[INWU|IC|Canon] International News Thread

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I n t e r n a t i o n a l N e w s T h r e a d

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[box][size=230][b]Beetroot Shortage in Tiraspol Threatens Peace[/b][/size]
[size=120][i]Agricultural shortage two weeks before beet festival threatens to reignite tensions between ethnic groups[/i][/size]
[hr][/hr]Vadim Nume for the [i]Tirasol Times[/i] [floatright][size=80]30/04/2018 11:00 pm | Tirasol, Transnistria[/size][/floatright][/box]

[box][align=center][img]https://i.imgur.com/HrOyGxX.png[/img]
[i]Rotten and gelatinous, this year's beetroot harvest has proven inedible[/i][/align][/box]

Following devastating rains all through last Winter, the nation's five and a half acres of arable land were flooded for a period of nine days, leading to the loss of an estimated twelve pounds of beetroot.

Government officials have remained silent so far, but the question on everyone's minds remains: who will we import beets from in the aftermath of this event? Some support Moldovan beets, while others support acquiring Ukrainian, or even Russian, produce. But these positions are highly politicized, leading some to believe the festival may be in danger for the first time in seventeen millenia of continuous Transnistrian identity.

Armed revolutionary groups in the unrecognized [i]Moldovo-Romanian Republic of Northern Transnistria[/i] have claimed full responsibility for the rains, supposedly caused by bribing meteorologists. The validity of these claims is currently under investigation by the proper authorities.◿
 
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[b]Comments (1):[/b]

[blocktext][box][color=#0080C0]Natasha[/color] · [size=80][color=gray]01/05/2018 10:31 am[/color][/size]
[size=95]This is terrible news, so sad rn.[/size]
[hr][/hr][size=70][floatleft][color=gray]Score: 21[/color][/floatleft][floatright][color=gray]REPLY · UPVOTE · DOWNVOTE[/color][/floatright][/size][/box][/blocktext]

[Atlantica]

Live at Donggyeong: Igra returns to the East!
The 20-year old Florencian band, now initiating their eighth world tour, is making all-time record hits on live concerts.

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Yoonho Shim from the Zhenia Shinbo (진국신보)

AC 1610/01/13 11:03 am | Donggyeong, Zhenia

Igra performing one of their greatest hits, 'Paradise Lost', in the Donggyeong National Stadium yesterday.

Florencian rock band Igra began the Tarsis segment of their eighth world tour to promote their newest album 'Out the Window' by holding their first concert of the tour at Tarsis in Donggyeong yesterday, bringing the attention of many 'Igrites' (the official fandom name of Igra) and non-fans alike.

The concert, held at the Donggyeong National Stadium yesterday, has attracted at least 140,000 spectators filling the entire venue, as well as an estimated live stream viewership of over 130 million people in Zhenia alone, and lasted for over four hours, going through most of the previous hits of Igra as well as all songs featured in their newest album, 'Out the Window'. The venue vibrated with the sing-alongs of the hundreds of thousands of spectator singing together the greatest hits of the band, including 'Paradise Lost', 'The Citadel' and 'Over the Walls'.

The popularity of Igra in Zhenia has long been at the attention of domestic and foreign media alike, with officially-registered 'Igrites', the official fandom of the band, numbering up to at least 5 million in Zhenia alone as of January 10. The fan community of Igra in Zhenia is particularly notable for their sing-along culture, with the fans singing out entire verses of the song together rather than just the chorus. Meanwhile, Igra's seventh full album, 'Out the Window', released on November 27, 2019, has been achieving record level album sales and streams throughout Zhenia, with over 10 million direct album sales and a total of 2 billion streams within Zhenia alone.

"Today's concert was hectic - I mean, Zhenian concerts always are, but I think today was a new high", commented Igor Bashkir, the lead singer of the band, yesterday. "Today we saw all of our fans singing along our hits - speaks enough of how we are perceived in Zhenia. There's a good reason Zhenia's one of my personal favorites for performing live.

The band is set to continue their world tour after concerts in more Zhenian cities, including Jinhae, Bakhan and Ariul until the end of January.◿

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Comments (2):

Junki Heo · AC 1610/01/13 11:22 am
I was there yesterday - the pricey ticket wasn't disappointing at all! Quite literally, the best band in the world!

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Jinyong Wang · AC 1610/01/13 11:26 am
GO IGRA! Can't wait till this weekend, when their concert in Ariul happens.

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[New Educandi]

New Government in Educandi takes Office; New Coalition Promises Reform- Executor Announces Plan to Abdicate in Favor of Son
New Lord-Magistrate assumes office while monarch begins to plan retirement

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Chorb Kanel for the Edurre Foreign Sunday Times

5/01/1610 11:00 pm | Edurre, Educandi

The Executor is expected to perform his last opening of the Chamber of Consuls

Lodiwyk Drees, leader of the Left-Liberal Union and orchestrator of the new Blue Coalition, is to be invested today as Guardian of the Seal, the companion title to his new job, Lord-Magistrate of Educandi. His party, one of two main parties in the nation, beat out the Conservative Party (also known by their moniker of the Perfolger) by 10 seats, and entered into a coalition agreement with enough parties to gain a majority in the Chamber of Consuls. Drees, the counterpart to the Perfolger's Karls Baker, has promised to tighten the country's laws regarding foreign banking and finance, provide more aide to farmers, as well as other reformist policies. The main members of the newest Blue Coalition are the Blues-and-Greens, the Collectivists Association, and the Agricultural Bloc. Of those parties, the Collectivists Association and the Agricultural Bloc made unprecedented gains in the Consuls, although still not beating out their senior partner, the Blues-and-Greens, and certainly not the coalition leader, the LLU.

In related news, Executor Anton II Brejada announced that he plans to abdicate and retire, as is typically traditional for the Educan monarchs, and allow his son, Antony Marien Brejada, to assume the Executive Seat. Anton II assumed the seat in 1541, when his father died, at the height of the Annexation Crisis, which coincided with the Blutarch Burrel Crisis. Anton denied the later's third request for emergency powers, and recognized the new revolutionary Grothborder government, thus avoiding catastrophe in both cases. His son, Antony, has a degree in legal studies, and has had a successful carrier as an airline pilot. He is expected to take the regnal name Antony I, and will be made Antony I Brejada by the Consuls. ◿

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Comments (2):

Big Boris · 06/01/1610 10:31 am
Good to Drees! The Perfolger were cocking things up massively. I'm sure this won't result in a surprise election anytime soon.

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Score: 21

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Boom Bongo Bronald · 06/01/1610 10:31 am
FUCK DREES FUCK THE LIBTORDS AND THE LEFTCUCKS THERE GONNA GIVE THE COUNTRY TO THE ACHYSIANS GET US OUT OF THE AC THEIR A BUNCH OF LEFTY LOBTARDS

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Score: 21

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[Atlantica]

Jinseok Kim, 1610/01/14 AC

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Home · Zhenia · Tarsis · World · Politics · Business · Science & Technology · Society · Culture · Sports · Other · Weather

Prototype of New Maglev Trains Revealed at International Rail Tech Expo
A prototype of the MLT-600 Maglev train, built by Jinmu Heavy Industries, is set to become the future of Zhenian high-speed rail.

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The first prototype of the MLT-600 built by Jinmu Heavy Industries introduced at the International Railroad Technology Exposition today in Donggyeong today.

The future of Zhenia's rail transport took a step closer to reality today when the prototype of Zhenia's newest magnet-levitated train (aka Maglev train), already designated as the MLT-600 by the Zhenia National Railway Company, was revealed at the International Railroad Technology Exposition in Donggyeong.

The reveal of the MLT-600 at the International Railroad Technology Exposition caught all eyes as one of the fastest maglev trains built so far were introduced to the world, with anticipation that it would fundamentally change transportation in Zhenia and the world. Built by the rail vehicle division of Jinmu Heavy Industries, it started off from the drawing boards as early as the late 1990s, when Zhenia National Railway Company, or ZhenRail, explored ways through which rail transport along the already-congested Golden Arc line would be improved. Although the prototype's top speed is unknown, it has been clarified that the prototype has already fulfilled ZhenRail's minimum requirements regarding operational and maximum speeds, with the latter expected to be over 600 km/h.

Using linear motors for propulsion and magnetic levitation rather than wheels to levitate itself off the ground and go forward, Maglev trains have long been regarded as the future of rail transport in Zhenia, where intercity transport via high-speed rail has been seeing record levels of ridership in recent years. Such trends are clear particularly in traversing the Gulf of Danguk; despite record-level low fares by low-cost carriers, ridership in the lucrative Donggyeong-Jinhae high-speed rail line has increased to around 500 million in 2019, a 8.2% increase from the year before.

"For years, transportation to the other side of the Gulf depended on flights and the slower, but more affordable high-speed rail," stated Saehoon Kim, CEO of Jinmu Heavy Industries, today as he revealed the prototype. "But today, we provide an answer that will shift the equilibrium of domestic transportation back to the rails - offering at least 1.5 times the speed of existing rails, a price of around 80% of what business-class flights of today can offer but with the same degree of comfort. In a way, the future is already here."

Expected to be ZhenRail's answer against the advent of low-cost carriers in the air in domestic passenger transportation, the introduction of Maglev trains in the ever-congested Donggyeong-Changan line and the Trans-Golden Arc Line already serviced by the ZNX is expected to reduce travel time between high-demand points served by the ZNX today, reducing what was once a 8.5-hour trip between Donggyeong and Jinhae to a mere 5.5 hours by the completion of the Shin Trans-Arc Line between Donggyeong and Jinhae in 2025. First commercial service of the MLT-600 is expected to begin by then, with the prototype vehicle expected to undergo extensive tests until its introduction into service in 2025.

The quest for Maglev trains across Zhenia, however, has been met with its own set of challenges: construction of dedicated tracks for Maglev trains in the Donggyeong-Changan line has been met with local resistance in northwestern Donghae North Province, where residents complained of the noise and dust resulting from the construction; smaller cities between Donggyeong and Jinhae, including Anju and Junggyeong, have been petitioning for their own Maglev stations in fear of their transit demand being absorbed by the new Maglev trains.

[New Educandi]

New High-Speed Trains to Come to Educandi/Grothbord Routes
Ministry of Transport oversees the bi-national rail system’s rollout of new Zhenian rolling stock on busy high-speed railroads

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Lodewyk Konyn for the Educan Foreign Times

22/01/1610 11:00 pm | Worcenbrocen, Educandi

The EMU-400 units are set to be delivered in February and begin operation in mid-May

Following talks with the Syndic of Transportation with his Grothborder counterparts in the board of the Great Norther Lines, the unified rail system of Educandi and Grothbord, as well as executives of Zhenian National Rail, several EMU-400 high speed trains are set to be delivered to the two countries later this year.

The talks took place mostly during the Duck Pond Session- the Educan term for the interim between being elected and taking office- of the new Transport Syndic for the LLU, Villem Degorsye.

The trains will first connect the Edurre-Volkstadt route, which has already been electrified and prepped for high-speed rail, before connecting other polular routes in the two countried that have yet to be wholey electrified.

“We intend first to see how well they work,” said Degorsye at a press-conference, “on an already prepared route with a regular ridership. If they seem to funtion fine, we’ll begin preparing other routes for HSR, and maybe add our own modifications to the trains, either at our Educan or Grothborder workshops.” When asked why there wasn’t more HSR in the two countries to begin with, Degorsye responded “No, this is a press conference, it’s for newspapers, not the public.” When informed that the EFT was a newspaper, he said “Well, Educandi is a relitively small country, so most regular rail service has been sufficient. As for Grothbord, the joining of the AC really helps with funds that were previously unavailable.”

The trains are set to arrive in Worcenbrocen, the major industrial port of the nation.

Lodewyk Konyn is a prize-winning correspondant on public transport policy. He previously worked for the Railway Regular Magazine.◿

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Comments (1):

Natasha · 22/01/1610 11:11 am
Wow, Great Northern Lines. It’s interesting, it almost sounds kinda like a placeholder name. I wonder if there’s any fastidious Ichorians reading this, about to critisize the name.

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Score: 21

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[Ichoria]

'Unsung Saga' is the biggest TV show in history. How did we get here?
How a lost, gender-deconstructing fantasy book series became a worldwide sensation.

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IT International Online – the world nearer

22/01/1610 10:00 pm | Azhara, Ichoria

Image from the season three preview released last month – the adventures of Thea the Novice will take them to Hroninghas, home of the mages

One may call it an unsung saga in itself – how a small child from rural Yvania rose to become one of Ichoria's most celebrated post-war authors after her tragically early death. Vyal Leso was born in 1520 to Methor Leso and Mérial Hokarthes, two members of the Mutualist Party who quickly saw themselves in a difficult position during the ascendancy of Autocratism. Taken from her parents to be raised in one of the regime's nightmarish Youth Academies at the age of 11, the Hegemony's tendency for record-keeping allows us to paint a brutal picture of the abuses suffered by her and her peers at these centers for indoctrination.

Whether pneumonia contracted during her time there was responsible for her early death to lung disease in 1564, we cannot be sure. Those who knew her during her 44 years on this Earth, and none knew her well, paint the picture of a permanently scarred human being aged beyond her years, a small, silent little woman adequately fulfilling menial assignments in the same Embera downtown office for the last twenty years of her life. But those who have read her work, discovered over twenty years after her passing in the attic of her former apartment, tell a different story – the tale of a visionary who wrote a world of intricate and heart-rending beauty into being.

Few are totally unacquainted with the world of Maku – indeed one of Leso's short novellas, The Loathsome Crown, has remained a part of Ichoria's mandatory high-school curriculum for over a decade. But if the concept appears almost banal to the modern eye, past sensitivities even during the author's own latter years would have found it anything but: in the world of The Unsung Saga, every animal goes through a radically different process of sexual maturing than in real life, starting with the "softening", a process comparable to female puberty inducing a state of fertility characterized by pregnancy, and ending with the "hardening", a latter stage of sexual development starting on average around a human's mid 30s comparable to male puberty. This concept serves as the genesis for a seven-book series, a novella, as well as troves of poetry written both from the points of view of her myriad characters and from Leso's perspective as the author. 1608 saw the release of season one of the 'Unsung Saga' TV show, a co-production of the Ichorian, Kathic and Achysian public television networks, to widespread popular and critical acclaim alike, while the final episode of season two smashed viewing records across the continent. Now, with the series' third season premiere fast approaching, international publishers are having a hard time keeping up with demand. A once-obscure masterpiece is set to become the entertainment phenomena of a generation.◿

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Comments (2):

Maras · 22/01/1610 10:31 pm
It's mind-boggling to try to imagine how much pain that woman suffered. Vyal Leso is the voice of countless people destroyed by that stupid war.

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Score: 21

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DoROS · 23/01/1610 01:02 am
I don't care what they say, it's perversion.

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Score: -7

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[Tolorian Empire]

Mduduzi Busiso Emerges as the Frontrunner for Upcoming Presidential Election
Young Presidential candidate has appeared as a late favorite to win the office of the Presidency

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Cebile Ingane for the Tolorian Daily

22/01/2020 11:00 pm | Asaleka, Toloria

Busiso speaking at a rally early Wednesday afternoon

Following the announcement of current President Gwaza's intentions to step down after his term ends, there has been a flurry of prominent candidates throwing their hat into the ring. Gazi Andile, a longtime member of the People's Assembly was thought to be the favorite of the People's Unity Party. Khewzi Zenzele is the prominent figure representing the National Action Party. Mareledi Kobamelo, the only major female candidate, represents the Free Peace Union.

However, there has been a young up and comer who has been gaining steady support since he announced his candidacy last September. Mududzi Busiso is currently finishing out his second term as a member of the People's Assembly, and has captured the attention of the political analysts all over the country. In five short months, Busiso has gone from a relatively unknown politician to the leading candidate of the country's most dominant political party over the past few decades. He began his political career at the municipal level, working his way up to the provincial level, in which he stayed for 18 years. He finally pursued an Assembly seat in 2014 and has quietly built a strong network of support in the Assembly.

Busiso has campaigned on the issues of boosting the economy, social welfare policy, and mostly foreign policy. He has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he wants to "boost the prestige of the Tolorian people in the international world." He has also stated that he wants to improve relations with Auroran nations and "make new trade partners." In addition to this, Busiso has successfully connected with voters, using his youth, 43, as a talking point, arguing that he is much more suited to lead Toloria's next generation. His charisma has garnered the support of the youth voters and a good portion of middle-aged voters.

In addition to his own doings, Busiso has found an unlikely friend in the sitting President. President Gwaza gave an endorsement to Busiso early last week, much to the chagrin of the elder statesman Gazi Andile. Andile described it as "a stab in the back from the person [he] has worked under for so long." President Gwaza himself talked about Busiso, saying: "I have read over his profile from his governorship days, and I have watched him ever since he has been in the National Assembly. He may not be the flashiest guy, but he gets things done. There is no doubt about it, he gets things done. There is not a better person to lead our great country into the future." Gwaza went on to give Busiso more high praise and revealed that they had become close friends over the last couple years, unbeknownst to many. Gwaza's endorsement has given Busiso a healthy bump into the leading spot, according to the latest poll. Many believe that this bump has come mostly from supporters of Gwaza (who has a high approval rating) who were undecided on whom to support.

The latest poll results show Busiso leading the charge with 31% of the votes, Khewzi Zenzele at 28%, and Gazi Andile at 26%. With elections two months away, many political analysts think that Busiso will only increase his support amongst the Tolorian people.

[New Educandi]

Proposal to Expand Airship Program being Floated in National Airways Conference
The mostly tourist based program of airships has "potential to return" on investment, says manufacturing group

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Lodewyk Konyn for the Educan Foreign Times

24/01/1610 12:00 pm | Burlingbyrje, Educandi

Either larger airships for passengers, or cargo airships such as this prototype, "would be excellent for the hilly Educan countryside" and it's relative lack of airports

When it comes to the tourist economy, the airship program initiated by the Educan airways system can be considered a success. However, there are some for whom the limited fleet of passenger ships is not enough.

Ambros Yejelsyn is the leader of the Lukdrak manufacturing company, which was commissioned to build the fleet for four airships. According to him, "Airships are a perfect solution for Educandi's problems when it comes to space for airports. Aside from Executor Villem International, Educandi has no major airports because we simply don't have the space for them. An airship only requires a little more space than its footprint to take off." Aside from EVI, about a 15 minute train ride outside Edurre, Educandi has Worcenbrocen Regional, which does service a few air routes within Educandi and Grothbord. Aside from those two commercial airports, Educandi has about 6 municipal runways, of which 4 are located near the coast. EVI was built partially in the sea, so as to use as much available space as possible.

Since it's inception, the airships have ferried thousands of passengers to and from EVI. But with a journey of almost a full day from across the Hoffzung, and susceptibility to weather conditions, these vessels have never been intended to take over as the main passenger carrier. The biggest ship has a capacity for 60 passengers an a crew compliment of 10-15, thus minimizing passenger revenues and maximizing personnel costs, before even considering storage or ground crew.

Considering all of that, the fleet has not been run as a people-mover, but as more of a sky cruise-line. The target audience for potential ticket-buyers are people on vacation, primarily upper-middle class, who are not shy about spending money on novelties, and mostly Aurorans. With that population in mind, the program has seen success, bringing in millions of Orys throughout its lifespan.

However, Yejelsyn says that if legislators and regulators were less "scared to try new things", then the program could not only function as the worlds only airship-based passenger airline, but also as a cargo carrier. At the National Airlines and Airport Regulators Convention, or "Staates
Luchtvartmetschappyen ejn Lukhafen Regularen Conventy" (SLLRC), the manufacturer made a proposal to build several 100 passenger airships, 100 metric tonne cargo ships, and requesting funds to research ships capable of 200+ passengers. Critics of this proposal say that not only do regular airplanes beat out the proposed 200 person capacity by several hundred people, the 100 person capacity ship design does not yet have certification to fly commercially. "It's an absurd idea," said Cora van Huitenhuisen, the chief manager of EVI. "Not only do we have the capability to carry large numbers of passengers, Yejelsyn is saying we should use a bonesaw to fix a leaky pipe." Other attendees of the SLLRC have echoes this train of thought. Yejelsyn responds, "If we did this, we could expand our airlines to beyond just EVI, so that every corner of the country will have the ability to have air traffic service their industries."

Even if the SLLRC adopts Yejelsyn's proposal, it is up to regulators to grant the new ships certification to fly, and the Consuls to give both the all-clear and funding for such a new program to begin. The Transportation Syndic, Villem Degorsye, could not be reached for comment, but a spokesperson said that "We're focusing on projects in other sectors of transportation, like railways or harbors."

Lodewyk Konyn is a prize-winning correspondent on public transport policy. He previously worked for the Railway Regular Magazine.◿

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Comments (3):

Kranten Commentator · 24/01/1610 01:43 pm
I think we should give this idea more thought, I think it'd be cool to see airships gracefully floating through the skies again!

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Serious Skeptic with an Animal Persona · 24/01/1610 02:15 pm
@Kranten Commentator do you have any idea how expensive these ships are? More like ungraciously hurtling through the sky at the slightest wind.

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Score: 17

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Janke · 24/01/1610 02:33 pm
Yo guys look up the airships this guy is proposing, they look like a butt

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Score: 69

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[Atlantica]

Wang Chisan, 1610/02/03 AC

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Home · Zhenia · Tarsis · World · Politics · Business · Science & Technology · Society · Culture · Sports · Other · Weather

Duel of the Fates at Haedong: Precarious Autonomy or Stable Integration?
Haedong Islands are more divided than ever over an issue that would forever change the fate of the islands - its provincehood, while its division is taking a somewhat different form than before.

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Two very different factions of protesters took it to the streets of Dongdo last weekend to rally for their side of the future of the Haedong Islands.

The Haedong Special Administrative Region, comprising of the Haedong Archipelago and adjoining islands and the nation's only Special Administrative Region as of now, showed that it was more divided than ever over the fate of the islands - the future provincehood of the Haedong Special Administrative Region - as an estimated total of 1.2 million protesters rallied in Dongdo for the two days of the weekend, rallying for their side of the islands' fate.

During both days of the protests, two very different rally groups were observed - one called for the elevation of the Haedong Special Administrative Region into a Province, while the other protested for the exact opposite, rallying for maintaining the islands' status quo as a Special Administrative Region. Protesters of the former were organized by pro-provincehood parties and organizations across the islands, most notably the Haedong Federalist Party, while many local businesses and some Haedong Zhenian interest groups supported the latter last weekend. While there had been fears of the nominally peaceful protests turning into violent bloodshed with the collision of the two main rally groups, chaos was minimized due to heavy police presence and as most road connections surrounding Kim Shimin Square were blocked during the weekend. Still, it did not prevent the protesters speaking up their set of beliefs regarding the islands' future.

"It is within our Constitutional Rights that the islands be represented equally to the mainland", proclaimed Cho Sunho, leader of the Haedong Federalist Party, in the Saturday rally. "While all of us islanders are equally represented as individuals, it is unjust that we be less represented as a group compared to the mainland. Until when will the Haedong Islands remain in isolation from the Greater Eastern Union? It is within our duties and rights that we speak up to the Greater Eastern Union and effect change and progress with our own hands!"

For the Haedong Islanders, the issue regarding the fate of the islands is no new issue: it has surfaced since the mostly Haedong Zhenian-inhabited islands became a part of the Empire of Zhenia in 1868 as a directly-controlled entity. It gained its status as a Special Administrative Region during the Third Republic, as Kim Shimin designated the once-directly-controlled islands a Special Administrative Region and granted high degrees of autonomy, including the legalization of gambling and exemptions from federal income taxation. Despite such high levels of autonomy and subsequent economic prosperity, however, the issue of political representation remained, as while Special Administrative Region citizens were allowed to vote equally as those in mainland provinces, Special Administrative Regions were less represented in the Sangseowon and the Federal Assembly compared to their population. The issue had surfaced into the Haedong Referendum in November 2018, when 61.1% of the votes called for the islands' elevation into a province, against the 35.8% of the votes calling for the status quo. Since then, the bill of Haedong's elevation into a province has been on debate in the Federal Assembly and the Sangseowon.

Traditionally, most ethnic Haedong Zhenians called for the integration of the Haedong Islands as a province, mostly hoping for equal representation with those on the mainland, as well as benefits from gaining further federal support in infrastructure and social support than today; many residents originating from the mainland and casino-derived businesses, on the other hand, insisted on the status quo, due to economic interests and in fear that the special status of the islands - the very incentive upon which their investments had happened - would be threatened. Lately, however, popular support on the issue has taken a somewhat different turn, as ethnic Haedong Zhenians, many of which residing in the rural zones, turning against the islands' integration as a province: such shift was due to not just the ethnic disputes within the island but in fear that the advantages of provincehood would not flow into the islands but would rather be focused in Dongdo.

"Provincehood and its benefits at the federal level would mostly stay in Dongdo and aggravate our situation", said an anonymous protester, who claimed to have come from the rural areas of the island. "We ain't going to let the bourgeoisie of Dongdo suck out the cream once again - they are all filthy rich with the casinos to begin with."

The division in Haedong is set to get even worse, as both factions of protesters last weekend had announced plans for another set of protests in the upcoming weekend. With the protesters still in Kim Shimin Square, the fate of the nation's easternmost seabound stronghold is yet to unfold.