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[Virana]

Secretary of State Grant Meradala visits Romulă as Congress authorizes arming Bogorian pro-government militia
U.R. Secretary of State heads to Rodarian capital in wake of Romulă's military exercises as U.R. Congress officially sponsors Bogorian local defense forces

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Kader Tarek (@KaderTarek) and Donald Voortman (@DDVoortman)
^{February 17, 2015 10:21 pm | Oured, D.A., United Republic of Emmeria}

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U.R. Secretary of State Grant Meradala (left) meets with Rodarian Foreign Minister Mircea Basescu (right) in Romulă, Rodarion to discuss the evolving situation in Bogoria. Secretary Meradala expects to meet with Rodarian Consul Octavian Ceausescu later this week. WP photo

OURED, D.A., United Republic (UPN) — United Republic Secretary of State Grant Meradala arrived in Romulă this past Tuesday afternoon to discuss the emerging Bogoria crisis. The Bogorian civil war has left thousands dead and millions displaced, and it is the site of an evolving confrontation between the pro-CDI Bogorian government, and pro-Rodarion rebels.

The long-awaited visit comes in the wake of Rodarian military forces' announcement they would be conducting large-scale simulated war games near the Rodar-Bogorian border involving over 50,000 troops and 1,000 tanks, as reported by Rodarian state media.

WATCH: U.R. Navy tests railgun

The Department of Defense issued a press release stating they were "aware of the evolving circumstances surrounding Rodarian military exercises" and were "monitoring the situation." Defense Department authorities or Presidential Residence officials could not be reached for comment.

Related to the issue was a highly contentious bill that passed in the United Republic Senate on Tuesday morning authorizing the U.R. government to supply arms and training to pro-government militia, also known as the Bogorian local defense volunteers (LDVs). The U.R. has been supplying and training government military forces, but it never provided such training or equipment to local militia. The bill passed 22-18 in the Senate, with one abstaining. Last week, it passed in the House of Delegates 231-215, with five congressmen abstaining.

Report: U.R. military could have saved New Pontus

The Bogorian local defense militia units were formed by Bogorian President Algirdas Kirkilas in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in the Bogorian capital of Utena on February 2-3. The terrorist attacks left over 180 dead according to Bogorian authorities, and were described as a two-day "reign of terror" that ranked as the deadliest terrorist attack on Bogorian soil.

Also related to the issue is President Vaziri's signing order on the Congressional arms supply bill on Tuesday morning, which boosts the number of U.R. military advisors in Bogoria from 2,100 to up to 4,000. The president said the increased troop complement was intended to better train Bogorian forces, providing for adequate technical expertise of sophisticated U.R. systems such as weapons and equipment issued to the Bogorian Army and local defense militia.

PLF largest sports league in world by revenue, sets sights on quadrupling by 2025

"Now we only wait for Congress to authorize a long-term forces presence," Mr. Vaziri said in his post-signing conference with reporters. When asked what he thought about an air campaign against the rebels, Mr. Vaziri said, "All of our options are being considered, and unfortunately it is too early for me to provide you with a solid timeframe for that decision."

Secretary Meradala's visit to Romulă underscores an executive crisis in which U.R. President Alex Vaziri is reported to be strongly considering authorizing large-scale strikes against the Bogorian rebels, which the Presidential Residence has long claimed are being supported by Rodarion. Romulă has denied these claims, saying that it has not provided any support to the local insurgents.

Police: Shooting victim sought out road rage suspect

The Vaziri administration's foreign policy has recently been under fire because of a Congressional report released last Friday claiming President Vaziri was legally authorized to use military force to counter the Ankaran bombardment and invasion of New Pontus, a colony of Eagleland, a close U.R. ally, in contradiction to the Presidential Residence's statements placing the blame on Congress for not acting fast enough. The Ankaran attacks represented a grave humanitarian crisis, and the subsequent loss of New Pontus displaced 4.1 million civilians and turned a key global economic center into an industrialized ghost town.

It is important to note that a majority of CDI heads of state and foreign ministers were absent from the Romulă visit. Anthoran Prime Minister Thomas Dalen, accompanied by Prestonian Emperor Albert Francis, were in the country late last week to discuss various matters, but Bogoria was a minor issue in the conference. The Rodarian Ambassador to the United Republic, as well as the Rodarian Ambassador to the OPA, are expected to convene with U.R. authorities in Chaleur later this week, and Rodarian Foreign Minister Basescu is expected to visit Oured in a conference that is projected to involve more CDI representatives.

The meetings represent signs of emerging peaceful diplomacy in the midst of a brutal civil war and international confrontation.

Editor's note 2/19/15 10:09 pm: An earlier version of this article said that an executive order signed by President Vaziri Tuesday morning, separate from Congress's bill to authorize supplying arms to Bogorian self-defense militia, boosted the U.R. troop presence in Bogoria. In actuality, this move was made through a signing order President Vaziri included when signing the Congressional bill into law. UPN apologizes for this mistake, as it emphasizes factual accuracy in reporting.

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[Rodarion]

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Foreign Minister Basescu and Secretary of State Grant Meradala left the conference room in a sombre and tense mood

The meeting between Foreign Minister Basecu and the UR's Secretary of State, Grant Meradala has ended prematurely. Both appeared down-beat as they left the conference room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Giving a joint-press statement it had become clear that the Emmerians had presented facts that were not appropriate towards a peaceful solution. Secretary Maradala said, "the talks were not as productive as we would have hoped, but I believe we made some progress today." Minister Basescu was less optimistic, stating that a "a wide rift appears to be in the way of Bogorian peace, I do not believe either party has the means to bridge it." However both agreed to host a conference in Chaleur on Bogoria, which will include Anthor, Rodarion, Emmeria, Arthurista and Belhavia.

The meeting between the Papal Republic and United Republic today was expected to produce a common ground for peace in Lusankya, as the continent's two largest economies appear to be heading on a collision course, as the United Republic fails to recognise its actions are having seriously negative effects on the ground in Bogoria. In fact, today's failure, prompted by Emmerian aggression towards the Papal Republic, has caused many academics and observers to question how long Rodarion and Emmeria can remain civil as the former continues its rise and the latter, clearly growing resentful of the fact.

In a joint press conference before Sectary Meradala returns home, both offered the same conclusion but different outlooks on the future prospects of a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Bogoria. Minister Basescu made clear his objections to several Emmerian accusations, "according to officials in Oured, the Papal Republic is supporting terrorism, I was told of this accusation today in our discussions, it was not appreciated, it was unwarranted and unfounded. However I will respect that the Emmerian government has taken the view of the government in Utena that the rebels are terrorists, no matter how biased and false this is, it is a qualified opinion."

Secretary Meradala said, "although there is a difference of opinion between Romula and Oured, I believe we can overcome them, even if one side is determined to deny its direct hand in escalation. Accusations of escalating the conflict are abound these past few days, the United Republic has been accused of setting a disturbing precedent, whilst the Papal Army practices operations akin to an offensive against a mobile enemy, only 20km away from this country's shared border with Bogoria, yet despite the difference of opinion and misunderstandings, we can make a peace deal."

Speaking further, Minister Basescu said, "the Papal Republic and the United Republic have differing opinions on how to achieve peace in Bogoria, it appears that a wide rift appears to be in the way of Bogorian peace, I do not believe either party has the means to bridge it. However I am optimistic that a broader discussion with more calmer voices will produce a more workable roadmap towards a ceasefire and hopefully an eventual negotiated peace." Many in the Foreign Ministry are concerned that Emmerian hawks may use Bogoria as a means to create a crisis between the world's two most powerful states as a means to gain ground against more diplomatic prone figures in the Vaziri administration. Minister Basescu warned Secretary Meradala of using the Bogorian crisis as a 'vanity contest'.

The meeting began today as United Bogorian Liberation Forces (rebels) launched an all-out assault on the Rakovnik Enclave 60km south of the key town of Damnica. The UBLF have reportedly seized several Bogorian Defence Force checkpoints and have begun shelling BDF positions in Rakovnik town, UBLF units have also been spotted near the town of Pila, which saw a rebel attack several weeks ago, but was repelled. The Rakovnik Enclave is also home to the Rakovnik Air Force Base, which has been used to launch air attacks on civilians in the cities of Sobotka and Parczowce. Some 4,500 'Radanici' (collective term for northern ethnic groups; Czechs, Lithuanians and Latvians, used by rebel south) civilians remain trapped in the Enclave, with the BDF refusing to allow civilian aircraft into the airbase.

Konstantyn Serafin, military leader of the UBLF has vowed that every civilian in the Enclave will be give the same treatment southern civilians receive from the UBLF, stating that they're location means they are citizens of the new Bogorian Christian Republic, the UBLF has attempted to secure control of the A4 minor highway that runs through the enclave, to allow a route for the civilians to escape, but the BDF is reportedly fighting tooth and nail, to stop the rebels from doing such. A UBLF spokesman estimated that least 100 government soldiers have died so far in the fighting in Rakovnik, however the Bogorian government has denied these reports, replying that it has received word of three soldiers who have been killed in action, revealing continued Bogorian government lies.

Despite the tension visibly felt between Minister Basescu and Secretary Meradala, both have agreed to contact other governments directly involved in the Bogorian Crisis to formulate a group for the larger and broader conference in Chaleur, further discussions via phone calls are expected over the coming days. In the meantime, rebel forces are expected to make swift gains against the government in the surrounded and cut off pocket of Rakovnik.

Written by Zalán Egon.

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[Temuair]

Imperio Novas reporter missing, presumably kidnapped in Bogoria

Top: Bogorian authoresses search the area where Noela Noya was presumably abducted
Buttom: Photograph of Noela Noya provided by her family

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Dinsar – Astrid: A reporter with this station has been reported missing my authorities in Bogoria Wednesday morning after she failed to arrive in Librantowa yesterday afternoon.

The reporter, identified as 29 year old Noela Dores Noya, was shceudled to arrive in Librantowa, Bogoria Tuesday afternoon. She was assigned by Imprio Novas to cover the ongoing conflict in the region, and is confirmed to have landed safely in Bogoria.

Authorities located the vehicle she was reportedly traveling in; a marked Bogorian Ground Force Tarpan Honker utility vehicle, and the bodies of two Bogorian Defense Force soliders. These soldiers are confirmed to have been assigned to Ms. Noya as escorts. According to the searchers, there were spent brass casings around the vehicle and in the nearby fields; a sure sign that a firefight took place. The searchers also reported that Ms. Noya's belongs, her suitcase and recording equipment, reminded in the vehicle. Authorities suspect that the journalist was kidnapped by members of the United Bogorian Liberation Forces.

A press release from a government spokesmen in Bogoria's capital, Utena, issued this morning stated, "Currently we can not speculate on the identity of the kidnappers. We are investigating several possible clues and are unable to comment further."

Noela Dores Noya is a graduate of Demato University in Rucesion, and has worked for Imperio Novas for 5 years, starting in 2010. She has been assigned to the bureaus foreign news service for her entire career. She has no spouse or husband, but her parents, Lino Dores Noya and Catarina Noya did speak to reporters this evening.

"Please. I don't know who, or why anyone would want to hurt our daughter, or little girl, but please, return her. She has done nothing to you, nothing to anyone. Please. let her come home, please."

Artur Bartolomeu Corzo, CEO of Picon Media, the parent company of Imperio Novas, was unavailable for comment, but a memo issued from his office stated that the network is doing everything in its power to cooperate with the Aisling and Bogorian government to ensure the safe return of Ms. Noya.

Bogoria, located n the continent of Lusankya, has been embattled by a bloody civil war for months, where pro-Christian rebel forces have been battling secular government forces, and have reportedly made gains in the south of the nation, possibly even solidifying their hold on several key cities. The ongoing conflict has cost untold amounts of damage and shattered uncountable lives. Government estimates place the civilian death toll around 3,000, whereas military losses range from 2,500 rebel combats killed, to only a little over 1,100 friendly losses.

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More from Imperio Novas world news!

• Continuing coverage of the ongoing conflict on Bogoria
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  • [Analysis] The United Bogorian Liberation Forces: Who are they...and who is backing their play?
  • [Opinion] Emmerian forces could have saved New Pontas, could they have stopped the massacres in Bogoria?
  • Papal Army begins mass exercise near Bogorian border.
  • Arthuristan forces to begin peacekeeping operations in Bogoria
• Radical Bloc gains majority in the Arcevian Supreme Council - Tulese prepare for worst
• Ongoing hostilities cause tensions to flare of Bariya
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  • [Slideshow] Biography of Noela Dores Noya
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[Davisholm]

DBN reports
Chancellor endorses same-sex marriage
Adds that "not every province is ready yet"

The Chancellor has announced that she "personally" supports same-sex marriage, but that the government will continue to leave it an issue for provinces to decide. Her remarks come days before Swineland votes on a referendum on whether to abolish its laws on same-sex marriage.

Her remarks game during an interview with the Herald Sun newspaper.

Well personally, I'm in favour of it. And public opinion is turning in favour too. Gay marriage is not going to cause a social earthquake. Davisholm offers civil partnerships to gay couples in every province, so they already have the exact same rights as a married couple. But even so, there's no compelling reason why these couples should not be allowed to call their partnerships "marriages". Doing so would send a powerful clear message, that people who are born gay can live out their life just like everyone else can. Two of our largest provinces [Swineland and Hoylake] and the LCT have already legalised it and I haven't seen any apocalyptic social collapse going on there there.

Furthermore, she insisted that the government

Not every province is ready yet. So I don't think the federal government should take action on the issue. Maybe we could in the future, if a wide majority of the population and a cross-party majority of MPs are supportive. That's not the case now, but public opinion is changing fast. We would never force our MPs and MPPs to vote against their conscience on an issue like this. But I would encourage provincial governments, as well as the voters in Swineland, to support equality.

LGBT rights activists welcomed the move. Peter Rollings, the leader of Gay Rights Davisholm, said that "It is great news that the most powerful person in the country is now on the side of marriage equality. We thank Miss Deacon* for her influential endorsement." He added that "We would hope that the federal government would take action on the issue, instead of just voicing support for it. But we understand the political situation that the Chancellor faces. We can afford a delay in the arrival of same-sex marriage if it means that the public will be more accepting of it by the time it arrives."

George Whitworth, the leader of the Marriage Equality Campaign in Swineland, said that "We are thankful for the Chancellor's show of support." Whiteworth is an openly gay Liberal MPP** who is leading the campaign against the proposed abolition of same-sex marriage in the Swineland referendum. The rival Alliance for Marriage, which has a collective leadership, dismissed her statement as "a desperate attempt to appeal to young voters and be trendy from a politician who should have no business here." Mark Terry, the federal leader of the Union of the Right, said that "Our Chancellor, who is currently struggling for re-election, will pay a political price for supporting this left-wing social engineering."

Recent evidence suggests that support for same-sex marriage is gaining support among the population of Davisholm. A recent poll from DBN found that support was behind the opposition by a margin of 1% - well within the margin error. Support is much higher - as high as 75% - among voters aged 18-24. Voters who are city dwellers, left-wing, irreligious or female are more likely to support it. There is no evidence that income levels have much of an impact on voter's intentions. Several provincial parliaments also have same-sex marriage bills on the table and their MPPs are watching the Swineland campaign with interest.

In Swineland, voters are being asked whether same-sex marriage should be abolished, a year after it was implemented last year. So far, the 'No' vote has gained a comfortable and consistent lead in the opinion polls. But Whitworth has warned his supporters not to get "complacent" because of his belief that the referendum will attract a strong conservative turnout. "Just because the polls say we will win doesn't mean it's guaranteed." The most likely reasons for the is that the province is relatively left-wing and more urbanised. It also helps that the province has already legalised same-sex marriage. A majority of voters opposed the decision at the time, but since then they appear to have become more accepting of it. As Premier Jerry Mannion (who has refused to take a stance) admitted, "Same-sex couples have been marrying here for nearly a year now and it's hardly caused a disaster."

The pro-abolition campaign has also been hampered by internal divisions. The Alliance for Marriage is led by a 10-member leadership committee. One member (Socialist MP and Speaker of the Communes, Jerry Allen King) defected to the pro-equality campaign because he said he had changed his mind on the issue. The campaign's official platform argues that the group is not homophobic and supports civil partnerships as an alternative. But some of their supporters have attracted media attention for making homophobic statements. A Union of the Right MPP, Sam Davison, was recently expelled from the leadership committee after he said that same-sex marriage "legalised paedophilia". This prompted Martin Havering, the Bishop of Grimeford and the most senior Romulan Catholic in the province, also resigned from the leadership committee in protest. He said that Davison "should have a right to say his views." Photographers and video cameras have also noted a large number of homophobic slogans on protest signs during the Alliance for Marriage rallies.

Hugh Askam, another Liberal politician who supports same-sex marriage, said that "I think the Chancellor's marks may hamper the referendum campaign in Swineland. They may help to convince some right-wing voters that gay marriage is a 'lefty cause'. But I don't think it's a game changer. I don't think it will affect the next federal election result either. The economy and foreign policy are far more important issues then. Besides, she has said she would leave it to the provinces to decide for the time being."

*She's actually married, but all adult women are called "Miss" in Davisholm
**Member of Provincial Parliament

[Virana]

Disdained Basescu mocks Romulă peace conference as State Secretary Meradala remains optimistic
Bogoria talks in Romulă not "productive", as Rodarion ramps up anti-CDI rhetoric amidst its denial of support for terrorism

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Kader Tarek (@KaderTarek) and Donald Voortman (@DDVoortman)
^{February 17, 2015 10:21 pm | Oured, D.A., United Republic of Emmeria}

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U.R. Secretary of State Grant Meradala (left) meets with Rodarian Foreign Minister Mircea Basescu (right) in Romulă, Rodarion to discuss the evolving situation in Bogoria. According to reports, the talks were unproductive as the two sides were seeking alternative pathways to peace. WP photo

OURED, D.A., United Republic — U.R. Secretary of State Grant Meradala left Romulă disappointed but optimistic following the failure of U.R.-Rodarion talks over Bogoria in producing a peaceful compromise. A second round of negotiations is scheduled for Chaleur in the near future, that would involve a larger representation of CDI allies.

"The talks were not as productive as we would have hoped, but I believe we made some progress today," he told reporters at a press conference before boarding his flight to Oured.

However, Rodarian authorities railed him and the Vaziri administration for its stance on the matter. Rodarian Foreign Minister Basescu mocked Secretary Meradala in his statement to the press: "A wide rift appears to be in the way of Bogorian peace, [and] I do not believe either party has the means to bridge it." He would later express concern over the Vaziri administration's stance that the Rodarian government is officially supporting terrorism in Bogoria. The U.R., Belhavia, Arthurista, and Bogoria have accused Romulă of sanctioning terrorism in Bogoria, an accusation the Rodarians have consistently denied. The Rodarian foreign minister mentioned that the accusations are "false and biased."

Later during the joint press conference, Secretary Meradala confirmed his optimism blended within tongue-in-cheek remarks about Rodarian activities. "Although there is a difference of opinion between Romula and Oured, I believe we can overcome them, even if one side is determined to deny its direct hand in escalation. Accusations of escalating the conflict are abound these past few days. The United Republic has been accused of setting a disturbing precedent, while the Papal Army practices an invasion of Bogoria only 20 km away from its border," he said, referring to large-scale Rodarian military exercises near the Bogorian border that military analysts have said represent a Rodarian military takeover of the country. "Yet despite these differences and misunderstandings, I think we can make a peace deal."

The Ceausescu regime ramped up its anti-Oured rhetoric, with state-owned media reporting that "Emmerian hawks may use Bogoria as a means to create a crisis between the world's two most powerful states," accusing the Vaziri administration of attempting to "gain ground against more diplomatic prone [sic] figures" in the government.

In response, Presidential Residence officials have expressed concern over the increasingly militant pro-rebel activity from Rodarion, which lies in stark contrast to what Residence officials have described as "a longstanding olive branch to Rodarion," according to the Residence Press Secretary, referring to the Vaziri administration's continued desire to hold peace talks.

National Security Advisor Tom Callahan said in a statement released to the press that the Bogoria peace issue lies solely with Rodarion.

"Our vision is a stable, democratic Bogoria, a government we are willing to protect, that represents the diversity of the Bogorian people," he said. "The information available to me suggests this democratic Bogoria lies far outside of Rodarion's interests." He further accused Rodarion of conducting exercises to attempt to "forcibly coerce" the Bogorian government by "strong-arming" its power in central Lusankya.

"We have extensive empirical evidence that suggests Rodarion is exacerbating the Bogoria conflict," Callahan finished.

Emmerian olive branch still extended

U.R. officials say their "olive branch" efforts to secure a peaceful solution for Bogoria are still available. Secretary Meradala indicated that another conference would be held in Chaleur involving more CDI representatives, and the two sides, who now are more aware of each other's interests, would be more prepared for the negotiations, according to the nation's top diplomat.

Delegations from Arthurista, Anthor, Belhavia, Bogoria, and Prestonia are also expected.

A team of senior Aisling diplomats are expected to visit Oured also to discuss Bogoria in light of an apparent kidnapping of an Aisling press reporter, Noela Noya, likely by pro-Rodarion rebel forces. The pro-Rodarion rebels have also been accused of kidnapping two Arthuristan soldiers earlier this month, although this has yet to be confirmed.

The Residence has long accused the Bogorian rebels for conducting terrorist operations, such as kidnapping of civilians or noncombatants for political motives. President Vaziri released a statement regarding the kidnapping of the reporter.

"The kidnapping of Noela is a deplorable crime and a testament to their [the rebels'] opposition to the freedom of speech," he said during his weekly address. "My sincerest condolences lie with Noela's family and loved ones. Her kidnapping is not just an attack on Temuair, but an attack on all free people. We will do everything we can to preserve her safety." Vaziri said he spoke on the phone with Noya's family.

However, several U.R. authorities have said they will not seek a ransom deal, because deals of that nature usually promote more kidnappings in the future. They have advised against private fundraising efforts to seek a ransom. Her status is currently unclear, but Bogorian officials are investigating her disappearance.

Vaziri meets with senior advisors

President Vaziri has spent much of the past week in closed-doors meetings with several advisors. Sources that have requested anonymity say the primary topic of concern is the Bogoria issue.

"He is really contemplating his options in extensive detail," one source with links to various Presidential Residence officials told Warren News. The source requested anonymity because they were unauthorized to speak with the press. "As he sees it, he has to weigh every option and every little thing before he makes a move."

Some have accused the Vaziri administration of withdrawing from the public scene in the midst of what is now termed as the shellingate scandal, in light of a major Congressional report, published by a special committee formed to analyze the circumstances surrounding U.R. inaction in New Pontus. Those who hold these views argue the president is embarrassed by the scandal and his abandoning of a close U.R. ally, an action that has prompted large-scale Eaglelander protests outside the Emmerian embassy in Athens.

The public version of the Congressional report, at roughly 40 pages, describes how the United Republic military was prepared to act in New Pontus and turn the tide against Ankara, which bombarded the Eaglelander colony until its surrender, committing mass murder of civilians in the process. It asserts that Vaziri had the power to give the order to act, but chose not to, and blamed Congress for not acting fast enough.

An unredacted, classified 200-page version of the report is available to members of Congress. Anonymous sources say the full version of the report contains key details that were left out of the public version due to their sensitivity to national security. The report has sparked a widespread controversy around the Vaziri administration's foreign policy, which many say undermines the U.R.'s commitment to protect its allies around the globe.

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^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

[Bogoria1]

President Kirkilas denounces Papal Republic's support for terrorism

President Kirkilas accused Rodarion of exporting neo-crusadism to the South but was optimistic for the Oured Summit

February 20, 2015| 11.00 AM PCT | înregistrate| By: Filipina Bonkowska | @FBonkowskaBBC

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President Algirdas Kirkilas has spoken passionately in a live address to the nation and to the world today, as the Rodarian Papal Army continues to display overt aggression in its "exercises" near the border with Bogoria. His address also comes as terrorists began their assault upon the Rakovnik Enclave several miles south of terrorist held Ostra Gora. In his address President Kirkilas denounced the Rodarian government's deployment of regular forces in what was clearly a provocative move and also reaffirmed the Defence Force's belief that recent rebel successes are due to elite Rodarian fighters leading the way in the South, something the Papal Republic denies. The Rakovnik Air Force Base came under mortar and rocket fire, denying the pocket of valiant resistance any chance of resupply.

In his address to the world, President Kirkilas stressed that he was nation was under siege by malevolent forces inside and outside the country, "the nation I serve as President, is under siege by malevolent forces inside and outside its borders. Inside this nation's democracy is being attacked by former citizens who now owe their allegiance to the man in Romula and those who take orders from Romula, they besiege this nation also, with aggressive economic sanctions and supplying the internal malevolent forces with arms and even soldiers of their own."

Since the foundation of the so called "Bogorian Christian Republic" in the south, the fighting capabilities of the terrorists have expanded at a dramatic rate, they have succeeded in defeating several tactical anti-terrorist operations in the South, denying the BDF the opportunity to encircle Librantowa and liberate it from terrorist control. They have inflicted heavy losses on BDF soldiers as they advanced towards the strategic town of Damnica, with sadly 300 soldiers dead since the start of January. Many in the BDF and in the CDI believe that the rebels owe their success to Rodarian soldiers crossing the border and fighting alongside them, offering the BDF a full-trained and armed opponent.

Speaking further, President Kirkilas claimed his nation was the victim of neo-crusadism, a recent political term that has been circulating in relation to Rodarian opposition to the democratically elected government in Utena. "Neo-crusadism as it is now being called is the ideology of hate being used to kill my people, it has spread from Romula to the terrorists in the south, Rodarion's poisonous gift at supporting terrorism is here in Bogoria, killing innocent people and peace can only come to the heart of Lusankya once more if that poisonous hand is removed one way or another.

"They [Rodarion] can deny all they wish that they are not supporting the terrorists in this country, but in recent weeks we have seen a dramatic improvement in the rebel's ability to fight. According to BDF commanders in the field, they are not fighting a cohesive, directed and coordinated manner. A change like this does not happen overnight, nor does it fit the profile of the rag-tag volunteer terrorists and murderous gangs that wage war upon freedom and liberty in this country.

"This is also on top of the fact that the rebels now operate weapons that this nation does not possess, nor can they be found on the black market. They are Rodarian weapons, Rodarian designed, manufactured and used. Rodarian weapons are killing civilians and soldiers of this Republic, that is not just the truth that is the cold hearted reality, Romula appears to be blind to."

President Kirkilas in his address also vowed to find out what happened to Aisling journalist; Noelya Noya, who vanished earlier this week, after the vehicle she was travelling in was found crashed and her two BDF protectors dead at the roadside. "We will do all we can in this dark situation to find Miss Noya, unfortunately the situation is chaotic so it will take time, the moment we find out where she is, the family will be informed first. I offer the sympathises and love of this entire nation to Noya's friends and family, who must be in such terrible pain, not knowing what has happened to this sweet young woman."

However the Defence Force does not believe the rebels will demand a ransom, instead they fear she will be held in captivity to deny the world audience evidence of their crimes against the Bogorian people, let alone deny the world audience undeniable proof of Rodarian involvement in the escalation of violence in the South.

However President Kirkilas agreed that peace talks between Bogoria, CDI states and Rodarion could prove positive, especially if the Papal Republic is willing to accept that its support for terrorism will alienate it.

"I believe that any broad discussion between key nations and the two major powers of the world will secure a path towards peace, or at least a ceasefire. But it depends solely upon Romula's agreement that supporting the terrorists in Bogoria will fail as this nation will overcome them, as this nation has overcome every obstacle and enemy to its prosperity and security. I hope for the sake of this country's future and the future of Lusankya that the talks prove successful, if they fail I do not see further opportunities to secure a peace worthy of the people of this nation, they must succeed."


BBC's Filipina Bonkowska contributed to this report.

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MORE IN PARDES

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[The Eagleland]

Emmerian New Pontus Report Intensifies Public Unrest.
Public weariness towards CDI membership, Emmerian and Belfrasian Government Intensifies.
^{20 February 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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Εagleland Police presence before the Emmerian Embassy has been augmented in light of recent protests.

Athens, Lekanopedion Attikis — Earlier this week, an independent committee of the U.R. Congress, made up of groups of senators, released a report, 40-pages long for a public report and 200-pages long for a classifed version of said report, regarding the capacities of the U.R. Military to intervene in the humanitarian crisis of New Pontus but at the same time exposing a failure of the U.R. Federal Government to issue an order of intervention. This is referred to as the shellingate scandal and has caused massive public outcry in the Eagleland proper and by the Eaglelander Emmerian community in the U.R.

According to a news article of Warren News (Tarek, Kader; Voortman, Donald, 2015), President Vaziri ordered top military leaders to prepare a Measured Response Package (MRP), a type of military operational plan designed as a measured response to short-term crises. Military leaders, according to the report, planned a large-scale evacuation effort using the strategic transportation resources of the United Republic Air Force, widely regarded as the largest and most capable air transportation organization in the world. They planned to launch airstrikes on known Ankaran artillery positions to end the shelling.

In the same report, such an authorisation was never issued by the Senate, but the Use of Military Force Act of 1970 could have been applied. Under such a law, the Emmerian Government may execute wartime operations for more than sixty (60) days, without approval of Congress. This inaction caused an uproar in the Eagleland, leading to the decision of the Eagleland Government to recall it's military attache from the United Republic and the Kingdom of Belfras.

The Eaglelander Government Press Representative affirmed before a press conference before the Emmerian-Eaglelander Union: "This temperament is only temporary in nature. Our alliance will remain unaltered, and we will still live up to our expectations as equal members of the Central Defence Initiative. However, we will not leave the Vaziri Administration off the hook for their failure to react in order to assist us according to the CDI Charter, nor will we appologise on behalf of our people or sections of government for their sentiment. To this end, this government will recall our military attache, Brigadier Tasos Antoniou (Infantry), from the Eagleland Embassy in Oured, D.A., until otherwise suited for his return."

"Reflecting the failure of Belfrasian Forces to assist in the defence of New Pontus, in spite of the presence of Belfrasian Military units in the immediate area of operations, which preceded that of the Imperial [Belhavian] Navy which did participate in combat operations, an action which we commend, the Eagleland Government announces that the consulate-general to the Kingdom of Belfras, Ms. Maria Tsigannidi, will be recalled, as we will continue re-assessing relationships with the Belfrasian Kingdom. Nevertheless, as mutual members of the CDI, in honour of our obligations and our understanding of global geopolitics, we retain common ground and we are prepared to assist both the United Republic and the Kingdom of Belfras, whenever necessitated.", reassured the press representative. No questions were answered.

In spite of these moves, public uproar for the failure of Emmerian Government to intervene, and the perceived treachery of the Belfrasian Government, have increased. A total of 5,000 protesters have gathered at the Belfrasian Embassy and 2,400 at the Emmerian Embassy in Constantinople, KCT. In spite of the heavy police presence, protesters have raised vandalised U.R. Flags, humiliating and offensive images of President Vaziri, and two Rodarian flags have been identified as part of the crowd. Signs include "Bogoria is next" and "Rodarian Century". On the other hand, protests at the Belfrasian Embassy have described as 'marginally stable'. Belfrasian flags were burned and signs raised included the terms/phrases "Traitors", "You are NOT Greeks" and several vurglarities.

Police say the atmospehere in both instances is 'volatile', and more than 500 police have been called. The protest permits are scheduled for an earlier termination, as the atmosphere is tense, but the risk of a riot erupting in front of the embassies remains high.

The Eaglelander Political Scenery became more combative, with pro-Emmerian politicians slammed as 'traitors'. The most extreme of statements, that of SDEKA MP Efi Iakovopoulou (DA - SDEKA), mentioned: "Anyone who argues that Emmeria is still our 'friend' now, that their own government released a report which justifies their capacity for involvement, is a traitor to the millions of New Pontites killed, raped, incenerated by the barbarians of the Ankaran Union, as well to the millions of New Pontites the Government is theoretically trying to help. It is only recently that this administration has released a plan to integrate them, and even so we will need to take loans to assimilate them. In any case, I shall use Emmerian and Belfrasian flags as a substitute for toilet paper."

SYNKA MP Pavlos Ioannou (MA - SYNKA), responded to her statement: "Ms. Iakovopoulou is a hypocrite. By spreading such rhetoric, she is taking the situation to the extremes, capialising on our people's anger to become politically powerful. Fact of the matter is that we have taken it too far, but her statements is something else. I am sure one day you will all see that, had we not sacrificed New Pontus, millions of people would have died, been raped or sold as slaves to Alderania [Ulthrannia]. President Theodoropoulos is a man of honour, and he certainly has the intestinal fortitude to deal with stupid people like her, because a military operation to reclaim New Pontus would be exhausting and prohibitively expensive. For that, he is a hero, not a traitor, and our justices decided not to execute him unanimously; that says something."

Reports that President Theodoropoulos received a death threat from an anonymous source have been rejected by the Special Investigations Directorate.

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Athens, Lekanopedion Attikis. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, KCT.

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MORE IN WORLD

• Negotiations in Rodarion Failed? [ 4,569 ]
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© ENT 2014

[Virana]

Eagleland student sentenced to death penalty for using the wrong "your"
Eagleland increases punishments on students from "pussy punishments" to "proper moral punishments"

^{SHARE THIS:}

^{February 20, 300 BCE 10:21 pm}

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ATHENS — An Athens student at a major university was issued the death sentence this past week in light of Eagleland's increased punishments for students defiling the English language. The country used to have weak punishments for students, but now has strengthened them in an attempt to reform its education system.

Reports say the student used the wrong "your" in an essay turned in to the teacher. The full sentence read: "such my dick, im not gnna do you're shitty paper".

Human rights officials expressed their satisfaction with the Eaglelander decision to sentence the student to death for violating third-grade English grammar rules. Authorities say the student was in eighth grade, and thus fully should have known which "your" to use in the sentence. The new punishment system is envisioned to be highly effective in preventing the ongoing moral bankruptcy of society, where good things like loyalty and telegraphs have been replaced by materialism and cell phones.

In other news, an Eaglelander student was sentenced to 50 lashes for crying when taking 50 lashes. Authorities say they may reconsider the punishment and instead place the student at the Guillotine.

Additionally, Eaglelander philosopher Aristotle recently published a paper on a new scientific field he calls "geology".

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INFERIOR NEWS FROM INFERIOR SOURCES ON THE WEB

• Emmerian New Pontus Report Intensifies Public Unrest [ 1824 ] (ENT News)
• President Kirkilas denounces Papal Republic's support for terrorism [ 2782 ] (BBC)
• Disdained Basescu mocks Romulă peace conference as State Secretary Meradala remains optimistic [ 1003 ] (Warren)
• Davisholm Chancellor endorses same-sex marriage [ 193 ] (DBN)

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© The Garlic 2015

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5871 comments

^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

[The Eagleland]

Grinko: "Bariya will become a superpower!"
Bariya must obtain nuclear weapons, according to Vyacheslav Grinko
^{7 FEBRUARY 2015 | By Konstantin Kyriakinov (REN News)}

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Bariya wants to design the world's most effective nuclear weapons!

Koldiv, Bariya — In an act of defiance in a world where eveyone wants to consume Bariya for it's extreme wealth and power, First Citizen Vyacheslav Grinko has announced plans to develop nuclear weapons 'as soon as possible.' This comes at a time when our land, as stated by the First Citizen before the Senate, "is being threatened by the vultures of the International Capital, led by imbecile and corrupt Prestonia, misguided Anikatia, forgotten Sieuxerr, 'Estovnia' (if you count it as a state) and our mortal enemies Gratislavia (led by imbeciles who command an army who rely on whores for survival) and third-world Valinor."

"This is compounded by the Coward Drowning League, led by fat Emmeria, cold and insidious Belhavia, wounded Belfras, scared Arthurista, autocratic Eagleland, insignificant Davisholm and non-existent Erucia, to take into account Rodarion's pet, Anthor. Of course, the Romula Cohabitation Organisation, made up by poor Rodarion, messed-up Ulthrannia, terrorised Tarsas and frozen Deusaeuris are not our friends, either."

Citizen Grinko has condemnned the Prestonian Government's unlawful conviction of our comrade captain Vladimir Martinovic on five counts of 'narcotics trafficking'. "Citizen Captain Martinovic did not fall in vain. We will honour his memory, and we shall raise a statue in the factory where we make Barinaya. He is a hero of our people, and so is his defence solicitor. We will offer him the title of Honourable Citizen of the People's Republic of Bariya, which is the greatest honour we give to our foreign heroes. As for the cowards that made up the jury and the government of Prestonia, I wish you a happy trip to hell."

He then went to explain the new militarisation plan in detail. "The esteemed people of Bariya order the development of nuclear weapons! We will fund as much as we can our programmes, designed to create nuclear weapons. We will pay a lot of money for top class nuclear scientists, we will exploit our resources of uranium and aspire to create a new nuclear weapon by a classified date. In the meantime, we will also develop other weapons designed to cause maximum mayhem on our esteemed enemies."

He then added: "It is the most ambitious project ever undertaken by this people."

The Bariyan People's Army will remain on high alert 'eternally', as stated by the First Citizen, and resources will be drawn from a redesign of Bariya's economy. As he mentioned: "Frankly, to protect Bariya we need more funds. And the way we will achieve this is by nationalising all our shipping firms, and all ships flying Bariyan flags will now be seized and controlled by the Bariyan Government. We have had enough on shipping companies using our flag as a flag of convenience. But the real move is in nationalising everything. We will now seize every single enterprise in Bariya, creating a system where the Government aims to make our citizens happier. Every single firm in Bariya will be nationalised and if the dirty foreigners don't like it, they should grab their passports and get out now!"

Reactions from the west will be met with a sign of indifference by the First Citizen. "The evil, corrupt, fat and stupid Emmerians have nuclear weapons, the good, smart, hardworking but otherwise corrupt Rodarians have nuclear weapons, too. Even those insidious, incapable and weak Prestonians want nuclear weapons. Why shouldn't Bariya obtain nukes of it's own? If they have nuclear weapons and say "Bariya shouldn't have nuclear weapons", then they are hypocrites! To this, we say Bariya strong! Once we obtain nuclear weapons, Bariya will become a superpower!"

His plan has been approved by the National People's Congress, which approved the plan unanimously with 5,000 votes for the implementation of the new plan.

Konstantin Kyriakinov, our correspondent, has reported for REN News from Koldiv, Bariya. This article has been assessed and verified by the Editorial Team of REN News.

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MORE IN PARDES

• Are 57% of Prestonians Scared of Grinko? They should.
• Bogoria: CDI failures mount.

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© RENN 2014

[Tiami]

BREAKING: Saral Nuclear Reactor in Meltdown: Mass Evacuations in Saral

Saral Nuclear Power Plant in June 2014
By Hilary Welker (@H_WelkerANI)
February 21, 2015

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Saral, Kalenia-

Nearly three millions citizens are in the process of evacuating Kalenia's fifth largest city, Saral, after this morning's sudden meltdown at the Saral Nuclear Power Plant's Reactor 1. The Saral nuclear plant was built in 2001 as an alternative to coal-powered plants. It has only two reactors. Sitting along Saral Creek, the power plant is Saral's largest power producer and one of it's biggest employers. Emergency workers are currently working to evacuate the city as the meltdown intensifies. Workers at the plant were able to get out before the meltdown began, though they, as with other citizens, will be tested for radiation poisoning.

While there is no evidence of how the meltdown began, it can be assumed that the event stems from the loss of coolant in the reactor. When the coolant slows, or is stopped, temperatures spike inside the reactors, causing radiation to spew out and even explosions to occur though explosion are nowhere near the size of an atomic blast. The full rods are usually the first pieces of the reactor to melt. Workers were unable to recirculate coolant in time, which rules out the meltdown as being a partial nuclear meltdown. A nuclear reactor's coolant can vary, but in Saral's case, it's coolant is water.

Emergency workers are in a race against time as they dump hundreds of tons of water into the reactor core to cool it off and prevent more radiation from spewing out of Reactor 1. Reports from inside the scene have stated that since the coolant was left unchecked for too long, the fuel rods that have melted have created a molten sludge (nuclear lava) at the bottom of the reactor. Workers are dumping materials like boron, clay, lead, and sand into the reactor to help to limit the sludge's ability to eat through the reactor floor and into the ground, thus preventing contamination of groundwater.

Wind currents have westerly winds, sending tons of radiation towards it's Ashizwe neighbors. Eagleland is likely to receive the most. From monitoring current trends, radiation will impact northern Eagleland, far away from much of Eagleland's farmland is. Nazali, Kimbazwe, and the Republic of Niyeria are also expected to receive radiation. Radiation in minimal amounts is also expected to reach off-continent nations, though when is a question unknown to authorities at the moment.

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MORE IN POLITICS

• What is Really Going on in Bogoria? [ 9,385 ]
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© ANI 2015

[Arcevia]

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UAAF acquires Estovakivan tanks as defence budget is expected to increase, Ezalia Marcus: "No comment on RCO membership."
Increases in defence spending means Army and Marines gets new tanks, No decision yet as Director of Foreign Policy Ezalia Marcus commented on possible RCO membership.

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Ezalia Marcus: "No comment on possible RCO membership."
No decision yet as Director of Foreign Policy Ezalia Marcus commented on possible RCO membership.
February 22, 2015
By: Maximilian Peters

Director of Foreign Policy Ezalia Marcus speaking at the Supreme Council Chambers.

Davenport, Arcevian Republic of Pendragon - The possibility of moving away from the policy of armed neutrality is currently the topic in the Supreme Council today following Supreme Chancellor Alexander Stockton addressed the Union in the annual Address of the Chancellor. The Supreme Chancellor spoke of becoming more active in Pardesi regional politics not only in the country's growing trade with the rest of the region. The decision to review the current foreign policy follows the recent acquisitions of 1900 units of Estovakivan T-96 MBTs by the Arcevian Directorate of National Defence and the design contest being planned by the Arcevian Navy to replace the old Archangel-class carrier.

During the weekly press announcement by the Director of Public Relations, the government has decided it will not comment on the RCO membership. "The Director of Foreign Policy is currently working with the Supreme Chancellor on the government's chances of joining RCO as an observer partner."

The alliance in question, the RCO, or the Romulă Cooperation Organisation, is a major power bloc founded in 2009 as an alternative to the Central Defence Initiative. The Supreme Council has considered submitting a request for membership in 2009 during its founding. The decision was vetoed by former Supreme Chancellor Katherine Ryan (M), citing the country's historic foreign policy of Armed Neutrality. According to the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, a session is being planned this year for a discussion on RCO observer membership.

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UAAF acquires Estovakivan tanks as defence budget is expected to increase, new carrier replacement planned.
Increases in defence spending means Army and Marines gets new tanks, Arcevian Navy currently plans for new carrier.
February 22, 2015
By: Helen Kinnear

An Estovakivan T-96 Main Battle Tank (source: Izhevsk Design Bureau)

Davenport, Arcevian Republic of Pendragon - The Unified Arcevian Armed Forces is expected to have their new weapon systems in service within two months as new winter 2015 defence budget was approved by Supreme Chancellor Alexander Staunton. The Arcevian Directorate of National Defence was given an extra AR₴ 20 billion mandatory spending open to further discretionary spending to increase the effectiveness of all branches of the UAAF. Following the approval, the Arcevian Army has approved of the pending acquisitions in Estovakiva needed to supplement the Arcevian-built M-60 Archer MBTs. The Arcevian Air Force Branch has also approved of several upgrades to the existing F-616 Zephyrus fighters and C-750-S Super Titan transport aircraft. The Arcevian Navy also approved several upgrades to F-108 Hecatonchires carrier-borne fighters as well as upgrades to existing tanks of the Arcevian Marine Corps and an inquiry for replacement of the current carrier.

The Directorate of National Defence is also planning to release the acquisition report summary to the public once the acquisitions were made.

The recent increase the defence spending comes after the government-supported study made by the University of Fort MacArthur. The report outlined several key points that the Arcevian government required upgrading or replacing. It also pointed at the need to replace the current flagship of the Arcevian Navy, the carrier ARS Archangel Gabriel. A summarized version of the report was approved and released to the public yesterday.

[Ulthrani]

Ulthrannic Armed Forces to have two new bases in Ashizwe
Ricardo Landin| February 22nd, 2015

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Construction of the new Puerto Marfil Military Complex near Benguela, Huamba

Ulthrannia's Armed Forces are expected to gain new military reach after two separate yet closely timed deals were made with the governments of Huamba and Westonaria, respectively. Last night Vicar Octavio Magallanez de Fe acting on behalf of the Imperial government met with President Francisco Estrada of the Democratic Republic of Huamba and signed a lease deal allowing a Ulthranic military complex near the capital of Benguela. This news comes as another deal was struck between the Imperial Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando Calderon de Castro y Casal and President Hendrik Pienaarof Westonaria in Centurion today. The Imperial Foreign Office reports that these dealings were not planned simultaneously and that they were agreed to in the current timeframe coincidentally.

"With the new status of our Empire's military and the evolving threats facing her, the need to rebuild our ability to project power has become more and more demanding" A spokesperson for Lord Admiral Eduardo Jose Gutiérrez, Duke of Santander said during a press briefing today in Los Reyes in regards to the expansion of military power eastwards. "The Lord Admiral would like for all of you to know that the current military reforms will allow for the re-formation of the Ashizwean Fleet and that at such time no ships or troops have left for these new bases."

Westonaria has agreed to give a retiring naval base in the municipality of Hendriksburg to the Imperial Navy and can house six ships of the new Ashizwean fleet and a battalion from the Tropas de Ultramar for rapid reaction responses across the continent. Ulthrannic military sources say that there are plans to expand the naval base to make it the port of call for the Ashizwean fleet. The base of Puerto Marfil in Huamba, however, is to be a large military base that houses a small airstrip, naval capacity and barracks for ground forces and is currently under construction. The Department of Infrastructure in Huamba reports that the deal will allow for some five thousand new jobs for the improvished country and her workforce; although construction will be handled alongside with Fortaleza Construcción, the construction division of the infamous private military contractor Fortaleza Internacional and government-backed construction specialists from Ulthrannia.

The news of the bases has caused protest by some in Huamba, Westonaria and even the Ulthrannic Empire. Isaella Perez Belmonte, the leader of the United Left Party and the current President of the Grand Assembly has called for a re-evaluation on the part of the Imperial government. "With the growth in our economy and all the positives that has come in the last decade must we now waste more of our precious resources and revenue on two irrelevant military bases in order to satisfy some desire to feel like an Empire."

The Emperor has declined to comment on the issue.

By RTVO Correspondent Ricardo Landin

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IMPERIAL NEWS

• Golden Sea Wargames: A threat to regional stability?
• A New Great Game?
• Unemployment crisis

MORE FROM RTVO

• Bogorian Civil War
• Kalenian nuclear crisis
• Romula peace talks stall

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[Ulthrani]

Exercise GOLSEA 2015 commences
Alejandro Martin Vazquez| February 23rd, 2015

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Rodarian troops during military exercises

The largest naval exercise for the Romula Cooperation Organization to date, Golden Sea Exercise 2015 (more commonly known as GOLSEA 2015) - commences with a majority of RCO nations, 150+ ships, thirty submarines, more than six hundred aircraft and over 60,000 ground troops participating in and around the Elystrian Islands in Livrichese territory. Hosted by the Unified Armed Forces of the Grand Ulthrannic Empire and the Royal Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of Livirica, it plans to be one of the defining moments of military co-operation amongst the member states of the Romula Co-operation Organization.

The largest contributor to the wargames is the host nation of Ulthrannia, deploying some fifty warships, ten submarines and twenty five thousand troops from the Imperial forces and state forces. Though close behind are the Papal Armed Forces deploying thirty warships headed by her Virtue Class Supercarrier, the HHS Poitr Virtutea and some fifteen thousand of her troops to the exercise. The Imperator class battlecruiser also had some attention made to it as Ulthrannic naval commanders were interested in buying the Battlecruiser to supplement current heavy surface vessels of her kind.

"It is one of the largest military exercises in the world and certainly the largest in the history of the Ulthrannic naval history" Enrique Ibanez, maritime historian at the University of Vina del Mar commented on the coming war games. It wasn't only a grand display of warships and troop formations but also of the Empire's higher echelon of military command.

All of the Armed Forces' Supreme Commanders, Lord Generals and Admiral were present at the commencement ceremony in Sedel, Asturia the home of the Imperial Golden Sea Fleet. Though the proceedings were headed by Lord Admiral Eduardo Jose Gutiérrez, the Duke of Santander, Lord General Martin Izquierdo de la Torre of the Imperial Army and Lord General Francisco López Ballesteros of the Tropas del Ultramar were given importance as well. Though out of respect the representative of the Militarily Sovereign States of the Empire and of the host state, Livrichese Captain General Ernesto Pecori Giraldi was given equal stance alongside his fellow commanders.

"This is Ulthrannia's way of showing off a new military might, that the reforms that have plagued political life in the Empire do not effect the progress made in the military and her hierarchy" Andrew Keaton, an lecturer in politics and international relations from the University of Morena in the URE has noted, saying that this is display of power is both to show itself to the world and to its allies that it is no longer the "rusting, inflated sledgehammer of the east" as called by political analysts in the western countries many years ago. He also notes that the exercises serve a dual role externally and internally saying that "The Empire gets a two in one deal because while it is able to share stratagem, technologies and experience with fellow member states it is also able to get the experienced navies and armies of the RCO to assist training the crews and regiments of the Empire's own states."

Some are raising concern that it is in a way an act of intimidation and sabre-rattling on behalf of the RCO governments towards those of the CDI and non-aligned states. With nations like Cata Larga, a former Ulthrannic possession and Eagleland who owns New Cyprus off the coast of Cata Larga and near Senamique may take the hosting of the RCO Wargames in the Golden Sea as a slight against them. Though Lord Admiral Gutiérrez, who is currently the Chair of the Emperor's Military Council, has made statements akin to that of the Imperial Foreign Office that claim that Cata Larga, Eagleland and select Ashizwean states were invited to observe and partially partake in the GOLSEA exercises.

Earlier this year, elements of the Imperial government spurred on by a speech from Livirica's new Grand Duchess called for the return of formerly Ulthrannic territories in the Golden Sea. This caused tension and military buildups in some of the CDI nation-states as many did not take the rhetoric of the Empire's leadership lightly, especially with the growing trend of ultranationalist movements in the Empire. And along with yesterday's report of military base expansion on the Ashizwean continent and Kalenia's admission into the CDI, the wargames may only put a further divide in RCO-CDI relations.

By RTVO Correspondent Alejandro Martin Vazquez

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IMPERIAL NEWS

• Golden Sea Wargames: A threat to regional stability?
• A New Great Game?
• Unemployment crisis

MORE FROM RTVO

• Bogorian Civil War
• Kalenian nuclear crisis
• Romula peace talks stall

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[Ulthrani]

Suicide bomber kills twelve near border of Ulthrannic Ashizwe
Raul Guerrero de Santiago| February 23rd, 2015

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Aftermath of suicide attack in Zbarya

At least twelve people have been killed and dozens wounded, when a young female suicide bomber detonated herself outside a market in the Albiyan border town of Zbarya in the Chalya Governorate, witnesses said. "She refused to be checked by the guards outside of the town, then all of a sudden she must have detonated her bombs and that killed many many people, even more were wounded" One eyewitness claimed over the phone to RTVO correspondents in the Albiyan capital of Al-Kema. Eyewitness testimonies are sketchy, but the general consensus did have described a young girl, estimating that she could not have been more than fourteen or so years old.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the armed group Ansar Dine al-Alemibyya has been carrying attacks across the country. Ansar Dine al-Alemibyya, which opposes the Albiyan president Sakhr Ghazzawy and his calls for a solely Ashizwean Albiya along with a multicultural society; has been fighting the government since 2009 to establish an Islamic state. The group appears to be on the run in many parts of Albiya, but it continues to carry out attacks inside the country as well as carrying out attacks on the Livrichese border.

This is the latest in a series of suicide bombings, violent sprees and clashes near the formerly Livrichese now Ulthrannic border and as Albiya continues to spiral out of control, members of the Grand Assembly and Court of Nobles have begun to sign a petition for Emperor Carlos X to authorize military action against the unstable Republic. The situation in Albiya is also apparently on the table with talks in Centurion between the Ulthrannic Empire and the Union of Westonaria, with hints that the Catalarguense Commonwealth will also be consulted on the issue.

"I know you all would like this to be an solely Imperial crusade and stabilizing mission" The Emperor said in opening today's session of the Court of Nobles "But we must allow the Ashizwean nations to deal with a problem that has been handed to us by chance. Yes, we are now in the neighbourhood but we will not be the continent's policemen and night terror."

By RTVO Correspondent Raul Guerrero de Santiago

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IMPERIAL NEWS

• Golden Sea Wargames: A threat to regional stability?
• A New Great Game?
• Unemployment crisis

MORE FROM RTVO

• Bogorian Civil War
• Kalenian nuclear crisis
• Romula peace talks stall

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[Rodarion]

200 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies crossed into Bogoria this morning destined for Sobotka

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Soldiers of the United Bogorian Liberation Forces (UBLF) , have successfully forced the surrender of over 1,000 Bogorian government soldiers in the small enclave of Gryzgawa, this comes a day after UBLF forces launched an offensive against the enclave and the larger pocket in Rakovnik. At least 300 government soldiers are believed to have been killed in the fighting, whilst the rebels confirmed 58 deaths amongst their ranks. The fall of the Gryzgawa enclave now puts pressure on the neighbouring Oskava enclave to surrender also, with UBLF commander Konstantyn Serafin revealing that UBLF units have been in contact with BDF units in the surrounded pocket, ensuring their safe withdrawal to government held territory to the north.

In a victory being played down by the rebels, the situation is slowly turning against the government's bloody rampage through southern Bogoria. When the UBLF take Rakovnik and Oskava enclaves, they will have complete and total control over their rear areas. The fall of Rakovnik Air Force Base will also deny the BDF the ability to attack targets in the deep south by air and stand as the final piece of government control in the south being trampled out. The Bogorian Ministry of Defence has not commented on the news of the enclave's surrender.

In recent days, over 3,000 UBLF fighters have launched attacks on the Rakovnik enclave from three different directions, north, south and west, with smaller probing attacks in the east. The BDF has struggled to maintain its defences, with the air force base under constant mortar and rocket fire, the Bogorian Air Force has been unable to deliver air supplies in large enough quantities to secure a prolonged resistance. With news recently broken of a Bogorian transport plane being shot down after dropping supplies from the air, the probability of continued air drops is unlikely.

Wislaw Sokol, leader of the rebel Bogorian Christian Republic said in a live radio address across the south, that today's victory was merely the first few baby steps towards victory. "We have begun taking the small baby steps towards victory over the squatters in Utena, the victory in Gryzgawa is one of those baby steps, a victory nonetheless correct, but a small one that will no doubt play a key role in our overall victory over racialism, fascism and injustice."

Speaking further, Sokol said, "we are facing grave times, I cannot vow that things will get better, but in time, not matter how long, they will get better, we will strike down our enemies wherever they be, we will reach Utena, we will liberate this land from their fascistic oligarchic greed and we will expel their CDI puppet masters. We do not war upon the Radanici groups, we war with them. We can all bring down the fascists in Utena, we can all live in justice and free of corruption, that is why I call out to every Radanici in the South, do not side with the oligarch fascists, who would steal from you and this land, stand with us, stand with us as we fight for equality of citizenship, equality of opportunity and an economy that benefits this nation and not the few that use force to protect their stolen money, fight with us cousins."

This morning, 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed the Vistula River which forms the border between Rodarion and Bogoria; crossing at the Saint George Bridge, they are bound for Sobotka where the aid will then be distributed out to Librantowa, Ostra Gora and God willing, Konin. However the likelihood of the aid reaching the city is low, due to the government's siege of the key transport hub of Damnica.

A second convoy is due to cross the border next week, after several weeks of food and clothing collections by the Church. The Rodarian Red Cross is expected to dispatch support teams tomorrow, their tasks will focus on assisting local hospitals and paramedics and assist rebel soldiers in searching through rubble to find survivors, usually in the aftermath of murderous government air strikes. One airstrike today in Konin killed 13 people, including four children and with the rebels lacking the expertise or tools for search and rescue in such conditions, many more are fear dead under the heap of rubble.

The RRC has made clear its serious concern at the humanitarian crisis developing in Southern Bogoria, with over 800,000 people now seeking refuge in Rodarion and at least another 300,000 internally displaced in the South, the RRC has warned that unless serious funding from the OPA is given, the Bogorian crisis could result in a major humanitarian crisis not seen in Lusankya since the Bogoria War in the 1940s.

The Catholic Church has begun arranging volunteer groups to travel into Bogoria and assist in the distribution aid, offering medical services and search and rescue, several Church Societies such as the Jesuits and Opus Dei have already dispatched volunteers to assist in the civil defence of the South. Cardinal Secretary of State, Remus Draganescu is expected to travel to Utena in the coming days to urge the Bogorian government to negotiate with the rebels and pursue a ceasefire on their own terms, whilst world leaders ready to travel to Oured to discuss possible routes for peace, the Church has denied that it is trying to undermine the Oured talks, by saying "it is best to pursue peace in two lanes rather one."

Written by Zalán Egon.

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[Tippercommon]

ARMED MILITIA BOMBS EVERMORE DEPOSITORY, HOLD COUNTRYSIDE HOSTAGE
The Defense Ministry declares Ayton-based paramilitary force a terrorist organization
Margarita Pilegard (@OfficialMargarita) and Adam Chapman (@ChapHapMan)
^{26 Feb 2015 6:50 am | Evermore, Ayton-Shelvay}

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A group of volunteers from the 2nd Evermore Company posing on the border of Ayton-Shelvay and Hyperion at the height of the Tippercommon Civil War, July 2014.
The image was pulled from the website of the Union of Volunteers before it was terminated by the UTR government.
(Courtesy of the Union of Volunteers)

EVERMORE, Ayton-Shelvay — At 3:45AM on 26 February, the tame streets of Downtown Evermore erupted in flame as multiple bombs were detonated in and around the Evermore Republic Depository. Twenty UTR Marines tasked with guarding the building were killed in the blast with the lone civilian casualty being a taxi driver who lost control of his cab after the blast. The Depository was leveled, prompting a quick response from the Evermore Fire Brigade who has closed down Grand Avenue indefinitely. The Justice Ministry announced in a press brief this morning that it would be deploying agents from the Republic Agency of Investigation (RAI) in response to the attack and the Treasury Department has stated that it will be sending officers to secure the Depository's gold deposits. As the nation's fourth largest gold depository, the Evermore Republic Depository - as reported in the last gold audit in 2008 - holds 515 tons of gold worth URD$18.1 billion at current market value. It is unclear how much damage the depository's main vault received, but the attack will likely shake Tippercommon's gold market when the TCSM opens this morning.

The Union of Volunteers, a left-wing populist paramilitary organization, claimed responsibility on their website which was promptly terminated by its host upon request from the UTR government. The UV attributes its actions to the "unfair fiscal policy" which Parliament has imposed on Ayton in recent years and the "stranglehold the Treasury has on us, the people" through its "destructive" monetary policy. The organization which was founded in 1979 in tandem with the left-wing insurgency in Hyperion had not engaged in an act of terror until the attack on the depository, but had marketed itself as a force which would check the power of the UTR in the region should its "tyranny" become unacceptable. Its numbers have been bolstered in recent months with the RAI reporting that many former members of the Free Hyperion Movement and the New Aytonian Society, the two primary aggressors in the Civil War of 2006, had fled to the countryside and joined the UV's ranks to avoid arrest. Based on a RAI report, the UV has approximately 21,000 members, the majority of which form the local Communist Party leadership. According to a poll conducted by the Journal of the Union in the summer of 2013, an estimated 62% of Ayton residents supported the Union of Volunteers, with 75% of those respondents actively opposing UTR leadership.

Through evidence seized from a weapons shipment, the UTR government has determined that the UV has been receiving substantial physical and financial aid from the Corps of Constables. The private military company was labelled a terrorist organization by the UTR and many CDI-aligned nations after it made off with $750.8 million worth of previous metals from the Sussex Republic Depository in 2006. Since then, the Corps has lead a rebel offensive in Terinyi, aiding in the capture of a key military base and the small state's vast oil fields and diamond mines. This makes the connection all more worrisome and pins the Corps as the likely supplier of explosive for the UV. The depository attack could tie into the Corp's Air Show Bombing in Sussex on 24 December which claimed the lives of 45 civilians and 2 UTR Marines and threatened those of several heads of state.

Violent demonstrations broke out in Evermore on 3 January in
response to "unfair" fiscal policy and civil rights violations,
January 2015.
(Courtesy of the Evermore Daily)

In the past months, the UV has set up infrastructure in the countryside, from training camps to checkpoints. As the countryside outside of the immediate area of the major cities in Ayton are not under the jurisdiction of any specific law enforcement agency, other than the UTR Justice Ministry, and the issue has not yet been addressed by Ayton's newly devolved legislatures, up until now the UV has been free to do so. Now with the situation intensifying, the Evermore Police Department has advised all people to avoid travelling down the interstates and highways in northern Ayton to minimize the risk. A correspondent from the Hyperion Times reported that on 22 February, four days before the incident, she was illegally detained for six hours by militiamen who identified themselves as members of the "1st Evermore Company" to make sure that she was not trafficking drugs or weapons without the consent of the UV. This is cartel behavior, leading many to believe, including local authorities, that the UV may be using the sale of controlled substances and weapons to local gangs to finance its operation. Daniel Greene, Governor of Evermore, announced on 24 February that the Evermore Republic Sheriff's Department would begin investigating the UV and its activities in the Evermore Valley. However, after the depository incident, it is likely that this effort will be taken over by the RAI in the coming days.

Unrest in Ayton is not a new concept. The Tippercommon side of the condominium with Belhavia has traditionally been a breeding ground for conflict, from the conflict between the Gaels and the Yids which last from 1853-1893 and eventually lead to the creation of the JAT to the leftist insurrection which plagued the northern part of the territory during the Civil War. Recently, as the UTR has finally granted Ayton's republics independent legislatures and given each republic representation in Parliament, left-wing parties have gained traction. With trade barriers eased between it and Hyperion, its petroleum industry has grown, raising its GDP from URD$45.432 billion in 2006 to $256.739 billion in 2014. However, social advocacy groups have made a resurgence since 2013, condemning Republic Oil's monopoly over Aytonian oil production and demanding that the Aytonian republics receive the same share of federal funding that the northern republics receive. The UV has largely been fanning the flames, resurrecting the call-to-arms and cries for independence that the New Aytonian Society. Its influence at the local level has lead to the introduction of legislation in the Evermore Assembly which would call for an independence referendum, although this measure was blocked by the UTR Grand Judiciary.

This marks the beginning of what could be a prolonged conflict in Ayton only eight years after the end of the Civil War which claimed the lives of 340,519 Tippercommoners. It is a sign that the citizens of Ayton are still not pleased with UTR leadership, even after the concessions given after the Civil War. This harkens back to the historical conflict between northern and southern Tippercommon; one of values and ethnicity. While it is uncertain where the UTR will go from here, it is unlikely Parliament or the Keegan administration will stand idly by. During this morning's press brief at the Justice Ministry, Julian Hafford, its press secretary, announced that the Defense Ministry had declared the Union of Volunteers a terrorist organization and that it would take swift action to counter the threat.

There are approximately 1,500 Grand Army reservists stationed at Fort Lowe on the border of Ayton and Shelvay which may be deployed to the area's major highways to counter the UV's operations. This would be inline with action taken during the Civil War in which reserves were able to blockade insurrectionist strongholds, allowing for the Air Fleet to engage in an effective precision bombing campaign without having to target the major cities. However, with UV numbers almost double of the New Ayton Society's in 2006 and a definite Corps of Constables presence, the conflict will likely expand. It will likely force the UTR to call on its 20,000 strong Marine detachment stationed at Kennedy Naval Air Base in Sweetwater, Hyperion and require that the UTR and Belhavian governments secure the Shelvayan to prevent the conflict from spilling over. It is likely when Parliament goes into its session at 11:00AM later today that the Chief Minister's Office will formally request the authority to deploy military forces in the JAT to address the rebellion. Given that the warhawk camp encompasses most of both sides of the coalition, he will likely get the 251 votes he needs.

And with that outcome likely, the bombing of the Evermore Republic Depository will likely prove to be the prelude to a Second Civil War.

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[Tippercommon]

NEW UNITARIAN PARLIAMENT TO BE SWORN IN, LIKELY CHANGE IN UTR FOREIGN POLICY
Keegan may be free to exercise his foreign policy agenda after Unity Party gains upper hand in 2015 election
Jacob McDougal (@J_McDoug) and Jacquelyn Santillan (@jaykwillyn)
^{28 Feb 2015 12:50 pm | Sussex, Tippercommon}

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Chief Minister Keegan has been blocked from implementing his foreign policy agenda. The new Unity majority in
Parliament may unshackle the Executive Office from restricting the use of the military.
(Courtesy of the Executive Office)

SUSSEX, Tippercommon — Last night, the Unity Party won it big in the Parliamentary elections, gaining its first definitive majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate since 1980. The UTR has had a divided government since 2001 with Nina Kennedy (2000-2009) and Gerald Kennedy (2009-) holding the Chief Ministry for Unity and the Parliamentarians holding the Senate, Assembly, or both throughout their administrations. While this has only been a minor problem for the Unity administration when dealing with domestic policy, are area where Unitarian and Parliamentarian interests often overlap, Keegan has been stonewalled for the past five years in the area of foreign policy.

Keegan's brand of foreign policy is a change from the administration and Parliament which preceded him. Immediately after the end of the Civil War at the Treaty of Ambrosia, the Kennedy administration adopted a non-interventionist stance, proposing legal neutrality in world affairs and focusing on domestic issues. This fell inline with the issues at hand; primarily technology and infrastructure after the devastation of the war and a revitalization of industry after the financial crisis which preceded it. The Parliamentarian Party, which had placed non-interventionism as one of its top platforms, had been creeping up on the Unity-National Coalition throughout the 1980's and early 1990's, seizing the National Assembly in 1996. This trend began to reverse in 2008 when Tippercommoners began to see the benefits of economic growth, serving as a prelude for Unity's victories this year.

Gerald Keegan was elected Chief Minister in 2009 by a fair margin; the party's replacement for political giant Nina Kennedy after she announced she would not seek reelection and would instead try to fix the problems in Sussex Metro. Former Senate Minority leader and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Keegan served in the Senate since 1994, being elected as the new junior Senator from Sussex as Kennedy was elected as the Assemblywoman for Sussex's 1st District. While he served as the Unity Party's go-to on foreign policy matters up until the Chief Ministry race of 2009, he was relatively unknown to the public outside of Sussex, riding on the coat tails of Nina Kennedy's legacy. Her legacy is of the most profound of any Chief Minister since the Ulthrannic Civil War with her administration winning the Civil War at a time when the Senate and Assembly were in ruins and turning the southern reaches of the UTR and Hyperion in petroleum powerhouses while promoting growth in the north's financial and technology markets. The 21st Century, many political analysts have cited, has been thus far led by the Unity Party.

Professor Anika Leithner, Chair of the International Relations Department of University of Sussex, Metro, has cited Keegan as the UTR's first Chief Minister in almost two decades with a solid foreign policy platform. In an interview conducted by the Journal, she stated, "I believe that Keegan is the beginning of a new era for Tippercommon foreign policy. Yeah, he's been in office for five years, but thus far Parliament has prevented him from taking any action whatsoever." She went on to say, "Jacob Madison's administration was defined by its poor foreign policy. Analysts criticized him for being neither overtly a realist nor a liberalist and he alienated a UTR from any sort of conversation with the RCO. Kennedy's response to the world was basically to ignore it. While her particular policy led to unprecedented growth in the UTR and made it one of the region's most neutral, I would say it is what caused Tippercommon to lose its influence in Ashizwe and, ultimately, lose Terinyi to revolutionaries."

"Chief Ministers are rarely voted out of office because of their foreign policy agenda." said Dr. Alex Hunter of the Griggs Institute, a think tank located in Hyperion, shortly before the election. "Kennedy will be remembered because she won the war on our own soil and got us pretty damn close to full employment. Madison will mostly remember him for trying and failing to dismantle the safety nets. And Gates because he bumbled in Hyperion. Keegan's first term was ineffective in comparison to what the Kennedy administration could accomplish; mostly because of the divided government. But, his stance on those issues outside our borders are popular with the public, which may help the Unitarians gain a foothold in the upcoming election."

Keegan has been careful not to align the UTR with the RCO or CDI blocs, but rather focus on its relationship with SOPCOMM signatories and with its bilateral relationships. As one of the world's democracies and minarchist states according to a report by the Kohen Institute in 2013, he has promoted better relations with the United Republic and Belhavia. He has carried on with the neutral precedent set by the Kennedy administration in that he has not proposed aligning the state with any of the big military defense blocs, but rather has advocated for increased involvement in economic alliances, such as SOPCOMM, and has lobbied for the UTR to join the Pardesi Monetary Fund. In addition, Keegan pushed for Parliament to pass measures which would authorize the use of military force to secure UTR assets in hotspots.

This topic is especially relevant after the revolution in Terinyi and the takeover of the Stortford Naval Air Base which has left over 400 sailors and marines dead. The dynamic of world affairs as it pertains to Tippercommon has shifted over the past 8 years due in part to the rise of the Corps of Constables; a private military company and terrorist organization which has been alleged to support insurrectionists in Ayton-Shelvay and the leftists in Terinyi. However, his agenda and the aim to counter this threat has fallen on deaf ears, with the Parliamentarian controlled Assembly and Senate refusing to pass anything the Chief Ministry sent its way.

The Unity Party exploited this, compounding on the positives of the Kennedy administration. The humiliation of UTR forces in Terinyi conveniently occurred two months before the Parliamentary elections for 2015 giving voters ample reason on top of Unity's progressive image to vote the ultra-conservatives out.

Senate Minority Leader Arnold Stafford (U) and Assembly Majority Leader Amanda Marlow (U) announced during the Unity National Convention in September of last year that after the 2015 elections, Unity leadership would draft a proposal which would grant the office of Chief Minister more power to act unilaterally in response to crisis. At present, an Executive Order requires Parliament's approval to deploy UTR troops overseas. A deployment order requires 30 out of 50 votes in the Senate and 300 out of 500 votes in the National Assembly. This is the same amount of votes required for the Chief Minister to legally declare war. The proposal, which the Unity leadership has dubbed the Executive Powers Act of 2015, would give the Chief Minister the authority to deploy troops overseas to secure Tippercommoner interests without the approval of Parliament.

Jack Willis, political commentator for the Sussex Post, emphasized the importance of such a proposal, stating that, "legislation of its magnitude would tip the scale in power distribution between the executive and the legislative. Many other presidential republics bestow their Presidents the power to command the military as they see fit as commander-in-chief. The UTR has historically not. This power is necessary in cases where the nation can't wait for Parliament to turn its gears. But, we will have to see how long it will be until the Keegan administration and future administrations make moves laden with controversy."

The new Unity Assembly, with its 315 seat majority, and Unity Senate, with a 29 seat majority, will be sworn in on 23 March with its first session scheduled for 24 March. And while many issues are on the table, such as education and welfare reform and appropriations, the shift in Parliament's foreign policy will be the focus of the coming weeks. If the Executive Powers Act passes, which it likely will, the first action Keegan vowed to take would be ordering military intervention in Terinyi to retake the air base in Stortford and address the issue of the Corps of Constables. This would also mean direct confrontation with the left-wing government which has implanted itself, the Terinyi National Socialists.

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[Virana]

[OOC: Felt like writing a super neoliberal piece as I wait for specific stuff to emerge surrounding Bogoria. ]

Why Belfras should privatize BAU Systems and BMS, and how owning them is hurting the ailing Belfrasian military
Privatization could only lead to advantages for the stagnant Belfrasian defense industry

^{SHARE THIS:}

Preston Arbor (Warren Special Contributor)
^{February 27, 2015 10:21 pm}

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A Belfrasian Parmenio tank, produced by the state-owned body Belfrasian Military Systems (BMS), fires during a demonstration in 2009. The BMS Parmenio is a staple of the Belfrasian defense industry for several years, serving as a modern tank with similar capabilities to the U.R. M9 Hunter. Photo courtesy of the Belfrasian Ministry of Defence's Defence Imagery Database

Editor's note: Preston Arbor is a defense analyst, author, former member of the Board of Directors for Altman Urbauer, and a current fellow at the Institute for Strategic Studies, the world's most prominent defense policy think tank. He has over 20 years of experience in analyzing defense acquisition and industrial policies for the United Republic government and defense industry. This op-ed was first published in a major Belfrasian newspaper; it has been reprinted here as a showcase of the argument for privatization.

Every country handles its defense acquisition needs differently. The Free Pardes model of a competitive private industry competing for government contracts is renowned as an effective, refined system that is constantly being fine-tuned.

And yet Belfras, a stalwart of Free Pardes democracy, operates on a completely different basis that presents a contradiction between the neoliberal atmosphere of its allies. Virtually the entire domestic Belfrasian defense industry is wholly government-owned under a the state-owned enterprises BAU Systems and Belfrasian Military Systems (BMS). The two hold numerous contracts with the Belfrasian government (of course) as well as contracts with governments across the world, but fundamentally, their government ownership gives them unique advantages inside Belfras and their products distinct deficiencies that hurt its international competitiveness.

What is wrong with state ownership?

Many argue that state ownership of the defense industry is one of the Belfrasian system's strong suits. Their primary concern covers the sensitivity of defense equipment and its susceptibility to fall into the wrong hands. After all, nobody wants to develop technologically advanced equipment (read: equipment designed explicitly to kill enemies) only to see their enemies get their hands on it. Distrust on the international stage, particularly in regards to national security and defense, is rampant, and nothing illustrates this fact better than the defense industrial climate of Belfras.

That climate is present and existent in the renowned United Republic defense industry, too. Only some countries are allowed to request contracts directly from Emmerian defense companies. The rest have to negotiate their contracts through the government's Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA), which serves as an intermediary. Arms export laws are notoriously strict; in one instance, the government rejected a proposal to sell F-10 Scorpion fighter jets, a design almost 40 years old, to Tule, despite the fact that an Emmerian company, Altman Urbauer, would profit significantly from the purchase. For sophisticated technologies, special Transfer of Technology protocols limit how much information about the technology's inner workings can be provided to the end buyer, thereby limiting the buyer's belief in the commitment of the seller as well as restraining the buyer's ability to maintain and repair the complex equipment.

The defense industry is naturally nationalistic, but there are limits to that nationalism that, if ignored, can hurt the defense industry as a whole.

The fact of the matter is that to get stronger, you have to lift the weights. In market terms, this means that without competition, you'll become stagnant. Competitiveness breeds innovation: it forces suppliers to find new ways to reduce costs or improve quality. When they gain these competitive advantages, other suppliers are forced to innovate or risk losing their revenue. Competition makes the market riskier for businesses, but strengthens the quality of the products in the market as a whole.

Look at the Belfrasian system. BAU Systems and BMS face virtually no competition domestically. Belfrasian lawmakers naturally prefer to fund Belfrasian-built equipment over foreign equipment. Plus BAU's and BMS's global operations bring in government revenue, thereby lining the politicians' pockets. BAU Systems doesn't have to be better than everybody else, because nobody else can challenge it in the domestic arena. Same with BMS.

Now let's look at the Emmerian system. Again, lawmakers naturally prefer to fund Emmerian-built equipment over imported equipment. But the key difference is that there's no government-owned monopoly over the defense industry. When a contract goes out, several companies companies respond with their proposals, each with unique advantages and disadvantages, all vying for the winning contract by producing the best possible system. Foreign companies often team up with Emmerian companies (or compete independently), adding to the competitiveness that is the Emmerian defense acquisition process.

Defense industry globalization and how Belfras has reacted

Since the 1990s, the defense industry - particularly in Free Pardes - has rapidly globalized. The large traditional U.R. defense companies have consolidated into a small number of big firms. This has happened in Belfras, too: the Belfrasian Motor Industry (BMI), a ground vehicle company, merged with BAU Systems in 2002. Because of the presence of these big firms, companies have looked elsewhere to expand; for the U.R. defense industry, the export market is widely touted as one example of a sustainable income source for many systems. At the same time, the U.R. Department of Defense has opened up to incorporating non-Emmerian equipment and selecting the best possible system from the world market, inducing large-scale global competitiveness as numerous worldwide contractors have attempted entering the Emmerian defense industry.

The U.R. defense industry's openness to foreign contractors is still limited in many ways. Contractors are strongest when they are Emmerian companies. No foreign company has excelled in this model better than the Belhavian UAE Systems. UAE's success in landing contracts with the United Republic government has comprised a simple formula: its wholly owned subsidiary, UAE Systems Emmeria, Inc. The largest UAE Systems subsidiary, UAE Systems Emmeria is operated at the local level by Emmerian people and, functionally under law, is considered an Emmerian company. Through this subsidiary, UAE Systems is a huge player in the Emmerian defense acquisition process, earning contracts for the development and production of a number of vital defense systems.

The U.R. market is, of course, very lucrative. The United Republic Department of Defense base budget is $795 billion annually. An additional $121 billion is authorized as discretionary funding. When combined with national security programs, intelligence agency projected budgets, and veteran's benefits, most estimates place total defense and national security expenditure at anywhere from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion annually, based on the exact criteria used. The U.R. also has the highest percentage of its military budgets going into research and development in the world, which makes it a great market for advanced technology companies.

And yet with the heavily populated U.R. defense industry, entering the market is tough. It became easier during the consolidation of the 1990s, when big-time mergers and acquisitions meant there were less suppliers available, and defense contracts seeking diverse suppliers would incorporate foreign companies. That market opening is rapidly closing, and BAU Systems and BMS have a golden opportunity to cash into the most lucrative and competitive defense industry in the world.

But they're state-owned.

The fact of the matter is that BAU Systems and BMS are state-owned enterprises, which means their primary goal is national defense, not profit. For most defense contractors, national defense is their objective, but it's executed through profit; this is not the case for BAU or BMS, so the world standard for incentive for innovation is completely absent. Their response to globalization has been, fittingly, a microcosm of the Belfrasian military itself adapting to changing world trends. BAU and BMS don't compete and innovate against other contractors for Belfrasian military contracts. Instead, the Belfrasian military decides what it needs based on its natural competition with the rest of the world's militaries, and it tasks BAU or BMS to produce that equipment.

The problem is that the Belfrasian military has no idea if it's getting the best possible equipment. The lack of competition that arises from a state-owned enterprise's influence is exactly what leads to design stagnation. And this is why the Belfrasian defense industry is lagging behind. Yes, by trying to preserve the sanctity of its defense industry by centering its emphasis on a state-owned enterprise, the Belfrasian government has instead hurt what has long had the potential for a globally dominant military industry.

As long as they remain state-owned, BAU Systems or BMS won't be competitive in global contracts in much of Free Pardes. They surely wouldn't be able to be a major player in the U.R. defense industry, where "state ownership" of an involved contractor would be seen as a reason not to select it (though BAU has participated in a couple programs, notably the F-29 fighter development - but that's because the Royal Air Force helped fund it). That climate varies by country. The relative independence of defense contractors from their government in the Free Pardes market means countries don't have to deal as much with international politics when making defense acquisitions; however, BAU's and BMS's nature as companies intricately tied to the Belfrasian government acts as a leash that holds it back from the level of acceptance and competition enjoyed by other contractors.

But don't state-owned enterprises work?

Yes, they do.

Rodarion owns virtually its entire defense industry. As does Estovakiva. These countries produce massive volumes of advanced and sophisticated defense materiel through their state-owned enterprises.

And their systems work exactly like the Belfrasian system: innovation comes from the military adapting to other militaries, not the contractor adapting to other contractors.

The issue is that throughout Free Pardes, the defense market is naturally open. The sheer globalization of the defense industry means countries actively want to issue contracts competitively trialing equipment from countless international companies. This may not be the case for most of the RCO, or several independent powers, but Free Pardes operates in this manner at a fundamental level. Belfras does not.

An illustrative example of the difference here is this. When an international arms sale occurs between RCO nations, it's the Rodarian government selling fighter planes to Estovakiva. But when there is an international arms sale between nations in Free Pardes, it is, say, the Eaglelander government purchasing fighter planes from Altman Urbauer after trialing them against comparable planes from Arthuristan Dynamics or UAE Systems. There may be political pressure from allied governments - U.R. officials meeting with the host country on behalf of the Emmerian contractors - but national origin is of little overall importance in this wide-open market, where performance, innovation, and cost effectiveness reign supreme.

The arrival of this all-competitive international defense industry promises to revolutionize security and defense across the world. There's more competition, more innovation, more interoperability, and more mutual political trust. Belfras is missing out from all of it.

The case for privatization

The elephant in the room is how privatization could solve this issue. Wouldn't Belfrasian lawmakers still prefer to support BAU Systems or BMS, and other private Belfrasian contractors would struggle to compete with their dominance domestically?

Well, the key here is globalization. No Belfrasian lawmaker would prefer, say, the Belhavian UAE Systems over a company owned by the Belfrasian government (and therefore gaining revenue that, in part, pays said lawmaker's salary). And that applies even if UAE Systems has a successful Belfrasian subsidiary like they do in Emmeria. But if BAU is privatized, it no longer has a role in raising money to pay the lawmaker's salary. In that circumstance, the lawmakers would prefer any Belfrasian company - not just BAU or BMS - to produce the equipment. And if at a local level, international contractors also operate as Belfrasian companies, a wider, more open market is possible.

Belfras has the potential to be a highly competitive defense industry mirroring the United Republic in its market forces. Switching to this model would mean doing exactly what the rest of Free Pardes did decades ago.

The only problem is that such a move would mean betraying BAU Systems and BMS, whose senior officials have very, very close ties to upper-level Belfrasian government authorities. It would mean breaking open a market that right now sends all its money to BAU and BMS. It would mean sending countless Belfrasian engineers working for BAU and BMS home from their jobs (though they'd likely be re-hired by non-Belfrasian companies seeking to open operations in Belfras).

It is no laughing matter that billions of dollars are on the line here. The Belfrasian government, in owning its defense industry, has held itself back as the rest of Free Pardes innovates and competes. Privatization is all that can revive it and bring Belfrasian engineers, technicians, and defense industrial experts back into global relevance.

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• Prestonia pleas for peaceful Bogoria solution; DP makes outlandish comments criticizing Vaziri [ 193 ]

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5871 comments

^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

[Rodarion]

Consul Ceausescu is the most powerful Consul since Nicolae Ponta and will govern Rodarion beyond 2019

Dr. Juliu Tudor is a senior research fellow at the School of Politics and International Affairs at Saint Michael University in Romula. He is a leading expert on Rodarian politics and foreign policy, he has been president of the National External Review think-tank since 2011.

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Octavian Ceausescu has emerged as the Papal Republic's most powerful Consul since Nicolae Ponta, with his fifth year in power now approaching, it is appropriate to analyse why he will dominate Rodarian politics years to come and by extension his National Catholic Party. Despite the adoration around him as an individual, he has been equally successful in distributing the positive attention around his entire cabinet and party, he rejects individualistic administrations and stands as one among equals in his cabinet and this will aid the NCP in many more ways than one.

To quote the lines from the poet Grigore Harescu; "I abhor the same routine. I am building my own machine, I shall build steam." Though this poem is about individuals taking responsibility and making something of themselves should they find life not granting them the results or ambition they dreamed, it can easily be applied to the realm of international politics. Ceausescu and his government is leading the nation towards a position where it can build its own machine in place of the same routine; in short, the international order is on the verge of change.

This new machine is Rodarion and the steam; the economy. This machine is building a lot of steam, enough steam to allow it to change entirely, Rodarion is now strong and assertive and above all, willing to exercise the power it retains.

Since becoming Consul in 2010, Ceausescu has overseen the dramatic turnaround of the economy, he has defended and perpetuated the economic system of the country, with much aid from Pope Constantine (we will get on to that later). One of the first moves as Consul was to reform the way state-owned enterprises work in the country. No longer were SOE executives treated like employees of the Curia (civil servants), but rather the executives of private businesses; bonuses were expanded to cover increases in employment and improvements in working conditions, rather than just on the basis of the executive securing profit and greater growth. SOEs were allowed to pursue their own markets and diversify if the executives believed it necessary. The new bonus system has produced an atmosphere of greater innovation and competition, in 2012 the government introduced competitive contract deals between SOEs. With the greater freedoms, SOEs took different approaches to shared industries, in late 2012, three SOE defence companies competed for a deal worth $3.8 billion for a line of UAVs, after four months of bidding and presentations CRAIC won. This shows the Consul's protection of a system that has transformed Rodarion from the most primitive nation in Lusankya to what will be the world's largest economy by 2016.

In 2012 he privatised the National Fishery Corporation which held a monopoly over the Draganesti Sea, decades of inefficiency, corruption and poor treatment of the environment had eroded the SOE's ability to deliver masses of fish at low costs. The decline of the NFC resulted in increasing fish prices in western Rodarion and the final decision was taken to privatise the NFC into hundreds of smaller fish cooperatives, within a year prices had returned to their desired levels and the stocks began to replenish. The same occurred with 18 other SOEs, with most being transferred under the Rodarian State General Industries Corporation (RSGIC), where they were reformed and restructured.

On a broader view, his government aided the expansion of industry further, cutting taxes for start up manufacturing companies and reduced levies on SOEs, allowing them to increase funding into expansion and R&D for themselves. In 2013, the National Small-Medium Businesses Frederation (NSMB) was founded by the Ceausescu government, giving voice to the millions of family run and owned businesses in the country, that were once the foundation of the country's economy. Although the reforms on face value appear to be moves towards liberalisation, that is not the case. In 2013, Ceausescu defended the economic system, "this is not statism and economic tyranny as those liberals would say, this is patriotic capitalism, where businesses serve the nation rather than themselves in entirety, it is a rejection of neoliberalism's adoration of selfishness and an embrace of the collective spirit of patriots in businesses."

The economy grew 7.1% in 2011, it is expected to grow by 8.3% in 2015.

Ceausescu's success goes further than his government's economic success, it can be seen in his government's taking of the initiative, the fact that the 2015 General Election was called for 2014 whilst the NCP was enjoying 65% support in the polls shows just that. Interior Minister, Radu Hasdeu said, "we're catching the earlier train to get to our destination earlier." This early move, secured the NCP a majority of 118 seats and five years of strong government. Many political commentators and academics agree that Ceausescu will remain Consul post-2019. As of the 1 February 2015, the NCP is currently at 72% support and Ceausescu himself is enjoying almost 80% support in the polls. If there was an election tomorrow, the NCP would increase its majority from 118 to almost 190.

Ceausescu has emerged from his first four years, the most popular Consul since Nicolae Ponta and this is in part thanks to his government's introduction of nationalism to the country's political narrative. For the first time since the 1980s, we are seeing a nationalist driven economic policy and growing foreign policy fuelled by nationalism itself. This has fuelled the reform of education, with greater restrictions on scholarships being awarded to children of wealthy backgrounds, instead they focus on children with great potential in peasant and working class communities. All private schools were transferred to Church control, to ensure these schools 'operate the desired programme, set by the Holy See; which aims to preserve every child as a proud citizen of the Church-State'. In 2013, performance tables were introduced nationwide, to allow parents to choose the most suitable schools for their children, it also made more schools more transparent and more focused on providing the pupil greater quality education.

The economy and education has been his government's focus; both intertwined, both equally important to the development of the country. This government is operating on the long term, but also the short term. The government, since 2010 has spent almost UR$87.3 billion in building over 673,000 houses in Romula, Voluntari, Videle and Bacau to meet the country's chronic housing shortages, prices have fallen by 18% since 2012. Tax cut for first time buyers was introduced in 2014, in what the NCP declared' "the gate to mass home ownership in our time". The internal runnings of the state have changed, the provincial chief executives has been replaced with Romula appointees, to ensure that the provinces are engaging with central government's policy and plans, CCTV was introduced into every classroom to ensure student behaviour and maintain a vigil on the quality of teaching.

What wasn't a focus between 2010 and 2014, was foreign policy. The first four years were built upon pragmatism, the country aimed to improve relations between Rodarion and Emmeria, Belhavia, Eagleland and Anthor, under the mantra of "friendship with all, is a friendship with ourselves." It worked, a free-trade agreement was signed with Belhavia in 2014 (now worth $101.3 billion) and Anthor ($75.9 billion). Over $10.6 billion has been invested in Anthor since 2010, aiding the country in developing new infrastructure links between it and Rodarion, in 2013 three airports built and paid for by Rodarion were completed. The Consul has also been instrumental in the development of the RCO, focusing on securing closer ties with Estovakiva and Ulthrannia, extending Rodarion's generous investment schemes to Ulthrannia and Estovakiva in tandem. But like with the domestic, the external policies changed after 2014. More comfortable in his position, Consul Ceausescu made clear to the world that Rodarion would become more assertive, in what had just begun; the Rodarian century.

President Vaziri faces as Goliath

But this new century, has brought about the crisis in Bogoria. What the most powerful Consul since Ponta faces is Alex Vaziri, or maybe it should be the other way around. The United Republic's President Vaziri has chosen the wrong world leader to pick a fight with, the leader of the Ankaran Union would be most appropriate compared to Ceausescu. But then we must accept that both doves and hawks in Oured, fear a strong and assertive Rodarion, because they simply do not wish to recognise it as an equal. I have always argued that Emmeria is relatively the most powerful nation on the planet, it has the military, culture and economy to presented as such; though it is not a superpower, no state in this world can be called one, mostly due to the lack of hegemony, but that is a different story. The problem they see is that the Papal Republic under Ceausescu and Pope Constantine, has the economic, military and cultural power to stand equal to Emmeria and perhaps in 10 years or so completely overtake it. However, Emmeria does not wish such a thing.

They have so far contributed nothing but escalation to the Bogoria Crisis, they aim to stand in the way of the PRR and they will face off with Ceausescu and his nationalist platform, this is where they made a mistake. Perhaps two or three years ago, the PRR would have backed down for the sake of pragmatism, but not now, they have the spirit to press forward and they have the Consul to guide them. Ceausescu has gained the trust and love of the Rodarian people, through his faith, through his absolute loyalty to the Vatican (anti-reformist), through his leadership, through his success over the economy, education and housing. He has been pushing for further expansion and modernisation of the armed forces, that has played well support wise and of course the application of nationalism to the national narrative has produced a greater standing among the people, he is the unquestioned leader of the Senate and people alongside Pope Constantine. President Vaziri is facing a goliath.

Written by Dr. Juliu Tudor.

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[Arthurista]

NIYERIAN GOVERNMENT OVERTHROWN IN COUP D'ETAT

Involvement of rogue international PMCs “suspected”

In a not-altogether surprising turn of events, the government of Niyeria has reportedly been overthrown in a coup d’etat operation by the country’s military.

The coup took place in the early hours of 3 March, with troops from the 1st Armoured and the 2nd and 4th Infantry Brigades launching a sudden assault on downtown Lavos. The relatively well-trained Presidential Guards Brigade, a light mechanised unit equipped with wheeled infantry mobility vehicles and no artillery, held back the attackers for two hours before being overwhelmed. Reportedly, the government surrendered when the coup’s commanders threatened to bombard the city centre with Grad rockets. The cabinet of president Charles Adeboye, together with members of the Niyerian parliament were rounded up by coup troops. According to official radio and TV broadcasts, they were to be held in a ‘comfortable detention facility’ in a ‘classified location’ pending investigations into various financial irregularities while they were in office. Insiders, however, report that they were all shot in situ.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Adewale Ardua, has appointed himself “Supreme General-President” of the Ashizwean country and the chairman of the “Council of United National Tendencies”, an interim governing body which “fully reflects and represents the diversity of the nation’s peoples and interests” until a new constitution can be drafted. The published list of members consists entirely of serving military officers.

The sole surviving members of the displaced civilian government are members of a trade delegation who were in Eagleland when the coup took place. This small group of ministers and MPs are headed by Dr Francis Oyelowo, vice president of Niyeria and a noted developmental economist, who in a press conference the following morning denounced the coup and vowed to return ‘legitimate governnace’ to Niyeria.

None of Niyeria’s neighbours have yet to make a statement regarding the recent turn of events, although the Arthuristan Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated its refusal to recognise the junta, as well as continued acknowledgement of Dr Oyelowo’s entourage as the legitimate government of Niyeria in exile. Its membership in the Arthuristan commonwealth has been suspended.

”Rogue international PMCs” involvement suspected

According to anonymous sources in the Ministry of Defence and the FCO, intelligence is trickling in regarding the perpetrators of the coup. Analysts in both ministries believe that there is a ‘strong possibility’ that ‘rogue international PMCs’ have helped to plan and execute the coup, as well as supporting the new junta in consolidating its power in the aftermath. The prime suspects at this point are the Corps of Constables, a group of Tippercommoner origin, as well as former servicemen in the Ulthrannic military.

Background – the rise and fall of Niyeria

Niyeria, a Arthuristan colony, attained independence in October 1963 following a referendum. It has henceforth been a politically unstable, as the country’s various ethnic and religious groups jockeyed for dominance in coups, counter-coups and a devastating civil war in the mid- to late-1960s. Niyeria has been ruled by a democratic civilian government since 1994, a result of a coalition of Christians, Muslims and Vodunists of the Igdo, Yoroba and Fola ethnic groups, all minorities in and of themselves, but together forming a majority of some 55%, counterbalancing the Ulthrannic Hosa people which forms the largest demographic portion of the country. Two decades of relative stability, as well as an astute series of neo-liberal reforms and wise reinvestment of petrodollars led to rapid economic growth. The capital city, Lavos, became a major financial and cultural hub of Ashizwe. In the last decade, the economy has begun to diversify into areas beyond resource extraction such as finance, tourism and media (as exemplified by the annual Lavos film festivals).

Behind this façade of prosperity, ethnic and religious tensions have seemingly been consigned to the dustbin of history, or at least the simmering in the backburner. Recently, there are also signs that the phase of rapid growth may be coming to an end. Instability in oil prices has hit the revenue of the government and the well-being of the economy in general. The decision to fully float the Naira has led to massive fluctuations in its value as the Central Bank failed to cope with speculative pressure, leading to high rates of inflation and decreasing standards of living as the prices of even basic necessities skyrocketed.

The coup may well represent the result of twenty years of repressed Hosa ambitions, resentful at their displacement as the most important demographic group in the country and eager to regain their former position of dominance. It may also have more immediate causes, related to the state of the economy. One way or another, it is clear that Niyeria’s 21 years ‘holiday from history’ may well be at an end.

[Austrasien]

Das Volk
News of Austrasia and the World

Romulan Catholics "Most disliked" minority: A recent survey into Austrasians attitudes towards minority groups conducted by the University of Osterodes Department of Sociology revealed that Austrasians had reported more consistently negative views of Romulan Catholics than any other minority group. According to the survey:

75% of Austrasians agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: "I would not want (a Romulan Catholic) as my neighbour"
95% of Austrasians agree or strongly agreed with the statement: "(Romulan Catholicism) is not an Austrasian religion"
31% of Austrasians agree or strongly agreed with the statement: "(Romulan Catholics) should not be allowed to live or work in Austrasia"
66% of Austrasians disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement: "(Romulan Catholics) are generally good citizens"

Researchers also conducted follow up interviews with a small sample of respondents to try and develop a portrait of peoples reasoning behind their answers. Of those who were interviewed about their attitudes towards Romulan Catholics, slightly more than two thirds had expressed predominantly negative views. Researchers identified two recurring themes in the interviews that repeatedly came up when respondents were asked to explain their reasoning:

"Romulan Catholics take orders from the Pope in Rodarion"
"Romulan Catholics try to impose their values on others"
"Romulan Catholics worship the Pope instead of Christ"

Professor Manfred zu Auer, who headed the survey, provided this analysis; "the anti-catholic tropes expressed by respondents in the interviews are basically consistent with the content of anti-Catholic pamphlets published by early Protestant reformers in Austrasia as far back the 16th century. The consistency is remarkable in sense especially considering that most Austrasians have probably never spoken with a real Catholic. The only notable innovation was the frequent references to Bogoria. Though the Austrasian public expresses a very low level of knowledge about Bogoria, the very high profile of that conflict in the news media seems to have awakened dormant anti-Catholic feelings in a large segment of the population. Past survey data supports this interpretation."

"I think one interviewee summed up the prevailing feelings nicely when he told me: Bogoria showed everyone what happens when you have too many of [those people] in the country, we should all [those people] back to Rodaria before they try something here or before you know it there will be 'unrest' in Eisenburg"

According to the Senate Standing Committee for Minority Affairs there were less than 10,000 practicing Romulan Catholic permanent residents or citizens in Austrasia as of 2014.

[Ankaran Union]

Kılavuz vows to retaliate against sanctions led by Emmeria

Emmerians value Bogorian lives more than Eaglelanders, now they attempt to cover this truth up through sanctions

March 4, 2015| 18.44 PM PCT |Sertifikalı| By: Volkan Emin

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Kilavuz Ekrem Kader has vowed to retaliate against an Emmerian-led act of economic war against the Union. Speaking before a large crowd in Erkmentepe, he said, "we will strike back at this cowardly and vicious assault upon the citizens of the Union, we will not tolerate revenge resolutions in the OPA. We will retaliate within our means, that I vow." The Emmerians have presented a resolution to the OPA, calling upon illegal sanctions against the Union's energy sector, which compromises 60% of the nation's economic output, such a move will deal damage, but can be overcome by through sacrifice and loyalty to the state. However, many in the government are confident that the Ankaran Union and friendly states will defeat this pernicious assault upon the citizens of the Union.

The resolution was presented yesterday, already it has faced criticism, with Estovakiva denouncing the resolution as "viciously provocative and a thoroughly unpleasant precedent" and the Papal Republic of Rodarion, rejecting the resolution as "simply dangerous and disrespectful of the OPA's role as an arbiter of peace." Ambassador to the OPA, Qassem Hashmani arrived in Oured to rally support against the OPA resolution, which he himself derided in a press statement early this morning.

"Sanctions, are not an honourable weapon, they are not a weapon of any kind that deserves understanding or respect. Sanctions are a weapon, in the same line of biological or chemical weapons, they are indiscriminate, they are supposedly targeting institutions, individuals and governments, yet they affect the people of the target nation in its entirety. These sanctions will effect parents and grandparents, in time these people will see their livelihoods suffer and their incomes suffer, they will no longer be able to care for their children in a way necessary, they will not be able to provide for children, this is what sanctions are; weapons of mass destruction that destroy ordinary lives and the futures of millions of children, anyone who votes in support of this resolution will destroy millions of children's lives" Ambassador Hashmani said.

Speaking in Erkmentepe, as workers begin to mass reconstruction of Erdine, Kilavuz Kader said, "We can all see through them, this resolution is not about enforcing international law, it is merely revenge, revenge for their failure and their flaccid support for the Eaglelander occupiers. Look now comrades, they rush to aid the Bogorian government, but did nothing to aid an equally vicious force in occupying sovereign territory; why? Because the Emmerians value Bogorians more than Eaglelanders, they see a single Bogorian fascist life more than 20 Eaglelander fascists, this is the truth and they have come to see that the world sees this and now is attempting to hide this racialist disparity, by warring upon us economically. We will fight them and their cowardly attack, they wish to break us, we will break them. I ask you comrade citizens, do not concern yourselves on how, we will always find ways to strike back at those who aim to destroy us."

The crowd received his speech well, offering our comrade Kilavuz a rapturous applause when necessary. The Ministry of Finance has stated that it is preparing contingencies should the criminal resolution pass, including opening access to the Union Sovereign Fund, which has roughly $543 billion in reserves. Finance Minister Torkan Aybar stated in a press conference, "the Union utilises financial restrain and responsibility, we will be able to weather this storm unleashed by the imperialists and ensure that the people of the Union are still given the services and programmes as normal. We will fight the imperialists economic war, with sacrifice, unity and comradeship."

Speaking further, Kilavuz Ekrem Kader said, "I pray that the nations of the decent world will see through this resolution for what it is, a service to the egotism of the imperialists of Emmeria and Eagleland, a cover for the higher value Emmerians hold for Bogorians over Eaglelanders and simple revenge for their failure to defeat the Union. They have been truly shamed and they are furious, furious at their own cowardice and furious at our success. Only the imperialists would fix cowardice with cowardice and that is what this nonsense is, plain and simple."

It is not known when the resolution will go to vote, however a final count is expected within a week.

ARTN's Volkan Emin contributed to this report.

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[The Eagleland]

BREAKING: OPA Sanctions on the Ankaran Union Passed.
Eaglelanders worldwide celebrate sanctions, President says "Our vengenace has begun; and it shall not stop."
^{7 March 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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Eaglelanders gathered at Syntagma Square, Athens, Lekanopedion Attikis, to celebrate the passing of the new sanctions.

Athens, Lekanopedion Attikis — Celebrations have broken out in the Eagleland, on hearing that the OPA Resolution 0013, proposed by the proposed by the U.R.E. after pressure from the Aetochoric Lobby, funded by the Eaglelander Government, in order to sanction the Ankaran Union over its illegal takeover of New Pontus last year.

As mentioned in the report, "the Ankaran Union's primary economic strength comes from the energy trade. It is the 7th largest oil producer in the POPE energy organization and is estimated to have the fourth largest energy reserves of any nation in Pardes.", it was proposed that: "Any economic sanctions system implemented should be targeted at the Ankaran energy industry."

It's objectives were: "To implement a comprehensive, flexible, internationally supported sanctions regime against the Ankaran Union in retaliation for its violations of international law. To ensure the sanctions regime is strong and targeted enough to pressure the Ankaran Union's leadership to reconsider its actions. To keep the sanctions regime flexible enough so that international trade is not severely impacted and the livelihood of the Ankaran people not severely degraded."

The resolution passed, with 23 states, the Eagleland Republic inclusive, voting for the resolution, whereas four member states absent at vote, and three rejections (Alderanian Imperium, Imperial Federation of Estovakiva, and the Papal Republic of Rodarion) were noted. Having passed, the formation of OPA Sanctions Program-Ankara (OPASPA) is imminent, as are the following measures, mentioned in the resolution:

1. Immediate seizure of foreign assets held by the government of the Ankaran Union, members of the government of the Ankaran Union, military officers of the Ankaran Union, or Ankaran energy companies, or any other authorities or officials deemed involved;
2. Targeted energy sanctions severely limiting the capability of the Ankaran Union's energy industry to conduct exports or overseas drilling;
3. Prohibition of citizens or organizations of OPA member states from providing new financing to Ankaran companies in the energy sector or sectors appropriately related;
4. Prohibition of transfer of all goods to the Ankaran Union of potentially military nature or that may be construed for military purposes, such as, but not limited to, weapons or chemicals.

The resolution received satisfactory remarks from the Eagleland Government. President Theodoropoulos mentioned in a speech before the Senate: "This is the time our nation strikes back at the vultures that made our nation suffer dearly. It is time to take the fight to the evil and utterly backwards Ankaran Union, which deceived its citizens into attacking sovereign territory over trivial, insignificant grounds. We had killed our egoism so we can gain the moral high ground so we can defeat our opponents, and defeat them we will, by making them pay for destroying one of the limited civilised entities in the Middle East and taking it 500 years backwards."

"This is only the beginning.", stated the President. "Whilst we affirm that our goal is not to impoverish the Ankaran Populace, we must also punish the corrupt and highly unfree regime of the Ankaran Union, and stress that the Central Defence Initiative cannot be defeated in the long-term. This event will go down in history as one of the moments when we used our brains, not our emotions, to punish our opponents, and it shows how much we, as a nation, value international laws and values that makes our world a safer place than it would have been without them."

The President concluded his speech by saying: "I would like to thank the people of this great nation for standing up to the plate and enduring the pain we have felt over the last three months, as well as the citizens of the countries of this world, that stood by us while the Ankaran Union was committing crimes of massive magnitude. We would also be extremely rude and backwards were we not to commend our close CDI allies, such as Emmeria, Belhavia and Arthurista, for standing by us when we were at our 'weakest'; for that we are eternally grateful."

Recent ENT opinion polls show a spike in approval of the current administration, from 51% to 78%, and a huge drop in public disapproval of the CDI and the OPA, from 39% to 19.7% and from 48% to 37%. Anti-Emmerian and Anti-Belfrasian sentiments have also eased, and demonstrations before the two embassies last month were both dissolved without the intervention of the local District Attorney.

In the meantime, celebrations in all Eaglelander communities in the Eagleland Proper and abroad have emerged, celebrating moments of National Unity and National Dignity, raising Eaglelander flags in what is described as an explosion of patriotic unity. "We shall take no step back!", stated M.L., a student aged 29 before ENT Reporters. "We are not weak and we are no slaves to anyone! This country has bite to back to the bark! Long live the Nation!"

The Eagleland Government has announced a series of its own sanctions against the Ankaran Union. Any ship that enters Eaglelander National Waters whilst under the Ankaran Flag will be seized and auctioned, its cargo confiscated and auctioned as well. All naturalised Ankaran Nationals, or Permanent Residents of the Eagleland of Ankaran Origin, will be required to relinquish all ties to the Ankaran Union, in the form of citizenship or nationality, if they wish to reside in the Eagleland, or risk deportation and removal of citizenship/permanent residency/asylum status.

Contact to relatives in the Ankaran Union proper will also be authorised, but communication will be regulated and screened, as authorised by their respective DAs, and any travel to the Ankaran Union must be authorised by the Special Investigations Service post background check, to ensure no state secrets are leaked.

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Athens, Lekanopedion Attikis. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, KCT.

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MORE IN WORLD

• Niyerian Government Overthrown. [ 4,569 ]
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[Rodarion]

UBLF soldiers appear upbeat as they continue to batter government forces into submission

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UBLF rebels have made steady progress in the battle for the Rakovnik Enclave in southern Bogoria, with two villages now under their control. The Air Force Base remains the last remaining government held stronghold, with an estimated 1,100 soldiers trapped inside the base, desperate to withdrawal. UBLF spokesman, Major Arek Walski stated in a press conference this morning, "we have made steady progress in closing down the Rakovnik Enclave, almost 850 government soldiers have been killed and over 1,000 have been captured by UBLF units. We can confirm that large numbers of 'Radanici' civilians are now inhabiting UBLF controlled territory, we have diverted large portions of our humanitarian resources to aid them in the aftermath, we are currently working to move them out of the combat area."

The UBLF operation began two weeks ago and has seen a gradual decline in government fighting capabilities within the enclave, rebel forces have stated that their attack from four different directions; north, south, west and east had greatly reduced resistance to what was expected. Two weeks ago, UBLF forces took the Gryzgawa enclave, forcing the surrender of over 1,000 government soldiers. The victory in Gryzgawa and the impending victory in Rakovnik will represent a major coup in morale for the rebel South, which has been in constant fear of Konin falling to the government for the past three weeks as efforts by government to encircle it continue.

The humanitarian crisis within Rakovnik, which is home to some 30,000 Lithuanians and Czechs (northern ethnic groups), has been truly revealed, as PRRB and NTV1 reporters reached rebel held areas and spoke to civilians there, they explain that any and all food and water dropped into the enclave by air, is confiscated by the Bogorian Defence Force and taken to the air force base for military use, they are left with nothing. One woman, Erika said, "I walked 5km to a place where they always drop food and water, it took me two hours, all the time I heard gunfire and shooting, when I got to the huge box, there were soldiers everywhere, pushing and shoving ordinary people away as they collected it, they put it on a truck and drove away, we were only left with the parachute."

UBLF medics offered medical care to injured civilians, such as 78 year old Karina

Karina, a 83 year old woman, was surprised she was receiving medical care off UBLF humanitarian workers, "we were told by the soldiers that when the rebels they will kill us, yet here I am, getting help from a Pole. They lie so much, it is despicable, they steal the food and water and they lie. I hope they rot in hell."

Karina's house was destroyed in a government air strike, all of her possessions, including photographs of her late husband have been destroyed. The UBLF confirmed that homeless civilians in the enclave will be moved to refugee accommodation near Sobotka and fed well. The UBLF has reaffirmed its vow to ensure that every Bogorian is treated with respect and love, Deputy President of the Bogorian Christian Republic, Stanislaw Kasznica has said that, "we aim to liberate the entire nation from the rule of the fascist oligarchs in Utena, we all suffer at their greedy hands. Christ tells us to love our neighbours, and we in the BCR do. We shall care for and love every northerner we meet in our holy mission, the poor souls in the Rakovnik enclave have suffered greatly at the hands of their so called protectors, now they see that the UBLF and the BCR truly cares for them and we will continue to offer humanitarian aid to all northerners who now live in BCR held territories."

UBLF units have now begun to prepare for an assault on the air force base that dominates the enclave, they have confirmed that the bases' housing barracks section has been taken and that they have begun bombarding the main administration building. Late last night they shot down a government owned drone as it prepared to take off from the base, several hours later they forced away a transport plane, causing significant damage to the aircraft. UBLF units are now focusing on taking the base's supply depot, which is hoped will contain weapons, ammunition and vehicles. All efforts to negotiate a surrender have failed due to the BDF's refusal to talk to local UBLF commanders.

Major Walski stated, "We have made repeated efforts to secure their surrender, but they will not reply to any initial overture for a peaceful resolution. Due to this, we are now pursuing efforts to secure the entire base no matter the resistance. Our good will regarding the soldiers of the squatters in Utena is now empty, if any individual unit or soldier wishes to surrender, then of course we will receive them and grant them medical care, those who refuse to surrender and fight, we will show no mercy. This air force base will fall to the soldiers of the BCR and with God's help we shall do so with ease. I and the citizens of the BCR pray for our men in their bloody mission, but may we also pray for the soldiers in the base, pray for them to come to some sense and surrender, may God have mercy upon their souls."

The UBLF is expected to launch its final assault on the air force base later tonight, it has requested extra men and heavy weapons, many experts have agreed that the base will fall to the UBLF within two or three days, depending on how many Bogorian government soldiers surrender and avoid being massacred due to the arrogance and delusions of the fascist government in Utena.

Written by Zalan Egon.

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[Ankaran Union]

Imperialists pass their sanctions against the people of the Union

Comrade Kader has vowed to resist the sanctions and warns the Union of traitors using the sanctions to spread their poisonous views

March 6, 2015| 18.02 PM PCT |Sertifikalı| By: Unver Celal

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The Ankaran Union is now under economic siege, following the success of the cowardly resolution proposed by the imperialists in Emmeria. The resolution which has now officialised sanctions against the Union, passed by one vote, with Estovakiva, Ulthrannia and Rodarion voting against the resolution. Kilavuz Ekrem Kader has stated that the Union will respond in a manner befitting its expectations, yet vowed the enemy will quake in their shoes. Over 500,000 people turned to the streets to voice their fury over the sanctions, which is aimed at the innocent people of the Union. Emine Kayan, leader of the Union of Patriotic Women said at a rally this afternoon, "they may break our wallets, but they cannot break our spirits." The Union is expected to shut down the Emmerian embassy later today and recall its own from Oured, with the Foreign Ministry stating it has no wish to cooperate or communicate with an inherently evil government.

Lawyers in the Union have denounced the resolution as a breach of international law over the absence of an exit provision; there is no explicit section dedicated to the provision of an act or goal the Union could do that would result in sanctions being lifted. The second issue, is the fact that the Erdine Liberation War's result was recognised by the Eaglelander Republic, insofar that the Eaglelander state recognised Erdine as a territory of the Ankaran Union. The government has denounced the sanctions as a breach of a country's right to development, which is a right of every sovereign nation. Deputy Kilavuz, Saeed Rasfanjani has denounced the sanctions as an illegitimate form of collective punishment of the weakest and poorest members of society, the infants, the children, the chronically ill, and the elderly." Foreign Minister, Orak Samet has accused Emmeria of trying to institutionalising sanctions by proposing sanctions without a provision for lifting sanctions, "without a provision for the lifting of sanctions in the event of the Union doing something, the cowards in Oured have ensured that only a resolution repealing sanctions can effectively lift them, considering the extent the imperialists dominate weaker states like Tule and the Tippercommoners, it is doubtful this vindictive form of warfare upon the Ankaran people will end any time soon."

Speaking on live television, Kilavuz Ekrem Kader has vowed that the Union will survive this blatant aggression, saying, "first they recognise peace, then they recognise our right to Erdine, now the Eaglelander brigands wage economic warfare upon us, may God spit upon them for generations to come. They do not respect us as human beings and intend to destroy the progress this Union has made since our comrades brought salvation to the Union in 1921, they intend to destroy us economically and force us into the lives of backward beggars, this will not happen, it will never happen as long as the National Union Party guides the people and maintains the strong state that protects us. I vow, as I did yesterday, to fight this war, we will have them begging to us to end their plight, that I vow and that is what we shall do."

Minister of the Interior, Faruk Çelik has stated that the sanctions will provide a breeding ground for counter-revolutionaries and traitors. Speaking before the National Congress, he said, "these sanctions not only aim to deprive the people of our Union of their economic wellbeing and freedoms, but to instigate those who hide in the shadows and come out and spread their poisonous counter-revolutionary ideals. We must be wary, we must be alert at all times. We must not give one inch to these demons in the dark, we must make sure they cannot utter one syllable of their poison. This government will hunt these people down and show them no mercy, we will not tolerate fifth columnists in this Union."

Kilavuz Kader also warned the people of possible foreign agents, "usually the imperialists back up their economic war with a war in the shadows, they have most likely infiltrated the Union with agents, who speak and look like citizens of our great nation, they will look and sound like you. Be wary, be careful and watch vigilantly, only through your sacrifice and your patriotism will we defeat the imperialists. We defeated them on the field of battle, they fled in shame and cowardice, now they attempt to destroy us through cowardice, show them that we will always overcome cowards."

Speaking further, Kilavuz Kader said, "after this sad event, a great realisation of the world swept over me, as I looked at a map of Akkadiya, I could see every nation, every people touched, violated by the hand of the imperialists in Oured and then I remembered that these brigands remain in our Islamic land, in Rashidi. Imposing their will upon the proud people of that land, they fear us, they fear a strong Akkadiya. But to be strong, you must prove that you are, we proved we are strong by evicting the Eaglelander criminals out of Erdine, now Rashidi do the same, evict the imperialists, evict them now, evict them from your land, celebrate your freedom by drenching your hands in their blood, evict them Rashidi, do so with our full support and prayers, let us build a strong Akkadiya from today onwards, before they destroy us all."

The Ankaran National Army has stated that it will aid the people in surviving the imperialist campaign of economic annihilation by providing morality lectures in public spaces in coming weeks, the ANA also confirmed that it will begin employing unemployed young men to ensure that no one suffers the loss of dignity alone. Several ANA units have been deployed onto the streets as a means to police the urban areas of traitors and possible foreign backed terrorists, the National Police Force is to set up a hotline for citizens to report traitors or treasonous behaviour, the government is also expected to announce temporary measures to limit the impact of the imperialist's act of economic war.

ARTN's Unver Celal contributed to this report.

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