NS World News- Your nation's news

[Varenskjyr]

The Independent March is an independent publication run by the Democratic Front to document the political crimes and human rights abuses of the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr. Based in the United Kingdom, the Independent March has reported on arbitrary detainments, political arrests, and acts of military brutality for over ten years. Made up of political exiles and refugees, members of the Independent March continue to fight for the hopes of an independent and democratic Varenskjyr. If you would like to support this publication and the efforts in bringing democracy to Varenskjyr, consider donating to our Patreon.

Increasing numbers of arbitrary arrests in Barakhazi

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8.16.20 - 08:25

Earlier this morning, our comrades in the city of Barakhazi witnessed the continued acts of violence on civilians perpetuated by Varenskjyrian police forces and Varenskjyrian Red Army soldiers as part of the ongoing martial law declared in the city. At around 11:00 yesterday, August 15, a bookshop owner named Ramazar Tchaikovsky was arrested by police for not purportedly not adhering to city ordinances and renewing his store license. Our comrades on the ground have discovered that Tchaikovsky's arrest comes from his collection of pro-democratic books, including a copy Ilya Yuriguy's Dream of a Free Uzbeyliki. Tchaikovsky's arrest is the fifth in a series of targeted detainment operations on bookshop owners throughout the city of Barakhazi. Last month, Boris il-Arslan and Thor Thorson, two prominent bookshop owners, were also arrested by Varenskjyrian police forces. It is unknown where these individuals have been taken, but it is likely that they have been taken to prison camps located somewhere in occupied Yanubia.

According to Reporters Without Borders, the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr ranks at 168 on the World Press Freedom Index, making it on par with nations like Saudi Arabia and Cuba in its censorship laws. A similar portrait can be painted with the most recent report by the Human Rights Watch, which recently came out with a report indicating that at least 1 in every 15 citizens of the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr has at one point or another been arbitrarily detained by Varenskjyrian police or military forces. The recent passing of the Heightened State of Emergency act in 2006 following the Sirya-Obolost Bombing has enabled Varenskjyrian police and military forces greater leeway in arresting individuals deemed by any measure to be a security threat.

The Democratic Front urges its supporters to take caution when entering public areas. Vigilance should be a priority, as previous arrests have shown little time between police and military altercations and detainment. The Democratic Front also cautions its supporters from gatherings in semi-public spaces, such as cafes, bookshops, and other venues. If needed, use private homes and conduct gatherings in the farthest room from the door and any windows. Ensure that there are no technological devices within said rooms, as many electronic goods sold in Varenskjyrian markets are known to contain IOT devices affiliated with the VIAD and OSIS.

[Greater Kamilistan]

Kamilistan Forces planned to take Crimea from Ukraine

August the 18th , 2020
Location: Batumi Central Navy Base

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On August the 17th , 2020. 340 Troops from the 56th Brigade Division and the 65th Armored Division was stationed there as they were plannig to take Crimea Southeast part of it. In Crimea , thousands of Kamilistani went on protesting proclaiming that Crimea is ''The rightful land of Kamilistan'' and ''Former Land of Kamilistan''. Some went on armed and started to storm into Ukrainian Police Stations and claim it , they even formed an group called the ''Crimean-Kamilistani Front'' or CKF , the Kamilistan Goverment supported the rebels by supllying them with food and infantry.

Ukrainian on the other hands didnt like that , due to the fact that Ukraine had an exclave in the city of Jinafka , Abkhhazia and some area. And relations got worsen as they look down on them , making propaganda against Kamilistan and arresting innoocent Kamilistani in Ukriane , Kamilistan and Ukraine relations are about to go boom , literally collasping.

Pic shows Kamilistani back rebel forces in Ukraine firing at Ukrainian authority in an nearby town

''I fight with my Kamilistani brotherhood in Crimea , we are taking back our old land and our own soild , we will , SLAVA KAMILISTANIA!'' Shouted CKF Sergeant Alexya Maswergah as he shooted his Klashikov in the air.


The CKF was able to capture 9 towns in the Crimean penisular sucessfully , the Kamilistani goverment also have started shipping APC and Light Tanks for the rebels forces in Ukraine , the Kamilistani also supported the sepratist pro-russian in the East of Ukraine and Crimea. When they capture the town , they took down the Ukraine flag and put the CKF and Kamilistan flag up , storm into captured bases and...also...kicking out police officer. They just need to recapture the airport and also 2 ports , backed by russian forces.

[Drongonia]

Drongonia-led naval assault on Chinese vessels ends in success, China capitulates
Christchurch // Emma Whistler [@emmawhistlerdg] - Published on August, 2020 (1:45pm)

DGNS Dunedin en route to Auckland, New Zealand. (Image: TVDG Newsroom / Mark Potter)

After months of unwarranted provocation from the People's Republic of China, the Drongonian Government officially began its campaign to remove People's Liberation Navy vessels from the South Pacific Ocean, assisted by the United States, New Caporia, Cancolastan and New Zealand. The initial goal of the campaign was declared a success today, in a joint press conference between the Drongonian Minister of Defence (Scott Morris), and the United States Ambassador to Drongonia, Tim Ryan.

The allied effort saw over 150,000 personnel take to the Pacific Ocean to clear out all Chinese People's Liberation Navy vessels and other illegal maritime vessels, such as fishing boats with false paperwork. The Drongonia-led alliance made quick gains and faced almost no resistance while removing these vessels from both the Drongonian and New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zones.

China's Foreign Ministry has yet to issue a statement on its defeat in the South Pacific, but insider intelligence suggests that the PLN ordered all remaining vessels not caught up in the conflict to retreat and re-enter Chinese waters to avoid destruction or capture by western forces. Drongonian Navy officials reported that two Chinese ships have been captured, with one being a frigate and the other being a corvette. It is not yet known whether Drongonia will attempt to return the captured vessels to Chinese officials, however early reports indicate this may not be the case, with the vessels potentially proving vital for naval intelligence purposes.

The Drongonia-led alliance of nations was also able to report zero fatalities and only ten injuries during the various skirmishes that resulted from the campaign. No equipment on the allied side was destroyed in the campaign, with three ships returning to Drongonia for repairs at various points. Allied forces estimate the Chinese death toll at approximately 550, with the Chinese Government not confirming nor denying this number.

The overseas troops will be returning to their nations today, with the exception of 5,000 United States Navy personnel and their ships, with the United States and Drongonia agreeing to a defence pact for the South Pacific that involves prolonged and aggressive US-backed patrolling of territorial waters. This agreement with the United States is expected to last until 2021, assuming President Donald Trump stays in office. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has yet to mention the Drongonia-US relationship during any public media events.

It is understood that United States naval personnel will be housed at newly-built Defence Force facilities in both Gilroy Bay and Christchurch at the expense of the Drongonian Government. The Drongonian Defence Force is yet to respond to TVDG'S Official Information Act request regarding the costings for this exercise, although early estimates could be as high as $5,000 per member of personnel per month.

Prime Minister Bill English also released a statement today, expressing his gratitude for the assistance from all nations involved, and also remarking on how it is a positive that this campaign finished before the upcoming 2020 Drongonian General Elections, resulting in one less election issue for voters to consider when they go to the polls. Opposition leader Sarah Ellice also commented during Parliamentary proceedings today, commenting: "...although I am sincerely grateful that the Chinese threat close to home has been resolved for now, are we sure there wasn't a better way to deal with it?".

[Drongonia]

Prime Minister English rules out mandatory COVID vaccine, calls idea "farcical"
Christchurch // James Wishhart [@whjames12] - Published on August 19, 2020 (4:55pm)

Prime Minister English was asked about a potential vaccine by media earlier today. (Image: FUX News)

Following the resurgence of the deadly COVID-19 virus in New Zealand, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement that he plans to enforce the administration of a successful COVID-19 vaccine within Australia, Prime Minister Bill English was asked by media today what he thought of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine in Drongonia.

When asked, English replied: "Honestly, I think it's totally unnecessary. From the two thousand or so cases we had here, there were no deaths and only a few hospitalisations. The health implications of COVID-19 have been totally overblown by both the media and some of my colleagues in the house. If a vaccine were to come to pass, Pharmac would of course be asked to procure it for us, but we'd be treating it like the flu jab, encouraging people to get immunised. The idea of mandating a COVID vaccine is just a joke. Honestly it's farcical. It'd be a total waste of the Ministry of Health's time to try chase people down over not getting vaccinated."

A reporter from the Christchurch Herald, Chris Chang, asked English what he'd do if the disease started to spread in Drongonia when a vaccine was available. English responded with: "Like I said, I think we'd be out there fronting the media, telling people it's best to get vaccinated. However, anyone calling for a mandatory vaccine needs to study a bit less medicine and a bit more constitutional law, the Bill of Rights prohibits this exact thing, actually. It's in Section 1-4 if I remember correctly."

The section of the 1951 Bill of Rights Act being referred to is the Section One, Subsection Four, which reads the following:

Subsection Four - Right to refuse medical treatment
Everyone has the right to refuse to undergo any form of medical treatment.

Opposition leader Sarah Ellice took a different approach when asked, saying that "...it'd be in the best interest of the public to make a temporary health order enacting mandatory vaccination against COVID. Effectively, that'd allow us to open our borders up completely and have a fully functioning country again. We wouldn't need to be locked down again either, which is something I know the Prime Minister doesn't want to happen, and nor do I."

Drongonia has yet to see another case of COVID-19, since the final infected individual recovered. According to the Drongonian Ministry of Health, no new cases have been detected at the border or within the community since April 16, 2020.

FUX ONLINE ISSUE POLL
Question asked: "Would you take a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine?"
Yes 18% ██████████████████████████████████████████████████ No 82%
1,011,213 respondents - IP addresses are banned from voting more than once.

[Varenskjyr]

The Independent March is an independent publication run by the Democratic Front to document the political crimes and human rights abuses of the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr. Based in the United Kingdom, the Independent March has reported on arbitrary detainments, political arrests, and acts of military brutality for over ten years. Made up of political exiles and refugees, members of the Independent March continue to fight for the hopes of an independent and democratic Varenskjyr. If you would like to support this publication and the efforts in bringing democracy to Varenskjyr, consider donating to our Patreon.

The Federated Republic of Varenskjyr rated as "utterly corrupt"

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8.18.20 - 21:45

On August 17, 2020, the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr was reviewed by the International Index of Corruption. This grouping of NGOs and private organizations, with funding from the Drongonian Government, "seeks to establish the amount of corruption within any given country." An independent review found that the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr ranks among the most corrupt countries, ranked as "utterly corrupt."

The International Index of Corruption found that daily occurrences were often defined by corruption. Civilians are often required to pay bribes and undisclosed tolls or fines to policemen and other officers. Another key form of corruption is the "expediting costs." Varenskjyrian bureaucracy is described by many as a nightmarish labyrinth of forms and departments, and paperwork is often lost. As such, bureaucrats often take bribes to ensure that forms are sent to the correct officials and departments in a timely (and effective) manner. Other minor incidents occur throughout the country across all sectors. High ranking corruption remains understudied due to the police-state apparatus, but the Panama Papers revealed that several high ranking party officials engaged in offshore bank accounts, with much of their wealth held not in Skjals but in US Dollars or in Euros.

Corruption in Varenksjyr is not new. It is embedded within the autocratic system of governance. With limited resources, most goods are funneled to the higher echelons of party leadership. Many lower ranking bureaucrats are often paid little in wages and suffer, like many civilians, through rationing periods and shortages. Corruption is a symptom of these problems, as these lower ranking officials seek to supplement their incomes through more illicit means. This has an inverse effect of creating an atmosphere of opposition between civilians and the lower ranking bureaucracy, which has been hypothesized to be an intentional feature of the Varenskjyrian authoritarian regime.

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The official news source of the Federated Republic of Varenskjyr

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Trade deal negotiated with the Theocracy of Tupeia

8.18.20 - 22:00

Party officials at the Ministry of Central Economic Planning have confirmed that a trade deal was negotiated with the Theocracy of Tupeia. This bilateral negotiation will bring important raw goods into the country and is, according to Deputy Komheisen of the Bureau of Bilateral Trade, "an important step in developing strong ties with nations across the world."

[Greater Kamilistan]

Troops from the 3rd Foreign Legion have been finally deployed into Crimea

August the 20th , 2020
Location: Novey Svet , Crimea


----------------------

As relations between the Ukraine and Kamilistan collasped and tensions rising , a proxy war broke out between the Ukraine , Russian Sepratist in the East of Ukriane , and of course the Russian and Kamilistani troops in Crimea , they deployed in the southeast Crimea city of Novy Svet , there were about 2 000 troops in Novy Svet , APC and Light Tanks were heading towards the city of Yalta to support the heavy firing CKF backed Kamilistan troops.

''This is an the most historic momment in the russian allies and its people , this the first time that an caucasus united nation had an hate towards Ukriane , I will support them will all my heart and my people , to my Kamilistani rebels in Ukraine and those whom back them , I'd appreciate that'' Said Vladimir Putin , President of the Russian Federation.

CKF Rebels and the Kamilistani Foreign Legion were deployed in the city of Novey Svet

The Pro-Ukranian Protesters had started beating up suspected Kamilistani people in Sevastopol and other Crimean major cities. This make things worst as 2 Ukranian killed 7 Kamilistani University students in an bar. The Kamilistani people whom are in Crimea starting fighting back by using brutality and force , many of them oined the CKF and CKF soldiers gave Kamilistani AKM or Handguns to keep them safe.

The Kamilistan Peace Party or KPP have urged the goverment to end the war immediatly and to stop allied with Russia and switch side , but the Kamilistan refuses and arrested 4 of itss member from the KPP as they suspected of ''supporting Pro-Ukrainain force''. Air strikes orcur on Crimea Military Bases followed by backed russian troops supporting ground forces with Kamilistani troops. Kamilistan's goverment also supported the Russian sepratist in the Donestk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic , a they provide them guerilla tactics and food , and also infantry.

The CKF had made its ''Rebels Capita'' in Novy Svet , and 128 CKF Rebel Soldiers , 67 Russian Troops and 98 Kamilistani Troops were stationed and to secure the capital. Meanwhile in Yalta , figting still occurs between the CKF and Ukrianian and the so called ''Resistance Line'' was divided between the two groups but violents and fighting still occurs at the lines and one of the most dangerous among all.

[West Bromwich Holme]

Automotor

FIAT launches new Ruscello crossover in Astholm



Under an OEM deal with Celsan, FIAT have signed a deal to produce the Ruscello crossover hatchback.

Named for the Italian word for brook or river, this offers front- or four-wheel-drive, and a choice of two petrol engines.

This doesn't replace the Tipo, but is a size larger than it, offering crossover practicality for people who find the Tipo too small.

The Ruscello is available with 1.4-litre/118hp 4-cylinder 16v engine and a 1.5-litre/180hp 4-cylinder turbo petrol, both Celsan engines, although the FIAT-sourced 1.4 replaces Celsan's 1.2 engine.

Engines are badged 1.4 T-Jet 120 and 1.5 T-Jet 180.

Trim levels are Dynamic, Lounge, Sport and Eleganza, with the 1.5-litre 180hp engine exclusive to the Eleganza model.

Specification list:

1.4 T-Jet 120 Dynamic 5dr
1.4 T-Jet 120 Lounge 5dr
1.4 T-Jet 120 Sport 5dr
1.4 T-Jet 120 Eleganza 5dr
1.5 T-Jet 180 Eleganza 5dr

[Trenaka]

A firefighter team tries to put out the Terrenburg fire.

Terrenburg, Trenaka-
The Terrenburg coal power plant has exploded, causing a large fire.
The explosion has caused 53 workers to have some degree of burn, 20 workers have died, and 4 remain in critical condition in the hospital. The explosion occurred in the coal storage area, and the cause is unknown. A large power outage near Terrenburg has occurred, as the fire and explosion destroyed large portions of the plant. The fire has spread to nearby forests, although it is currently being contained. The Senate declared a disaster in Terrenburg, allowing federal funding and officers to help contain the fire and heal the victims.

[Newenken]

[Drongonia]

BREAKING: DSIS claims "Mossad agents" entered Drongonia illegally, stole disabled man's documents to apply for sensitive govt jobs
Christchurch // James Wishhart [@whjames12] - Published on September 2, 2020 (2:50am)

Mossad spies may have been operating in Drongonia for more than a year. (Image: FUX News/Stock)

An explosive report released by the Drongonian Security Intelligence Service (DSIS) claims that the agency has arrested six members of what it describes as "Israel's international intelligence network, Mossad" for their alleged parts in a complex plot involving a disabled former DDF Pilot and the agents' desire to access sensitive government information.

The six individuals were granted interim name suppression by the Christchurch District Court today, with further information regarding their identities being expected within the coming weeks. DSIS alleges that the six Israeli operatives entered Drongonia via the Drongonia-New Zealand border in Nelson in September 2019 using fraudulent passports in an attempt to acquire classified government information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Drongonian Defence Force.

DSIS also alleges that the group then broke into the home of an as yet unnamed disabled former DDF fighter pilot while he was at an outpatients appointment at a local hospital. It is alleged that the purpose of this break-in was to steal information such as his birth certificate and passport in an attempt to use his good standing in the Air Force to apply for jobs at the Ministry of Internal Affairs which would have granted the agents access to top-secret information.

Police and DSIS co-operated on the investigation, with DSIS confirming to reporters today that the group had been under surveillance for several months, after a member of the public reported the group acting suspiciously outside of the aforementioned man's home in Freedom Bay. Police say they obtained evidence of the group's plans via individuals working at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who reported a suspicious job application to their manager after hearing the applicant speak in what he considered to be "an American or Canadian accent". Ministry officials told FUX this is significant because foreigners, even those who obtain Permanent Residency, are not able to apply for jobs at the DIA due to strict security requirements.

FUX News' legal expert Ken Burns told us that it was unlikely the spies would be deported if found guilty, saying "...this is an extremely serious attempted breach of both national security, which won't be taken lightly by the courts. It's very unlikely that they [the spies] would be deported, as the Israeli government does not have an extradition deal with Drongonia. Let's not forget that these people are alleged to have broken into a disabled man's home and stolen his identity documents. Those charges alone are enough to land someone in prison for a non-insignificant sentence."

Under the International Affairs Act 1986, foreign intelligence agents found to be acting illegally in Drongonia are eligible for the death penalty.

FUX ONLINE ISSUE POLL
Question asked: "Would you deport the spies, if found guilty?"
Yes 16% ██████████████████████████████████████████████████ No 84%
311,866 respondents - IP addresses are banned from voting more than once.

[Springmont]

Newriver - Clearwind Creek Data Exchange bring more investment to Springmont by Alan Capebilling Newriver - Clearwind Creek Data Exchange (NCCDX) in Newriver near here, which will be operational by 2023 is expected to be able to attract investments amounting to RM17.5 billion. Newriver’s mayor Brigadier (ret.) Mike Broomelay said local and foreign investment through companies, especially those related to data management and computing, would also offer 1,600 highly skilled job opportunities in the field of information technology including semi-skilled workers as well as support. According to him, the NCCDX developed on the 301,491-hectare site was developed by NCCDX TechnoPark (NCCDX TechnoPark), a company owned by Springmont Information Service (SPRINT) and the project could become a catalyst for data industry growth and elevate Newriver as a regional data center hub in the future. "In a briefing during my recent visit to NCCDX, the target investor was among industry operators related to data centers, cloud computing." NCCDX is a component in the development of the Newriver Clearwind Creek Free Trade Zone (NCCFTZ) covering an area of 2950,158 hectares which is also the latest data hub in Springmont and is expected to attract Industrial Revolution 4.0 investors. "This development, which is characterized by sustainability and sustainability, will have an environmentally friendly energy through the Solar Farm and the Co-generation Plant as a sustainable source of energy," he said in a statement today. Commenting further, Brigadier (ret.) Broomelay said, NCCDX has managed to attract local and foreign investors who have already made a site survey. "NCCDX also has advantages in terms of efficient logistics and communications support such as the Main Link Highway, Merrill Greenbaum International Airport as well as its strategic position. He said a strong and stable data communication infrastructure would definitely benefit all stakeholders in the Springmont economic corridor. - government, business sector and the people. "According to NCCDX, this effort will not only help achieve the Springmont Development Vision as a strong and sustainable international metropolis but also boost the Springmont Digital agenda at the federal level and the Fiber and Communication System Development Plan at the national level," he said. _____END_____

[West Bromwich Holme]

Earth-3

Volkswagen launch new T-Cross LWB model


Volkswagen Italy have launched the new T-Cross LWB for the European market. Launching in Italy first, where the T-Cross has sold well, this well be sold in the rest of Europe by November; the United Kingdom, Germany Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are next on the list to get this. It has not been confirmed if Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic or Slovakia will get this model; it will be sold in Slovenia, but not yet in Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina or Albania.

Unrelated to the T-Cross LWB sold in Latin America, this is 2,652mm/8.7ft as compared to the regular T-Cross' length of 8.37ft.

Engine choices are limited to the 1.5 TSI 150 petrol engine, with no 1.0 TSI or turbodiesel engines.

Trim levels are Style and Advanced, with the Advanced model gaining a new Tech Sport package that adds €1500 worth of luxury and tech features over Advanced; this package is unique to the T-Cross LWB.

Prices have yet to be announced.

---

Volkswagen Italia ha lanciato la nuova T-Cross LWB per i paesi europei.

A cominciare dall'Italia, nazione dove la T-Cross si è venduta bene, questa ben verrà venduta nel resto d'Europa entro novembre; il Regno Unito, la Germania, la Spagna, la Francia, il Belgio, i Paesi Bassi, la Svezia, la Danimarca e la Finlandia sono i prossimi nella lista per ottenere questo. Non è stato confermato se Austria, Svizzera, Repubblica Ceca o Slovacchia otterranno questo modello; sarà venduto in Slovenia, ma non ancora in Croazia, Bosnia-Erzegovina o Albania.

Non correlato al T-Cross LWB venduto in America Latina, questo è 2.652 mm / 8,7 piedi rispetto alla normale lunghezza di T-Cross di 8,37 piedi.

La scelta del motore è limitata al motore a benzina 1.5 TSI 150, senza motori 1.0 TSI o turbodiesel.

I livelli di allestimento sono Style e Advanced, con il modello Advanced che ottiene un nuovo pacchetto Tech Sport che aggiunge € 1500 di lusso e caratteristiche tecnologiche rispetto a Advanced; questo pacchetto è unico per T-Cross LWB.

I prezzi devono ancora essere annunciati.

[Greater Kamilistan]

Oil Tanker explodes , injuring 15 people on K-10 Gisra Highway

Location: K-10 Gisra Highway
Time: 4:33 P.M

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On september the 5th , an oil tanker exploded in the K-10 Gisra Highway , injuring 15 people. The driver of the oil tanker smell oil burning from his truck , when he stopped and looked at it , there was oil leaking out of the tanker , causing it to catch on fire. The driver then immediatly ran , followed by other driver who stopped behind the truck.

One of the recorded clip was from an motorcyclist who just stopped and saw the driver , running away from the truck , the motorcyclist quickly back his motorbike up and drove away , and stopped at an safe area , the truck exploded , an black cloud of smoke rose up from the truck and cause nearby cars to explode aswell due to the fact..it was near the truck

Pic taken during the incident

[Avinaa]

Daily Times:

TL;DR: The Greens' national support remains somewhat steady and are even taking more support from SDP despite the party's very public schism which resulted in some COVID economic relief being delayed. The Liberals appear to taking away from both major parties, but will need to greatly expand their support if they want to remain relevant in the next election. It remains to be seen how their centrist environmentalism will play out in the electorate. The NDP's tight polling with the NCP could be worrying especially with the economic recovery going to likely take years, potentially into the 2023 general election.


Despite 78% of registered voters approving of the NDP's response to the COVID pandemic and the very public breakup of the Green Party since mid-July President Nyborg's New Democratic Party is in a tight race with the National Conservatives if a parliamentary election were held today. The last national poll taken in February, just one month before COVID changed nearly every aspect of daily life, the NDP commanded 34% to the NCP's 32% and the Social Democrats' 24% and Greens' 10%.




The new national polling average shows:

New Democrats: 32.5% (-2.5)
National Conservatives: 30% (-2)
Social Democrats: 19.5% (-4.5)
Greens: 9% (-1)
Liberals: 5% (new party)
Republicans: 4% (+2)

Presidential approval/disapproval ratings (February-August):
February: 47%-45%
March-May: 58%-33%
June: 54%-38%
July: 51%-44%
August: 52%-46%

[La Xinga]

LA XINGAN NEWS NETWORK

After a decline in the wages of workers in La xinga, and after the problem was found to be illegal immigrants,, the Best Person in the World enacted a bill to combat illegal immigration.

The bill was introduced when it was found that illegal immigrants were stealing citizens' jobs en masse. All councils agreed that the bill was good and the Best Person in the World ratified it.

[Wochaystein]

Things Not Looking Good for Automakers

There are rumors of big interference between the Wochaysteiner government and the Wochaystein Automotive Organization.

The reason for this seems to be a disagreement over control of the Wochaysteiner domestic market. Automakers from elsewhere in Diarcesia have shown an interest in establishing production in Wochaystein. A new law allows diereses to control a little of their domestic automotive market, but it's not clear what the impact will be.

Other diereses are taking note of the law's passage. Several major automobile companies have expressed a strategic review of their Diarcesian activities. According to one report, the law may be a "game changer" for the industry. "Sidus Motor Company from Valkea," mentioned in that report, "may be the first to invest [in Wochaystein]."

The law's passage was delayed several times due to technical issues. Finally, a compromise was reached that allowed both the domestic and international automakers to coexist in the Diarcesian (and to an extent, Wochaysteiner) market. The law allows each company to produce their first 500,000 units with a reduced tax rate. This should help reduce the overall tax burden for the industry, although there is talk that the reduced rate may hurt the adoption of new technology by domestic automakers.

This is not to be confused with the "zero-tax" scenario outlined by some experts. In that scenario, all cars would be taxed at zero percent. Such a measure was ruled out over concerns on traffic congestion.

[West Bromwich Holme]

[Drongonia]

Electoral Commission to launch investigation after wildly varying polls presented
Christchurch // James Wishhart [@whjames12] - Published on September 10, 2020 (1:45pm)

Polls from four different outlets produce wildly varying results. (Images // Various sources)

The Drongonian Electoral Commission announced that it would be performing a formal investigation into the polling techniques of the four leading public opinion agencies, FUX News, state-owned Television Drongonia, Burns & Dunst Statistical Management, and Curia Data Limited, following a barrage of public opinion polling released simultaneously on September 6th.

The polls all produced vastly different results, with the ruling National Party receiving a 56.1% share of the vote in the Television Drongonia poll, compared to just 47.2% in the B&DSM poll. Inversely, the Labour Party only managed a meagre 33.9% in the TVDG poll, while scoring a respectable 40.6% in the FUX News poll and a highly competitive 43.1% in the B&DSM poll. The polls also showed minor parties varying massively in their vote share, with the only constant being People's Front holding 3rd place in each poll.

Chair of the Electoral Commission, Mark Dyer, spoke to FUX News on the matter earlier today, and had this to say: "...with this investigation, we're not saying we don't trust certain elements of the media, or certain polls, but we want to conduct this investigation to see why exactly we're seeing such a variance in these numbers. At the end of the day, there's no possible way that all four of these polls can be accurate - one of them has to be the closest to the real public opinion, but the public are being presented with all four options, depending on where they primarily consume their news from."

Dyer also confirmed to FUX News that there would be no direct legal consequences for the media outlets involved, no matter the outcome of the investigation. However, the Freedom of Press Act 1970 states in Section 4b that "All news and current events dissemination outlets operating within Drongonia are expected to report in such a way that does not deceive, mislead, misinform or otherwise harm the consumers of their content." Fines are mentioned as the only legal recourse for any offending outlets acting in such a way that contravenes the Act.

Minister for Broadcasting and Media, Mandeep Singh, said the only concerns he had surrounding the polling were from an accuracy standpoint, and not from a political one. "We [National] are doing very well with the public right now, I'm not worried about the polling results for us, both myself and the Electoral Commission are only worried about the potential inaccuracy of the polls, which may impact the decisions of the Drongonian public as they head to the polls later this year. We don't want any media saying anything that could be classed as inaccurate or straight deception."

The poll results also raise the question of Television Drongonia's independence and impartiality towards the Government of the day, as the TVDG charter states that the station and its reporting must remain impartial and unbiased when reporting matters of politics. The latest TVDG poll shows National an insane 22.2% ahead of Labour, with the parties being on 56.1% and 33.9% respectively. The difference is even more stark when compared to the other polls, where the difference is NAT+13.6% (Curia), NAT+13% (FUX), and NAT+4.1% (B&DSM).

Historically, most Drongonian political pundits consider the point of absolute accuracy as sitting somewhere between Curia and FUX's polling figures, as has been the case for many elections in the past. Using those figures with the latest polling data, National would be sitting at 51.5%, with Labour on 38.2%. People's Front would have a 4% share of the vote. Further variance is added to the polls by FUX's poll not including the minor Libertarian, Centre Union and Legalise parties, while the other three polls do.

Prime Minister Bill English was unavailable for a statement, but Labour Party leader Sarah Ellice told FUX News that Labour, nor National, hedges its campaign on polling anyway, "Everyone within the Labour Party is pleased with the gains we've made so far, in every poll - not just the ones from FUX or B&DSM. At the end of the day, we're not trying to base our campaign on polling data, and I personally don't think any party should. We just want to do what's best for the Drongonian people, and I think that will resonate fairly well as we go into the election in November."

The investigation is expected to take approximately four weeks, indicating that its results may be published alongside the next round of polling in October, one month prior to the November 4 election. DEC officials have not indicated what kind of recommendations may be made in the investigative results, but did clarify that anything suggested to media outlets would be voluntary and only outright breaches of law would be acted on by the government. The investigation will not be looking into any potential breaches of the TVDG charter, as that is considered to be under the mandate of the Ministry of Broadcasting and Media.

FUX ONLINE ISSUE POLL
Question asked: "Do you trust the media's polling for the upcoming election?"
Yes 32% ████████████████████████████████████████████████ No 68%
706,412 respondents - IP addresses are banned from voting more than once.

[Nacrad]

Kongsi Surrenders Unconditionally, Comes Under Nacradian Occupation
19:00, 15 September 2020 (TUE)

NANCHANG, Kongsi -- "Rise, our homeland, to our ancient prayer; To God above may our standards bear." The sound of bagpipes and our national assembly rings out in the center of Nanchang, as the former hammer and sickle of Kongsi is lowered, the Star and Tricolour and the Flag of the Army reigning sovereign over this land. At 16:45 Nacrad Standard Time today (15/9/2020), or 16:30 Kongsi Standard Time, the former Chairman of the People's Republic of Kongsi, Zhang Qianjin, exited the city under a white flag to surrender to Brigadier Cheng in the III Corps, bringing the brutal 107-days' war to an end with more than 40,000 wounded and killed on the Nacradian side.

On 21 May, the Kongsinese forces decided to commit to heavy raids and incursions into the Nacradian border, claiming land to be their "rightful territory", causing nearly a hundred casualties before declaring an ultimatum towards Nacrad to cede nearly 20% of our territories on the grounds of "ethno-linguistics". When this ultimatum expired on 24 May's morning, they had declared war and immediately committed to a push into Nacrad, coming into less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) of Siukwan City on that day. Fortunately, with the exceptional valour of the Nacradian Armed Forces, a strike force making up of some 300,000 troops and 1,000 tanks were assembled near the front later that day, which attempted and succeeded in pushing the front back. With the repeated attempts to demand a ceasefire denied, however, the Nacradian Armed Forces were forced to go on the offensive.

On the following day, the attack force was strengthened to its final might of 450,000 troops over 20 divisions, 2,400 tanks, 230 aircraft and some 2,000 self-propelled artillery pieces. At early morning, they had gone on an valourous assault into the enemy's land, capturing towns such as Shangrao and Yingtan by lunchtime with seemingly no resistance, while the III Corps in the south pushed through the mountains in the south of Kongsi with a slow and painful advance, where guerillas harassed the forces. Finally, on 27 May, the IV Corps arrived at Fuzhou and subsequently captured it on 10 June. However, their attempt at continuing north were thwarted, and they were pushed back.

Meanwhile, on 2 June, the III Corps had already arrived and nearly encircled the City of Ganzhou, a major city in the south of Kongsi. With peace still not in sight, the III Corps decided to mount an offensive to encircle this city and ultimately capture it. Following the intense river crossings on 7 June, the city was besieged on 10 June, parts of the Kongsinese forces having already fled the city. The city would see its citizens suffer, due to the tyrannical rule of the Red 1st Army stationed in the region, until they had run out of supplies nearly 2 months later on 30 July. During the siege, elements of the III Corps were able to reach and attack Ji'an, where the Kongsi Revolutionary Army was still preparing the defences, on 14 June. Although a valiant effort was mounted by the Red Army stationed in the city, they were ultimately unable to resist the might of the Nacradian Armed Forces, and capitulated in just 2 weeks.

Even having faced such defeats, however, the Kongsinese communists were still deluded by their propaganda of "imminent victory", and refused to engage in peace talks. The III Corps, then, were ordered to attack through the rolling hills, and reached a front encompassing Yichun to Xinyu. Originally, the front was planned to also encompass Pingxiang, where the Xiang Republic to the west were called upon to blockade the city from its country. However, as the first forces of the III Corps arrived, the City Government of Pingxiang declared independence from Kongsi and immediately surrendered to the Nacradian Armed Forces, immensely shortening the front. Nevertheless, with heavy strikes from the Air Force and the artillery, the two cities fell, too, at 7 July.

Meanwhile, in the northeast, the IV Corps pushed towards Jingdezhen after its first failed attempt at the outbreak of the war. Pushing valiantly, they were able to make contact with the city itself by 14 July, and were able to force their surrender by 1 August.

By 14 July, the III Corps and IV Corps attempted a joint operation to take Nanchang, diverting some 12 divisions to complete this objective. The two corps reached Lake Poyang's banks by 17 and 19 August respectively, and began besieging the city, causing widespread criticism to human rights abuses such as mass air raids, although the military denies these allegations, citing the operation reports which indicate that the air raids were done against military targets only, and the fact that Kongsi also committed war crimes, to a much greater extent than even the most grave of allegations. Nevertheless, after a month of siege, the forces were pushed back by a nearly suicidal counterattack, which sent the armies back by as much as 30 kilometers from 12 August to 16 August. Not intimidated, however, the same maneuvers were carried out again during the offensive of 24 August, which besieged the city again. This time, however, the Kongsinese were unable to commit to a counter-attack.

After nearly a month of siege, the Kongsinese finally realized that the war is futile, and decided to surrender. The Military Occupation Authority has stated that it has launched Operation Hopeful Dawn, in order to rebuild and ensure the safety of the region. Currently, a draft of unconditional surrender is underway. Major General Fung has stated that he wishes to see Kongsi flourish under Nacradian aid and the removal of the communist regime. Currently, a civilian provisional government is in the works.

[Avinaa]

Daily Times: Another poll, this time with potential seat projections, shows another worrying sign for the New Democrats and President Laura Nyborg and her minority government. The poll shows the NDP losing ground to the Social Democrats, Greens, and the Liberals. The poll also shows trouble for the nation's leading opposition party with the Conservatives miles away from a majority and few potential coalition partners. However, in several swing districts the Conservatives were well within the poll's margin of error. While only one poll it shows a potential starting point for the major parties in the next election which could happen well before the scheduled 2023 date.

The full results are below. Seats in () show national proportional seats the rest are single member districts elected via FPTP. There is a 5% threshold for PR seats.

New Democrats: 32.5% 113 (65)= 178 (-27)
Conservatives: 30% 65 (60) = 125 (-30)
Social Democrats: 19.5% 43 (39) = 82 (+27)
Greens: 9% 21 (23)= 44 (+9)
Liberals: 5% 6 (13) = 19 (new party)
Republicans: 4% 2 (0) = 2 (+2)

PRESIDENTIAL POLL: Since the Greens, Liberals, and Republicans are unlikely to field a presidential candidate only the three major parties were included.

Laura Nyborg (inc.) = 35% (-4%, from 2019 election)
Generic Conservative = 27% (-8%)
Generic Social Democrat = 24% (unchanged)
Undecided = 14%

[Trenaka]

REBELS SURRENDER!
Monday, September 14, 2045
New Bern, Empirical Switzerland- Following Trenakan and Imperial Swiss intervention, the Zarnicovian Novan Civil War has ended with a rebel surrender, and a decisive GRAIL victory. The war escalated after the rebels snuck soldiers into the GRAIL headquarters, causing Trenaka and Empirical Switzerland to declare war. Delegates from Trenaka, Zarnicovia Nova, and Empirical Switzerland are meeting in New Bern to create a treaty. The treaty so far, includes:

Article 1: The New Army is to return all captives, unharmed.
Article 2: GRAIL will hold a tribunal against the New Army leaders for war crimes in Munich.
Article 3: Most of the New Army’s occupied territory shall be annexed to Zarnicovia Nova.
Article 4: A location in the south of Main Nova, taken by the rebels, is to be made into a GRAIL occupied zone for three years at minimum.
Article 5: After three (3) years of occupation, if the region is stable, the people shall vote on the question of independence.

This treaty has been signed by the Zarnicovian, Trenakan and Swiss delegations, and will soon take effect after the current GRAIL meeting is resolved. The treaty has also been approved by the Senate in a 76-24 vote. The GRAIL occupation, however, is somewhat controversial between the delegations, according to an anonymous source. This source stated that the Zarnicovian and Trenakan delegations disagreed on how much freedom to give the rebels, with the Zarnicovians wishing for a puppet state loyal to Zarnicovia, and the Trenakan delegations wishing for a purely independent state, with a GRAIL-made constitution. The Swiss delegation proposed a compromise, with a three-year GRAIL occupation at minimum, and then the people in this area vote for or against independence after this occupation, and the delegations agreed.

[Celestial Provinces]

BREAKING

Elysium Mons Erupts!

Aeolian Chronicle

Elysium Mons, State of Elysium

Elysium Mons, the 19th most active volcano in the nation currently has erupted! 2 people were injured during the eruption, and 61 were left homeless. This has spurred many Elysium citizens to call for quarantining the area. The Celestian Government has denied this request, as Elysium Mons’ eruptions have gotten calmer every year. Elysium Citizens were not happy, and protested. These protests soon turned into riots, and the military has even been considered as an option to deal with these riots.

“We cannot tolerate this madness! We need a quarantine, the idiots over in the capital should do something!” Says Albor Mayor Albert Shrine.

7/12/2855

[Shiatoru]

F-16 Overruns Runway During Takeoff, Halts Attempted Interception
Incident Brings Aging Hardware, Poor Readiness of Shiatoruan Military to Light

PROTECTA NOVA--The Capitol Air Defense Command reported an incident today during an attempt to intercept a civilian flight that had ceased contact with ATC and deviated from its flight path without warning. At 11:23 AM, the command was given to scramble fighters to intercept the plane. However, all but one of the runways at Marx Airbase had been closed for maintenance, forcing the fighters to take off one at a time. at 11:30 AM, the first plane had taxied onto the runway, and was given clearance for takeoff.

At 11:31 AM, as the plane was rolling down the runway, the pilot reported that the elevators were not working and the takeoff would have to be rejected, as the plane could not pull up. Unfortunately, the plane had already reached takeoff decision speed, and despite all attempts to stop the plane, it overran the runway and skidded into the grass, breaking the front wheel and the nose. The pilot was unharmed. The interception was halted, and by the time the runway was cleared for use again, the civilian flight had left radar, presumably going towards the Pacific Ocean. The whereabouts of the civilian flight are still being determined, as is the cause of the elevator failure.

The incident is a massive embarrassment for the Shiatoruan Air Force, and the military in general. Foreign policy experts called the display of both bad readiness and failing military hardware appalling, and fear that it may get the attention of Shiatoru's enemies. "This is like coming to a boxing match clearly drunk," said analyst John Reeve. "Your opponent can already tell it'll be an easy match because you can barely stand."

The incident also calls into question Chairwoman Eliza Mann's pro-military campaign promises, revealing that her tenure in office has brought little change to military readiness. The Christian Socialist Party's polls in advance of November 4th's election have already dipped by ten percent, giving Green Party and their candidate Kairi Starr the lead for the first time.

A full investigation has been launched by the National Aviation Guild, chosen for the investigation in light of its independence from the state.

[Nacrad]

Kongsi Surrenders Unconditionally, Comes Under Nacradian Occupation
19:00, 15 September 2020 (TUE)

NANCHANG, Kongsi -- "Rise, our homeland, to our ancient prayer; To God above may our standards bear." The sound of bagpipes and our national assembly rings out in the center of Nanchang, as the former hammer and sickle of Kongsi is lowered, the Star and Tricolour and the Flag of the Army reigning sovereign over this land. At 16:45 Nacrad Standard Time today (15/9/2020), or 16:30 Kongsi Standard Time, the former Chairman of the People's Republic of Kongsi, Zhang Qianjin, exited the city under a white flag to surrender to Brigadier Cheng in the III Corps, bringing the brutal 107-days' war to an end with more than 40,000 wounded and killed on the Nacradian side.

On 21 May, the Kongsinese forces decided to commit to heavy raids and incursions into the Nacradian border, claiming land to be their "rightful territory", causing nearly a hundred casualties before declaring an ultimatum towards Nacrad to cede nearly 20% of our territories on the grounds of "ethno-linguistics". When this ultimatum expired on 24 May's morning, they had declared war and immediately committed to a push into Nacrad, coming into less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) of Siukwan City on that day. Fortunately, with the exceptional valour of the Nacradian Armed Forces, a strike force making up of some 300,000 troops and 1,000 tanks were assembled near the front later that day, which attempted and succeeded in pushing the front back. With the repeated attempts to demand a ceasefire denied, however, the Nacradian Armed Forces were forced to go on the offensive.

On the following day, the attack force was strengthened to its final might of 450,000 troops over 20 divisions, 2,400 tanks, 230 aircraft and some 2,000 self-propelled artillery pieces. At early morning, they had gone on an valourous assault into the enemy's land, capturing towns such as Shangrao and Yingtan by lunchtime with seemingly no resistance, while the III Corps in the south pushed through the mountains in the south of Kongsi with a slow and painful advance, where guerillas harassed the forces. Finally, on 27 May, the IV Corps arrived at Fuzhou and subsequently captured it on 10 June. However, their attempt at continuing north were thwarted, and they were pushed back.

Meanwhile, on 2 June, the III Corps had already arrived and nearly encircled the City of Ganzhou, a major city in the south of Kongsi. With peace still not in sight, the III Corps decided to mount an offensive to encircle this city and ultimately capture it. Following the intense river crossings on 7 June, the city was besieged on 10 June, parts of the Kongsinese forces having already fled the city. The city would see its citizens suffer, due to the tyrannical rule of the Red 1st Army stationed in the region, until they had run out of supplies nearly 2 months later on 30 July. During the siege, elements of the III Corps were able to reach and attack Ji'an, where the Kongsi Revolutionary Army was still preparing the defences, on 14 June. Although a valiant effort was mounted by the Red Army stationed in the city, they were ultimately unable to resist the might of the Nacradian Armed Forces, and capitulated in just 2 weeks.

Even having faced such defeats, however, the Kongsinese communists were still deluded by their propaganda of "imminent victory", and refused to engage in peace talks. The III Corps, then, were ordered to attack through the rolling hills, and reached a front encompassing Yichun to Xinyu. Originally, the front was planned to also encompass Pingxiang, where the Xiang Republic to the west were called upon to blockade the city from its country. However, as the first forces of the III Corps arrived, the City Government of Pingxiang declared independence from Kongsi and immediately surrendered to the Nacradian Armed Forces, immensely shortening the front. Nevertheless, with heavy strikes from the Air Force and the artillery, the two cities fell, too, at 7 July.

Meanwhile, in the northeast, the IV Corps pushed towards Jingdezhen after its first failed attempt at the outbreak of the war. Pushing valiantly, they were able to make contact with the city itself by 14 July, and were able to force their surrender by 1 August.

By 14 July, the III Corps and IV Corps attempted a joint operation to take Nanchang, diverting some 12 divisions to complete this objective. The two corps reached Lake Poyang's banks by 17 and 19 August respectively, and began besieging the city, causing widespread criticism to human rights abuses such as mass air raids, although the military denies these allegations, citing the operation reports which indicate that the air raids were done against military targets only, and the fact that Kongsi also committed war crimes, to a much greater extent than even the most grave of allegations. Nevertheless, after a month of siege, the forces were pushed back by a nearly suicidal counterattack, which sent the armies back by as much as 30 kilometers from 12 August to 16 August. Not intimidated, however, the same maneuvers were carried out again during the offensive of 24 August, which besieged the city again. This time, however, the Kongsinese were unable to commit to a counter-attack.

After nearly a month of siege, the Kongsinese finally realized that the war is futile, and decided to surrender. The Military Occupation Authority has stated that it has launched Operation Hopeful Dawn, in order to rebuild and ensure the safety of the region. Currently, a draft of unconditional surrender is underway. Major General Fung has stated that he wishes to see Kongsi flourish under Nacradian aid and the removal of the communist regime. Currently, a civilian provisional government is in the works.

[Avinaa]

Daily Times: The Social Democratic Party has ended their confidence and supply agreement with the minority NDP government stating that they will not support the government in confidence or budget votes. Social Democratic Leader Howard Price did state that his party would continue to support legislation that is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, but most of that legislation was passed two months ago.

It is not entirely clear if Conservative leader George Reiss intends on calling a vote of no confidence in the NDP minority government as if the Greens continue their support of the NDP the government would still have a working majority of two in the House.

This is a developing story.

National Review: How high can the federal deficit go?

The Treasury Ministry announced that the federal deficit was set to pass over $1.8 trillion dollars, nearly 12% of GDP, due to the three massive rescue packages the National Assembly passed to soften the economic blow from inflicted by the pandemic. The Treasury has not updated the annual budget which already had a budget deficit of $315 billion, largely due to the Green Infrastructure & Investment Bill, meaning that the total actual deficit is likely little over $2 trillion dollars.

Conservative leader George Reiss has called President Nyborg and the NDP "entirely reckless" and called for "pragmatic budget reductions." The federal government has yet to address systemic revenue shortcomings faced by state and local governments meaning that another rescue package might be needed. Experts from the National Municipal League have estimated that in total local governments could need an infusion of $400 billion and the states another $250 billion assuming sales tax revenue picks up again in 2021, but with a vaccine for COVID-19 that is no guarantee.