF, in fact according to polls, 53% of Moroccans believe the UAF should be working closer with Europe and the West, results are similar among all the other nations in the front.

Some still consider Aelanias exempt from these decisions and the entire conference to just be a formality, the other nations technically don't have a say in this, Aelanias has authority over each member's armed forces and security agencies. Considering the reestablished mutual defense pact with Gibet, and Aelanias becoming the only member of the front with a steady oil supply, it's more than likely that the Empress has excepted that a war is inevitable.

[Aeuria]

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Aeurian Navy Closes Mandeb Strait, Red Sea Crippled

June 1, 2018

In response to the advancing Edafosan campaign for Arabia, Aeuria's Imperial Navy has mobilized to enforce a closure of the Mandeb Strait. The strait, located between Yemen and Aeurian-controlled Djibouti, connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. With its closure by the Imperial Navy, international shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Suez Canal have effectively been crippled.

The Imperial Navy has refused passage to any ship, commercial or otherwise, claiming violations of Aeurian waters in the Gulf of Aden. Aeuria's own shipping lanes have been rerouted to circumnavigate Africa with the Crown to compensate Aeurian companies for increased operational costs. The move comes amid a crowing oil crisis as the military forces of Edafos advance through Arabia virtually unopposed. Aeurian conerns of further expansion by the isolated empire through the Red Sea have for now been quelled however the impact on global markets will undoubtedly exacerbate current tensions.

In a statement released by the Aeurian Foreign Ministry, the "containment" is to remain in effect until "such a time as is deemed appropriate by the Imperial High Command." Labeling the ongoing war as a "modern disaster", the Foreign Ministry condemned "inexcusable targeting of Arabian civilian populations by Edafosan military personnel" and assured the closure was a defensive measure to "secure Aeurian East Africa." Urging refugees to avoid attempting travel through the Mandeb, the Aeurian government encouraged those seeking asylum to travel through neighboring Yemen to cross into Aeurian East Africa.

[Andenkommunen]

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Andenkommunen Heavily Boosts Alternative Energy In Face of Oil Crisis, Cuts Military

June 1, 2018

Today legislation was put into place by Andenkommunen after the completion of a public referendum, resulting in landslide support for its implementation, which attempts to address the looming oil crisis after an Edafos invasion of Arabia. This is to be done by drastically boosting research, development, and implementation (primarily the latter) programs for alternative and “green” energy sources. It’s also stated this could allow Andenkommunen to avoid or possibly even slightly benefit, due to foreign exchange rates falling, any sort of economic collapse caused by the oil crisis. This is funded in turn by very significant cuts to the nation’s military budget. That choice has been met with concern from some, but the government and supporters of the action cite claims that, “Andenkommunen, with its well defendable landscape, significant industry, and largely peaceful, neutral, or perhaps even ‘ignorable’ position on the world stage is in a position where a military reduction is a safe action. Beyond that, possibility with a war involving Edafos or economic collapse means that now is a time where outside attacks are unlikely. Still, this in no way neuteres all defensive capabilities and should a threat arise we could still deal with it.”

While Andenkommunen already was one of the least oil dependent countries around the globe, due to the fact that as a communist nation the global oil market was something not to rely on, the oil crisis pushed support for far more alternative energy through the roof, leading to the aforementioned legislation and landslide public support. One of the largest initiatives included in this is replacing what remains of any oil, natural gas, or other hydrocarbon sources of power for cities, industry, etc. is largely being replaced by nuclear power due to high cost efficiency (though personal solar panels for home power is also being partially subsidized). Other energy uses are to be largely converted to Andenkommunen-produced biofuels following this legislation, and what remains, and fuels for air and space travel, is to be supplanted with an already existing synthetic fuels industry (which is likely to also further grow to fill rising demand internationally).

Interestingly it further has a chance to solve another looming crisis that had been risking to plague Andenkommunen. Due to large and free national college and university education, there were starting to become a very quickly growing partition of the workforce who were getting engineering degrees due to a large public consensus that they had some of the highest levels of work opportunities and job satisfaction. However, quickly there started to become far more growth in workers with these skills than the jobs that needed them, but the now misconception did not go away. This may have not been a significant issue if it weren’t for the nation’s other generous policies meaning that living unemployed was, while definently not glamorous, nothing near the very poor living conditions and risk of homelessness that it can be in other countries. But that risk does have the very real benefit of getting people to take practically any job, something which did not happen as much in Andenkommunen. This meant there was beginning to form a significant number of people who were not taking unskilled jobs, leading to a rising unemployment rate. However, following the arabian invasion Andenkommunen will be suddenly causing a mass flip of unskilled jobs to those involving alternative energy sources, a field using these overhead degrees, at a vast speed to try best they can to protect themselves from what could be one of the worst global crises in a very long time. Very ironically, this crisis may lead to a rising rate of employment and economic growth for Andenkommunen, who could end up weathering this storm better off than before.

In somewhat related news the Andenkommunen government has been, with open arms, accepting a very small trickle of Arabian refugees. While the total number has not even reached four digits, they have publicly supported themselves as candidates for refugee destinations. That being said, with the extremely vast and less than friendly tracts of land and sea between Arabia and the southern strip of South America the nation occupies, the likelyhood of any at all significant number making their home there is next to none. Their publicity about the subject was likely simply to set an international example for nations who may actually be able to accept any, and/or a method to accrue easy political capital and public opinion.

[The United Continent of North America]

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America "Undeterred" By Riverian Oil Threats

3 June, 2018

Following the announcement the South American nation of the Great Warrior River's intentions to potentially undermine the newfound American oil industry parliament has stated their plan to support domestic oil companies and refineries against Riverian attempts to force them out of the international oil market. The Prime Minister David Tremblay has noted that the general attitudes of the majority of MPs in the current government are "undeterred" by such a potential Riverian response. While the exact amount of oil the UCNA still has in store will remain a closely guarded secret the overall confidence of the PM and higher government officials indicates that America would be able to reasonably cope with an "oil war".

The Edafosan crusade into Arabia and return of American exportation of oil has proven to have a both a positive and negative impact on the Great Warrior Rivers, a nation that more recent administrations have endeavoured to keep productive and positive relations with. The crusade has created a sharp rise in the prices of oil which has profited the GWR significantly allowing for greater prosperity in the heavily socialist nation. On the other hand however the need for American oil in Europe has rekindled competition between the two nations one that the GWR fears could both result in a massive drop in Riverian oil prices which threaten the economy and national security of their nation, which many experts predict would result in the loss in their control of the market.

Though congress's confidence in the UCNA's ability to cope with a heavy Riverian response remains steadfast, Prime Minister Tremblay has stated that it is in the best interest of the UCNA to ensure that the economic stability of the GWR is maintained. The PM has offered to negotiate with the Riverian government to establish potential rules and treaties to ensure that both nation's oil interests and security are protected.

[Gibet]

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From Berlin to Ipoli, Kaiserin Issues Ultimatum

Berlin

4 June 2018

Following perhaps the single greatest buildup of international tensions since the canal crisis, and in response to the growing decry of the conduct of the Edafosan march through Arabia, Kaiserin Elsa appeared before a joint session of the Bundestag. Standing before the combined members of the federal political process, representatives of the Wehrmacht, the seven members of the Volksgerichtshof, and surrounded by her Imperial Privy Council, our Empress made an impassioned cry for justice.

Citing the growing reports of barbarism in the campaign, as well as the apparent unapologetic pride of the Edafosans in declaring it a righteous cause, our glorious monarch became the first civilized leader to declare the situation what it plainly was; a crisis of humanity.

Our Empress spoke of the need to help as many Arabians as possible to escape the foul clutches of the Greek monsters. Declaring the Aeurian blockade of the Red Sea tantamount to a crime against humanity, she went so far as to promise the Federation would proudly accept its fair share of refugees. As well as setting aside funds to supply humanitarian aid, and support the rehabilitation of Arabians caught up in the disaster. She called upon our allies in Aelanias--and by extension, the combined powers of the UAF--to come to the aid of their Arabian brothers and sisters.

While it is unconfirmed, rumor abound that members of the Foreign Ministry have been dispatched as feelers to America, Aelanias, and the newfound comrades in Yonderre, for support in the event of an armed intervention in the growing humanitarian debacle.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our Kaiserin issued a direct and clear ultimatum to the Edafosan empire,

"I am speaking now to the Edafosan governement, its military commanders, the supposed-god king, and the peoples of the three thousand year old empire.

Your boisturious and unflinching appreciation for the barbaric treatment of the civilian populations caught up in your government's bloody tidal free fall through Arabia has not gone unnoticed. For millennia, your country has thrived on the notion that it must continuously grow through conquest and bloodshed, that to remain idle would render you impotent. But such is not the way of the present, nor the future.

These are not the days of so-called 'crusades', nor guiltless slaughter of those not your own. Times have changed. Diplomacy and good will are the hands which grip the wheels of fate, driving onward toward progress. You have been given your chance at joining the rest of the world in this endeavor. At Copenhagen, myself and the leaders of the world acquiesced to your demands for the return of the canal zones. We approved of your plans for a diplomatic sphere in Persia, and of a renewed effort to make civil ties.

But it is quite clear now that old habits inevitably die hard.

Your bloody campaign through Arabia has rendered entire populations homeless, or worse, eradicated. Your clear lack of conscience for the noncombatant have firmly demonstrated to us that you cannot be seen to reason. The images of Riyadh and Dubai--razed, charred, their populations bombed flat and reduced to nothing--shall remain forever etched into the hearts and minds of millions of our countrymen. We are all guilty of this crime--for we have stood by and allowed it to happen.

The Edafosan Empire has forty eight hours to cease all further military advances, and begin the process of allowing international observers to oversee the handling of refugees and noncombatants. Should you refuse this, I shall have no other option than to consider further action to right the listing humanitarian crisis."

[The Scandinavians]

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Scandinavia Cautions Against Conflict With Edafos

Date

Following the Kaiserin Elsa's against the Empire of Edafos warning them to withdraw from Arabia Det Lederen swiftly made a response, seemingly directly targeted at the Gibetan monarch, apparently urging for "restraint".

The announcement Edafosan crusade into Arabia surprised few in the Riksdag with the FOFP having withdrawn its members out of the Arabian peninsula almost two months in advance of the declaration of war. While the west was caught off guard and plunged into an oil and refugee crisis Scandinavia seemed hardly affected thanks to the Fatherland Party's ideology of self-sufficiency. Though the Union has been relatively separated from the ongoing conflict many higher ranking members, including Det Lederen himself, have watched the crusade's progress with great interest while remaining officially neutral.

In his response to the Kaisrin Det Lederen pleaded for restraint on behalf of the Gibetans and their associate nations in the UAF. In his message he warned of potential consequences of such a declaration, as seen below;

"To the Gibetan-German people, their monarch, and to the nations of the west,

I speak to you now on the precipice of a conflict of carnage and bloodshed unrivaled in recent history. While I, as unlikely as it seems, understand your reasoning behind this declaration though admittedly I disagree with most of your justifications, I must urge restraint and more caution when dealing with the Empire of Edafos. This declaration puts the stability of entire continent at risk more so than some might realize, to the point where one can be convinced that this announcement, while intended to create peace, will almost certainly lead to war.

I base this on the mindset and structure of the Edafosan state and people. Theirs is a nation whose citizenry's sole purpose is either to serve in their vast armies or to work to support them, and will do both unceasingly without hesitation because of their religious and ideological beliefs that are impressively ingrained in their minds. Edafos, simply put, runs and thrives on the idea that war and their struggle against outsider, or "xenous", never ends. And unlike the communist who will change their ignorant point of view given time, the Edafosan will never sway from their faith and will stand boldly defiant to the last.

Why does this matter, you may question? Addressing their state's structure foremost, a war against Edafos would quickly turn into a long and bloody one destined to cost the lives of uncountable men and women on both sides. Their industry and infrastructure is designed to serve the needs of their military, to say Edafos is prepared for such an eventuality would not do them justice. They want the world to fight them, and are ready to do so should Ipoli call for it. Just look to their defensive fortifications in the Balkans, the former border on the Sinai peninsula, and to the north with Nowistrana if you need proof of this.

This leads me to my second point speaking of their people. A war against Edafos would justify and reaffirm their beliefs. Like a cornered animal they will fight you viciously for every meter of ground and every building in every city you bomb to try to crupple them because their struggle and ideology would then be confirmed. No amount of negotiation or preaching of morality will ever convince them that their actions were in any case wrong, thus I fear the frivolousness of such a war.

I am not saying that Edafos should simply be allowed to expand, in fact to the contrary I am firmly in the belief that Edafos is perhaps the greatest danger to us all. What I am telling you is that a war with Edafos is not the solution you are looking for. And what happens if you somehow manage to prove victorious? What happens then? What cost in blood and fortune will it cost to try shouting a point to a man whom refuses to listen? And whose to say that, given time as history as told us, we will not be on the same path once again?

For your sons and daughters destined for the slaughter and fair Europa's sake ask these questions to yourselves. Edafos needs to be handled with careful and calculated solutions, and not by the battlefield. I urge you to heed my words and reconsider this declaration."

[Bluquse]

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Bluquse first to respond to Arabia's pleas for help with 'Evacuation Fleet' for populace and artifacts.

SS Ross, a Defender-Class guided missile frigate, a naval helicopter lands on its flight deck while outside Genoryan Naval Base before it joins the 'Evac Fleet' to Yemen.

June 10th, 2018

During a recent press conference earlier this afternoon, Overseer Jeffrey Ross has told gathered reporters about the current status of the "Evacuation Fleet" he had recently ordered to be sent to the Arabian peninsula during a June 1st meeting. The small 'Evacuation Fleet', as told by leading officials would consist of five ships, of which are two Defender-Class guided missile frigates, former Oliver Hazard Perry-class, one Grand Turtle-class amphibious transport dock, a former Austin-class, one Blusen-built replenishment oiler, the SS Feeder and one large civilian cargo ship that the nation's academic community had recently rented out to join the fleet. The frigates, in particular, were purchased from the UCNA back in 1998 and serving with the Navy for twenty years, the Overseer and leading military analysts decided to include these ships for this kind of operation due to their defense capabilities; with their guided missiles and anti-air/ship systems needed to protect the priceless cargo the ships would soon be carrying off of the Arabian peninsula. The ship's travel range is also another factor, being able to sail half-way around the world before needing to refuel.

The discussion on aiding Arabia begin on June 1st, when Council of State members were quickly called into a meeting on details about the ongoing crisis in the middle east and the current global economic situation, now that one of the world's major suppliers of oil is nearly occupied by a hostile foreign power. After hearing several accounts from WWJ, BON (Bluquse Observer Network) and several other independent sources of the grizzly and hellish conditions reported during the sieges of Dubai, Riyadh, and various other Arabian cities, council members discussed the possibility of aiding Saudi Arabia in some way.

Seeing that providing military aid would be unlikely, given the hostile power's size, the long-distance challenge to supply any sufficient military aid, the blockade of the Mandeb Strait by Aeurian naval forces and the fact that the nation is on the verge of being completely occupied has given the likelihood of any successful military victory against Edafos to be next to none.

Given their xenous-expression to every culture that isn't their own, it's been feared by much of the Blusen academic community of a possible cultural genocide, which turned out to be true as told from recent observations of Edafos soldiers simply demolishing any artifacts and historical monuments that have no proven relation to Imperial history. Although sources at first were unclear, WWJ and BON observers on the peninsula reported on seeing raids being done on museums and historical sites. They did this while being hidden nearby with the help from local native militias for fear that any outside reporters could be either captured or shot on sight.

From 2nd to 8th of June, the 'Evacuation Fleet' was gathered, refueled and resupplied at Genoryan Naval Base for the long journey to Yemen before leaving on June 9th with a combined complement of 1,600 personnel, with officers, sailors, humanitarian workers, marines, and even a team of academic experts on Arabian culture and history who'll help preserve and transport cultural and historical treasures out of Arabia to safety in secure museums in Bluquse. The Blusen Academic Community has also called upon the international community for help on getting refugees and precious treasures out of Arabia.

The fleet is still reported to be sailing and it'll continue the journey on over to Aden, Yemen to set up a temporary base of operations for evacuation which is the current plan as told by the Overseer himself.

A fleet of jetliners is also planned to be involved in the evacuation. With the main focus on transporting refugees to safety, government officials have asked for help from BlusenAir and FourStars Airlines for lending any aircraft to be used for the evacuation. Both companies have agreed compassionately to provide a total of 10 Dreamliner's for the operation. The Blusen Airforce has also provided two of its large military transport aircraft, Globemaster's for the operation although they must land somewhere along Africa in order to refuel before continuing their journey. A Blusen senior diplomat at the moment while reported by WWJ journalists is currently visiting Berlin, discussing with Gibetan officials for permission for Blusen military transport aircraft to land in Lagos, Nigeria or any available airports in the Gibetan African territory.

[Gibet]

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Bundestag Rallies to Cause, Okays Support to Floundering Arabs

11 Jun 2018

Following the expiration of the deadline for a complete halt to further offensive operations on the Arabian peninsula, an emergency meeting of the Bundestag was called in Berlin. In a twist of circumstance, representatives of the Caribbean nation of Bluquse were in attendance--having come to speak on the matter of support for their operations to save the cultural heritage of Arabia from a scourge seemingly intent on completely erasing it.

After allowing representatives of the opposition coalition to speak, where the overwhelming sentiment was that Arabia was far removed from the sphere of influence that Berlin was cultivating in Africa, the Bundestag President Mikael van Dyke gave a rousing call to arms for the sake of preventing "a cultural and scientific calamity unlike any the world has yet seen". The Kaiserin was also in attendance, and gave her blessing for the Bluquse ambassadorial staff to speak before the combined houses--an unheard-of breach of the strictest protocols.

In the aftermath, the Bundestag voted with a clear majority to not only permit Blusque aircraft to land within Reich territorial boundaries in Africa, but also to base themselves there for as long as necessary to ensure the survival of Arab culture, if not their institutions and people. Likewise, both houses agreed to begin the process of supplying the fierce Arabs with the means to halt the advance of Edafosan forces in the region. Among the items agreed upon were vast shipments of arms, munitions, medical and food supplies, as well as utility and assault vehicles--all to be airlifted into the besieged peninsula from air bases in the General Government Economic Zone of Saharan Kamerun. In addition, an unprecedented loan of one billion marks has been slated for the beleaguered Arab cause.

In lea of actually deploying troops to the region, a clear escalation of the conflict, a proposal is currently being considered to dispatch Gibetan advisors and observers to the conflict.

[Edafos]

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Crusade Casualty Count Skyrocketing

5-15-775-3

Reports from the front of the crusade have confirmed the rumors that have leaked to the international community concerning the rapid rise in Imperial, Arabian, and civilian numbers. Higher estimates propose a combined death toll of almost two and a half million military and an untold number of civilians either unintentionally or deliberately killed in the Imperial assault, making Fourth Arabian Crusade the deadliest war of the century so far.

The increase in casualties has become an increasing concern for the Imperial generalship, and while it is true that the overwhelming majority of guardsman can be described as mere "cannon-fodder" the sharp rise in military deaths has forced the more disciplined reserve armies stationed in the major cities of the empire to enter combat. As well as the reassignment of reserves to the front and bloodied armies sent back to regroup and replenish their forces the Stratos has increased the intensity of aerial bombardment campaigns against major cities and infrastructure in an attempt to further bludgeon Arabian forces. Rumors are also abound that Imperial forces will unleash weaponry and arms of greater caliber, though the nature and source of these weapons remains uncertain. A large Scandinavian vessel was recently seen moored off the shores near the metropolis of Antiochiea with its cargo being off loaded under the cover of night and with the highest security.

The result of the increasing loss of life on the front has become apparent as the initial momentum the crusade started with has begun to stagnate. Though the Empire has made great strives in the first month of the crusade by capturing major cities and important geographical points, progress has slowed as predicted though the cost of this has been greater than expected. Many generals predicted that the loss of major cities and the devastation of the civilian population would cripple the willingness and organization of Arabian resistance, however the results of this tactic has proven to be more mixed. Outside influences in aiding the evacuation and arming the Arabians has resulted in an improvement of overall morale and fighting capacity of the Arabian forces. With this shift it will be difficult to determine how long or who will emerge as the victor of this crusade and how many more lives are loss until it reaches a conclusion.

[Bluquse]

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Blusen evacuation for Arabia begins

19 June 2018

After eight days of planning and preparations, the air fleet has begun its operations today after both the governments of Aeuria and Gibet officially given Blusen aircraft permission to enter their airspace over Africa during diplomacy talks on June 11th. Two international airports, one in Lagos, Gibetan Kameron and another in Addis Ababa, Aeurian Ethiopia would be used as mid-way stops for flights between Bluquse and Yemen as told by military officials leading the operation during an interview on state media.

As reported by WWJ journalists and BON observers, the planned temporary base is close to being established in Aden, Yemen as two Blusen Globemaster's have begun their flight there with needed supplies to set it up. The Aden base is planned to have operations to safely package artifacts, documents, and other priceless cultural works and transport them onboard a Blusen cargo ship which at the moment is only several days away from arriving at the citie's harbor. The base would also provide tent shelters, medical care, food, and water for refugees fleeing from the conflict. A smaller base of operations is also planned to be set up in Sana'a, Yemen to provide airlifts for people and artifacts out of Saudi Arabia and into Yemen with Blusen chinook helicopters providing the support.

As heavy casualties on both sides of the conflict begin to increase sharply since the past week, Blusen officials have recently made contact with Arabian academics, urging them to begin the process of evacuating themselves and saving as much cultural and historical artifacts from imperial hands as they could. Its also been reported just recently that around four thousand people, mainly doctors, teachers, professors, college students and their families are seeking refuge to Bluquse. BON Observers reassured them that they would get the chance to do so but it's been highly expected that the number of people seeking asylum in Bluquse could be much higher than previously thought of as reports of refugees traveling into Aden, Yemen has steadily increased in number, most likely from hearing rumors and stories on the Blusen-led evacuation.

On June 12th, a specialized team of academic experts on Arabian culture and history was flown into Yemen before making another trip to Arabia the next day to analyze artifacts from the museums there. They have so far registered at nearly a thousand items of cultural and historical significance within their database, with at least half of them coming from Jeddah museums alone while the team continues to register more artifacts for preservation.

It's been reported that amid the heavy artillery and rocket fire, a dozen museums and universities are at the moment packing the registered items onto box trucks, which would when fully loaded, drive safely alongside escorts to Yemen where they could safely be analyzed further before being loaded onto a Blusen cargo ship planned to be stationed at Aden. At the very moment the "Evac fleet" is currently entering the Mozambique Channel between the nations of Madagascar and Mozambique. Being only four days away, the fleet should arrive on the 23rd of June.

[Gibet]

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Breaking: Explosion Rocks Duala Port, Minor Damage Dealt to Frigate IMS Rhineland

Duala

24 JUN 2018

In a shocking turn of events, an explosion in the city of Duala has caused extensive damage to port facilities as well as what is described as 'minor' damage to the hull of the IMS Rhineland.

Witnesses describe the moment when a small craft, piloted by two unidentified individuals, came alongside the ship as it lay at berth along the southern edge of the port. Despite repeated warnings to vacate the area immediately around the vessel, the crew of the boat instead detonated a large device, tearing a sizable hole in the side of the Rhineland. While no deaths have been reported, it is confirmed that a dozen crew members were injured to various degrees.

The frigate Rhineland was part of a larger taskforce of the Imperial Mediterranean fleet conducting a tour of the African coast, and making a scheduled stopover in Duala, the capital city of the Imperial Province of Kamerun. The mission was part of a larger tour de force being conducted by the Kaiserliche Marine in the wake of rising tensions abroad. Its appearance in Duala had the dual affect of inciting patriotic support for the return of the Federation to Africa, and there were sizable crowds reported on arrival, come to watch the first Gibetan naval vessel to enter Duala port since the first quarter of the last century.

While no other attacks have been reported, this event marks a clear escalation in the scattered and sporadic attacks made on Federal authorities by radicals intent on establishing their own 'free and independent' state once more. No one has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack, and it appears to have been an isolated incident.

[Edafos]

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Military Enforces "Quarantine" of Arabia

6-27-775-3

Though initially slanted in the Empire's favor the Fourth Arabian Crusade has become a bloody stalemate.

The Arabian force's moral and fighting ability has increased drastically following the increasing support from the international community which has proven to be problematic to Imperial efforts. Plans have been put into place to isolate the Arabians as completely as possible and sever their newfound supply lines from the sea and the air. In order to accomplish this objective a two-fold plan has been put into action to; take command of the Red Sea shoreline and fortify it with anti-aircraft positions, deploy mines and patrols throughout south eastern Arabian coast and apprehend any xenous who are spotted.

This has predicted to require a monumental effort on behalf of Imperial forces, however rumors of future upgrades to the Stratos's equipment and arms has been heard throughout the Empire. The unknown ship in the harbor near Antiochiea was seen offloading cargo during the cover of night, though where to whom this cargo was delivered to has yet to be revealed. If these rumors prove to be true Imperial forces will be granted a new edge over the defending Arabians and perhaps completely regain initiative in the Crusade.

[Andenkommunen]

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Andenkommunen Completes First Election Under Internationale, Itself and GWR to Come Next

1 July 2018

After organizational delays and slowdowns due to increased overviews by an Anden-Riveran composed Internationale committee, the counting of the national parliamentary election of Andenkommunen has completed. While resulting in very unusually high turnout, the composition of government it will result in is much of the same that has prevailed previously, though with a shift in power back to more civilly libertarian parties as a return from a period of generally more centrist popularity which was overall a large possible culprit of some minor political stagnation that had led to the nation entering a period of taking few actions, however this is likely to change, as it already has been to a lesser extent.

However, the most remarkable, and perhaps most important, part of this election is the involvement of the newly formed Internationale, currently still only composed of the two South American nations who founded it. A founding idea of this organization was to prevent member states from falling into, "Undemocratic, Dictatorial, and Degenerated Workers' States", as they claim has happened repeatedly in past to other socialist/communist nations. One organ of preventing this is by involving the greater international Internationale community in monitoring and assisting with national elections, much like a whole country might treat all elections within itself. Further, a small change in the form of the single-transferrable-vote system employed by Andenkommunen was made.

In this particular case, the actual overview was not particularly eventful, though as it was the first a few slowdowns did take place. No violations were found, and while there was a potential security risk in a handful of local polling stations, it was still considered a significant success. However, some controversy, mostly perpetuated by a couple smaller parties, has arisen at having foreign involvement in something as critical as a national parliamentary election, though preliminary polling shows that at least 80% of the population seem to be satisfied or tolerant of it.

Later this year, the elections for the Internationale itself, and the Great Warrior Rivers, are to come as further examples of this new system.

[Bluquse]

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Bluquse celebrates the Summer Solstice with the creation of Space Agency

21 June 2018

Bluquse today has begun its celebration of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, which is a phenomenon caused as a result of Earth’s axial tilt. Although the astronomical event is famous throughout the globe, however to Bluquse, it holds cultural and religious significance to its people. Followers of Philosoism hold a religious ritual, which is primarily a lecture on the solstice before followed by meditation sessions and tea ceremonies. A festival is also held, being dedicated to the solstice as hundreds of thousands across the island join the ceremonial music, food, dance and tea ceremonies held during the special event.

This day is made even more special during a national broadcast across the nation when the Overseer proclaims the creation of a space agency, the discussion of which begun at the State Assembly since the beginning of this year. Named the 'Dynamic Exploration Space Administration' or DESA for short, it's a major new division for the nation's joint academic-civilian-military scientific organization Uspeon (United Scientific Polymath Elite Organization Network) which is lead by the Overseer himself. Albert Braun, a renown chief tech engineer was voted as director for the new administration after a series of month-long sessions held by leading leaders of the science organization for great oversight on development projects and leadership skills.

As a space agency would need a base of operations to conduct launches and missions, Perparim airbase & facility testing site on the eastern edge of Bluquse was picked out as an excellent candidate. The choice is due to safe distances from population centers and the southeasterly position of the base's location, an advantage, giving future satellites a more equatorial orbit but only slightly in a sense that Bluquse is a small nation and doesn't go further south than the Caribbean. The base was also chosen due to its long history of being a test site for numerous proto-type aircraft and missiles. Despite what seems to be a late fledgling newcomer to the international space community, the island nation had for decades done intense research in information technology, solar energy, robotics and even military missiles. The NER-1 or simply nicknamed the Neutron is a recent missile project being designed by USPEON scientists, with officials reporting that its capable of not only leaving Earth's atmosphere but able to deliver payloads into orbit unless given precise directions and modifications to the rocket itself.

During a nightly news interview by WWJ journalists with Albert Braun, now the director of Desa. Albert has said that the NER-1 was originally intended to be used as a mid-range ballistic missile designed to work alongside Steel Dome, a mobile all-weather air defense system that's currently being developed by a joint program between the military and tech industry. However, the rocket can easily be modified to that of a launch vehicle for Desa and that testing and the manufacture of the rocket will only progress by mid-July as the base in Eastern Bluquse is being modified for the space administration's operations.

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Blusen evacuation intensify under Stalemate

Blusen Chinook helicopters traveling within Asir Mountain Range.

2 July 2018

Over a week after the 'Evac Fleet' had made port in Aden, Yemen on June 23rd, the Blusen evacuation for Arabian artifacts and heritage has intensified in speed and efficiency after sixteen hundred Blusens set up a base of operations at the seaport along with news of a stalemate between Arabian and Imperial forces. The Blusen-led refugee camp in Aden has started providing shelters, medical care, food, and water for a maximum total of twenty thousand people fleeing from the conflict. Another base of operations, which had until recently been set up in Sana'a, Yemen had already begun operations as Blusen chinook helicopters carried over from the SS Grand Turtle begin their mission to carry people and artifacts out of the country and into Yemen. While there, refugees can safely be transported to either Bluquse, to seek asylum there or to either Lagos, Gibetan Kameron or Addis Ababa, Aeurian Ethiopia, where two more refugee camps are planned to be set up by Blusen authorities, just like the one in Aden but with a lower capacity of ten thousand each. Since June 20th, a total of 31,200 refugees have taken refuge in Bluquse after agreeing on seeking asylum there. Blusen Immigration officials interviewing refugees have stated that college students, teachers, professors, doctors, engineers and families with young children are the most numerous groups seeking refuge there.

With a Blusen specialized team of academic experts working alongside Arabian museum curators, the operation has officially been named the 'Arabian Cultural Preservation Program' or ACPP for short which has registered another two thousand artifacts of cultural and historical significance bringing the total number of such items to three thousand artifacts preserved. However, as the operation continues, the process of packaging and moving the artifacts out of Arabia becomes ever more dangerous, especially in Jeddah where the imperial fleet had increased its bombardment of the city. Although most museums behind the 'Arabian Front' have suffered only minimal damages, several others like ones in Jeddah and Medina have suffered more severe damages, including a naval museum near Jeddah's harbor which wasn't so lucky as nearby Imperial bombardments completely obliterated it, with only a few artifacts surviving the destruction.

While the stalemate between Arabian and Imperial forces have finally given Bluquse hope that it will be able to save a significant portion of the nation's people and their culture, news of an Imperial-led quarantine have become troubling. As reported by WWJ journalists in the region, Edafos's leaders have appear to have ordered an two-fold plan with parts of the Red Sea shoreline already occupied, being fortified with anti-aircraft systems and positions while mines and patrols have also been deployed along the coast, with orders to apprehend any foreigners as seen by BON observers.

While this would possibly be problematic for Gibetan aid to reach Arabia, Blusen travel into the country has hardly been affected by the Imperial-led quarantine, the reason of which is travel between Arabia and Yemen being done within the Asir Mountains. Blusen strategists have long theorized before the Edafos 'Fourth Crusade ' that the Asir Mountains would be one of the last few places on the peninsula that would continue to resist a foreign occupier. Heavily mountainous and lightly populated, the region is considered to be less important to the Imperials due to their primary focus at the moment being the occupation of the major cities north of the mountain range such as Jeddah, Mecca, and Medina.

Flying low within the Asir Mountains is considered to be the only safe route for aircraft to travel without risking being targeted by Imperial anti-air weapons systems and patrols on the coastline. It's because of this reason, the fleet's six Chinook and four Seahawk helicopters are currently employed to evacuate as many people and artifacts from Arabia as possible. Volunteers such as school and college students from the Arabian population continue to join the ACPP to help speed up the process of recovering cultural and historical artifacts from the coming scourge of Arabian Civilization, which Blusens fear nears ever closer by each day and night as officials know the Stalemate won't last very long.

Reports by BON of an unknown ship in the harbor near Antiochiea, seen offloading cargo during the cover of night, has caught the intention of Uspeon and various Blusen Intelligence agencies, who suspect that another nation is potentially aiding Edafos in its campaign. However, intelligence is quite limited as operatives and spy planes aren't currently in or near the region. Spy satellites are also out of the question as there aren't any available to Bluquse yet to observe the ship from orbit. It's because of this that Bluquse has requested any nation that's interested in aiding in its mission to find its identity and under whose flag it sails under.

[Aelanias]

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Aelanias Captures Scandinavian Vessel in the Mediterranean Sea

July 8, 2018

Earlier today Aelanian naval forces reported to have captured a Scandinavian vessel traveling though The Strait of Gibraltar. They confirmed shortly after their report that it was the same ship spotted by BON near Antiochia.

The ship was carrying no cargo at the time it was captured, one of the crew on board was Isar Fritzsson who is a member of Scandinavia's Foreign Office. The ship and it's crew will be escorted back to Scandinavian waters. Isar Fritzsson however, will be held for further questioning.

According to Aelanian military officials, the route and time chosen by the ships captain would have had the ship passing right through UAF patrols, Moroccan fleets specifically. Despite this Morocco's navy made no reports on this ship, and the UAF's Intelligence Agency is now investigating how far up this corruption goes. Empress Madalyn held the first televised address to the United African Front:

I've frequently stated the dangers of foreign nations colluding with elected officials, but your representatives don't care, they have chosen to side with those who wish to invade us. This problem requires a change of tactics, a UAF Conference will be held tomorrow where we will propose the expansion of Aelanias' executive authority, we hope you encourage your representatives to let us end this secrecy.

Until an agreement is reached, with the exception of the American base at our border with Edafos, the UAF will be ejecting all foreign soldiers and ambassadors. Aelanias will also be increasing it's military presence in each nation of the UAF.

[The Scandinavians]

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The State of the Scandinavian Union

Solamanthur 26, 2018

The past year and a half has yielded a string of successes for the Fatherland Party with territorial and economic objectives reportedly exceeding what is outlined in Stockholm's master strategy; "Projektet". While this newfound success has yet to fully bear the fruits of Nordic efforts and planning Det Lederen has demonstrated a great deal of hope and optimism for the coming months and years announcing that the Party has "major goals" set to take place in the near future.

The exact nature of these plans, as of current, are unknown to the vast majority of the population and even the Riksdag though both these groups have found a great deal of faith in Det Lederen's capabilities as the new Leader and have vocally spoken their confidence in the nation's direction. Scandinavia under Svansson's direction has taken a more aggressive policy of territorial growth as well as a military and economic build up when compared to his predecessor, the deceased Arnt Hylen who was killed over the Baltic Sea in an attack on his aircraft. Though few dispute that the reconquest of Nyland is considered to be an achievement of Hylen's, the successful annexation of Kongoland back under Nordic rule is viewed as an almost equal achievement, with Svansson's leadership nearly doubling the territorial size and population of Scandinavia. And while Kongoland has yet to be fully brought to heel with the local Bantu tribes proving to be an issue all major resistance to Scandinavian rule have been annihilated as the ruling Afrikaland Party, a branch of the Fatherland Party dispatched to the region some time after the fall of the monarchy, being brought back into the Party, their leaders and members being viewed as heroes by the populous.

Unsurprisingly Svansson's actions have been viewed as generally positive by the Party, with few arguing that the newfound military and economic growth as a bad thing. However despite the rise of Nordic potential it is unlikely that Scandinavia will continue expanding further into Europe though it is considered as the more important of Stockholm's numerous objectives. Africa may prove to be different however, and while Scandinavia was never considered to be a truly powerful colonial force due to geographic limitations and the overwhelming force of Aeuria from East Africa the annexation of Kongoland during the Stockholm Conference has rekindled Nordic ambitions in the region with the promise of more living space and resources. There are several rumors regarding potential regions for expansion, though the validity of said rumors have yet to be seen.

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Scandinavia Demands the Immediate Release of Fritzsson

Solamanthur 27, 2018

News of the Aelanian apprehension of a Nordic cargo vessel and its crew outbound through the Straits of Gibraltar has sparked outrage throughout Scandinavia and the Fatherland Party. Though the Aelanian government has released the the ship and the majority of its crew, with the escorted vessel being intercepted and received in the English Channel by the Krigsvagnen, Izar Fritzsson, a respected member of the Foreign Offices of the Fatherland Party (FOFP) for his work in the Praevalidus at the conclusion of the Baltic Crisis, has been detained for questioning.

The vessel's objective has been mostly kept under wraps by the Party with the only statements regarding Fritzsson and the ship's mission stating that he was conducting a diplomatic mission to the Empire of Edafos. The ship's cargo content still unknown. Det Lederen has been vocal in his outrage towards the Queendom stating the Aelanias has "no right" to detain a member of the Fatherland Party demanding that the Aelanias immediately releases Fritzsson and warning of "severe consequences" should Aelanias fail to comply within the next 24 hours. Naval forces sent to quash the situation in the Orkney Islands have begun naval exercises in the Atlantic Ocean once more being redeployed off the coast of Africa near the the Canary Islands with the Nordic military undergoing preparations for "a worst case scenario".

At the same time the Party has begun negotiations with the Moroccan government reportedly offering "a deal" for the local government though the nature of this deal is unknown and will likely not be revealed until the UAF meeting reaches a conclusion. Other deals of lesser extents have also been presented to other North African governments.