2025: A Shifting World (IC) (Open)

by **Chewion** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:34 am

2025: The Great Struggle

OOC||Map: Coming soon

The 2020s. A decade set to be nightmarish and a turning point in the history of humanity. Climate Change is the existential threat that must urgently be tackled in this decade, and humanity must learn to cope with the constantly growing population that does not look likely to slow down let alone stop growing anytime soon.

In Asia, the Chinese Behemoth is emerging as the regional hegemon, actively intervening in conflicts that threaten its interest and pulling Asian and even global nations into its sphere as it reaps the benefits and negatives of true reform. In India, the nation is dealing with religious unrest and rapid economic growth and modernization as well as increasing tension along the border with Pakistan, particularly in the Kashmir Region. Japan has continued to cause consternation with its neighbors after proudly displaying the Rising Sun flag at the Tokyo Olympics.

In Europe, Euroskepticism is on the rise in many European nations. Russian aggression looms to the East as the security order of Europe is rapidly changing to meet the threat. In Spain regional tensions threaten to explode between Madrid and Barcelona while Poland and the Visegrad Group continue to openly defy the EU.

In the Middle East, tensions between Israel and Iran are at an all-time high. Adding to this is the emerging regional cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In Yemen, the civil war still burns as a testing ground for this regional cold war.

In Africa, ethnic and religious tensions pose a danger all over the continent. In the Congo, warlords fight over land and resources like coltan offering fortunes on the international market. In the Saraha and Sahel regions, remnants of ISIS and other organizations ravage the land and people. Ethiopia and Egypt are at each other's throats over the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam by Ethiopia. Yet there are lights of hope that still sparkle.

In North America, Canada is dealing with ever-increasing political divides much like the US to the South. Inside the US tensions between Republicans and Democrats have never seemed worse. In Mexico, the Cartels fight hard against the central government in Mexico City their corruption touches most parts of the nation.

In Latin America, the dictator Nicholas Maduro still clings to power even as his position is contested by Juan Guaidó. In Colombia, an unstable peace agreement official holds peace between the government and FARC.

How will the nations of the world tackle these issues? How will their pasts define their future, which nations will come out on top during this decade, and how will future generations remember this critical decade?

In this roleplay, you will take the helm of the nation of your choice. You have the ability to change the history of your nation from 2000 onwards within realism and with a few major event exceptions as well as anything stated in the OP or other applications.

Major Unchangeable Events:

POD is January 1, 2000

9/11
08 Financial Crisis
Arab Spring Occurring
Syrian Civil War starting
South China Sea Disputes
ISIS forming
COVID
Euromaidan
Anything Mentioned in the OP.

Leadership:

OP: Chewion
Co-OPs: The Manticoran Empire
NewLakotah
Revlona

Rules:

IEC:

The IEC (International Entity Council) is comprised of the OP, Co-OPs, and anyone else accepted into it. The IEC is responsible for making the IEC post that includes multiple events and members can serve as an NPC nation in conferences so long as they do not have a direct interest in the negotiations.

by **NewLakotah** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 4:20 pm

TASS
Russian News Agency

January, 2025

Russian Air Force conducts several new strikes against ISIS forces in Syria; Kiriyenko reaffirms global security initiatives

The Russian Air Force has conducted several new strikes against ISIS forces across Syria, as well as confirming the deaths of several terrorist rebel factions in the north. In all, 31 airstrikes have been carried out since the beginning of this year. In ascending to the presidency, Sergey Kiriyenko had made it clear to Russia’s allies that they could still continue to count on Russia in dealing with security threats. Russian members of the Wagner Group and other Russian forces continue to work in Syria, Central African Republic, and Mali after the French military presence was rejected by the Mali government in 2022, in cooperating with the governments in security matters.

The continued war in Syria has seen progress in the government’s moves to eradicate the terrorist elements that continue to hold parts of the North, however, the Turkish backed forces still hold a long area of the northern stretches of Syria, where battles are continued to be fought between Turkish-backed Syrian forces and the Kurdish SDF supported by the Syrian Army.

President Kiriyenko calls for ‘long term solution’ to the Donbas Crisis

President Kiriyenko in a public address from Moscow earlier this week, called for a “long term solution” to be met concerning the War in Donbas. Kiriyenko called for a peace summit to be held in a ‘neutral state’ to facilitate a peace process and to finalize a solution to the “Crimea Issue” and the Donbas.

Kiriyenko also criticized the Ukrainian nationalist battalions who have continued to shell large parts of Donetsk and the Donbas while LPR and LPR forces have also continued to fire shells on Ukrainian positions leaving the position of peace in doubt. Kiriyenko called on the Ukrainian government to “restrain their forces” and that he would “do all he could” to reign in Novorossiyan forces however, he made it clear that “the right of the people to defend themselves cannot be denied to the Donbas”.

Kiriyenko made it clear that he did not want war with Ukraine, but would ensure the protection of the ethnic Russians of the Donbas and Crimea and “protect their right” to self determination and independence. Under his predecessor, Oksana Dmitriyeva, the current opposition leader within the Duma, Russia saw its forces along the Russian-Ukrainian border decrease, instead moving primarily Russian National Guard troops to the border. Kiriyenko has been replacing these National Guard units with regular army forces since the beginning of the year, stating that “growing German nationalism and imperialism from Europe and the West threatens Russia and the Union State.”

From within the coalition there are already growing signs that the LDPR is getting more and more ancy over the situation, with the calls to “end the war, now and finally” coming from Alexei Didenko, Chairman of the Federation Council. The LDPR, the second largest party within the All-Russia Union coalition, is a key part of Kiriyenko’s government who relies on their votes in both the Duma and Federation Council to maintain its balance, as well as from the much less war hawkish Party of Growth, who has maintained a view of “negotiations first, then negotiate more”. The rhetoric from Didenko and the counter from Boris Titov of the Party of Growth have caused some fractures within the ruling coalition, something that Kiriyenko has been quick to dismiss, saying “we are a ruling coalition of many different viewpoints. That is not a bad thing, that is a good thing. We will continue to explore all of our options and work together to find the best solution to this crisis.”

Third-Party coalition leader of the Russian Liberation Front, Alexei Navalny, has joined the political debate as well, criticizing Kiriyenko for “exacerbating” the crisis and calling for an end to the War and a withdrawal from the Donbas “politically and militarily” while also stating “Crimea has chosen its future. Its future is Russian. That will not change.”

Russia to remove more blocks to the Union State as Kiriyenko hints at future expansion

Russia and Belarus have announced new reduction to the blocks to the free movement and free trade between the two countries as well as announcing a new 750 billion ruble investment package to increase industrial production and new nodes of economic activity and development to connect the two countries. This includes new transportation routes, such as railroads, connecting new Russian industry complexes and Belarusian industrial complexes. Meanwhile, Kiriyenko and his administration have continued to hint at future expansion of the Union State. In a recent press conference, Foreign Minister Natalia Poklonskaya stated that Russia will continue to always “look to expand the EAEU and connectivity of CIS partner nations. And a key aspect of that is the growth of the Union State”. Kiriyenko himself has stated that talks between Russia and Belarus would continue in regards to forming a single currency union within the Union State.

Outside of Russia, there have been continued talks between Poklonskaya and various other partner nations, including Armenia, Novorossiya, Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian states over the past few weeks in a long tour that began in early November. The spokeswoman for the Administration stated that this tour will work to “increase ties amongst Russia’s allies and provide reassurances for all states of the CSTO and EAEU that Russia will continue to offer its full support economically, militarily, and politically” as well “increase the cooperation between these states into forming a true political and economic union”.

by **Shohun** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:21 pm

Japan Times

Prime Minister Kishida Calls on Brown Administration to Solve Korean Crisis:

Tokyo, January 20th - In remarks to the press, Prime Minister Kishida made a public call for support from the American President, whom was sworn in for his second term. Praising the peace and stability under Brown in the past four years, PM Kishida urged the American President to "directly intervene in any manner possible" to ensure freedom as well as peace prevails. Warning that the situation was untenable, the PM cautioned the South Korean regime from any aggression, saying that Japan would respond in turn.

Talking to supporters earlier today, Kishida said that only international intervention, or "special direct action" would solve the current crisis. Despite expressing hope for a diplomatic solution, the PM warned that other options were currently on the table, including new sanctions against the regime. With October elections on the way, some experts have speculated that the PM's hand may be forced to carry out some sort of drastic action. Within the LDP, Kishida has been facing increasing pressure from the different factions to take action, with former PM Shinzo Abe calling on the PM to "stand up for Japanese interests."

New Childcare Bill Passes Diet:

Tokyo, January 20th - In an effort to encourage young people and to relive the stress of parents, the National Diet passed a bill today increasing childcare assistance. The latest program offers free public childcare for those aged one to sixteen so parents can go to work without worry. Childcare programs will offer free tutoring, sports activities, and "patriotic education." Due to the sharp rise in costs for childcare, many in the middle and lower classes have struggled to afford such programs, leading the government to step in.

Some have speculated such a program could also help with the declining birth rate in Japan, as young working people increasingly have less and less time to care for their children during the day. While slammed by some as unnecessary government spending, conservative groups including the Nippon Kaigi have endorsed the legislation, saying that such programs are "important to instill patriotism in young children." The bill is expected to be followed with further similar legislation in the coming days.

Prime Minister Authorizes Coast Guard Deployment:

Tokyo, January 20th - Late today, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism announced the deployment of the JCG's Katori and Norikura in a "Special Maritime Law Enforcement Operation" to conduct patrols around the Japanese Takeshima Islands. The Ministry said the ships were specially deployed at the request of the Prime Minister in order to ensure and project Japanese sovereignty over the Takeshima. While the Ministry was careful to note that the patrol boats were ordered to avoid entering the island's territorial waters due to "Korean aggression," the Ministry made clear that the ships had been ordered to enforce international law surrounding the island's EEZ.

The Ministry did warn fishermen against entering the area without Coast Guard protection, citing "Korean piracy threats."

When asked for comment, the Prime Minister's Office stated that the move did not reflect a change of status quo, but did allude to changing policy. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister told reporters the following: "For years, we have made every possible effort at diplomacy. We have backed off from patrolling our own EEZ around Takeshima in an effort to promote peace and avoid confrontation with the Korean regime. We have done this to allow the Koreans breathing space to figure out their politics and seek a diplomatic solution. But the situation cannot continue as it is forever and ever. The State of Japan will protect its territory."

Some experts and political commentators have said the move is "not enough." Speaking to the press, former PM Abe stated that he was glad that patrols would be resumed in order to put pressure on the South Korean regime to find a diplomatic solution. But he warned that it could be "too little too late," and advised the PM to deploy JMSDF forces if Japanese territorial possessions were not respected.

As per Japanese law, the Japan Coast Guard is forbidden from using force against foreign governments or naval vessels in most cases, leading some to consider the move "nothing but for show." But the Ministry of Defense in conjunction with the JCG was quick to respond, saying that the JCG would defend itself and Japanese waters from any threat. The Ministry of Defense further warned the South Koreans from "any provocation around Takeshima" vowing to respond forcefully if Japanese nationals were harmed.

by **New Provenance** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:15 pm

Notícias do Brasil

January 2025

President Soraya Thornicke addresses the nation in New Years Address

BRASILIA - President Soraya Thornicke addressed the nation via a live televised address from the Presidential Palace this morning, Jan. 1. Approaching her first anniversary in power, Thornicke has served as the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil since 2024, for the Democratic Alternative (DA) party. During her speech, she recapped the achievements of her administration in the past year, which include passing legislation for the protection of the Amazon Rainforests, the deployments of federal troops to protect wildlife and forestry sanctuaries, the curbing of inflation by 1.3% thanks to a comprehensive economic reform plan passed by her government, reduction in crime through the strengthening of police units and the strengthening of the criminal rehabilitation system, among others.

While a poll (December 2024) gave Thornicke an approval rating of 49.8%, a slight decrease from the 51.1% she enjoyed after three months in office, experts and analysts have described her presidency as stable and positive for the Brazilian economy and for progressive policies. President Thornicke pledged to take action against the Brazilian external debt and promised to focus on local businesses to support economic growth.

Despite political turmoil remaining through the Workers' Party's dissatisfaction with Thornicke and her centrist government, projections currently show continued stable growth for Brazil under Thornicke.

Former president Lula campaigns for consolidation of the Brazilian healthcare system, urges reforms

RIO DE JANEIRO - Former president Lula, who served as Brazil's president from 2022 to 2024, has begun a 'national campaign' for the consolidation of the Brazilian healthcare system, declaring that the government of Soraya Thornicke was 'not doing enough' to help the overstressed healthcare system, which has been since the COVID-19 pandemic on its limits thanks to the constitutional right for all persons in Brazil to healthcare. Crowded hospitals and long waiting lines for transplants, surgeries and other medical-related operations have led to the deaths of hundreds, potentially thousands, Lula claims. He intends to stop this 'unnecessary cascade of deaths' by lobbying the Brazilian public to demand a referendum to force a healthcare reform package, designed originally in 2023 but left-unpassed due to strong opposition from moderates and conservatives, through the National Congress of Brazil (Congreso Nacional) and into law.

In a 'Rally for Just and Fair Healthcare' in Rio de Janeiro on 3 January, attended by over 20,000 Brazilians, Lula and several prominent left-wing and social democratic senators from the former president's Workers' Party (PT) laid out their proposal to allocate $25 billion for the construction of at least 75 new hospitals and 45 new clinics over the course of five years across the country, particularly in rural areas where healthcare is close to completely inaccessible despite the constitution legally guaranteeing all Brazilians' right to healthcare. Tax hikes on the Brazilian upper classes would be taken upon to fund these projects. Free online healthcare consultations run by the government would be initiated to reduce the stress on hospitals and clinics, along with doctors and nurses. First aid will be implemented into the high school education system, and a standardized system of contacting medical assistance will be designed.

The plan, while popular among the public (44% in favor, October 2024 poll), has been opposed by conservatives and centrists alike, including President Soraya Thornicke's own Democratic Alternative, for being too massive, too expensive, and unnecessary 'when the healthcare system is already stable, fair and equal'. The Democratic Alternative has proposed a cheaper, $5 billion rural healthcare development plan and a method for providing low cost online healthcare consultations for those with internet access, which has been backed by conservatives including the Progressistas and the opposition Liberal Party of Jair Bolsonaro, but the left-wing and social democratic parties are opposing it, deeming it too weak and too small.

However, a bipartisan group of senators and deputies are allegedly collaborating and communicating to design a national comprehensive healthcare reform plan that will appeal to both leftists and conservatives alike. Whether or not such a reform plan is actually possible remains to be seen.

Corruption in the central government is at the lowest level in 50 years, government-sanctioned report claims

BRASILIA - A government-sanctioned report by the National Commission for Integrity and Honesty (Comissão Nacional para a Integridade e Honestidade) claims that thanks to the combined actions of President Soraya Thornicke's legislation against corruption, and military and police operations cracking down on corruption, bribery, and illegal activity within the government through the arrest of several prominent politicians linked to gangs, corporations and criminal enterprises, corruption within the 'central government' of Brazil is at the lowest level in 50 years. According to the report, released 2 January 2025 by the National Commission for Integrity and Honesty, created by President Thornicke to lead and coordinate the anti-corruption operations in the country, and chaired by the president herself, corruption under Thornicke 'collapsed to near-zero levels', but affirmed that the 'fight is not yet over', citing the need to 'destroy the source' through policing operations, raids and arrests.

Human rights groups in Brazil have claimed that the decline in corruption is directly linked to a rise in unexplained deaths, murders assassinations, and secret arrests of significant persons in the country. The Thornicke government has been accused of human rights violations and using overly aggressive and violent force to cut down on corruption, but despite this an overwhelming majority of Brazilians support the government's actions against corruption (72% in favor, December 2024 poll).

by **Newne Carriebean7** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 10:20 pm

Rodong Sinmun

Chief Enlightened One Kim Jong-Il addresses the "unequaled and unrivaled" Korean kingdom of juche and self-reliance known as the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Warns "All Nations" of something "Heaven shaking".

January 1, 113 (2025)

Pyongyang- Amid New Years festivities that are being undertaken this year, the Supremely enlightened and most beloved chiefly elected benevolent servant of the people Kim Jong-Il spoke at length amid celebrations all throughout the nation in ringing in the new year of 2025 (Also known as year 113 in the Korean calendar).

In his most excellent speech, the Chief Enlightened One opened his speech with his most heart-felt gratitude towards the people of Korea, and explained the impressive economic progress of the 2020-2025 "Five Year Plan", with announcements that Steel production increased by 7,034%, the amount of sunshine per square smile on a north Korean family increased fourfold over the previous amount, and the amount of North Korean goods bought by the "brothers of the revolution" in Taiwan-we mean China has amounted to half a million tons of coal which currently comprises 14% of the country's total exports from the year of our dear leader 112. (2024 for western bastards and everyone else)

The C.E.O. of this nation also gave a moment of "deep-hearted appreciation in the ever-exhausting and rewarding efforts of the longest serving foreign minister, Kim Yong-nam, who has served as both the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2002 and 1999 respectively. In a spur of the moment idea of his speech, he formally asked for a vote of confidence in the President of the Presidium by the gathered members. Of the 636 in attendance, he managed to win 635 of the members, with Kim Yong-nam himself abstaining from the vote. Following his unanimous victory in the vote of confidence, the room filled with applause and cheers towards the ninety-seven year old Foreign Minister and "Prime Minister" of the country.

Being permitted to address the room by the C.E.O himself, he was overcome with emotion as he promised to "Keep up the good work with our people, our soldiers and our party." Kim Yong-nam was then formally presented with a ceremonial gold plated T-34 tank as a state gift for his "recognition of hard work in leading debate and harmony within the room of the people".

Unfortunately, the Chief Enlightened One was seen temporarily taking a much needed rest in the middle of his New Year's Address to the members of the Korean People's Assembly. Many members were rumored to be in awe that the supreme leader needed sleep, having previously been under the assumption that the C.E.O. was an immortal being. Such rumors are 100% falsehoods spread by western imperialist bastards such as the Philippines or Kazakhstan, though Kim Jong-Il has had a history of wanting to be "more like the common-man" and has been known to take "on the site-naps" to assure the populace of the C.E.O.'s down to roots connection with the lay Korean family and their needs.

Such an honorable cause it is, to be the Chief Enlightened One!

Following this down to earth campaigning, the Chief Enlightened One also revealed that the nation's defense against "South Korean-American-Jap Bastards" is "as strong as my will to live, which is like steel!" While remaining numb on specific details at least to follow national security concerns, the C.E.O. of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has promised "earthshattering movements" within the next "month or so." Our C.E.O has also demanded that both the Korean People's Army Ground Force and the Korean People's Army Strategic Force be "readied at an instant or moment's notice" for OPERATION 10,000 JEWELS. The overall goals of such an operation are hazy at best, but can be assumed, at least by the title, to initiate some sort of "special military exercise" against Neptune and his minions within the seas of Japan.

D.P.R.K announces plans for a "fully-fledged aircraft carrier"

Image courtesy of the Supreme Naval Tribunal of the Korean People's Navy, sponsored by photoshop

At a press conference, Admiral of the Fleet Ri Yeong-Mihn has announced plans for an aircraft carrier. Admiral Yeong-Mihn has confirmed to the press that he did run the idea by Kim Jong-Il prior to this press conference. He said that the "feedback I got from the Chief Enlightened One was lighting. That god is a genius. He is the smartest man in the world. he was very receptive to this grand idea. I am honored! We are going to go forward with this plan for a carrier." When asked for overall details on the design of the aircraft carrier by gathered journalists following eight minutes of uninterrupted applause at the news, Yeong-Mihn went on to state the following:

"It will be an aircraft carrier. It will be designed to carry our aircraft from one part of the country to the other. All the great nations have Nuclear Weapons. We have Nuclear Weapons. The Chief Enlightened One then said to me "All great nations have aircraft carriers. Do we not have the need for an Aircraft Carrier? I agree whole-heartedly with the correct assump-statement by the Chief Enlightened One."

When pressed for even more details, such as the tonnage, support equipment and if it had a functioning Ice Cream parlor on-board as is standard for all North Korean vessels to keep up morale, he denied any attempt at more information, only letting it be known that "The Shipyard has her orders. They will fill out this order or we will have to go with other means of doing this order. It will be in the 75,000 ton range for displacement empty, as a maximum. We have great hope to launch and commission this vessel within 17 months. That is all."

by **Arvenia** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 10:18 am

민국일보
January 20, 2025

New Monument To Be Unveiled in Seoul Tomorrow
SEOUL - President Cho Dae-jung (NRP) will be present during the unveiling of a new patriotic monument in Seoul tomorrow. The monument, dubbed the "National Liberation Monument" (민족해방기념비), is dedicated to Koreans who fought to liberate our homeland from Japanese oppression. President Cho Dae-jung described the monument as being a positive counterpart to the Yasukuni Shrine, a filthy "memorial site" set up by the Japanese following the destruction of their evil empire. The monument will obviously trigger the filthy Japanese, because they no longer have an empire to control. The construction of the monument began back in 2022 and was just finished two days ago. Tomorrow will be a glorious day for our homeland as the monument is unveiled for the whole world to see.

Pro-Japanese Forum To Be Shut Down Soon
SOUTH KOREA - Ilbe Storehouse (일간베스트 저장소), a controversial Internet forum, is due to be shut down by the government. The reason fro the shutdown is that the forum and its users have engaged in activities that can only be described as high treason due to the obvious promotion of Japan and its culture. The users are shown to be very pro-Japanese, while one of them had allegedly made fun of comfort women back in 2013. As such, these users shall hereby be referred to as chinilpa. Both our glorious leader, President Cho Dae-jung (NRP), and his political party, the National Republican Party (국민공화당/NRP), were reportedly repulsed by the forum and its traitorous users. Our Minister of Information and Communications, Nam Jong-hyuk (NRP), has announced plans to sharply shut down the website and identify its users, while also linking it to its Japanese counterpart, 2chan. President Cho Dae-jung has also more to say about the website during an interview with Yonhap News Agency:

"Ilbe Storehouse is the filthiest place on the whole Internet. It is obviously a meeting place for Koreans who have clearly shown no respect for their homeland and rather pledges allegiance to the barbaric nation of Japan. Those traitors deserve to be stripped of their civil and political rights as such rights are only for the most patriotic Koreans. That website needs to be shut down so that no more pro-Japanese propaganda can be produced within our glorious homeland."

Prior to the making of this article, Ilbe Storehouse had organized a smear campaign against President Cho Dae-jung and his party. The campaign produced artwork and fake pictures that depicts the President engaging in awful activities, while also sending death threats to his followers. As a result, the brave NRP supporters have launched protests against the website and called for its ultimate shutdown. President Cho Dae-jung is thankful that his supporters are speaking out against the website.

민국일보
January 21, 2025

Japan Threatens Our Sovereignty!
JAPAN - Yesterday, the barbaric nation of Japan and its leader, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (LDP), has made it clear that they wishes to exert their control over Dokdo (독도), a group of small islets that our homeland have rightfully controlled since 1952. The Japanese are hellbent on reviving their fascist empire ever since the end of the Second World War (WW2). This came after Kishida ordered the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) to deploy two patrol vessels to Dokdo, which the Japanese refer to as "Takeshima". The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), which controls the Japan Coast Guard, announced the deployment and claimed that the patrol vessels were expected to "enforce international law" around the islands' EEZ. But then, the MLIT warned fishermen against entering the area without JCG protection by citing "Korean piracy threats". That quote is really barbaric! The Japanese have the guts to accuse us Koreans of piracy. They have forgotten that they were pirates themselves many centuries ago. Kishida's predecessor, Shinzo Abe (LDP), even suggested that the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force should be deployed to Dokdo instead if "Japanese territorial possessions weren't respected".

President Cho Dae-jung (NRP) have rightfully responded to the deployment with righteous anger. He had this to say in a recent conference regarding this issue:

"The barbaric nation of Japan has deployed two patrol vessels to Dokdo in an apparent attempt to threaten our sovereignty! Its people only want their old fascist empire back! We will never let that happen. If the Japanese wishes to send two ships to patrol around Dokdo, then we shall send our troops to protect our sovereignty. Never shall Japanese imperialism hurt us again. I don't care about their feelings. I care more about our sovereignty. I am proud to be Korean. We are all proud to be Korean. Death to Japanese imperialism!"

As you may not know, Dokdo is part of Ulleung County (울릉군), which is an insular county in North Gyeongsang Province (경상북도). Meanwhile, the Japanese have made it more clear that they are barbaric and despicable. Kishida has called upon the US government to "intervene directly in any manner possible". This is just an attempt by the Japanese to bring the US to their side, especially since America is our biggest ally since the 1950s and shouldn't side with barbaric nations. On the other hand, the National Diet has passed a legislation that seeks to "instill patriotism in young children". It is likely that the Japanese government seeks to brainwash Japanese children into hating us Koreans. That's anti-Korean propaganda!

The Japanese Ministry of Defense even warned us to not cause any provocation around Dokdo and vowed to respond forcefully if "Japanese nationals were harmed". That is just nonsense. The Japanese are the ones who escalated this conflict, not us Koreans.

As a result, fellow Koreans have responded strongly to the recent situation, with many patriotic Koreans organizing anti-Japanese protests across North Gyeongsang Province, which includes the burning of Japanese flags and strong solidarity with our military personnel.

South Korean Military To Be Strengthened Through Legislation
SOUTH KOREA - Since the Japanese seeks to annex the Dokdo Islands, the National Republican Party (국민공화당/NRP) has proposed a new legislation in the National Assembly (국회). Such legislation would strengthen the South Korean military through increased defense spending. This would help our homeland fight against Japanese imperialism and protect our sovereignty. The legislation has seen support from most of the South Korean population, but it has also been opposed by many parties such as the Democratic Party of Korea (더불어민주당/DPK), the People Power Party (국민의힘/PPP), the Justice Party (정의당/JP), the Green Party (녹색당/GP) and the Patriotic Party of Korea (애국당/PPK). While there were different reasons for such opposition, it is obvious that these parties were opposing said legislation on behalf of the Japanese, given that said legislation is necessary to curb Japanese territorial claims on our territory. It is very sad that some Koreans are willing to become chinilpa and pledge allegiance to Japanese imperialism. The National Assembly is due to vote on said legislation tomorrow.

한겨레
January 21, 2025

Korean-Japanese Conflict Escalates Over Disputed Territory
EAST ASIA - The territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan over Dokdo has escalated today after President Cho Dae-jung (NRP) threatened Japan with military action. This came after the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) was authorized to deploy two patrol vessels to the area surrounding Dokdo. Dokdo has long been a source of conflict between South Korea and Japan since the 1950s. The deployment was a response to rising tensions between both countries as the South Korean government continues to promote anti-Japanese sentiment, while the Japanese government grew concerned over said sentiment. The JCG sought to enforce international law surrounding Dokdo's EEZ, while President Cho Dae-jung viewed that as provocation. Meanwhile, the ruling National Republican Party (국민공화당/NRP) has planned to introduce a law that would strenghten the South Korean military if armed conflict would break out. The National Assembly (국회) will be voting on said law tomorrow.

South Korean Government To Shut Down Controversial Internet Forum
SOUTH KOREA - The Ministry of Information and Communications (정보통신부/MIC) has planned on shutting down Ilbe Storehouse (일간베스트 저장소), a controversial far-right Internet forum, due to the latter's alleged support for Japan. The plans for such shutdown was announced yesterday by Nam Jong-hyuk (NRP), the newly-appointed head of the MIC, which came after Ilbe Storehouse had allegedly launched a smear campaign against both President Cho Dae-jung (NRP) and the ruling National Republican Party (국민공화당/NRP), as well as having sent death threats to NRP supporters. The reason for the planned shutdown seems to be contrary to the fact that Ilbe Storehouse is usually notorious for its users' hatred towards liberalism, socialism, feminism and LGBT rights. However, President Cho Dae-jung has accused the website of being "pro-Japanese" and "anti-patriotic", while also referring to its users as "chinilpa". He had recently said in an interview that he wishes to strip Ilbe Storehouse users of their civil and political rights, a statement which is notoriously synonymous with his party's hateful stance towards Japan and chinilpa. Many left-leaning Koreans, including politicians Lee Jae-myung (DPK) and Yeo Yeong-gug (JP), have been critical of the government's extreme crackdown on "pro-Japanese activities" within South Korea, while supporters of President Cho Dae-jung praised his efforts to combat "high treason". It is yet to be seen how this situation would end, although the MIC had planned on revealing the identity of every single user on Ilbe Storehouse, a move which will send shockwaves across South Korea.

by **New Provenance** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:20 pm

New York Times
All The News That's Fit to Print

January 2025

Preparations for Sherrod Brown's inauguration on the 20th continue, other post-election updates
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Preparations for incumbent president Sherrod Brown's second inauguration on January 20th continue without interruption or delay, the U.S. Capitol Police and the White House confirmed today. During a press briefing, WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki told media that the President's inauguration will be - as expected - fully open to the American public, marking the first presidential inauguration since 2017 that the public was able to attend, as during the 2021 inauguration COVID-19 restrictions were still in effect. President Brown is already actively working on his speech, and invitations to world leaders are expected to be sent out shortly. Brown will be the third president, since Barack Obama (2009-2017) and George W. Bush (2001-2009, in the 21st century to be sworn into a second presidential term. He will be the second Democratic president to do so.

President Brown to 'prioritize' Japan-Korea tensions, promises to mediate between Tokyo, Seoul
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Brown reported in a statement released by the White House on 3 January that he will be 'prioritizing' tensions between the State of Japan and the Republic of Korea, promising to serve as a prime mediator between the Tokyo and Seoul governments to 'resolve regional issues and allow for the democracies of Asia to continue to work together economically and militarily'. President Brown has been relatively neutral on the Japan-Korea issue, which flared after a nationalistic Korean political party took power in the early 2020s, but is now expected to take a firm stance, without backing any one side over the other. The White House has repeatedly reaffirmed that the United States will not be taking sides.

VP Whitmer delivers update on EV and wider clean energy progress in California

SAN DIEGO - VP Gretchen Whitmer delivered an update on electric vehicle (EV) and wider clean energy progress in California today from a Tesla EV production plant in San Diego, reaffirming the U.S. Government's 'dedicated and secure commitment' to pushing for widespread usage of electric vehicles for transportation and clean energy for energy production. Under President Sherrod Brown, efforts were made to significantly support the net-zero carbon emission push, in a program pushed primarily by Vice President Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer now chairs the National Futures Security Committee (NFSC), which serves as an advisory body to the President on matters relating to climate change, environmental protection, carbon emissions both locally and internationally, and the clean energy transition. VP Whitmer again reaffirmed the Brown administration's commitment to nuclear energy as a 'fast, safe, reliable way' of delivering the country to a clean energy future, stating that she legitimately hoped for the passage of legislation reversing the 'anti-nuclear trend' across the world in the coming months. 'Diplomacy will be a key part of pushing for a clean energy future,' Whitmer said, 'and as such we will, of course, be boosting our cooperation with our allies and partners on this issue in the coming months'.

by **Shohun** » Tue Jul 05, 2022 8:50 pm

Japan Times

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Slams South Korean Monument as Provocative:

Tokyo, January 21th - In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a spokesperson for the ministry slammed the new South Korean monument, dubbed the "National Liberation Monument," as "inciting old hostilities and promoting terrorism." Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa labeled the move as being "counter-productive towards peace talks" warning that instances of hostility would not be taken lightly. In speaking with the press, Yoshimasa noted that many of those honored by the South Korean monument are terrorists, known for their acts of brutality in carrying out assassinations of public officials, murder of innocent civilians and peacekeeping forces, as well as destruction of property.

Yoshimasa urged the South Korean regime to show restraint in the coming days, warning that popular opinion in Japan would "not tolerate further aggression."

Former PM Abe speculated that the Japanese government should respond with an official visit to Yasukuni, noting that "many honorable Koreans who died fighting for their country" are enshrined there. Other right-wing activists and groups also denounced the new monument, calling it "yet another instance that proves South Korea is opposed to peaceful relations."

The whole issue revolves around the legacy of the Japanese occupation of Korea, a sensitive topic for those on both sides as both deal with old wounds. PM Kishida called on South Korea to come to the table in order to get over old issues, lest get stuck in the past.

Surprise Across Japan as South Korean Regime Announces Plans for Censorship:

Tokyo, January 21th - Early yesterday the South Korean regime announced that it would shutdown an internet forum known as the "Ilbe Storehouse" a group known for alleged support of Japan and other ideologies that go against the South Korean regime. Due to South Korean censorship laws against Japan, the regime, led by President Cho Dae-jung, has announced that it would reveal the identities of users and have them "stripped of their civil and political rights." The move comes after supporters of the South Korean president called for the removal of the site, protesting for action.

Across the Japanese political spectrum, politicians have panned the move as undemocratic, with one Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker calling it a "blatant violation of free speech rights." Another lawmaker, this one from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) called the move "fascist," warning that "the difference between North Korea and South Korea becomes less and less everyday." The Ministery of Foreign Affairs blasted the move as "tyrannical," and called upon the South Korean regime to reverse course and respect the rights of its own citizens.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa vowed to "make every effort" to assist the individuals part of the "Ilbe Storehouse" to cover their identity. Speaking to the press, Yoshimasa said that he had spoken with the Ministry of Defense about cyber options to protect the identities of the individuals. When asked by Japan Times, Yoshimasa said he could not rule out intervention if South Korea began to unjustly harm its own citizens.

Already in the National Diet lawmakers have proposed a new sanctions package against members of the South Korean regime, vowing to enact sanctions if the South Korean government followed through with its threats. Former PM Abe even mused a terror designation for the National Republican Party, given "continued provocations and encouragement of race based violence."

PM Kishida Speaks on South Korean "Ilbe Storehouse":

Tokyo, January 22nd - As news comes out of Korea of the regime's crackdown on pro-Japanese dissident, Prime Minister Kishida held a press conference earlier today to detail Japan's response. In a speech, the Prime Minister remarked that both sides should take a moment to reconsider the next move, warning that escalation would not do well for either country. However Kishida slammed the planned shutdown of the "Ilbe Storehouse," saying the move posed a direct threat to democracy in South Korea. Kishida ridiculed the hypocrisy of the regime, saying it was "ironic" that the South Korean government had became what it vowed to destroy. In his remarks which have been criticized by those on the far-right, Kishida noted that the same censorship policies, racism, and political repression were practiced by the Japanese colonial government in Korea, as well as the Nazis in Germany, and fascists in Italy. Kishida warned that the south was becoming "no different than North Korea, no different from the Nazi regime, no different than the Japanese colonial governments."

He went on further to criticize the policies and legislation themselves, noting that they did not make sense; "The Korean government has made sure to ban everything Japanese. Our media, our food, our clothes, everything, even our language. But they forget that Japan and Korea were tied very closely together even before colonialism and annexation. If Korea wishes to ban every Japanese influence every Japanese thing, then they would have to ban their own language. Before Japanese came to Korea, the literacy rate was around four percent. And what did these people, the ruling class write with? Chinese. Not Korean, or Hangul as it is known. They wrote in Chinese. We came over, built over four thousand schools, and introduced Korean characters as the standard language. And we changed it. We changed Korean grammar a lot. I am not proud of that, but it is the truth... So if the Korean government wants to get rid of all Japanese influence, they will have to change their entire written language. That for obvious reasons is impossible. Korea has had significant influences on Japan, and we on them. We are tied together. So the Korean government must realize this and accept the positive elements of our relationship, as we have done with theirs."

Kishida went on to say that Japan and Korea are "brotherly nations with close cultural identities and objectives," and stressed the need to work together. He warned that "our mutual enemies" will seize the opportunity if a solution was not found. In closing, Kishida stated that Japan would be open to defectors who sought safety and freedom, pledging that Japan would provide jobs and housing to any who left Korea.

Ministry of Defense Responds to Korean Threats:

Tokyo, January 22nd - Amid anti-Japanese protests in North Gyeongsang Province and Korean threats, the Ministry of Defense has issued a response. Responding to the Korean President's threat to deploy troops to the Takeshima, a spokesperson for the Ministry labeled the move as a "severe provocation," warning that Japan would respond if such a move was carried out. The islands are currently occupied by the civilian Korean Coast Guard, meaning a military deployment to the Japanese territory would be an escalation of the crisis. The Ministry pledged to prevent continued Korean militarization of the islands, raising the possibility of a "security quarantine" of the island if further Korean forces were deployed.

When asked for comment, the Japan Coast Guard stated that the ships recently deployed were still enroute, and would arrive shortly to begin enforcement of international law.

In a further development, the Korean legislature has proposed legislation aimed at increasing defense spending, set to be voted on today. In response the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it hoped the bill would not pass, as it was "escalating at the wrong time." However experts say such a move is not expected to change things for the short term, but would increase the need for peace talks to occur soon. One expert on the region was quoted as saying, "If the South Koreans are not brought to the table soon, we will be in a very dangerous situation. Either tensions will fester and conflict will break out, or the anti-Japanese sentiment and escalation must end."

Some have speculated that with the Prime Minister increasingly backed in a corner by South Korean aggression, he will have no choice but to react more strongly than at present, with keen observers noting that maritime patrol aircraft flights in the Tsushima Strait and around the Sea of Japan have sharply increased in the past month. When asked for comment, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said that there was no change in Japanese alert levels but it had increased monitoring of "hostile naval forces."

Ministry of Defense
Tokyo, Japan
January 22, 2025

Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Kōji Yamazaki sat at his desk speaking to the Chief of Maritime Staff, Admiral Ryō Sakai as one of his top planners, Lieutenant Colonel Norito Sato walked in. "Well the Minister of Defense has directed me to arrange plans be drawn up that are actionable within three weeks of authorization from the Prime Minister. But I want you to start preparing slightly early, so maybe they and the Americans see our preparations and then the Koreans come to the negotiation table with something we can work with... ah Lt. Colonel Sato, thank you for joining us. I was just speaking with Admiral Sakai. Admiral, this is one of my top planners who has been working with the ASDF and your branch to draw up our plans."

Lt. Colonel Sato bowed, handing over a thick file. "Sir, the plans as you requested."

Yamazaki studied the plans for a minute. "Very good. If it comes to it, I will have to have you explain all this to the Prime Minister! The only preparations we need to conduct so far in advance is for the JASDF. They will need practice at striking a small target, and they our JASDF helicopters especially will need to work on their aircraft carrier landings. It may be best to hold drills this month. It would do good to warn the Koreans anyways. Why don't we schedule them for the 29th as surprise drills?"

"Yes sir!"

by **Chewion** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:06 pm

PLAAF Announces purchase of 50 new Y-20U aerial tanker aircraft.

Today in the daily press conference of the PLA, General Chang Dingqiu, the Commander of the PLAAF, announced that the air force is purchasing 50 of the domestically produced Y-20U ariel tanker aircraft in order to bolster the PLAAFs ability to conduct air operations away from friendly base and even other platforms such as aircraft carriers. This announcement comes as those around President Fu have said a significant uptick in military procurement is likely to be announced soon in order to ensure that the Chinese people and nation are secure and to ensure that China is able to fulfill its commitments to partners and the stability of the world as a whole.

The addition of such tankers would significantly increase the range in which the PLAAF could operate and would indeed help to advance the PLAAF into an even stronger and more modern fighting force for the people and nation.

President Fu publicly announces willingness to host a summit between South Korea and Japan

President Fu today, through the Zhongnanhai spokesperson, has announced that China would be interested and willing to host a mutually respectful summit between South Korea and Japan in order to help try and find an outcome that is amenable to both sides in the current dispute. President Fu was quoted as saying "It is time that Asia comes together to solve its own problems internally as brother nations." The suggested venue for such a summit was said to be Hong Kong, however, China seems willing to host it anywhere both sides can agree to.

The Foreign Ministry has also commented that it hopes both sides will take advantage of this offer if they feel it will be helpful so that the region can find a sense of peace and stability once more.

Premier Ma signals willingness to talks with Taipei

Premier Ma commented to reporters that the central government would be willing to engage in renewed talks with Taipei in order to see a peaceful resolution to the divide of the Chinese people. Premier Ma even appeared open to himself or another high-level government minister flying to Taipei for such a meeting if the Taipei leadership would be more comfortable with that.

President Fu has signaled that the peaceful reunification of the Chinese People is one of his top priorities and will not back down on the One China Policy.

China International Development Cooperation Agency announces intentions to send additional aid to the Pacific Island nations

The Head of the CIDCA has announced today that the agency is open and willing to send additional aid supplies to any island nation in the pacific that is in need as part of President Fu's developing Brother Nation Initiative.

The aid is offered ranges from basic needs and medical supplies to even technology that can assist these nations in becoming more and more connected with the wider world. This offer also comes as the CIDCA agency announces its intentions to grow aid programs to other regions such as Africa.

Diplomacy

Meeting with Japan between Foreign Ministers

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office, Tokyo, Japan

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa stood outside his office, waiting alongside a small number of his staff to greet his Chinese counterpart. The whole thing was meant to be low-key, so there was no public pressure on the meeting's agenda. Especially with issues going on in Korea, the private meeting was of high importance to the Japanese government.

Yoshimasa smiled as the convoy bringing the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived.

Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu exited the vehicle with a smile as he made his way to his Japanese counterpart with a smile saying "My friend, it is a pleasure to meet with you."

"It is an honor to be meeting with you. I hope your flight here went well." Yoshimasa replied before leading the group into the Ministry to a conference room. Taking a seat, he said, "I am very glad you could make it to today's meeting, and I believe it will help bring us towards closer and better relations. But with that, I would like to give you the floor to speak."

"Thank you very much. First off let me iterate the desire we have of a closer and deeper relationship with Japan. Our government views Japan as a brother Asian nation and one that we share much culture and history with. With that being said, we do have some points of contention but it is our hope and goal that these differences can be overcome through fruitful and open dialogue between us. Now, we wanted to express our displeasure with the recent provocations coming from South Korea. While we do not wish to interfere in the dispute directly, we believe such bellicose statements serve no purpose besides fomenting hate and anger on both sides." FM Ma replied.

"I could not agree more with that sentiment. In recent years tensions between both Koreas and Japan have sharply increased, which serves as a severe threat to peace and stability in the region. That is why I would like to ask if you would be willing to help to put diplomatic pressure on the South Korean government to come to the table for talks. I understand relations between South Korea and China have not always been friendly, but it is my hope that China could be more persuasive than us. If China could reach out to the Koreans about talks, either privately or publicly, that would be greatly appreciated by Japan, and I am sure the rest of the world. And if they refuse and continue on their path, I would hope China would be willing to join us in both condemnation and the diplomatic isolation of their racist ideology, anti-democratic actions, and threats to peace." (edited)

“Certainly. That is what I wanted to discuss next, China would be willing and eager to host a summit in Hong Kong between both of you in order to help work towards a peaceful outcome in this current crisis. We believe that it is vital we show the West and wider world that us Asians are more than capable of handling ourselves within ourselves.” FM Ma replied.

"Of course, and we would be very glad to accept your offer to mediate. Hopefully the Koreans will do the same. I cannot rule out that things may get out of hand before then, but let us pray for the best. But speaking of the island dispute, I believe that Japan and China also share one, that being the Senkaku Islands, or as you call them, the Diaoyu. If we could work to solve that one here today, to develop a mutual understanding, then I believe it would allow for the wider development of the islands and the search for resources in the seabed."

“That is indeed a tricky issue my friend. We are willing to solve it but, we clearly have different interpretations of history regarding them and our public both have strong sentiments regarding them. However, we are willing to engage in meaningful and open dialogue around the topic, provided of course, that such discussion are not on the record as far as the public is concerned.” FM Ma replied

"Things are tense in Japan too, due to the Korean issue. The general trend in my party has been abandonment of the center and a push to the right-wing of the political spectrum. So it is only natural that our conversation here is private and indeed off the record."

“Very well, did you happen to have any ideas on the matter?” FM Ma replied.

Yoshimasa nodded. "I do not expect to be able to find a real treaty solution here today. But I offer a mutual understanding, and unofficial one of course. Provided that China ceases activity in the EEZ surrounding the Senkaku Islands, Japan is willing to end participation in freedom of navigation exercises carried out in areas of the South China Sea that are rightfully Chinese under international law."

Nodding, FM Ma turned to an aide and whispered for a moment before saying “I think we can come to an agreement if you are also willing to include voicing support for Taiwan to be managed as a domestic Chinese affair. We seek peaceful reunification but outside backing of such a plan would go a long way.” Ma replied.

"Unfortunately that is a policy decision that I am not at liberty to change at a moment's notice like this. We have long regarded Taiwan and its people, especially its aboriginals as brothers in which we respect, and owe a great debt. Thus I would like to counter your offer. We are willing to voice support for peaceful dialogue and cooperation between both the mainland and Taiwan. And we are further willing to publicly recognize that Japan has no place in interfering in such affairs." said Yoshimasa.

“In addition to the other aspects of such a deal, we would be willing to accept.” FM Ma replied.

"Very well. While we are still on the subject of security and disputes, Japan is faced with one more that I would hope to address. Our Northern Territories, or the Kuril as the Russians call them have long been a point of tension between Japan and Russia. And we could not be more grateful for China's long recognition of Japanese rightful ownership of the islands. But I was wondering if China was willing to do us another favor and speak with the Russians for us about relieving tensions. With things as they are around Takeshima, we do not need another potential conflict to start brewing." replied Yoshimasa.

“We would, of course, be more than happy to help in the persist of peace. Even hosting talks between you if necessary.” FM Ma replied.

"That is much appreciated. I have one last thing on my agenda. Regarding economics, I would like to offer to decrease tariffs on certain goods if China was willing to do the same. We have already made so much progress there, and I would hope to continue that."

“We, of course, are always interested in mutually beneficial trade deals. I am sure our responsible ministers can work out the exact details. Now, there are a few things we wished to discuss still. Namely, inviting Japan into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at least at an economic level. I think that together, we can help build a brother future for Asia.” FM Ma replied (edited)

"I appreciate the offer, but I am afraid it would not be politically viable at the moment. But if you are willing, we are willing to apply for Dialogue Partner status." said Yoshimasa.
July 6, 2022

“Understandable, we are more than happy to back your application for Dialogue Partner status. Any step towards more open communication is good we believe. Now, we also wanted to get your take on perhaps an organization specific to the East China Sea region? A format for open dialogue, security cooperation, and cooperation across the board?” FM Ma asked.

"East China Sea? That wouldn't include South Korea would it? At present I don't think they would accept anything such as that unfortunately. But I am more than open to an organization that deals with East China Sea issues, with members from across Asia." replied Yoshimasa.

“Very good. We don’t have an exact framework yet but we are hoping to gather support and go from there. We believe that Asia should take whatever steps necessary to manage itself with due respect for national sovereignty. Now, one last thing that we understand if it is a no, but, in the spirit of cooperation and perusing a new relationship, would you or the Prime Minister be open to laying a wreath at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre? We do not ask in order to bring up the past, but in order to extend a hand and a way to more permanently bury it and show that we a truly brother nations now.” FM Ma asked.

Yoshimasa took a second to think. "That is a very good question, and one I am not sure I have a good answer for. The Prime Minister's faction of the LDP is fairly moderate, as am I. But the Prime Minister is a member of the Nippon Kaigi, and I will not contradict him, if you understand what I mean. But to be blunt, neither myself or the Prime Minister can lay a wreath at your memorial hall. It is politically risky, and we have elections coming up. So what I can offer is this. I would be willing to visit a memorial to those who died during the China Incident as we call it in Japan, one that does not go into specifics and does not necessarily honor soldiers. In return, I would invite you to visit the Chinreisha shrine in Japan, which honors all war dead, regardless of nationality. Maybe you could visit today even." (edited)

“We understand, how about we place a wreath at your Sekai Mumei Senshi no Haka and in return either you or the Prime Minister place one at the The Cenotaph in Hong Kong and have it dedicated to all Chinese lives lost in the struggles of the past?” FM Ma replied.

"I believe that would be more than acceptable." replied Yoshimasa with a grin.

“Very good. Now, was there anything else on your end my friend?” FM Ma asked.

"There was nothing else from my side." said Yoshimasa.

Standing, FM Ma smiled as he shook his Japanese counterparts hand saying "Well then my friend, I thank you for making the time to meet with me." (edited)

Yoshimasa shook Ma's hand and gave a slight bow as he did so. "And I thank you for coming all this way. I hope the rest of your time in Japan before you head back is pleasant."

by **NewLakotah** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:35 pm

February 1, 2025

Russia-China Summit in Beijing ends with new joint measures, says Foreign Minister Natalia Poklonskaya

The weekend visit to Beijing ended for President Kiriyenko and Foreign Minister Poklonskaya who returned to Moscow declaring the visit a strong success.

“We have made significant progress towards building a strong working relationship in terms of economics and security.” said Poklonskaya in a press conference following their flight home. “We have made joint missions to increase trade and economic activity in the Far East, develop new networks of trade and made a joint agreement on energy production that will create jobs and provide security to both Chinese and Russian interests. This includes investment into clean, renewable energy as well as natural gas and oil exports. This will create more jobs for Eastern Russia, develop our nuclear industry and clean energy industry even more, reduce our carbon emissions, and help create a far more sustainable future for Russia and China. Providing energy security to both our nations for many years to come. We will also be growing our commitment to the EAEU and BRI to increase trade, lower restrictions, and develop new, modern, and efficient transport infrastructure from Western Russia to Eastern and into China as well as through Central Asia. This will be a major benefit to the Union State and to the EAEU.

“We also have made commitments towards keeping regional peace and security for both of our nations. Our interests are aligned and we are moving towards creating a Eurasian space for all countries to handle our own issues from within, without needing foreign entanglements and interference.”

Poklonskaya did not mention what specific peace issues were discussed but said they involved both “East Asia, Central Asia, and the Greater Eurasian territories” which may include joint action towards a peace policy between South Korea and Japan, two countries that have been escalating threats over the past few months and have increased them rapidly over the past few days.

There were also talks concerning Ukraine. That a peace plan was suggested by President Fu over the ongoing crisis in the Donbas and the possibility of China hosting a conference. President Kiriyenko has said that he would “welcome” Chinese mediation “if Ukraine is willing to come to the table” when he returned from Beijing. Kiriyenko made no comment on the Ukrainian situation to the press. However, an uptick in rotations for the Russian Armed Forces was noted.

Russian Armed Forces announce new exercises for April and May of 2025

Minister of Defense Valery Gerasimov announced new training exercises for the Western and Southern Military Districts for April of 2025 as well as another for the Central Military District in May. These are to be held in coordination with Belarus and other CSTO nations to develop closer military ties, increase solidarity, develop greater tools and training for NCOs and officers, and develop and practice with new technology and tactics for the 21st century war. Gerasimov said that these drills would “ensure that Russian military forces and that of the CSTO would be capable of engaging in all forms of conflict. From conventional war to asymmetric war. All possibilities in the modern warzone”.

These drills are due to begin in the middle to end of April for the first phase of the exercise, which will be held in Belarus and Russia, and the middle of May for the second phase, which will include the Eurasian states of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

General Valery Gerasimov also stated firmly that “Russia stands with Armenia” against all forms of aggression” and that “any form of aggression to any CSTO member will be treated as an aggression against Russia herself”. These comments come after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war in which many criticized former President Oksana Dmitriyeva for failing to intervene in any meaningful way to help Armenia in their conflict with Azerbaijan, which saw Armenia on the losing end of the conflict. Kiriyenko, since his election, has made it clear on his dedication and support for CSTO and EAEU partner nations with Minister of Foreign Affairs Natalia Poklonskaya making her rounds throughout Central Asia, which she will be continuing throughout February with visits to Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and now, Iran scheduled for this month.

These announcements also come after several closed door meetings between President Kiriyenko and President Alexander Lukashenko in early to middle January. Kiriyenko’s party and his junior partner party, the LDPR, have made no efforts to hide their intent of formalizing the Union State and expanding the current structure to include anyone who wishes to join in both an economic and security sense. Many analysts have discussed the open possibility of merging the EAEU and the Union State into a single structure. However, no one from Kiriyenko’s administration has made any statement on that as of yet.

China-Russia meeting

Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing, People's Republic of China

Premier Ma stood ready to greet the Russian President as the standard guard of honor and diplomatic ensemble stood ready. As the Russian jet pulled up to the waiting red carpet, Ma smiled as he waited for the Russian leader to emerge.

Gathered behind ropes was a line of media and citizens waving and smiling at the windows of the jet.

President Kiriyenko smiled and waved as he walked down the stairs towards the reception committee. He was followed close behind by his staff and his minister of foreign affairs Natalia Poklonskaya. He moved towards Premier Ma and put his hand out.
“Premier.” He said with a strong smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you. This is my foreign minister, Natalia Poklonskaya.”

“Pleased to meet both of you. I trust the flight here was enjoyable? Now, if you will follow me, we can make our way over to Zhongnanhai and President Fu.” Ma said, indicating towards the waiting convoy.

Kiriyenko nodded.

“Thank you.” He replied as he allowed himself and his staff to be escorted to the convoy. He took his seat text to Poklonskaya as they went over a few notes as they made their way towards the meeting area.

As the convoy arrived to Zhongnanhai, and passed through Xinhuamen, it continued on towards Ziguang Hall where President Fu stood smiling as the convoy pulled up and the military honor guard officers went to open the car doors.

Kiriyenko exited the car escorted by Poklonskaya, his aides, and his translators. He moved quickly up the steps towards President Fu, passing through the honor guard.

“Mr. President. It is a pleasure to meet you and visit your wonderful country.” He said as he shook Fu’s hand.

“It is a pleasure to have you Mr. President. I pray your flight was enjoyable from Moscow.” Smiling, Fu posed for standard pictures with his Russian counterpart before the pair turned and entered the hall making for a conference room on the side. As Minister Poklonskaya and Premier followed behind along with various aides from both sides, the doors to the room were shut to the cameras besides the approved government photographers from both China and Russia.

Taking his seat, Fu smiled as he said “It is a pleasure to sit down with you and your team so early in both of our administrations. I personally hope to continue a vibrant relationship with Russia under you and to ensure open and honest communication is always a priority for both of us. With that, I will give the floor to you, my colleague.”

"Thank you," replied Kiriyenko as he took his seat. "The feeling is mutual. First, let me congratulate you on your election as well. I look forward to working with you going forward." He paused and looked at Poklonskaya who nodded at him.

"As for business, I am sure that there are issues on both of our minds. However, we can start with economics. As you are aware, we have made significant efforts to increase our trade output with Asia over the past several years. China is a key part of that. Russia is willing to increase its output of energy production and trade with China and Asia. In exchange, I believe it is important for us to continue to lower trade barriers between us, that is the EAEU, and with China as much as possible. As well as better economic transit corridors between Eastern Russia and Northern China.

"We want to engage more deeply as partners in the BRI and work to help create a stronger network between us, Central Asia, and yourselves. I hope that that can be accomplished."

“Absolutely, we are always interested in meaningful and mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations and groups. I am definitely interested in lowering trade barriers and believe that Premier Ma and the appropriate government ministers can work with their counterparts in your government to figure out the specifics. As for the BRI, how exactly would you be interested in working more deeply?” Fu replied as Ma nodded alongside him.

"Very good. Yes, we can develop the finer details at a later date. As for the BRI, Russia is willing to set aside several billion more dollars worth of investment for your projects into transportation, to allow for greater access of Chinese goods, as well as developing a closer tie in our financial and service sectors, particularly between Siberia and the Far East into China. As I am sure you understand, these areas are quite far from Moscow and have long suffered neglect from Western Russia. However, we are very keen on increasing our investment into these areas and would greatly appreciate Chinese help in these developments. Depopulation in these areas have been a very strong concern of my administration and we are working to create this area to be far more livable with better jobs and industry. This includes developing sustainable energy production that will serve both Russia and China, including renewable energy and natural gas exports and exploration in the area. Including the Arctic. Even nuclear, if China is interested in further developing its nuclear industry. We are the world's leader in nuclear enrichment and we are certainly willing to grow this sector for China if you are interested." Kiriyenko replied.

“Well this all certainly sounds very interesting and good to us. I think we can definitely move forward with the overall plan and get into the details with a working group between our government. Is that all you had on this matter?” Fu replied with a smile.

Poklonskaya and Kiriyenko smiled.

"Good, I am glad to hear that." Kiriyenko said. "I believe that is all on the economic concerns." He paused and looked at Poklonskaya before continuing. "However, I am sure that there are other issues that you would like to talk about. Especially concerning security and geopolitical affairs. We are interested in growing our cooperation on these issues. But I am sure that there are things you would like to address."

“Yes, we would like to discuss Iran. In the past they have served as a geo strategic entity for both of us for some time, however, we worry with how belligerent they’ve become and their increasing ability to act on their threats. We are wondering your thoughts on this matter?” Fu replied.

Kiriyenko sighed. Poklonskaya leaned forward to speak and, after a nod from Kiriyenko, she went ahead.

"We understand entirely. Our relationship with Iran is not only a key aspect of our work to defeat ISIS in the Middle East, but they have also grown to be an important ally within the region. We do not wish to hurt that. But we also do agree that we do not want, under any circumstances, for Iran to have a weapon of mass destruction nor any attack on Israel or any one else for that matter. Denuclearization is a key aspect of our foreign policy and the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is a horrifying thought. With that said, we wish for them to remain as a friend and ally to both of our countries. Did you have any specific actions you wanted to take, Mr. President?"

“We believe and hope that we can reach a desirable conclusion via diplomatic means. Unlike the Americans, we are both closer to Tehran and this able to actually assert influence and pressure and diplomacy is of course the preferred avenue with which we solve this issue. That being said, out of respect for our open and frank relationship, it is only right that you know that China will not allow a nuclear Iran. But, as was said before, we pray and hope that, especially together, we can find a solution diplomatically.” Fu replied calmly.

“To that end, would Russia be willing to, at the conclusion of this meeting, issue a joint statement regarding our joint wish to see the end of nuclear proliferation?” Ma chimed in.

Poklonsyaka looked at Kiriyenko and tapped his arm discreetly. They leaned in together, whispering in hushed tones before Kiriyenko turned back, looking back and forth between Premier Ma and President Fu.

"We are more than willing to make a statement against nuclear proliferation." Kiriyenko began. "This applied broadly and without specific prejudice against Iran specifically. However, they can be named as a state in general. If you understand. We believe it would be much better to pursue this privately with Iran for at least the time being."

Poklonskaya cleared her throat. "I am planning visits throughout Central Asia. I am more than able to meet in Tehran as soon as possible to make it clear on our collected position, as well as to secure our position with them. Both geopolitically and economically." She said.

"We cannot risk Western powers sensing blood in the water in the Middle East, if you understand." Kiriyenko continued slowly. "If that does fail, then we can pursue more overt measures. If you wish to have your representatives join us, that would be more than acceptable."

"Very well. We can agree to the broad statement with Iran named as one of the states. We also trust in your abilities to handle Tehran so we will stay behind the scenes on that front unless we need to up the pressure. Thank you for understanding our position." Fu replied before nodding to Premier Ma.

Clearing his throat, Ma picked up where Fu left off saying "Now, still on matters of defense, we wanted to get your insight into the growing tension between South Korea and Japan. While both are allies of the US, we do have some concerns over the wider impact of our region."

"Thank you, Mr. President." Kiriyenko said. He turned to Ma as he spoke. "Yes... it is quite a precarious situation. Of course, seeing chinks in the armour of the American blockade is hardly something that causes me distress. However, the threat of war in East Asia is something that I am sure you are as eager to avoid as anyone." He paused and turned meaningfully to Poklonskaya who leaned in. They engaged again in another soft conversation for a moment before Kiriyenko looked back at Fu and Ma.

"We have our issues with Japan. As you know. As dos South Korea. We do not wish to weaponize this at this time. In fact, a peaceful and negotiated solution to our current Kuril Islands dispute would be beneficial. On this, we consider East Asia to be your area of expertise and sphere. We are more than happy to follow your lead, as you are to follow ours in Tehran. I am sure that there is a peaceful solution that will prevent potential three-way wars breaking out on your border."

"We are glad to hear that. Our Foreign Minister, coincidentally also named Ma but of no relation, is due to meet with his Japanese counterpart in a low visibility meeting. At which, we are thinking of proposing a summit hosted in Hong Kong in order to resolve the current dispute between them. If this proves fruitful, then perhaps we expand it to all disputes with Japan." Ma replied.

Kiriyenko nodded. "That will be good. I hope all goes well. Were there any other issues you wished to discuss, Mr. President? Premier?"

"Yes." Ma replied before continuing "We are interested in partnering deeper with Roscosmos regarding joint space exploration missions. Is this something you are open to?"

Yes, indeed. Such cooperation would be welcomed. We are interested in expanding both our manned and unmanned operations so the more cooperation the better, I would imagine." Kiriyenko replied with a smile.

“Very good to hear that. Now is there anything else your side had?” Fu asked

Thank you, Mr. President. I do not believe we have anything else at this time.”

“We have one last issue to raise.” Fu said as he took a sip of water. “Ukraine has truly global implications and as such is of concern to us. That being said, we are curious as to your plans regarding Ukraine.”

Both Kiriyenko and Poklonskaya nodded.

"Yes, I can understand your concern," said Kiriyenko gravely. He sighed and leaned forward and looked at Poklonskaya as he spoke. "First, our position regarding Crimea has not and will not change. We accept the referendum and it will not return to Ukraine no matter what. As for the crisis in the Donbas..." he paused and Poklonskaya continued for him.

"The situation in the Donbas is quite complex from a political and cultural standpoint. First, the people of Novorossiya have already declared their intentions to forming a new state. No matter what, Ukraine will not allow this. Even if we back down entirely, we will only be opening up the region to more war. We have no intention or goal of starting a war with global implications. But you also must understand that we cannot allow Ukraine to be accepted into NATO, nor allow for American forces to build bases on our border or have a proxy state within striking distance of Moscow. We also cannot allow the border region of the Donbas to devolve into an insurgency. This will happen if we pull our support and Ukrainian soldiers move in. The number of civilian casualties has been rising steadily in the Donbas for the past 11 years. We do seek a final and permanent solution. If Ukraine and the West are willing to negotiate, that is."

"The Ukrainian government has armed radical groups and given them free range along the Donbas front. These groups, now official members of the Ukrainian National Guard, have open affiliation with Ukrainian nationalism and neo-nazism. They adore Stepan Bandera, the 1st Galician, and the Ukrainian National Armyand openly pay homage to that horrid time. These are the threats that the people of the Donbas are facing. I hope you can understand then, just how complicated this situation is." Poklonskaya finished.

“It is definitely complex.” Fu replied before continuing “We urge restraint on both sides and pray for a peaceful outcome. To that end, we are willing to host a conference in Shanghai should all sides agree. Would this be of interest to Russia?”

"We pray as well. But we must also prepare for the worst. But yes, we are more than willing to be apart of a peace conference in Shanghai." Kiriyenko said with a smile.

“Very good. Well, that is all from us.” Fu replied with a smile.

"And from us. Thank you for the meeting, Mr. President." Kiriyenko replied.

by **Newne Carriebean7** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 4:43 pm

9th Congress of the Worker's Party of Korea
Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
April 25 House of Culture
January 22, 113 (2025)

Imposing monoliths of vast marble greeted the thousands of anxious delegates, doctors, soldiers, party-careerists and authors that descended on Pyongyang for one of the most important, (at least publicly) political actions that any north Korean man (or woman) would undertake. The assembled masses were filtered into the main room of the House of Culture, a vast ampatheather with a small stage set up with enough microphones to down out any possible dissent. It was here that a very disheveled and tired looking skeleton of a man, a man that had once commanded the wills of thousands, now had to get help from his bodyguards in order to address the room.

"Patriots."

A line of applause, no doubt, as the entire room burst into simultaneous clapping, all the while TV cameras set to broadcast this all over the DPRK state made damn sure to pick up the audio feed of the thousands of individual sets of hands, cheering on their Chief Enlightened One. The Khaki-suited individual at the very receiving end of this applause flashed a toothy looking grin in-between the reflection from his dark sunglasses that entered his eyes. However, he wanted to get through his speech today rather than tomorrow, and so was relieved when the applause slowly de-celerated as smoothly as a North Korean nuclear test.

"We are in trying times. People are hungry in this nation. This is the fault of the west. YES! THE WEST!! Their irresponsible actions of hard sanctions has hampered our own nation's ability to feed ourselves. Lest we go through another 'Arduous March' within two months. Instead of two months, we shall delay this by a period of Five Years. I am proud to announce another Five Year Plan, with the following goals:

1. Increase our Weapons of Mass Destruction stockpile in order to better feed our citizens with radiation and radioactive isotopes.

2. Co-opt fishing land and begin the construction of dykes to drain water from them, enabling our people and state to begin to grow crops of ample rice and wheat on-top of it.

3. Increase our coal production to enable us to sell more to the People's Republic of China, environmental bullshit be damned!

4. Put an 80-20% emphasis on Military to Civilian needs. This is not a complete abdication of our workers and peasants, however, soldiers will get more food and a first say on many matters of state. Songun is the policy of the Country, and it is the policy of Kim Jong-Il!

As for ideological motives-"

"The People suffer! The People suffer while folks like you and me live like the great kings of the Joseon Dynasty! That is not Marxist orthodoxy! That is not socialism or communism! You don't give a FUCK about anything or anyone that happens outside these walls!"

Kim Jong-Il turned his head at the source of the outburst, removing his sunglasses from his eyes to better take a look at who had decided to sign their own death warrant. He was rather surprised, as the source of the outburst came from his own son, Kim Jong-un.

"Jong un? Why must y-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, DAD!"

Kim Jong-Il snapped his fingers as two guards marched from the side-lines of the Worker's Congress and grabbed the arms of Kim Jong Un, bringing him right to the face of a now infuriated chief enlightened one.

"Son... Is that any way to speak to m-"

A large wad of spit interrupted the commander-in-chief of the country as he recoiled in shock, before abruptly turning on his heels and shouting:

"Get him out of here! Get him out, out, OUUUUTT!!!! Take him back to the pala-people's house of Marxist orthodoxy immediately! I have no son."

Several soldiers piled on top of Kim Jong Un, with much restraining being seen by concerned delegates that had gathered, as Cameras were told (rather sternly) to pan away from the audible struggle. The man screamed and screamed, cursing his father's name a thousand times over, promising a nice spot in hell for him. Kim Jong-Il's eyes, behind such a pair of shades was...vulnerable. A fleeting moment of vulnerability. Not the hard-hitting, beer-swigging, plane-hating dictator, but a more gentle father figure that felt as if he had failed his son. If one was to look closely enough at the Chief Enlightened One, he took notice of a single, solitary tear flowing down his face.

"I knew that kim-il-sung-damn Swiss education was too liberal for him..." He thought bitterly to himself as the doors to the April 25 House of Culture slammed shut, the noise echoing throughout the well-acuosictedly filled hallways and room itself. He then turned to address the delegates gathered there.

"I apologize for my son's outburst. I-"

The thousands of delegates watching soon reacted in abject horror as the khaki dressed up man collapsed to the ground unexpectedly. Almost instantly, camera-feed was ordered off by barking lieutenants and generals, with several North Korean bodyguard's and soldier's hands blocking off the cameras to prevent additional footage from being shown. A small army mobbed around the Chief Enlightened Officer, preventing any more of the now riotous and rowdy delegates from trying to either take advantage of the situation or to do something else more nefarious. The North Korean press was tight-lipped about the whole affair, with their main journalistic team being released "earlier than expected" for the rest of the week while an emergency meeting of the State Defense Board was called immediately to sort out possible succession.

Emergency Meeting of the State Defense Board of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
15 Minutes after Kim Jong-Il's incapacitation

The curtains in the room were drawn back, greatly darkening the already skinny room as the two individuals inside of it got to work clearing off a small kitchen table and huddling around a pre-lit candle that provided a marginally slim amount of light, just enough to make the faces of both women visible to the other.

The first woman opened fire with her words first.

"Do we know if he's dead?"

"I haven't gotten anything back from Pyongyang themselves on his condition."

"What is our next course of action?"

"We must carefully get things all sorted out now. Don't take absolute power now, but make sure we reel in the Army. Give them more rocket tests and nuclear weapons launches. Keep them happy. If they want a thousand more T-62 tanks, we'll have the old fart undertake a trip to Moscow himself to get them from storage. I'm sure Russia would be happy to sell them to us, we might even get paid to take them off their hands, even."

"I...I see... M'am, We indeed must tread carefully. One wrong move, one miscalculated slip-up, one un-happily bribed General and...the country will break apart, or we'll lose our heads. It even remains to be seen how happy this country will be, taking orders from a-"

The other woman shot her a stern look before she rephrased the sentence.

"Taking orders from two women. I just hope we don't have to take a short trip out of the country."

"We'll be fine. Listen to me, Listen. All we need to do is not act presumptuous. Let's not count our chicken's before they hatch, shall we? If all goes right, this country will be undergoing a massive transformation, politically anyways. Anyways, we must get going, we have a lot to do now."

With that, both women left the room rather quickly, extinguishing the candle before moving down the streets of Pyongyang.

DAILY-NK
KIM JONG-IL COLLAPSES DURING OPENING SESSION OF THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY, CONDITION UNCERTAIN

In a shocking turn of events, Kim Jong-Il collapsed during the opening session of the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's legislative chamber. The 84 year old head of government reportedly lost consciousness. As cameras broadcasting the event were cut shortly following this event, it is evident that the North Korean government does not wish to show this to it's citizens.

As there is an uncertainty as to who exactly would come after Kim Jong-Il's eventual death, let us speculate onto the known big-names in North Korean politics, ranked by likeli-hood of seizing political power for themselves in the event of a power-struggle.

1. President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Yong-nam

Kim Yong-nam, at first glance, seems like a seasoned politician and expert to take the reigns of political control. He has served as the Foreign Minister for almost 30 full years and is in charge of the legislative branch of government, (although in all purposes the legislature is nothing more than a rubber stamp for decisions by the Politburo Standing Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea).

However, in spite of this, Kim Yong-nam's greatest weakness is his age. Currently 97 years old, it is unlikely that, even if he was to secure political power, his regime would last any much longer. This, coupled with the fact that no North Korean head of state has been directly outside of the "Mt. Paketu Blood-line" as it is known, leaves his candidacy in serious doubt.

2. Former Member of the National Defense Council (2002-2010), current Governing Director of Food Aid and Supplies for the Air Force (since 2011) Kim Il-chol

Kim Il-chol is a man known for his humanitarian work rather than behind the scenes meddling. During the 2011 Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Kim Il-chol embarked on a secret mission to Japan to express sympathy and to offer North Korean financial assistance in rebuilding Japan. Although these efforts were not successful, it would mean slightly calmer relations between North Korea and Japan, should he consolidate power around him.

Unfortunately, Kim Il-chol holds the same weakness as Kim Yong-nam, being just five years younger than Yong-nam at the more spritely age of 92. He also holds no real place inside the aforementioned Blood-line, and is unlikely for him to garner any real support from members of the Kim family for assistance.

3. Manager of Korean State Hamburger Corporation and incumbent Vice Principal of the State Defense Board Kim Kyong-hui

An unorthodox choice for a North Korean leader, being a woman, Kim Kyong-hui garnered headlines for the role her husband played in his own arrest. Although this should have ended all instances and notices of her, Kim Kyong-hui has been a much public figure in recent years, alongside Kim Jong Un. She is more known for her novel role as the first female business owner in North Korea, being the proprietor and Manager of over 190 Korean State Hamburger locations throughout Pyongyang and North Korea. One of her biggest advantages, though, is her direct relation to Kim Jong-il, as they are brother and sister. At least in comparison to the first two, she is younger in age, being just 78 years old.

However, it remains to be seen at how a woman would be handled by the traditionally male-orientated leadership of not just the Armed Forces but the political organization of the Worker's Party of Korea. There could be serious push-back to such an idea of letting a "woman" take the reigns of power in Pyongyang. There is even the risk that a civil-war might break out, leaving North Korea's small but important nuclear arsenal a major risk should one occur.

by **Mifan** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 8:47 pm

Egypt, Egypt
Presidential Palace
January, 2025

The massive crowd waited in front of the palace, prepared to receive the address that was planned. Even in the incomplete city, there was still a sizeable population already living there, a far cry from the expected 7-10 million that could live there, but sizeable regardless. Of course, that population would only make up the elite of the nation, those who actually mattered and had a say in how things would operate. The new city was for them, and only them. Cairo was too unstable, too dangerous; the populace had too much easy access to those with power.

Phase One of the city was already complete, and Phase Two was well underway. Gamal had a lot of pressure being put on him to finish the city as fast as possible. Everybody was avoiding the big city for good reason; a city in the middle of the desert, with the military to protect it, was the best place to live if you had money. The desperate in the other cities wouldn't hesitate to put a knife in the wealthy, just to one up them.

Gamal stepped out onto the podium to an resounding applause, his brother, close behind, along with many other government officials. Cameras streamed everything to the populace.

"Brothers and Sisters! We embark into a new year; a new future. Much has happened to our great nation, to our people. From the ancient Pharaohs who built our beloved Pyramids, to our beloved Nasser, who founded our modern nation. Our civilization has been through it all." A small applause could be heard. "And yet, we still face obstacles. Our beloved Nile is at risk because of the Ethiopian Dam. We used to be a breadbasket in ancient times, and yet, we import large quantities of food. The Middle East is still full of tension, and our neighbors are unstable. Our nation faces many problems, some of which have lasted decades. Some of you may see these issues as not our problem, or too complex to solve. However, I see them as an opportunity my fellow Egyptians. We have a chance to show the world that we, the Arab Republic of Egypt, are the true leaders of the Arab World; that ,we, are to be respected!" A thunderous applause could be heard off camera.

"It is 2025 and the world continues to shift. We must shift as well. We will not be left behind in this changing world." He paused. "The road ahead won't be easy, but I know that we will come out on top. No struggle is too great for our nation. Parliament and I have many great things planned for our nation. New projects that will show what we are capable of, projects that will provide employment for those who need it. Reforms that will lead to a better life for many. For now, know this, the future of this nation is bright. When we each the end of the tunnel, all of us will be prosperous!" Cheers and applauses were heard as Gamal turned and left the podium, with his brother in tow.

Cairo, Egypt
One hour after speech
January, 2025

Three thousand protesters marched down the streets of the former Capital. They saw the speech, and they, as well as every other Egyptian, knew that it was all lies. The only ones who'd prosper were those who already had the wealth and influence to do so. None of the average population would see any benefit; at best they'd see a minimal increase in their income as the rich get richer. Only those who supported the status quo would see any benefits, so naturally, those within the Security Forces and Military. Unfortunately for them, dissent would not be tolerated.

Security Forces were quickly deployed and had cut the protesters route off. No warning was given as rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons were fired upon the group. To them, this was just an average Tuesday; it was fun beating on protesters who thought their opinion mattered. The crowd quickly dispersed as officers charged them, bringing their batons down upon any who stood in their way, and arresting those who they could. Videos and pictures would, of course, get out, but who's going to care? Wasn't the first time the world has seen people in Egypt beaten down, and it wasn't going to be the last time.

Within two hours, out of the three thousand who were marching, 342 were arrested, 949 were wounded and needed medical treatment, to varying degrees, and 13 were killed. Those killed were most likely trampled by the crowd as it ran in all directions, officially anyway. Chance are, they were probably killed from being beaten, but nobody needs to know that. Sadly, for those arrested, they would be staying in prison for a good while, getting tortured. They need to learn not to go against the will of the state.

by **New Provenance** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 4:23 am

New York Times
All The News That's Fit to Print

January 2025

Sen. Bernie Sanders, progressive Democrats call on President Brown to support social security reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A group of progressive Democrats led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who caucuses with the Democratic Party, have called on President Sherrod Brown to support their proposed social security reforms, which include the implementation of policies to delay or completely prevent the bankruptcy of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its associated trust fund, which is vital to supplying the SSA with the funds necessary to pay out social security benefits including pension for the elderly and disabled as well as Medicaid and Medicare. President Brown has spent a majority of his tenure as U.S. president staying neutral on the issue of social security reform, most likely to keep himself away from dabbling too much in progressive, left-wing policies like social welfare. Brown won the 2020 and subsequently the 2024 presidential elections on a platform of 'moderate, compassionate progressivism'.

VP Whitmer tours SpaceX site at Kennedy Space Center, NASA announces Starship to be primary Mars launch vehicle
CAPE CANEVERAL, FL - VP Gretchen Whitmer toured the SpaceX rocket manufacturing and launch complex at Kennedy Space Center earlier this week, to reaffirm the Brown administration's commitment to spaceflight, NASA, and the Artemis Program, and to announce in conjunction with NASA administrator Bill Nelson the conclusion of the selection process for the Future Primary Mars Vehicle Program (FTP-MVP), which decided unanimously upon SpaceX's fully reusable heavy launch vehicle Starship as its victor. Whitmer at a press briefing with several NASA astronauts, including veteran astronaut Kayla Barron, who led the Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon last year, told the media that 'the United States must persevere with its space initiatives and especially with Artemis, as we prepare to put boots on the Moon once more'. She also stated that expanded cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and 'other potential international partners' could occur in the space field as the United States prepares for its Lunar return this summer.

U.S. Air Force to deliver proposal to hold NATO-wide aerial exercises in Poland in May, Pentagon confirms
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Air Force has confirmed through its Pentagon spokesperson that the USAF intends to deliver a proposal to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to hold NATO-wide aerial exercises in Poland in May, the Pentagon spokesperson confirms. It was reported that while the exercise is expected to be carried out with 'mutual defense cooperation readiness' in mind, recent tensions in Ukraine continue to be a 'factor in play'. The announcement comes after a surge in rumors that President Brown intends to further strengthen the NATO alliance in the face of 'all threats, foreign or domestic' in order to revitalize the alliance 'for the better'.

by **Arvenia** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:36 am

January 22, 2025
National Assembly Proceeding Hall, Seoul, South Korea
The House of Representatives (민의원/Minuiwon), the lower house of the South Korean National Assembly (국회/Gughoe), has been put into session and is going to vote on certain legislations.

Support for Increased Defense Spending
This legislation seeks to increase defense spending. This was in response to the presence of Japanese patrol vessels near Dokdo (독도). The National Republican Party (NRP) proposed this legislation and received support from most MNAs. However, the legislation has also seen opposition from some MNAs, especially those belonging to the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the Justice Party (JP). Floor leader Park Hong-keun (DPK) criticized the legislation as being "provocative" and called upon it to be rejected. Since the NRP came to power, spending in South Korea has been split between defense and welfare.

Voted For: 50.5%
Voted Against: 49.5%

As a result of this vote, the South Korean government shall increase defense spending.

Crackdown on Digital Sedition
This legislation seeks to crack down on what President Cho Dae-jung described as "digital sedition", which mainly refers to subversive activity done through digital means. This is in response to the planned shutdown of the notorious website Ilbe Storehouse (일간베스트 저장소). The National Republican Party (NRP) proposed the legislation in order to receive support for said shutdown. It has received support from many MNAs. However, it was also opposed by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the Justice Party (JP). Floor leader Park Hong-keun (DPK) described the legislation as an "attack on freedom of speech", while Bae Jin-gyo (JP) denounced it as a "serious violation of human rights".

Voted For: 49.9%
Voted Against: 50.1%

As a result of this vote, the South Korean government can not crack down on digital sedition. However, Ilbe Storehouse will still be subject to government crackdown.

Designation of Nippon Kaigi as a Terrorist Organization
The National Republican Party (NRP) has proposed a legislation that would designate Nippon Kaigi, a far-right lobbying group based in Japan, as a terrorist organization. According to President Cho Dae-jung (NRP), the reason is that Nippon Kaigi has engaged in "extremist activities". These activities include historical revisionism (which includes denying or downplaying Japanese war crimes), continued support for official state visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a nationalist interpretation of State Shinto and subsequent militarization of Japan, as well as the promotion of misogyny, imperialism and racism (especially towards the Chinese and Korean communities). Many MNAs have shown support for the legislation, while no opposition has been seen so far. Such designation would subject most of Nippon Kaigi's associates to severe sanctions.

Voted For: 92.5%
Voted Against: 7.5%

As a result of this vote, Nippon Kaigi will officially be designated by the South Korean government as a terrorist organization.

Arrest Warrant for Park Geun-hye
The National Republican Party (NRP) has called for former President Park Geun-hye to be arrested for treason, mainly due to her being the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, whom current President Cho Dae-jung (NRP) denounced as a chinilpa (친일파), and Park having also abetted Japan's resumption of a right to collective self-defense under Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. As such, the NRP wants Park Geun-hye to be arrested and labeled as a chinilpa, which could result in her facing harsh punishment in accordance with the Anti-Japanese Civil Act (반일민법). Many MNAs supported the legislation, while the People Power Party (PPP) outright opposed it on the grounds that it is nothing more than "baseless harassment".

Voted For: 74.9%
Voted Against: 25.1%

As a result of this vote, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) and the Homeland Security Agency (HSA) will be arresting Park Geun-hye on treason charges.

by **Sao Nova Europa** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:15 am

President Zemmour announces priorities for 2025

President Eric Zemmour announced the priorities of his administration for 2025 in a press conference. "This year we aim to achieve three things," the President stated. "Tax reform, pension reform and further bolstering border security. Firstly, with regards to the tax reform, our administration will seek to further reduce the tax burden in order to make France even more competitive in this globalized economy and to attract foreign direct investment. We shall reduce the flat tax on capital gains from 20% to 10%, abolish income tax for those under 30, and reduce sales tax on fuel, oil, gas and electricity to 5% from the current 10%."

"With regards to pension reform, we shall streamline the current complex system of public and private pension schemes into one state-managed plan to close a shortfall of 18 billion euros and raise the retirement age from 65 to 67. This will ensure that our social security system is viable and that new workers are not burdened by an unsustainable system. When it comes to border security, we shall be seeking the legalization of pushbacks at an EU level, direct funding by the EU to frontier member states for the construction of border walls and other barriers, increased funding for Frontex and closer cooperation on deportations. We need a Europe that protects its external borders and defend European citizens. Regardless of what will be decided on EU level, France will further step up the deportation of illegal immigrants."

The plans for tax reduction and greater measures against illegal immigration have been received well by the French public, but public opinion is far more divided when it comes to the pension reform plan. Some view it as a necessary reform to save social security, while others accuse the government of pursuing a 'neoliberal' economic agenda.

by **NewLakotah** » Thu Jul 07, 2022 12:03 pm

Russia-United Kingdom Summit

February, 2025

Kiriyenko holds Summit with British Prime Minister Ben Wallace opening new possibilities towards peace

Kiriyenko arrived home last night after what he called a “successful” Summit with British PM Ben Wallace. He announced that “a real and permanent solution” to the Donbas Crisis may be in the works, assuming all parties could agree to terms regarding peace.

“There is certainly enough that we agreed upon that could set up a peace transition for the people of Crimea and the people of the Donbas. We have much work to do and the path is not yet clear, but for the first time in 11 years, we now have an opening” Kiriyenko said in a press conference after the Summit.

According to preliminary reports, the Summit included points that would include a finalized and internationally accepted solution to both Crimea and the Donbas that, according to Kiriyenko, “puts their future into their own hands”.

The Summit has been widely praised across Russia, with opposition party leader Navalny praising this “as a great step for Russia into the 21st century” and that “Russia’s isolation could be coming to an end” and from Oksana Dmitriyeva who congratulated President Kiriyenko and Prime Minister Ben Wallace for “willing to negotiate after so many years of refusing to talk”. However, there were still criticism. Despite the congratulations Dmitriyeva said that the “negotiations cannot make Russia weaker and the position of Crimea is final and Russia will accept nothing less.”

Criticism from coalition partner Alexei Didenko was even harsher. Not long after the Summit came to a conclusion, Didenko lashed out in a public appearance, criticizing the move as “submission to the West and to Kiev” and “abandoning Russians” in the Donbas.

Egyptian protests against Mubarak leave 13 dead over 900 wounded

Major protests erupt in Cairo leaving 13 dead and hundreds more wounded in what Minister of Foreign Affairs Natalia Poklonskaya called “a terrible tragedy” and a “brutal crackdown”. She would go on to call for “peaceful protests” and for a dialogue between the government and the protestors stating, “Violence will only beget more violence. We call upon both sides to show restraint and for the government to withhold from using excessive violence against protests. The right to assemble should not be met with bullets and bombs.”

The protests were largely due to economic downturns in the Egyptian economy as well as a general lack of quality of life under the Mubarak administration. Some analysts have wondered why Kiriyenko’s administration has remained generally quiet on the issue, minus the statement from Poklonskaya. Many see it as a result of Russia’s military base in Egypt and long ties with the country’s military as one of its most important arms supplier and does not want to risk the relationship.

Poklonskaya has also indicated a willingness to visit Egypt and to discuss matters of domestic and regional security in Cairo following the unrest, stating, “a strong Egypt is good for both Africa and for the Middle East”.

There have been no reports of more protests following the crackdown, however, many experts believe that this crackdown will only weaken the Mubarak administration even more and the tight rope that Russia is walking between both sides may actually hurt Russia’s interest in the region and with Egypt more than it will help it.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il suffers heart attack leaving succession crisis in his wake

In a stunning event, Kim Jong-Il suffered a heart attack and his current status is currently unknown with no public statement coming from the government of the hermit kingdom. The event was caused by a sudden outburst between him and his son Kim Jung-Un during a press conference. The incident was a heated one, and caused Kim Jong-Il to collapse. However, with no current news, the world has been left in the dark as to who is currently running the nation in Kim Jong-Il's absence. Nor have they given any indication as to whether or not a permanent replacement will be found for the current leader, should he truly be on his deathbed.

There has been little official comment on the matters from President Kiriyenko’s administration, with a spokesperson from the administration stating that “they were monitoring the situation closely” but “had no further comment on the issue”. Whether or not Kiriyenko has more details on the situation or is in talks with the North Korean government or China on the situation is currently unknown. However, there is a significant threat to peace in the region now that a potential power struggle could occur on the Korean peninsula. Should that draw in foreign powers, the position of North Korea and South Korea could become a new hotspot for proxy wars between competing powers.

Kremlin, Moscow
February, 2025

“How long are you truly willing to delay? To keep the endless crisis going is a disaster for Russia. Not just in the long term, but in the short as well. We must force the issue as soon as possible or take unilateral action!”

Alexei Didenko was heated. His face was turning a shade of red as he spoke through clenched teeth. Boris Titov, sitting on the other side of the table, was looking no less roused.

“We will continue to negotiate until we do not have a choice, Alexei.” Boris Titov said, his voice tight as he tried to restrain himself to sound calm. “If we act rash and vainly we lose any opportunity of gaining international support and could lose everything. The peaceful option may not be glorious, but it is the most effective!”

“Gentlemen, enough.” Kiriyenko interjected softly. His voice and demeanor was not heated but simply frustrated. He had listened to these two men, the two minority party leaders within his coalition go back and forth on the matter almost as soon as the coalition and Security Council had been formed. He had had little choice in giving them both positions. He hadn’t wanted either to be in his coalition, but he had little choice in the matter. Didenko was the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, the ultranationalist, bellicose, proud Russian party that gave him just enough seats to pass his economic policies. He had made sure not to give him too much an important position in the Council, but one that would keep him satisfied and quiet. So he was appointed Chairman of the Federation Council, the Upper House of the Russian legislature. The satisfied part was working, but the quiet part was not.

On the other hand was Boris Titov, now his Internal Minister. A fitting role for a fitting man. Economically, there was no question that Titov and Kiriyenko agreed on many things. Yes, he was cautious with an unhealthy streak of pro-westenism, but at least they could engage in domestic affairs. However, Titov’s pro-western streak had come back to bite Kiriyenko, just as he thought it would. The Party of Growth leaving wouldn’t necessarily break Kiriyenko’s administration. They still had the votes in the Duma. But what they didn’t have was the votes in the Federation Council. Not to mention, Titov was a rising member of the opposition and becoming more popular with the people than Kiriyenko had liked. Putting him in the administration at least allowed him to take most of the credit when things went right and put the blame on ‘his coalition government’ when things didn’t. Thus, he had had no choice in giving them a significant role in the Security Council.

Now, this is what that great move of politking had got him. Constant fighting and bickering between the two sides. The ultranationalist war hawk Didenko and the liberal dove Titov. And in the middle was Kiriyenko. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. He could hardly dismiss them. His coalition and policies depended on them. Economically, he had little to no issue with Titov except on several policy points regarding liberalization of certain markets. Internationally, he only wished Didenko had the brains to know when to cool down, but at least he wanted a strong Russia. Silently, as Kiriyenko stared at both of the men from behind his desk, he prayed that the election would come sooner than expected and result in a landslide for United Russia and both of these men could go back to arguing in the Duma. Far away from where he would be. Or at least that Jesus Christ would return, ushering in the Kingdom of God, where he would make sure to stay as far away from both men as possible to maintain his peace and happiness. Privately, he believed that the latter was more likely at the moment.

“Please,” Kiriyenko continued desperately, “we cannot have this bickering within our own Council. Didenko, my friend.” He said, turning to his Chairman of the Federation Council. “We cannot go now. I have given the orders to prepare the troops for the exercises. This is enough to prepare our forces and give Gerasimov enough time to collect with his commanders and formulate a plan. But we cannot lose everything that we have gained so far. We are in the midst of negotiations with Prime Minister Wallace. Moving anything at this point is impossible.” He turned again, now to Titov. “Minister. I respect your opinion greatly. We are working with all parties, including China and the United Kingdom, to find a permanent solution without resorting to violence. But we must be prepared for all possibilities. Didenko is right. We cannot simply light a candle and hope for peace. Sometimes we have to make it. Do you understand?”

Both men nodded. There was a moment of silence that was broken by a small cough that was barely noticeable. Kiriyenko, however, did notice it. He had nearly forgotten that Prime Minister and Chairwoman of the Government Alyona Arshinova was also there. The two minority party leaders had been so loud for so long that Arshinova had sat quietly between them, her head turning back and forth like she was at Wimbledon watching Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams in their prime.

Kiriyenko smiled at Arshinova. Arshinova was someone he did like. Yes, it helped that they were in the same party and held largely similar views. But he also liked her for her intelligence and steadfastness. She was young and someone you would definitely call a rising star. He was elated that she was in his party. Facing her as an opposition leader would not be a good thing.

He nodded for her to continue. She leaned forward, her head moving back and forth between all three men.

“Thank you, Mr. President. I was wondering if I would be able to speak today, sitting here between my two fellow party leaders.” She smiled. Kiriyenko tried to hide a smile as well. “However, we must address this bluntly. There is a reason the LDPR is one of the largest parties. They are the ones advocating the loudest for action in Ukraine. The people are clearly tired of the never-ending-war mantra of the media. Not just from us, but from everyone, including the United States and their press. But we cannot possibly risk an operation too soon. Nor one that does not have clear, defined, attainable objectives.”

“Indeed.” Kiriyenko replied. “That is the purpose of our engagement with the world, especially Beijing. We cannot risk what we might lose. We cannot risk the lives of our men for a failed operation and we cannot sit by while the Donbas remains a thorn in our side. Sooner or later it will become infected and we will be in a worse state than we are today.”

“But Mr. President,” Titov interjected breathlessly. “We cannot begin to prepare for war and then state we are looking for peace in the same breath. It will look like a sham and cause even worse backlash.”

“But we are not preparing for war. We are preparing for every inevitability, Minister.” Kiriyenko replied quietly.

“We are conducting joint exercises with our Union State partners and our CSTO partner states. In two months time, no less. The drills are good for us, no matter what results in their aftermath. That is not preparing for war, that is preparing for any threat, Boris.” Arshinova replied firmly.

“Have you thought of how the world will see this?” Boris asked.

“Of course we have.” Kiriyenko leaned forward sharply. “But no matter what, we are in this position because of the failures of the previous administrations. Who gave us a half baked job, then left us with the bill. Now we are paying for it. We can either complete the job or foot the bill. I would rather not leave with our efforts wasted.”

“We have already delayed and delayed for so long, Mr. President.” It was now Didenko’s turn to interject.

“As I said, Chairman.” Kiriyenko replied calmly. “The faults of the previous administration to pursue meaningful solutions cannot be rectified. What is a worse option is taking one option and not even bothering to look for others. Especially if we do not know the consequences.”

“We cannot know how our allies will react to a unilateral action. However, I believe we cannot count on their support if we do not pursue every peaceful option fully.” Arshinova said, staring fixedly at Didenko. “We cannot risk losing the bank for a few kopeks.”

Didenko sneered in response. “You think Crimea and the Donbas are mere kopeks?”

“Do not twist my words, Chairman.” Arshinova was getting heated herself now. Kiriyenko had had enough now. He raised his hand and sighed deeply. The three party leaders turned and looked at him.

“Stop this nonsense and this bullshit now.” He said firmly. “Listen, this is my decision. Alyona, this is your government within our coalition.” He motioned around to all three of them. “I have taken all of your words and your advice into consideration. We are pursuing an option that ensures our security in all things and one that keeps our options open.” He paused and sighed again.

“Look,” he began again slowly. “We are in a grave position. We are the government of Russia. If we are this divided from within, we do not stand a chance from without. Not in times like these when enemies are drooling waiting for us to fall apart to pounce. We are going to be prepared for all outcomes. Including violent ones. And yes, even peaceful ones. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Mr. President.” came back the three voices.

“Good. Now, General Gerasimov has his orders and he will prepare our armed forces to, as unobtrusively as possible, prepare our forces for combat against a traditional, well-prepared, and fortified army. That will continue as we prepare our military for all threats with our upcoming exercises. Meanwhile, I and Natalia will continue to explore this peace process coming from Swiss Summit. The terms are harsh for Kiev and even with the Point Three, there is still significant blocks towards having a truly peaceful end to the war. But, if Kiev wants to meet for talks we will meet for talks, is that understood?”

Yes, Mr. President.”

“Mr. President,” Didenko ventured cautiously. “You cannot truly be considering Point Three? Removing our troops from Belarus? That is an outrage!”

“It is an understandable outrage, Chairman Didenko.” Kiriyenko said softly. “Point Three has become so convoluted that it is unlikely to get anyone to agree, let along the odd dozen plus nations that will need to sign off on it, not even including the UNSC. But if all parties agree to it, then we are that much closer to securing our border once and for all.”

“So you would withdraw troops from Belarus?” Arshinova asked.

“If necessary, yes. Listen, we are guaranteed that all NATO troops with withdraw from the Baltics during the process and even after they would only be at pre-2014 levels. After which we can put as many thousands of Russian troops in Belarus as we wish. It may be a price, but it may be a price we are willing to pay for security of Ukraine and the Donbas.”

Titov smiled and nodded. “Which is brave and wise move, Mr. President. However, I still believe that the terms are far too extreme for Ukraine to agree to.”

“Most probably, Minister.” Arshinova said. “But even from your point of view, it is a starting point. We have shown the world we are willing to negotiate and come to the table. If they are willing to negotiate, then so are we and we might be spared a war.” She turned sharply on Didenko. “And yes, Chairman, if they fall through then we can have your precious war.

“That is enough on Ukraine. As I already said. The position is now final and we are in the midst of the negotiations and, until Point Three is given to Kiev, we have no obligations to follow or even appear to be following them. If they are, then we can withdraw our forces and cancel the exercises. Until then, General Gerasimov will carry on business as usual and I will continue to work with anyone and everyone to find a peaceful solution.”

General Gerasimov had not wasted any time. In fact, he and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, had been preparing quietly for this possibility for some time. At least now they had some idea of how the process was going to work. Now, Gerasimov and General Aleksandr Chaiko, Chief of the General Staff, were meeting privately to go over the new Presidential orders regarding the exercises and to prepare for a potential offensive.

“He doesn’t like to make things easy.” Chaiko said with a smile. Gerasimov smiled back.

“What civilian does?”

“Ha. No doubt. What do you think, Minister?”

“Well, we must be prepared as per our original plans for an extended stay and conflict. We must begin to sort our inventory and prepare our elite forces for combat. We will need heavy firepower and lots of it.”

“That’s an understatement.” Chaiko said with a sigh. He leaned back and put his arms across his chest and squinted up at the ceiling as he considered. “We have our strongest forces, including the 1st Guards Tank Army preparing to move as we speak. But we may have to go forward with the idea to remobilize some of our older equipment and use them along the front. Give them to our partners in Novorossiya.”

Gerasimov nodded. “Would put them to better use than sitting in storage. We have plenty of stockpiles of ammunition that we can sort and issue to the frontlines for Phase Zero.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Prepare our reserve units to ready our last-gen equipment and sort through it. They will have a few weeks to organize enough of the T-72s and early T-80s and T-90s, not to mention all the artillery pieces and OTRs. We will need a solid number and get them prepared.”

“Yes, sir. That we can do easily. Poor bastards who have to deal with it though.” Chaiko said with a laugh.

“Certainly.” Gerasimov replied with a smile. “Not that you ever had to, eh?”

“Eh, I did my time but I managed to miss the worst of the details.” Chaiko replied with wide grin. Gerasimov laughed.

“I am sure you did, General.” He paused and leaned back, looking at the paper in his hand from the Presidential Administration. “I’ll talk with the navy boys. See what they think and what they can do. I’ll check with the Aerospace Forces. Tell them to begin preparing operational plans in conjunction with our original plans but modified to our current situation.”

“Intelligence?” queried Chaiko.

“Oh yes, that as well. See what they can start giving us. See what Mr. Korolev of Foreign Intelligence can start on as well.” He stopped and looked up at Chaiko.

“We will be ready, General.”

“Yes, sir. We will. No matter what.”

by **New Provenance** » Fri Jul 08, 2022 4:23 pm

New York Times
All The News That's Fit to Print

February 2025

Mitt Romney leads the resurgence of the moderate, anti-Trump GOP

It appears that, finally, over four years later, the Republican Party is now over the disastrous 2020 election. When its presidential candidate and its incumbent president, Donald Trump, called the election a farce and cried foul against Democratic presidential candidate and eventual president-elect Sherrod Brown, most of the GOP relentlessly supported him. Blocking committee hearings, defending his actions online, the Trump base fought hard to protect the 45th President's reputation even as he exited office in disappointment. The Republican Party appeared to remain glued to their former leader, when in 2022 a substantial portion of Senate nominees to run in their respective races in the midterms appeared to be ultra-conservative MAGA Republicans, some with no experience in politics at all. It was only through the actions of several moderate Republicans, primarily Representative Liz Cheney, the then-leader of the anti-Trump GOP base.

Now, after another electoral defeat at the national election in November of last year, that concluded in the re-election of President Brown (albeit without solid Democratic majorities in both houses), it seems that the GOP has decided on a change of course. Senator Mitt Romney, a leading moderate voice in the GOP who served as the party's presidential nominee in the 2012 elections against re-electionst Barack Obama, appears to be leading this charge. During the 2024 campaign, Romney and Cheney had endorsed Susan Collins' presidential bid, which eventually failed against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Despite this, however, moderate politics within the GOP have seen a rise of support, thanks to Romney and Cheney's smooth handling of reforming the Republican Party from an extremist one to a decent one, one that of course still possesses conservative views.

According to a Politico poll, only 51% (-5%) of GOP members view themselves as MAGA Republican, while 40% (+6%) of GOP members view themselves as 'moderate Republican', with 9% undecided. This is a significant change from 56% MAGA, 35% moderate, and 9% undecided, recorded in August, during the height of the 2024 campaign. It is clear that Trump's indictment by the January 6th Committee in early 2023 played a role in this decision, but Romney's stable leadership could easily steer him to prominence as the leader of the GOP's resurgent moderate wing, and perhaps a 2028 nomination as well, should he ever so decide to pursue the White House once again.

by **Great Britain and Galactic Commonwealth** » Sun Jul 10, 2022 12:22 am

8th January, 2025

Prime Minister Mario Draghi Vows To Continue The Reforms That Have Completely Changed Italy From Sicily To Rome:
By: Silvano André

Brussels- Prime Minister Mario Draghi who is on a two-day visit to Brussels attending a summit hosted by European Union said yesterday that:

‘‘(He) will continue to work for the betterment of all Italian citizens working in all fields of life from agriculture to rocket science.’’

Since coming to power Mario Draghi has changed Italy completely. From the Italian economy to Italian society. He took the top job in the country when he was invited by President to form a new unity government when the country was deep in COVID-19.

He made deep structural and bureaucratic changes to the country. His reforms have helped Italy become the 3rd largest economy in Eurozone, and the sixth-largest in the world. He developed the South of the country which was considered to be the backwaters of Europe. Most important of all he convinced people to pay taxes and rooted out the infamous ‘‘Italian mafia’’ and fixed the loopholes that helped people to evade taxes.

Speaking about his accomplishments and priorities he said:

‘‘Our great country can't afford to remain behind. In the coming years, we will commission more nuclear power plants and we have already achieved self-sufficiency in food. Of course, these accomplishments couldn't have been possible without the cooperation of the Italian people. Most importantly of all, I think that we are the fastest growing economy in European Union, Eurozone, and the world. Our economy is growing at 8.5% per cent every year and we are at a point where Italian people can proudly speak on equal to our French and German partners.’’

Prime Minister Mario Draghi Describe Trilateral Italian Relationship With France & Germany as ‘‘Indestructible Backbone Of The European Continent’’:
By: Benito Silivano

Italian prime minister with former Chancellor of Germany and former French President Emmanuel Macron.

Brussels- Prime Minister Mario Draghi one of the last pro-EU and liberal leaders of the European Union once again proved his belief and trust in the European Union by saying:

‘‘European Union is the architect of peace on the European continent since the end of World War II. The integration of the European continent will continue unabated and it's unstoppable. As my good friend and former French President had said:

Europe must preserve its strategic autonomy and should steer its destiny and Europe shouldn't be a continuous battleground for the interests of Russia and the United States.

(Macron) words were true back then and it's even truer now. It doesn't matter if Macron and Merkel are gone now I'll continue to work with our closest friends and partners France and Germany. Together we three are the backbone of the European Continent and it's our responsibility to work for our continent and our people from the Baltics to Portugal. And I once again call for President Zemmour and the German Chancellor to work for our people and preserve the autonomy of Europe and the rights of our people.’’

Mario Draghi in recent years has cemented his place as one of the leading statesmen of Europe and is the most experienced leader among Trilateral Founding Members of The European Union between France, Germany, and Italy. He has repeatedly called for a greater European role in global affairs.

Four New Nuclear Power Plants of 20,000 Megawatts Commissioned:
By: Alicia Jose

Milan- As the country reduce its dependence on fossil fuels Mario Draghi is working relentlessly with the free market to commission new nuclear power plants. Italy used to import up to 80% of its energy needs from abroad but since 2021 this trend has changed now fossil fuels count for only 20% of the country's use. Nuclear Energy, Solar Power, Biofuels, Hydroelecticiy are the new orange in the country and Italy has transformed itself into one of the cleanest energy-producing countries in Europe.

Mario Draghi grew his inspiration from neighbouring France which is one the largest users of nuclear energy. According to Energy Minister, this provides Italy with independence in energy and the country is earning surplus and more money by exporting the energy to other European partners such as Poland, the Baltics, Bulgaria and other countries.

As the country's energy demands grow free-market stepped in to provide the country with safe energy by installing four new power plants of combined 20,000 Megawatts. Draghi praised the corporations, businessmen and his cabinet for transforming the Italy energy sector and bringing revolutionary ideas to the table as well as tackling the climate change problems.

by **New Provenance** » Sun Jul 10, 2022 6:17 pm

New York Times
All The News That's Fit to Print

February 2025

President Brown, Democrats push for bipartisan nuclear revival initiative to boost environmental goals

In the past few decades, particularly in the 1990s onwards, the anti-nuclear effort has led to a drastic reduction in nuclear power plants currently in operation or poised to begin operation in the country. Controversies continue to surround the concept of nuclear power as a viable, clean energy, and safe and reliable method of generating power for the country's ever-growing population, especially with media painting the nuclear industry in a negative light. However, experts say, nuclear power could be seeing a resurgence in the coming years as countries begin to seek ways to meet their net zero 2030 goals. For decades, scientists have been pitching nuclear power as a safe, reliable, clean method of generating energy, despite accidents here and there, such as Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011).

In 2021, the Brown administration passed a Bipartisan Energy Reform Act, that strengthened funding for wind and solar energy in order to support their development and thus a parallel decrease in cost. President Sherrod Brown has been a staunch advocate for climate change and the need to reach net zero targets on time, but has not been as committed to the cause as other 2020 Democratic candidates had been, like Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren. In 2023, Vice President Gretchen Whitmer was appointed to lead a special presidential committee on clean energy, to reaffirm the administration's commitment to clean energy change.

Now, the Brown administration seeks to again reaffirm its commitment to net zero, as it announced Tuesday its intention to work with its Democratic allies in Congress and the Republicans on the other side of the aisle to pass a Bipartisan Nuclear Revival Act, which will supposedly seek to increase the share of nuclear energy production on the U.S. national grid from 19% to 25% in ten years, through the process of building new nuclear power plants and keeping older ones open through 'safe, secure, reliable' maintenance and repair. Such a bill will also allocate at minimum $8.5 billion to programs working to develop safer, smaller and more efficient nuclear reactors, such as the MARVEL reactor being developed at Idaho National Laboratory.

Congressional Democrats unveiled the plan at an event in Washington led by Vice President Gretchen Whitmer and attended by the Secretary of Energy. At the event, Senate Minority Leader Dick Durbin presented remarks at the event, saying, 'in order to meet America's net zero goals, we must introduce newer, safer and more reliable means of producing energy, and we believe, with the backing of experts and scientists, that nuclear power is that means of producing energy'. Several GOP representatives on the moderate side of the spectrum attended the event, a possible sign of the bipartisan potential held by the nuclear revival bill.

In the meantime, however, President Brown will seek to sign executive orders extending the lifetime of nuclear power plants by 5-10 years to keep nuclear power 'relevant, as it should be' until a nuclear revival bill can be passed by Congress.

These moves have been protested by anti-nuclear groups, but as the the threat of climate change and the possibility of America failing to meet its net zero goals by 2030 looms over the country, nuclear may be the world's saving grace in the fight against climate change.

by **Shohun** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:03 am

Japan Times

Outrage Across Japan with South Korean Terror Designation of Nippon Kaigi:

Tokyo, January 23rd - Yesterday as the South Korean regime "officially" designated the Nippon Kaigi a terrorist organization, the political wing in Japan has reacted with outrage, slamming the move as "illegitimate." The Nippon Kaigi, a right-wing organization in Japan that includes many members of government including the Prime Minister, has in recent years called on the government for stricter action against South Korea. With the designation, members of the Nippon Kaigi could face sanctions, and the move overall could act to discourage companies or countries from working with individuals with ties to the group. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded, stating that "no reasonable nation will recognize the designation," calling the move "insane" and "crossing a red line."

President of the Nippon Kaigi Tadae Takubo, and Honor President Tōru Miyoshi, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Japan, released a joint statement condemning the designation. In his statement, Takubo criticized the South Korean regime as "trampling free speech," warning the designation was tantamount to a "declaration of war." In an interview, Miyoshi warned there would be "serious consequences" if the move is not swiftly reversed, telling media this was the "first step" to brand Japan as the enemy and move towards open conflict.

Former Minister of Finance and current Nippon Kaigi member Fukushiro Nukaga commented that the move was a dangerous escalation saying, "What do we do with real terrorists? We eliminate them or send them to prison. Time and time again we have seen governments justify unjust invasions based on terrorism or support of terrorists. So now that they have designated a majority of the Japanese government to be terrorists, we must be prepared to defend ourselves from such aggression."

According to reports, the Nippon Kaigi held an informal emergency meeting among members of government, discussing potential responses. Takubo vowed a strong response, speculating that efforts were underway to assert Japanese sovereignty over the Takeshima, declaring that the Nippon Kaigi would be funding a survey mission in the waters surrounding Takeshima. Already the South Korean move has been met with significant backlash in Japan, with some calling on the government to designate the ruling South Korean party as terrorists, with Nippon Kaigi membership surging especially among politicians, in solidarity with their colleagues.

Prime Minister Kishida spoke out, declaring this to be yet another reason why the South Korean government was not to be trusted and as to why they were opposed to peace. Kishida did go on to say that the Japanese government would not make rash decisions like the Koreans, vowing a proportional response, but one not as extreme as the Korean one. Kishida stated that "we must be the adults in the room," warning that international justice would come in due time.

Concern for Stability as North Korean Leader Collapses During Speech:

Tokyo, January 23rd - As he was giving a speech yesterday, Kim Jong-Il collapsed during a session of the Supreme People's Assembly, reportedly falling conscious. While rumors of his condition continue to swirl, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it had no comment on the matter until official confirmation of anything was made. However the issue has sparked concern over the stability of North Korea, which reportedly could fall into civil war should the elder Kim pass away.

In a press conference, a spokesperson with the Ministry called on all sides both within North Korea and around the world to exercise restraint, warning that war could spell disaster for the region. The Ministry went further to single out the South Korean regime, warning it to not take advantage of momentary weakness, or risk the peace and stability in which Asia has enjoyed.

The Ministry of Defense stated that there was no change in alert, but did note that "Japan is fully prepared to utilize its air defense resources to protect both Japan and its allies."

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Accepts Chinese Offer at Mediation:

Tokyo, January 25th - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs applauded the Chinese offer at mediation between South Korean and Japan as a "significant step towards better relations." The Ministry hailed China's move as showing Beijing's "strong commitment to peace." The Ministry further called on the rest of the world to exert pressure on the South Korean government to come to peace talks, warning that the threat of conflict was growing by day.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs called on the South Korean side to accept the offer, and further called on the South Korean government to submit the Takeshima dispute to the UN's International Court of Justice, for its ruling. The request which has been rejected numerous times in the past is expected to be rejected yet again, under claims from the Korean regime that the Takeshima is their territory. The Ministry did state that it would not be surprised at a South Korean refusal of the Chinese offer, given their "opposition to peace and freedom."

Social Media Users Show JGSDF Deployments to Oki Island:

Tokyo, January 25th - Across various social media platforms, civilian users have posted videos reportedly showing JGSDF deployments to the Oki Islands, the area closest to the illegally occupied Takeshima Islands. Video seems to show a Type 12 Anti-Ship Missile system accompanied by a Type 3 Chu medium range SAM system being driven on a road in Oki Island. The Type 12 missile, with a rumored range of 1,500 kilometers, is said to be capable of striking both naval and ground targets. With this range, it is said from the right position, the Type 12 is capable of striking far into the enemy, with experts speculating the Type 12 could strike anywhere in South Korea. The system's deployment has led experts to speculate that it is possible the SDF expects a naval escalation around the Takeshima Islands, with the deployment meant to send a message and protect Japanese assets.

However the Ministry of Defense has clarified the situation, saying that the deployment is part of "routine drills" testing the readiness of the JSDF. The Ministry says the deployment will not impede civilian activities, and instead are meant as a part of the large-scale JSDF drills set for January 29th. The JGSDF clarified that the units are expected to return to their units sometime after the drills end.

Similar reports are springing up across Japan, such as in Tsushima, where video allegedly shows the deployment of Type 74 tanks from the 10th Division's 10th Tank Brigade to the island, alongside Type 93 SAM systems from the 10th 10th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Such movements are reportedly part of drills to simulate the defense of Japan and its territories.

Tsushima Island
January 26, 2025

Major General Tsugi spoke with his superior, Lt. General Yamamoto over his secure phone as he watched Type 74s being camouflaged and prepared by their crews from his commander APC. "Sir, the preparations are nearly complete. But I don't understand. We are just giving the enemy targets to be struck."

Yamamoto replied over the phone, "Not at all commander. Your tanks are protected by their air defenses, the Air SDF, and the Maritime SDF. They are just there in case an element of our projected plan fails. The enemy has repeatedly expressed a view of their ownership of Tsushima. So if the time comes, your tanks will drive the enemy into the sea!"

"Sir, if we are protected by the Air SDF and Maritime SDF, how will the enemy land?"

There was a sigh over the line. "In some of our simulations, the enemy commits large numbers of naval assets to the situation area. The may mean air and naval coverage may slacken. Given the short distance, Tsushima is our primary concern. Closer to date I am prepared to deploy Type 61 tanks to act as decoys for your forces. Just have your men begin to dig mock defensive positions for the Type 61s. If they strike Tsushima, it will be all out war. At least that way our real assets will not be affected."

"Very well sir. Do you know when the operation will begin?"

"Not authorized yet commander. But given tensions, it may not be long. Your job is to secure our flank in the event of attack. It is our calculated risk by deploy Type 74 there. If need be we will send in Type 10s."

Tsugi nodded, thanking his commander before ending the call. With the threat of conflict growing everyday, he had one job: to protect Japan's southern flank at all costs.

by **Great Britain and Galactic Commonwealth** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:49 am

10th January, 2025

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio Regrets Italian Participation In Military Intervention In Libya In 2011; Describes The Decision As ‘‘Historic Error That Further Destabilised An Already Volatile Region’’:
By: Benvito Luiginia

Rome- The Italian foreign minister described Italian & NATO military intervention in Libya as a ‘‘grave and historic error with deep consequences’’. Maio was of the view that Italy spent ‘‘millions of Euros on a military operation which brought nothing but further destabilisation and destruction in an already volatile neighbourhood’’.

Draghi administration has many times slammed the 2003 Iraq War and 2011 Military Intervention In Libya and has termed both decisions a ‘‘blood stain on the history of West’’. Repeating the same remarks Prime Minister Luigi said:

‘‘Italy gained nothing from the decision taken by the former administrations. (My) regret about those decisions amounts to my regret about Benito Mussolini being elected as Italian Prime Minister. NATO intervention brought nothing but further destabilisation and bloodbath. We shouldn't have been there in the first place. The decision brought unseen consequences for everyone but those who paid the price are Libyan people marred by two civil wars, ISIL, terrorism and political destabilisation to this day.’’

The Foreign Minister's remarks came as he boarded his plane on a one-week visit to Africa. Libya a former colony of Italy in recent years has relied upon Italy for its financial and economical needs. Italy accounts for 30% of trade with Libya alone. Italy has provided up to €10.9 billion in Euros to Libya since 2016. Overall, Italy along with France, China, USA and United Kingdom has a strong footprint and presence on the African continent and Italy is the fifth largest trading partner of Africa.

Italy to speed up the process for asylum seekers and refugees as Italy announces to accept new refugees & migrants and promises to deport illegal migrants:
By: Patricia Mario

Genoa- Germany and France were some of the most migrant-loving countries in the world when the refugee crisis hit Europe but the ISIS Attacks in Paris and toxic behaviour from refugees and attacks in Berlin combined with right-wing conservative governments have forced Paris and Berlin to tighten their immigration policies. All this has pressured Italy which is seeing more and more refugees influx coming to its Mediterranean coasts.

Italy is forced to re-think its immigration policies and it did just that. In a major move, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that ‘‘Italy is ready to accept 600,000 new refugees but they will have to go through a strict procedure of background checks and other mandatory testings. I call upon Turkey, Greece, France and Germany to fulfil their role otherwise the situation will spiral out of control. We should be cautious, yes but we shouldn't be brutal as well.’’

Italy is expected to accept up to 1.2 million new refugees in the next two years. The announcement made by the Prime Minister sent a wave of shock across the whole country. Italians came out on the streets to protest the decision taken by the Prime Minister. Mario Draghi's approval ratings fell to 70% but instead of taking his decision back he increased the security in immigrant neighbourhoods and said:

‘‘The decision was tough to take but we have to do it otherwise the children and women who are stranded in bad conditions will die and their blood will be on our conscience.’’

Italy donates up to 900,000 tonnes of surplus wheat and grains to the United Nations World Food Programme; Becomes the largest donator of food
By: Francis Gabriello

New York City, New York- As Italy steps up its efforts to curb increasing poverty in the world Italy's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York announced that recently Draghi administration will donate up to 900,000 tonnes of wheat to the United Nations World Food Programme the largest contribution by any nation this year.

Italy's permanent mission hailed other nations working to help curb poverty and feed those who were increasingly at risk of starvation:

‘‘We thank the United States, Russia, China, Ukraine, France, India, Pakistan and all other countries working with the United Nations to help those at risk of death due to starvation. We are also proud of our role in this humanitarian mission and we will continue to work with everyone everywhere possible to help the people come out of their misery.’’

Italy along with the Russian Federation and Ukraine is the largest contributor of wheat this year. The decision was hailed by P5 nations officials on Twitter and they praised Mario Draghi's administration for making Italy a bridge between East and West to work on the real issues despite their differences.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi Vows To Work With Japan and Further Deepen The Cooperation Between Two Countries: Calls For A Negotiated Settlement Between Japan and South Korea
By: Fabrizio Coporella

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) meetswith his Italian counterpart Prime Minister Mario Draghi (right) in 2022.

Rome- Prime Minister Mario Draghi in an interview with New York Times said:

‘‘Italian-Japanese relations are unbreakable and no force in the world can damage the relations and cooperation we have. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is my personal close friend and we have met on many occasions in previous years. Italy is one of the largest investors in the Japanese economy up to €2.4 trillion so you know the extent of our cooperation. But South Korea worries me both are our good partners and (I) urge them to look for the bigger picture and resolve their problems through negotiated settlement.’’

In recent years, Japanese-Korean relations have completely broken down despite mediation attempts by both the United States and China. Even though both countries share the same threats and adversaries South Koreans and Japanese are unable to sit down and talk it out.

The most contentious point between them is the Japanese occupation and subsequent war crimes on the Korean peninsula. South Korea has repeatedly said until Japan apologises there can be no re-conciliation in turn Japan refuses to apologise.

by **The Manticoran Empire** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 3:07 pm

Kiryat HaMemshala
Givat Ram
Jerusalem
10 January 2025

Benjamin Netanyahu sat at the end of the conference room table, looking down at the intelligence report Mossad had delivered that morning. Copies of the report lay in front of each one of his ministers and their faces all said the same thing. This isn’t good. Continued negotiations among various major powers were focused on reducing Iran’s nuclear program but were accomplishing little. At the same time, the dispute between Russia and Ukraine, the Korean spat with Japan, and North Korea's resumed antics, were all drawing attention away from Iran. In Netanyahu’s eyes, that could not be tolerated. Mossad’s latest report was dire. According to them, the Iranians would be able to test a nuclear warhead within the year, if they hadn’t done so already. They were running out of time.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz was the first to break the silence. “We’ve already let this situation go on long enough. The time to act is now.” Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz replied quickly. “This isn’t 1981 anymore, Benny. Iran isn’t at war with Iraq. Worse, Iran has done a lot of work to improve their defenses against exactly this possibility. Then there is the reaction of our neighbors. If we attack Iran, however justified we may be, it will only inflame anti-Jewish sentiments and encourage violent responses from terrorist groups. While I have no doubt about the ability of our defenses to stop those attacks, there is still a non-zero chance of civilian casualties. And there is America to worry about.”
Avi Nissenkorn and Amir Ohana nodded. The Minister of Justice and Minister of Internal Security were close allies and could usually be counted on to agree on any particular subject. In this case, Nissenkorn made their position known. “Yisrael makes a good point. Like it or not, we rely a lot more on the continued political support of the United States for our survival than ever before. Our Arab neighbors are unwilling to take action because they don’t want to incur the wrath of America. If we alienate the Americans, we risk encouraging the Arabs to attack us.”

“And if we do nothing, the Arabs will gain the ability to launch a second Holocaust,” a soft voice said from the corner of the room. Every face turned to the interloper, their gaze falling upon a young woman in fairly plain garb. Rivka Balsam was the new director of Mossad and the person who had delivered the intelligence packet to this meeting. Her calm voice and small, attractive face clashed with her reputation, for she had worked her way up Mossad in the Kidon unit.
Netanyahu motioned for her to continue. “Our position is precarious,” she said, “we are surrounded on all sides by hostile neighbors. Syria, Gaza, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Lebanon all maintain threatening postures towards us while Jordan and Egypt, despite official stances as being friendly towards us, have large populations of extremists. And then there is the West, who have populations that are intensely divided where we are concerned. And, finally, the Russians. The Russians see no problem with supporting the very regimes that advocate our destruction for the simple reason that those regimes oppose the Americans. The Americans have no problem supporting regimes that advocate our destruction for the opposite reason, they oppose Russia. We are surrounded by hostile neighbors and reliant on the support of highly mercenary states. Into this mess, we have the Iranian nuclear program which has either produced a functional nuclear device or is within months of producing one. Restraint has been our policy for a decade now. It has failed. We need a new policy. And from where I stand, there is only one policy that can ensure our security.”

Netanyahu nodded. “I assume there is a plan for this operation?” Balsam and Gantz looked at each other before returning their gaze to the Prime Minister and nodded. “My staff have put together a plan using the information Mossad has been able to bring us that will allow us to cripple Iran’s enrichment process for at least several months. Follow-on missions can cripple Iran’s nuclear industry overall.”
“Is it in a position to be presented at this time?” Netanyahu asked. Gantz nodded. “Then do so.”

It took a few moments for Gantz to be ready. The projector had to be turned on and a couple of aides brought in a computer and set it up. With the lights dimmed and the presentation cued up, Gantz spoke again. “The operation is tentatively designated Opera II. It will employ the majority of our F-35I fleet to attack and destroy the uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordow.” He indicated a map of the region that was marked with flight paths. “Two strike packages will be launched, one from Nevatim Airbase and one from Ramon Airbase. Both strikes will involve twenty F-35Is in two elements, one carrying Paveway III bunker busters and the other carrying air-to-air missiles. Their flight paths have been carefully structured to avoid radar and SAM sites as well as airfields and their launches will be timed so that both strike groups reach their targets at the same time, preferably midnight. Upon arrival at the target, the strike element will hit the targets with their bombs, focused on the centrifuges. Once the bombs are released, the strike element will begin withdrawing. The strike’s success will be confirmed or refuted by satellite surveillance.”
“Are the forces ready for this mission?”
“It can be launched with 24 hours of approval.”

Netanyahu turned to the Cabinet. “We shall vote then. All those in favor of the mission?” All hands went up, even the Foreign Minister’s. “Very well then. Send the orders out, Benny. The strike goes ahead.”

by **New Provenance** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 5:32 pm

New York Times
All The News That's Fit to Print

February 2025

SpaceX gears up to beat NASA to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972

A SpaceX starship reusable launch vehicle, Boca Chica, Texas.

With mere months to go before NASA is slated to land humans on the surface on the Moon for the first time since 1972, as part of its Artemis program, SpaceX - based primarily out of Boca Chica, Texas - is racing and gearing up to beat the federal space agency to return humans to the Moon. From 2019 to 2022, SpaceX - run by billionaire tech developer Elon Musk - tested and certified its fully reusable, heavy-lift Starship launch system, that was both more powerful propulsion-wise and payload-wise compared to NASA's Artemis program's chief rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), while being completely reusable.

In autumn 2023, with the presence of two NASA astronauts, a crew of eight civilians flew on the DearMoon mission, funded by Japanese billionaire Yuzaku Maezawa, around the Moon and back. The DearMoon mission, launched via Starship, would beat NASA back to Lunar orbit by a little less than a year. SLS production was stepped up in an effort by the federal agency to catch up with SpaceX, but with Starship flying out of Boca Chica every one and a half months - compared to a cadence of 1.5 years for SLS - the speed was unmatched.

2024 saw Starship certified for crewed spaceflight with NASA, and a NASA-sanctioned Lunar orbital mission was launched in August 2024 that met with the Artemis III mission in Lunar orbit. November of the same year saw a Cargo Starship, outfitted for Lunar landings, dock to the Gateway Lunar orbital outpost orbiting the moon in its HALO orbit.

2025 will, everyone claims, be the biggest year for the New Space Race to date. In June, NASA is expected to land astronauts on the Lunar surface via a SpaceX Lunar-modified lander vehicle, on the Artemis IV mission. However, SpaceX could beat NASA to that, as several experts have cited accelerated production at Boca Chica over the past few months and the training of several astronauts, presumably for an imminent Starship crewed mission. Previously predictions were that these astronauts were slated to fly to Gateway, but the possibility that these astronauts could land on the Lunar surface before NASA's Artemis mission could take place.

Such a landing, however, would require NASA sanctioning. Citing the FDA delays in 2022 to the Starship test campaign, supporters of SpaceX's race to the Lunar surface claim NASA would never authorize such a mission despite it being hundreds of times more viable than its own Artemis program, solely in order to show that it remained relevant. However, addressing these concerns, NASA administrator Bill Nelson assured that if it came to it, NASA would 'treat the mission fairly and equally, because space isn't a race'.

SpaceX founder and chief engineer Elon Musk says that a 'hypothetical' Starship crewed Lunar mission could take place by May of this year at the soonest.

by **American Pere Housh** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 8:40 pm

Der Spiegel

February 2025

Chancellor Laschet announces that he will continue plan to phase out fossil fuel power plants, replace them with nuclear power plants

Chancellor Armin Laschet announced on February 6th that he will continue the previous Chancellor's plan to phase out all fossil fuel power plants and replace them with nuclear power plants. While the timetable is uncertain of when this plan will be completed, Chancellor Armin Laschet vowed to see it completed. While the Chancellor believes climate change does exist, he doesn't believe it will end life as we know. Chancellor Armin Laschet has already passed one bill to expand Germany's nuclear power program but in the next few months, he will introduce a new bill seeking funds to expand the lifespan of Germany's older reactors by another 10 years giving the new plants that are currently under construction time to be completed and brought online.

This plan has from the beginning been opposed by radical environmentalists due to what they believe to be dangerous. They pointed out Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima as prime examples of why nuclear power is dangerous and shouldn't be used. Chancellor Armin Laschet pointed out that the first one was caused by incompetence, the Second was purely accidental and the third was caused by an earthquake and tsunami. Nuclear reactor technology being created today and into the future is many times safer than previous reactor designs.

Chancellor Armin Laschet condemns the South Korean Government for labeling Japanese political organization as a Terrorist Group

In a blistering statement from German Chancellor Armin Laschet, he while at a press conference in Hamburg had this to say, "While South Korea remains great friends with Germany, what they did by labeling the Nippon Kaigi political organization a terrorist group was the wrong thing to do. By these actions, the South Korean Government have made things worse than they already were. I congratulate China for standing for peace and I would like to invite the South Korean President and the Japanese Prime Minister to Berlin to discuss how we can ease tensions. I will also like to invite the American, Chinese and French Presidents the British and Italian Prime Ministers to Berlin as well."

German Government announces plan to deploy 3 regiments to Poland to help bolster defenses, 2 Fighter Squadrons of Eurofighter Typhoons are to join planned NATO air exercises in May, after exercises are to deploy to Estonia, German Parliament amends the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany by removing the restrictions on the number of troops Germany can have, Germany withdraws from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

The German Ministry of Defense announces that it will be deploying 2 mechanized infantry brigades and an armored brigade to Poland to help bolster Polish defenses. 2 Eurofighter Typhoon squadron will also be sent to Poland but will only be there for the NATO air defense exercises in May before moving on to Estonia as part of the Baltic Air Policing Program. A bill amending the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany has passed the Bundestag by a vote of 540 to 196. The part of the treaty that was amended the removal of restrictions on the number of troops Germany could have. The German Government has also announced that Germany will be withdrawing from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Chancellor Laschet said that this was being done to curb Russian aggression.

by **NewLakotah** » Mon Jul 11, 2022 11:04 pm

February, 2025

Germany breaks Treaty on Final Settlement of Germany, CFE and mobilizes 3 brigades to Poland during peace talks with Europe

In a shocking move, the German Ministry of Defence has mobilized 3 brigades to move into Poland and also sent 3 Eurofighter squadrons to the Baltics in the aftermath of the Peace Summit in Switzerland between the United Kingdom and Russia. Moreover, Germany has announced that they will be withdrawing from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces of Europe as well as the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany. This caused much outrage from the Kiriyenko administration and from all parties within the State Duma and Federation Council.

Kiriyenko also ordered sanctions against the German Federation over all energy supplies currently supplied by Russia, which includes natural gas, oil, coal, and enriched uranium. This measure was approved unanimously by the State Duma, with United Russia Party Leader and Prime Minister Alyona Arshnova stating, “This move is a direct threat to the Russian Federation and reeks of German nationalism in the lead up to the Great Patriotic War. The Russian people will not stand down to this act of aggression from Germany and this blatant attempt at sabotaging the peace talks in Ukraine between Russia, NATO, and Ukraine.”

President Kiriyenko made a public address to the Russian Federation and to the world last night. The full contents are below:

Fellow citizens,

Today Germany has embarked on a serious act of aggression and expansionism that echoes Germany's past moves during a different era. They have unilaterally withdrawn from multiple treaties designed to keep and maintain peace and now threaten the territorial sovereignty of the Russian Federation as agreed to in the Treaty on the Final Settlement of Germany. They are sending a large portion of its Armed Forces to the borders of Kaliningrad and Belarus, which poses a serious threat to our national security.

These actions we consider to be an offensive threat to the Russian Federation as we are in the midst of negotiations regarding the Crisis in Ukraine and have met with their close partners and allies the United Kingdom and came out with a path towards peace that we were preparing to bring to Kiev for further negotiations. Needless to say, such actions by a NATO member have put these negotiations into a failed position until Germany withdraws its troops and meets with us to ensure that they fully cooperate with the German Treaty.

We are continuing to monitor the situation on the ground and as such, we are increasing our aircraft patrols around the border regions of the Russian Federation and of Belarus. We are committed to defending the Union State and will not take any threat lightly, either towards German claims against the Kaliningrad Oblast or offensive actions towards Belarus. We are considering pausing our planned April exercises in Western Russia to mobilize our forces to ensure the defense of Russian territory, including that of Belarus. However, as of now, we are simply placing our forces in the Kaliningrad region and in Belarus on heightened alert and preparing our reserves. We do not believe that escalation in this matter, from a tit-for-tat military point of view, is the proper response. We hope that a diplomatic solution can be found. However, should Germany not stand down and continue to escalate, rest assured, that we will not tolerate threats against the Russian Federation and that every and all options will be considered.

In direct response to the withdrawal of the CFE and the German Treaty, we call on the United States, the United Kingdom, and the French Republic to reign in their German allies. For they have not only threatened the Russian Federation, they have also insulted their partners and allies within NATO through this unilateral action. In response and until Germany withdraws their forces and meets with me in Moscow, we will be cutting off all energy supplies to Germany effective immediately. This includes natural gas, oil, coal, and enriched uranium. This last one in particular due to the withdrawal of the German Treaty and the CFE, which had placed restrictions on the development of nuclear weapons within Germany. Due to their unilateral withdrawal and until Germany commits to an act of non-nuclear proliferation and reinstates the German Treaty, we can no longer trust them at their word since they are so willing and eager to break it.

I do not need to remind Europe or the World of the last time Germany decided to mobilize its forces and rearm, with its focus on its East. We understand that the world is different today and the threat against France or Poland is minimal. But the threat against Russia, given the climate of today, is a serious one. We hope that our peace partners in the United Kingdom understand this and use all available methods to ensure that Germany does not end all of the progress we have made during our talks in Switzerland. We ask the European Union and NATO to intervene. As such and until then, we again, demand that the German Chancellor Armin Laschetto comes to Moscow to resign the Treaty on the Final Settlement in Respect to Germany. We also invite those members who were party to the original signing of the Treaty to come to Moscow to resign the Treaty.

Thank you.

2025: A Shifting World (IC) (Open)

2025: A Shifting World (IC) (Open)

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