NS World News- Your nation's news

[Kenzinia]

KNN | Kenzinia National News Network Powered by Kenzcom Corp. Issue #10 2nd March, 2015 Election Postponed: Crowd Roars Supporters of the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP) at one of the opposition party's political campaigns. KENZTROPOLIS - The National Congress once again made a game-changing decision to Kenzinia's politics. The legislature recently announced that the Presidential Elections are postponed to Tuesday (3/3/2015). The two Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates have warmed up for the elections at the Campaign Week last week. The Presidential candidates are Kenzie S.R, the current President, and Natasha Haura, the leader of the Socialist Workers' Party which are opposing the current government. Mrs Natasha is eager to win this year's elections, as she stated on the Sunday's Presidential Debate, "I am sure the people would like more freedom, security, and a better wage with a lowered income tax. That is what exactly I am going to give to the people of Kenzinia." President Kenzie S.R is also confident to earn his second term as President of Kenzinia. His party, the Islamic Democratic Party, won the most seats at legislative elections a few months ago. The IDP has over one and a half billion supporters throughout Kenzinia, so it is almost impossible for him to be defeated to Mrs Natasha. Still, the tides may turn at the upcoming elections. So which candidate do you prefer, Kenzinians? MORE NEWS Capital FC wins 2-1 against Mesa FC BrigGen Halim: We will defend our nation at any cost Copyright © 2014 Kenzinia National News network, All Rights Reserved

[Ayermani]

GUA DALAM - Even though the issue
of public servants sneaking off
during working hours has become
viral and received public attention,
there are still a few that practice
this habit.
Federal Government Secretary,Dolly Dollah, said
that continuous monitoring is being
carried out to ensure that public
servants work as prescribed.
“Monitoring will continue to be done
so that this culture can be
completely wiped out for the sake of
upholding public service,” wrote
Dolly on her Facebook status.
Today,Dolly carried out a surprise
visit at restaurants around Gua Dalam that are a focus of public
servants to have morning tea during
working hours.
She also uploaded pictures of public
servants being caught outside the
office having morning tea even
though it was a working hour.
Previously, Dolly ordered all heads
of departments at local authorities
and district offices to monitor the
discipline of officers/staff at their
respective departments to ensure
that no one is lazy in carrying out
their work.-AYERMANI NEWS AGENCY

[Ayermani]

President’s nephew killed over salary
GUA DALAM: The nephew of Ayermani president Musa Jalal Assan was killed in an attack by an enraged ex-worker over salary on his 37th birthday on Monday.
Mustapa Jo Assan, owner of several high-end restaurants all over Ayermani, succumbed to injuries after being slashed repeatedly in the head, neck and hands at one of his restaurant here.
Police solved the case within one hour after arresting a 38-year-old man.
District police chief ACP Ken Thau Peng said at a press conference yesterday that his department was informed of the murder at the restaurant in Singgahmata Road about 5.15pm and rushed to the
scene.

Police inspecting the victim’s body
at the crime scene.

The suspect, who had been working for Mustapa for about four years, had confronted him about a salary
increase.
“There was heated argument and the suspect whipped out a cleaver and began attacking Mustapa with it,” the police said.
“We detained the suspect at 5.45pm and found a cleaver hidden under a coconut tree in the bushes behind the restaurant.
“Investigation also revealed that the
incident was caused by the dissatisfaction of the suspect regarding the amount of salary received from the victim,” he added.
Police said the victim’s body had been taken to Gua Dalam General Hospital for post-mortem and that the case would be investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code which provides the death penalty upon conviction.-AYERMANI NEWS AGENCY

[Ayermani]

French envoy calls on
FM

GUA DALAM:Ayermani Foreign Minister Junaid Mansoor
met with French Ambassador to Ayermani, Christophe Penot yesterday and discussed possible areas of cooperation in tourism, renewable energy and waste management.
Penot said he would organize a familiarization trip for a few French companies to Ayermani in an effort to explore opportunities in business and investments.
“French visitors are also attracted to Ayermani because of the coastline,islands and diving, which is one of the best in the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Junaid said the Ayermani
government was a business friendly government that welcomed investors.
“We also welcome visitors from all
over the world. We are a peaceful
and harmonious state despite our
multi-ethnic and multi-religious
population,” he said.-AYERMANI NEWS AGENCY

[Ayermani]

Mass brawl breaks out in Ayermanian parliament in debate on color of "The Dress"


GUA DALAM:Ayermanian lawmakers exchanged punches and threw water at each other today during a debate over the color of "The Dress".
Since going viral just a few days back "The Dress" has become a contentious issue in Ayermani.
Lawmakers engaged in fisticuffs while one MP fell down the stairs,midway through the debate after heated verbal exchanges between the warring sides quickly escalated into punches and kicks.
The police's Public Order Unit was called in and order was restored half an hour later.At least five lawmakers were slightly injured in the incident.-Ayermani News Agency

[Ayermani]

Lawmaker arrested over fraud

Police leads Rosalia outside her house after her arrest.

GUA DALAM:A member of Ayermani’s National Assembly was arrested late Sunday over an alleged real
estate scam.
Police searched the home of 49-
year-old Rosalia Pele,the elected representative of Sompon in the Central Region, for several hours Sunday, seizing an undisclosed number of
documents.
She was arrested over alleged fraud involving a housing project run by her private company. The company collected deposits from 80 potential home buyers between 2009-2010 worth a total of 14 million Ayermanian Dollars (about 4.6 million US dollars) , but did not pay them back when the project did not materialize. It was expected to be finished by the end of 2015.
Maximus Kurondo, former deputy chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture,Education and Youth, said some negative information about Rosalia began circulating at the beginning of the assembly election process in 2011.
However, he suggested that perhaps the relevant agencies did not investigate this thoroughly and the electorate voted her in.
She was suspended on Monday from her position as a member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Finance and Budget.
Lawmakers in Ayermani are allowed a level of immunity from prosecution, as Perkasa Jalal Assan,Speaker of the Ayermani National Assembly explained in an interview with state broadcaster ARTV Thursday.
He said according to the constitution, no one is allowed to arrest, detain or prosecute a deputy without approval from the National Assembly.
In Rosalia’s case Speaker of the Assembly gave permission for investigation agencies to go ahead.
The government has been carrying out a crackdown on corruption in recent years amid economic woes with several high profile trials,some of which have resulted in the death penalty.
Observers often connect the arrests of prominent business figures with political infighting in the ruling Ayermani National Party.
Maximus said he believed this was not the case with Rosalia.
Police gathered enough evidence against her, he says, and have already arrested her partners.-Ayermani News Agency

[Ayermani]

Tambirang to implement dress code for tourists

A file picture of Renang Island, a
popular tourist destination in the
Ayermani's Eastern Region.

GUA DALAM: Tourists who intend to visit Tambirang on the eastern region of Ayermani must now abide by a dress code, as outlined by the local government there.
According to the the official website of the Tambirang Administrative Council (TAC),a circular with guidelines on attire will soon be released to all Ayermanian travel agents and Ayermanian tourism headquarters in all countries.
The website states that the guidelines are targeted at tourists,especially female tourists.
TAC chairman Hamidi Buyuk said that he was certain the new ruling would not deter tourists from visiting his constituency.
Hamidi, who represents Tambirang in the Ayermani National Assembly, however, clarified that action will only be taken once the circular is released.
“Before legal action is imposed on women who wear revealing attire in public, to the point that the dressing causes fervency, a letter with guidelines will be issued,” he was reported as saying.
Hamidi explained that a meeting
was held with the Tambirang
Islamic and Malay Heritage Council
(MaWMIT) to prepare guidelines,
which specify the dress code
acceptable according to Islamic
rulings.
He explained that ever since the
ruling on attire was announced two weeks ago, both local and international tourists have abided by the specific guidelines.
Tambirang is a major tourist destination due to its pristine beaches and world famous islands like Renang and Hentian, which attract thousands of visitors each year.
According to a source, the ruling
does not require men and women to
comply 100% with the Islamic dress
code. However, visitors and locals
must dress decently.
Those who fail to do so will be called
for counselling. In the case of underage perpetrators, parents will also be called in to attend counselling sessions, the source
said.
It is understood that a meeting will
be held Wednesday to further clarify the
guidelines.-AYERMANI NEWS AGENCY

[Ayermani]

ANAP to haul up Rajak,Mat Koneg over alleged plot against President Musa

Rajak (left) and Mat Koneg (right) will be given the chance to clear their name

GUA DALAM: The Ayermani National Party (ANAP),the country's ruling party,will investigate central committee members,Rajak Abdul Kajor and Mat Koneg Abdullah over an alleged conspiracy to unseat party president Musa Jalal Assan.
ANAP secretary-general Perkasa Jalal Assan said both men will be summoned for questioning over the allegation soon.
“We will call both the accused
and the accuser,” Perkasa,the president's younger brother was quoted as saying, referring to Central Skiltasu ANAP Youth chief Dalimon Passong who first named Mat Koneg,who is the elected representative of Bilang,as the head of the purported plot.
Perkasa then expressed confidence that his brother will retain his presidency during the party’s June elections, but added his doubts whether Rajak or Mat Koneg will fare as well.
“The rumours that the president will be ousted are impossible. Instead, we are
confident that he will get full support to retain his position,and we will continue to see him as president after 2015,”Perkasa said.
On February 23, an audio recording allegedly of Rajak plotting a “counter-offensive” against Musa was leaked online.
In the two-minute-10-second recording, a voice said to be Rajak’s laid out a strategy
to change ANAP members’ perception of the party president after the numerous crisis faced by Musa.
The clip, titled “voice recording transcript part 1”, was posted on the Facebook profile called “The Offensive”, which is
popular with the pro-Musa faction in ANAP.
Earlier last month, Central Skiltasu ANAP
Youth claimed of a plot by more than half of the party’s central committee leadership to bring down Musa and the pro-Musa faction.
But both Mat Koneg and chairman of
the party’s splinter group New ANAP,Jon Linggaman-the elected representative of Bukit Apat-have since denied being involved in the alleged plot.-ANAP NEWS

[Kenzinia]

KNN | Kenzinia National News Network Powered by Kenzcom Corp. Issue #11 3rd March, 2015 Vote for your Candidate Today! Anti-riot policemen standing guard. KENZTROPOLIS - Kenzinians all over the country are turned up by the Presidential Elections which is held nation-wide today (3/3/2015). The voting session ends at 2.00PM this afternoon, and the National Electoral Commission have been working on counting the total votes, and of course, deciding who will be the next president of Kenzinia. A decent amount of soldiers and policemen were sent to the elections to minimize chaos. "We want it (the elections) to be free and clean as possible." Brigadier General Halim, spokesman for the KMF, stated this afternoon. The 'quick count' results will be shown live on almost every local television station soon, so stay tuned to your screens, folks! MORE NEWS No news at the moment... Copyright © 2014 Kenzinia National News network, All Rights Reserved

[Imperium Sidhicum]

5th Armada Smashed at Callixen

In a rather unfortunate turn of events, the 5th Armada operating in Callixen system against the Federation of Mankind was pushed out of the star system by a successful surprise attack. In a very risky maneuver, the human naval assets present in the system engaged the 5th Armada in blockade formation around Callixen II despite being heavily outnumbered, while a reinforcement fleet would jump in from outside the system directly into orbit of Callixen right amidst the Imperial ships. Although Imperial Naval forces fought courageously, they were unable to effectively return fire without risking friendly casualties, so Admiral Julian Vitellus, commander of the 5th Armada, ordered an organized retreat after suffering considerable losses. Although certain unpatriotic elements have spread vile rumors that this retreat was in fact a disorganized rout, Admiral Vitellus's flagship, the "Nogha-Rai", sustaining major damage during the hasty retreat after deliberately ramming a damaged Imperial destroyer that failed to clear way, Imperial Navy public relations liaison has adamantly dismissed such rumors as nothing but "defeatist scaremongering designed to tarnish the image of Imperial Navy by enemy sympathizers". Admiral Vitellus himself couldn't be reached for interview, rumors circulating about his suspension over the unauthorized withdrawal.

Human Emancipation Debate Continues, Fists Used as Arguments

Yesterday, another hearing by the General Assembly ended fruitlessly as a fistfight broke out between elements of the hardline and liberal fractions. The issue of limited human emancipation has become the most controversial affair in Imperial history since the succession dispute that started the Sidh Civil War 400 years ago. The representatives involved in the fight were promptly separated by the Imperial Guard, and are believed to be suspended from attending the hearings until further notice. Of the most prominent figures of the respective fractions, only Lady Alyzbeth Blackwater-Malkar, Archoness of the newly-established Western Expanse, was present, refraining from giving any comments pertaining to the situation. Her spouse, Archistrategos Hanno Malkar of the 235th Mechanized legion, could not be reached due to "pressing matters at the headquarters". Archistrategos Arcadius Drax of the Alpha Legion, the informal leader of the hardline fraction, was also absent from the hearing due to his current deployment on the ongoing campaign in the Western Expanse. When questioned about the matter via e-mail, his response to the incident was typical - "These lily-livered slack-jawed [expletive] lovers of human filth know they've lost the [expletive] fight, they know their [expletive] bill will never pass, and they can't [expletive] accept that, hence resorting to such base and un-Sidh conduct like the craven unpatriotic [expletive] [expletive] they [expletive] are. Meanwhile, street riots have broken out on dozens of worlds, supporters and opponents of human emancipation clashing violently in the streets. The Empress has issued a stern warning that such antisocial conduct will not be tolerated regardless of stance on this matter, and has authorized Urban Security to use any means including deadly force to disperse the riots and restore order, as well as instructed Domestic Security to detain anyone posting incitements to riot on social media for sedition. Despite that, several violent pogroms have occured in the human ghettos since yesterday with numerous casualties.

New Augmentation to Improve Love Life

Did you know that having a VR-2600c series vasoregulator can improve your sexual potency by up to 20%? The latest scientific studies show that this is indeed true. Vasoregulators are typically meant to consciously regulate vascular constriction in order to minimize bleeding in case of injury, normally affecting only the major blood vessels in limbs and torso. However, due to a small programming error, VR-2600c series in particular were also found to affect blood vessels in the private parts, allowing male carriers to consciously prolong and intensify their erection. Studies show that men augmented with VR-2600c are able to sustain erection up to 20% longer than men with a different model of vasoregulator or without any vasoregulator installed. The effect on females is somewhat less obvious and more difficult to assess, but 64% of the inteviewed females augmented with VR-2600c also report increased sexual stamina. This unexpected side effect has given the Tharkad Augmentarium, manufacturer of VR-2600c, and idea for an entirely new augmentation designed to enhance sexual performance. The concept is still in theoretical stage, so it is difficult to say when the new enhancement will become available in the augmentation clinics of Imperium.

[Ayermani]

AEC denies report of staff layoffs

GUA DALAM:State-owned oil company Ayermani Energy Corp ( AEC ) has brushed aside a report that it
would be laying off staff in an effort to cut operational expenditure (opex ) by 20% this year.
On the contrary, excess manpower in certain areas will be redeployed to projects that require a new staff intake,AEC president and chief
executive officer Dr.Baytus Erablu said.
Describing the report as ridiculous, he said AEC’s mega projects still needed manpower.

Dr.Baytus,CEO of AEC

He said the procurement of technology and recruitment of project staff have not even started .
“So, it ’s not going to take place over the next five years . For that, we do not see a staff cut ,we still need them ( for the
projects), ” he told reporters after announcing the group’s financial year results at the AEC Tower here,yesterday.
AEC has indicated a cut in opex along with a 10% slash in capital expenditure (capex) to preserve its profitability as crude oil prices continue to tumble .
Shamsul said if oil prices were to drop further next year, the group might look into further reducing its capex by 15% .
“We have revised downward our five -year capex plans for the 2015- 2019 period due to current global oil prices, which
are beyond our control , ” he added.
With the cut in the expenditures, he said the group would be able to achieve profit
this year despite the oil forecast price of US$ 55 per barrel in 2015.
“The next few years may see some tapering of production due to capex and opex cut, but once we start ( to recover ) again,the production will catch up .
We are still studying the impact on production (from the cut) . I guess within the next three months, we will know
better.
“It ’s still too early as we’ re only in the second month of the year so we don’t know when the stability of the market is
going take place ,” he said,adding that AEC is reviewing the situation .

[Saltbridge]

The army will always be modernized SA-X89 SPARTAN 6X6 AIFV Modernization and development of military assets and equipment in line with the current growth of defense engineering, said Chief of the Army, General Hans Mike Worsham. He said the army will continue to plan assets, and the current system in order to alert the desired achieved or maintained. "In the same vein, with the financial backing and confidence of the government and the leaders of the Armed Forces of the Army, this end will be achieved and we are the main driving force of the defense framework mainland state," he articulated at a parade to commemorate his visit to the formation 202nd Lewbrough Battalion (Airborne). In summation, he said, cooperation with other security agencies constantly upgraded to ensure a passionate defense in depth can be accomplished, and thus any attempt of infiltration and invasion can be forestalled. Strategic and operational requirements will be surveyed on an ongoing basis so that the strength of any threat in the country will be able to be treated, he stated.

[Ayermani]

Pres.Musa:Nephew was a good,thoughtful boss
GUA DALAM:Ayermani President Musa Jalal Assan has expressed regret over the murder of his nephew here on Sunday.
“I am disappointed because the
deceased was a good person and
friendly to everyone,” said the president,
when commenting on the death of
restaurant owner Mustafa Jo Assan.
The 37-year-old victim was hacked to death by the cook of the restaurant who was reportedly dissatisfied over his salary.
According to the president, his nephew was a good and thoughtful boss. The suspect had been working as a cook for four years and had never caused any problem before.
It is understood that whenever the suspect faced financial problem, the victim would help him.
“I still cannot believe that this could
have happened because he (the suspect)
was well liked by his employer. On
the day of the incident, he was given a surprise by his employer as it was his birthday.
“He was so happy with the surprise that he went to buy food for his employer,” the president said in statement to the media
yesterday.
President Musa praised the efficiency of the police in detaining the suspect within an hour after the incident and finding
the murder weapon.
He hoped the suspect would be given the appropriate penalty.
Mustapa succumbed to injuries after he
was slashed repeatedly on the head,
neck and hands by the 38-year-old man when he confronted him about his salary.
A heated argument reportedly broke out and the suspect whipped out a cleaver to attack the victim.-AYERMANI NEWS AGENCY

[Ayermani]

‘Housewife,civil servant among 23
caught for IS terrorist group links’

Ayermani National Police Special Branch Counter Terrorism Unit personnel detaining a suspected terrorist in the capital city yesterday.

GUA DALAM:A housewife and a civil servant was among 23 people detained by the Special Branch’s counter-terrorism unit in a nationwide operation on suspicion of having links with the so-called IS terrorist group.
They were picked up in operations between Feb 28 and on Monday.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Qaddo Arliun (pic) said a police team picked up the civil servant on suspicion of helping to register a Facebook account for use by some Ayermanians relating to IS group’s activities.

“We believe the suspect, is also a senior member of the terrorist group in Syria.
“Our investigations revealed the 39-
year-old suspect was also planning to join the IS (in Syria) in the near future,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He said in the second case, the police detained a 22-year-old male trader on suspicion of contributing funds to Ayermanians who wished to join the IS in Syria.
The other suspect, a 29-year-old housewife from was caught for allegedly planning to join the militant group.
“We believe the woman had instigated a 14-year-old female student who was detained at the Sultan Kiram International Airport on Feb 17 for allegedly trying to join the IS in Syria,” said Qaddo.
He pointed out that all of the suspects would be held under the Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial for up to two years.—Ayermani News Agency

[Saltbridge]

Hundredstar receives first Saltbridgeans Chronicles-class patrol vessel Chronicle class Fast Patrol Vessel The Hundredstar Navy has received its first Chronicles-class patrol vessel from Saltbridge, Hundrestar state news agency HSNA reported on 27 February. The boat, SNS Claymore Bay(P-6755), is the first of two vessels to be donated by Saltbridge under an Defense Assistant arrangement established in February 2014. The vessel has been re-christened HNS Darren Dewfirst (P-5). The second vessel is expected to be delivered by mid-2015. The Chronicle-class vessels have been in service with the Saltbridge Navy since 2014. Chronicles-class equip with - SaltCom RoyalWatch E16, 2D long range surveillance radar equipped with video extractor and track processor for automatic air and surface target tracking, Saltcom EchoNet T200, 3D medium range surveillance radar with automatic air and surface target detection & tracking, MARCOS V1 Multipurpose Weapon Control System, consist of two CORE directors with associated radar and control equipment and MUSEUM system (Medium-range Surface Effect Missile)

[New Korongo]

Parliament Authorises Deployment of Peacekeeping Force to Latvia

The Parliament of New Korongo has voted in favour of sending Korongolese troops to Latvia, despite arguments that the United Provinces has no business in the Baltic region. This news comes just hours after rebel forces in Latvia launched a major offensive against several important towns controlled by the beleaguered government. Five thousand men and women of the Royal Armed Forces will deploy to Latvia over the next week and form LATFOR, the official name for the proposed Korongolese peacekeeping force. They will be supported by the warships and aircraft of the Mebangy-Ityan carrier battle group, which is currently being diverted to the Baltic. At a press conference held this morning, Prime Minister Oste Jonang affirmed the role of the Korongolese personnel being sent to Latvia. “The overarching goal assigned to the personnel of LATFOR is the protection of the civilian population of Latvia.” He said, before admitting that the re-establishment of peace in the region would require the neutralization of the insurgent forces. Jonang also reiterated that the deployment of a Korongolese peacekeeping force to Latvia was not a threat to Russkavia, a regional power that borders Latvia. However, there are widespread rumors that the rebel forces in Latvia are backed by the government of Russkavia. If these rumors are true, it means that a confrontation between the Korongolese military and the Latvian rebels could easily escalate into a confrontation between New Korongo and Russkavia. Jonang refused to comment on whether or not the rebels in Latvia were supported by the government of Russkavia.

Banang Jangri, the leader of New Korongo’s largest opposition party, described the parliament's decision as "callous and imperialistic" during a radio interview at noon. He went on to claim that Korongolese intervention in a small-scale local conflict on the other side of the world endangered New Korongo's image on the international stage and the lives of the men and women who would be forced to fight. Various human rights groups across the country have echoed this view, denouncing Korongolese intervention in Latvia as an invasion. Recent polls indicate that 44% of Korongolese citizens support the deployment of LATFOR to Latvia, but more than 72% said that they would support the same deployment if there was indisputable evidence that the Russkavian government was backing the Latvian insurgency. This has reinforced fears of a much larger confrontation in the Baltic region in the near-future.

27/02/2015 - Bortumonun Demands Tracking of Foreigners
21/02/2015 - Rebel Forces in Aglium Surrender
18/02/2015 - 'Tanks Are Off The Table', Says Asezlian

[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}

---

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.

---

MORE FROM PNN

• Bogorian Rebels Score Key Victories Against Gov't Forces [ 0 ]
• Suicide Bomber Kills Twelve Near Border of Ulthrannic Ashizwe [ 0 ]
• Saral Nuclear Reactor in Meltdown [ 40,284 ]

Comments [ 953 ]
E-mail
Copyright © 2015 Pegasus Media Company. All rights restricted.

[Virana]

[OOC: From a few days ago. Basically a post criticizing one of my closest allies for having a state-owned defense industry. Enjoy!]

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}

---

---

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, Pardes'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.

---

---

MORE IN OPINION

• Opinion: Why Estovakiva is the most oppressive country in the world [ 5243 ]
• Opinion: In reality, Tippercommon is ailing [ 9429 ]
• Opinion: Rebel victories in Bogoria mean they're a legitimate power now [ 1375 ]
• Opinion: Why the rebels are backed by the Rodarian military [ 872 ]

MORE FROM WARREN

• Opinion: State-owned enterprises fair poorly in free markets [ 1824 ]
• Bogorian government surrenders in Gryzgawa as rebels ramp up military operations [ 2782 ]
• Tippercommoner defense ministry declares local defense militia terrorists in wake of attacks [ 1003 ]
• Prestonia pleas for peaceful Bogoria solution; DP makes outlandish comments criticizing Vaziri [ 193 ]

Comments [ 5871 ]
E-mail
© Warren 2014

---

5871 comments

^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

[Ayermani]

Ayermani's film censor wants to legalize porn
GUA DALAM:Ayermani's chief censor has proposed legalising the country's pornographic film industry to allow the screening of hardcore movies in cinemas.
The Chairman of the Central Board of
Film Certification (CBFC), Hafiz Al-Ajamaeen, said the move would allow cinemas to compete with cable and satellite television.
Almost every major city has cinemas which show adult movies illegally - usually at morning sessions.
"Porn is shown everywhere in Ayermani clandestinely... and the best way to fight this onslaught of blue movies is to show them openly in theatres with legally authorised licences," Mr Hafiz said.
The CBFC, which is a designated moral guardian of society, regularly orders directors to remove anything it deems offensive, including sex,nudity, violence or subjects considered politically subversive.
"There is a demand for such movies
in Ayermani and we as censors cannot always keep a tap on pornography.
By setting up such theatres we would offer an outlet to people who want to see such movies," he added.
Mixed feelings
The reaction to Mr Hafiz's proposals have been mixed.
"Anything that titillates the libido will score big in the marketplace,"said little-known film producer-director Lo Joh.
"It's high time the government realises this and makes money by streamlining the illegal transactions of pornography," he added.
But veteran actress,Vyiany Balakun criticised the plan.
"I, for one, believe that opening night clubs and permitting striptease shows was bad enough.We do not need any more
permissiveness," Ms Vyiany said.
X-rated proposal
Mr Hafiz said the change could only happen if the law was changed through an act of parliament.
He hopes to submit his plan to the
information and broadcasting
ministry in the next two months.
"My understanding is that such
movies sell only due to their curiosity value. After the initial hype people would not bother much for such movies," he said.
His proposals are based on European and US laws where such movie theatres are off-limits to children.
Indian films are currently categorised as "universal", "parental guidance" or "adult" but Mr Hafiz said he would extend the
classifications to include an "X" rating.
Mr Hafiz was appointed chairman of the CBFC last September.-Ayermani News Agency

[New Korongo]

Military Convoy Attacked on Korongolese Soil, Nuclear Weapons Missing!

The Korongolese government has revealed that a military convoy was attacked by an unknown paramilitary force in the mountains of Mebangy-Huro province yesterday evening. The convoy in question was transporting three nuclear bombs to a decommissioning facility at the time of the incident and it appears that the attackers seized these weapons during or immediately after the attack. Speaking at an emergency press conference held this morning, Prime Minister Oste Jonang said that the Royal Armed Forces are using every means at their disposal to track down the attackers and recover the nuclear bombs. “Our nation is facing a very dangerous threat. It is imperative that the three nuclear devices are tracked down in the shortest possible time. If any Korongolese citizen knows anything about the attack, I strongly urge them contact their local police station. Those responsible must be found before they can cause further harm.” Provincial Guard units in Mebangy-Huro province were activated this morning and hunters in the area near the location of the attack reported military helicopters flying overhead. The Korongolese government has not released any information concerning the identity of the attackers, but speculation has already enveloped the internet. Some people believe that the attack was carried out by Madabican special forces, while others have claimed that aliens are responsible. We will publish more information as it becomes available.

06/03/2015 - Parliament Authorises Deployment of Peacekeeping Force to Latvia
27/02/2015 - Bortumonun Demands Tracking of Foreigners
21/02/2015 - Rebel Forces in Aglium Surrender
18/02/2015 - 'Tanks Are Off The Table', Says Asezlian

[Torisakia]

---

March 7, 2015
7:13 PM TST

TORISAKIA SQUADRON GUN-BATTLE IN CARLITOS, GZI; UNCOVER GUERRILLA HIDEOUT
Watch TPS special 'New Party on the Ballot?' on TNN this Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. TST

Carlitos, Gonzalez Isle - One day after the FEMOINGOLS (formerly the Blue Gods of Death) seized the small and quiet town of Carlitos, five miles south of Aafjes, a battalion of the Torisakia Army came into a confrontation in the streets, ensuing a gun-battle that left six Torisakia soldiers dead and a hasty retreat by the FEMOINGOLS. The gun-battle started at 3:05 PM TST and lasted for almost three hours. After the smoke had cleared, soldiers went building by building clearing out rooms for any remaining FEMOINGOLS soldiers. What they would find would be the most horrifying thing any of them could witness. An entire guerrilla hideout. Full of black market weapons, disturbing piles of dead civilian corpses, and even scenes of brutal torture.

Army troops as they entered the
town of Carlitos early today.

Around 1:00 PM TST Friday afternoon a large wave of FEMOINGOLS invaded the town of Carlitos, raiding buildings and killing almost all of the civilians. There were even reports of them killing the town's mayor,
Nico Belmonte. In what was believed to have been the result of the town's governance not wanting to hand the town over willingly, the FEMOINGOLS presence in Aafjes quickly took the town by force. They then stationed themselves inside the town, making it an official headquarters in just twelve hours. The numerous Torisakia military bases in Gonzalez Isle were notified of the seizure, but were not authorized to take action just yet. Originally, the Office of National Security Enforcement in Douglas-La Pryor feared a hostage situation inside the town after a unknown FEMOINGOLS intelligence agent sent a picture of the town's mayor and several other local government figures locked in jail cells via e-mail, and were going to give the go-ahead to take action. It wasn't until a few hours later that they were sent another e-mail by another unknown FEMOINGOLS intelligence agent saying that no one had been killed and that [they] were only stationing themselves in the town for the next few days before moving out.

Early this morning a battalion of Torisakia Army troops stationed in Del Bosque, southeast of Carlitos, were undergoing a ballistic training exercise in a deserted forest. As they wrapped up and headed back, they traveled down a road that ran parallel to Carlitos. As their barracks trucks were passing by, a few soldiers reported gunshots being fired at them. FEMOINGOLS soldiers from inside the town had opened fire, thinking that the truck was approaching as an attempt to take back the town. Swiftly, the trucks came to a halt and soldiers poured out and into the town, initiating a battle between the two groups. The FEMOINGOLS seemed unprepared for the attack, and were scrambling to get weapons and more manpower out to help. After a standoff that last almost three hours, over eighty FEMOINGOLS soldiers were killed. The troops then conducted a building-by-building, room-by-room search and destroy mission throughout the town. They found many FEMOINGOLS soldiers still inside them. Some hiding, some waiting for their arrival, and even some who were killing innocent civilians. They made the most horrifying discover in the town jail in the southern portion of the town.

Photo found of Mayor Nico Belmonte just minutes
before his death.

Although the largest building they had to search, the troops took no time in clearing the first two levels. No one was to be found and it looked as though no one had even been inside. When the reached the third floor (maximum security), they discovered a very disturbing scene. A large pile of dead bodies, and among them, local town political figures. One of the bodies found was Head of Health Dr. Jorginho Crespo (age 54), who was shot multiple times in the head at point-blank range. Another body was identified as Head of Information Technology Vanda Rios (age 41), who was also shot at point-blank range. The next two bodies found were Gonzalez Isle representative Felix Quim (age 63) and Carlitos Mayor Nico Belmonte (age 42), who were hung from nooses inside jail cells and chairs placed underneath them to give the illusion that they committed suicide. The lacerations on their bodies would clearly determine that they died from torture and not by hanging.

View of Carlitos from the southwest.
1: The street where most of the fighting took place.
2: The motel where the two FEMOINGOLS soldiers were found and executed.
3: The jail where Mayor Nico Belmonte and Representative Felix Quim were found dead.

The next horrific scene would come from a motel across the street from the jail. On the second floor, two FEMOINGOLS soldiers were found in a lone room with a pile of corpses. The corpses were identified as Torisakians who were living in Gonzalez Isle at the time. According to the FEMOINGOLS soldiers, they had rounded up Torisakians who were living in the town and were ordered to execute them one-by-one. A camera was found set up in the room, which suggests that the two soldiers recorded the execution of the Torisakians, although nothing was found on the camera when inspected by a Torisakian soldier (it is believed that they disposed of the footage or screenshots as the Torisakians made their way into the building. The two FEMOINGOLS soldiers surrendered without putting up a fight and were promptly executed by a Torisakian soldier which was caught by the camera set up in the room (Recording).


This marks the first conflict between Torisakia and Gonzalez Insular forces inside of Gonzalez Isle. The only other conflict was in Douglas-La Pryor on Torisakia Independence Day in 2014 when a group of FEMOINGOLS radicals (then called the 'Blue Gods of Death') detonated a car bomb in the neighborhood of Troutwood, killing almost thirty people and injuring dozens of others. Gonzalez Isle representative of the Torisakia Senate Hector San Nicolas has not issued a statement on the siege of Carlitos or the Torisakian attack on Carlitos. Torisakia President Alissa Beaulieu has also not issued a statement on the matter.

[Kenzinia]

KNN | Kenzinia National News Network Powered by Kenzcom Corp. Issue #12 6th March, 2015 Another Term for Kenzie S.R! KENZTROPOLIS - The National Electoral Commission have counted the total votes on Thursday (5/3/2015). NEC announced that incumbent president Kenzie S.R won 1,545,867,523 votes, beating opposition leader Natasha Haura who won 564,242,586 votes in the elections. Kenzie S.R successfully earned his second term as the president of Kenzinia. "I would like to thank my loyal supporters for this." Mr Kenzie stated after his inauguration on Saturday (7/3/2015). "Without them, I won't be here today, taking my pledge." Incumbent Vice President Riza Al-Qadri congratulates his former running mate. "I hope this term will be better than the last." He stated, also at the inauguration. The new vice president is Brian McFarrell, the government's former chief of staff and a member of the Federal Nationalist Party, like Al-Qadri. MORE NEWS No news at the moment... Copyright © 2014 Kenzinia National News network, All Rights Reserved

[Aenglaland]

Cattish Today
International Version

Roman Catholic Church - accusations & debt

- The recent accusations made by Cardinal Samuel Teth, Head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Cattish Confederacy, have sparked indignation across the country. After Cardinal Teth said that Kittenism, a native religion of the islands and also the most worshipped, was a religion of "kitten lovers, made for stupid people and that should be damned for all eternity", many have demanded a public apology for these alegations.

"There is something called freedom of religion in this country. People are free to worship whatever they like. Every religion is unique. What right does mr. Teth have to say such things? We respect other religions, refraining from spreading lies like the ones mr. Teth have said. I hope this issue is solved as quickly as possible and also that mr. Teth devotes his time to other things, like paying the huge debt the Catholic Church has instead. Mr. Teth should know that everyone must pay taxes." - Asa Nakamura, Supreme Priestess of Kittenism, said this afternoon outside the Temple of Yuji, in the capital.

Indeed, just a week ago,it was revealed the Office of the Catholic Church in the Cattish Confederacy had not paid any taxes since 2013. The Government issued a warning, reminding the office to kindly pay the debt before other serious ways to collect the debt are used.

The Roman Catholic Church is a minor religion in the Confederacy, currently followed by 6.1% of the population, and this number is declining. The Catholic Church has a long history in the islands. It arrived sometime during the 3th century AD, but it truly never gained a massive amount of followers. In the 16th and 17th century, the Church was known to capture people, with different religious beliefs or suspected to be involved in Witchcraft, and burn them. Several people charged of Witchcraft were in fact Alchemists, something not accepted by the Church. This sparked outrage and in 1635, Kittenists decided to burn every single catholic priest and bishop in the islands, an event known as the "Weeping of the Crosses". Records say the smoke could be seen kilometres away. Foreign representatives were also forced to leave the country. Native christians were offered pardon if they renounced the Roman Catholic faith, although they were not forced to embrace other religion in the process, and Christianity in any form was then banned. Only in 1873 it was legalized again.

[Stevencousin]

NATIONAL ECHO

---

500th Volunteer Regiment conducts military exercise in Holmdock

500th Volunteer Regiment G-60 tank during Exercise Hard Winter

It is right time to conduct training when the Holmdock Figeraus Mountains is covered by accumulated snow. Recently, 500th Volunteer Regiment under the 96th Volunteer Brigade of the Stevencousin Army took its troops to the snowy Figeraus Mountains to practice maneuvering, coordination, protection and resistance in lifelike battlefield environment set in complicated area, so as to enhance its troops’ mobile operation ability in arctic-alpine mountainous area.

For the first time in more than two decades, Stevencousin armored vehicles will travel across hinterland as part of a massive force-on-force exercise that stretches between major Army training areas. Dubbed “Hard Winter” and expected to involve more than 6,000 soldiers from the 96th Volunteer Brigade , the exercise harkens back to a Cold War era of training when civilian land sometimes played a role. At the center of the exercise, which begins in earnest Saturday, is the 500th Volunteer Regiment and its G60 MBT. The regiment will be pitted against a training opposition force armed with mock aviation and armor assets, including a platoon of new GI-57 Fancer Recon APC.

[Ayermani]

Ayera to order five more Sukhoi jets

GUA DALAM,March 9:Ayermanian carrier Ayera has decided
to order five more Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet-100 planes, Ayermani's
ambassador to Russia, Aaron Bo Teck said on Monday.
"Ayermani was one of the first to buy
the Russia-designed SSJ-100 planes and has been actively using them for air-traffic operations," Aaron said, adding that Ayera had initially wanted to buy ten SSJ-100 airliners.
Ayera's board of directors reportedly approved the acquisition of more SSJ-100s back in December 2014. But the final decision was postponed until late February 2015,the company's CEO Qassem Pangi said on February 20.
Superjet-100 is a short-haul passenger airliner, developed by Russia's Sukhoi Company. The plane made its maiden flight in 2008 and was made available
for commercial use in 2011.-Ayermani News Agency