CCA Modern News Thread [Canon|IC]

by **Artaska** » Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:27 am

DITARI I MODSTOVO

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Bisliev Welcomes Zallandt to Coplesti

Prime Minister Marlijn Zallandt of Beatavic visited Artaska for a state visit on Monday.

COPLESTI- President Emin Bisliev welcomed the Prime Minister of Beatavic Marlijn Zallandt to Coplesti for his first state visit to the nation, rounding out a week that has seen high profile visits from many major international countries. Zallandt and Bisliev met at the front steps of the Red Palace in Coplesti before attending a meeting with delegates from both nations and the SBU, as Artaska's membership draws nearer to the December 1st deadline. Artaska and Beatavic are historical allies and direct neighbors, though relations were strained in the late 90s and early 2000s as a result of the Chezian Wars and a brutal civil war in Beatavic. However, the relationship between the two governments has been on the mends as trade increases and diplomatic ties strengthen.

Bisliev and the Parliament of Artaska committed to sending additional resources to Gran Telea, Beatavic's capital, nearly 3 months after a deadly earthquake and tsunami inundated the region and left thousands dead. Recovery and relief efforts, while massive, have been slow, and Beatavic's government has struggled to maintain a widely constructive effort despite international assistance. However, process has been made in clearing roads and damaged residential areas, which means some residents are returning to the city - a major center for Sotoan Basin Union diplomacy. More than 30 Artaskan citizens died in the earthquake and resulting tsunami.

"Beatavic and the people of Beatavic are great allies," said Bisliev during a joint press conference, turning to shake hands with Zallandt. "Their commitment to the region and their continued progress to recovery after a tumultuous end of the 20th century has seen a resurrection in the 21st. They are truly a great nation and a great ally. We look forward to continuing our relationship together."

There have been discussions of joint military exercises between Beatavic and Artaskan forces to shore up defenses following a series of direct threats made to SBU nations by the regime of Kyriakos Tasoulas in Syraranto. SBU nations have pledged mutual defense if any of them are attacked by the nuclear-equipped nation, specifically if Constantio - the head of the SBU - is attacked. Beatavician forces constitute one of the largest armed forces in the SBU.

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by **Zamastan** » Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:09 pm

FAULKMAN STEPS DOWN, ADRIAN SARDOU APPOINTED ZIS DIRECTOR

Adrian Sardou, seen outside the Presidential Mansion in Tofino, the Chief of Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Operations at the ZIS, is Moreau's pick to replace outgoing Director Kirk Faulkman.

TOFINO - In a sudden announcement not previously expected by most in the intelligence community, Director Kirk Faulkman, who had led the Zamastanian Intelligence Service since 2012, resigned in a meeting with President Atticus Moreau, detailing prevailing health issues. In a statement to the press, President Moreau confirmed that a Faulkman-endorsed and confirmed replacement, Counter-Terrorism Chief Adrian Sardou, had accepted the offer to replace him as the Director of the ZIS. Moreau invited Sardou to the Presidential Mansion to confirm the choice, and the announcement was made earlier today.

"I want to thank Director Faulkman for his over 9 years of service," President Moreau said, "and for his undying attention to protecting Zamastanian interests and national security. We are a safer country today because of his efforts. The country owes Director Faulkman a great debt. As for my pick to replace him, Counter-Terrorism Chief Adrian Sardou, he is a good man, intellectual and bright, and Faulkman speaks quite highly of him. He will do a tremendous job."

Adrian Sardou was a field operative in the ZIS in the early 2000s, having been placed on special assignments to root out criminal enterprises internationally and within the domestic reach. He gained notoriaty for an operation which uncovered a string of corrupt Yuaneze officials funneling funds to a black market drug chain that was fueling some aspects of the global opioid epidemic. After a stint in the public sector as a prosecutor, he defended the Department of Justice against lawsuits from clients who sought misappropriation funds. He further became notable for endorsing harsh prison sentences for convicts, something which put him at odds with politicians like President Moreau, who endorsed him for the pick anyways.

"Sardou and I have reasonable disagreements," the President said, "but in the job of national security, I believe bluntness is important. He sticks hard to his beliefs, but in a way that is uncomprimising."

Sardou returned to the agency in early 2021, after a two year hiatus and specifically following the October 2nd Olivar Street bombing in 2020, in which he was injured in the explosion. In his own words, he felt a commitment to return to service and was hand-selected by Kirk Faulkman to lead the Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Operations after the Barona Mall bombing in Lower Tariel in September of this year. Since returning to the ZIS, Sardou has been credited with leading the operations that foiled the Moulins Train Station sarin plot.

"It is an honor to serve in this position at the ZIS," Sardou stated, accepting the position in a formal ceremony. "We have a lot of work to do, but in the interest of national security, no amount of work is ever a worthless expense. I will continue to work vigorously to defend Zamastanian interests domestically and abroad, and I will continue to exercise the ZIS' capabilities to bring justice to those who wish us harm."

AIR FORCE DRONE CRASHES IN JAGINISTAN

A Toring-1C Black Owl, a state of the art unmaned aerial reconnaissance vehicle, crashed in Western Jaginistan under mysterious circumstances.

HARUYA - The Zamastanian Air Force confirmed that a Toring-1C Black Owl, a highly advanced reconnaissance drone, went down in the mountains of Western Jaginstan late Monday evening. The circumstances surrounding the crash have not been revealed, although the Secretary of the Air Force, Damian Rhodes, confirmed that there were "conflicting circumstances" to the incident and that the Jaginistani military is helping to locate and recover the UAV. It has been reported that there was a late-spring snow storm in the area where the drone crashed, but the air force has not commented on if weather was a factor.

There is speculation that the drone may have been brought down intentionally by militants or armed factions in Western Jaginistan. The particular region is a hot bed for terrorism and conflict, with the al-Fijar network in particular holding substantial control over some remote villages in the region. The nearest major hub is Haruya, which serves as a major Jaginistani government outpost and CCA peacekeeping headquarters. The Air Force confirmed that the drone was performing a routine reconnaissance trip in the Archissman mountain range, which are the highest elevation ranges in Ausiana and additionally have some of the highest peaks in the world.

Planes and drones have crashed in this area before, and though many were due to navigational errors or equipment failures, there have also been shootdowns. The first successful terrorist attack committed by al-Fijar, for instance, occured on March 13th, 1988 when a De Yuaneze passenger plane was shot down, killing all 220 people on board.

Zamastanian forces have been operating as part of a wider peacekeeping coalition in Jaginistan since 2006 after a series of deadly attacks such as the 2005 Ledua train bombings led the international community to institute such an operation at the behest of the democratically elected government of Jaginistan. Al-Fijar was first designated as a terrorist organization in 1999 by the government of Elbresia after a terror attack in Allengin. In 2003, a massive ZIS operation began to capture an al-Fijar operative named Aarif el-Ahsan after he opened fire on the agency's headquarters in Tofino, killing a special agent. El-Ahsan was captured in Jaginistan on August 27th, 2004[1], sending al-Fijar's leadership under Ahmed Babdi into a reactionary operation to commit attacks against the CCA. A-Fijar was officially designated as a terror group by a majority of CCA countries in 2005 following the group's deadliest attack to date - the 2005 Ledua train bombings - and a motion by President Cassious Castovia of Zamastan was issued, seeing signatures by all Security Council members agreeing. Following its attacks in Ledua and the car bombing attacks in Kuye, and in response to its condemnation by Islamic scholars, Al-Fijar provided a justification for the killing of non-combatants/civilians, providing "ample theological justification for killing civilians in almost any imaginable situation."

Among these justifications are that the CCA is leading the world in "waging a War on Islam" so that attacks on CCA member states are a defense of Islam and any treaties and agreements between Muslim majority states and CCA countries that would be violated by attacks are null and void. According to the tract, several conditions allow for the killing of civilians including "retaliation for the war on Islam" which al-Fijar alleges has targeted "Muslim women, children and elderly"; when it is too difficult to distinguish between non-combatants and combatants when attacking an enemy "stronghold" and/or non-combatants remain in enemy territory, killing them is allowed; those who assist the enemy "in deed, word, mind" are eligible for killing, and this includes the general population in democratic countries because civilians can vote in elections that bring enemies of Islam to power; the necessity of killing in the war to protect Islam and Muslims; if the women, children and other protected groups serve as human shields for the enemy; and if the enemy has broken a treaty, killing of civilians is permitted.

The Zamastan State Department subsequently opened bounties on several of the group's senior commanders. Al-Fijar, although designated as a danger to most nation's security, was mostly reserved to their fight with the Jaginistan government. Jaginistan enlisted the help of CCA nations to push back the group in 2006 after Al-Fijar launched a devastating wave of attacks against the capital of Kibul, and Operation Crying Wind was enstated. The operation involved five nations, including Zamastan, Emmiria, Vulkaria, Cadair, and Quetana. The international attention on al-Fijar grew dramatically as a result of the peacekeeping operation, a string of attacks in 2006 in Qolaysia and Sulifa which were against non-Muslim targets, and the 2007 embassy bombing in Chingola, Mulfulira.

As a result of the international peacekeeping operations in Jaginistan, al-Fijar largely had to confine its activities to attacks against the Jaginistan government and coalition forces. From late 2006 until 2011, more than 5,000 Jaginistani civilians and 100 coalition troops were killed in al-Fijar attacks, several of which were mass-casualty events amassing over 100 deaths. Ahmed Babdi was able to coordinate multiple attacks abroad during this period, such as the Courbagne synagogue bombing and the assassination of Alexander von Wiest, but the overall view of the peacekeeping operations was that it was succeeding in keeping al-Fijar contained to a specific region. However, a string of bombings in Amstelvoort, Beatavic in 2012 reinvigorated international attention to the al-Fijar movement in Jaginistan, as well as cells that emerged more prominently in Jiddiya, placing the group's established geographical proximety closer to major Adulan nations diametrically opposed to al-Fijar.

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by **East Chanchajilla** » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:30 pm

East Chanchajilla to Remove RAFWC from Terror List
Communist rebels loyal to the former Armbar regime have largely laid down their weapons and integrated back into society.

President Gideon Boer shows a signed a peace agreement made with RAFWC rebel leaders.

VILANJA - President Gideon Boer stated on Wednesday that East Chanchajilla’s planned removal of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of West Chanchajilla (RAFWC) rebel group from its list of “foreign terrorist organizations” could happen as early as the end of November. The move was first reported by news outlets on Tuesday, the eve of a landmark peace deal between the communist rebels who backed the former W.C. government of Frederick Armbar and East Chanchajilla government that put an end to decades of violence. Since the ceasing of hostilities between the two countries and the inauguration of Juan Diego Barrios, the rebels have largely surrendered and have been appropriated into society.

The RAFWC fought for five decades in an era of devastating political violence in Chanchajilla, carrying out bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and attacks in the name of toppling East Chanchajilla's capitalist government and redistributing wealth to the nation’s poor. It was immensely loyal to the regimes of Parish White and Frederick Armbar. The group signed the peace deal with East Chanchajilla and Paraboca in May, and later took part in a CCA-supervised decommissioning of the last of its accessible weapons. Today, it is designated as a political party, with a guaranteed share, albeit a small share, of seats in West Chanchajilla's new legislature.

Removing the group from the terror list would allow East Chanchajillan and Parabocan officials to work with RAFWC members who are now entering private or political life, President Boer stated. The official also said the administration of the President intends to keep hardliner groups made up of former RAFWC rebels and a second group of ex-rebels that uses a variation of the RAFWC name on the list of “terrorist” organizations.

“It also allows us to target the full tools of the EC government and law enforcement to go after those individuals who did not sign the agreement and remain active in terrorist activities,” the official added.

Despite the May agreement, minor spats of violence continue in several parts of West Chanchajilla where RAFWC dissidents who rejected the peace deal still hold weapons, and where other armed groups and drug traffickers operate.

This week, CCA Secretary-General Katherine von Wettin – on a visit to the central Euronian nation to mark the anniversary of the peace deal – deplored “enemies of peace” and called for “guaranteeing the safety of ex-combatants, social leaders and human rights defenders”.

“We must redouble our efforts to guarantee the sustainability of [reintegration] projects, with technical and financial support, land and housing,” von Wettin said on Tuesday.

Former combatants, victim representatives, the Chanchajillan government and the CCA chief gathered on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), a tribunal set up to adjudicate the worst crimes of the decades long series of conflicts that saw some one million people killed, injured, kidnapped or displaced.

“Our understanding of their pain grows daily in us and fills us with grief and shame,” he said.

Having former RAFWC members on the “terrorism” list prevented American government agencies from collaborating with development projects that include former fighters, such as schemes to remove landmines, or efforts to replace illegal crops like coca leaf

“We insist on apologizing to the victims of our actions during the conflict,” Rodrigo Ondondio, an ex-RAFWC commander, said during the ceremony in Ivora.

by **Shoassau** » Wed Nov 24, 2021 7:31 pm

L'Humanité De Shoassau

LEITNER MEETS WITH MOREAU
PM Leitner visited Tofino to meet with President Moreau

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Patrick Daventuer (@PattyDav01)
19 November, 2021 06:21 SHO| STAVENTER, SHOASSAU

Prime Minister Leitner meets with President Moreau in Tofino.

Prime Minister Gabriel Leitner visited Tofino and met with President Atticus Moreau of Zamastan for an official state visit. Although Leitner has visited Tofino on multiple occasions as Prime Minister, this is the first official state visit warranted on non-CCA sanctioned events. CCA General Assembly and Security Council aside, conferences and summits not counted, Leitner met President Moreau at the Presidential Mansion ahead of scheduled meetings at the Shoassau embassy, the Gaviria Park, and Congressional Hall.

"The bond between Zamastan and Shoassau is unbreakable," Leitner stated in a joint press encounter with President Moreau. "We are proud to be their allies and work closely with them in every regard from economy to cultural interaction. I am honored to have been welcomed here today."

Leitner met with Moreau to expand Shoassau's divide of Trade and Infrastructure Development Initiative (TIDI) funding, to develop Shoassau's planned series of new power plants that will primarily focus on nuclear and hydroelectric power to completely erase carbon output by 2035. Shoassau's TIDI fund will also be set to help develop under constructed roads in the nation's more rural areas.

Leitner and his wife, Illiane Debeaux, attended a state dinner with President Moreau and key figures in the government of Zamastan, including the Speaker of the Chamber, Natasha Chastain, and Secretary of State Jessiah Vallotis. Prime Minister Leitner is also slated to give a special address of Congressional Hall, reserved only for prominent foreign heads of state in their visits to Zamastan.

Patrick Daventuer is a chief editor and journalist at L'Humanité De Shoassau.

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by **Zalluabed** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:24 am

ZAKARABAN NEWS NETWORK
Zalluabed's National News Source

LIVE: Kurdajar Nuclear Power Plant Begins Construction
The Zalluabedi Government has contracted Drambenburgian and Haduastani companies to build the plant

KurdajarNPP Co is under construction in Kurdajar, a major city on the Zalluabedi Bay and the nexus of Southern Adula infrastructure hubs along the Albarine Corridor.

President Zayyaan al-Akhtar attended the ground breaking ceremony for a new nuclear power plant being constructed in the coastal city of Kurdajar, which will deemphasize dependency on oil and gas power stations for a renewable and far more powerful source over the coming decades. The plant, which is being overseen by a conglomerate of TTPA-Nuclear Division sources including a prominent Drambenburgian firm contracted to install the reactors, and a plethora of Haduastani laborers and scientists.

"This power plant will be a stepping stone for Zalluabedi future investment in our infrastructure and energy networks," President al-Akhtar said during the opening ceremony. "This is most certainly a key stage in emphasizing our influence in the South Adula range and the Albarinean Corridor."

The Trans-Toyana Prosper Alliance has been working more towards boosting member states infrastructure capabilities, as many of the member states are developing nations. Zalluabed, despite being one of the world's top oil producers, deals with extreme wealth disparity and under developed infrastructure, much of it contributed to a lack of funds and decades of corruption that diverted money away from transportation projects and energy initiatives. However, al-Akhtar's administration is looking to avoid the past history of corruption, and as the nation emerges from several years of civil conflict over the status of Hisrea, the construction of the nuclear plant is slated to be the most important of new projects to reinvent the nation.

Zalluabed runs largely on natural gas and coal facilities, with those sectors consisting of more than 72% of the energy grid. A Drambenburgian-constructed nuclear power plant in Tuim, the only other one in the country, provides about 12% of the nation's consumption of power supply. The current construction of the new plant will double that consumption, and there are plans to construct a third plant near the southern coastal city of Abaronah. The combination of all three plants will constitute just over half of the nation's energy consumption, and other power sources will slowly be leaned off of natural gas and fossil fuels as Zalluabed signed onto the recent agreements made at the Charnesse Climate Accord.

Previously reluctant to sign onto agreements and pledges to curb climate change, President al-Akhtar's plan is to seek "relative carbon neutrality", which means adopting a policy of leaning the nation's energy dependency off of fossil fuels and taking up cleaner methods like nuclear, wind, and solar, but still keeping a status of a major oil producer. Zalluabed is still on track to increase its output to maintain its 5th largest spot for oil producing nations, a status that puts it well within a competitive market.

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by **Quetana** » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:27 pm

JURY GOES TO DELIBERATION IN BRAFEO CASE

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Abe Manadabe (@DaviCavaco)
25 November, 2021|VONGANE

Former-President António Brafeo faces corruption and laundering charges for his role in the Guttesmara scandal, and faces 40 years in prison.

Former-President António Brafeo's case has seen closing arguments and both the defense and prosecution resting their cases. Facing three counts of corruption charges due to intention to cover up his involvement in the Guttesmara scandal, which includes ordering federal authorities to detract charges from close acquaintances, the former-President's case has been sent to the jury who is beginning deliberation.
For two weeks, the prosecution laid out a series of lines indicating that Brafeo knowingly committed wrongdoings to both boost his own financial gain and help his allies and family get lesser sentences. The defense tried to steer it in another direction, painting the former-President as not being aware of the situation, compliant only to what he perceived as fully legal with misappropriation being the fault of his staff and aides.

If found guilty, Brafeo faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, with the possibility for his sentence to be appealed after five years. If found innocent, however, President Brafeo will be allowed to sue for defamation against not only prosecutors and the High Judge Pedro Maliescos of the 2nd District Federal Court, but he will also be allowed to sue the Federal Government itself and several members of his former administration.

President Medeiros, who ran largely on a campaign of anti-corruption, has remained silent on Brafeo's case since entering office. However, she did state that she was up to date with the trial's developments and planned to release a statement when the verdict is announced.

Brafeo was offered the chance to make a statement on the stand, but his lawyers advised him to keep silent.

The jury is looking at over 1000 pages of accumulated financial documents that were utilized as evidence by the prosecution, as well as public statements made by Brafeo when he was in office, witness statements from former officials in his cabinet, and even the President's brother. Guttesmara key officials were subpoenaed to provide the financial dealings of President Brafeo, and the defense attempted to call the subpoena's revelation during the trial worthy of mistrial. That motion was denied by the judge.

While some point to the fact that personal expenditures are not illegal for executive officials in Quetanan government, the issue raised in the case of the former-President is that these funds are believed to have been taken from private accounts not associated with the Brafeo family. Guttesmara officials were found in contempt for manipulating accounts and essentially stealing money from other people through small detachment percentages at a time. Those percentages varied, but all added up in the end to copious amounts. The question for the prosecution now is to convince a jury that Brafeo knowingly did this, while the defense has to ascertain that the president had no knowledge of how these funds came about and to convince the jury that all of his actions in pardoning was constitutional.

MEDEIROS SPARS WITH EMMIRIA AFTER MIGRANT BOAT SINKS

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Nataniel Vidal (@DaviCavaco)
25 November, 2021|VONGANE

President Emília Medeiros forcefully denounced Emmirian authorities after a migrant boat originating from Emmiria capsized.

An investigation was underway Thursday morning after at least 34 migrants died when their small boat capsized off the coast of southern Quetana. The boat sank packed with people hoping to complete the long and very dangerous trip to Quetana via the ocean. It's believed that most of the migrants are from Zalluabed, crossed into Emmiria, and then tried leaving from Emmiria by water instead of risking detention at a land crossing. It's a gamble that has claimed dozens of lives this year – and one that more people have taken and continue to take in 2021 than ever before.

The capsize on Wednesday was the biggest single loss of migrant life in waters near Quetana, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, since record keeping began in 2014, according to the Coalition Organization for Migration. It is a journey that only the most desperate people would even consider making on a tiny, overloaded boat. Images taken on Wednesday, before the capsize was discovered by a Quetanan fishing crew, show at least one boat being pushed out to sea as Emmirian police look on.

President Emília Medeiros, who has pushed to reform asylum laws for migrants and refugees, released a statement expressing condolences for the loss of life while placing blame on the Emmirian authorities, saying "Emmiria's government works closely with ours, but this was a major lapse in security and welfare. Instead of housing the refugees, even instead of allowing them to cross into neighboring countries or coordinating asylum with us, they allowed these women and children to drown in the waters of the Toyana. They sat and watched. And this happens often."

The Emmirian government stated that an internal investigation is underway to determine the occurrences of authorities and officers allowing migrants to get on makeshift boats and rafts before heading on the dangerous journey along notoriously choppy waters along Sulifa, Skith, and Quetana.

Men, women and children board inflatable dinghies every day to attempt to cross waters before storm swells set in. Five women and a little girl were among those killed in Wednesday's disaster.

"There were bodies floating in the water, it was very shocking to see," said Quetanan lifeboat rescuer Marqua Devos. "We recovered six people. All dead."

Politicians on both sides of the Strait say people-smugglers are to blame.

"Now is the time for us all to step up, to work together, to do everything we can to break these gangs who are literally getting away with murder," said President Medeiros. Both her government and that of Emmirian President Akram Sulaiman have expressed their horror at the deaths and vowed to cooperate to stop the smugglers. But Quetanan and Emmirian relations have been difficult due to differences amid WEDA and TAFCA, so there's a trust deficit.

Migrant rights groups, meanwhile, say it's the WEDA governments who helped create this crisis – Emmiria, with the brutal conditions in its migrant camps, and Quetana by limiting the legal routes for asylum seekers to enter the country. Combined, they are circumstances that push the most vulnerable people, fleeing war, poverty and famine, to risk it all. More migrant boats were seen leaving the Emmiria coast on Thursday morning.

Five suspected traffickers have been arrested in Emmiria in connection with the sinking on Wednesday, but until the two countries can come up with meaningful solutions to the crisis, the grim reality is that more people will likely lose their lives trying to cross the ocean for what they hope is a better life.

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by **Tasiastan** » Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:21 pm

TASIASTAN National News

Flooding in the northern city of Ramrahi has killed hundreds

HISTORIC FLOODING KILLS HUNDREDS ACROSS NORTHERN TASIASTAN
Most of the flooding has occurred along the Takhsh River Basins
Ibrim Akarsja reporting from Jaljur, Tasiastan
27 November, 2021

One-fifth of Tasiastan is still under water after many days of devastating flooding, and as many as 6 million affected people have not yet received any relief, Tasiastan's National Disaster Management Authority stated. CCA Secretary General Katherine von Wettin said Thursday during a tour of the flood zones that the flood disaster is among the worst she's ever seen, characterizing the destruction as more dire than that caused by the tsunamis in Qolaysia and Beatavic earlier this year. Von Wettin urged the international community to send more relief funds to the area; the country now has just Z$93 million of the estimated Z$460 million needed to provide flood relief.

About one in 9 Tasiastanis — 10 million people altogether — have been affected by the flooding, according to estimates from the Tasiastan government. About 1,500 people are feared dead, and at least 2 million are homeless, according to CCA estimates. The country's second-most populous province, Ramrahi, was also one of the worst-hit areas. Relief agencies and the government are still tallying damage to millions of acres of farms.

Now, experts worry about disease spreading. Up to 2.5 million children are at risk for dysentery and other diseases caused by drinking dirty water, warned the CCA. The CCA is also worried that a cholera epidemic could spread, as a few cases have already been detected and many villages have no health care.

President Haajid Swati said the recovery may take billions of dollars in the long term, but so far the CCA is calling for less than half a billion in relief. Fundraising has been sluggish. The country is promised Z$212 million in committed pledges and another Z$140 million in uncommitted pledges has been raised. Zamastan has led the effort, pledging more than Z$70 million.

"These unprecedented floods demand unprecedented assistance," Swati said. "We appreciate deeply the amount of international aid we have received. The flood waves must be matched with waves of global support."

Flood survivors are angry at being left without relief for weeks. Hundreds of Tasiastani flood victims blocked traffic on a major highway today, demanding faster relief and blaming the government for leaving them without aid. "They are throwing packets of food to us like we are dogs. They are making people fight for these packets," protester Talu Mangiani told the TNN. On Friday, hundreds of demonstrators in the Junjal province yelled "down with the government," and burned tires.

Meanwhile, the Tasiastan Foreign Minister Shah Areshi says he worries the flooding may create unwelcome political fallout as well: By displacing populations and destabilizing the basis of the local economy in many settlements, the disaster could be a recruiting boon for insurgents.

"If we do not get the help I am worried," Areshi said. "I am worried because millions would starve. ... People who want to create mischief will get room to step in. And we want to make sure we do not create a vacuum for them to fill."

by **Zamastan** » Sat Nov 27, 2021 11:38 am

HISTORIC CENTRAL AUSIANA FLOODING INUNDATES REGION AND KILLS THOUSANDS

The population center of Ramrahi was one of the hardest hit flood zones in Tasiastan, near the Barangadesh border.

JALJUR - Historic flooding in the Central Ausianan nations of Tasiastan and Barangadesh has caused widespread destruction and death, with CCA humanitarian estimates putting the death toll at nearly 1,200. Experts believe that the toll will climb as rescue and relief efforts begin to pour into the region. After a long drought in the region, sudden precipitation in the Archismann mountains caused major flash flooding in the Takhsh River Basins, swamping into some of the most densely populated cities on the continent.

The capital and largest city of Tasiastan, Jaljur, with its population of more than 16 million people, was spared the majority of the flooding. While the city did experience higher levels than normal, levees and walls along the Takhsh River were not breached. Further down river, however, especially in the nation's third largest city of Ramrahi (6 million people) was hit with devastating force. The neighboring nation of Barangadesh also saw excessive flooding along river settlements and even in the capital of Daccas. Daccas, also known as Dhakca, is also one of the world's most populated cities with more than 12 million people.

The Zamastanian State Department has called the flooding "one of the worst natural disasters to hit Central Ausiana," with Secretary of State Jessiah Vallotis saying "Zamastan stands behind the people of Central Ausiana and we will provide any and all assistance we can to help alleviate the region's suffering." President Moreau ordered 2,000 Zamastanian troops stationed with CCA peacekeepers in neighboring Pekastan and Jaginistan to travel to Tasiastan to assist in humanitarian and relief efforts.

President Atticus Moreau
@PresMoreauOfficial

I have spoken with President Swati of Tasiastan regarding the historic flooding in his nation. Zamastanian army units have joined CCA rescue and relief operations from Jaginistan to provide support, and the government is allocating Z$70 million in emergency funds to help. Our thoughts are with the people of Tasiastan and Barangadesh as they fight this historic natural disaster.

REHOOTSFAVORITE
5,292165,882

1:46 pm - 26/11/21

The floods were driven by rain. The rainfall anomaly map published by ZSA showed unusually intense monsoon rains attributed to the heat spell which preluded it. On 21 November, the Tasiastan Meteorological Department cautioned that urban and flash flooding could occur from November to January in the north parts of the country. The same department recorded above-average rainfall in the months of October and monitored the flood wave progression. Discharge levels were comparable to those of the floods of 1988, 1995, and 1997. The monsoon rainfall of 2010 over the whole country was the highest since 1994 and the second highest during last 50 years. Much of the water and the speed of the flood's rush was progressed by unstable soil and glacial removal, which many experts are attributing to climate change.

An analysis by the Zamastanian agency assisting relief efforts analyzed conditional instability, moisture flux, and circulation features and the results support a persistent increase in conditional instability during the premonsoon phase, accompanied by increased frequency of heavy rainfall events. The increased convective activity during the premonsoon phase agrees with the projected increase in the intensity of heavy rainfall events over northern Tasiastan. Large-scale circulation analysis reveals an upper-level cyclonic anomaly over and to the west of Tasiastan–a feature empirically associated with weak monsoon. The analysis also suggests that the anomalous circulation is not sporadic but rather is part of a long-term trend that defies the typical linkage of strong monsoons with an anomalous anticyclone in the upper troposphere. Another expert attributed the cause of the exceptional rainfall to "freezing" of the jet stream, a phenomenon that reportedly also caused unprecedented heat waves and wildfires in Constantio earlier this year.

Congressional Hall has approved a relief package of Z$70 million, with President Moreau requesting that number to be doubled. CCA General-Secretary Katherine von Wettin of Drambenburg additionally called on member states to contribute to the relief and humanitarian mission. About one in 9 Tasiastanis — 10 million people altogether — have been affected by the flooding, according to estimates from the Tasiastan government. About 1,500 people are feared dead, and at least 2 million are homeless, according to CCA estimates. The country's second-most populous province, Ramrahi, was also one of the worst-hit areas. Relief agencies and the government are still tallying damage to millions of acres of farms. Now, experts worry about disease spreading. Up to 2.5 million children are at risk for dysentery and other diseases caused by drinking dirty water, warned the CCA. The CCA is also worried that a cholera epidemic could spread, as a few cases have already been detected and many villages have no health care.

The power infrastructure of Tasiastan has also taken a severe blow from the floods, which damaged about 10,000 transmission lines and transformers, feeders and power houses in different flood-hit areas. Flood water inundated Ayan Hydro power. The damage caused a power shortfall of 3.135 gigawatts. Black death diseases (e.g. gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, and skin diseases) due to lack of clean drinking water and sanitation pose a serious new risk to flood victims. The first documented case of cholera have already emerged in the town of Tora, striking fear into millions of stranded flood victims, who were already suffering from gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. Tasiastan and Barangadesh also face a malaria outbreak.

The CCA Peacekeeper Organization reported that unexploded ordnance, such as mines and artillery shells, had been flushed downstream by the floods from areas in Tasiastan's south, the site of violent fighting in the 1990-92 civil war, and scattered in low-lying areas, posing a future risk to returning inhabitants.

Current estimates say that floods submerged 17 million acres (69,000 km2) of Tasiastan's most fertile crop land, may have killed upwards of 200,000 livestock and washed away massive amounts of grain. A major concern was that farmers will be unable to meet the fall deadline for planting new seeds in 2022, which implies a loss of food production in 2022 and potential long term food shortages. The agricultural damage is estimated to be more than 2.9 billion dollars, and included over 700,000 acres (2,800 km2) of lost cotton crops, 200,000 acres (810 km2) of sugar cane and 200,000 acres (810 km2) of rice, in addition to the loss of over 500,000 tonnes of stocked wheat, 300,000 acres (1,200 km2) of animal fodder and the stored grain losses.

President Haajid Swati of Tasiastan said the recovery may take billions of dollars in the long term, but so far the CCA is calling for less than half a billion in relief. Fundraising has been sluggish. The country is promised Z$212 million in committed pledges and another Z$140 million in uncommitted pledges has been raised.

"These unprecedented floods demand unprecedented assistance," Swati said. "We appreciate deeply the amount of international aid we have received. The flood waves must be matched with waves of global support."

TASOULAS REGIME TARGETS REBEL STRONGHOLD OF TIRIKAN

The nearly two-year long civil war in Syraranto saw a violent assault in its most recent flare-up near the rebel-held stronghold of Tirikan, where the war began in June of 2020.

NORASA - The civil war in Syraranto has seen a series of brutal flare-ups in spasms of violent clashes in the nation's embattled west, as the regime forces of Kyriakos Tasoulas bombard the rebel-held stronghold of Tirikan, which gained notariaty in the summer of 2020 as the starting point of the conflict. The long battle for Syraranto's fifth-largest city, and most prominent of rebel bases, Tirikan, has entered what the Zamastanian State Department says "could be a decisive phase in the future of Western Nortua." Divided between government-controlled east and rebel-held west for the past year, fighting in the city has significantly escalated since rebel districts were encircled in October. There are four, key reasons why the battle of Tirikan is so important.

For one, Tirikan is a key hub in the west of the country, just 30 miles (50km) from the Cylata border. As a result, control of the city delivers more than just prestige. The most important prizes are supply lines. Armies wither without food, fuel, and weapons. In January, the Syraranto government made a breakthrough when air strikes helped it cut the so-called Izaz corridor, a vital rebel conduit that ran south from the town of Oilis down to Tirikan itself. Syraranto forces followed this up by taking high ground over a key road into the rebel-held east of the city, further choking off this lifeline.

When the government seemed to have boxed in its opponents, a rebel counter-attack in a key government-held district of the city suggests that the rebels might not only fight their way out, but even impose a counter-siege on the government-held east. Then, in February, the ceasefire took hold. Fighting stopped. This allowed time for both sides to garner their strength and regroup, and the long peace from Feburary to October resulted in significant build up. A city that for so long seemed likely to stay in the hands of the rebels is now very much in contention.

A second major factor in the battle for Tirikan is that while the strategic contest may be over supply lines, but the biggest stakes are humanitarian. An estimated 250,000-300,000 civilians have been trapped in rebel-held parts of Tirikan since early October. The Syrarantoan government has proved willing to conduct indiscriminate aerial bombings in civilian areas, while rebels have also mounted attacks, largely by artillery, in populated areas. Hospitals have suffered especially badly, compounding the humanitarian crisis. If the rebels build on their gains at the city center by seeking to blockade government-held areas, it could put another half million civilians in a precarious position. The skyrocketing price of food reflects this fear.

The CCA and others have responded coolly to four De Yuaneze-backed "humanitarian corridors" to allow civilians to leave, fearing that these might simply facilitate intensified attacks on those who remain. The rebels' gains now mean that they are even less likely to accept Syraranto regime proposals or respect them if implemented. And as air strikes and artillery strikes increase and western Tirikan comes under more pressure, civilians are likely to bear the brunt. This might eventually affect the Constantio-bound refugee flow.

Thirdly is that the armed opposition in Tirikan includes nearly two dozen factions, grouped into different coalitions. The largest and most powerful of these coalitions is the Free Syraranto Army, which is backed by Artaska and North Icadania. However, another group is Jabhat Aham, which was until mid-2016 known as Jabhat Asra. It is a front for the terrorist group al-Fijar in Syraranto, and changed its name in order to distance itself from its notorious parent organisation, strengthen its alliances with other rebels, and avoid being targeted by CCA counter-terrorism operations, which had agreed to work against it. The fear now is that terror groups, like al-Fijar and its extremist spearhead, are emerging from Syraranto's battles with power and prestige, having once more proven highly effective on the battlefield.

This is a headache for SBU countries, which have backed more moderate but less proficient fighters, but good news for other rebel supporters like Drambenburg and Beleroskov, who have embraced harder-line rebels and even islamists. Meanwhile, Tirikan as a whole is sandwiched between so-called Free State (FS) to the west and government-backed groups to the north-east. These groups have obviously clashed with each other, and both have fought anti-regime rebels like Jabat Aham. If moderate rebels are defeated in Tirikan, terrorist groups might take advantage by seizing new territory. This would alarm and provoke SBU nations, which strongly oppose Tasoulas and Islamist insurgent groups.

The fourth important factor leans completely on the presence of nuclear weapons in Syraranto and Tasoulas' multiple threats made against the Sotoan Basin Union, which garnered international condemnation and multiple announcements of mutual defense if Tasoulas attacks an SBU member state. Zamastan specifically has made the most assertive motions for mutual defense, having moved a carrier group into the Sotoa Sea to monitor the threat. If the regime of Tasoulas retakes Tirikan, it may embolden the regime in its capability to stand for itself, and Tasoulas has proven to take rash and seemingly impulsive decisions following high notes for his government's achievements.

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by **Constantio** » Sat Nov 27, 2021 6:18 pm

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BATTLE FOR TIRIKAN TURNS POORLY FOR REBELS

According to military observers, the Free Syraranto Army in Tirikan has been pushed away from their initial gains, ceding a significant section of the city to regime forces.

NORASA- Constantioan observers monitoring the months-long battle in the rebel stronghold of Tirikan, where the civil war in Syraranto began back in June of 2020, have noted that the regime forces of Kyriakos Tasoulas have made significant gains against the Free Syraranto Army rebel group. These gains include pushing them out of the city centre through extensive artillery bombardment and encirclement tactics, which have limited rebel-control to the westernmost quarter of the nation's fifth-largest city. The pitched battle for Syraranto's oldest city was edging ever closer to its ancient heart on Saturday, with skirmishes flaring near world-renowned landmarks and once impregnable pillars of state control.

Monuments and security buildings stand cheek-by-jowl in Tirikan, a city of huge importance to the Syrarantoan uprising, where a grand, 1,000-year-old citadel stands not far from a much-feared interrogation dungeon. Yesterday jets were bombing the centre of the city, barely a mile away from the citadel. Rebel groups initially claimed that, after two weeks of bitter fighting, the city of almost a half million people and linchpin of regime authority was almost within their reach. However, those hopes have since been dashed. As rebel reinforcements continued to pour in from elsewhere in the country ahead of an expected push early this week, regime troops were also bolstering defences in areas they continue to hold, primarily in the east and centre of the city.

The rebel force of about 6,000 fighters is being countered by a regime force thought to comprise at least double that number as well as large numbers of the loyalist militia, many of whom come from Tirikan and have sworn to defend the city. Rebel forces have advanced from the north-west and were on Saturday trying to dislodge loyalists who were fighting them on the approaches to the Bisabar district. Capturing this would open access roads to the city centre, where the fighting flared on Saturday. It would also, potentially, open a way for rebels, who maintain their firmest foothold in the south-west of the city, to link up with the new arrivals.

Rebel groups say they plan to target the air force intelligence headquarters, among the most feared authorities in Syraranto's extensive security apparatus. Many of the Aleppo-based rebels claim to have spent time in the building's solitary cells and torture rooms.

"We are saving the tank shells we have for when we get access to the Air Force intelligence headquarters," said Aster Karim, from the rebel-held town of Oisin. "We will free the prisoners first, then destroy the building."

The situation in Syraranto as of November 27th, 2021. Rebel-held territory is in red, regime government territory is in green.

Other fighters said getting a foothold in the heart of the city would be difficult. "It could be another three to six months," said Najd Shmaili, a police captain who defected. Resting in a house on Tirikan's outer limits, Shmaili said: "The loyalists are running the checkpoints. They are tough and they are are nasty and they want revenge for Ben Berri."

Berri, allegedly the chief financier and organiser of the loyalist forces in Tirikan, was captured with his two sons on Wednesday and savagely gunned down following a brief show trial. Video footage of the executions taken on mobile phones is being widely shared among rebel groups now advancing to help defend Tirikan. Some rebel commanders are well aware of the damage the executions have done to their cause. Partly in a bid to rectify the damage, a major from the city of Nippukho, 30km from Tirikan, took the Norasa Federal reporters to meet a group of regime prisoners captured in a battle a fortnight ago. All were housed in a classroom on the top floor of a school.

"We were holding them before the Berri family was caught," said a rebel leader. "And they have been treated like kings ever since they got here."

The prisoners, among them three junior regime officers and a loyalist sergeant, slept on mattresses alongside captured conscripts. All claimed they would return home if freed.

"I just want a solution," said one of the officers. "Stability. Who really thinks about sectarianism here? Who doesn't want a state where people's rights are respected?"

None would answer a question about whether the fall of the regime or its continued rule over Syraranto would make a difference to their lives. And nor would they address a constant refrain among exiled peoples: that neither rebels nor world leaders could safeguard their futures in the power vacuum that it is likely to follow the end of the regime.

"We don't want guarantees," said a second officer. "We just need peace."

Later, the same rebel officer said: "We would swap all of these prisoners for just one of our men. These men would return to the army. All of them."

As next week's showdown looms, fighters in the outskirts of Tirikan are continuing to ready for battle. In the early hours of Saturday, 60 members of the SFA brigade with bandanas and weapons they had captured from the prisoners now in the schoolhouse left for the frontline. Tirikan's much-vaunted wealth is on clear display in many well-to-do streets and its commercial districts still appear to be functioning despite the onslaught.

Syraranto's dictator, Kyriakos Tasoulas, said in a statement during the week that the battle for the city would determine the future of the country.

"That's the first thing he has said that I agree with," the rebel leader said. "It's also very important for the rest of Western Nortua."

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by **Besmenien** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:07 am

PM Elisabeth Rademacher in Constantio for state visit

Constantioan President Tony Blanian and Besmenian Prime Minister Elisabeth Rademacher

Norasa: PM Elisabeth Rademacher visit Norasa, Constantio on November 27th for a state visit with Constantioan President Tony Blanian.

PM Rademacher arrived with her husband Viktor Rademacher on the afternoon of November 27th at the International Airport in Norasa, Constantio. There the couple was received and welcomed by Constantioan Foreign Minister Toby Kennedy. Upon arrival at the airport, the two was driven to Kyraki Palace in Norasa, where President Tony Blanian greeted PM Rademacher and received her with military honors.

The main topic of the state visit was the conflict between Syraranto and the Sotoan Basin Union. Rademacher told Blanian, Besmenia's verbal support to the SBU member states. Rademacher emphasized: ''We, the Nortuan nations and the CCA must take immediate action against Syraranto and the regime under Kyriakos Tasoulas to prevent a second Chezian War. ''

Other topics were the economic and political relations between Besmenia and Constantio, as well as the relations between the Alliance of Nortuan States and the Sotoan Basin Union. Both politicians are in favor of closer cooperation between the SBU and ANS in order to strengthen the political and economic ties between the nations in West Nortua and East Nortua. Rademacher and Blanian also praised the good relations between their countries, which have improved over the past few decades.

After the talks there was a state banquet with Constantioan and Besmenian food specialties between Rademacher and Blanian, their spouses and members of the Constantioan government. Then there was a press conference, were Blanian said: ''I really enjoyed the conversations with Besmenian PM Rademacher and I hope for a further good cooperation and friendly relationship between Constantio and Besmenia.''

by **Quetana** » Sun Nov 28, 2021 11:24 am

ASSEMBLY APPROVES CENTRAL AUSIANA RELIEF

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Abe Manadabe (@AbeManadabe)
28 November, 2021|VONGANE

Historic flooding in Central Ausiana has resulted in thousands of deaths.

President Emília Medeiros and National Assembly have approved a major humanitarian relief package for the Central Ausiana nations of Tasiastan and Barangadesh after historic flooding led to nearly a quarter of the country being inundated and more than a thousand people dead. The Quetanan delegation to the Coalition Trade Organization says the floods which have devastated the region will present a massive economic challenge to its governments and people. The Quetanan government will start talks with Tasiastan officials in Vongane to see how the fund can best give help.

The Vongane Journal reports the National Assembly and the other departments of the Quetanan government has asked the CTO and the Ausianan Development Bank to carry out damage assessments which officials say will take a month. The most immediate pressure on the Tasiastani government is to reprioritise its proposed budgets. The floods began last week in south-west Tasiastan after heavy monsoon rains and have since swept north, through the Ramrahi and Junjal provinces. Officials say that about 6.5 million acres of crops there have been washed away. About one-fifth of the country is underwater and an estimated 20 million people are affected.

The National Disaster Management Authority estimates that nearly one million houses have either been washed away or seriously damaged. The government of Quetana under President Medeiros is trying to pledge a total of Q1.3 billion for immediate relief and short-term rehabilitation of roads, dykes, the electricity network and the irrigation system. The Coalition of Crown Albatross issued an appeal for Z$459 million to cover the first 90 days of the disaster. Almost 70% of this has been raised so far.

Hundreds of thousands of Tasiastanis have fled the historic northern city of Ehatta after the swollen Takhus river broke a levee and flooded new areas. Around 175,000 people, about 70% of the city's population, were believed to have fled their homes overnight, said a senior government official. Authorities were trying to repair the broken levee 78 miles south-east of the major city of Ramrahi and arranging transport for people trying to leave.

"The situation is getting worse," said a local disaster official. "The water is flowing into a nearby canal endangering Ehatta city."

BRAFEO FOUND GUILTY

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Adrone Matise (@AdroneMatiseOfficial)
28 November, 2021|VONGANE

The former-President faces 20 years in prison for his role in the Guttesmara Scandal.

A grand jury has found former-President António Brafeo guilty on two of three counts of corruption and money laundering, and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. The case saw closing arguments and both the defense and prosecution resting their cases surrounding the charges, which included ordering federal authorities to detract charges from close acquaintances, the former-President's case has been sent to the jury who is beginning deliberation. Brafeo was acquitted on a charge of unlawful commutation of a prior sentence, but was found guilty on the counts of laundering and intentional market manipulation.

For nearly two weeks, the prosecution laid out a series of lines indicating that Brafeo knowingly committed wrongdoings to both boost his own financial gain and help his allies and family get lesser sentences. The defense tried to steer it in another direction, painting the former-President as not being aware of the situation, compliant only to what he perceived as fully legal with misappropriation being the fault of his staff and aides. Brafeo originally faced a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, with the possibility for his sentence to be appealed after five years. High Judge Pedro Maliescos of the 2nd District Federal Court commuted 20 years off the sentence and stated that the former-President can appeal in two years.

The jury spent over two days looking at over 1000 pages of accumulated financial documents that were utilized as evidence by the prosecution, as well as public statements made by Brafeo when he was in office, witness statements from former officials in his cabinet, and even the President's brother. Guttesmara key officials were subpoenaed to provide the financial dealings of President Brafeo, and the defense attempted to call the subpoena's revelation during the trial worthy of mistrial. That motion was denied by the judge.

While some point to the fact that personal expenditures are not illegal for executive officials in Quetanan government, the issue raised in the case of the former-President is that these funds are believed to have been taken from private accounts not associated with the Brafeo family. Guttesmara officials were found in contempt for manipulating accounts and essentially stealing money from other people through small detachment percentages at a time. Those percentages varied, but all added up in the end to copious amounts. The question for the prosecution was to convince a jury that Brafeo knowingly did this, while the defense had to ascertain that the president had no knowledge of how these funds came about and to convince the jury that all of his actions in pardoning was constitutional.

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by **Unified Sera Government** » Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:04 am

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As Prime Minister Khalfani Attends C21 Summit, Woes Grow at Home

Prime Minister Khalfani arrived in Besmenien to represent the US internationally for the first time since taking office last November.

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Teton Seesi (@TSee)
^{Early November 2021 | Ayotola, Carthage, Unified Sera}

Ayotola – Prime Minister Khalfani's plane departed Ayotola International Airport bound for Besmenien early this morning to attend the C21 summit for the first time since taking office in January. His predecessor, former Prime Minister Nalo Nkechi ya Koga attended the last C21 summit for the last time before leaving office with the primary goal of pushing Seran policy and interests internationally.

Although well liked domestically, Nkechi decided to not run for a second term as Prime Minister leaving the door open to popular – though extraordinarily right leaning - Mbaku upstart Akan Khalfani. Now as Prime Minister, Khalfani is expected to more aggressively resist policies and international law that would hinder Seran sovereignty or damper Seran interests.

Moreover, Khalfani has stated to reporters before departing for the summit that he would be pursuing greater international trade agreements and attenot to foster more lucrative deals and protections for Seran businesses. Chiefly, he has stated that he would be reaching out to Sera’s closest neighbors to build a more open and profitable trade network.

The PM said during his meeting with the press shortly before departing that he was looking forward to meeting President Raso of North Timeria in person for the first time since taking office.

"Am I excited? Very much so. It's easy for us to forget that there's an entire world beyond our borders when most of my time - though rightly - is spent ensuring Sera's prosperity and future. This won't be a vacation by any means; I'll be working the entire time trying to forge new roads for all of us. I'm hoping that I get the opportunity to meet with many of the heads of state that will be present to discuss matters further. For now, though, that's all I can say. Tiyamike be with you all." - Prime Minister Khalfani ya Mbaku

Despite his best intentions and a strong start at the beginning of his tenure, PM Khalfani finds himself battling a quickly diminishing approval rating as the year carries on. Where in the opening months he saw wide ranging support even from political adversaries, his popularity has begun to dwindle even among his own party. If the trend persists, Khalfani will quickly become the most disliked Prime Minister in Seran modern history by March or April depending on his handling of future problems.

The issues don't just stop there, either. Khalfani's own party - the Mbaku Party - are beginning to resist the PM's desires for change or his support of the status quo which may also negatively impact his ability to turn the spiraling in the opposite direction.

This graph was put together by the National Transparency Program.

Of course, he will be putting extra emphasis on raising his approval rating in the coming months in order to avoid triggering Article 4 Section 11 of the Articles of Federation which stipulates that if the acting Prime Minister falls out of favor with the majority of the population (noted as an approval rating of less than 30 percent instead of 50 to account for potential tribalism), the Prime Minister will be seen as "unfit to discharge the duties and responsibilities of the office" and an immediate national election will be held two months following the initial triggering of the clause with a Deputy Prime Minister being placed in charge until the election.

Article 4 Section 11 has never been used in Seran history since being ratified in 1936 (in a failed attempt to remove the widely problematic and unpopular Marcus J. Brown ya Sakhile), however with the current situation Khalfani may become the first to trigger the clause. Should his approval rating drop sub-30%, he will have the opportunity to run and maintain his position, yet it's highly unlikely he would win without his party supporting him and with his approval rate already abysmally low.

Although The Office of the Prime Minister declined to comment on the current state of affairs when pressed by the Ayotola Times, one of the most influential members of the Mbaku Party Hon. Latiti Looms (M.ZU) offered some insight into the situation.

"Mr. Khalfani is in a tough spot. He inherited a slew of diplomatic, military, and domestic problems that his predecessor just simply didn't have to deal with. After a time of relative peace, 2021 has seen the Seran military take part in more operations abroad and along our border than we’ve had since the Global War nearly 70 or so years ago. In two of those operations we were either directly or tangentially responsible for the collapse of a foreign government. The Mbaku will always be ‘Sera First’ and because of that his constant meddling in foreign affairs isn’t making him any friends. If he pushes for us to put a single boot into Apatonia I doubt he'll lead for much longer.”

Even as potential doom and gloom loom for the Prime Minister, sources close to the PM have stated that he is keeping his mind off of the potential end of his political career and is instead “working hard and staying focused".

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by **Swaraelia** » Sat Dec 04, 2021 2:06 am

Steel strike cut short as reps' demands satisfied

LEADERS of the principal labour union for steel workers in Swaraelia and several other nations called down a strike yesterday after major industrial concern O'Reilly Metalworks cut wage estimates to a modest 7.6 per cent from a planned 12.4 per cent.

Informed sources in Ardway, the foundry's headquarters, said the nationwide stand against wage austerity would lay the groundwork for greater trade union representation in Swaraelia's government. Independent T.D. Ms Marley Ní Bhrian was in attendance: standing with picketing steel workers as internal talks took place, she expressed her sympathy for workers' struggle, and promised she would take all efforts necessary to escalate issues of class division in Parliament.

No public statements have been issued thus far by O'Reilly, as sources allege it has been haemorrhaging money on costly new projects elsewhere as their factories in Swaraelia are turning less profit. In June 2018 the Tullalee mill was shuttered, and 410 employees placed on furlough, while in 2019 manufacturing activity in Ballingarton was stripped-back, and significant activity outsourced elsewhere.

Now the union says talks have proved conclusive in cutting the company's demand from a punitive 4.8 per cent cut to about half of all workers' salaries, excluding technicians and those in higher management, to the 1.1 per cent equivalent rate imposed by other manufactories; in other words, wages will rise by 11.3 per cent. The precise nature of the discussions were not discernable from the union's five-paragraph statement ordering workers to resume full activity after four hours, available in print or on the Swaraelia Industrial Workers' Union website.

There are unconfirmed rumours the Parliamentary Committee on Labour Demands intends to hold a public inquiry on the nature of industrial strikes, which could compel union representatives and members to testify to the Dáil.

Ní Bhrian spoke outside the front door of O'Reilly plant, calling the proposed wage cut "disproportional to the country's economic conditions" and complained top executives were hurting Swaraelian workers for their benefit: "Only strong public opinion will prevent this, but unfortunately many workers have been conditioned into subservience".

A self-proclaimed socialist, Ní Bhrian had three times before introduced bills into Parliament that would provide labour unions representation in Parliament, all of which have failed with wide margins. During the 2018 election campaign, Prime Minister Mr Simon Doherty promised to "[hold] routine consultations with unions across Swaraelia on matters of common interest."

Ní Bhrian has accused Doherty of going back on his word. The government asserts its frequent meetings with business leaders and local enterprises have included discussions with union representatives, but has not cited a specific example.

Army collected data on large populations during the War

THE Army had conducted a widespread secret intelligence operation through reconnaissance efforts during the World War, using covert agencies to record personal and military information about significant populations in four major belligerent states.

The extensive covert operations effort, termed "Spyfare", cost over one-third of total discretionary spending in the 1951 budget as "common defence policy", and has been known for years after classified information was released to foreign agencies by a group of anarchist rebels in 1994.

Despite Swaraelian neutrality in the global conflict, a new release of internal papers from a source familiar with the matter leaked to Sloinn circulated between top government officials revealed even minute data, from number plates of private citizens to accurate sketches of firearms used by belligerent forces were incorporated in the national defence policy from 1950 onward.

The Army has made active efforts to suppress knowledge of the security leaks, which have included regular monitoring of high-profile individuals: a redacted list was fourteen bullets deep. New papers reveal the Army has been aware of a "breach in regular encryption" as early as autumn 1993. Its Special Investigations division also held several rounds of inquiries after the 1994 leak, and again in 2012. However, no one has yet been charged, though the anarchist organisation was dissolved in 2000.

The extent to which the espionage was carried out does not appear to follow a logical pattern: individuals from one area had card-indexed data ranging from details about their friends, relatives and homes. In another, data was limited to that of their immediate military utility, such as their rank within a specific internal organisation or division, or their position, rank and past engagements. It is believed no one of political or military high command were targeted, nor did the espionage team act to change the tide of the War.

The entire approach appeared to be for the modernisation of the defence force, and preventing any future attack on Swaraelia. No other activity was recorded, and there was no mention of planting false intelligence, infiltrating high command or official administration, or sabotage in any capacity. Instead, information was relayed through an intricate line of operatives.

There have been protests in the past about the amount of intelligence collected by the Army, especially considering the government's neutrality, and calls have escalated in recent years for a full declassification of all non-sensitive information. Military authorities have always insisted that while its espionage efforts have scaled back considerably since the War, all covert operations undertaken were vital to Swaraelia's national security.

In 2012, former Army technician who worked with the defence forces from 1947-57 Phillip O'Hara told reporters "key figures of political importance" had their homes searched by agents and the information relayed directly to Corbally; this was denied by the Army and O'Hara was unable to come up with any corroborating evidence, including even the most basic information, such as the address of the President of Zamastan.

Social contract is failing, institute says

INFLATION is running away, the social contract is failing and output is stagnant, according to the gloomiest Quarterly Review publication in years from the Swaraelia division of the Tofino-based Institute of Economic and Social Affairs Research.

"Policy changes are needed", the organisation concluded in its December edition, "that address hard decisions which appear politically impossible, but which are necessary to bridge the gap between a reasonable aspiration and the likely present outcome."

The institute added on the current rate inflation will run "at a very high rate, potentially into the 20-25 per cent range" despite policies taken by Finance Minister Dr Marcin Ogrodowski. Official government figures contrast sharply, indicating Ogrodeconomics could abate inflation to single-digits by 2024.

The main cause for high rates such as these, the Institute claims, is that "simply, earnings have been rising, and are likely to continue to, at a rate which is not sufficiently countered". There is "significant counterfactual evidence against" the government's policy of stimulating economic growth to fan recovery could lead to a manageable economic situation, as "a deceleration of inflation must come through accepting a prolonged recession."

As in the autumn and summer releases, the Institute says best practice means pay increases should be restricted in line with the rate of consumer price inflation, a rule which "is being ignored". Many current settlements, in fact, are in increases "in the range of 20 per cent, in anticipation of, not due to, an equivocal rate; thus, 20 per cent inflation becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy." Larger settlements, as has been the result of several labour disputes in the past, are inconsistent with economic modelling and will lead to rampant rises.

The Institute rejected unemployment as a solution to inflation, as well. "Though the Institue promotes a policy of tight monetary policy," the report read, "the order necessary to be alone effective would be neither practical nor tolerable", instead proposing a series of adjustments to harsh regulations on markets, good and labour, and a tighter incomes policy: "quantified objectives for economic policy" must be set out with such an aim in mind.

It also calls for greater public representation in the financial process, though retaining aged retinence over misinformation and populism in monetary policy. It concluded on the subject a board or equivalent mechanism should represent the public interest and provide rulings and recommendations to the government on all issues of importance.

Manufacturing and other investments are expected to fall again in 2022, and a widening deficit eclipsing fl. 3 billion for the first time.

by **Swaraelia** » Sun Dec 05, 2021 1:34 pm

Autumnberg pleased with Doherty dinner

GOVERNMENT spokesman Mr Antóin Murtagh told reporters after a ministerial meeting today that Vitan Prime Minister Mr John Windsor's working dinner with his counterpart Mr Simon Doherty and Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Santosh Nandi had taken place in an "excellent climate."

He added the standpoints of the two countries were less divergent then previously thought.

Although both the Swaraelian and Vitan Prime Ministers were very satisfied with their three-hour talk over tea at Government House, it did not, according to sources, produce any decisive breakthrough on the crucial issue of Swaraelia's trade and export policy. There was no real drawing closer of respective positions, though any deal agreed with the archipelagic state could set precedent for Swaraelia's continental policymaking more generally.

The Vitan government continues to oppose the stringent controls and guarantees that would undermine what it considers its free trade principles, having previously described the bureaucratic hurdles as "red tape hindering development between our two states", and matters of continental unity.

The Swaraelian government is seeking some undertaking that the controls could be maintained with case-by-case standards, though any in principle agreement struck on such terms would require individual revised trade deals with every state, a process that could take months at a time.

Swaraelia is seeking a free trade agreement with the Kingdom of Vita. Any agreement would signify representative opportunities for each country, from agriculture to professional services. Page 2

Circa unions are planning to halt overtime
WORKERS at several Circa telecommunications and data centre facilities in the East are planning to ban overtime and stop cooperation with their foreign counterparts in protest at the company's decision to make 1,530 white-collar workers temporarily redundant for corporate restructuring. The three labour unions are sceptical such redundancies are necessary and have written to the board. Page 6

Film censorship under scrutiny
THE Communications Act 1950 has been criticised in a letter by parliamentarians to Culture Minister Áine O'Ríordan, saying the wartime measure should be amended to remove the Film Society's powers of film censorship, while retaining the ability to control showings and advertisements for children and young people. An open petition has reached 3/4 the threshold to parliamentary debate, and will see preliminary review from 17 December. Page 5

Drambenburg plane crash kills 90
AN aeroplane with about 90 passengers aboard crashed into a hillside and erupted into flames in central Drambenburg tonight, killing everyone on board, including Aoife McElroy, a Swaraelian national returning from holiday. - Drambenburge Presse-Agentur

Sport
Artaska 1 gold; tied Caspiaa, Great Lutharia, Janapa, Lissatha, New Anea
Corbally 2, Ardway 1
Newbridge 0, Dunnamore 0
Albry 0, St Stephen's 0
Sports centrefold

Second man faces vicar murder charges
AGED 24, Zamastan national Richard Guilloux who was arrested in Tullalee Aerodrome last Monday was charged with the murder of vicar Godfrey Simons who was shot twice at a public house in Eubrey eight weeks ago.

A Protestant, Guilloux immigrated to Swaraelia with his parents aged fourteen. Police refuse to disclose further information but sources indicate he is of a lower socioeconomic background and from the west of Zamastan. He was apprehended by detectives from the National Constabulary while attempting to board a flight to Tofino.

He will appear alongside 31-year-old Catholic Michael DuVernay before magistrates in Dunnamore later next week for Simons' murder. Both are Zamastanian nationals.

A further eighteen men and two women were taken into police stations across the West this week for expressing "violently anti-Catholic rhetoric" which constables believe could be a potential motive.

Law: Miss Anna Leijtens was freed after an 18-month prison sentence for adultery and prostitution. Page 14

Housing: The PM will announce plans for subsidised housing by shifting resources from roadwork. Page 4

Local: Several mayors agreed to a shared monument signifying historic cooperation. Page 21

Study: Proposals for a national investment plan for state industries, designed to rebuild confidence among private industry suppliers to the nationalised sector, are to be reviewed by Dáil committees. Page 7

by **Zamastan** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 2:51 pm

CASPIAA TAKES EARLY LEAD IN OLYMPICS, ZAMASTAN TRAILS CLOSELY

The 2021 Winter Olympics are underway in Kyti. Women's skeleton led by Lilliane Barton have won the first gold, but a silver and two bronze put the Zamastanian team tied for total medal count.

KASEMA - As the Olympics in Kyti capture the world's attention and brings fanfare, athleticism, and competition to the small Nortuan nation, Zamastan's delegation is looking to capture a top-place among contenders. Currently tied in first for total medal count, Zamastan ranks in second place behind Caspiaa, long the kings of winter games. Caspiaa and Zamastan both have four medals, but Caspiaa's are all gold thus far. Zamastan's only gold so far was won in the women's skeleton relay, with veteran racer Lilliane Barton just narrowly missing the world record. Zamastan's other medals have consisted of a silver, which was won in the two-man bobsledding, and two bronze won in men's curling and the four-man bobsledding round.

Records and historic moments have already been captured. Caspiaa holds an uninterrupted 4 golds, which has already captivated medal tracking enthusiasts. In fact, on December 4th the Caspiaa women's bobsledding team holds the new world record for fasted finish in the slide at 3:15:42. The previous record was also broken by the Great Lutharia four-men's team moments before the women's relay, though Caspiaa now holds the current record. Other highlights include the Janapan bobsledding teams, long known for their underdog status, beat out the Zamastanian and Seran teams to claim the gold. Drambenburg's team, while shying just short of gold, have claimed three silvers and have neared the podium in nearly every matchup. After a bout with North Kandson in a 3-2 hockey tournament, the Drambenburgians are moving on to face the Slavic Union powerhouse team.

Other hopefuls for Zamastan come in the realm of hockey. In both men's and women's, the teams have advanced to the next stage. Zamastan's men's hockey team beat Lissatha 3-1, and they will soon face against Beleroskov for the chance to qualify for medal placement. The women's team likewise beat their opponents in the Versenian arraingement 4-3, and will face either Autumnberg or Kossmil depending on the outcome of their tournament. In the most hopeful event, Sydney Vayne is looking to recapture victory in a comeback for the first time since her horrific crash at the Olympics in Agiakaia, Vitosium, in 2019. Vayne lit the Olympic Flame during the opening ceremonies, as the most highly decorated winter athlete in the world.

SEVEN KILLED IN VERNON MUSIC FESTIVAL SHOOTING - DEBATE FOR GUN REFORM INTENSIFIES

Seven people have been killed in another deadly mass shooting, which occured in the coastal provincial town of Vernon at a popular music festival.

VERNON - Gunfire ripped through a crowd at the Classic Beach Music Festival in the coastal Zian city of Vernon, sending spectators fleeing in panic and a massive police response which closed off the Horseshoe Bay promenade for hours as they searched for a suspect. The shooting left 7 people dead and more than 30 injured in the second deadliest mass shooting of 2021 (outpaced by the first deadliest, the July 28th massacre in Morletta which killed 9 and injured 23). The gunman, identified by authorities as 31-year old Brendan Melkavoy of Kamdel, a town 10 miles south of Vernon, took his own life as he was cornered by responding officers in a restroom along the promenade about 10 minutes after shots first rang out. He was armed with a Z4A7 5.56×45mm small caliber rifle, which is the most common weapon utilized by the Zamastanian army infantry. An investigation is underway to determine how he gained access to the weapon, as he was not a registered gun owner.

Vernon, a coastal city with a population of 182,000, is about a two hour's drive north of Tofino. The attack was the latest in a series of deadly shootings that have captivated national attention and invigorated a conversation about more restrictive gun legislation. On June 27th of this year, a shooting in downtown Tofino near Congressional Hall resulted in two people killed and dozens more injured, with a shooting on April 1st in Pemberton Beach resulting in 6 deaths. All of this comes only 14 months after the October 5th, 2020 shooting in Revelstroke, which killed 20 people. Gun violence, authorities say, is rapidly declining in Zamastan overall, although mass shootings are still occuring. A ban and buyback program on assault weapons passed in August of 2019 has been largely effective in reducing the rate at which these massacres are occuring, but politicians and activists are maintaining that much still needs to be done.

President Moreau plans to visit the wounded victims in the Vernon area hospitals, and released a statement expressing his condolences and said that "much more needs to be done to protect Zamastanian lives domestically." The President also urged the public to back candidates in 2022 local elections who support tighter gun legislations in provincial communities, saying "we know that nothing gets done at the federal level without provincial action first." The President is seeking reelection despite extremely low approval ratings, and is clinging to the gun legislation as the drive to further restrict firearms has nearly 75% approval among the Zamastanian public.

Speaker of the Chamber Natasha Chastain, leader of the Green Liberal Party, is leading calls for gun reform, stating that "these events continue to occur, and we do nothing. It's time for us to do something, so that these events become nothing."

Anti-gun activists are calling for sweeping restrictions, specifically a nationwide ban on the sale of rifles, universal background checks, and a mandatory month-long waiting period before receiving firearms once they are purchased. Liberal politicians are supporting many of these calls, with even conservative politicians backing a select amount of these measures.

Conservative presidential candidate for 2022, Rep. Sabine Armitage of the BCP, is also calling for measures on gun control, although straying away from calling for a total ban on rifles and supporting the common conservative talking point of 'good guys with guns'. "It is clear there is an epidemic of gun violence in this country," she said, "but we can't prevent good guys who don't spread violence and seed destruction to pay for the crimes of madmen. Yes, we need gun reform, but we should work to make sure it doesn't hurt people who don't deserve to be hurt."

Meanwhile, other conservative Presidential candidates, specifically CCP candidate Jay Gaviria, continues to hold onto a platform of less restrictions on guns, even calling to overturn the constitutional ban on automatic and some semi-automatic weapons in 2019.

ADDITIONAL FORCES SENT TO CONSTANTIO

5,000 troops have been dispatched to Constantio amidst rising tensions with Syraranto's regime as a display to both ward off threats from Tasoulas and assure the SBU.

NORASA - The Zamastanian Armed Forces have deployed a dispatch of 5,000 troops to Constantio amid rising tensions with the Syrarantoan regime of Kyriakos Tasoulas and a maintained promise from top government officials to protect the Sotoan Basin Union if they are attacked. The 5,000 troops will be stationed in Norasa just as the Constantioan government finalize plans to shift the capital and further administrative functions to Norasa. Senior military officials state that the detachment of troops is meant to be a message to Tasoulas, specifically to show that the Zamastanian military is prepared to defend their allies in the SBU. Furthermore, it is a show of allegiance to the SBU, as member states increasingly display their concern of a premeditated strike by Tasoulas agents or military affiliates.

"This is not an indication of a coming conflict," said Secretary of Defense Camille Boffrand after troops landed in Norasa. "This is a way to show the enemies and aggrivators of the SBU that we will not tolerate anything resembling an attack. Tasoulas knows how to poke a hornet's nest, but so far they've remained at a distance where they won't sting. Our intention is to keep them at that distance, and ward them back into the house if possible."

The detachment comes after months of rhetoric and displays of force by the Syraranto dictatorship. Threats of military action against the SBU over support, vocally and otherwise, towards rebel groups in the Syrarantoan civil war, have been met with international condemnation and criticism. The issue has also arisen as the regime appears to make more ground against the rebels in a broken ceasefire that has occured on multiple fronts, namely the rebel stronghold of Tirikan. Human rights observers believe that the humanitarian situation in Tirikan is approaching a disaster, with tens of thousands of people who largely consist of children on the verge of starvation after months of blockades and bombardments.

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by **Mulfulira** » Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:44 pm

CHINGOLA TRIBUNE
Mulfulira's Number One News Source
December 7, 2021

HUME: "WE WILL CLEAR UP MISUNDERSTANDINGS" AHEAD OF EAST ADULA TRIP

RHAGA - President Tayyib Hume stated that Mulfulira will work to improve relations with the Eastern Adulan bloc and clear up any “misunderstandings,” ahead of his two-day trip to Emmiria and one-day trip to Alcarres, the two nations who joined Mulfulira in a coalition to combat insurgents and terrorist cells in neighboring Saudi Jiddiya last summer. Hume will meet this week with President Akram Sulaiman of Emmiria as part of the seventh Mulfulira-Emmiria Supreme Strategic Committee. Joining Hume on the trip to Rhaga are Mulfuliran Foreign Minister Evlut Asoglu, Defense Minister Arusi Akar and the country’s intelligence chief Akratta Fidan.

"We're strengthening relations with all East Adulan countries, open to dialogue to clear any misunderstandings and hoping to cement our unity with the region," Hume told reporters before leaving for Rhaga, according to CT.

Mulfulira has supported Emmiria in its feud with other Adulan states over oil prices and the migrant crisis. Emmiria is Mulfulira's closest ally, having helped initiate new trade relations and a swath of protective security measures in a post al-Fijar ravaged campaign in Jiddiya. Hume has sought to mend ties with the East Adula Bloc countries after years of tension over issues including the civil war in Jiddiya, countries’ normalization with Zalluabed, and Mulfulira's alleged support for radical Islamist movements.

Last month, Emmiria's Foreign Minister traveled to Mulfulira in what was the highest-level Emmirian visit to the country in nearly a decade. As part of that visit, Chingola and Rhaga inked a series of investment accords under which Emmiria agreed to invest up to M10 billion in Mulfulira's developing economy. Hume has also hinted that Mulfulira could eventually reinstate its ambassadors to Zalluabed and Qolaysia, where relations with Chingola have soured over the civil war in that nation and the results of the Osea Accord.

by **Qolaysia** » Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:57 pm

ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS CLASH WITH OFFICERS

Demonstrations against President Abiel Kennard clash with police in Leonrau

LEONRAU - President Abiel Kennard is facing reinvigorated demonstrations against his administration, nearly a year after an attempted coup by the then-decentralized military failed to overthrow him. Despite the anger of the public towards the military, which used to function individually from the federal government, there is also particular frustration towards Kennard for accusations of corruption. Tens of thousands of Qolaysians staged anti-government protests on Tuesday in defiance of new minimum wage curbs, piling pressure on the embattled prime minister to resign. The protesters, wearing black shirts and face masks, waved banners reading “failed government” as well as black flags. The color black has been commonly used in anti-government demonstrations as in Qolaysian culture it often denotes warfare and tribulation.

The demonstrators clashed with police officers responding to the protest, resulting in an unspecified number of injuries and at least 100 people being detained. It was the first sizeable demonstration in Qolaysia for some time, as many had been reluctant to take to the streets because there was significant hope following the C21 that Qolaysian economic policy would shift significantly towards the lower classes. However, the new legislation signed by the President's administration to lower minimum wage standards nationwide were met with anger. And anger is growing at the government’s handling of corruption in local offices, and Kennard’s attempts to keep his crisis-riven administration in power through constitutional changes.

“We fight because while people are suffering, this government is busy playing politics,” Irmun Loh, taking part in the protest in downtown Leonrau, told the news agency. “This government is … crippling the economy and also destroying our country’s democracy.”

Kennard “is a terrible president”, added another demonstrator. “He needs to step down.”

There was a heavy police presence and officers blocked attempts by protesters to enter a central square before the rally peacefully dispersed, but restarted in other prominent city areas. Organizers said about 30,000 demonstrators took part but police put the number at approximately 14,400. Police told local media that the protesters will be called in for questioning as they had violated the ban on gatherings.

Abiel Widodo Kennard (born 21 June 1961), also known as Abiel, is a Qolaysian politician and businessman who is the 8th and current President of Qolaysia. Elected in July 2016 as the first president not to come from an elite political or military background, he was previously the Mayor of Bennom from 2005 to 2012, and the Governor of South Banhi from 2012 to 2016. Prior to his political career, he was a teak furniture businessman.

He achieved national prominence in 2009 for his work as the Mayor of Bennom, the country's fifth largest city. A member of the Qolaysian Democratic Party (QDP), he was named as the party's candidate for the 2012 South Banhi gubernatorial election.

The QDP nominated Abiel, who was already seen as a rising star in Qolaysian politics, for the 2016 presidential election. Winning a majority of the popular vote, he was named president-elect on 22 July 2016, to bitter protest from his opponent Liecharlie Hung, who disputed the outcome and withdrew from the race before the count was completed. As president, Kennard has primarily focused on infrastructure, introducing or restarting long-delayed programs to improve connectivity in the Qolaysian archipelago. On foreign policy, his administration has emphasized "protecting Qolaysia’s sovereignty", with the sinking of illegal foreign fishing vessels, prioritizing and scheduling of capital punishment for drug smugglers, and creating military alliances with Zalluabed and Drambenburg. In the wake of the Tarijar Strait Crisis in 2020, the military of Qolaysia attempted to overthrow Kennard and his administration in a coup d'état. The attempt failed, and Kennard dissolved the army leadership, amended the constitution to place the military under direct executive control, and placed Qolaysia under martial law.

On December 15th, the Qolaysian government reformed the constitution to give the president full authority over the military, and President Kennard formally disbanded the QNAF's command structure and ordered Drambenburgian forces to leave. National governments started banding together to encourage Drambenburg to repeal their military presence in Qolaysia, and many international tourists were ordered by their embassies to stay indoors and protests against Drambenburg became more violent. On December 19th, amidst mounting pressure, Chancellor Herzog repealed his deployment and the forces returned to Drambenburg.

On February 13th, Qolaysian investigators scrutinizing a controversial government investment fund traced nearly Z$700 million of deposits into what they believed were the personal bank accounts of Kennard, according to documents from a government probe. The Qolaysian newspaper Leonrau Sun reported the scandal, and Kennard faced massive scrutiny from politicians like Former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim.

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by **Shoassau** » Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:17 pm

L'Humanité De Shoassau

MOREAU VISITS STAVENTER AMID WEDA TALKS, WHICH PUT A DENT IN TTPA AMBITION
PM Leitner visited Tofino two weeks ago to meet with President Moreau, who is repaying the favor

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Patrick Daventuer (@PattyDav01)
Emmaline Thomas (@EThomasOfficial)
19 November, 2021 06:21 SHO| STAVENTER, SHOASSAU

President Moreau attends a young leaders summit in Staventer.

President Atticus Moreau of Zamastan visited Staventer, two weeks after Prime Minister Gabriel Leitner met him in Tofino, as Shoassau continues talks with Western Euronia Defense Alliance administrators to determine the future partnership with the multinational defense alliance. Moreau first attended the Young Future Leaders Summit (YFLS) in southern Staventer as part of the President's long-term goal to empower youth to become more involved in political pursuits. Following this, he met with PM Leitner at the Minister's residence, and later delivered a speech to the Parliament.

"Shoassau is a small nation in the grand view of the world, but its influence and presence is incredibly and undeniably important," Moreau said in his address to parliament. "Economically, Shoassau is the tri-parted doorway between Avergnon, Drambenburg, and Zamastan. The center of the Euronian Bloc. Your nation is vital to the region. Your nation is a leading player. Your position is uniquely placed as a determining factor in the conduct of the continent, and increasingly in the world. The partnership between Shoassau and Zamastan is close and intertwined, and we are grateful to have allies in the Shoassauan people."

Moreau went on in his address to detail the exchange of Zamastanian and Shoassauan cultures, stating how "during the walk through Staventer and Alsace's streets in preparation for today's events, I saw prideful Shoassauan's displaying Zamastanian iconography from flags, images, and foods as I passed by. This might just be for the occasion, but I can say that this simple gesture is reflected in Zamastan for your nation as well. We love Shoassau, and our cultural exchange and dynamics make our nations connected in a fascinating and unique way."

Moreau's state visit comes at the height of talks with WEDA members to continue an applicated process to admit Shoassau into the organization, a move which is sure to be met with criticism from regional neighbors like Drambenburg, who has long asserted influence over the former-imperial states. Other former-Drambenbrugian possession nations, namely Great Lutharia, are also in this process. Essentially, membership in WEDA would increase Zamastanian and East Adulan geopolitical influence in an area of Euronia where Drambenburg, the world's third largest economy and military power, has long attempted to retain theirs in the post-World War era.

While the pre-war effects of imperial drive are gone in political form in Drambenburg, the political ambition to curb Zamastanian ambition are evident through the rapid growth of the Trans-Toyana Prosper Alliance (TTPA), which while consisting of less overall economic power than WEDA, does consist of a far larger population and near matched military capability. Tensions between the two organizations, while not anywhere near boiling over into conflict and in fact often in a cooperative state, remain slanted. Specifically, the two organizations were at opposite ends of conclusiveness in the Hisrea War in Zalluabed. The TTPA endorsed the Zalluabedi government of Zayyaan al-Akhtar and committed ground forces, while WEDA and Shoassau condemned their actions as well as the al-Akhtar government for breaches of humanitarian code in conflict. Each side reluctantly accepted the results of the Osea Accords in the end.

WEDA and the TTPA have mutual agreements, however, specifically when it comes to De Yuaneze geopolitical ambition. When Yuan flexed authority over Gangkou, WEDA obviously came to Zamastan's defense on the international stage, but TTPA member states surprised many by endorsing Zamastanian sovereignty as well. The TTPA has emerged as a counter to previously unprecedented Yuaneze economic influence, which many experts believe has been curbed by more integration by the TTPA. WEDA, near purely military-oriented, has admitted to having a less contained economic interest than the TTPA, which follows more economic policy than military guideline. Thus, while WEDA economies are collectively larger on a per capita basis, the TTPA's less regulated policy allows them to be more flexible with international relations. Case in point is the international sanctions on nations like Zalluabed, Buckingla, and Peoratia, all of which are ignored by the TTPA members.

Prime Minister Leitner endorses Shoassauan membership in WEDA, as do a majority of Democratic Party and Liberal Bloc members, but the conservative opposition is torn with the issue. Conservative head Hubert Charbonneau, who is running to replace Leitner in February's election, wants to pursue TTPA membership. His proposition is likely to be defeated in the liberal dominated parliament, but nevertheless he called Leitner's pursuit of WEDA partnership "a scourge to Shoassauan national pride".

Patrick Daventuer is a chief editor and journalist at L'Humanité De Shoassau.
Emmaline Thomas is a foreign correspondent for the Tofino Times.

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by **Angeman** » Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:13 am

TINE DAILY
TineOil Begins Work on New Off-shore Oil Rigs.

STABERG - TineOil spokesman Patrick Koss in a 2019 TineOil Press Conference announced that TineOil had been prospecting as well as surveying for oil off the north Tine coasts. Specifically, the Island of Staheim. Today, TineOil contracted several construction companies to build three new off shore oil rigs. TineOil geologist Kamilla Rue states: "The TineOil Company put extensive care into preserving and maintaining the ecological safety and diversity. The last thing TineOil wants is an eco-disaster." This claim seems consistent with the newly appointed TineOil CEO, Tobias Munsen, who stated at the 2019 TineOil Press Conference that protecting the environment and investing in new sources of energy is their primary direction. TineOil reports that the expenditure of this project is estimated to be Z$250 million.

Locals in the city of Staberg seem content with the TineOil development near the island. Mayor Iver Aarvold made the positive remark: "More jobs!" on Owler this morning. Investments in the national and local economy has many politicians excited for the economic potential of TineOil.

Protestors, activists, and environmentalists voice their opinion at Karlsen Plaza in Staberg during a rally. The head of the Tine Marine Preservation Group says: "TineOil put little effort into keeping the marine ecology safe. Contrary to his claims, Munsen has decreased the spending on marine biology teams. Instead, [Munsen] chose to increase spending on more oil rigs. These oil rigs are not pretty sights for anyone." TineOil, according to their last quarterly report, spends Z$25 million for marine biology teams while around Z$250 are for the oil rigs.

Since the late 1950s, the oil business has been a controversial and widely profitable venture for Tine. Tine novelist Kurt Balstad (who was a marine biologist) in his 1963 dystopian novel Vann depicts a world dependent on fossil fuel and the draining of the oceans for survival. Perhaps Balstad was fearful of this possible future?

by **Unified Sera Government** » Thu Dec 09, 2021 9:04 pm

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Peaceful Protest Turns Bloody: Thousands of Protestors Line Union Avenue to Rally Against Injustice

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Marco Lyon (@MarcoLoyo)
^{Early December 2021 | Invicta, Aeminium, Unified Sera}

INVICTA – One of the biggest points of contention in the USS of today is the (mis)treatment of casteless individuals within Seran society. Even though the laws and policies restricting the movement, marriage, intermingling, and job opportunities for casteless men and women were largely done away with, many policies and laws remain in place due to Mbaku persistence on the practice and the party’s willingness to spend political capital to shoot down any attempts to overhaul the system.

In Seran society, The Crucible serves as an aptitude test that measures the extent to which an individual would be able to complete certain tasks or otherwise benefit society be it physical, mental, or spiritual. By failing this exam, this person is deemed as "casteless" or a waste to society and is denied many rights, privileges, and freedoms enjoyed by other citizens that had passed the examination. In the past, this test served to "weed out the weak" for ancient and medieval tribal Serans to ensure their survival in a harsh landscape. Nowadays, the system only displays the reluctance of Serans to stop following tradition even if that tradition came at the detriment of others.

The officers involved in the initial altercation with the crowd have been placed on paid-administrative leave.

The treatment of the casteless has led to widespread civil unrest in Seran cities for the past year. Latinius and Koga representatives and Senators have come out in support for radical change of the ancient system. However, the constant roadblocking undertaken by the Mbaku and Sakhile parties have metaphorically added fuel to an already scorching fire. This has generated smaller, localized protests and rumblings of civil disobedience online, but nothing as large as what was seen in Invicta.

Thousands of protesters marched down Invicta's Union Avenue towards Parliament Hill where Prime Minister Khalfani was busy meeting with his staff and members of his party. The protesters at the front of the crowd marched with their arms interlocked in solidarity while those following carried banners, flags, and signs that read phrases such as "I Am A Man", "Justice Dies in Silence", "No Peace Until We're Free", and "God is with US".

Invicta's police force stood on standby, though made no moves against the protesters as they made their way down Union Avenue. Although the protest remained peaceful for the vast majority of its duration, the mood changed suddenly when the crowd reached the gates of Parliament Hill. There, police officers met the protestors in full riot gear and denied them from entering the grounds. The leader of the protest, Mr. Dengale reportedly told officers that they had a permit to be on the grounds to give speeches to further their cause.

The officers once again denied them from accessing the grounds, and according to bodycam footage obtained by The Ayotola Times, Officer Jabulani ya Mbaku pushed Mr. Dengale back into the crowd. This immediately prompted the other Officers to begin forcefully removing the protesters from the gates of Parliament Hill.

This use of force was only met with more force and resistance as the leaders of the protest were injured during the initial push by the officers. According to reports, frome somewhere within the crowd an unidentified individual threw a molotov cocktail at the police officers. Investigations on ongoing towards why the protesters had the means to create molotov cocktails as quickly as they did, though what is known is that nearly a dozen officers were directly injured by fires caused by the devices and by the crowd who began to fight back.

A very general and condensed version of Sera's caste system.

It would take 7 hours for police officers to fully disperse the crowd with the use of smoke bombs, gas, and physical force. A total 56 individuals were arrested by officers - all of whom are casteless. The Invicta Police Department has denied all attempts to talk to leadership about what occurred and why officers saw fit to deny the crowd from exercising their rights as defined in the Articles of Federation.

Sadly, it can be surmised that those arrested trying to march for freedom will be thrown into the justice system where they will languish for quite possibly years before they step foot in a courtroom. Despite the great strides that were taken under leaders such as King Sefu Tu’Aruc before his reign ended in 2020 and Prime Minister Kallus ya Latinius in the 1950s that saw the elimination of many of the social restrictions that casteless individuals were shackled with, many still find themselves unfairly targeted.

As of this writing, the majority of those incarerated in Seran prisons are casteless and were plucked from neighborhoods that by many accounts are "over-policed" and sit on or below the poverty line. Tragically, many individuals arrested by officers in Mbaku held states tend to sit in jail or state prisons for sometimes years before ever being officially charged or convicted of a crime. Many of these individuals are innocent from any wrongdoing and have levied harsh lawsuits against the states, only for the courts in those states to throw the cases out due to officers having "probable cause".

Prime Minister Khalfani released this statement via his official Owler account where he upheld the officer's actions and defended the police department:

Prime Minister Khalfani's response to the situation was seen as "tone-deaf" and has only further deepened the divide between the government, the castes, and the casteless.

CCA Modern News Thread [Canon|IC]

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