Cyland News Thread (CYLAND ONLY;Must Be on Map to Post)

[Founder of Cyland]

Cyland News Thread

This is going to be the thread where nations in the region of Cyland may post news stories.

News stories can be about a lot of things- a change in leadership, a bad storm, protests, declarations of war, election results, or anything else that would be deemed a major news story in the real world.

News stories should be dated for the time at which they took place, which is not necessarily the time that they were authored.

Please be sure to use correct spelling and grammar. This thread is part of what represents our region. Please do not use bad language in the news thread.

[Tantara]

Train Derailment Sparks Investigation

---

Recorded radio broadcast, People's Daily Radio, 21 September 2016
Comrade Huto Barade here for People's Daily Radio, part of People's Daily, bringing you nothing but the truth^TM. It's the top of the hour, five o'clock in the afternoon, quitting time for our comrades laboring in the factories, and it's time to give you another update on the news.

As we reported this morning, a passenger train went off the tracks just outside the town of Dzidiko in Golin Province. Thankfully, due to the close proximity to the town, those injured in the crash were able to be very hastily transported to local hospitals by first responders. The Ministry of Proletarian Health is very happy to report that while there were some serious injuries, all patients are currently being treated and none of the injuries appear be to life-threatening. While People's Daily cannot confirm, it has been rumored that prominent members of our government may be visiting the town of Dzidiko to personally thank those involved in the rescue efforts.

While this surely a relief to all, the Ministry of Proletarian Transportation is still looking for the cause of the derailment. Authorities say that there is no possible way for the condition of our trains to be at fault; internal oversight has indicated that not one failure in the past five years can be attributed to poor maintenance or mechanical failure. When asked what did then cause the derailment and injury of around 40 comrades of the state, the Ministry answered that they are currently investigating the driver of the train, who, they claim, may have fallen asleep at the controls of the train, causing the crash. As the comrade-driver himself was injured and still remains in the hospital, the investigation will have to be delayed.

The Ministry of Proletarian Transportation asked us, People's Daily, to assure every comrade of the state listening that this accident is by no means a common case with our rail system. In fact, the Ministry stated, this is the absolute and most unexpected exception. The Ministry says it plans to, if the investigation does prove the train's derailment was caused by driver error, implement a new training course all comrade-drivers will have to complete.

And that's it for me. I'll be turning over the microphone to somebody we all know and enjoy- the wonderful, the intelligent, the beautiful Comrade Sela Horude, with tonight and tomorrow's weather.

---

Excerpt, print newspaper The Beacon, 21 September 2016
...everyone's favorite state-owned media outlet, the People's Daily, is reporting that the train accident in Golin province today had no fatalities. Unfortunately, that could not be further from the truth. Our own correspondents on the ground in the town of Dzidiko, the closest to where the derailment occurred, have the truth that they've been hiding yet again.

While we were unable to stay at the site of the crash for very long before officials from the Ministry of Public Safety had it cordoned off, we did observe at least twenty bodies lying dead and many, many more wounded than just the forty People's Daily claims. The entire passenger train had come barreling around a corner, "out of control," according to an anonymous eyewitness, and left the tracks just before a bridge over the Golin river. The locomotive and the first three cars went straight into the water, and we believe the driver and those passengers inside those cars probably drowned before they could escape the wreck. The rest of the train was so totally destroyed by the crash that we often found pieces of metal scattered hundreds of meters away.

The eyewitness we spoke with said that they managed to lock eyes with the driver as the train roared past them, and that the driver was definitely not asleep. In fact, the eyewitness described him as "wild-eyed," as if looking desperately for some way to stop the train. The locomotive's brakes were screeching and kicking up showers of sparks from the wheels, they stated.

Our deepest sympathies go out to those who have lost a loved one in this devastating disaster. It is all the more a desecration of their memory when our government refuses to report on it, and even bans this publication from ever seeing the light of the public. But even if they make the sky night, and even if they make the path all the more treacherous and arduous, the Beacon of Truth will still be here to light the way to freedom.

[Ventlimer]

Protests Begin as Ballots Cast
9/23/16

All through the evening and night of 9/22-9/23, Protests occurred in Crislasia, a city of about a million located in the Southeast of Ventlimer. The protests were against the predicted winner of the elections, Incumbent President Samuel Wirthland, who approved a series of laws that formalized the de facto segregation of Ventlimians from Crislasians and those of "dishonorable dissent".

The laws, which removed voting rights and the right to own a business with more than 30 employees, root back to the days of King Venlidimichi and the Great Wars of 1418. During the war, Crislasians were known as the most vicious and cruel of the enemies subdued by King Venlidimichi. At one point, it is recorded that Crislasian forces committed a genocide against the people of Venler, seeking out farming communities and weakly defended towns to kill all of the inhabitants in an attempt to kill the supply chain of advancing Venler Armies. Eventually though, they were subdued in the last battle of The Great Wars in 1423.

After the battles, the monarchy enforced stringent laws against the Crislasians, effectively forcing the city to become a jail for them. With the end of the monarchy, Crislasians received legal freedoms they hadn't had in 170 years. However, a de facto system of segregation was still prevalent in the voting booths and in the workplace. Crislasians typically have the highest unemployment rates, the lowest income, and the most unstable family structures. This de facto prejudice in government and society has been routinely challenged in the last years, creating an increase in racial tensions not seen since the early 1920's.

Now, as the "culture of the land" has fallen "under attack", as Samuel Wirthland said in 2008, "It is time to reinforce what was once assumed with the legal rule of law. We must reintroduce rules and regulations which have kept Ventlimer Great in its history."

Despite the roaring controversy, the Liberal and Socialist parties, both with headquarters in Crislasia, have made little gains in Congress and are expected to lose by a landslide in the coming days.

In response to the protests, which were mostly peaceful, Cities around the country have riot police on standby.

"We will not allow the Crislasian cries to disrupt the life of the city," said the Mayor of Venler, the Nation's largest city. "We have designated zones for protesting that are of reasonable size. If they leave these zones, they will be dealt with harshly."

---

In other news, a train crash in Tantara left some injured and a good twenty or so dead. The People's Daily Radio reported officials as swearing that this was the fault of the driver and not of the rail system itself. However, some officials in Ventlimer have questioned that and suggest that the bias of the Tantaran media obscures the actual picture. One engineer said that Tantara's rail system needed a complete overhaul.

Regardless, the officials in Tantara reported no fatal injuries and the investigation is ongoing.

[Tantara]

Fiery Comments Stir Controversy

---

Recorded radio broadcast, People's Daily Radio, 26 September 2016
...Comrade-Secretary Liber Leboru spoke today in a press conference regarding the ongoing protests in Ventlimer, which seem on the brink of breaking into chaos and violence. Riot police and other law enforcement agencies have been called up across the Armed Republic in order to prevent outright revolt. Leboru's comments were regarded by a few figures in the Party Congress as inflammatory, though for the most part they seem to remain the mentality of most of our elected officials: "It is absolutely villainous, what the Ventlimer government is doing to its own citizens. By color of skin alone it treats one group as not only sub-citizens, but subhumans. It would not surprise me if [Samuel Wirthland] had rigged this election to allow his sinister policies to perpetuate and propagate."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like us, People's Daily Radio, to stress that these remarks were strictly personal, and by no means given with the full weight and authority of our government. These statements are in no shape or form the official stance of our government towards the Armed Republic of Ventlimer, nor are they a formal condemnation of that government.

---

Excerpt, print newspaper The Beacon, 26 September 2016
As evidenced by the latest media coming out of the Armed Republic of Ventlimer, The Beacon now has its own readership abroad. It is comforting to know that even foreign correspondents trust us more than any "official" source from our tyrannical government. However, the significance of this development goes far beyond even that. It's the fact that our voices, our disdain, our despair and our gloom, our grievances and our plights are all being heard on the world stage. Sooner or later, our words will bring the full weight of the international community against the evil perpetuated against us, and with them will finally come liberation from this oppressive, lethal socialist system. So to our new friends out there beyond the horizon, we thank you and hope you will support our fight for freedom.

[Ventlimer]

9/26/16
Ventlimian News Network
Venler, Ventlimer

Protests Continue, But Lessening

After protests started without warning a few days ago, city mayors and district governors are reporting a drastic decrease in violent protests after the National Guard was called out to quell riots in Crislasia as the governor there refused to send out riot police.

"I will not deploy police officers who have no issue harming protesters to quell riots that are politically against them," The Governor of the Crestlanzian district said this morning. "Instead, it should be up to President Wirthland to send out the more professional military to quell the riots. They have the respect of the protesters and comply more often."

Since the protests began, 143 people have been charged with vandalism, theft, or assault while some 28 remain in prison without charges, but will be released at the end of their 48 hour stay if they are not charged, the Police Chief of Crislasia said in a statement. "We are a fair and unbiased police department only implementing the laws of the land. We do not discriminate outside of the law."

However, key Crislasian protesters say that the systematic oppression of Crislasians in Ventlimer is not always just legal. Mainly, they say, it is economically slanted. Crislasians continue to make up the largest portion of the impoverished population with very little economic mobility. While government institutions and programs have tried to aid them, many commentators have suggested that these programs and their failure to do anything but attempt to prop the Crislasians and poor up where they need no propping has been part of the rise of the Nationalist Party of Ventlimer.

Despite the continuing problems, no protests are planned for tonight by organizers who suggested that "everyone needs to cool off for a day or two."

President Wirthland made a statement regarding the unrest shortly after the "cool off" period was announced.

"We believe that a united Ventlimer is a stronger Ventlimer. While the government applauds the efforts of organizers to civilize their followers, the Crislasians have done nothing but proven why these laws were necessary."

In other news, Tantaran officials condemned the Ventlimian laws while still suppressing free speech in their own land.

One Congressmen described the statement as "disgraceful. Especially when they can't even keep their trains running without a web of lies."

[The Hutt Baby]

Franz Intercity Informer
Tom Bush
9/27/16

For a long time, Franz has been a large but relatively low productivity nation, but now the government plans to change all that.
In a recent speech, PM Nicholas James said: "We are a large nation, but that by no ways means that we are a strong one. Unfortunately, because we are such a young nation, that has had political instability in the past, we have not devoted enough resources to growing our economy."
In a press release from the executive branch, the King, PM, and Minister of State released plans to "Re-invigorate" the economy. The basis of these are shown below:

1. Seeing as there are many untapped natural resources such as iron ore, oil, and even silver in our mountains, a ₡5M grant shall be given to Nijman Mining Co. to be used to buy equipment to extract these raw materials.
2. Using ₡10M, a transformation from a mainly agricultural/service economy to a mainly industrial/retail economy shall be started.
3. All grants given must only be used for their intended purposes.

A new bill that is soon to be passed, the Economic Improvement Act, is currently in the Parliament as we speak, and would support the executive mandate above.
It remains to be seen whether or not these measures will help, but obviously the government is trying hard to make economic change.

[The Hutt Baby]

Trade Partnership + Cooperation Agreement Request
Franz would like to request a Trade Partnership and also a Cooperation Agreement with Spocker, seeing as they are neighbors and both would benefit from such agreements.

Classified
The Franz National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Franz Space Initiative (FSI) have been founded. The NIS's purpose is pretty much self-explanatory. The FSI will be the Franzish space program, and it's current goal is to launch 5 satellites, (2 private contracts, 3 govt. purposed). It will remain private and secret until the first launch date.

[Otasuan]

9/30/16
People's Information Commissariat
Tsar's Head, Kulakia

Otasuanian Government denounces Ventlimian State

---

Today, a large portion of the Supreme Assembly of the Proletariat made very harsh and heated remarks in regards to the Armed Republic of Venlimer, during the course of an assembly debate about diplomacy with other non-socialist states in Cyland. The remarks came to fruition in light of recent civil unrest in the Venlimian state, primarily in the city of Crislasia. Many of the Assembly members cited the suppression of the unrest as the main issue in regards to their approach to diplomacy with the Armed Republic.

Speaker of the House of Proletariat Representatives, Johanne Akvarium, made it very clear to reporters his stance on the issue.

"The Crislasian people are at present, the victims of oppression from the Venlimian Bourgeoisie, along with the many other minority groups of peoplr under the Venlimian Regime! It would be the biggest crime against the Revolutionary Ideal if we did not condemn it. I for one see no problems in saying what must be said."

The denunciation of the Venlimians also comes in light of recent comments from Comrade- Secretary Liber Leboru. The president of the assembly, Marcus Liari, has seemed neutral on the affair so far. Some sources claim however, that President Liari has privately been expressing resentment for the Venlimians, but this has not been confirmed. At the moment, Vice President of the Party Mikhail Vedeveev, is planning a visit to Tantara, in order to foster relations between our to workers states. It is the belief of many here at the Commissariat, that the issue of Venlimer will certainly be brought up.

Glory to the Workers, and the Workers State!

[The Hutt Baby]

Classified
The NIS has been approved to send agents to Ventlimer, Otasuan, Spocker, and Tantara.
The FSI has finished their first rocket and satellite, and running tests. The Launch is scheduled in 2 days.

[Ventlimer]

10/2/16
Venler, Ventlimer
Ventlimian News Network

Protests begin after Wirithland Makes Speech

After a week of protesting and rioting, 469 Crislasians and 4 Ventlimians have been arrested for various charges, but mostly for participating in a disruptive protest. Cities across Ventlimer have racked up bills of over A million Ventlers in the last week and have placed curfews for all Crislasians in their vicinity. In Crislasia itself, rioting has caused almost a 10 Million dollars in damages after crowds tore through the heart of the city, setting buildings on fire and attempting to attack police officers. The National Guard has been deployed to all cities.

In the light of these protests, President Samuel Wirthland addressed the nation and the denunciations of other nations.

"We will not allow ourselves to be ruled by a city of degenerate people who demand everything and provide nothing. They have done nothing but show their true nature by destroying their own neighborhoods and attacking our fine men and women in uniform. We cannot allow that to stand and will act accordingly. As to our friends across the world, I assure you that this is not an oppressive regime before you, but a fierce protector of a nation's culture. We will put down these riots like you put down a rabid dog."

After his speech, Crislasians attempted to take to the streets to show their anger, but were locked in their houses with National Guard elements in high risk neighborhoods. Shots were reported when some Crislasians attempted to leave their homes by force, National Guard Commander Chris Bentler said in a statement. Four Crislasians were killed in the shoot out.

[Seklata]

Seklatian Moon Article, October 1st, 2016
On Friday, Councliman RemM officially announced his allowance of the SPTU (Seklatian Public Transportation Unit) to build highrailed maglev's in Sekksann City. City planner Bitreen Moore says "It will rack in thousands of jobs, help the environment, and achieve new heights in the already booming tourism industry".

Our correspondent Audria Dihh went to see the new way of getting around when she sat down with engineer Ron EebB at his construction site, a transcript:

"So, How exactly do these Trains work"?

"Well, unlike usual trains, these can actually occupy the same space as the road, just elevated. They rest on platforms with high powered magnets in them, using a magnetic field to let the train actually float, reducing friction. Then the platform is raised up above the road using steel stilts, with a wide base for stability and a modern, curved look."

"So, in relation to the recent crash in Tantara, do you think these new trains will be safer, should we be worried"?

"No, you should not be worried, and yes these will be safer. See, as well as the magnets on the floor of the platform, there are magnets on the side, preventing the train from derailing to the side. the stilts they are on are also very sturdy, made out of the finest grade metal, and hardy even from bad weather.

"Ron, how will this help Seklata"?

"In many ways, many ways. First, it will boost the economy, we expect the SPTU to make profit on these trains by 2025.
then there is the beautiful Seklatian environment, the Maglev will run completely geothermal electricity, creating virtually no emissions. And then there is the people, we all know the roads of Sekksann are hectic, tedious, enraging, and sometimes even dangerous. This will fix that, the maglev bus will change all of that, providing a quick and easy way of getting around. You can even get a Maglev Pass, allowing you to go whenever, and wherever you need to. Plus, one of my favorite features of the bus, is that if nobody is getting off at a specific stop, or getting on, it just won't stop. You only need to show put your ticket, or pass in our computer, and input where you're going.

"And when exactly should we expect to see these trains"?

"We are planning to start construction in 2020"

"Kif"

"My pleasure"

[Ljsium]

SIZØLNA HODALI EPICENTRE OF MINOR EARTHQUAKES
The Ljsian Ledger; 10/10/2016; Zhülana Frikes

Yesterday, the Department of Geological Surveys along with the University of Hodajako's Geology Department were seen working on Sizølna Hodali's southern slope. After much speculation by social media users, the Department has released a statement that the mountain is the epicentre of a recent swarm of minor earthquakes. At this point, they have told everyone to not be alarmed, as the mountain is known to do this a couple times a decades. Successful volcanologist Silorna Mjoka told us Monday morning that "what the mountain is doing right now isn't out of character. We've seen it do this three times in this decade alone, so we at least know it's normal."

Others are saying this activity is certainly cause for concern, as Sizølna Hodali often erupts when the earthquake swarms occur more frequently. With the rise of public concern, Sizølna National Park and the Ljsian Institute of Volcanology have been closed until Wednesday. Even with the recent seismic activity, the teams from the University of Hodajako and the Department of Geological Surveys will continue their research. Joklonpa Hoplir, a spokesperson for the Department, said early Monday morning "continuing research is important right now. The more we know about Sizølna Hodali, the better prepared we will be if it erupts again." He also reminded us that Renjam Hodali on Aoflion is perfectly safe, and has been dormant for millennia. ZF.

[Cyland Founder]

After a long history of having issues with raiders, no active government, the founder of Cyland begins recruitment!