CCA Modern News Thread [Canon|IC]

[Zamastan]

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PANWAR FLEES ELASTAN AS PRO-DEMOCRACY FACTIONS CARRY OUT HISTORIC COUP

Hossein Usavi, a pro-democracy activist, was freed from prison and has been named interim-President.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDANT: Travis Canterbury (TCanterburyOfficial)
ERITBA - Pro-democracy demonstrations were backed by a sudden influx of sympathetic military commanders in Elastan over the weekend, as their tanks rolled into the capital, their forces freed opposition political prisoners, and seized control of government buildings. Hossein Usavi, the leader of pro-democratic activists in the country, has assumed the interim position of authority as President Bahadar Panwar has fled to Yuan. President Sabine Armitage welcomed the news of the coup, saying "when dictators push against the people's will, the people will rise up." Zamastanian government officials warned that instability in Elastan might persist despite a good portion of the military having sided with demonstrators, with statements from the State Department warning against travel to central Ausiana as the "war in Haduastan is still volatile and fluid with the rapidly changing and unpredictable developments."

The coup occurred following a sudden and surprising withdrawal of around a third of Elastan's military forces in Haduastan, when officers frustrated with Panwar's insistence to keep fighting without vital supplies decided they would return to their homeland and detail their disagreements with the regime directly. By nightfall on Saturday, tanks had rolled into the center of Eritba and the faction's leader, General Silmi Hassan, declared that his forces were siding with the demonstrators who have been protesting for more than two months. Hassan declared that he intended to free political prisoners, including Hossein Usavi and Mayadav Roubi, and that Panwar was failing to negotiate terms with his people. Hours later, reports emerged that Panwar had fled the country and was granted asylum in Yuan.

President Armitage spoke at length with Haduastan's Prime Minister Sartaj Bali, stressing that while a counter assault to retake the vulnerable positions abandoned by the Elastani forces should occur, petitioned that any Elastani soldiers willing to surrender or retreat should be granted immunity and the ability to be deported to their homeland so as to cease unnecessary bloodshed.

"Its apparent that the average Elastani soldier despises this conflict and have been forced into it," Armitage said, "and I have stressed this with Prime Minister Bali that they should be allowed safe passage out of the conflict zones should they wish to return home peacefully."

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS RESTORED WITH SYRARANTO

Following a historic peace agreement which formally ended the country's multi-year civil war, embassies and consulates are being reopened.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDANT: Aiden Sanderson (ASandOfficial)
COVIJO - Following a historic peace agreement reached between the multiple factions in Syraranto, the western Nortuan country officially declared its multi-year civil war concluded and reached a vital governing agreement which proponents say will bring about a more inclusive democracy to the nation. Furthermore, the stability now reached nearly two years after Kyriakos Tasoulas was killed has led to many nations, including Zamastan, restoring diplomatic relations in Covijo. Secretary of State Chantelle Carson will be in Covijo next week to formalize the reestablishment of diplomatic relations by opening the Zamastanian embassy alongside President Younnis Kormoulis and other Syrarantoan government officials.

Diplomacy between Zamastan and Syraranto was frozen in July 2020 at the outbreak of the civil war. The Tasoulas regime had been fully blocked in crippling sanctions, and tensions rose dramatically in October 2020 after then-Secretary of Defense Curtis Fondaden was attacked by Syrarantoan government agents during a visit to East Chanchajilla. During the war, a massive refugee crisis ensued, straining the capabilities of Nortuan nations. Ultimately, in late 2021, an atmospheric nuclear test by the Tasoulas regime was met with stern international warnings that WEDA would side with the SBU in an intervention should a red line be crossed, and in early 2022 after rocket attacks in multiple cities in Constantio and North Icadania, WEDA supported an SBU ground incursion into Syraranto. Tasoulas was killed during a battle with rebels in Covijo, and his regime fell shortly after and fractured into dozens of factions. Those factions have since resolved to signing the peace accords, the effort of more than 17 months of negotiations.

On Monday, the Zamastanian flag will once again fly over the embassy in Covijo, the most potent symbol of the shift in relations between two countries in years. “This is a very big deal, we are very much looking forward to it,” said newly-named Ambassador Laaron Tountis, who will head the embassy, in an exclusive interview. “This is obviously a unique environment. We have to make sure we have enough cars, enough staff to be able to make the movements we need to, even with a short visit. It’s all hands on deck.”

Zamastanian diplomats marked the occasion in private ceremonies exchanging Zamastanian flags and hugs with each other and some of the embassy’s 300 Syrarantoan employees.

Strike suspended: Back to school for Jade Harbor teachers

Dozens of protestors have been killed in clashes with Elastani security forces

SOCIAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDANT: Edward Renene (EddyReneneOfficial)
ERITBA - Representatives of unionized teachers voted Saturday evening to end Jade Harbor's strike, and 350,000 students in the nation’s third-largest school district will be back in class Monday morning. The union’s House of Delegates voted to end the seven-school-day walkout after debating details of a proposed settlement. Teachers, who will take several weeks to decide whether to accept the agreement, can return to their classrooms. Over the weekend, delegates rebuffed the tentative pact negotiated last week between the union and Jade Harbor Public Schools. Delegates said they needed more details on such key issues as the use of test scores in preparing teacher evaluations, job security and the recall of teachers who have been laid off.

Before the debate among the delegates, JH Teachers Union President Kamila Dunn said she would vote for the proposal, calling it the best deal available. “I don’t think it’s a great deal,” she said. “I’m just more proud of our union. The contract is the contract. It’s nothing that I take ownership over.”

Many teachers said they felt conflicted: They were eager to go back to work but determined to see their efforts through to the end. “I’m desperately wanting to get back to my lab experiments with my kids,” Heath Martell, a seventh-grade science teacher who was picketing outside Airre Elementary School on the city’s South Side, told the Jade Tribune. “We don’t want to move too quickly,” said Martell, a delegate who was consulting with other teachers at his school before deciding how to vote. “We want to make sure our questions are answered.”

Teachers walked off their jobs December 1st when the sides couldn’t reach an agreement on the evaluation issue. As part of the agreement, test scores would be used in preparing the evaluations but the results would count for only a portion of the teacher’s evaluation.

Teachers also will receive raises, but they agree to work longer days – a key demand by Mayor Benny Henders, a special target of teacher wrath. The three-year proposed contract calls for annual increases of 3%, 2% and 2%. There is also an optional fourth year with another 3% raise. In Jade Harbor, the starting teacher salary is roughly Z49,000 per year, and the average is about Z76,000. After delegates voted to continue the strike, Henders ordered the city to go to court to seek to end the walkout with a temporary injunction. A hearing on that matter, which is not moot, was scheduled for Wednesday.

Moussa's forces face rebel assaults as WEDA/ANS air campaign continues

Feyt Ayat rebel forces have begun encroaching into the Qahazar peninsula, fighting for the key city of Tuim under WEDA/ANS air support.

GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDANT: Aiden Sanderson (ASandOfficial)
SAINT RANEAU - Feyt Ayat rebel forces have broken through Kubani Unit positions in the southern Qahazar peninsula, making way for a ground incursion which is supported by ongoing WEDA and ANS airstrikes. Fighting in the vital port city of Tuim was reported on Saturday, as the pro-democracy rebels made major headway and began pushing back the self-proclaimed PRQ forces. Airstrikes by the coalition forces pounded defensive installations of the PRQ, as General el-Dar Moussa continues holding onto the major administrative centers despite 17 days worth of aerial bombardment.

The assault on Tuim comes as WEDA proposes a CCA peacekeeping operation in Qahazar, which ultimately would create a buffer zone between rebel, government, and PRQ territory. Notably, however, a peacekeeping mission will not begin until the PRQ can be sufficiently pushed into a state where they cannot inflict drastic casualties in direct assaults. While they're vulnerable from air, the reality on the ground is much harsher, according to WEDA officials.

"The PRQ is showing cracks in its capability to retaliate, which is what our goal has been," a WEDA spokesperson said, "but the clear concern of ours now is that it will take more than just our coalition's air support and rebel ground campaign to root them out. It may take a prolonged effort."

Suhaib el-Dar Moussa is maintaining his command of the PRQ despite the coalition frequently targeting him. It's believed that he operates out of a series of bunkers, as his known compounds have largely been hit already in the campaign.

Franc Vōvk, Drambenburgian turned Zamastanian hero, passes away aged 95

Known to many as a revolutionary, Vōvk passed away peacefully at his Tofino home.

CULTURAL CORRESPONDANT: Aiden Sanderson (ASandOfficial)
TOFINO - Franc Vōvk, the political activist and revolutionary known for his remarkable escape to Zamastan before the outbreak of the World War, his subsequent service in the Zamastanian military, and his life of unionism, passed away peacefully last week in his home in Tofino. He was 95 years old. Vovk was born in 1928, in the small mountainous town of Ljublin, which was then part of the autonomous state of Österreich. As a young man, he joined the Sloviensk Liberation Front, an anti-Fascist and anti-Imperialist political party. Initially, due to his young age, Franc participated by distributing the SLF's illegal newspaper, Slovenski poročevalec. The SLF was closely alligned with the Kommunistische Partei Österreichs. In May of 1941, Franc began engaging in political and military espionage in Österreich, which was in the midst of political and administrative integration into the Holy Empire of Drambenburg.

Franc became fiercely nationalistic, believing that the Sloviansk deserved their own nation, and that Drambenburg's imperialist ambitions were detrimental to the livelihood of Sloviensk living in Österreich. His time engaging in espionage escalated to intentionally disrupting Drambenburg's attempts at integrating the Österreichian state into Drambenburg proper. Österreich had been ruled by the crown of Drambenburg for over a century by the 1940s. Eventually, Franc became a saboteur in the SLF, engaging in covert and clandestine operations against the Drambenburgian army, which was deployed to Sloviensk to attempt to quell rebellions against the Drambenburgian empire by the locals.

In the fall of 1941, Österreich was officially considered a part of the Holy Empire of Drambenburg, and both the KPÖ and the SLF were engaging in near-open rebellion against Drambenburgian forces in Sloviensk and Österreich. Franc, as an explosives expert, was responsible for the destruction of infrastructure to prevent the supply and reinforcement of Drambenburgian troops stationed near by. In the summer of 1942, at the age of 14, wanted posters for Franc were placed in his village by Drambenburgian loyalists from the local Sloviensk government. In September of 1942, Drambenburgian military police came to his hometown to arrest him for insurrection against the Empire. Franc escaped on a bicycle to a Sloviensk refugee camp in western Avergnon, pedaling over 400 miles to safety. Franc lived in Avergnon at the camp for two years when, at 16, he was contacted by a cousin of his in Zamastan promising work at an iron mine. Due to his experience with explosives, Franc received a job as a Foreman north of Acirme, Zamastan. In 1950, Franc met his wife, Anita. However, their courtship was cut short by the beginning of the World War.

Vovk, seeking both retribution for his people in Österreich, and self-admitted desire for adventure, joined the ranks of the Zamastanian military in 1951, as fighting engulfed the hemisphere. Vovk was deployed to the fronts of Auraine and later the Lutharian Alps, where he saw heavy combat and participated in numerous campaigns, including the liberation of Lutharia and Shoassau, and later the invasion of Drambenburg. He was awarded many medals for his bravery in combat, including the capture of several Drambenburgian conscripts during a three-man assault on a gunner's position. After the war, he received the rank of colonel, and served for another 5 years before an honorable discharge.

Vovk became a dedicated unionist and outspoken activist in his later years, still advocating, for an independent Österreich and hosting many rallies in support.

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©TOFINOTIMES 2023

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109,811 comments

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TOFINO TIMES HEADLINES

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• Saint Offeat unrest continues as anti-federation protests mount in the North
• SAB legalizes same-sex unions and civil partnerships
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[Tasiastan]

TASIASTAN National News

President Haajid Swati.

SWATI: Elastan is now free
President Haajid Swati applauded the pro-democracy movement which ousted President Panwar in Elastan over the weekend.
Ibrim Akarsja reporting from Jaljur, Tasiastan
17 December 2023

President Haajid Swati applauded the pro-democracy movement in Elastan following the ouster of Bahadar Panwar and the arrests of several high profile regime officials. Swati said that the provisional government would have "all the help from Tasiastan that falls within reasonable degree," and that diplomatic relations between the two countries could be restored for the first time since the breakup of the UCSS in 1999. Swati also stated that the head of the foreign ministry would arrive in Eritba within the coming week to enter into talks with the new interim government, led by pro-democracy activist Hossein Usavi. Tasiatan and Elastan had long been at odds with one another, due in large part to Elastan's antagonistic endorsement of Yuaneze aggression under Panwar and consistent intelligence revealing of Elastani government interference in Tasiastan's internal security efforts.

"Elastan's political future now belongs to the people, as the hands of the tyrant have been torn away in a coward's escape," Swati said. "We are prepared, as the Tasiastani people, to come alongside these lovers of freedom and good democracy. We are prepared to work with you."

Swati also commended the acts of military officers who withdrew from Haduastan and turned their efforts to siding with the democratic movement, and said that while the Tasiastani government still regards the Elastani military as a threat and takes trust with caution, that the efforts of General Hassan in particular were to be applauded and considerated as a significant shift. Prior to the Haduastan invasion earlier this year, Hassan had often been at odds with the Tasiastan government, and Tasiastan had labeled him as a "proponent of propaganda and misinformation towards the Tasiastani people."

"There are of course figures that we still have caution about and will take effort to trust, but we acknowledge that what they did in regards for their people is a righteous move," Swati said.

More Headlines:

• Syraranto civil war officially ends after peace treaty signed
• Parliament urges calm between Haduastan and Elastan after mosque bombing
• New nuclear facility construction hits funding bump, slows pace
• Flooding funding to continue despite CAI objections
• Court sentences 2017 Jaljur bomber to death

[Ossinia]

CRANES JOURNAL
President Baurant welcomes democratic movement in Elastan but cautions regional stability

Périnnois - President Ilberto Baurant cautioned that the overthrow of Bahadar Panwar in Elastan this weekend by pro democracy demonstrators, while presenting opportunistic potential, could contribute to deterioration in Central Ausiana. Baurant last week had visited with Panwar in Eritba, a somewhat controversial visit as at the time the head of state was embattled with accusations of humanitarian breaches as his security forces cracked down on anti-government protests. Baurant had been motioned by a volley of multinational delegates aiming to mediate the internal crisis in Elastan, and Baurant's visit was meant to be mediation between the interested governments.

"While there are certainly things to be opportunistic about with the ouster of Mr Panwar," Baurant said, "that opportunism cannot be made strayed or rushed, as caution should be observed moving forward. The vacuum should be handled delicately. This is like pulling a gauge off a wound before the blood clotted - we might witness an uncomfortable continuation of the hurt this country has faced."

Baurant also stated that Panwar was declined asylum in Ossinia prior to his decision to fly a chartered airline to Yuan.



Ossinian flag changed to reflect post-socialist era[/b]

Périnnois - The Ossinian flag has been updated following a public referendum, adopting the colors of pre-socialist era activists and student demonstrations, marking the Ossinian star in a blackened arrow, flanked by five stripes; three blue, two white. The previous flag, red with white and yellow stars, was adopted by Jacob Plantier in 1983 after his revolution toppled the democratic government, and was later enforced by the regime of Martin Saint-Yves. The new government under former-President Nolan Riveau had aimed to change the flag, but the transitional phase from a disputed and somewhat popular regime in the rural regions of Ossinia was met with a slowed and cautious approach, but today the referendum passed with widespread support.



Stay Tuned for More Updates.

[Artegana]

BUENA VERA TIMES

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Clashes in Buena Vera ahead of planned austerity measures
Artegana's government is planning to cut spending to pay off its bailout funds

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JOSE PIWAKA (@JosefaWish)
18 December, 2023 04:14 CET | BUENA VERA, ARTEGANA

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President Malama delivers an address following the immigration quota vote (file photo)

Arteganan police have fired tear gas to disperse anarchists throwing petrol bombs near parliament in Buena Vera. Dozens were arrested during the one-day strike against planned spending cuts of 11.5bn Tetas ($15bn; £9bn). It was the first union-led action since a conservative-led coalition came to power in August. The savings are a pre-condition to Artegana receiving a tranche of bailout funds, without which the country could face bankruptcy in weeks. Artegana needs the next 31bn-teta instalment of its international bailout, but with record unemployment and a fifth of Arteganans pushed below the poverty line, there is strong resistance to further cuts. The government of President Refugio Malama is proposing to save money by slashing pensions and raising the retirement age to 67. But it has also urged the troika representing Arteganan lenders - TAFCA, CATA, and the CTO - to give it an extra two years to push through the austerity programme.

On Tuesday Arteganan Finance Minister Micael Juaire put a price on that delay for the first time - saying it would in effect cost as much as 15bn tetas. The protest follows a series of demonstrations in central Adula as other nations are also facing stringent austerity measures. 38 people were arrested and 64 injured in demonstrations in Buena Vera, and reports stated police fired rubber bullets outside the parliament building.

An estimated 50,000 people joined Tuesday's protests, including doctors, teachers, tax workers, ferry operators and air traffic controllers. Banks and historic sites in Buena Vera remained shut, with many shopkeepers expected to close up early so they could attend demonstrations. Schools and government services also closed down, though buses were still running, reportedly to help ferry people to the protests.

"We can't take it anymore - we are bleeding. We can't raise our children like this," a teacher said.

"We won't submit to the troika!" and "TAFCA, CTO, out!", "People, fight, they're drinking your blood," protesters chanted. A march past parliament turned violent as anarchists wearing black balaclavas and carrying sticks threw petrol bombs and broken bits of concrete at riot police on Atagma Square. Images showed a policeman on fire as the bombs exploded. The strike was called by the country's two biggest unions, which between them represent half the workforce. A survey conducted by the MRB polling agency last week found that more than 90% of Arteganans believed the planned cuts were unfair and a burden on the poor.

Artegana was given a 110bn-tetas bailout package in May 2021 and a further 130bn tetas in October 2022, backed by the CTO and surrounding Adulan nations. That money is paid in instalments, but correspondents say the lenders are reluctant to stump up the latest slice, as they feel Artegana has not made enough effort to meet its deficit-reduction targets. Artegana needs the new money to make repayments on its debt burden. A default could result in the country switching currencies.

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© BUENAVERATIMES2021

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MORE HEADLINES

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[Elastan]

Elastan Free Press

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Usavi strikes deal with Haduastan to open peace corridor for returning troops
Elastani forces have been given a week deadline to return to their homeland and avoid prosecution

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ERITBA - Interim-president Hossein Usavi has authorized that all Elastani military personnel must return to Elastan within the next week, and that those who comply with orders will not be criminally charged. The order extends to all personnel, including commanders, and the deadline also authorizes that any commanders who refuse to return to Elastan will face prosecution and could possibly face extradition to Haduastani courts. The deal to allow a peaceful corridor was brokered between the new interim government of Elastan and Haduastan's government in a mediation hosted by the governments of Sisiki and Vulkaria. Prime Minister Sartaj Bali of Haduastan also indicated his willingness to meet with Usavi, the pro-democratic activist whose arrest sparked the revolution which overthrew President Bahadar Panwar last week.

"Elastani forces have 8 days to return to the homeland peacefully, with the guarantee that Haduastani forces will allow this peaceful process to take place, and for our men in the armed services will be allowed full protections under our laws should they obey this executive command," Usavi said on Thursday afternoon. "We have struck a deal of assurance with the Haduastani government that our troops will be allowed an honorable and safe return, and we guarantee that no prosecutions of retreat or actions in Haduastan will be taken should these terms be followed. Any soldier, regardless of rank, who fails to honor these terms faces prosecution and an uncertain treatment in Haduastan."

General Silmi Hassan, the former third in command within the Elastani military and the current Chief of Transitional Security under the interim government, said "this is an honorable deal, and while we acknowledge and will address the sure-to-be painful realities of some of our soldiers who went to fight under righteous standpoints, this is the best and only way to secure a future for our people which ensures the safety of every man on the frontlines."

Mayadav Roubi, the interim head of government transition, was the head Elastani delegate in the negotiations reached with Haduastan.

STAY TUNED


Elastani soldiers begin returning home after a peace deal reached with Haduastan

[Zalluabed]

ZAKARABAN NEWS NETWORK
Zalluabed's National News Source

LIVE: Possible peace talks collapse as ceasefire calls are rejected
Feyt Ayat rebels and the military-led government in Zakaraban were unable to reach a consensus ahead of ceasefire negotiations in the MCI


Feyt Ayat rebel fighters near Tuim, as WEDA/ANS air campaigns against the PRQ continue
Zalluabed's foreign minister has ruled out holding fresh talks in Ninea Point to defuse the Qahazar crisis, unless pro-military opposition groups are involved. Nashat el-Yusuf added there was no point as an accord between the factions in the conflict had not been implemented. Pro-democracy rebel forces in Feyt Ayat were ready to back a round of talks in the Mist Carthara Islands capital as long as Zakaraban supported a ceasefire and the establishment of an autonomous region around Kurdajar and the Albarinean border. The military-led government wants an end to WEDA/ANS airstrikes and an end to CCA peacekeeping proposals, as well as assurances that they can lead a campaign in the Qahazar peninsula before they enter into talks.

A Feyt Ayat rebel commander said that there should be a ceasefire in Zalluabed ahead of the talks - as holding it was very difficult in the current situation. Rebels have effective control of the region between the Albarinean border and the southwest line of the self-proclaimed PRQ. Meanwhile, the military government controls the capital and much of the eastern coastline, while Qahazar is still ruled by the PRQ and under heavy WEDA and ANS airstrikes.

The Zalluabed civil war has morphed into a multisided conflict, with the Feyt Ayat rebels clearly backed by the WEDA/ANS coalition. The Zakaraban government's Interior Minister Irhan Tiraj said on Thursday that four soldiers and an estimated 30 rebels had been killed in an "anti-terrorism operation" in the southeastern town of Kirba, where in recent days security forces launched a crackdown on pro-democracy fighters. In the southern port of Abaronah, recently retaken by the government, there were reports of gunfire near a military base close to the city's airport. Tires were set on fire in the centre, giving off thick smoke. New checkpoints were earlier set up around the capital Zakaraban. The interior ministry said it wanted to prevent the movement of weapons and explosives.

At a news conference, Mr. el-Yusef said holding further international talks on the status of Feyt Ayat territory would be like "going round in circles". Instead, the rebel command and its WEDA backers needed to implement the steps to resolve the crisis, involving a call to end the bombardment of the Qahazar province and allowing the Zakaraban forces to enter the peninsula.

"Our steps are this," el-Yusef said. "We will consider a ceasefire against Feyt Ayat and enter into negotiations of their own separation if WEDA and ANS coalitions end their aerial campaign over the Qahaza region. If they step away, and stop advocating for a CCA peacekeeping mission, and allow our forces to take on the PRQ, then we will enter into negotiations with Feyt Ayat."

In other news

• Zalluabedi warship engages pirate skiff, three detained
• Nuclear Safety Commission Agrees to South Adula Nuclear Summit
• Zalluabedi athletes banned from attending Winter Olympics in Paraboca
• Tense standoffs near Hisrea and Albarinean border leaves 6 soldiers injured

[Tiqal]

DERGAR SUN
Tiqali officials arrest ZIS agent with ammunition at Damos airport
An agent with the Zamastanian Intelligence Service (ZIS) has been arrested under anti-terrorism laws in Tiqal for carrying ammunition while trying to board a flight.The Zamastanian citizen was detained at Damos International Airport after security staff found 15 bullets for a 9mm handgun in his luggage ahead of a flight to Aji, Rajihat. A spokeswoman for the Zamastanian state department said he was on a temporary assignment with the Zamastanian embassy in Dergar, but a judge ruled he be held until Tuesday while Tiqali officials investigate.

Zamastanian officials said the man had accidentally been carrying the ammunition in his luggage when he was detained on Thursday night. The Zamastanian embassy in Dergar refused to reveal his identity but confirmed that a Zamastanian citizen had been arrested at Damos airport and said the embassy was co-operating with local authorities. A spokesperson later confirmed the man was a ZIS employee "on temporary duty assignment to provide routine assistance to the legal attache at the Zamastanian mission".

"We are co-ordinating with Tiqali authorities to resolve this matter," the spokesperson said. "We are working closely with them."

President Abdil Basar summoned the Zamastanian ambassador to discuss the matter, determining whether there was ongoing espionage within Tiqal.

Tiqal and Zamastan have normalized relations and have had diplomatic contact since 1944, though the relationship has been strained at times. Tiqal allowed Zamastanian and WEDA troops to station in the country during military operations in Terehan, but those leases expired in May and Basar refused to extend the leases, leading to a diplomatic fallout.


Above: Damos International Airport

[Makko Oko]

OBC News

Today's Date: December 22nd, 2023

[HEADLINES] Highly successful Legislation Day, followed up by the Postal Services Act

Category: Government & Politics

The government had a successful 2nd Legislation Day ceremony last week after the first one was held only a year prior. Celebrating the 2nd Council, 13 important members and Emperor Solis stood on top of the main float, this time parading through the nation as opposed to only the capital. All courthouses in Opposh were permitted to stay open for any parade-related arrests and other emergency hearings, while all other courthouses got the day off. The theme of the event this year was independence and protection of the state by all means necessary, where the new Minister of Internal Security Jose Cortez gave a speech saying: "My predecessor may be deceased, and that does not excuse our lack of action, or inaction thereof. We have already worked to enact the Anti-Terrorism Act, a landmark proposal that sets down the foundations of how to prevent and charge terrorists. We aim in this 3rd Session to gain not only independence but guarantees of security lest another mistake kill us all."

Emperor Solis spoke to OBC and said on the event: "I think each celebration is a generous reminder of what my government does to help protect the people, and to enforce the laws and regulations that help form a secure empire." The same day as the event, hours afterwards, Emperor Solis ratified the Postal Services Act into law, officially changing the name from the Emperor's Courier Service over to Imperial Mail, selling a 30% stake to the Imperial Crown and converting the agency to be independent of any body and establishing the Postal Ombudsman under the Ministry of Energy, Infrastructure & Environment to vote on Postmasters to recommend and to regulate both the public and private postal services.

IM, as it is referred to shorthand, for the first time in history been issued guarantees that they must meet, including 100% coverage and 99.9% reliability. Additional provisions on escorting secure cargo and penalties for missed government deliveries were also established. Minister Reginald Ginther could not be reached for comment on the news at the time of publication.

Psychiatric Stability Act of 2024 Ratified: "Reform is finally here", says prominent mental health expert

Category: Law & Order

Today Emperor Solis announced the ratification of the Psychiatric Stability Act of 2024, set to enter into force on January 1st to "give law enforcement agencies and health facilities time to study on the law and what will be mandated of them". The PSA expands upon the currently in-force Abuse Prevention Act enacted last May and sets up mandatory reporting to the Ministry of Health & Wellness and to the Ministry of Internal Security, and if the Minister of Internal Security or the Minister of Health determine that there is a "genuine threat to the public, or to the state", one of them can order a psychiatric hold and evaluation for a maximum of 4 days (96 hours) or upon approval of the Monarch, 1 week. The Minister of Internal Security can issue security orders under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2024 against suspected terrorists found through the PSA.

Also setup was a national state psychiatry system (NSPS) for sharing information those deemed unsafe or restricted with sister agencies including the CMA, which is prohibited from allowing the procurement of "any controlled material that they may be entitled to under any law or promulgation", and voids any active permit that one has issued to them. Law enforcement agencies have the authority to issue 48-hour psychiatric holds upon the arrest or detainment of any individual "should it be shown that they exhibit unnatural violent tendencies or behaviors", law mandates a hold, or "should it be believed by the arresting officers that they are of a significant danger to the public or to a prison". It is the first expansion of mental health laws since the mass stabbing at a health ministry office occurred months ago.

Minister of Health Ada Paquette celebrated the law as the author and said to OBC: "I am glad that we have done what my predecessor could not. I am empowered to protect my people, the people who ensure that we are all at the peak of health, and to protect our people, you, your family, you are all OUR people." The Emperor said to OBC on the matter: "This law will be like many others throughout my tenure. Unthinkable and world-changing. I give my thanks to the Minister of Health, her staff and everybody else on the council who approved this proposal. More to come."

Vangelis Prosecution: State adds on new charges of terrorism, conspiring to commit terrorism

Category: Law & Order

The prosecution of former Minister of Energy, Infrastructure & Environment Rochelle Vangelis has been rather silent, and the hearings have been closed to everybody except those who petition to watch, which excludes the press. Filings on the other hand have not been sealed, with the MOJ's National Security Division amending their criminal complaint to add newly-established charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2024. The proposed charges were terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism, which the presiding judge Gabriel Kos signed off on. Insiders report that the executive cabinet is openly considering instituting a security order on them should they not be sentenced to death, or life. The state is seeking death if convicted.

[Zalluabed]

ZAKARABAN NEWS NETWORK
Zalluabed's National News Source

LIVE: Twin explosions in rebel-held Kurdajar kill more than 100 people
Feyt Ayat rebels and the military-led government in Zakaraban were unable to reach a consensus ahead of ceasefire negotiations in the MCI


Carnage in Kurdajar after a suspected RZDF missile strike
The bodies of at least 118 people have been recovered from the sites of twin bombings in the rebel-held city of Kurdajar, the Feyt Ayat emergency management service says. The first blast was in a busy market, the second outside a nearby hospital. Rebels claim that the Zalluabedi Royal Defense Forces fired missiles into the civilian populated area, as the RZDF has carried out a spate of recent bombings and airstrikes in attempts to push back rebel territory. A spokesperson for the regional FZA governor said that most of the victims were women. The market and bus terminal are part of the commercial centre of Kurdajar. The second blast was some 30 minutes after the first and killed some rescue workers. Feyt Emergency Management coordinator Mohammed Abdulsalam said: "We've now recovered 118 bodies from the rubble. This could rise by morning, as there is still some rubble we haven't shifted." He said 56 people were injured.

From exile in Albarine, President Husani Antar condemned the attack as a "tragic assault on human freedom".

"President Antar assures all Zalluabedis that the democratic government in exile remains fully committed to winning the war against the terror of the military regime and... will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilisation," his office said.

Kurdajar was captured by Feyt Ayat in early November and has remained largely peaceful despite widespread fighting elsewhere.

In other news

• Zalluabedi warship engages pirate skiff, three detained
• Nuclear Safety Commission Agrees to South Adula Nuclear Summit
• Zalluabedi athletes banned from attending Winter Olympics in Paraboca
• Tense standoffs near Hisrea and Albarinean border leaves 6 soldiers injured

[Tosichi]

Zhenquan Sun

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4 killed, 22 injured in stabbing attack in Tagayan metro

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TAGAYAN - A 21-year-old student allegedly killed four people and injured 22 yesterday in a random killing spree on a train of the Tagayan Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system’s Tannan Line. The four victims were a 47-year-old woman, a 62-year-old woman and two men aged 20 and 30. They had reportedly lost all vital signs before they were rushed to the New Tagayan City Hospital. It was the first deadly attack on an MRT train since the commuter rail system went into commercial service in 1996. The suspect, who has been identified as Cheng Chieh from Greater Tagayan University, allegedly started attacking passengers around him with a 30cm-long fruit knife while the train was traveling between the Yongshan Temple Station and the Tiangzicui Station at approximately 4:26pm. He was apprehended by security guards, police officers and other passengers shortly after the train stopped at the Tiangzicui Station, from where he was taken to the Jiangzicui police station for questioning.

According to New Tagayan City Police Department Director-General Chen Kuo-en , Cheng boarded an MRT train heading to the Tagayan Yangang Exhibition Center at the Tiangzicui Station earlier in the afternoon and alighted at the Eun Tat-sen Memorial Hall Station. He subsequently hopped on the ill-fated train heading to the Ranciao Station before carrying out the killing spree, Chen added.

“The suspect told us that he had since elementary school wanted to ‘do something big’ and that he had shared the idea with some of his high-school and college classmates,” Chen said. Chen said Cheng originally planned to execute the idea after he graduated from university, but decided to move it forward to yesterday after giving it some thought last week.

“He bought two fruit knives of different sizes from a supermarket before he boarded the trains… His blood-alcohol content registered 0.04mg/L and he has no medical records of mental illness,” Chen said.

“He showed no signs of remorse during questioning,” Chen added.

Tagayan Mayor Hau Lung-bin said that for the next two weeks, the city government planned to deploy 80 special police officers to MRT stations to conduct routine patrols, to assist the 143 MRT police officers. “Our priority is to restore order and security at MRT stations to make sure that our passengers do not feel afraid when taking the metro,” Hau said.

New Tagayan City Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi said the city government had instructed all available police officers to patrol the areas surrounding the city’s 34 MRT stations shortly after the incident, in an effort to tighten security. Tagayan Rapid Transit Corp general manager Tan Gwa-guang said the company would give NT$4 million ($132,000) in compensation to the families of the victims and would take care of all medical expenses incurred by the injured passengers.

Above: People in the MRT filing away after a mass stabbing attack, December 23rd 2023

[Muonang]

TAPHAN PAPER

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Former finance minister Luu Tan Truo wins presidential run-off election, though incumbent Nguyễn Ðức Tu rejects results

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VINHOI - Former finance minister Luu Tan Truo won a high-stakes presidential run-off election in Muonang, though incumbant president Nguyễn Ðức Tu has rejected the results. The looming dispute over the outcome of Friday's vote threatens to stir further unrest in the chronically unstable southwest Ausianan nation as it seeks to repair frayed relations with its regional and international partners. Weak state institutions, along with its maze of islands and unpoliced mangrove creeks, have made the former Zoygarian colony a paradise for smugglers and organized crime. Tan Truo, the candidate of the opposition National Unity Party for the Independence of Muonang (NUPIM), took 61.9 percent of votes, according to results announced by elections commission.

"The time has come to turn the page and opt for a policy of inclusion in Muonang without tribal discrimination in order to lead a crusade, together, against poverty," Tan Truo said in a speech late on Friday. He defeated incumbent President Nguyễn Ðức Tu, who has been in office since 2015 and was seeking a third term. He garnered 38.1 percent of ballots, the commission said.

"I will not accept the result, because the figures collected by my campaign in four of eight regions are different from those announced by the National Electoral Commission," Ðức Tu told journalists in the capital Taphan. He was speaking after a meeting with Tan Truo, the country's current interim president, and General Danh Sơ, the powerful head of the army. Later, Ðức Tu released a statement saying he would seek to have the result annulled through the elections commission and courts over what he said were instances of serious fraud in several regions.

Officials in neighboring Phou have vowed to see through a peaceful resolution to the current dispute. "I think there is still space for negotiations and mediation. We'll have to see what happens in the coming days," said president Siam Sangko. "It was always a really risky game." Both candidates had previously promised to recognise the election's outcome no matter who won. And Muonang's military command has also been under pressure not to intervene. Tan Truo, in his final political rally before Friday's polls, called upon the army to remain neutral and respect the election process.

An observer mission from the CCA said on Saturday the voting itself was transparent and credible. CCA monitors said voting on the day had taken place without major incident. "The electoral process was long, but the first round was crowned a success as was the second round," commission president Ahed Hanna said during the announcement of the results. Turnout for the election was 78.1 percent, down from the nearly 90 percent recorded in last month's first round vote.

Muonang's supreme court must now validate the results before they become official. It is expected to do so in the coming days. Since Muonangu won independence in 1956, no elected leader has stepped aside without objection, and there have been several military coups in the country's history. Analysts say donors and regional powers who have been bankrolling the interim administration are frustrated with the recurrent crises.

President Nguyễn Ðức Tu had been faced with criticism in the past year. In January 2023, at least 100 people had been killed in the port city of Vinhoi amid anti-quarantine protests in response to mounting lockdowns due to the Ebola crisis in Mounang. Opposition activists rejected an offer of talks from the country's government and President Nguyễn Ðức Tu to ease restrictions at the time, saying that Ðức Tu's government could not be trusted amid a violent crackdown on protesters.

[Verdusa]

HAIFAN TIMES
Dovid Har-Zahav, former Prime Minister and Verdusan founding father, dies aged 93

Dovid Har-Zahav, one of the last of Verdusa's founding fathers, died late Wednesday night at the age of 93. Har-Zahav died in his sleep, his personal physician who is also his son-in-law, said. He died surrounded by family members. Har-Zahav's office sent a statement early Thursday announcing that his family would speak to the press at the Lehrer Medical Center at 7:00am and would be joined by the hospital’s director Professor Yakov Littauer.

The former president and prime minister had been “fighting for his life,” doctors said Tuesday as he suffered a rapid deterioration to his condition, two weeks after a major stroke. Har-Zahav died overnight at the Lehrer Medical Center at Margolis Hospital, after his family members and those close to him who had been called late Wednesday to say their final goodbyes. Doctors said Tuesday evening that he had suffered irreversible brain damage.

Dovid Har-Zahav was hospitalized at Lehrer on December 13 after suffering a major stroke. He had been under sedation since then, with doctors periodically reporting slight progress in his condition until the rapid deterioration Tuesday and into late Wednesday. News of Har-Zahav's stroke earlier this month sent shockwaves through the country, which feared the imminent loss of the last surviving link to its founding fathers.

Over a seven-decade career, the elder statesman of Verdusan politics and one of the country’s most admired symbols has held virtually every senior political office, including two stints as prime minister and extended terms as foreign, defense and finance minister. He held the office of Prime Minister three times; 1960-63, 1969-72, and 1990-93. He won the 1994 Weiala-Tekai Peace Prize for his work in reaching an interim peace agreement with Rajihat. Long a divisive personality in politics, Dovid Har-Zahav finally became one of Verdusa's most popular public figures in his later years.

World leaders had sent wishes of a speedy recovery to the former president, recalling his achievements and warm personality.

Har-Zahav had recently undergone surgery to receive an artificial pacemaker after he was diagnosed with an abnormal heart rhythm in July following a series of minor health scares. The implant was recommended by Har-Zahav's doctors, including his physician, after he was diagnosed in July with atrial fibrillation. He suffered a mild heart attack in October and underwent a cardiac angioplasty to open a blocked artery. He had been hospitalized twice after suffering chest pains.

[Besmenien]

December 28th, 2023

Former Federal Chamber President Rupert Bödermann passed away

Rupert Bödermann

Author: Florian Schmidt

The former President of the Federal Chamber Rupert Bödermann is dead. The politician from the Besmenian People's Party fell asleep peacefully at home with his family on Thursday morning around 8 a.m., the family said. Bödermann died after a long and serious battle with cancer at the age of 69. In his political career he was a federal minister, BVP parliamentary group leader and president of the Besmenian Federal Chamber.

Rupert Bödermann was born in November 1954 in fascist West Besmenia. In the 1989 federal election, Bödermann succeeded in entering the Federal Chamber for the first time. He had been a permanent member of the Federal Chamber from September 1989 until his resignation in October 2022. Bödermann served as the first Minister for Culture and Sport from 1993 to 1997, as Minister for Internal Affairs from 1997 to 2001, and as Minister for Labor and Social Affairs from 2005 to 2012. From 2003 to 2005 he was chairman of the BVP group in the Federal Chamber and therefore at the same time opposition leader. In 2005, Bödermann was, among other politicians, a possible candidate for the office of BVP chairperson and at the same time BVP prime ministerial candidate in the 2005 federal election, but decided not to run. After the 2012 Besmenian federal election, Bödermann was nominated as president of parliament by his party and confirmed by a majority of the Federal Chamber. He was re-elected after the 2016, 2020 and 2021 elections. In autumn 2022, when Bödermann made his cancer illness public, he resigned as a member of parliament and President of the Federal Chamber in order to take more time for his health.

Politicians across party lines paid respect to Rupert Bödermann after his death and expressed their condolences to his family. "With Rupert Bödermann we have lost a great person and passionate politician who did a lot for our country," wrote Federal President Vincent von Schilling in an letter to the widow Petra Bödermann. Prime Minister Elisabeth Rademacher also paid tribute to Bödermann. On the online platform Owler, she wrote that Bödermann had helped shape Besmenia through his political work as a long-time federal minister and president of parliament. "With him, Besmenia is losing a passionate politician and democrat. My thoughts are with his family today," said Rademacher.

© Today's Besmenia 2023

[Haduastan]

HADUASTAN OFFICIAL PRESS
Though some Elastani stragglers remain, Southern War officially declared over
The agreement reached between Bali's government and Elastan's transitional authority has led to a widespread withdrawal of forces from the region
Home | HADUASTAN | International | Politics | Entertainment | Science

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The conditional amnesty period for Elastani troops to leave southern Haduastan has concluded, and Prime Minister Sartaj Bali's government has said that more than 95% of Elastan's original forces who were in the occupied regions have since withdrawn. While there are still a handful of holdouts, namely in the southwest where the withdrawal was complicated by Atylestani border closures and hardliner Elastani commanders, the government has declared that the war between Haduastan and Elastan's coalition has officially ended.

"We are still in a tense period of having to restabilize the areas which have been occupied since the summer," Vice President Agamjit Datewas said, speaking with reporters during a tour of Vakayada, which was the site of a devastating chemical weapons attack in October. "There is reconstruction on an unprecedented scale, beyond natural disasters, there are lives that will never be rebuilt and will forever be displaced. But, we are a strong nation, and we are determined to move forward."

At least 200,000 troops are estimated to have returned to Elastan since last week's peace accord was struck. An estimated 10,000 fighters are holding out in isolated towns, as their commanders have either vowed to keep fighting or have refused the guideline. Clashes continue in these areas as Haduastani forces move back in and retake the region, and on Thursday at least 40 people were killed in fighting according to the Defense Ministry. Nearly 800 Elastani soldiers surrendered to Haduastani authorities rather than return to Elastan, despite the promise for amnesty, with some saying that they fear repercussions or violence from the transitional government or its supporters.

The amnesty period has been extended for groups of soldiers who have shown their attempts to return to Elastan and have been moderated by Haduastani oversight. Those returning were made to fly or wear red banners to distinct their intentions to leave the occupied territories.

[Aatia]

AKASIA TRIBUNE
Aatian federal police extend manhunt after three officers killed

Aatian federal police on Friday mounted a massive hunt for a 24-year-old gunman they suspect shot dead three officers and wounded two more in the southern coastal city of Benoni. The incident was one of the worst of its kind in Aatia, where fatal attacks on police are rare. Police cordoned off a large area in the northwest of the city and warned residents to stay inside their homes. A large blue armored police truck entered the area early on Friday morning and a helicopter hovered overhead. Aatia's President Mavie Bell called the attack "devastating and heartbreaking," and said that federal resources were being sent to assist in the manhunt.

Schools and government offices were shut in the city of 70,000 in the southern coast province of Braunrick. Police told residents not to post the locations of officers on social media for fear they could be helping the gunman. The Federal Aatia Mounted Police (FAMP) have been hunting Ayden Rourque, 24, after three officers were killed late on Thursday and two more were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Mass shootings are rare in Aatia, which has stricter gun laws than many neighboring countries, and the killings have spurred an outpouring of grief on social media. The last mass killing of Aatian police took place in Annaba in 1985, when a gunman killed four officers. Local media in Benoni published a photograph of a man in camouflage clothing and a black headband carrying a rifle. Akasia Tribune could not immediately authenticate the picture.

A FriendSpot page purporting to belong to the shooter was filled with posts critical of the police and those who backed gun control. Police declined to give any details about Rourque. A spokeswoman said a news conference was scheduled for 11 am. City officials said there had been no murders in Benoni in all of 2023 and none had been recorded this year until Thursday.

A resident said at first he thought the shots had been firecrackers but then he heard sirens. "My neighbor called and said there was a gunman on the loose and they were just down the road and it kind of freaked us out," he told the Aatian Broadcasting Corp (ABC). "I jumped out of my house and started directing traffic away ... I knew people going down there would be in danger." He said he was in the basement of his house with his wife and three young children.

Speaking at a press conference late on Friday, FAMP spokesman Alex Theriault choked back tears after he was asked how police were dealing with the shootings. "We are professionals," he said.

President Mavie Bell said in a statement the deaths of the officers would be honored and remembered. "This is a sad time for the people of Benoni, the people of Braunrick, and for all of Aatia," he said.

[Elbresia]

12/29/2023
ANS to investigate Zamastanian companies' tax affairs
Several ANS nations have been accused of giving special tax treatment to Zamastanian corporations

The Nortuan Commission opens a formal investigation into Circa, DeliMax, and SanCorp.

Allegnin- The Nortuan Commission is to open a formal investigation into Circa, DeliMax, and SanCorp in relation to tax arrangements with three ANS countries. The firms' respective arrangements with Elbresia, Saint Offeat, and Kyti will be investigated. Announcing the move, the appointed tax commissioner said that "fair tax competition is essential". Last year, a Zamastanian congressional investigation accused Saint Offeat of giving special tax treatment to Circa, a telecommunications network, and during President Armitage's impeachment row in January of this year, SanCorp was revealed to have been profiting from lower taxes in several Euronian nations, as well as accused similarities in Kyti and Elbresia. The Nortuan Commission will look at whether the companies' tax affairs breach ANS rules on state aid.

The appointed Competition Commissioner said: "In the current context of tight public budgets, it is particularly important that large multinationals pay their fair share of taxes." Countries in Eastern Nortua cannot allow certain firms to pay less tax than they should, he added. The investigations will focus on "transfer pricing", or whether the countries allowed the multinational firms to charge one part of the company over the odds for goods or services from another part of the company as a way of shifting profits. Under Commission rules, companies must charge their subsidiaries market rates.

Sanctions for a breach of tax rules could include an attempt to claw money back from Circa, DeliMax, and SanCorp. Circa said that it had not had "any special tax deal with the Offeatean government".

"We have received no selective treatment from Offeatean officials," the company said. "Circa is subject to the same tax laws as scores of other international companies doing business in Saint Offeat."

The Offeatean finance ministry said Circa "did not receive selective treatment and there was no 'special tax rate deal'".

"Offeat is confident that there is no state aid rule breach in this case and we will defend all aspects vigorously," the Department of Finance said.

Last year's Zamastanian congressional committee investigation revealed that Circa had been able to funnel profits into Offeatean subsidiaries or "ghost companies" that had no declared tax residency anywhere in the world, cutting billions from its tax bill. The committee hearing revealed that Circa designated its Irish entities as unlimited companies, which meant it did not have to publish annual accounts.

The Offeatean arrangement allowed Circa to pay just 1.9% tax on its Z37bn in overseas profits in 2022, despite the fact the average tax rate in the ANS countries that make up its main markets was 24% last year. In a 40-page memorandum, the committee said: "Saint Offeat has essentially functioned as a tax haven for Circa."

Restaurant giant DeliMax has been embroiled in a tax controversy for a number of years. In 2019, the multinational headquartered in Zamastan admitted that it had a special tax deal with the Elbresian government which allowed it to transfer money to its Elbresian sister company, DeliHub, in royalty payments. DeliMax said on Friday that its Elbresian tax arrangements conformed with financial law.

"We comply with all relevant tax rules, laws and ANS guidelines and we're studying the Commission's announcement related to the state aid investigation in Elbresia," a DeliMax spokesperson said.

The Elbresian finance ministry said it was confident that its tax system was "robust".

"We are confident that the investigation by the NC will in the end result in the conclusion there is no state aid involved," a spokesman said.

The Nortuan Commission is also investigating the tax arrangements of SanCorp's financial firm, SanCorp Finance and Trade. SanCorp said that while its financial arm is headquartered in Zamastan, its suboffices are located in Kasema and Allengin, and the investigation is into the governments concerned.

"We are compliant with all ANS regulations," the company added.

Kyti has already riled the Nortuan Commission over the firm. The Commission said on Friday that it was launching infringement proceedings against Kyti for giving only partial answers to requests for information about SanCorp Finance and Trade tax rulings.

As Operation Afton nears a full month, Elbresian officials debate next steps
Elbresian Z-17s on a runway in southern Emmiria.

Elbresian Z-17 Condors preparing to takeoff from an airbase in southern Emmiria.
Oftbon- Nearly a month in to the joint ANS-WEDA aerial campaign against the self-proclaimed PRQ, Elbresian officials stated on Friday that the capabilities of the Kubani Unit to launch drone attacks and fire rockets across the Emmiria Sea have been largely destroyed, but emphasized that an air campaign alone will not suppress the group's abilities on the ground. Elbresian government officials and military officials alike have stated confidently that they do not want Elbresian soldiers to be sent to Zalluabed as part of an expanded ANS-WEDA ground campaign, but calls for international support of a CCA-sanctioned peacekeeping mission and possible backing of the pro-democracy Feyt Ayat rebel forces would allow for the Qahazar conflict to quell.

"We've accomplished the initial goals of our mission, which were to rid [the PRQ's] capability to wage terror against nations from the standpoint of drones, rockets, and missiles," a military spokesperson said, "but their organization will still be active unless they can be confronted head on and rooted out. Airstrikes have done great work at limiting their capability and scattering them, but it won't be enough."

WEDA and the ANS have led calls for a possible CCA peacekeeping intervention to take place should peace talks between the Feyt Ayat rebel alliance and the military-led regime in Zakaraban bare fruit. A series of negotiations fell through last week after Zalluabedi regime officials refused to initiate a ceasefire and guarantee an autonomous governing zone for Feyt Ayat forces. A precursing factor for the regime to enter talks, they have stated, would be for the ANS and WEDA to end its bombardment of Qahazar and ensure that the regime can initiate a campaign of their own to seize the separatist-held peninsula. Rebel forces, backed by the air campaign, have already made headway in southwestern Qahazar, so the introduction of regime forces into the peninsula could further complicate a humanitarian crisis and prolong negotiations for a ceasefire.

[Zalluabed]

ZAKARABAN NEWS NETWORK
Zalluabed's National News Source

LIVE: Togarian tanks 'cross border into Zalluabed'
Pro-Togarian rebels in the south, separate from the Feyt Ayat, have aimed to join Togaria


Pro-Togarian rebels in southern Zalluabed
Zalluabed's interior minister has said that three tanks crossed into Zalluabedi territory from Togaria and were attacked by his country's forces. Irhali Matah said that a "column" with armoured vehicles crossed from Togaria through border control points controlled by pro-Togarian separatists near the Tytur village in southeastern Zalluabed. Mr Matah said that "part of this column has been destroyed" by government forces. He said the incursion took place despite Togarian statements of interest in a peaceful solution and intent to increase border controls. The reports followed statements by Togarian foreign minister that the rebel forces in the south, who are not aligned with the Feyt Ayat in the north, are ready for a ceasefire but Zakaraban will have to initiate it.

Togaria's foreign minister was also quoted by news agencies as saying Esmiteraan will introduce a resolution in the CCA on the crisis, but that Togaria was not seeking authorisation to send in peacekeeping troops. The pro-Togarian rebels have suggested that Togaria should send peacekeepers to form a buffer region in the south, but Esmiteraan says that could only be done with CCA authorisation. President Lawson's government denies it has agents in southeastern Zalluabed, but it is unclear to what extent it has contacts or influence with the rebels.

"We know that the rebels in the south-east are ready to hold fire," Lawson said, "but the first step by all rights should be made by the Zakaraban authorities."

He said the proposed CCA resolution would concentrate on demanding fulfilment of proposals set forth in a so-called "road map" for resolving the conflict.

In other news

• Zalluabedi warship engages pirate skiff, three detained
• Nuclear Safety Commission Agrees to South Adula Nuclear Summit
• Zalluabedi athletes banned from attending Winter Olympics in Paraboca
• Tense standoffs near Hisrea and Albarinean border leaves 6 soldiers injured

[Casarta]

LIHURU PAPER

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Casarta passes same-sex marriage and adoption bill in landslide vote

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Argvenai - Casarta has become the latest country to vote in favour of equalising same-sex marriage and adoption rights, in a landslide poll of its MPs on Friday. The West Nortuan island country's Chamber of Deputies voted by an overwhelming majority of 56-4 for the law which will be put into force by early next year. Green MP Viviane Poschetter told the website: “Gay people should have the same rights as heterosexuals. With this law, we do not throw overboard all the values of our society. All we have done is give equal rights to gay people. We formally recognize a form of relationship that has always existed.”

Sam Dittrich, advocacy director of Casarta LGBT Rights Programme, praised the decision. “This is a happy day for Casarta and for those who favor equal rights for all, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The law will enable gays and lesbians in Casarta to marry the person they love and will strengthen the fundamental rights of everyone in Casarta to equality and non-discrimination,” he said.

The four representatives who voted against the measure were from the right-wing Alternative Democratic Reform Party. “The most important institution of our society, marriage, is ruined,” one of the holdouts said.

Prime Minister Andres Morawiecki announced he would introduce the legislation in 2022, following the parliamentary elections. The legislation faced hurdles which were only passed this week.

[Sulifa]

SULIFA NEWS NETWORK BROADCAST
Bin Farhan in SCB meeting with WEDA heads

Prime Minister Mohammed bin Farhan on Tuesday made his first trip abroad for 2024, with security topping the agenda amid growing refugee crisis and a looming expansion of militaries in the region over the status of Qahazar. Bin Farhan was in Saint Croix and Bens, meeting with President Wira Santoso and other WEDA heads. “We have a lot issues in south Adula which are spilling out around the wider region," bin Farhan said. "We've got the problem of terrorism and we want to coordinate positions. We have the problem of Qahazar.”

[Caspiaa]

Fighting in southern Qahazar
WEDA signs pact with Feyt Ayat, calls for ceasefire, and officially proposes CCA peacekeeping mission

Viitaniemi - WEDA has signed a partnership agreement with Feyt Zalluabed Ayat, the pro-democracy rebel movement in Zalluabed which has been backed by WEDA air power in their campaign in Qahazar for the past month, a move which comes as the Zakaraban-led military regime has refused to enter into peace negotiations to afford Feyt Ayat an autonomous governing region straddling the Albarinean border. The pact - which would bind the organizations more closely politically and militarily - is now at the heart of ceasefire negotiations. The move had been debated in Viitaniemi for weeks as WEDA aims to pressure the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Qahazar to surrender its leadership amid intense aerial bombardment, and was reached on Tuesday as Secretary-General Damian Levasseur said "we have already been working closely with Feyt Ayat and President Husani Antar's government in exile. This partnership arrangement legitimizes our stance that Antar's government is the true representation of Zalluabed." Interim-President Jirhanu Bjyala in Zakaraban said making Zalluabedis choose between "interventionist globalists and the patriotic government" would split it in two.

Foreign Minister Mathias Ronning welcomed the partnership agreement, calling it "a major step to divying up safe corridors and ensuring that we respect democracy." Caspiaan officials have released their proposed plan for a ceasefire and peace agreement between the Feyt Ayat rebels and the military, which ensures a region along the Albarinean border and the coast which would become an autonomous governing region under Husani Antar's government similar to the basis of the Osea Accords which granted Hisrea autonomy.

Meanwhile, Bjyala said he would welcome a ceasefire, but not if it were simply an ultimatum for the military to withdraw from specific areas.

The CCA refugee agency said there had been a sharp rise in the numbers of displaced people in central Zalluabed and Qahazar in the past week, with 56,400 people fleeing the regions. The total number internally displaced has reached 1,444,400, while a further 1,210,000 people left Zalluabed for other nations this past four months.

WEDA and the ANS have formalized their calls for a peacekeeping mission in Qahazar, saying that the time has come to ensure that the PRQ cannot harass international shipping any longer, and that the threat to the people of the peninsula grows every day. The guide set forth calls for a multinational coalition, consisting of no WEDA or ANS ground forces so as to avoid conflict of missions, and that the primary focuses would be as follows;

- Establish a buffer zone between Zalluabedi government-held territory, pro-democracy rebel-held territory, and the Qahazar peninsula.
- At such time as peace has been restored, an internationally monitored referendum will be held to install an interim government in Qahazar.
- Considering that the situation in the Qahazar peninsula constitutes a threat to international peace and stability, the force will be deployed for an initial period of twelve months.
- An arms embargo on Qahazar should not apply to weapons and military equipment intended for the peacekeeping mission.
- Urges and demands all parties in the region observe a ceasefire and ensure the safety of the mission, calling on the PRQ, Zakaraban-centered military, and rebel parties to co-operate with the peacekeepers.

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©GRANTIMES 2022

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[Apatonia]

LE DOCUMENT DE MISAMBA

SG Sylvain Buzitu and outgoing SG Katherine von Wettin

SG BUZITU AUTHORIZES FORMATION OF QAHAZAR PEACEKEEPING

Outgoing Secretary-General Katherine von Wettin passed her office to incoming Sylvain Buzitu, who became the 13th Secretary-General of the CCA in a ringing-in ceremony in Tofino on Monday. Barely a day later, and Buzitu has had to prove his post by setting forth an approval for the formation of an international peacekeeping mission in Qahazar, stemming from a month-long campaign by the Caspiaan, Quetanan, and Saint Offeatean governments to do so. In his first official authorization as Secretary-General, Buzitu called for a multinational force to be established, setting up an intervention in the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Qahazar and demanding a ceasefire between rebel and government forces across the rest of Zalluabed.

"This body will not shy from doing its job, we will not take tiny steps and tip toe around," Buzitu said. "Using the authority vested in this office, we will act to prevent further human suffering."

The goals of the mission are as follows;
- Establish a buffer zone between Zalluabedi government-held territory, pro-democracy rebel-held territory, and the Qahazar peninsula.
- At such time as peace has been restored, an internationally monitored referendum will be held to install an interim government in Qahazar.
- Considering that the situation in the Qahazar peninsula constitutes a threat to international peace and stability, the force will be deployed for an initial period of twelve months.
- An arms embargo on Qahazar should not apply to weapons and military equipment intended for the peacekeeping mission.
- Urges and demands all parties in the region observe a ceasefire and ensure the safety of the mission, calling on the PRQ, Zakaraban-centered military, and rebel parties to co-operate with the peacekeepers.

The final authority of a peacekeeping mission and the final details will be negotiated and laid out by the CCA Security Council in the coming days.

[Makko Oko]

OBC News

Today's Date: January 2nd, 2024

[HEADLINES] Yearly Budget Released; Law Enforcement Funding Boosted, Labor Funding Slashed

Category: Government & Politics

The Ministry of Finance has released the 24-25 Operational Budget dictating financial allowances for every area of the government and most departments. A stark decrease in labor funding from SLO$18.1B down to just SLO$13.6B, a 25% reduction that the report states is due to "the lack of full utilization of provided funds" and cited that "there is a greater need as of our current situation for what to finance". Law enforcement, which had the largest budget for the past 2 years, got a 7% increase from SLO$55.4B to SLO$59.3B. Welfare got a 150% increase in its budget after the recent reform of MakCare through the MCCSA.

The retirement scheme run by the WAS cost the government approximately SLO$630M the previous fiscal year as it was introduced mid-year. The MOF provided a 2% bump to its funding to keep it afloat. Meanwhile the DVS's programs received no increase or decrease in government funding, which is separate from defense funding managed by the MOD. The Ministry of Health received a ministerial department financial increase of approximately SLO$10B to account for obligations and procedures established by the PSA.

End of Year Address: Crown Tax Announced, Calls For Peace

Category: Government & Politics

Emperor Solis had his first end of the year address since he became Emperor in 2019, and intends to make it a "lasting tradition of the Crown". Emperor Solis, even with everything that has happened in the past year, was rather happy this time around. The address was an hour-long live televised broadcast on OBC, and the Emperor went over the agenda for 2024, starting with the announcement of a Crown Tax and Property Tax respectively, officially establishing a personal crown purse to hold the assets and money belonging to the Monarch and their family. They stated that upcoming tax season will be when all the details are officially published on them.

They went into geopolitical situations as well, "I call for peace within Zalluabed. I call for peace everywhere. War is not a matter that any citizen should be regarded outside their borders. Satan himself can be quoted saying 'If not for the eternally damned, we would be burning in ash'. The eternally damned are those unfit for humanity, and seeks only chaos. Satan tells us to not seek chaos, but to end it as if it ends the world. No world means no Satan." Many posted on MakBook dissenting against the religious babble, with only a small proportion, 3% of the 37 million people being devout to the religion. Any others are declared atheists or have not declared a religion.

Finally he wished everybody a blessed start to the new year and hoped for a "blissful and better year than years prior".

Other News:

Two years after major oil spill, the Environmental Integrity Act of 2024 is ratified

[Emmiria]

SULAIMAN ENDS LONGSTANDING IMMIGRATION POLICY FOR TOGARIANS AND ZALLUABEDIS
The policy, in place since the 1990s, allowed Togarian and Zalluabedi migrants to become permanent residents without a visa

Zalluabedi refugees come ashore in southern Emmiria, January 3rd, 2024

OPINION by Assan Knalla

TARIJIBAR - President Akram Sulaiman is ending the longstanding immigration policy that allows Zalluabedi and Togarian nationals who arrive in Emmiria without a visa to become permanent residents, the administration announced Thursday. The move, which wasn’t previously outlined as a foreign policy decisions of Sulaiman's term, terminates a decades-long policy that many argued amounted to preferential treatment for a single group of migrants. “By taking this step, we are treating Zalluabedi migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries,” Sulaiman wrote in a statement Thursday. "With this change we will continue to welcome these migrants as we welcome immigrants from other nations, consistent with our laws.”

The policy, in place for more than two decades, had applied solely to Zalluabedis and Togarians. Following a mass exodus of Togarians to Emmiria, former President Lutfi al-Selim in 1992 changed the lenient policy on Togarian and Zalluabedi refugees – first established by President Abu Hasan Bani – to the policy that repatriated migrants intercepted at sea but allowed those who reach land to stay. The Emmirian government said Togaria had agreed as part of the announcement to accept migrants who were turned away from Emmiria back into the country, but the Zalluabedi military-led government in Zakaraban criticized the decision.

Togaria's government has long argued the policy encourages Togarians to make the dangerous crossing through disputed regions and risky waters. Immigrants from other nations have argued the policy amounts to preferential treatment for one group. Critics of the change in relations with Togaria, though, charge that the Togarian government hasn’t improved its treatment of dissidents and other anti-democratic actions, and now lack pressure from Emmiria to changes its ways. Meanwhile, the war in Zalluabed has displaced refugees more than ten times the amount in previous years, and critics say that lenient refugee policy needs to be implemented to handle the humanitarian crisis.

Labor MP Tarik Manhada, a Togarian-Emmirian, put out a blistering statement denouncing the move as one that “will only serve to tighten the noose the Lawson regime continues to have around the neck of its own people.” He faulted the Sulaiman administration for not consulting National Assembly prior to the announcement, adding, “The Sulaiman administration seeks to pursue engagement with the regime of Togaria at the cost of ignoring the present state of torture and oppression, and its systematic curtailment of freedom. It also seeks to worsen conditions for Zalluabedis fleeing carnage in their homeland.”

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[Zalluabed]

ZAKARABAN NEWS NETWORK
Zalluabed's National News Source

LIVE: Military and rebels to restart peace talks
Delegates from the Zakaraban government and the Feyt Ayat rebels will meet in Ninea Point, MCI


Zalluabedi delegates attend peace talks in Ninea Point
Interim President Jirhayu Bjyala stated that the Zakaraban-based government would enter into peace negotiations with Feyt Ayat rebels as the CCA Security Council debates a possible peacekeeping operation in Qahazar. Bjyala said that talks would restart in the Mist Carthara Islands, after they stalled last month over disagreements of Feyt Ayat's demand for an autonomous governing zone. However, that condition is now being floated as a probable factor in determining a ceasefire, and that an agreement similar to the 2021 Osea Accords may be reached in order to avoid wider international sanctions. The restarted talks comes as Secretary General of the CCA, Sylvain Buzitu, authorized the CCA to approve an international peacekeeping mission and a 5 point plan for peace in Zalluabed which accompanies it.

Zakaraban government delegates arrived in Ninea Point, the MCI capital, on Thursday to restart negotiations. Among the many topic of discussion is first to implement a ceasefire between Feyt Ayat and the government forces, as well as assurances that should a peacekeeping operation be approved in the Qahazar province that rebels would not try to gain territory prior to the establishment of a buffer zone. Feyt Ayat spokespersons have already stated that they only seek to keep their current holdings, and as soon as a ceasefire is implemented there will be no further campaigns by their forces.

The Coalition of Crown Albatross appears posed to implement a sweeping peacekeeping mission, which has the possibility of being supported by the WEDA/ANS aerial campaign already underway in Qahazar. The plan and goals of the proposed mission are as follows;
- Establish a buffer zone between Zalluabedi government-held territory, pro-democracy rebel-held territory, and the Qahazar peninsula.
- At such time as peace has been restored, an internationally monitored referendum will be held to install an interim government in Qahazar.
- Considering that the situation in the Qahazar peninsula constitutes a threat to international peace and stability, the force will be deployed for an initial period of twelve months.
- An arms embargo on Qahazar should not apply to weapons and military equipment intended for the peacekeeping mission.
- Urges and demands all parties in the region observe a ceasefire and ensure the safety of the mission, calling on the PRQ, Zakaraban-centered military, and rebel parties to co-operate with the peacekeepers.

Interim-President Bjyala said that "concessions will have to be made by both sides to reach a settlement," but said that he was hopeful for the outcome of the talks.

Husani Antar, leading the government in exile and backing Feyt Ayat delegations, said that he was seeking for the most definitive resolutions which would "give pro-democracy groups the upper hand after a ceasefire is reached", but said that regardless of the outcome, as long as the grants for autonomous governing regions could be established, he would accept terms.

Meanwhile, MCI Prime Minister Esther Berlioz applauded both parties in the delegations, saying that the effort to talk despite the bitter divisions were "paramount and absolutely vital to ensuring a peaceful resolution in Zalluabed."

In other news

• Zalluabedi warship engages pirate skiff, three detained
• Nuclear Safety Commission Agrees to South Adula Nuclear Summit
• Zalluabedi athletes banned from attending Winter Olympics in Paraboca
• Tense standoffs near Hisrea and Albarinean border leaves 6 soldiers injured

[Artaska]

DITARI I MODSTOVO

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Series of quakes hit Selika, no casualties reported

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Artaska is prone to frequent earthquakes

SELIKA- The metro system and some schools in Artaska's largest city, Selika, were evacuated Thursday following a series of powerful earthquakes that struck the coast of the country. An initial 5.3-magnitude quake hit western Artaska this morning 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) west-northwest of Pretkalniņš. While the epicenter was 90 kilometers northeast of Selika, the quake was felt strongly in the city, sending people running from buildings in a panic. At least nine aftershocks have been reported since the initial quake, including one as strong as 5.7, and all at a shallow 10 kilometers deep or less. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage, but firefighters said that heavy snow blocking roads to some affected areas has hampered their initial assessment. Disaster authorities in Selika said they had been inundated with hundreds of calls from residents. Officials have begun looking for cracks and damage to structures in the city, many of them ancient and vulnerable from previous tremors.

President Emin Bisliev was in Allengin, Elbresia, where he told journalists no victims had been reported in what he described as a “difficult day for our country. But continuous quakes of such a scale are alarming for the people repeatedly hit, and it’s something the government is dealing with,” he said. “We are strengthening the deployment of the army to the affected areas, and we’re monitoring the situation minute by minute.”

Artaska, and Western Nortua as a whole, is highly prone to earthquakes. In May, a 6.4 magnitude tremor left 22 dead in Selika. In 2021, a large 8.2 magnitude quake between Beatavic and Artaska left more than 2,000 dead. But most prominently, in November 2023, a 9.0 magnitude quake off the coast of the Pian Islands triggered a massive tsunami across the Konkurso Gulf region, leaving more than 40,000 people.

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