Ajax Regional News Thread [Closed: Ajax Only]

by **Besmenien** » Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:55 am

The 2020 Besmenian federal election

Election result of the election

The 2020 Besmenian federal election for the 25th Federal Chamber took place today on August the 2nd. Eligible citizens were able to vote for their party between 8 AM and 6 PM. There were a total of 26,823,534 citizens eligible to vote. The Besmenian People's Party (BVP) was the winner of the election with 33.4%. The second strongest force was the Free Besmenian Citizen's Party (FBBP) with 28.2%. The result of the Party of the Besmenian Left (PBL) was surprising, becoming the third strongest party in the federal election with 10.5%. The PBL also overtook the Social Democratic Union (SDU) for the first time, which has a narrow result of 10.2%. The Green Party of Besmenia (GPB) achieved 9%, with the party still reaching 10.8% in the 2016 election. The National Besmenian Party (NBP) reached with 7.7% the 5 percent hurdle and will move back into the Federal Chamber for the 2020-2024 legislative period after the NBP only reached 4.8% in the 2016 election.

Theodor Sidemann; Prime Minister and BVP party leader, during the election ceremony in the Heinz-Dimmler-Haus

Prime Minister Sidemann said of his party's victory: " The BVP is the clear winner of the election and the jubilation shows that we have a great result. We will start negotiations tomorrow with the FBBP and the GPB to enable the blue-yellow-green coalition so that I can nominate new ministers and prepare for my third term to make my goals possible, but today we celebrate because we have made it great!"

Karsten Sachmut; Party leader of the SDU said about the election result of the SDU: "It is actually the first time in the history of Besmenian elections, no matter whether federal or state level, that our SDU has been overtaken by the PBL and that is very scarce. Unfortunately, our result is with this Election the second worst result after the SDU got only 7.9% in the election of 1932. Nevertheless, I would like to thank all our voters who still see hope and trust in the Besmenian social democracy."

Markus Ernst; NBP party leader said of the NBP election result: "Even though the National Besmenian Party only has 7.7%, I'm happy that my party made it back to the Federal Chamber after we failed to reach the 5 percent hurdle in the 2016 election."

Sandra Eckwach; Party leader of the PBL said about the election result of the PBL: "I was very surprised that the PBL is the third strongest party in Besmenia despite 10.5%. Of course I am very pleased that we have received new voters in the past few months. It is so far PBL's best result in the Besmenian federal election since the 2004 election, where we moved with an result of 10% in the Federal Chamber for the first time."

Other News

• Linda Folgmann: Melmingia should be the 13th state of Besmenia
• Raid by Neo-Ochsenbeinians at petrol station in Berkafurt
• The Besmenian Federal Army plans to send weapons to Yisrael and Latium for support in the Enyaman Civil War

© Today's Besmenia 2020

by **Besmenien** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 7:55 am

Street fights in Melmingia

Devastation in South Melmingia

On Thursday, August 20th, a street fight broke out in Melmingia between supporters of the far-right party "The Republicans" and police officers and opponents of the party.

It began on Wednesday, August 19th at 11 AM in the "Johannes-Schmidt-Straße" in the west of the Melmingia, where a protest by supporters of the right-wing extremist party "The Republicans" took place.

The reason for the protests was that the party was not allowed to participate in the Federal election 2020 for the first time, as well as the ban on Neo-Ochsenbeinism planned by Prime Minister Sidemann. Sidemann announced in May that he intends to ban the right-wing extremist Neo-Ochsenbeinism as alignment for a political party in the next legislative period 2020-2024.

During the protest march, the supporters were insulted and verbally abused by opponents. A little later came the first violent attacks on the supporters of Neo-Ochsenbeinism. The street fighting increased and spread throughout the city. There was destruction and arson. At 12:52 AM, police arrived. At 2 PM Federal Army units arrived to end the fight. The situation could only calm down in the evening. On this day there were a total of 67 injured and 2 dead.

Other News
• Franz Bauer: Besmenia is divided still today
• New ministers in the third Sidemann cabinet
• Karsten Sachmut is stepping down from his position as SDU chairman

© Today's Besmenia 2020

by **Enyama** » Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:16 pm

PRCO Director Rezek found brutally murdered in apparent vigilante act

The "Scandal of the New Year" appears to have gotten even larger. Shocking news came out of the suburbs of Karsko today, as the Director of the PRCO, Valdemar Rezek, was found brutally murdered in his Syacova home early this morning. Rezek had gone from an essential nobody to a household name after Albin Volf's indicting disclosures indicated that the PRCO under Rezek's leadership had orchestrated the radicalization of the International Democratic Revolution, the now-infamous paramilitary group which over 21 nations have designated as a terrorist group, despite its humble beginnings as an academic club at major universities in Transkarminia and beyond. The disclosure, despite heavy resistance from several courts and general skepticism around Volf's true credibility, had only been gaining credibility when the news of Rezek's death arrived.

Reactions to the news were mixed, with many across the internet reacting with positive surprise at the news of, as one anonymous user put it, "the first of many names to pay for their treason". Higher profile voices were much more guarded when handling the news; Primar Moravec, and his electoral opponent Benedict Král, both expressed disappointment at the abrupt end to the investigation, with Král stating this morning: "It is a shame that we were not able to use the law to its fulles extent to find out [Rezek]'s role in all of this. I understand that there are strong emotions at play here about the state of our nation, but vigilantism is not going to get us any closer to changing the system itself. It's barbaric, and it would un-Ostrozavan of us to think that statement untrue."

Albin Volf, absolved of wrongdoing in the scandal, but still fighting legal battles for further document declassifications, allegedly doubled over with a loud "What?!" upon hearing the news. Prime Commander Radanna Šimonová, who had led the public relations charge regarding the investigation of the PRCO. Inside the People's Congress, Rezek's planned testimony for next Tuesday was cancelled and the broader PRCO investigation postponed as Karsko and Vamo police, as well as the Civil Guard, have begun investigating the nature of Rezek's murder. Early reports out of the neighborhood indicate that Rezek's corpse was "almost unrecognizable" and that the entire house was "coated in blood" after an apparent assault on the 58-year-old with a large meat tenderizer. Strangely, however, the Civil Guard have reported that they've found "no evidence of any sort of foul play in the house. It's as if the assailant walked in and out totally unhindered, and left absolutely no conclusive trace." Even more strangely, Rezek's dog was found asleep in the upstairs study room, behind a closed door. The bizarre lack of evidence has led to the Vamo Investigations Presidium being accused of incompetence, though early reports from the scene indicate that the full extent of available evidence has not yet been discovered.

Rezek had been head of the Prime Directorate for Civil Protection since 2006, having come on as a late appointment by the Defense Council, replacing thirty-year veteran Kornelianus Voiculet. He is survived by his two daughters Zina and Sáva, both studying abroad, and by his sister, Blanka Rezek-Schöl, who currently holds a midlevel position in the Vamo Transportation Corps.

Civil Guardsmen block off the road towards the residential zone in which Rezek lived in Syacova, outside Karsko

Regardless of what the ultimate result of the investigation shall be, the news of Rezek's murder have seen several popular conspiracy theories materialize as well in the last day, with several online outlets reporting that popular pundits such as Mojmír Daněk and Iosif Pekurar had been insinuating that the "deep state" of the PRCO and Moravec administraton had purposefully had Rezek killed in order to "tie up loose ends"; others, however, have countered saying that whoever the vigilante was, their objective was not to help the PRCO stay out of trouble, but rather to force it further into the spotlight of public scrutiny for its activities as an organization, instead of simply placing the blame on one individual, which Volf hypothesized in June was “the power-playing establishment saving face now without addressing deeper ideological problems that led to [the abuse of power] in the first place.”

The consensus in responses across both major candidates has, so far, kept the news from affecting the Primarial race, but as more news continue to come, many analysts have labeled it likely that any further association between the Volf disclosure scandal and the Executive branch of the Moravec administration is bound to "spell trouble" for the Primar, who has successfully won four elections in the last twenty years, while often battling a People's Congress stacked in the other direction after the advent of New Socialism following the 2005 Polnitsan War. Currently, Benedict Král leads the race by a small margin of +1.9 points; if our trendlines hold, expect that lead to only get bigger.

Top Headlines
1. More Volf disclosures coming “as soon as investigation into PRCO reopens” ⇲
2. Proposed Kiso stealth fighter program “ludicrously expensive”, Král warns Defense Council ⇲
3. Livalia loosens coca leaf and cannabis regulations, joining Vamo and Karsko despite Fabrian and Alban protests ⇲
4. Drevstran: Bharamut discusses potential adoption of Majority Judgment voting with Liv. scientists Balinski & Lara ⇲
5. Prime Government travel advisories listed for Gran Aligonia, Fahran, Besmenia and Ayeli through 2021 ⇲

by **Communist Xomaniax** » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:12 pm

There is No God Higher Than Truth

The Politics of Opium in the Union: A Brief Report

Agricultural workers stand amid a poppy field.

Phnom Tukdaohko - Norok SPR In the Union, few topics of economic importance are as controversial as the cultivation of poppies and production of opium. Few other agricultural products summon up such an array of emotions in so many different people, with none seeming to have common ground. The ancient Shambhalans first began cultivating the opium poppy around four thousand years ago, although artifacts dated the neolithic period suggest a familiarity with the plant before recorded history. By around 2600 BCE, it was a major crop cultivated almost everywhere in the region, and traded extensively beyond. While most early sites suggest a primarily medical usage, literary fragments dating back to at least the 3rd Dynasty make it abundantly clear that opium for recreational use was well established.

The cultivation of what Shambhala knew as Candramābāṭa pānī (water of the moon) extended into antiquity and beyond, only seeing disruption during the conquest of the Suktivarman Dynasty by the Green Horde in the 1200s. The well cultivated fields and paddies that surrounded Brahmavarman VI’s palaces were burned with their subjects still on them. This chaos would disrupt the opium trade in Shambhala for nearly a century. It was not until Tenzin Tsenpo, Mundzuk’s grandson, granted the monasteries vast estates and locked the peasantry into serfdom that cultivation of the poppy rose to its previous levels. It wouldn’t be until the colonial period that opium cultivation would again take greater importance.

By the mid 1700s, the Green Horde had become a spent force. Derided as the “Sick Man of Ochran”, Shambhala’s once mighty empire was beginning to crumble. Much of its wealthiest provinces had been lost to Mutulese Ochran and its military was left in tatters. Youdon Tsenpo sought to alleviate the crisis with a general campaign of modernization funded by loans from the Arthurista. Arthuristan advisors rebuilt the Shambhalan military and introduced new metallurgical and industrial methods to the empire. The true cost of these loans would not be revealed until after the tsenpo’s death, repayments draining the imperial treasury. To cope, greater emphasis was placed on the cultivation of opium, which had become an extremely lucrative cash crop. But this came with the price of addiction; at least a third of Shambhalan society were heavily addicted to the drug, with addiction running most rampant among untouchables. While the effect this had on the empire is hotly debated to this day, by 1740 Shambhala had become unable to make its payments.

Opium became one of the most important exports of Shambhala during the Two Centuries of Despair, behind only the trade in gems and spices. By 1900 revenues from its production and sale accounted for more than 35% of the Shambhala’s gross domestic product. Rates of addiction similarly skyrocketed until by the end of the colonial period at least two thirds of the population were habitual users, with the bodies of the overdosed dead a common sight in any city and village. In Kalapa, despite an official moratorium on recreational consumption adopted by the Kashag, usage remained so rampant that in at least one instance authorities simply stopped enforcing it altogether. Anticolonial writers and artists from the period often used the opium den as a symbol of foreign corruption and depravity. This continued on throughout the civil war, when rebel attacks on poppy fields starved the Kashag of much of its revenue.

An opium den in urban Shambhala (1912)

In the early postwar period cultivation of the opium poppy fluctuated greatly, with the AULCP at first intensely producing refined opium for sale on the international market in order to gain access to hard currency, to an almost total ban by 1950. This ban would continue through the Norok War, with Unionite forces burning thousands of tons of poppies in their fields. The trade was almost totally wiped out with only small amounts of the stuff making it to the black market. This again would change after the Gang of Eighty-Eight, a loose cabal of liberal revisionists and aspiring barracks emperors united under Yarlung Wangpo, forced Chairman Tsenpo to step down in 1955. The “Liberal Period” saw the legalization of opium poppy cultivation among a sweeping range of reforms, citing a need to expand the economy in order to build up productive forces. However, the vast majority of the proceeds from this production were not seen by the Unionite peoples, instead being siphoned into the pockets of corrupt officials and the gangsters they worked hand in hand with.

The Liberal Period is defined by pervasive corruption, runaway unemployment and crime. While official figures from the time paint a picture of modest and controlled production, in reality millions of tons of opium were produced in the fifteen year rule of the Gang of Eighty-Eight. This explosive growth is mirrored by a similar growth in drug usage. While no official statistics on addiction rates from this period exist, experts estimate that about about thirty million people may have been habitual users, with an estimated yearly death toll from addiction in the tens of thousands out of a population of just over eighty million. Organized crime thrived because of the drug trade, with syndicates in the Union cooperating with “The Root”, a kind of Mutulese criminal organization. Opium, and its sibling heroin, was produced in the jungles of Norok and then shipped out on Mutulese ships all across the globe. By 1969, many syndicates had grown wealthy and powerful enough to go beyond simply influencing the government to directly challenging its authority in some areas. This was most prominent in Norok, where opium production was centered.

In 1970, student protests erupted across the Union in response to continued misrule by the Gang of Eighty-Eight. The Cultural Revolution would throw the opium industry into chaos as fields were burned and both gangsters and corrupt officials alike fled the country. The Gang of Eighty-Eight and anyone tied to them were tried on charges ranging from embezzlement of state funds and drug trafficking to treason. Yarlung Wangpo himself was tied directly to the Blue Sunflower syndicate, the then largest organized crime group in the Union, by multiple written confessions from high ranking members. The Cultural Revolution would end in 1979, just one year after Chairman Tsenpo’s death.

The post Cultural Revolution period saw the loosening of drug laws amid a wide ranging series of reforms, culminating in the Narcotics Scheduling and Control Act of 1981. At the same time in Norok, the Communist Party there seized upon the opportunity the Act had presented. Farming collectives could now legally sell their harvest directly to the state and granted many individuals amnesty in exchange for registering their crop. This was particularly valuable to the Kampo people of rural central-western Norok, to whom cultivation of the opium poppy was not only a primary source of income but a cherished cultural practice going back millennia. The province of Phnom Tukdaohko in southern Norok saw a particular boon to its tourism industry, already the most robust in the Union thanks to its coastal access, because of the sudden influx of cheap narcotics. The revenue brought in from drug tourists would go on to fund what would become the most robust drug rehabilitation program in the Union.

Though the Union has some of the most lax drug laws in the world, specifics vary from republic to republic. In Norok the use of opium, and all its derivatives, for recreational purposes is fully legal and can be bought freely in stores. Cultivation is similarly legal, with no limit on the number of plants an individual is allowed to own. Foreign tourists and those from the other republics are similarly free to purchase as much as they want. In the Zheng and Jhöe SPRs, however, recreational use is merely decriminalized, with possession of up to 100 milligrams of opium legal and personal cultivation limited to a single plant. The distribution or sale is strictly illegal as is transportation of opium over SPR lines. The Jheng SPR’s laws mirror Norok’s, except that it allows only up to eight plants.

Foreign tourists smoke an opium pipe in Norok (1986)

The widespread legalization of cultivation and recreational use has not been without its fair share of controversies. Though legalization coupled with the passage of new security laws drove organized crime, already reduced to a shadow of its former self by the Cultural Revolution, to practical extinction, small scale drug operations have been able to survive by partnering up with criminal organizations abroad. Most prominently, the Root has served as a major distributor of opium produced in the Union, carrying it as far as Sante Reze. Today, illegal opium production is on the general decline throughout the Union. Many factors have led to this, including falling addiction rates due to ubiquitous access to sterling drug rehabilitation programs, the rise of economic opportunity and living standards removing much of the impetus for trafficking, the rise in popularity of other drugs, and the strict persecution of organized crime. Official estimates put the total value of illegal opium trade at around 4 billion External Labor Credits, less than half of what it was just twenty years ago.

Legal production of opium in the Union totals about three hundred thousand tons per annum, of which approximately two thirds is used in the production of medicine such as morphine. Pharmaceutical manufacturing is a colossal industry in the Union and represents a sizable share of its exports, though opioids represent only a small share of this. Despite an overall decline in production over the years, the Union remains one of the leading figures in the opioid industry, neck in neck with other powerhouses such as Uluujol, Mutul, and Sante Reze. Despite the controversy surrounding the opium poppy, the All-Union government has showed little interest in further regulation, so it is unlikely that it will be going anywhere any time soon.

by **Onekawa-Nukanor** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:16 pm

Toru News Daily

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STORIED RELATIONSHIP EVEN STRONGER

27/09/20- Ariki Toa Onekawa made a grand entrance as he landed in Yerushalayim International Airport early Tuesday morning. Making the best of an gorgeous sunrise, Ariki Toa Onekawa and his diplomatic entourage cut striking sihlouette as they made his across the tarmac immaculate modern suits, whilst wearing venerable kiwi feather korowai cloak. His first significant solo international trip abroad, pundits have noted that Ariki Toa Onekawa three day visit is to be seen a sign of support for Yisrael, strengthening and affirming the long relation both these countries share.

Greeted by Foreign Minister Ariel Goldblatt and other significant dignitaries at the airport, a contingent of Yisraeli troops and a smaller additional party of senior members of the Onekawa-Nukanoa Parachute Rifles Brigade unit stationed for training purposes in Yisrael. Firm handshakes and friendly smiles were exchanged as the media cameras flashed to capture this significant moment in relations between the two states. A few minutes of small talk was exchanged before before both parties made their way to the reception at the Royal Palace.

Ariki Toa Onekawa meet with King Hezekiah III formally for the first time in the grand entrance of the Yisraeli Royal Palace. Flanked by Kings Minister Prince Michoel and Prince Yehuda, head of the Royal Special Political Police. This first meeting of these royal persons was clearly of the absolute importance not just to Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa but also to the Kingdom of Yisrael. This fact was highlighted by the presentation of a ponamu patu. A traditional Maori weapon carved from a solid piece of jade, it is a gift only given to those of exceptional importance and the number of such gifts offered by Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa to foreigners could be counted on a single hand.

A gift of enormous symbolism, the ponamu patu is given to only a handful of the most important foreigners

“A great day for Monarchism, and a great day for both of our storied nations” stated Ariki Toa Onekawa as he mingled with the high society of Yisrael. Whilst still a relatively young man at only 27, he seemed completely at home in a nation whose culture and religion are fundamentally different. Surrounded by veteran politicians and royalty, he had little trouble in the expensive yet tasteful surrounding. Shaking hands with President Yitzchok Katz, Ariki Toa Onekawa made unequivocally clear that “Yisrael has the full support of Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa” to the President and that it would “be willing to offer political, economic or even military help if asked”.

Such a strong message had made the positon of Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa obvious. Whilst this political position was clear, the economic and personal relationship was the focus of the second day of the trip. Travelling with Crown Prince Josiah, Ariki Toa Onekawa took a tour of the Ahuriri Aerospace production facility near Ashkelon. Guided by local Ahuriri Aerospace executives, both young men spoke with locals who worked the whole spectrum of roles in the construction of the R510 series. From humble fitters on up, the two heirs seemed to get along with each other but the employees at the facility as well. In a rear display of levity for usually quite dull affairs, a pictures exists on the phone of someone who works at the facility of the Ariki, Crown Prince and a young furnisher nearly bowled over in laughter.

Yet the following personal and social aspect of the day could be considered as important as the examination of the firm economic ties between each other. Moving into a smaller palace in the Judean mountains, in some ways people might see the rest of the activities as purely fluff. The development of interpersonal relationships is a key aspect in any monarchial relationship, and this was no different. Taking part in a range of recreational activities, the idlyic surroundings had both taking full advantage to enjoy a mix of hiking, rock climbing and other “typical young man adventurism” as one aide described it. As the sun dipped behind the mountains, it seems clear that not only is the relationship between Onekawa-Nukanoa and Yisrael strong now, but will be strong for many decades to come.

Relaxed royalty laying the foundation for cooperation for years to come.

The tour of the Roth Group Headquaters on the final day was not just a showcase of a single Yisraeli corporation, but also the showing off of one of the worlds largest corporations. From shipyards to smartphones, the Roth Group has a finger in seemingly ever industry that has the possibility to make money. A marvel of modern architecture, Ariki Toa Onekawa was guided by Chairman, CEO and President Michael Roth. “The Roth Group is an excellent example of how Onekawa-Nukanoa benefits greatly from our relationship with Yisrael”.

The final event of the trip, a gala held at the Onekawan embassy. Meeting with local Maori members of the community as well as more of high Yisraeli society. Continuing to reaffirm the relationship whilst dining on the kosher outlay provided by some of the most highly regarded Yisraeli chefs, no expense was spared to ensure the trip would end on a high note. Smiles and positivity was free flowing as everyone wound down and it was clear that the goals of the two nations were still very much in alignment.

by **Onekawa-Nukanor** » Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:43 am

Toru News Daily

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ONEKAWA-NUKANOA IN THE PERICLEAN

15/10/20- Ties between Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa and the Kingdom of Yisrael have strengthed in recent months. Statements of support from Maori Kingi Toa III Onekawa following the succession of King Hezekiah III and his Royalist Counterrevolution were quickly forthcoming, and the visit a mere few weeks ago by Ariki Tama Onekawa to Yisrael was seen as a grand success, showcasing the Onekawan commitment to Yisrael and deepening an decades old relationship between the two monarchies.

Defence Minister John Ahia demonstrated the new closeness during a press release earlier this morning, in which it was announced that “the Royal Onekawa-Nukanoa Defence Force presence in the Kingdom of Yisrael will significant increase in size and capability”. Whilst personnel from the elite Royal Onekawa-Nukanoa Parachute Rifle Brigade had a small permanent presence to facilitate training in arid environments (frequently known as the dreaded “Sand School” by Onekawan soldiers) this will now be significantly expanded. Originally ranging from a platoon-company level formation depending on training requirements, Minister Ahia had stated that it would expand to an entire RONPRB Regiment and associated supporting Air Force assets.

A Royal Parachute Rifle Regiment is one of the two primary possible rapid reaction forces in possession of the RONDF, the other being their Marine Rifle Regiment counterpart in the Royal Onekawa-Nukanoa Marine Rifle Brigade. This expansion of forces would see more then 3,000 Onekawan military personnel to be permanently stationed at Joint Base Hazeva in southeast Yisrael, near the border with the Messidor Union.

Composed of “significant infantry, artillery, air defence, rotary and armour assets to form a total self-contained rapid reaction strike force able to respond to any fast developing events in the region, this permanent stationing of such a force showcases the Onekawan commitment to Periclean stability and ensuring that the interests of Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa as well as its friends and allies are maintained”. It has been noted that the recent events in Gran Aligonia amongst others have caused potential concerns for Onekawan economic activity in the region, a significant amount which passes from the Ozeros and into the Periclean on its way to Belisarian and Scipian markets.

This statement was mirrored by leaders in the Kingdom of Yisrael. Foreign Minister Ariel Goldblatt when questioned about the recent development later in the day stated "Given the emerging threats and challenges in the Periclean and beyond, Yisrael stands strong with our ally Onekawa to protect our traditional ways of life. We welcome this deterrence force."

President Yitzchok Katz was less diplomatic in his response to similar questions. "With monarchies and capitalist countries under daily assault by dark forces at the edge of our borders, this Onekawan brigade is gladly received. We expect that those who are looking to sow chaos in the western monarchies will pause and take note. Allies beget allies, strength begets strength. Wherever those seek to impose inhumane and tyrannical socialist philosophies, we stand ready to defend and advance G-d-given truth and justice."

The yet to be disclosed unit has already begun initially preparations for being stationed to the other side of the world, and that personnel would from this evening starting packing up their things and begin the transition overseas. Senior military leaders have been reported to have visited Yisrael in the last couple of weeks, meeting with their Yisraeli counterparts in the lead up to the deployment. Significant funds have also been made available according to Minister Ahia for the expansion of facilities necessary for the basing of the new Onekawan personnel.

International pundits have still seen the stationing of an Onekawan military unit near the border of an increasingly hostile leftist state as a significant escalation of the current situation between the Messidor Union and Yisrael. As the Periclean and the wider global geopolitical climate becomes increasingly stratified, this can be seen only as an continuation of that trend.

by **Mont-Saint-Cyr** » Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:45 am

15 October, 2020
4 24, 189

ONEKAWAN REINFORCEMENTS IN YISRAEL, SABRES RATTLED AGAIN

Tariq Zaidi, Senior World News Editor

News of the reinforcements to Joint Base Hazeva were officially announced early today by Toru News Daily. The act of hosting troops near the border with Amara Akal is just the latest in a series of provocative moves undertaken by the Yisraeli government after dictatorial monarch Hezekiah III made a vicious grab for power last year (according to the Messidorian calendar). The Messidor Union, for its part, has continued to attempt to deescalate tensions in the Periclean, having completed the withdrawal from its leased base on Gran Aligonia at the end of the summer. As such, the potential staging of Onekawan troops and the incendiary statements of President Katz, citing imaginary "daily assault by dark forces at the edge of our borders", all point to a gloomy future. The news this morning has led to a panic within the Union, particularly in Aɣmatia where there were reports of migrations of civilian populations out of Wahiddin and Ljntnzzit away from the Yisraeli border.

Director of Defence Tiska Housain issued a statement this morning. The swiftness of the responseh has led to speculation that the President's Cabinet was aware of the troop movements prior to the official announcement and anonymous reports from members of the Messidorian Armed Forces claim that several forces were placed on standby for mobilization. The Director's statement declared that Messidorian soldiers would reinforce the border between the Messidor Union and Yisrael and severe sanctions have been emplaced on Onekawa-Nukanoa pending the cancellation of the deployment or withdrawal of the troops should it go through. The Director called on the international community to sanction Onekawa-Nukanoa as well as Yisrael. Housain also made assurances that armed conflict was not likely and that civilians should be safe to return to the region despite the military presence. However, she warned that any further escalation on the part of Yisrael or its allies would be cause for immense concern.

Messidorian Army Corps troops stationed in Amara Akal last spring - the soldiers preferred not being identified

As of noon today, La Gazette can confirm that the 1st Cavalry Brigade and several elements from the 3rd Infantry Brigade which were stationed in Gran Aligonia are in transit to Amara Akal. Elements of the Messidorian Army Corps in Merovia have also been placed on standby as are the Air Reserve Squadrons of the Air Corps.

by **Enyama** » Thu Oct 15, 2020 4:46 pm

"I'm not worried." Montecalvo surges as protest anniversary approaches

Artús Montecalvo sat down for an extended podcast with XXA's On It Now podcast, detailing his plan for the archipelago. 2020/10/15

VILLA ROMERA, Gran Aligonia — The formerly-chaotic streets of the Archipelago have grown exceedingly quiet in recent months, largely in part to the erosion or apprehension of the former followers of Archbishop Hugo Marin, who reached global headlines earlier in the year after his organization, MandeDeus, claimed responsibility for the infamous attack on the Latin military base in Sidora. That isn't to say that all of the islands' chaotic energy has abated. The upcoming election, the first of its kind in Gran Aligonia under the January Constitution, has continously caused a tumultuous and often polarized discourse as to what the fate of the nation shall be. Interim Chancellor Leuter Sion, despite riding high in his initial dealings with Feldman's Yisrael, caught increasingly large amounts of flak from within the nation after controversial treatment of foriegn nationals caused heavy economic sanctions from Yisrael, formerly one of Gran Aligonia's largest trading partners. The nation's subsequent militarization of the Xendarmeria and creation of the Coastal Defense following an arms deal with the North Ottonian government seemed to indicate to many that the former Principality was ready and willing to flirt with the Kiso Pact, however, things aren't always as they seem.

Enter Artús Montecalvo. A perfect representation of the archipelago's 'new money', Montecalvo came to relevancy in the 1990s as one of the chief designers at Vetricolor Interactive, serving as a pioneer in programming both the then-infant art of video games, as well as more practical applications: the Oasis operating system, chiefly marketed and designed by Montecalvo, established Gran Aligonia as a potential technological power in the Periclean in the 1990s, heralding a shift away from the nobility-enforced tourism-and-casino industry that most in the world had come to know the island nation for. Now long since severed from his former company, Montecalvo has turned to politics after spending a decade as a prominent venture capitalist, with his LNR (League for National Reform) party attracting many in the middle and upper classes dissatisfied by Gran Aligonia's newfound isolation in the Periclean and subsequent economic downturn.

Montecalvo has big plans, too, though he himself admits he had struggled to codify and properly spread his message in the wake of the early stages of the Gran Aligonia crisis, when the AAFT's anti-capitalist discourse held an almost-monopoly on public opinion. But, with Marin souring the discourse, and proving Montecalvo's assertion that such 'extremist dogwhistles' from Sion could lead to trouble, his party has surged in many of the cities, leaving him in a tepid alliance with prominent former noblemen such as the Del Villar family. Already leading Sion by six points in August, Montecalvo doubled his lead earlier this month as tensions in the Periclean appear to continue to rise. In a recent and viral podcast, Montecalvo sat down with staff from XXA to discuss his plans in an hours-long discussion. Topics ranged from the legacy of the Most Magnificent Republic of centuries past, to more immediate concerns to the 'stability' of Gran Aligonia, including, as Montecalvo put it "opportunism from all sides". At a particularly energetic point in the discussion, Montecalvo condemned the slowness of the Messidor Union's withdrawal from it's base at Porta Mobria, and raised concern over Catalia Abellán's increasingly vocal stance on the restoration of the Monarchy.

"I offer a middle ground, and I think that appeals to a lot of people," noted Montecalvo, "Sion, despite his continued assertions that he's a 'classical liberal', has proven that he is willing to place our nation in jeapordy in order to score political points on a former ally, and eschew our greatest allies for some that are substantially more distant, and more ideologically confused. The situation is complicated, that is true...but I believe the people do not want more instability. This is a time for rebuilding, restructuring, and reimagining. The time for Gran Aligonia to end its place as a quaint tourist destination for the world's hyper-rich is over, despite what our esteemed former Prince's family may say. Gran Aligonia can be an economic power. Gran Aligonia can be a leader in technology, and in energy. But we can't get very far down that road by brutalizing Yisraeli people in the street, and we can't get there by sticking our fingers in our ears and going 'lalalalala'."

Montecalvo did, however, offer tepid praise for Sion for attempting to patch up relations with Latium in the aftermath of the Sidora base attack. "It's a start, but it's a reluctant one from him. To the Western Monarchies, it must be like dating someone with attachment issues." That last statement elicited a controverisal storm on Gran Aligonia's social media, with many influencers calling for Montecalvo to retract his statement over the course of the last day. Nevertheless, Montecalvo reiterated his stance in a speech today, speaking to a crowd of over 40,000:

"...and about the left? I'm not worried. What an ignorant thing to do, to stray so far to one end and blast me for a simple metaphor, to sow division when the solution is obvious, and it's cooperation with those who would cooperate. It's been a year since our protests, people! Almost a year! Are you satisfied?"

The crowd didn't hesitate; a unanimous cry of 'NO!' made their verdict clear.

"What use did the militarization of the Xendarmes have? It certainly made us seem antagonistic, did it not? Yet, how useful are these troops, really, for all their valiant service, in the event of a foriegn invasion from whichever direction? We cannot stand alone in a playground of superpowers; we aren't soldiers by nature, we're innovators by nature. Artists, entrepreneurs, financeers, investors. At our height, they were welcome here, and that was our strength. Not brute force."

Montecalvo also reached out to the Catholic population of the archipelago in his speech, apologizing for Marin's 'abhorrent disrespect' of tradition, and blasting Sion for being "reluctant to even engage with our centuries-old Fabrian legacy". "The Gran Aligonia I offer you is not the one he represented. We are a moral people, not a vicious one."

Xendarmes continue to patrol the streets, which have become increasingly empty as the AAFT coalition has lost its momentum. 2020/09/26; Courtesy of Robolro

Despite facing several scandals of his own, including accusations of being a "foreign puppet in disguise" by Catalia Abellán, and having his campaign finances called into question after a FIGA agent was found murdered near one of his offices, nobody can deny that Montecalvo's message is hitting hard in the polls, and it remains popular among the economically-powerful former nobility as well, who remain generally outraged after having over Ƒ2 trillion of assets repossessed by the government in March. Montecalvo's polling numbers have also inspired confidence in the stock market, with the Florin finally reaching stability after fluctuating constantly during Sion's diplomatic spat with the Western Monarchies and subsequent sanctions crisis.

The AAFT, however, remains fragmented between far- and center-left, with Sion's coalition becoming substantially rockier in recent months; many, including popular Populist Councillor Montaña Elgoria accusing Sion of "bowing to Latium at the first sign of trouble". Even Illiomarius Segarra, Director-General of the Xendarmeria for over sixteen years, has noted that his "confidence in orders from above has reached an all-time low" following the controversial harrasment scandal.

Montecalvo concluded his speech with a chant, aimed rather pointedly at Interim Chancellor Sion: "Actions Speak Louder Than Words." The words still echo through Villa Romera's streets now. If Sion is to recover his lead, he will have to "perform several miracles", as one election overseer claimed last week in a viral statement.

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by **Lacus Magni** » Sat Oct 17, 2020 5:48 pm

Latium| International | Local | Sport | Faith | Economy | Culture | Science | Opinion
Officials Urge Calm, Emperor Speaks to Involved Leaders
Palatine, Castellum ab Alba
By: John Afinius (@RAL)

Castellum: News of the recent escalation between Scipian neighbors Yisrael and the Messidor Union has marked the end of a relatively calm summer. The escalation comes off the heels of the recent deployment of nearly 3,000 Onekawan military personnel to a permanent joint military base near the Messidorian-Yisraeli border. Latin officials confirmed that they were given notice of the Onekawan movements once the joint decision was made. Some international pundits have claimed the move is purely a preemptive deterrence due to the tense last few months, while others attack the move as provocative and disruptive in what has otherwise been a summer near without issue. Regardless, Messidorian officials have urged members of the international community to join in issuing harsh economic sanctions against Onekawa and Yisrael, in addition to their own military buildup in the border region.

Master of Offices Florian Claudius was the first official from within the Palace of Augustus to comment on the story, stating that the Emperor has been briefed on “gross overreaction today.” He declined to comment when asked to clarify his comments, and whether he referred to the initial Onekawan-Yisraeli movements or the Messidorian reaction. However, staff from within the Correspondence and Arrangement Bureau indicate that Claudius only meant the situation in its entirety, and no specific incident within the last 24 hours.

Count of Arrangement Theodotus Pola told members of the media that the Emperor has personally reached out to the leaders of all three countries involved, speaking briefly to Yisraeli King Hezekiah III and President Katz, Onekawan King Tama III, and Union President Saverne. The Emperor’s remarks have not been released. Palace insiders indicate that he has asked for the situation to stall and for all parties to remain calm. While there have been brief reports that Latin military personnel in Ascalzar have been placed on heightened alert. Additionally, the Palace has announced that the Emperor has been in contact with Empress Stella II of Lihnidos and leadership of both nations are in constant contact regarding the ever developing situation.

Regarding sanctions, Count of the Sacred Largesses Diana Lupeia, joined by Foreign Bureau chief Flavius Aemelius, Duke of Narona, has called on the Messidor Union to promptly remove the recent economic sanctions. The Duke of Narona has stated that further sanctions will not be tolerated. In addition, Consul Alexander Pompilius spoke briefly upon leaving the Senate today, stating that he had “no plans to schedule a vote” with regard to sanctions against any nation involved. Reportedly, naval and legionary personnel based in Ascalzar have been placed on a heightened level of alert, but as of yet there has been no confirmation from the War Bureau. Officials throughout Latium have repeatedly called for all parties to de-escalate the situation.

However, not all have been in agreement. Senate Minority Leader and Leader of the Alius faction, Felix Proculius has continued with his harsh line of talk. “Now, let’s think about the situation and if it were reversed. If, let’s say, North Ottonia or the Messidorians placed 3000 soldiers on the Latin-Gelonian border, I think we would all have a different option here,” Procilius posted on social media. In a follow up, “I know, for certain as a proud former member of the Legions, that we would be gearing up right now.” Fellow Senate Minority Leader and Leader of the Progressive faction, Flavia Lepera, called the comments inflammatory, which Procilius in turn accused Lepera and Consul Pompilius of being “hypocrites of the highest order.”

RAL will continue to provide updates as this story develops

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© 2020 RAL, Conlegium Corona

by **Belfras** » Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:21 am

By Petrus Glabrio, Domestic Correspondent.
^19/OCT/2020

YERUSHALAYIM, YISRAEL — Tensions have been rising in Yisrael in recent days as the deployment of 3,000 Onekawan troops has been called a provocation by the Messidoran Union. The troops, which have been stationed at a joint operating base near the Yisraeli/Messidoran border, have caused panic within the Messidoran government, which has announced the relocation of military assets to the border. The Yisraeli and Onekawan government, while giving statements that verge on incendiary, have dismissed Messidoran claims that the move has been a provocation while the Messidoran Union has begun issuing sanctions against the two nations.

In regards to the agreement for the Yisraeli military to house the Oneakwan troops, President Yitzchok Katz was quoted as saying "With monarchies and capitalist countries under daily assault by dark forces at the edge of our borders, this Onekawan brigade is gladly received. We expect that those who are looking to sow chaos in the western monarchies will pause and take note. Allies beget allies, strength begets strength. Wherever those seek to impose inhumane and tyrannical socialist philosophies, we stand ready to defend and advance G-d-given truth and justice.".

The arrival of Onekawan forces in Yisrael, and comments by President Katz in particular, was met with escalation by the Messidoran Union, with Director of Defence Tiska Housain warning Yisrael and Onekawa against any further provocations whilst moving military assets toward the shared Messidoran/Yisraeli border, near which the 3,000-strong Onekawan force is being stationed. The reaction by Messidor has been largely disregarded by Yisrael, but other nations - such as Latium - urging for calm whilst others have been in vocal support for either side.

In response to actions by the Messidoran Union creating sanctions against Yisrael and Onekawa, the Foreign Office has announced that it will not be joining any sanctions issued and will be strongly contesting any created, with Minister Gnaeus Lupicinus stating that "Federation business will be ready to fill any space created by these sanctions and we are facilitating talks with sectors of Yisraeli and Onekawan business that may be affected. If Messidor wants to lose out on business, we are eager to put our foot in the door to create jobs for Federation citizens."

The press corps for the Military Council - the chief administrative body for the Armed Forces - confirmed to reporters that soldiers from the twenty-third legion were not stationed at Joint Base Hazeva, where the Onekawan forces have been deployed to. It was further confirmed that training exercises, including an mock assault on a training target, have been cancelled in light of recent tensions. The twenty-third Legion, a part of the fifty-fourth airborne division and based at Fort Kankrattos, Aunogostos, deployed a battalion to Yisrael in mid-2019 for extended partnership training and cooperation exercises with their Yisraeli counterparts.

Major General Robertus Luzi, the commanding officer for the division, defended the decision to stand down the battalion:

"The actions that was agreed between myself and the Military Council was based on sound judgement based on the data and facts available to us at this moment in time. The Federation has made a declaration that it is not a part of the mounting tension, and the deployment of second battalion to Yisrael in 2019 was undertaken following communication with the Messidoran Union and, again, after a meeting with the Messidoran ambassador to Thessalona we decided to conduct two actions - The first will be to stand down the Battalion from any further training for the foreseeable future and the second will be the consideration of tensions over the next few weeks as to whether or not we shall recall the battalion ahead of it's scheduled december withdrawal. First battalion is due to replace the second in Yisrael in 2021, if tensions remain high at that point we may reconsider the decision to continue our commitment of basing personnel in Yisrael for partnership exercises. We have already spoken to our Yisraeli counterparts and have come up with a number of areas within the Federation that may be a suitable replacement for next years exercises."

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by **Onekawa-Nukanor** » Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:37 pm

Toru News Daily

| National | International | Sport | Weather | Politics | Entertainment | Science & Technology| Economy |

TENSIONS ESCALATE AS ONEKAWA-NUKANOA REFUSES TO BACK DOWN

[box]24/10/20- As officials, leaders and politicians make comments of either support or derision across the globe, Foreign Minister Ahira held a press conference that would address questions and concerns in regards to the event. The position expressed by Minister Amara was clear and straightforward.

“As my counterparts around the world have expressed, Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa calls for calm. There is no threat of armed conflict, either real or implied, by either Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa or the Kingdom of Yisrael. Accusations to the contrary have no basis in reality and it would be in the best interest of all those involved to simply acknowledge the situation and move on.

Sanctions by the Messidor Union against Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa are, however, a deliberate assault on our economic interests. Whilst the practical impact will be minor to insignificant, its actioning and more damning the call to other states across the world to participate is a dire example of intentional and deliberate targeted hostility. Not only does this paint the Messidor Union as a rash actor willing to throw away a strained if improving situation in the Periclean, but overtly makes clear that the Messidor Union is not just not a friend to Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa, but distinctly an threat. Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa will not stand by and be so publically insulted on the global stage. It demands not just retraction but also an apology from the Messidor Union, as well as compensation as the result of these foolish economic sanctions.”

When asked whether or not the deployment was poorly timed or location poorly selected, Minister Amara was quick to respond. “The security interests of Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa and Yisrael are our own, just as is expected from sovereign states. As the Messidor Union is able to make security arrangements that best suit, there is no different for us. There hasn't any change whatsoever in the deployment, and it will go ahead as planned”

Māori Kīngi Tama III Onekawa confirmed that he has had discussions with his counterparts in Yisrael and Latin when questioned by the media, but made no statement as to what those conversations had entailed. “A completely mismanagement by those in the Union”, “a significantly out of proportion reaction” and “A clear lack of understanding by Director Housain by the purpose of a rapid reaction force. They respond to threats, they don't invent them” where some of the choicer statements made before directing further questions be directed at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Onekawan troops on exercise in Yisrael

Whilst the direction of conversation globally is towards peace and stability, international pundits and commentators have already noted that actions might be distinctly separate from words spoken. Although early days yet, a report has come from the Ministry of War of an training exercise between the new arrivals from Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa and their counterparts in the Royal Yisraeli Defence Force.

Whilst training cooperation between the two was expected, there has been significant concern about the nature of the training exercise and how that might pertain to the long term consequences of the deployment in the region. A small wargaming exercise involving an Onekawan Royal Parachute Rifle platoon and an Yisraeli support platoon from the 2nd Desert Army in the “recapture of an occupied village by a near-peer hostile force”. Whilst the naming of the exercise might seem on the nose, satellite imagery shows that the layout and location of the small village is, according to military analysts, “strikingly similar to Taman Xatar, an Messidorian village and hill cropping in the still somewhat contentious Tinma Strip”. Some have suggested this is the exact sort of training one would wish to do before conducting some kind of military operation, whilst others have considered simply a good training exercise location that is representative of the multitude of such villages in the region.

Whilst no statement has yet been given from any official, it has been noted that this took place several hundred kilometers distance from Joint Base Hazea and thus significantly further from the Messidorian border. Whether to disguise secret preparations or to help ease a diplomatic solution without a retraction of the regiment is still to be seen.

by **Yisroel** » Sat Oct 24, 2020 8:43 pm

Trending Stories -- Onekawan Affair -- 'Royalist' Increasing Political Identifier Among Voters -- Kiso Pact Nations Expected To Back MU

In Emerging 'Onekawan Affair,' Bickering Erupts Across The Political Spectrum

_{Pictured: His Royal Majesty King Hezekiah III, inspecting the Royal Guard Corps on display this morning, with the Onekawan ambassador to Yisrael (not pictured) by his side.}

Leaked secretly taped comments by the King on the tensions with Messidor stir implied rebuke by President Katz, while left intensifies cries of 'warmongering' and 'constitutional crisis.'
^{October 25th, 2020| By Binyomin Eisenberger (beisenberg@ryd.org) | 10:08pm EDT}

YERUSHALAYIM, YISRAEL — The emerging tensions between Yisrael and Onekawa-Nukania and Yisrael's neighbor the Messidor Union has been coined the 'Onekawan Affair,' originating from a comment on the Latium-based, global social media platform Rad.io about "that growing affair with Onekawa," leading to a trending hashtag "#OnekawanAffair," which was subsequently picked up as a term by the political and media class.

As part of a decades-long military partnership and mutual security policy, the Onekawans increased a rapid-reaction force, mainly for training purposes, to be based at Joint Base Hazera in southeast Yisrael, near the Messidor border. The MU's government, inferring malice in President Katz's comments on the purpose of the Onekawan training regiment, took a series of warlike responses, including calling up border garrisons and slappng sanctions on Onekawa, with an international call for other nations to sanction Onekawa-Nukanoa as well as Yisrael for the security policy. President Katz flatly denied any hostile intent towards Messidor, with he and other senior government officials calling the MU's military and sanctions responses a "gross overreaction" and pledging to defeat any such sanctions against Yisrael or its Malaio ally.

Other prominent Periclean and global powers, including Latium and Belfras, have weighed in, echoing Katz's call for "calm and restraint" and similarly affirming there will be no sanctions forthcoming, as well as a Latin vow to defeat any such sanctions policy if others follow the MU's call.

Now, the Onekawan Affair has produced new internal political divisions inside Yisrael, as His Majesty and President Katz impliedly offer different approaches towards the crisis, while the political left says 'I told you so' as its political bloc continues to see a darker, illiberal future under King Hezekiah's empowered rule.

Secret tape: King Hezekiah allegedly calls for aggressive approach to Messidor, citing C-in-C powers

In a widely-shared news article that was published last night after Shabbos in the online edition of the liberal, Chiloni newspaper HaMaariv, an audio clip purporting to be of His Majesty speaking to an assembly of royalists in one of the Royal Palace's banquet halls a couple days ago was linked and transcribed.

According to the HaMaariv article, in the clip His Majesty says in response to the current tensions with the MU: "I'm not concerned," he said softly, replying to a question from the assembly, gesturing to his brother, King's Minister Prince Michoel and saying, "Our military is in excellent condition [static] ...best in decades. As you know, since I reclaimed the commander-in-chief powers taken from my grandfather - [break in speech due to applause from audience] I can [inaudible]...assert ourselves. These vulgar republicans don't [inaudible] ...their place. [more applause]."

The Royal Palace declined to comment when inquired. However, President Katz, the chief policymaker on foreign affairs, implicitly rebuked His Majesty without naming him, saying this morning during a speech to yeshiva students at his own yeshiva where he learned as a young man, the Mir, that "the President of Yisrael decides the foreign policy of our Kingdom. His Majesty is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but it is the President and his Cabinet who decide how the Defense Forces are to be utilized as an instrument of state policy. I have said since the [Messidor] Union government's overreaction: I urge and want calm and peace. There will be no outbreak of war or conflict, and as I appreciated other leaders, such as Latium's Emperor Constantine have said, we want peace to prevail and urge restraint by all sides."

In the same speech during the question-and-answer period at the end, one student inquired about the war-games by a small Onekawan unit supported by a Yisrael squad assaulting a mock village with very high similarities to a village across the border in Messidor conducted on Friday, Katz dismissed criticism of the exercises. "These were long-scheduled military drills, taking place well into Yisrael - far away from the border - consisting of less than forty soldiers. People need to calm down and stop seeing escalation everywhere they look."

Left Pounces On MU-Yisraeli Tensions As "Proof" of "Warmonging" By Royal, Elected Leaders

Prominent leaders in the Left Bloc, many former officials from the Con-Lib administration of Eitan Herzog (2004-2012), have continued to argue, in increasingly radical and fearful terms, their view that Yisrael has strayed from its constitutional path and that His Majesty's Royal Counterrevolution policy is both "illegitimate" and a "long-running constitutional crisis."

Isaac Werner, a left-leaning constitutional scholar at the King Solomon School of Law and frequent critic of the Crown under Hezekiah, blasted the leaked audio clip and its contents, saying, "This King knows no bounds. He is out of control. He seized power by taking back control of the army, and he's basically threatening to circumvent [President] Katz and unleash the military against the [Messidor Union], who is the innocent party here. What else did Katz expect? The Messidorians would lay down and roll over as the soldiers from an absolute monarchy state halfway around the world marches to the border and actively games out how to invade the Timna Strip? You got to be kidding me."

He added: "Katz enables him. The Conservatives and the royalists, despite any internal fighting, are one, united warmongering clique. Our country is fighting for its soul right now, either we turn back and stay a democracy, even with a monarch, or we continue to head back to a time like we were [before the Revolution of] 1919, where the king is absolute and we are live as subjects. For seventy years we were heading towards progress. Now, every advance we made to be a liberal, modern country is imperiled."

Another Left Bloc-aligned political pundit, Mary Nessen, a Yisraeli Christian professor who focuses on Belisarian politics at King David University, posted on Rad.io today, using a diminutive of His Majesty's name: "#OnekawanAffair #WarHawks #StopTheComingWar Hezzy just showed his true colors. #NoWarWithTheMU I wish Katz & Knesset would show some backbone to this man. Stop the chaos! Yisrael does NOT want war!" Nessen has frequented advocated a dovish, liberal perspective and is critical of the ruling hawkish Neoconservatives.

Noah Abramowitz, a former Deputy Foreign Minister for Scipian Affairs under Herzog, argued that "the Royalist Counterrevolution is a months-long constitutional crisis. Katz can ignore it, the Sanhedrin can ignore it, but the King basically took war powers and nullified a needed law to separate powers after the fall of the Autocracy dictatorship. Not only does this king take these military command powers back into his hand, he's an admitted far-right hawk who would airstrike any country where a person might say a critical thing about his rule.

I'm glad Katz [said something] about his powers as president, because I think [King] Hezekiah [III] does thinks he's absolute ruler now. This Reactionary Regime is hellbent on going to war with Messidor because the Messidorians called them out on their threat. I hope voters wake up and vote out the Conservatives at the next midterm so someone will stand up to this extremist [K]ing. Our Constitution's at serious risk of being overthrown by right-wing royalist forces."

AUTHOR'S UPDATE (8:17pm): Issac Werner and Noah Abramowitz (quoted above), along with several other noted critics of the Crown, have been declared "missing." An anonymously-authored post on the left-wing newspaper Oved Yehidi HaBavli alleges that family members and neighbors to Werner's residence witnessed heavily-armored men in green military fatgues storming the home and seizing Werner, throwing him in a van and driving off. The unnamed author accuses the YeMep of conducting this raid.

AUTHOR'S UPDATE (10:08pm): The Royal Special Political Police released a statement denying involvement with Werner or the other Crown critics' disappearance: "The Special Political Police only execute lawful warrants signed by Chief Inspector Prince Yehuda and authorized by a judge on the Royal Yisraeli Special Court on Political Crimes and Corruption. Having reviewed our records, no such warrants were issued or signed for anyone named in media reports. It is our understanding local police are investigating these as "missing persons" cases. We have no further comment."

This is a developing story.

Binyomin Eisenberger reported from Yerushalayim, Yisrael. None of these organizations are associated with the RYD, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the RYD or their employees.

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by **Lacus Magni** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 11:23 am

Latium | International | Local | Sport | Faith | Economy | Culture | Science | Opinion
Ambassadors summoned to Palace; Foreign Bureau issues remarks
Palatine, Castellum ab Alba
By: John Afinius (@RAL)

Castellum: Late last night, reports indicated that Ambassadors from Yisrael and Onekawa were summoned to the Palatine by the Foreign Bureau, at the direction of the Emperor. This meeting comes off the heels of a tense 24 hours, which featured a leaked tape from within the Yisraeli Royal Household and a joint Yisraeli-Onekawan military exercise in southeastern Yisrael, featuring a village, “strikingly similar to Taman Xatar,” a Messidorian village in the border region. Officials from within the palace or the Foreign Bureau have remained hush on the exact nature of the summons; however, the Correspondence Bureau has confirmed that the meeting did take place.

Anonymous sources from within the palace have informed RAL that the tone of the meeting was “harsh” and “unpleasant,” noting that the Emperor is deeply frustrated by the actions of the last 24 hours. Officials from within the Foreign Bureau likewise, continue to remain mostly silent regarding the Emperor’s meeting with Yisraeli and Onekawan ambassadors. However, one official from within the Bureau indicated that if the Onekawans intend to enter the Periclean, “I hope they’re prepared to take the long route.” When asked to elaborate, the official simply stated that “[s]afety and security of the Periclean Sea is of chief importance to the Empire, especially in times as fragile as these. The Empire is considering many potential actions to maintain those interests.”

RAL Chief Political Consultant Marius Acutius has so far reported that “comments from Yisraeli officials such as President Katz and Foreign Minister Goldblatt have managed to prevent the situation from spiralling absolutely out of control. But the feeling from within the Palatine is likely to remain tense. This issue, however, is that figures like Katz and Goldblatt appear to be increasingly sidelined by the Yisraeli King.”

Acutius also indicated that there may be a lack of trust moving forward due to the events of the last few days. “I think that is very clear based on the ambassadorial summons and comments regarding non-passage through the Alcaean Straits. So that will be a key focus over the next few days,” he added. However, it is not expected that there will be any firm, official statements one way or the other from the Emperor, or senior officials at this time, but has made it clear that Latium is working quickly with its allies right now.

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Plans for a Belfrasian state visit to Latium announced. [ 23817 ]
Senate Minority Leader Procilius rebukes Yisrael, warns the Accords will be targeted next. [ 19824 ]
Greater military activity expected near the Alcaean Straits, and western entrance of Periclean Sea near the Liparan Islands. [ 14120 ]
Six of nine Vardanan directors issue support for Messidor. [ 13951 ]
Liga Magna season openers out-perform Liga Premier ratings for first time in history. [ 12851 ]

© 2020 RAL, Conlegium Corona

by **Yisroel** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:27 pm

Trending Stories -- Onekawan Affair -- Crown Critic Disappearances -- King Affirms 1920 Constitution, Separation of Powers

Viewed Skeptically As An "About Face," King Hezekiah III Addresses Concerns About Onekawan Affair, Other Events In Wide-Ranging Press Conference

_{Pictured: His Royal Majesty King Hezekiah III and President Yitzchok Katz sitting together before the start of the King's wide-ranging press conference.}

In a win for Crown critics and international observers, His Majesty directly affirms importance of the 1920 Constitution, the separation in powers between the monarch and president, calls for calm regarding Messidor tensions, and fiercely denies in strident terms the accusation the YeMep 'disappeared' critics.
^{October 26th, 2020| By Binyomin Eisenberger (beisenberg@ryd.org) | 11:48am EDT}

YERUSHALAYIM, YISRAEL — Following last night's stunning back-to-back accusations that the King would use military force unilaterally against the Messidor Union or that his Royal Special Political Police, the YeMep, kidnapped prominent critics of the Crown just hours after they were quoted denouncing him in highly personal terms in the media, His Royal Majesty King Hezekiah III spoke directly to the public through an in an unusual medium for a monarch: a press conference. By his side was President Katz, who had clearly but without naming him rebuked the King's purported comments caught on tape which gave the appearance of the monarch mulling to act unilaterally in a possible military situation with Messidor. Also flanking him was his middle brother, key Counterrevolution architect, and King's Minister Prince Michoel, the savvy political strategist respected in foreign capitals.

King: 1920 Constitution is 'Law of the Land' And Separation of Powers 'Just And Proper'

The King was asked by Boaz Evers of the International Financial Insider about his view of the 1920 Constitution, the monarch firmly and without hesitation responded: "The Royal Constitutions is the law of the land. It correctly places our holy Torah and laws at its centerpiece, so of course it is not only justified, but it is clearly Hashem's [G-d's] Will that it exists and be in effect over our country."

Moving on, Tal Ofir of the Dispatch inquired of His Majesty regarding the separation of powers between the monarch and the president in terms of executive authority. Gesturing magnanimously towards Katz, Hezekiah replied, "President Katz spoke well yesterday [at the Mir]. Our Constitution's separation of powers between the state's executive branch are just and proper. I am commander-in-chief, and empowered to act if we are attacked or in emergencies, but it is the President, as chief executive and chief diplomat and his Cabinet who decide military policy." Katz, thin-lipped through the conference so far, quirked a upward lip and nodded approvingly.

Unprompted, the King said offhandedly, "I have no plans to subvert the Constitution or our constitutional system. Our elected government is simply that; it is not my place to interfere in electoral politics by attempting to change the current structure of executive powers between my throne and the presidency."

On Messidor, His Majesty Backs Up Katz's, International Leaders' Call For 'Calm'

Queried on the nature and authenticity of the leaked secret tape reported last evening, Hezekiah acknowledged that the assembly of royalists occurred but disputed the meaning of his admittedly oft-inaudible or static-disrupted remarks as caught by the tape.

"I did, in fact, address a room of dedicated supporters of the Royal Household," His Majesty began solemnly. "I was asked about the current tensions with the republican regime in Messidor - remember, their media and officials have maliciously slandered me and my lawful Royalist Counterrevolution policy repeatedly - and so I responded, if Messidor strikes us militarily, our forces are well-versed to defend ourselves. I remarked on how the MU's ideology is corrupt and they have little room to continue aggression towards Yisrael."

Asked a follow-up about allegations he was suggesting he would act unilaterally to strike Messidor, the monarch laughed and waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be ridiculous. It is the President's call to do so in such a situation," to which Katz's smile broadened.

"Furthermore," Hezekiah continued, sighing tiredly, "Despite the deep and mutual antagonism between Messidor and the Royal Household, I do not wish them harm nor do I wish for war. I join President Katz, his Cabinet ministers, and world leaders such as [Latin] Emperor Constantine and [Belfrasian] Foreign Minister Gnaeus Lupicinus in urging continued peace, calm, and restraint. Despite the [Messidor] Union's incredible, and frankly hypocritical, disproportionate response to these events, we have been at peace for close to seventy years and we fervently hope, G-d Willing, it remains so."

Hezekiah Denounces Political Opposition For 'Hysteria-Filled Partisanship' In Accusing Him Of 'Heinous Crime' Of Kidnapping Critics

At his most emotional and passionate, the King stridently denied when asked about allegations that the Royal Special Political Police, an independent royal security agency that answers solely to the monarch, were responsible for the disappearance, in at least one case by armed men of an unknown origin, of several prominent critics of the Crown, who had hours earlier criticized the King in harsh and strong terms in news articles.

"Absolutely not would I ever do such a thing," Hezekiah lashed out, tone angry. "It never ceases to amaze me the ludicrousness of my critics, who wrongly stood by an unconstitutional law and now continually attack me for restoring our monarchy's proper dignity - something they and their partisan forefathers sought to undermine and destroy!" Pointing a finger, the king followed up: "Neither the YeMep, nor myself, took any actions against these individuals. I thoroughly and category denounce the hysteria-filled partisanship that led to these so-called allegations. Ever Yisraeli and every Yid [Jew] is sacred to my heart - how else could I be their representative? Kidnapping a person is a horrible, horrible aveirah [sin], I would never stoop to such a level or order such a heinous crime. It disgusts me my critics repeatedly assume some malice about me. Such bad middos [character traits] are simply not there. I disagree them - strongly - but we live in a civilized, Torah-centered Jewish society. We do not kill our opponents or kidnap them. Enough of this non-sense."

Crown Critics: Tepid Response To King's Rebuttals, With Some Believing Him And Others Continue To Have Their Doubts

In reaction to the King's press conference, which to many seemed to present a mea culpa for more aggressive or hawkish actions taken earlier in the Counterrevolution, many critics remained unconvinced, though some were moved by Hezekiah's apparent sincerity.

In a rare statement from his political retirement, former President Eitan Herzog, the last left-leaning and Constitutional Liberal Party president (2004-2012), responded to the King's comments, saying: "I believe His Majesty is sincere. I dealt with him while he was Crown Prince, and while I strongly disapprove of many actions he's taken as king, I think he is a good, pious man full of yiras Shamayim [fear of Heaven] and I don't believe he is capable of the crimes lodged against him by my political compatriots. We as Jews must give others the benefit of the doubt - the King has it from me."

Said Putiel Abergel, a very liberal Con-Lib Member of Knesset (MK) from the Central District, posted on Rad.io: "#KingRelents #StopTheComingWar I don't know how I feel. Hezzy seemed sincere, but other times he seems like a crazy far right-winger!!! Will see how things go. I'll reserve judgement [sic] for now."

The majority, however, remain convinced that Hezekiah is a lethal threat to their vision of Yisrael. "[Expletive] the King!" hollered Left Bloc activist Hadassa Amaral when reached for comment over the phone. After saying several more expletives, she continued: "I don't believe one word of that [expletive]. We know his far right police thugs took Werner and the others. We won't accept crocodile tears. The king must abdicate now!"

More calmly, others weighed in. "I in no way believe him," said Yaakov Miller, a member of the Constitutional Liberal National Committee and a former Dervaylik District legislator as well as a party superdonor. "That man [His Majesty] is a liar and his piety is fake. He wants to destroy any liberal, modern notions in Yisrael and drag us back before 1919. I don't care if he broke down crying - I feel very firmly he's lying to us and wants to purge people like me to create his perfect, 'pure' crazy religious, right-wing society."

Political commentator, Mary Nessen, a Yisraeli Christian professor known for bantering with foreign policy hawks on the television talk shows, posted on Rad.io after the press conference: "#OnekawanAffair #WarHawks #StopTheComingWar #HezzyMustGo Perhaps if Hezzy restored the Royal Reform Acts I might believe him."

This is a developing story.

Binyomin Eisenberger reported from Yerushalayim, Yisrael. None of these organizations are associated with the RYD, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the RYD or their employees.

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by **Garima** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:54 pm

Trozlar Times
2020

Prime Minister Ganters: Yisrael becoming a “Provocateur of Peril”
Gariman government expresses concern, dismay of escalation in the Periclean

(Trozlar, Garima)- The government of Social Democratic Prime Minister Rudolph Ganters issued a harsh rebuke of the Governments of Yisrael and Onekawa-Nukanoa for a recent meeting in which Onekawa pledged to significantly increase its military presence in Yisrael, and by extension the Periclean. This comes on the heels of recent tensions in the region over Gran Aligonia, an issue which has divided Yisrael and Garima. Yisrael has taken a harsh stance against the Aligonian Revolution, while Garima has extended offers of cooperation and dialogue in the interest of regional stability.

According to Onekawan Defense Minister John Ahia, “the Royal Onekawa-Nukanoa Defence Force presence in the Kingdom of Yisrael will significant increase in size and capability.” It was later specified that this force would consist of “significant infantry, artillery, air defense, rotary and armor assets to form a total self-contained rapid reaction strike force able to respond to any fast developing events in the region, this permanent stationing of such a force showcases the Onekawan commitment to Periclean stability and ensuring that the interests of Ngati Onekawa-Nukanoa as well as its friends and allies are maintained.”

In a press conference held today, Prime Minister Ganters declared that “the Periclean isn’t interested in Onekawa’s heavy-handed involvement in our region. If they were as committed to Periclean stability as they say they are, then they would’ve respectfully declined Yisrael’s invitation. Likewise, these actions prove that the Yisraeli government is less committed to peace in the Periclean than they are to acting as provocateurs of peril that endanger not just Gran Aligonia and the Messidor Union, but Garima and several other nations in the region.”

Successive Gariman governments, regardless of party, have expressed concern about foreign intervention in the Periclean, and have challenged any nation’s attempts to establish hegemony in the region. Prime Minister Ganters went on to say that “Garima has no choice but to focus more closely on national security and our own military strength in the Periclean in order to safeguard the interests of stability in our region.”

It is being reported that Garima has placed its military on high alert, and will be focusing more heavily on development of its navy, which already serves as a formidable force in the eastern Periclean. While there is no indication that Garima would conduct any offensives in the Periclean, the move is being perceived by media and in academia as serving as a show of strength.

Additional developments regarding what is now being described as the “Onekawan Affair” will be reported on as they become available.

by **Free Garza** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 1:17 pm

Garza Gazette
2020

Garzan Government applauds “Onekawan Concern for Garza”
Prime Minister Roman emphasizes caution, restraint

(Ciudad Garza, Garza)- Prime Minister Marco Roman held a press conference where he addressed national concerns regarding the “Onekawan Affair,” referring to a recent series of events in which Onekawa-Nukanoa and Yisrael reached in agreement that would result in Onekawa having an increased military presence in Yisrael, near the Yisraeli-Messidoran border.

Garza and Yisrael have had a historically turbulent relationship, dating back to when Jews established an ancient haven in Garza, which resulted in historical tolerance of Jews in the country. Belisarian Jews often fled persecution in nations such as Garima and found refuge in Garza. Despite centuries of persecution of Jews during the Garzan Inquisition, relations between Yisrael and Garza have steadily improved over the course of the past two-hundred years, and have been warm since the 1950s, when Garza and Yisrael began to find common cause against Sydalon. The state of these relations remains today, which was addressed by Conservative Prime Minister Marco Roman in his press conference.

“Yisrael and Garza are nations with similar circumstances and similar concerns. We’re both small, ancient nations that have often had to fight for our survival against larger, more powerful neighbors. We have had to endure the rise and fall of empires, the throes of radicalism and the passions of our beliefs. We stand strong in the Periclean, and any friend of Yisrael is a friend of ours. Therefore, we applaud the concern that Onekawa-Nukanoa has for Garza, and we hope that the recent agreement reached between Onekawa and Yisrael is in the interest of peace and security.

To that effect, it is our hope that Onekawa and Yisrael do not intend to provoke a war with the Messidor Union. Any such conflict would inevitably affect Garza, and seeing as how we are so close to the Messidor Union, we fear what the consequences of such a conflict could be for our nation and our people. I believe that this is a situation that can be resolved with dialogue between all involved parties.”

These comments come as a surprise to many political observers in Garza, as relations between the Messidor Union and Garza have been consistently poor. However, it is worth noting that Garza’s largest ally, trading partner and benefactor, Latium, has recently taken a pragmatic position of cautioning restraint and de-escalation. Therefore it seems natural that the Conservative Government of Marco Roman would tow a similar line.

Garza has been a harsh critic of ongoing developments in the Periclean, especially concerning its sister nation of Gran Aligonia, which has recently undergone revolution that saw its monarchy deposed and radical reformists assuming power. Garza has historically seen itself as a “big brother” of Gran Aligonia, which shares a common language and close historical ties to Garza. Those developments have left Garzans shocked and fearful of a similar movement taking place in Garza, which has increased the popularity of the Conservative Party and the idea of closer ties to Yisrael.

More news will be reported as it develops.

by **Lihnidos** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:14 pm

Latin Officials Invited to Patriot’s Day Fleet Review Amidst Periclean Upheaval

By: Xylona Sacca (@realXSacca)

[Lihnidos - AD] Arcadia - The Imperial Palace announced late this afternoon a last minute addition to the guest list of this week’s Patriot’s Day celebrations and events. Included in a press release from the Palace this afternoon, detailing the Empress’ schedule and involvement in Patriot’s Day events, was a brief mention of those accompanying her to this year’s fleet review. A notable addition to the list, which had been previously released by the Palace earlier last week, were Latin Ambassador to Lihnidos Lord Adrian Mamilius and Foreign Praetor Duke Flavius Aemelius.

The late additions to the guest list for the Patriot’s Day events come on the heels of a turbulent two week in the Periclean, which saw tension rise between Yisreal and the Messidor Union following the arrival of an increasing number of Onekawan troops in Yisrael. The increase in stationed troops by the Yisraeli border with Messidor ignited a fierce back-and-forth between the governments of Yisrael, the Messidor Union, and Onekawa-Nukanoa characterized by inflammatory remarks and some attempts at calming the situation. Further leaked remarks by Yisraeli King Hezekiah early this week only served to bolster claims of Yisraeli attempts at destabilizing the Periclean.

The Patriot’s Day fleet review, being hosted on Tuesday by the Central Naval Command off the eastern coast of Kilkis by Hion, is expected to include a sizable portion of the Lihnidosi navy and meant to put on display the country’s naval might as one of the preeminent Periclean powers. This year’s fleet review will mark the first in many years to be held during a time of unrest in the region and will likely be used to send a message to foreign powers that Lihnidos is paying close attention to the ongoing turmoil.

The late inclusion of the Latin Ambassador to Lihnidos and Latin Foreign Praetor has already been seen by some geopolitical experts as a sign of support for Latium’s decision to disallow further Onekawa naval movements through the Alcaean Straits, which according to anonymous sources out of Latium was communicated to the Yisraeli and Onekawan ambassadors to Latium late Sunday night. This aligns with recent anonymously sourced reporting out of Arcadia that the Empress has been displeased with the recent Onekawan troop movements and Yisraeli actions and messaging during the previous weeks.

Prior to today, the response from Lihnidosi officials on the ongoing situation was minimal, with brief statements about closely monitoring the situation and remaining in close contact with Latium and Yisraeli officials. Prime MInister Raptis on Friday called for a calming of tensions, but declined further comment when pressed. The Ministry of National Defense also said that there were no planned military movements in response to the rising tensions. While not a direct statement, the presence of Latin officials at the Patriot's Day events would mark the government's strongest action to date.

The Imperial Palace has not yet responded to a request for comment on the inclusion of Latin officials in the Patriot’s Day events.

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IIwiki Admin · by **Ghant** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:35 pm

Gimme News
2020
Prime Minister Izarbegiratzeak wins 2nd full term in election landslide victory
“Cooler heads must prevail,” declares Prime Minister in first press conference

(Ghish, Ghant)- Prime Minister Nymun Izarbegiratzeak won a second full term in office Saturday in an election landslide of historic proportions. With most votes counted, Izarbegiratzeak’s “Independent Coalition” was winning 45% of the vote compared to 30% for its main challenger, the center-left Labor Party.

The “Indies,” as they are called, were on target to win an outright majority of the seats in Parliament, something that hasn’t happened in Ghant since the Conservative Party won a landslide in 1976 under the controversial John Mugica. Typically, parties must form alliances to govern, but this time Izarbegiratzeak and the Indies can go it alone.

In a victory speech in front of thousands of cheering supporters in Ghish, Izarbegiratzeak said his coalition had gotten more support from Ghantish than at any time in the past six years, when the Independent Coalition took Ghant by storm in 2014.

“This election cycle has been full of uncertainty and anxiety, and we set out to continue working against that. As I said during the campaign, ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it."

Indeed, the Prime Minister’s campaign slogan was “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” and that message resonated with Ghantish citizens from all corners of the country. Izarbegiratzeak promised not to take his new supporters for granted and to govern for all Ghantish, as he has done for the past six years.

“We are living in an increasingly polarized world, a place where, more and more, people have lost the ability to see one another's point of view,” he said. “I think in this election, we Ghantish have shown that this is not who we are. That when the going gets tough, we come together as one.”

A record number of voters turned out for the election. On the campaign trail, Izarbegiratzeak was greeted like a rock star by people who crammed into concert venues and spilled onto streets by the thousands to cheer him on and get pictures with him.

His popularity soared earlier this year after he led a successful effort to lead normalized relations and dialogue with Gran Aligonia, and also dismiss allegations of involvement in Enyama, by daring his critics to “show me evidence” of Ghantish government involvement in the ongoing Enyaman Civil War.

Izarbegiratzeak, 75, won the top job after the 2014 election when the Independent Coalition defeated the so called “Left Alliance” that had failed to abolish the monarchy with only the second Republic Referendum since 1940. The Left Alliance was subsequently rocked by corruption scandals that resulted in Prime Minister Yula Zimaya being dismissed by a motion of no-confidence and new elections being called.

The Prime Minister, holding a doctorate in public policy, a prolific author and comedian, became a role model for disenfranchised voters tired of partisan politics, many of whom saw him as a counterpoint to the radicalism embraced by Zimaya and other parties on both sides of the political spectrum. He has been praised for his handling of various domestic occurrences, ranging from ongoing corruption scandals, juggling the state monarchies and deescalating tensions in northern Ghant concerning oil and mineral refinement.

In a speech to her supporters in Oniaherri, Labor leader Sara Haribec said she'd called Izarbegiratzeak to congratulate him. “It is an outstanding result for the Independent Coalition,” Haribec said. “It has been a tough campaign." Haribec promised that the party would be back to fight another day.

Prime Minister Izarbegiratzeak, having won the Ismos Peace Prize in 2017 for his work in promoting international peace and dialogue, made clear his position on the Onekawa Affair. “First and foremost, I urge Yisrael, Onekawa-Nukanoa and the Messidor Union to focus on restraint and dialogue. Conflicts only begin when both sides continue to escalate tense situations. To that end, I have to wonder why such an agreement between Onekawa and Yisrael was reached in the first place, because it certainly seems like an escalation. Either way, there is no place in the 21st century for wars of aggression or attrition. Cooler heads must prevail.

Clearly, the ultimate vision of the Yisraelite prophets is one of peace – ‘And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more.’ Therefore I ask President Katz and King Hezekiah, are you beating your swords into plowshares, or are you rattling them?’

What concerns me the most about this so called Onekawan Affair is what I consider to be a troubling trend in Yisrael. I have heard His Majesty the King’s comments regarding the place of Republicans in the world. There is no place in the world for attitudes like that. We in Ghant know this all too well, as we once had an Emperor with the same radical, far-right beliefs, and the nation suffered and bled for those beliefs.

We must accept the right to self-determination for all peoples, the right of those people to decide their form of government, whether that’s monarchy or republic. As we’ve seen in Gran Aligonia, a nation undergoing change, when the people are allowed to decide for themselves their form of government, there is room to grow, room to learn, and it is our responsibility as nations that value self-determination to reach out to those nations in friendship and provide an opportunity for understanding and trust.”

When asked about supposed sanctions against Yisrael by the KISO Pact and what his response would be, the Prime Minister dismissed the inquiry. “I won’t speculate as to hypothetical, nor can I comment on to what extent the Ghantish government would support or oppose any such sanctions. However, I will be monitoring the situation in Yisrael closely. The freedom of opposition, human rights and respect for rule of law is of the utmost importance to use, and we will decide how we will respond based upon those findings.”

by **Enyama** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:16 pm

Benedict Král, +3 for the Primar seat, criticized the Progressives over their corruption allegations today, as well as their lack of action geopolitically.

While Progressives deal with bombshell murder investigation, Král urges "extreme caution, mediated pushback" in Periclean

By: Cyril Novák Jeleňy
3 May 2020

KARSKO - The Ostrozavan political sphere has reached a state of lively chaos in the leadup to the 2020 election, catalyzed primarily by the controversial Volf disclosures and their firey revelations about the clandestine activities of the Prime Directorate for Civil Protection over the past decade, and the subsequently confusing murder of PRCO director Valdemar Rezek early last month. The late Director's murder, currently under investigation by the Karsko police and Civil Guard, has only catalyzed even more controversy in regards to the amount of constitutional overreach at play in the developing scandal. With initial whistleblower Albin Volf having entered the witness protection program in mid-September after several anthrax-loaded letters were sent to his residence in Valegoria, the political stage looked set for a wider investigation into the PRCO's actions, and the extent to which elements of the Prime Defense Council, or perhaps even the Supreme Court, were aware of their existence or even involved in their planning, as well as the mysterious murder of Director Rezek.

The tumultuous news of an "abuse of power" by the PRCO, and the subsequent silence on the issue by the Supreme Court, has led Socialist frontrunner for the 2020 election, Benedict Král, to double down on his criticisms of what he calls the "bureaucratic degenerated worker's establishment", most recently in a fiery speech that also touched on his policy stances on the unfolding Onekawan affair in the Periclean, a region that Supreme Commander of the ODF Radanna Šimonová stated was "instrumental" in this May's historic end of Ostrozavan neutrality. Šimonová and Král seemed to have formed an uneasy alliance in their treatment of both the larger geopolitical situation earlier this year, with both supporting the end of neutrality overtly as the former was credited for "strong-arming" the Progressive establishment into a swift end of neutrality. Even as the Prime Defense Council, of which S.C. Šimonová is a part of, enters the scope of the PRCO investigation, she has remained an adamant supporter of Král's criticism of "bureaucratic creep", breaking with the traditionally non-political tradition of the military. As Král delivered his aforementioned speech this Saturday, Šimonová's top lieutenant, Foreign Legion Commander Drahoslav Smutný, stood just behind his right flank, indicating that the military may be willing to side with Král's Socialist Party in the event of a more incriminating development in the scandal, and especially with regards to Ostrozavan geopolitics in the Periclean and beyond. In reference to Onekawa's recent deployment of troops on the Yisraeli-Messidorian border, Král had this to say:

...and, when speaking on the issue of our developing role in the broader international world, one thing remains clear: our policy of neutrality has left us in a weak and insipid position on the world stage; it is perhaps to be considered a miracle that the Prime Republic ever joined the Kiso Pact at all, what with our current Primar's disdain for "factionalism". Where has that disdain taken us, now? To the point that, for fear of appearing assertive at all, we have chosen to clandestinely arm and support terrorists, which, no matter how well-intentioned, give us, and our competent diplomatic and economic ability, an appearance of gross misjudgment, or worse, barbarity.

So of course, and I think I concur with many across bipartisan lines here, I think we need to demand a full investigation into this degenerated worker's bureaucracy that has crippled our ability for action on the global stage. This week, as tensions flare in the Periclean, as Yisraeli left-wing activists, allegedly protected from being discriminated towards on the basis of speech, now have potentially been kidnapped by their own government, we stand by and do nothing? Moravec called it 'concerning'? Is this due to be another flashpoint on our doorstep, as Polnitsa was, where we sit by idly and do nothing but frown in disappointment as the other half controls the whole of the narrative, of the perspective?

This is why this election is so crucial, so historic. Our bureaucracy crumbles before our eyes, while the status-quo we have so merrily enjoyed for the past two decades now begins to crumble as insidious forces realize we are not as strong as we said we were. This vote is crucial, and I'll repeat that a hundred more times. We have failed to protect our own vulnerable workers at home. We have failed to resist the creep of tribalism into our very backyard, and now we respond to potential, invasion, however unlikely, of an allegedly close ally with just "concern"? Concern will never take us as far as action. I don't want bloodshed, of course, I don't want war. But I call on our allies in the Kiso Pact to stand in solidarity with the Messidor Union, and to do anything in our power to de-escalate this situation as quickly as possible, without conceding either physically or morally. This could mean sanctions, this could mean a tentative deployment of the Ostrozavan Foreign Legion, this could even just mean a summit, a serious summit, where all parties can discuss their grievances. But it cannot mean nothing. This situation requires extreme caution from us, and from our allies, and mediated pushback against a complex web of ideological forces.

Král's speech seemed a success, with several undecided voters indicating that the remarks had finally swayed them either from a non-voting or Progressive stance into a more Socialist-oriented one; Král also leads by almost seven points among members of the Defense Force and Civil Guard, although he remains less popular among postal workers and other facets of the executive branch's bureaucracy. In the aftermath of the speech, the Karsko mayor declined that he would seek cooperation with members of the Western Monarchies skeptical of Yisraeli-Onekawan action, such as Latium or Garima, citing a "desire for leftist solidarity being incredibly important right now; we don't want to become muddled in any sort of temporary alliances that would compromise our ideals or our long-term goals both locally and in the region". He did, however, offer "tentative support" for the Messidor Union, urging President Yolande-Minerve Saverne publicly to exercise "extreme caution in never, for a second, entering a situation in which the Union could be misconstrued as an aggressor by even the most skeptical observer", while also noting that the situation "does require some degree of assertiveness. It's a careful balance that cannot be mismanaged by either calls of aggression or neutrality, as Polnitsa proved for us here in the Prime Republic".

Sitting Primar Dominic Moravec, beyond a general party statement calling Yisraeli-Onekawan deployment "concerning", failed to elaborate when asked what the Ostrozavan geopolitical plan forward was, instead stating "that, in a time of tragedy and upheaval such as this, our focus will be on our internal problems regarding the ongoing investigation, and no such international distractions will distract us from an urgent need for coherence of government." This statement serves as punctuation for a long trend of the formerly-internationalist Progressives away from their initial position, despite their very open market policy; the first glimpse of such "Progressive Nationalism" was during the 2005 Polnitsan War, where, despite a flashpoint in neighboring Polnitsa between republican and pro-Garima forces, the Prime Government, then under Moravec's second cabinet, asserted a "stance of staunch neutrality" and refused to even accept refugees until early 2006; the actions of the Progressive Government in 2005 are often noted as the beginning of the "Socialist Revival" of subsequent years, far more reactionarily internationalist in character than the staunch Social-Nationalist era of the 1970s, during which the Socialist Party set the stage for neutrality by focusing on internal problems and growing the manufacturing industry.

It remains to be seen where these tumultous times will take Ostrozava, but, given an increasing amount of support for the already-growing Socialist party, and the 'disastrous' scandal and investigation plaguing the Progressive-appointed bureaucracy, the Prime Republic seems by some to be set for a "major upheaval" in the face of constiutional crisis, of a scale unseen since the purging of authoritarian elements in the late 50s and early 60s. As for the Periclean, Král's hint towards the deploying of the Ostrozavan Foreign Legion to the region indicates that, if elected Primar, he will not shy away from asserting the Prime Republic's formerly insular military on the world stage, for better or worse.

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◾ Albin Volf "will postpone disclosures after murder attempts" until investigation is finished
◾ STV Voting System gains traction in Valegorian Municipal Elections, potential movement in the making?
◾ The elusive final resting place of the Vykopal extended family finally found? Bone fragments on Cyneric border show promise
◾ ODF's intelligence agency, ORVOS, "looking into Supreme Court communiques in wake of PRCO freeze"
◾ Král details plans for accepting asylum-seekers from WM, Enyama, more

by **Onekawa-Nukanor** » Sun Oct 25, 2020 8:19 pm

Toru News Daily

| National | International | Sport | Weather | Politics | Entertainment | Science & Technology| Economy |

KING TAMA FURIOUS

26/10/20-Relations across the Periclean have, within a fortnight gone from tense to near-out rightly hostile. With the announcement of the stationing of an elite regiment of Onekawan soldiers to their long time friend Yisrael, the situation which may have been viewed as a minor diplomatic scuffle has evolved into the “Onekawan Affair”, with leaders and officials across the Periclean and the wider world being quick to either condemn or tepidly support the move.

Yet the last 24 hours have casued apparent uproar in the Onekawan royal household, according to an palace official who wished to remain anonymous. Whilst a near constitutional crisis in Yisrael and the concern for an upwelling of support for those wishing to pull back on the “Royalist Counterrevolution” which Ngāti Onekawa-Nukanoa has been an enthusiastic supporter of was reported by the palace offical to be a matter of “some significant concern” they reported that “the message from Emperor Constantine nearly shook the palace apart”.

Whilst no one had been willing to report the contents of the discussions Onekawa-Nukanoa has had with Yisrael, Latium, MU or other states who have been involved, it was reported from the anonymous source in the foreign ministry that King Tama had summoned the Foreign Affairs Ministers Amara, War Minister Ahia, Ariki Toa and others extremely early in the morning.

Whilst specific details about the meeting have been kept extremely close to the chest, “Volcanic indignant and wrothful” was reported. “King Tama is utterly furious at how this situation has been handled” according to the above source. They went on to elaborate that “Minister Amara and Minister Ahia were completely berated for their inability to get control of the situation. You could almost see the strips of flesh fly off their backs as he layed into them” and that they were threatned “[with] careers feeding kuni-kuni if your incompetence pisses away our chance to get involved in the Periclean”.

Yet whilst it might appear to be chaos, it has become abundantly clear that government wheels are in motion. At an emergency press announcement held by Minister Amara; who was flanked by Ariki Toa Onekawa and Minister Ahia; the rather solemn looking Minister announced that she would be immediately departing for Castellum to “clarify and improve the diplomatic situation” whilst Ariki Toa III Onekawa would be doing much the same in a trip to Yisrael just a month after his last visit.

No questions were permitted, although Minister Amara did elaborate that the visit would be “for however long is necessary to resolve this diplomatic situation”, that she had the resources and powers necessary to “meet with and facilitate a diplomatic resolution with others nations in the region who I know have expressed significant concerns about this so-called Onekawan Affair”.

by **Mont-Saint-Cyr** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 12:32 am

26 October, 2020
189-05-1-05

A MEASURED RESPONSE

Tariq Zaidi, Senior World News Editor

After over a decade (10-day Messidorian week) of relative silence, President Saverne released an update regarding the recently christened “Onekawan Affair”. In the past two days, half a dozen governments in Belisaria and around the Periclean have weighed in on tensions between the Messidor Union and the coalition of Yisrael and Onekawa-Nukanoa. President Saverne and her cabinet have been in close dialogue with numerous players including the Latin emperor, leadership from maritime neighbour Lihnidos, and fellow members of the Kiso Pact. As a result of her consultations, President Saverne and her cabinet announced that the Messidorian Air Corps reserves would stand down and that, contrary to rumours, the Merovian Division of the Messidorian Army Corps would not be deployed to Aɣmatia. The President firmly stated that sanctions against Yisrael and Onekawa-Nukanoa would not be lifted as per the Latin Foreign Bureau's demand, but that the Messidor Union was undertaking every reasonable step to de-escalate the situation in the circumstances. Despite these assurances, the president of the national government of Aɣmatia, Rachid Idrissi, announced the evacuation of several towns near the Yisraeli border in Amara Akal, including Taman Xatar. Several oil drilling operations in the region have also been temporarily decommissioned. President Idrissi assured the public that these measures "are simply out of an abundance of caution."

Despite repeated requests for comment on the leaked tape of the Yisraeli ruler's royalist rally, the cabinet made no comment except to say that most foreign media reception to the speech was simply "appreciated". The Director of Foreign Affairs and the President were also pressed for comments regarding reports of a wrathful Maori King and developments in the Onekawan foreign ministry. Again, both declined to comment.

The calmer approach of the Messidor Union's leadership marked a stark contrast with the rapid response and mobilization from last decade. Political analysts at La Gazette have attributed this change in approach to reassured confidence in the interest of the status quo in the Periclean, citing the hesitance of Latium and Lihnidos, both traditionally regarded as members of the "Western Monarchies" bloc, to support the aggression of Yisrael and the Onekawans. Discussions with fellow Kiso Pact members may also have allayed concerns held by the Messidor Union's leadership. The mutual aid pact is less than a year old and while one of the stated purposes of the organization is to ensure the mutual defence of its member states, very little is known about how or to what extent the pact invites -or requires- involvement in a hypothetical conflict.

The Industrial Liberty Front's leader, Sufyan Askam, was critical of President Saverne's cautious approach, citing concern for the civilians in the region and the economic interests of the Union. In the same breath, the young ILF leader praised the initiative of the President of Aɣmatia. Askam replaced former ILF leader Sufian-Argon Duplessis several months after the 2019 election and is generally known to be careful with his criticism of the Social-Progressive Alliance. Many have regarded Askam as a compromiser who would be capable of courting the more statist elements of the Messidorian political spectrum to the ILF.

by **Allamunnic States** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 3:15 pm

Federal Public Access News
Foreign Edition - International Affairs

Premier voices support for Messidor Union
Folksmoot passes major bill to address brewing crisis.
Primary Writer: Abygael Shraedur --- Research Support: Rosanna Dunn

INNSBORO, Federal Capital District --- In a speech to the Folksmoot to encourage the passage of a bill aimed toward a brewing crisis in the Periclean Basin, Premier Junn Andrsunn reiterated his administration's support for Ottonia's "Kiso Pact" allies while at the same time speaking to an international audience to urge calm and a deescalation to rising tensions between the Messidor Union and an increasingly-belligerent alliance of Yisrael and Onekawa-Nukanoa. The bill, the Periclean Unrest Response Act of 2020, would authorize the deployment of Ottonian Federal Defense Service personnel to the Messidor Union, pending the Union's request, as well as create a streamlined immigration process for those fleeing what appears to be growing political persecution in Yisrael.

"Esteemed fellows, I come before you today to urge that you pass the Periclean Unrest Response Act in light of recent events to our South. Rising tensions between our friends and allies in the Messidor Union and their neighbors in Yisrael, along with the Onekawan government which insists on pushing its presence into the Periclean, put thousands in danger, due to what is hopefully an overreaction to what seems to be either a poorly-conceived, or slyly-provocative act.

“It is my fervent hope that the situation can be deescalated without violence. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail. However, it behooves the wise to prepare for the worst, and to that end I am, with the assistance of Representative [Harren] Rykur, requesting the authorization to deploy elements of the Ottonian Federal Defense Service to the Messidor Union as part of a larger Kiso Pact coalition in the event of further escalation, in the interest of ensuring the security of our comrades to the south. Less drastically, if our friends to the south consider sanctions to be appropriate to discourage aggressive action, we should evaluate such measures and give serious thought to following their lead.

“Additionally, I am asking for your authorization to ease the flight of our fellows who now face perhaps mortal danger in an increasingly-reactionary and unsafe Yisrael. By allocating funding for more refugees and providing an accelerated path to citizenship for those that are inclined to stay, we can give aid to our brothers and sisters in humanity and also strengthen the foundations of our Republic.

“Nobody, least of all me, takes the idea of armed conflict lightly. My promise is that our Department of Foreign Affairs is going to do everything possible to avoid bloodshed. But we ignore this situation, this attempted strengthening of the reactionary foothold in the Periclean, at our peril. The increasingly violent means available to the unelected champions of greed and repression ensure that such provocations cannot be allowed to stand unanswered and unrebuked. And to that end, I urge you, pass the Periclean Unrest Response Act.

The Folksmoot overwhelmingly passed the measure by a vote of 392 in favor, 97 against, and 11 abstentions. Additional provisions authorized the Premier to swiftly issue sanctions against either Yisrael or Onekawa-Nukanoa in line with any requested by the Messidorans, should they be deemed appropriate, with the proviso that they would expire after 30 days without confirmation by the Folksmoot.

It is unclear what, if any decision has been made by the members of the Pact for Mutual Prosperity, Solidarity, and Common Defence (commonly known as the Kiso Pact) regarding mutual defense and in the event of a worsening situation in the Periclean, and how many, if any Ottonian troops would be sent there in the event of hostilities.

What is clear is that other parts of the bill will come into effect immediately. Federal ambassador to Yisrael Yvonn Baartun has reported a more than 300% uptick in visa requests from Yisraeli nationals, and earlier in the week apparently filed a request with the Department of Foreign Affairs for additional temporary staff to process those and a growing backlog of asylum petitions. Given reported remarks by the King of Yisrael and the apparent rampant activities of right-wing paramilitaries, this trickle should only be expected to grow.

Abygael Shraedur is a member of FPAN's Innsboro Office and primarily is concerned with coverage of the federal government. For this piece, she was assisted by Rosanna Dunn, whose area of expertise as a correspondent is the West Periclean.

by **Yisroel** » Wed Nov 04, 2020 4:13 pm

Trending Stories -- Polls: Katz Enjoys Bipartisan High Marks -- Onekawan Affair Stalemate -- MU Embargo Hurting Manufacturers, Say CEOs

Katz, Fending Off Royalist Challenge To His Executive Authority, Basks In Surging Popularity

_{Pictured: President Yitzchok Katz (center), as he addresses a manufacturers' trade lobby group conference this morning in Dervaylik, Yisrael.}

Surveys taken since the monarch's press conference nine days ago have shown that the president has seen a big boost in his approval across the political spectrum, including the left, as the ongoing Onekawan Affair continues to simmer in a geopolitical stalemate.
^{November 4th, 2020| By Binyomin Eisenberger (beisenberg@ryd.org) | 2:28pm EDT}

YERUSHALAYIM, YISRAEL — In a political twist that has caught the Yerushalayim political class off-guard, incumbent President Yitzchok Katz has seen a spat of polls suggesting he is enjoying surging popularity among voters across the political spectrum, a crucial lift from his approval ratings for most of his nine-month administration of which he was stuck in the mid-to-high 40s. Daily presidential tracking polls from the King David University and Nishma Research noticed a spike in approval on October 26th, the day when King Hezekiah III gave a wide-ranging press conference defending his actions and stridently denying improper conduct by his royal security agency, the YeMep, in the disappearance of several prominent Crown critics.

Katz's approval rating, which was holding at 47.6% according to a three-day average by Nishma and KDU, soared in the following days well into the 50s, hitting 62.4% on November 1st. As of day, it is at 60.8%.

Breakdown of the Polls

Besides KDU and Nishma, other polling outfits commissioned approval polls after the surge became reported upon. The polling average of these political surveys found that:

Among his own right-wing Conservative Party, Katz now has 93% job approval, up from 85% before the King's presser.
He boasts a 57% approval rating among centrist Alternative for Yisrael (AfY) and Action Yisrael (AY) voters.
Even among liberal Constitutional Liberal voters, the president avails himself of a 37% rating.
Katz sees a slight uptick among leftist voters, sitting at 7%, up from 3% pre-surge.
Unsurprisingly, his approval among far-right royalists has plummeted, going from 69% to rest at about 44%.

By a 55%-39% margin, registered voters view Katz as a "strong leader" versus being a "weak leader." Furthermore, approval of his handling of the Onekawan Affair shot up, going from 49% pre-surge to 71% currently.

Geographically, his approval is strongest in Conservative "Blue" districts such as Yerushalayim and the Western and Northern, where he sees approval in the high 60s. His lowest approval rating is in the Con-Lib "Gold" Dervaylik city-district, where it rests in the high 30s. The Central District, the sprawling province composed of towering cities and rolling farmland, which was the crown of the Con-Lib electoral coalition but has drifted into being the new ground zero for the Light Blue AfY-led United Center Bloc, Katz posts a relatively impressive 55% approval rating.

Onekawan Affair Stalemate Hurts Manufacturers And Border Towns On Both Sides Of the Border

An immediate political issue in the ongoing stalemate in the Onekawan Affair that has consumed Katz's and the Knesset's attention has been the Messidor Union sanctions imposed on Yisrael (and Onekawan-Nukanoa) since October 26th. The Messidorian authorities implemented a full trade embargo against Yisrael, as well as freezing all assets of Yisraeli nationals held inside MU borders.

While MU-Yisrael trade was never significant, there was a steady trade volume in recent years, estimated by industry experts at being around several billion shekels per year. Top Messidorian exports to Yisrael include mining ore, manufactured household goods, tea, kosher wine from the Tafriqt region, and excess oil and petroleum products.

Mining ore, gasoline, and petroleum products from the Timna Strip region were often sold to Yisraeli companies and factories in southern and eastern Yisrael as a cheap, nearby logistics source. Manufacturers and retail sellers of household goods often sourced lower-cost lines of basic household items from Messidor in recent years or used cheaper MU inputs in their own products.

Messidorian tea is popular in Dervaylik and other major cities, and there is a robust market for sweet wine grown and bottled on Jewish-owned vineyards in Tafriqt, many established during the Protectorate era (1833-1951). Rabbinical supervision from both Yisrael- and MU-based kosher supervisory organizations oversee the vineyards, which sell quite well in Yisrael as well as diasporic Jewish communities elsewhere.

Access to those products and goods has come to a standstill, as MU closed the border and issued a full trade embargo as part of its sanctions package, criminalizing their sale to Yisrael or Yisraeli entities. The Hazera-Amara commercial railway that runs along the main highways on either side of the land border has been physically barricaded on the Messidor side by local border agents.

Trade lobbyist groups for Yisraeli manufacturers, retail sellers, industrial and chemical companies, and the wine industry have all besieged the Katz administration and members of Knesset to find a resolution to end the embargo. While many companies have months of stockpiled inventory, supplies for new products will need to be sourced from other locations, potentially raising the cost of manufacture, given the generally low-cost Messidorian inputs that remain out of reach, for now.

In reverse, the MU embargo has cut off Messidorian companies and individuals from buying imports from Yisrael. Messidorian factories, controlled by various trade union organizations, regularly import electronics, optics, and industrial diamonds, much of it used in the manufacturing process for domestically-consumed goods and products. Local Messidorian media in the Timna Strip report that local union plants are scrambling to find new sources of these key inputs, although there are no reported production slowdowns as of yet.

Katz Launches Two-Week Foreign Tour To Rally Allies To Force End To MU Embargo

With accruing political capital at home, President Katz and his top allies will embark on a 14-day whirlwind tour of foreign capitals, most of them allies and fellow western monarchies, as well as other key geopolitical players in an effort to force Messidor to revoke its sanctions. Accompanying him is his longtime former aide and close political confidant, Foreign Minister Ariel Goldblatt, as well as King's Minister Prince Michoel. The former was expected, but the latter's inclusion has raised eyebrows. Some critics pounced on Rad.io to claim that Katz was still cowered by His Majesty King Hezekiah III's royalist "regime," while Katz allies say the president is attempting to not alienate the monarch, who has kept a low public profile since his press conference nine days ago. Prince Michoel is respected in foreign capitals, perhaps giving Katz confidence he can help sway allies to rally to Yisrael's defense.

Katz and his entourage will first cross the Aradian Straits for a two-day stop in Latium. There, they will meet with Emperor Constantine XX, Consul Pompilius, and Master of Offices Claudius. The Presidential Palace spokesman said that they would discuss the ongoing Onekawan Affair, the MU embargo, Latium's vow to defeat any sanctions against Yisrael, and other related bilateral and geopolitical issues. He and his team will spend Shabbos at the Yisraeli embassy.

After Latium, Katz flies to Lihnidos for another two-day state visit. He will be received at Palamaras Manor by Prime Minister Fotis Raptis and senior Lihnidosi officials on the first day, followed the next by inspecting an honor guard and having tea with the Empress Stella II, with a gala at the Yisraeli embassy being thrown in his honor during the evening of the second day, with the expected participation of prominent Lihnidosi elites.

Next, Katz and his team will jet to the Ottonias, first stopping for two days in North Ottonia, Yisrael's only sometime cordial friend/partner inside the Kiso Pact world. He will meet with Premier Junn Andrsunn, as well as the senior officials of Andrsunn's ruling coalition, made up of the Ottonian Labor Front, National Unity, and Federalist Alliance. Senior administration officials reveal the visit is to reassure North Ottonian leadership that the Messidorian response to the placement of Onekawan troops was a "gross overreaction," convince NO to not send troops to Messidor, and that the North should not invoke any sanctions, as well as ask NO to convince MU to withdraw sanctions in return for Yisraeli openness to a "reasonable compromise."

An unnamed RYIS source leaked that Mylrik Zima, the Ostrozavan Minister of Foreign Affairs, would also be in North Ottonia at the same time as Katz, officially to speak with his North Ottonian counterpart about the Onekawan Affair. However, there was chatter in foreign policy circles that Zima and Katz may "bump into each other," providing a backchannelling opportunity for Yisrael to petition Ostrozava to pressure Messidor to back down lest a Western Monarchies-Kiso Pact conflict erupt. Yisrael and Ostrozava have no diplomatic ties, with bilateral recognition severed during the Ostrozavan royal family's fall from power and murder in the 1909 Crimson Revolution. Despite attempts in the 1920s, 1950s, and early 2000s, neither country has restored any official ties. A Foreign Ministry official, when contacted, said that "any meetings with Ostrozavan officials are not on President Katz's agenda, either in North Ottonia nor anywhere else" and that "one simply doesn't 'bump into' a foreign official, especially on another foreign country's territory."

After visiting North Ottonia, the president will stop for a day in South Ottonia, meeting with Storkeneg ("Great King") Rodrik I and his son and heir, Vitus. After meeting the royals, he will speak with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eddard Jaal to convey Yisrael's appreciation of South Ottonia's ongoing support in the Periclean crisis.

Next, the Yisraeli delegation heads to a three-day state visit in Ghant. Katz will meet with recently re-elected Prime Minister Nymun Izarbegiratzeak and his Independent Coalition senior officials Friday noontime, before spending Shabbos with prominent Ghantish Jews at the Yisraeli embassy in Ghish. Saturday night after Shabbos, he will attend a gala at the Imperial Palace in his honor, while on Sunday, he will meet with Emperor Nathan IV and his senior advisors in meetings about the Onekawan Affair, the MU embargo, and other bilateral talks.

Second to last, Katz heads to Belfras, where the red carpet will be rolled out for him (literally). He will be honored with an escort of the ceremonial royal guard to Sovereign Prince Nicholaus directly, where they will speak on Onekawan Affair-related bilateral issues. The next day, Katz has meetings with Prime Minister Lupis and his top government ministers.

Lastly, the touring president will stop in Sante Reze, a longtime Yisraeli friend as well as a sometime trade partner with Messidor. Katz will meet with the Nongova tei Dez (Council of Ten), the executive governing body of the Noble Republic, before heading home to Yisrael.

Binyomin Eisenberger reported from Yerushalayim, Yisrael. None of these organizations are associated with the RYD, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the RYD or their employees.

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With Katz, Goldblatt, and Prince Michoel set to tour foreign capitals across the West Periclean and Thalassan, Justice Minister David Roth, top Katz ally, viewed as likely contender to head to Onekawa to coordinate crisis [ 1,280 ]
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by **Enyama** » Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:07 pm

Primar-Elect Král walking down the steps of the People's Congress as he prepares this morning to transfer his belongings to The Grove.

Benedict Král wins Primar election in historic comeback for Socialist Party

By: Cyril Novák Jeleňy
5 November 2020

KARSKO - As some final numbers continue to trickle in, the Prime Electoral Legitimacy Office has confirmed that Socialist candidate for Primar, Benedict Král, has won the controversial election, unseating incumbent Progressive Dominic Moravec, who first came to power in the 2000 election, and has braved a flurry of controversies, including the widely-disliked neutral reaction to the 2005 Polnitsan Crisis that some have called a "catalyst" for Socialist resurgence in recent years. Primar-Elect Král's victory comes on top of several major policy wins for his Union of Liberated Socialists, including the 2014 Congressional elections and Ostrozava's recent entry into the Kiso Pact, and the bipartisan end of Ostrozava's longstanding policy of neutrality back in early May. His opponent, Primar Moravec, leaves his seat amid a flurry of controversies, most notably the PRCO disclosures that have sent Ostrozava into what appears to be a Contractual Crisis; even as the winner for the Primar election was declared, hearings continued to take place in the People's Congress, and the murder investigation into the death of PRCO Director Rezek earlier this year turned up several promising leads, including, most controversially, a documented link between recent murder attempts on Albin Volf, artist and ex-PRCO conspirator, and the office of Supreme Court Justice René Holub, via a mysterious figure referred to in text documentation as 'Morský' (Ostro-Ludzic: Osprey).

While the attempt on Volf's life has already been criticized by both Primar-Elect Král and a majority of People's Congressmen as "extrajudicial", work continues to prove a link between either Holub's office, or 'Morský', to the successful assassination of Director Rezek; should the investigation provide conclusive evidence, Primar-Elect Král has indicated that he would instruct his pick for Facilitator(a), Nela Repkov, to provide a "swift and just" investigation into the entirety of the Supreme Court, worrying that "in such a small and well-educated circle, I imagine that word travels fast, and not many secrets really exist. Especially in the bureaucracy we have now." Král's order would be unprecedented in Ostrozavan history, as the Supreme Court has largely distanced itself from political matters throughout Ostrozavan history, notably only interfering in the Third Worker's Congress in 1957 to keep alive the prospect of a "counterbalance party" against the then-monopolistic Socialist Party; while their decisions then helped keep Ostrozava an ostensibly democratic society, with the threat of a single-party state abated, their willingness to circumvent the People's Congress in order to fund the International Democratic Revolution had already drawn concerns at the time of the initial disclosures. Now, with at least one member potentially linked to the brutal murder of Director Rezek, many have speculated that the Supreme Court ordered him killed in order to cover up the full extent of their uncontractual collusion with the PRCO, allegedly behind the backs of both the Executive Branch and Prime Defense Council, according to Prime Commander Radanna Simonová.

While domestically, the scandal may mark shockwaves in Ostrozavan legal and political culture, internationally, Král's election marks a shift towards populist leftism and greater cooperation with the outside world, particularly to Ostrozava's commitment to the Kiso Pact and Forum of Nations. While the Socialist Party had been the one to originally interpret the Social Contract's clauses as strict isolationist policy in the 1970s administrations of Oliver Bosko and Miroslav Malina, the concept was most notably changed in the 1980s realignment of the Progressive Party, which saw them adopt a strict neutral policy in addition to keeping their free economic policy, landing them in over 40 years of continuous and mostly popular rule; after the aforementioned Polnitsan Conflict, the Socialist Party saw its hardline members replaced by more populist, direct-democracy oriented members in the Red Waves of 2010 and 2015; as Král was among the forefront of these "New Socialists", his election now is seen as a final validation of their policy initiatives in the eyes of the electorate. Král's objectives for his term include a shift from the high minimum wages of Progressive fare to a Universal Basic Income, increased and prioritized treatment for the mental health crisis, and a greater international economic and political cooperation with "as many allies as we can muster around ourselves", in his own words.

While Moravec is due to stay in power as Unprimar until 1 January, it is expected that he will be largely focusing on the domestic issue of the PRCO investigation; while many alleged that Moravec had some level of knowledge about the whole affair, others, including Moravec himself and many third-party observers, have denied that claim. With the nation of Gran Aligonia, previously the spotlight of the summer, appearing to shift again to a center-right vision in its own election, it remains to be seen what the new order in Ostrozava will bring for broader Belisario-Scipian and International politics; when asked if Ostrozava would commit troops to the Enyaman Civil War, for example, Král gave an elusive answer of "we'll consider all of our options", although he has expressed that, "should the need arise", he would be willing to send the Ostrozavan Foreign Legion to Scipian Messidor, in order to provide closer training and joint exercises in the wake of the seemingly-cooling Onekawan affair.

For now, however? All anyone can do is wait.

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◾ Gran Aligonia's new leadership: Back to Normal or Something Else?
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