The Democritus Times (Democritus Only)

[Federal Pacifica]

New Sacramento Times

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High Speed Rail Project Nearing Completion
Date: October 16th, 2024

Yesterday the United Republics central government announced that the major high-speed rail project that has been in development since 2015 is nearing completion. The ambitious project seeks to connect Pacifica's major cities throughout the United Republics via a network of high-speed trains. The project as consumed more public funds than expected, however analysts note that if completed, Pacifica's economy will see increased growth as travel between the major cities of Pacifica becomes easier and cheaper. The high-speed rail lines will also connect Pacifica like never before, and may connect Pacificans from all around the United Republics together as one single entity. Despite the benefits though, many are concerned about the UR's "rampant public spending", as the central government invests heavily in fusion power research, technology industries and development, space technology, and of course the high-speed rail project. The UR government has long prided itself as having mastered the art of budgeting, and rarely sees a massive deficit. However, that may become increasingly difficult should it continue to overspend on major projects, while beneficial, are nevertheless costly in the long-term.

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In Other News
- Local Cosco manager, Gavin Newsom says that a high-speed rail to just Berkley "would have done just fine and it would've been cheaper".
- Pacifican economists fear global recession would impact global sales of Pacifican products, harming Pacifica's export-based economy
- Popular conspiracies debunked: Interior Orphan Kidnapping, Flat Earth, Everyone Is A French Dominion, and more.
- Canada wins the annual FUNA Musketeer championship
- Economists warn of SilTech monopoly should it continue to dominate Pacifican technology markets.
- Something something, the world doesn't make any sense: how reality is much much worse than fiction.

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[Anxiety Cafe]

16 October 2024

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ECONOMY AND BUSINESS | ARTS AND LETTERS | GOVERNMENT | SPORTS | SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | MILITARY | INTERNATIONAL

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National Congress Considers Indigenous Protections

A new proposal travelling through the National Congress, colloquially called the "Indigenous Peoples Bill", is one of the first of its kind in the nation. San Martinia has historically lacked behind its counterparts in the Americas on protections for indigenous peoples, despite having significant communities. The Mapuche are by far the largest community, estimated to have near a million self-identifying members, and Tuff, Guarani, and Aymara communities also boast large memberships. However, most experts insist indigenous population estimates require vast inflation, as many will not admit to indigenous ancestry. This is likely due to rampant racism against indigenous peoples, including common use of multiple ethnic slurs as well as offensive stereotypes characterizing them as "dirty" or "lazy". Studies estimate that indigenous people earn 16% less for the same work as non-indigenous workers. This racism is also likely why it has previously been so difficult to bring indigenous issues to the National Congress.

The Indigenous Peoples Bill is groundbreaking in that regard. Prior to this bill, indigenous communities registered with the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs and were listed on the National Registry of Indigenous Communities. Such legally-recognized communities were afforded certain rights, such as recognition of community ownership of land and exemption from taxation for registered members. However, no equivalent to the North American Native American Reserves existed in the nation. One part of this bill seeks to change that.

This bill would see the creation of legally-recognized Indigenous Territories. The policies of self-government and autonomy would be applied in these protected areas, allowing indigenous peoples far more freedom to organize. Education in Indigenous Territories will be decided by the communities, however this bill specifically approves bilingual curriculum to assist in cultural preservation. Additionally, the bill sets the foundation for the expansion of the National Congress to include one or more indigenous representatives.

Indigenous activists hailed the bill as "the first step", but pointed out that it did not do enough to protect the rights of indigenous peoples. Others, including the Mapuche terrorist group CAM, called the concept of "Indigenous Territories" insulting in stolen land. However, all agreed that the bill was a starting point for indigenous protections that were long overdue.

Opponents of the bill called it "unnecessary". They claimed the concept of Indigenous Territories undermined territorial integrity and stunted economic growth, and that it was "unwarranted for the minuscule indigenous-identifying population." They pointed out that, unlike in North America, the state had very few legal obligations to protect indigenous peoples because of a relative lack of peace treaties with indigenous tribes and nations.

Despite opposition, the bill is expected to pass in both houses of the National Congress.

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In Other News: Officials consider banning the Puertollanoan-based "Sucre" operating system before it is able to expand into domestic markets, citing security concerns; San Martinia and the FSR launch first Regional Fisheries Management Organization in accordance with the CSN's Sustainable Fishery regulations; Can shrimp really see all those colors?

[Grandes Terres]

16th October 2024

Government bans 'Sucre' operating system, citing security concerns from intelligence agencies

Today whilst speaking at an event of the General Confederation of Italian Industry (Confindustria), Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that the government has implemented a complete ban on the Puertollanoan operating system known as 'Sucre'. The Prime

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte speaking at the Confindustria event.

Minister cited security concerns as the primary reason that the government had moved to ban the operating system, confirming that the Council of Ministers had been given a joint security and intelligence briefing by the COC (Cybernetic Operations Command), DIS (Department of Information Security), AISE (External Information and Security Agency) and AISI (Internal Information and Security Agency). The Prime Minister claimed that during the briefing it was made 'abundantly clear' that the national security threat of the Sucre operating system far outweighed any benefits that would be gained by allowing it to be used in Italy.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that he will be suggesting to the Roman Senate and DEU Assembly to roll out a Europe-wide ban of the Sucre operating system to protect the continents economic and military security. Critics of the idea to ban the Sucre operating system claim that the government is acting on behalf of TXT, the Milan-based company that owns the EurOS operating system, which is currently the most widely used OS in Europe and some other countries internationally. Representatives of the government claim that allegations of the government acting on the whim of the executives of TXT were 'unfounded slander' with 'absolutely no evidence, simply pure conjecture'.

Many at Confindustria, which represents over 200,000 Italian companies and almost 5.5 million individuals, applauded the announcement from the Prime Minister, with one businessman saying that "the Prime Minister and his government have our best interests at heart by protecting our economic security through banning foreign companies that have links to hostile governments such as those from Puertollano where this Sucre OS is coming from as well as much of the products and software that comes from the FSR."

[The East African Commonwealth]

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The Afrika Times

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Africa's 'Green Revolution'

During the late 1800's the Western World began the Industrial revolution, leading to a boom in economic prosperity and innovation. However, while this event helped cultivate the world we currently live in it came at a cost with fossil fuels damaging the environment with the release of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere and destruction of habitat and the natural environment. Now, in the 21st Century the EAC has entered an industrialization program of its own to build the nation into a regional power and it is looking to do so without damage to the environment. International projects have been mostly localized in already developed areas and as such until now there has been minimal environmental impact save for mining operations. The government has begun to push forward new programs for recycling, green energy, and controlled agriculture systems. In order to improve the rate of recycling, particularly that of plastics, Rais Nuru has introduced the Green Roads Plan or the GRP. This plan sets aside funding to pay people a small sum for turning in plastic products for recycling, giving an incentive to people to pick up trash and provide income to anyone currently unemployed. The plastic will not be turned into additional plastics but melted down and transformed into new plastic roadways. These roads are durable and long lasting as plastics take an extensive period of time to degrade. Additionally, there will be a metal sheet placed below and on the sides of this road to run cable through and catch microplatics in as the road degrades. Lastly, the roads will be local ones not highways, allowing the basic infrastructure at the community level to be improved and create jobs.

In terms of energy, thanks to the advanced by E-tech with their portable solar generator and their new small scale hydro-turbine, clean renewable energy is becoming widely available to those in the farthest reaches of the EAC. However, E-Tech and the government are now taking another step in green energy by creating a new joint project called Horizon. Project Horizon seeks to create large scale tidal power station off Zanzibar which, on paper, should produce enough power to meet the city's daily demand. The project would be the first of its kind in the world and could be the first of many plants should the Zanzibar station be a success. Lastly, the agriculture sector is also seeing an update in regulation following its transition from a cash-crop focus to a food one. Farms and land are currently being sampled to determine what crops would have the most success and therefore the highest yield. Low quality farmland will be turned into grazing land for livestock while land that has no agricultural value will be developed into wind turbines or solar stations to provide green energy to farmland. All of these new programs coupled with smaller efforts in the past two years have led to many calling this clean industrialization the Green Revolution in many parts of the Commonwealth.

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Project Foehammer Continues Development

The first prototype of the National Guard's first home-built machine was demonstrated earlier today at the Solomon Testing Grounds outside of Lusaka. The eight wheeled vehicle called the Light Combat Platform (LCP) is designed by the newly establish arms startup Zambia United and currently represents the most advanced technologies available to the Commonwealth. While the demonstration was more of a way to show off the Commonwealth's first native vehicle it was also the public's first look at the machine and some specifications. The design is inspired by the Canadian Stryker, the current mainline APC fielded by the Commonwealth, however, it is significantly heavier and has a slightly wider frame. The 30 ton machine reached speeds of 64 mph due to the AX Type Engine developed specifically for this new machine. The LCP is missing some notable features namely any internal electronics in its current state. From what we have been told the electronics are still in development along with most of the software. Regardless, the machine met the National Guard's expectations for a prototype unit and have asked for a second demonstration of the vehicle once it has a full weapons and electronic suits integrated.

From what has been released, the weapons selection for this machine is varied but all can be interchanged depending on the mission. There are three variants of the turret currently in development with each having a specific purpose in mind. The LCP-1A/A Turret is a remote 50 caliber weapon controlled from inside the machine for APC missions and the LCP-1A/C will mount a 40 mm cannon to act as an IFV. The third variant, LCP-1A/B, is a heavy weapons platform, but the type of weapon the turret will hold has not yet been disclosed to the public. There is a variant of the LCP without minimal weapons (LCP-1A/D) to act as a armored transport as well which is very similar to what was shown during the demonstration. The LCP program and its sister program the Universal Combat Platform (UCP) are set to introduce machines into service by 2027, putting a large amount of pressure on Zambia United to finish its first project within a very short time frame. What will likely happen is that the LCP-1A/D and LCP-1A/A will enter service in 2027 as those two machines are the closest to completion with the other variants introduced in the following years to allow ZU to stagger development. Regardless, it seems that by 2030 the EAC will have a modern a capable vehicle fleet within the National Guard.

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| New Anti Tank and Anti Air Weapons Purchased from Canada | Fishing Regulations Passed on Lake Victoria | Government Reaffirms Neutrality in 2nd Fantastic War |

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[Zackaroth]

Zackaroth begins building Hydroponics Plants in Africa

A few years ago, Zackaroth unveiled its Hydroponics systems. This would allow Zackaroth to grow certain fruits and vegetables in large warehouses using only mineral nutrients and a water solution. This break through in technology has allowed Zackaroth to less rely on foreign imports of food from the world and the ZAC. The industry has been booming in the country recently as previously expensive fruits and vegetables are now are more affordable levels. While it has not completely solved Zackaroth's food dependency, it has lightened the load.

However, the nation is starting to expand its systems to the wider world, focused on Africa. In the French Controlled CAR and Upper Nigeria, 2 faculties are being built to help aid in both countries post civil war rebuilding. While the deal with not fully published, it is being said it was highly lucrative for the Zackarothian government and should it be a success, may be a starting point to more being built. It has also been reported The EAC has also expressed interest in the Hydroponics Centers and is has reportedly contracted one to be built for testing purposes.

It remains to be seen however how the rest of the world reacts. When Zackaroth unveiled its Hydroponics systems, the FSR immediately claimed that Zackaroth had stolen their technology and demanded it back through the CSN. However the CSN proposal went nowhere and the Zackarothian Hydroponics Program is still very much active today. Some in Zackaroth are worried that this move will antagonize the FSR during an already tense global war that Zackaroth has managed to stay out of.

[Orostan]

FSR SUES ZACKAROTH

The Federation’s National Industrial Board has filed a suit in the CSN’s international court against the Zackarothian government and businesses involved with stolen hydroponic technology. International law prohibits the theft of technology and the use of it without proper licensing. Zackaroth’s hydroponic technology was revealed as an obvious copy of Federation technology the moment it was unveiled and presented to the public, and further comparisons by buyers and engineers has shown that key components of the Zackarothian products are almost exactly identical to Federation produced components. International sanctions on the FSR has allowed Zackaroth to make money off of markets the FSR does not have easy access to with stolen Federation technology. The NIB has stated that they are filing their suit with the full backing of the Federation government, a statement corroborated by President Morales and by a resolution passed in the People’s Assembly. The NIB is expected to demand billions worth of reparations from the Zackarothian government and business if they win the case. If it is lost however, several sources within the NIB have anonymously stated that the NIB will completely disregard all international law related to information theft.


Other news
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- Fishing agreement soon to be reached with San Martinia
- Demand for tech products expands in Orostan as purchasing power increases
- General Dias retires from military, spokesperson raises possibility of Presidential run.

[Puertollano]

TeleSur celebrates 7th Birthday

TeleSur, the broadcasting channel co-funded by the Bolivarian Republic and the Federation of Socialist Republics celebrates its 7th year anniversary since its founding today. TeleSur, which prioritizes the views of the underrepresented, such as the indigenous and poor, has been broadcasting in four different continents since its establishment. Castillo went to Twitter on the day, speaking fondly of the success of TeleSur: "TeleSur is responsible for educating the international south - contravening the methodology of the old media and the imperialist self-censorship." The Bolivarian Minister of Communications, Luis Marcano, visited the head-quarters in Caracas in a good-will meeting to celebrate the occasion. "TeleSur will continue to be a bulwark of information in an age of universal deceit and it important in the broader international dialogue," Marcano said while touring the facility. The beginning of the days broadcast on today's occasion commemorated the date as an integral step in the diversification of international media. TeleSur has not been without its controversy and was banned in Italy from broadcasting. Reflecting on this moment, the Minister commented that: "the blacklisting of TeleSur backfired on the Italian Government, who later reversed their decision. Censoring important voices like TeleSur will only create more intrigue among the broader population. We're happy to say that now, after 7 years, TeleSur is free to broadcast anywhere it please."



In other news:
- Sucre introduced to indigenous communities of the FSR Amazon, in a joint effort by the Bolivarian and FSR governments.
- Minister Marcano blasts decision by Italy to ban Sucre as "antagonizing".

[Federal Pacifica]

New Sacramento Times

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The United Republics Sues the F.S.R
Date: November 12th, 2024

Following the F.S.R lawsuit against Zackaroth, the central government of the United Republics announced that it will be taking similar actions against the F.S.R. Recent government reports from the Interior have indicated that the F.S.R in the past has committed acts of information espionage and has stolen schematics and blueprints related to many Pacifican innovations in computer technology and engineering. The report stated that dozens of Pacifican companies have claimed that aspects of their technology can be seen within F.S.R products and that the similarity between the F.S.R's products and their own, both in design and function, was by no means coincidental. The report detailed a long list of Pacifican technologies that can be found within F.S.R products. While the F.S.R has allegedly ceased most of it's information espionage against the United Republics, they have not ceased production and selling of F.S.R products that were built off of stolen Pacifican technology, both internally and externally. However, the Interior has stated that the F.S.R could not have stolen that much technology during the times in which their espionage program against the U.R was active.

Exterior department sources have claimed that they were aware of not just the F.S.R's past information espionage, but also that many of their technological innovations in computer science has made with stolen Pacifican technology, however the government refused to take any legal action as a means to safeguard Pacifica's semi-positive relationship with the F.S.R. The central government decided to pursue legal action against the F.S.R after they announced their lawsuit against Zackaroth for allegedly stealing F.S.R hydroponic technology. This, according to one insider, was seen as hypocritical by the President and the Exterior department, and thus have decided to take similar actions against the F.S.R.

The central government has stated they are willing to drop the case should the F.S.R either pay back all lost revenue in reparations, pay annual licensing fees to the United Republics, or ceases production and selling of F.S.R products that utilize stolen North American technology.

This move has not come without criticism from not just the public, but also other government departments. A spokesperson for the Interior has indicated that the DOI is not in support of this move, despite being the one's that presented the report to the central government. This is because, according to insiders within the DOI, the Interior has evidence to believe that the DOE, the Department of the Exterior, has been funneling technology to the to the F.S.R in a game of crude diplomacy, without approval from the copyright holders of the technology. This allegation was not present in the original report due to it still being under investigation, but the Interior has stated that it is likely a handful of the alleged stolen technology in the report was actually stolen by the F.S.R, and that the majority was likely funneled to them by the Exterior. The Exterior denies these claims and state that their actions were done with Presidential approval with complete compliance with the law, and further stated that the Interior is fabricating this as an attempt to deflect blame as a means to cover-up their "ineffectiveness" in stopping foreign espionage.

Public reaction to this seems to be mixed. Polling done on the issue has shown that 25% of Pacificans are pleased with this decision as it "stands up for Pacifican intellectual property", 48% of Pacificans have no strong opinion as they are "awaiting for further evidence", and 27% of Pacifican's are against this decision. When asked why they were against it, the overall response was similar, they believe that this is all just an attempt by the Exterior to extort money from the F.S.R after giving them technology without the approval of the copyright holders of that technology. As the Interior continues it's investigation, it's likely that public opinion may shift depending on the results. Pacificans overalls trust the Interior over the Exterior, the latter of which has long been plagued with controversy that has made the public distrust it.

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In Other News
- University boy too lazy to even make an "Other News" part of his post.

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[Lusophone]

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Oluwakemi Taliscas' Portugal

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Oluwakemi "Kemi" Taliscas became the 22nd president of the Portuguese Republic on Tuesday before a massive crowd reveling in a moment of historical significance, and called on Portuguese to confront together an political crisis that she said was caused by “our collective failure to make hard choices.”

Ms. Taliscas spoke just after noon to a sea of cheering people, appearing to number well over a million, who packed the streets of the capital and beyond. Four hours later, at the end of the parade route, she left her car and strolled with her husband along Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, on the final steps of a march to Belem Palace, holding hands and waving to cheering crowds.

In her inaugural address, Ms. Taliscas acknowledged the change her presidency represented, describing herself in her inaugural address as a “woman of Portuguese Angolan-Indian descent and of immigrants.”

She spoke for about 20 minutes, after taking the oath of office on the same Bible used by every President since António Ramalho Eanes, emphasizing her determination to unite Portuguese in confronting both the economic and political challenges facing her and the continuing fight against terrorism.

The problems, she warned,

are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, Portugal — they will be met.

Later, during a luncheon with members of Parliament, Ms. Taliscas urged lawmakers to come together “with a sense of purpose and civility and urgency.”

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to agree on everything,” she told the lawmakers, who are already at work on major parts of her agenda. “And I assure you our administration will make mistakes.”

With her husband, Douglas Evora, holding the Bible, Ms. Taliscas, the 54-year-old daughter of an immigrant mother from India and an immigrant father from Angola, was sworn in by Chief Justice Maria dos Prazeres Pizzaro Beleza a few minutes after noon, a little later than planned, and spoke immediately afterward.

In her inaugural address, the President promised to take “bold and swift” action to reinforce the economy by creating jobs through public works projects, improving education, promoting alternative energy and relying on new technology.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking Portugal,

Oluwakemi Taliscas said.

Hours later, Taliscas' Chief of Staff, Maya Taliscas, signed a memorandum sent to agencies and departments to stop all pending regulations until a legal and policy review could be conducted by the Taliscas administration.

Turning to foreign affairs, the new president made note of the war in Galicia and the “far-reaching network of violence and hatred” that seek to harm the country. She used strong language in pledging to confront terrorism, nuclear proliferation and other threats from abroad, saying to the nation’s enemies, “you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

But she also signaled a clean break from some of the Palveiro administration’s policies on national security. “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,” she said, adding that Portugal is “ready to lead again.”

Former President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, making his way out after the ceremony, called the speech thoughtful, weighty and well-delivered.

“It’s obviously historic because President Taliscas is the first president of Angolan-Indian descent, but it’s more than that,” Mr. Silva said. “This is a time when we’re clearly making a new beginning. It’s a country of repeated second chances and new beginnings.”

In her speech, Ms. Taliscas acknowledged that some are skeptical of her ability to fulfill the hope that many have in her ability to move the nation in a new direction.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply,

said Oluwakemi Taliscas, who in her campaign emphasized a commitment to reduce partisanship.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a living wage, care they can afford, a life that is dignified.

After the speech, Ms. Taliscas escorted her predecessor, Sara Palveiro, to the grounds of Belem Palace, where a helicopter was waiting to take the former president and her family to an Air Force Base outside Lisbon for a return trip to Palveiro's hometown.

After seeing Ms. Palveiro off, Ms. Taliscas went back inside the Palace to sign confirmation papers for her cabinet and to attend a traditional luncheon. President Oluwakemi Taliscas' administration boasts an all-female cabinet, the first in Portugal's history.

After lunch, the National Assembly got back to business, and by unanimous consent confirmed the appointments of seven cabinet secretaries: Liana Judice, Secretary of State for Environment; Jacinta Huertas, Secretary of State for Education; Cierra Marcelino, for Secretary of State for the Interior, Sheryl Saraiva, Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education (Innovation); Michelle Fortes as Secretary of State for Defense; and Gilda Montez as Secretary of State for Agriculture.

At the same time, Assembly Opposition delayed the confirmation of Wilma Sampaio as Secretary of State for Foreign and Lusophone Affairs for at least a day because of concerns about her relationship with Prime Minister Hildred Cardoso.

Ms. Taliscas’ assumption of the presidency caps a remarkable rise for a woman first elected to national office in 2017, winning an MP seat in a year when she also delivered the keynote address to the Partido Progressista convention.

Read more

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Portugal reverses Palveiro's Supreme Court purge, prepares for its DEU membership

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[Lusophone]

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Democracy or Identity? The question is still unanswered despite repeal of Portuguese Identity Law

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Amid a moment of national upheaval, Portugal’s oldest living former President, António Ramalho Eanes, emerged from retirement in the wake of the Galician conflict to warn Portuguese they had sown the seeds of self-destruction. Portugal had just committed itself to military operations against its neighbor, elating the Portuguese far-right with a sense that their way of a state might really work.

But Eanes, to this day, continues to insist that Portugal give up the territories it may gain. If it does not, he said, occupation would distort the country’s foundations, which had been created to protect not just the Portuguese people but their ideals of democracy and pluralism.

Prior to the Second Fantastic War, Portugal under Sara Palveiro, had formally declared the right of national self-determination, once envisioned to include all within its borders, as “unique to the Portuguese people.” To some, the new law is a natural outgrowth of Portuguese patriotism over neighbors opposed to its capitalist, pro-Western existence, safeguarding the Portuguesepeople within borders and laws that put them first.

But to others, it is a step along Eanes’ prophesied path: from occupation to endless conflict that would corrode democracy from within, endangering a national character thought to come from ideals as well as demographics. Above all, the law may be a choice between two visions of Portugal that have come into growing tension. Portuguese diplomatic experts have long issued a version of Eanes’ warning: If Portugal does not make peace with the rest of the peninsula, they said, it would have to choose between its dual identities as a Portuguese state and democratic one.

Polls suggest that Portuguese have come to agree: Growing numbers see their country as facing a choice between being Portuguese first or democratic first. And for many on the political right, the choice is identity first.

Though Portugal’s newfound circumstances may be unique, its sense of facing a looming decision about its national identity is not. There is a growing backlash to the idea that countries should privilege democracy over all else. That movement, driven by perceptions of physical and demographic insecurity, insists that, now, identity will come first.

A Global Contradiction
The modern era endowed countries with two rights, supposedly unassailable, that turned out to exist in tension. The right of national self-determination envisioned states as unified collectives; one nation for one people. And the right of democracy prescribed equal participation for all, including in defining the nation’s character. Idealistic world leaders who set out those rights a century ago imagined countries that would be internally homogeneous and static. But reality has proved messier. Borders do not perfectly align with populations. People move. Identities shift or evolve. What then?

Portugal’s potential occupation of Galician territory sharpened questions over how to democratically incorporate the non-Portuguese within the avowed nation — an identity that early Portuguese leaders, remembering past wars, felt bound to protect — just as countries around the world faced their own challenges over balancing identity and democracy.

Civil rights movements challenged countries to broaden national identities long associated with whiteness. The end of Portuguese colonialism saw mass migration of non-Portuguese to Portugal; within former colonies, conflicts erupted over who belonged and did not.

The democratic Portugal arrived at an informal consensus: If the requirements of democracy and national identity clash, the first should prevail. That didn’t mean abandoning national identity, but it did mean softening how it was understood and maintained.

Oluwakemi Taliscas’ vision of Portugal is that Portugal can still calls itself the nation of the Portuguese, but that term would grow fuzzier to better include all within its borders. It’s a work-in-process and remains controversial, but the trajectory is clear.

Democracy Over Identity?
Such transitions have been seen as essential to democracy’s survival.

Ethnic nationalism still tempts Europeans. But democracy has taken hold where nationalist attitudes have cooled. This global shift has been glacially slow but unidirectional enough that, among democracies, the exceptions stick out. The historian NAME, in a controversial 2023 essay, called Portugal’s turn to maintain a firmly Portuguese identity “an anachronism.” The country’s vision of itself as by and for a single demographic group, he wrote, “is rooted in another time and place,” a stubborn holdout amid “a world that has moved on.”

But Mr. NAME may have overstated, as historians often did in those days, the decline of the national idea. Portugal may not have been an anachronism at all, but a precursor of things to come.

Fear and Backlash
Old ideas of nationhood can have a powerful pull. The way that human beings think about group identity — as an extension of ourselves, particularly in moments of crisis — can make us see safety in conformity, and danger in diversity or tolerance.Nothing triggers those feelings like terrorism or demographic change.

Portuguese experienced both around MONTH 2023 — a wave of horrific violence known as the Norte and Lisboa attacks, provoked by the Palveiro administration, included shocking terrorist attacks in previously safe cities.

Research has repeatedly found that terrorist attacks increase support, among the targeted community, for right-wing politics. One study found that even the perceived threat of an attack shifted Portuguese voters toward right-wing parties. Tellingly, this favored a specific subset of right-wing parties — the nationalists. A study of Portuguese led by NAME, a political psychologist at the University of Lisboa, found that exposure to terrorism changes much more than party preference.

When people believe they may be attacked merely for who they are, they hold more closely to their identity. Their sense of community narrows: only those who look like them are to be tolerated. They grow more supportive of policies to restrict or control minorities, the research found, and less supportive of pluralism or democracy. At the same time, when a majority demographic group believes it could become a minority, members of that group often become less supportive of democracy, preferring a strong ruler and harsh social controls, according to scholarly research on democratic decline.

Portuguese have changed how they see their country’s identity. In the 2024 Election, they once again expressed optimism that it could be both Portuguese and democratic. But in the past six years, according to polling by the Portuguese Democracy Institute, that has became a minority position. Large subsets say the country must be either Portuguese first or democratic first.

Those who say Portugal should be Portuguese first overwhelmingly belong to the political right, which pushed through this week’s national self-determination law. But even those who say democracy should prevail express support for some caveats.

The quality of Portuguese democracy has been declining steadily since 2019, according to a well-regarded index known as V-Dem that tracks countries across a host of metrics. In the mid-1990s, it scored alongside present-day western countries. Today, it is seen as on par with African democracies. Sara Palveiro’s administration has seriously undermined democracy in Portugal.

A Global Backlash
Portuguese seem more alone than they once were in questioning the half-century-old consensus that democracy should prevail over national identity. In 2024, fear of migration and terrorism coincide, among a subset of white voters, with support for harsh policies against minorities and for a strong leader who can impose control. Portugal had previously overtly embraced an old-style national identity, with leaders championing the ethnic origins of the state, warning darkly of foreigners and curtailing basic rights.

Democracy’s growth has stalled globally. Though the causes for this are not fully known, the trend is marked, in part, by once-healthy democracies rolling backward. Conventional wisdom holds that this is because of mismanagement or the self-interest of leaders. But maybe this is wrong.

Forced to choose between putting democracy or identity first, people may not always pick democracy.

Read more

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In her debut Strasbourg speech, Taliscas rejects Palveiro's old vision of Portugal and the DEU

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[New Metropolitan France]

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The Continental Standard

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Long live Europa

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Europe's early Christmas present for the world - saving the planet

The DEU has continued to live up to its reputation as the world's most vocal supporter of the environment, with the Assembly launching what has been described by the French delegation as a "green and blue" policy offensive. With no opposition raised, diplomats in Strasbourg successfully passed a new EIM regulation to coordinate waste management across the continent, amended the scope of the European Air Pollution Agency to cover all EIM members, and introduced the topic of ocean acidification to the DEU agenda for the first time. Together with the previous Climate Stabilization Compact, the DEU is the world's only single market to set legally-binding targets on the top five environmental issues confronting humanity - Climate Change, Air Pollution, Ozone Depletion, Ocean Acidification, and Waste Management.

Legally-binding environmental targets

- Climate Change - Limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius from that of pre-industrial levels.
- Ocean Acidification - Prevention of ocean pH levels decreasing more than 0.2 units below the pre-industrial global average.
- Ozone Depletion - Comprehensive ban on Ozone-depleting substances.
- Air Pollution Agency - Progressive targets set by the European Air Pollution Agency for each member-state.
- Waste Management - Reduction of cosmetic microplastics by 80% within ten years, EIM waste processing centers.
- Tracking target trajectory and progress - the European Environment and Sustainable Production Commission oversee all environmental policy areas of the DEU, and assists the EIM in meeting these regulations.

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Published 22 December, 2024

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[Puertollano]

Puertollano announced Caribbean Development Initiative

The Bolivarian Embassies across the Caribbean today announced the inception of the Caribbean Development Initiative, a program that is established to "promote regional development and infrastructure progression in the Caribbean". The Foreign Affairs Minister, Jorge Arreazea, said that he will begin assessing economic priorities in the Caribbean region to lift localized islands from a structural cycle of poverty. The Bolivarian Republic will accomplish this through expanded investment into their island neighbours. This infrastructure includes important roads connecting the villages and points of supply to ports or the creation or refurbishment of trade ports. "We can pave a new future, driven by a common goal to increase the standard of living of Latin America and the Caribbean," Mr Arreazea said on TeleSUR (which was broadcasted live in the Caribbean). "The North American Federation have left many of these communities out to dry, while the European colonies only seek to exploit and extract all possible opportunities from our northern island friends". In turn, however, Puertollano is expecting half (or 50%) ownership of all utilities built in for the Caribbean, this is not permanent, the Foreign Minister ensured. "Collaborated ownership of these resources is not permanent," he re-assured later in an op-ed published in Puertollano. "That is only conducted to provide the proper initial care taking is needed for roads, ports, airports or the like, to make sure they're ready to be placed completely into the hands of the Caribbean governments."

[Orostan]

UNIONS REFUSE TO HANDLE PACIFICAN GOODS

Unions representing nearly two thirds of port workers and logistics workers have announced they will no longer handle Pacifica goods competing with Federation products in protest of a deal reached to settle a technology theft lawsuit with Pacifica. The deal would give Pacifica 4.5 billion dollars in reparations and lift all Federation restrictions on Pacifican technology imports in exchange for settling the lawsuit. The deal was universally disliked across the FSR, with President Morales arguing it was a “political necessity” with the NIB. The Unions do not seem to agree, and neither the NIB or Government can legally stop them from protesting. This morning a series of videos detailing how to remove valuable components from Pacifican electronics and how to pirate Pacifican software made by an unifentified person were viewed millions of times on social media before the videos were taken down. The NIB’s logistics server’s were also hacked earlier today, resulting in the public release of information detailing which logistics workers would still handle Pacifican products and the exact routes of transport and locations of the vehicles transporting these products. Protestors have blocked rail lines and on occasion unloaded rail cars transporting Pacifican electronics to destroy them. The police have done their best to move protesters off of roads and rail lines to prevent destruction however this task has proven very difficult and it is suspected that elements of national, provincial, and local police leadership sympathize with the protesters and as such have not carried out orders. The approval rating of President Morales has decreased fifteen points in the last few weeks as international sanctions hurt Federation economic growth and Morales continues to be criticized for his insufficiently aggressive foreign policy. Former General Felipe Dias, known for ordering missile attacks on Zackaroth, said that “We should be supporting twice as many Communists around the world” in his speech that also announced he would be running for President as a member of the Communist Party. Current polling shows that Dias enjoys a 60% favorability rating in Orostan, and a 30% favorability rating in Andea. In addition to that, 52% of Orostanis believe that Dias should have launched more missiles at Zackaroth.

Other news
_______________________________________

- Major military associations announce support for Dias presidential bid.
- Unions growing stronger - should the NIB be reorganized?
- Group attempting to build rockets to launch at Zackaroth broken up by Police.

[New Metropolitan France]

Social-Liberals reclaim the Presidency, maintain grip on Parliament!

After a long electoral campaign, the immensely popular Charles Dupont has emerged as the Seventh Republic's new President. Philippe Noir, the incumbent, had enjoyed foreign policy successes during the Second Cold War, however was ultimately undone by a lack of engagement with the electorate on domestic policy concerns. Dupont, who had lost to Noir during the last election after resigning as CSN and DEU Ambasador, was fortunate to reemerge untainted by the Nigerian War scandal - ready to this time defeat the Conservative leader in 2025. In Parliament, the result was similar;

Government
Republic Party: 29%
Liberty Party: 16%
Continental Party: 12%
Total: 57%

Opposition
Conservative Party: 25%
Prosperity Party: 18%
Total: 43%

New Foreign Policy

The Dupont administration has set out its new foreign policy;

Development of a safe and prosperous Afro-Eurasia

With the DEU so heavily integrated, it is time for France to engage with other areas of the globe - Africa deserves to be treated as an equal, and many states in Asia have not been able to participate in strong bilateral relations with the French Confederation. As such, Dupot has devised a new organisation which will elevate multilateral engagement between all three continents - the Council of Afro-Eurasia. With a Congress based in Bahrain, there will be a platform for talks on development policy, infrastructure investment, conflict mediation, and frequent contact with the leaders of member states and strategic partners.

Trans-Atlantic concordance

Dupont continues to place huge importance upon the Trans-Atlantic relationship. The states of FUNA and San Martinia remain close allies to the French Confederation, and while there is yet to be any new policy announcements the administration has expressed hopes of "Trans-Atlantic concordance", which may prove valuable in providing security in the region as the Second Fantastic War continues.

Living Generation Europe

Half way through the electoral cycle, both the conservatives and social-liberals of France agreed to the principle of building 'Generation Europe' as a sign of bipartisan affinity to the ideas of the growing new European Civilization. By the end of 2024, successive policy initiatives at the DEU Assembly had made this a reality. Now, the Dupont Administration plans to continue fine-tuning the DEU EIM and in doing so ensuring that the people of Europe can now live successfully in the new common continent that has been created.

[Puertollano]

Foreign Minister warns of "Afro-Eurasia Council"

Foreign Affairs Minister of the Bolivarian Republic, Jorge Arreaza, often nicknamed as "Castillo's Man" due to his close allegiance to the President, has come out swinging against the "Afro-Eurasian Council" in a state visit to the FNI. Minister Arreaza cautioned that "any project implemented by Europe is a project that is implemented for Europe." He continued saying that, "the Bolivarian Republic cautions all nations that attempt to do deals with the devil, in this case, the French Empire. We know from history that their efforts will always be self-serving - from Africa to Asia - their stain of imperialism has been left. That should be a blatant reminder of any nation looking to associate themselves with this 'Council'. Puertollanoan embassies across Asia, Europe and Africa have officially adopted this position and have said that they will lobby domestic governments to reject the "encroachment of bureaucratic empire-building on the part of France."

[New Metropolitan France]

Dupont dismisses claim of French "Empire-building"

President Dupont has issued a strong rebuttal of claims made by Puertollanoan officials related to the formation of the Afro-Eurasian Council.

Claims that the Seventh Republic is engaged in "Empire-building", are simply untrue. The Afro-Eurasian Council is an initiative which seeks to achieve the betterment of all 6 billion people who reside across three continents, which we hope to achieve through consensus with our fellow members wherever possible. France has no veto power, nor does any member. The Congress sits in Bahrain, near the geographic center of Afro-Eurasia, not in Europe or elsewhere in the French Confederation. Furthermore the Council requires no military alignment whatsoever, and specifically lists "support for national sovereignty and independence" under the charter. Historical injustices of the colonial period and the two Cold Wars are now behind us. We are very pleased to see that many nations share our goals of poverty eradication and infrastructural development, with nations such as China, Zackaroth, the East African Commonwealth, and others taking part. I hope that the first leaders summit, which I expect will be held in the near future, will allay any such concerns prompted by these unsubstantiated claims made by foreign officials. It is also heartening that Canada has signed on as our first Strategic Partner to Afro-Eurasia.

I express my hope that one day France may be able to experience Trans-Atlantic concordance.

[New Metropolitan France]

Towards Trans-Atlantic Concordance

The French Confederation, San Maritinia, and FUNA - three of the main countries in the region to remain neutral during the Second Fantastic War - today announced the establishment of a Trans-Atlantic League, which shall include a Trans-Atlantic Senate based in Silicon City. In a similar vein to the Afro-Eurasian Council, the Trans-Atlantic League will provide support for infrastructure projects within its area of coverage, however differs in that it does not hold poverty eradication as its primary role - instead, peace takes the forefront.

The Second Fantastic War is, unfortunately, the inevitable result of Trans-Atlantic tensions caused by this Second Cold War. If the world is to remain at peace, then it has become clear that we must reach a Trans-Atlantic concordance... in which fundamental values such as peace, democracy, and mutually beneficial trading relationships become the accepted international norm. That is what we now seek to achieve.

- Charles Dupont

Consequently, membership stands available to both the FSR and Puertollano, and some of those in Europe with proximity to the Atlantic/Euro Sea - upon the end of their involvement in the Second Fantastic War. It is unknown whether these countries will seek to take up this opportunity in the future.

The Trans-Atlantic Senate has already voted to abolish price controls on imports/exports and remove countervailing duties upon trade within the League, in a major advancement which has yet to be seen anywhere else around the globe.

[Grandes Terres]

27th January 2025

MEF downgrades economic growth forecast for 2025, should you be worried?

Today the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced that it has downgraded the national economic growth forecast, predicting that in 2025 the Italian economy will grow by 3% instead of the previous prediction of 3.6%, which was already lower than economic growth in 2024 which was recorded at 3.9%. The announcement by the MEF came after reports from Q4 of 2024 saw that consumer spending

New car sales unexpectedly slumped at the end of 2024.

unexpectedly slumped with reductions in new car sales, home sales and general consumer spending across the board. The MEF has failed to find an explanation for this, however some have said that spending has been lower than expected due to less Italians celebrating Christmas than ever before, resulting in consumer spending being lower than is usually expected during Q4, which usually has the highest spending of the year.

As election campaigning has just begun for the 2025 General Election, the announcement has become a campaign point, with Partito Democratico claiming that the downgraded growth forecast is due to the incompetency of the current Forza Italia government, while Forza Italia has announced new economic stimulation measures that it would implement if it wins the upcoming election.

Despite concerns, many experts say that the average person should not yet be worried about the announcements from the MEF and that consumers should continue as they usually would, rather than holding back on spending as an economic decline in 'highly unlikely'.

[The Russian Federated States]

CRISIS ON THE BORDER

TASHKENT - After Kremlin has opened its doors to the Afghan refugees months ago with its new welcoming policy, many locals from the Uzbek and Turkmen SSRs bordering Afghanistan have come out to the southern border demanding the same benefits which the government is giving to the refugees, particularly free food, free university grants, as well as jobs, and housing. One local farmer from the border town of the Tajik SSF, Firuz B., shared with us how the refugees offer cheaper labor and thus, have become more prefered for the local businesses for employment; so the locals have to go to the nieghboring Kazakh SSR or Moscow for better opportunities.

"The government is handing out work permits to the refugees even faster than free food packs. I have three sons and all of them had to move up north to Moscow for employment. " the farmer told our journalists.

As thousands of the locals are protesting near the border, the government continues offering the refugees more work, especially in the Russian far east which is now being heavily invested in by San Martinia and Canada.

RISE OF THE MONARCHIST PARTY

MOSCOW - As the protests continue in the south, a new party has arisen on the Moscow's political stage. Led by an energetic and charismatic Mikhail Bandarev, the newly-formed Monarchist Party of Russia seeks to bring the Soviet Union to its imperial roots and change the name and the flag reflecting monarchical values with a a refromed way to rule the potential monarchy. It is by far not the dominant party in the country but it is growing and keeps gaining popularity among the people in different regions of the country.

[Grandes Terres]

8th February 2025

FCA revives Plymouth as hydrogen vehicle brand with sedan and SUV model

Today FCA has revealed that it will be reviving the Plymouth Automobiles brand with two new hydrogen cars, a sedan which will be named the Caravelle, and an SUV which will be named the Gran Fury. Both models names come from vehicles manufactured by the company in its history and Plymouth hopes to offer eco-friendly premium vehicles designed for long distance commuters and families who want to switch from fossil fuel vehicles to renewables but do not want an EV.

FCA will be targeting Europe, North America, San Martinia and Australia with the Plymouth brand, which hopes that the brand will appeal to North Americans due to its use of an old brand. FCA promises that the new Plymouth vehicles will not be 'Plymouth in-name-only' and says that the "old Plymouth brand was associated with reliability and quality at a lost cost, an we aim to carry on this tradition by making the new Plymouth brand offer the cheapest hydrogen cars in the premium segment, giving long-range commuters and busy families the chance to switch from fossil fuels to hydrogen vehicles."

The Plymouth Caravelle will start at Ā26,500 (NAF$29,431.03) in Italy after government subsidies and grants, while the Plymouth Gran Fury will start at Ā30,800 (NAF$34,206.63) in Italy after government subsidies and grants.

Plymouth Caravelle (left) and Plymouth Gran Fury (right), which will hit the roads in August:

[New Metropolitan France]

French Armed Forces declassify surveillance images

The military of the French Confederation has declassified two images taken by a military satellite during two passes over the Euro Sea. The first image, dated to indicate that it was taken 48 hours prior to the second, shows a large naval force in formation. The ships are identified by annotation to show the nationality of their host country, with vessels from China, Spain, Puertollano, and the FSR all present, including South American aircraft carriers. The second photo shows a number of changes; the direction of travel has been reversed, smoke rises from several vessels, and a sizable number of ships are no longer present. Estimates from publicly-available commentary as to the number of crew typically staffed on each of the ship classes are also attached, and the total tonnage of the ships missing from the second image.

[Puertollano]

teleSUR International
Our north is the South

Defecting German Soldier explains real reason for war against Galicia

Lara Martinez: Hello. Continuing on with the coverage of the Galician War of Independence, we have a special guest to represent the view of the European Powers. My guest was a Marine in the Germanic Armed Forces until he and his other 20,000 servicemen were sunk by Bolivarian anti-ship missiles. He was one of the lucky ones to escape, having thousands of his fellow soldiers die and many more still missing. Steven Schneider, welcome to TeleSUR. How are you feeling?

Steven Schneider: I'm feeling great, thanks Lara. After being picked up by the vessels of the Bolivarian Republic and the Federation of Nativist Islands, the South and Latin American forces have treated me like royalty. Given me lodging and provided me with food.

Martinez: Well, that's a different story than you would hear in the European media. What do you think about the coverage the European media has been giving on the Galician War of Independence?

Schneider: The coverage has been horrible - completely biased in attempting to smear the Bolivarian Republic of Puertollano, the Federation of Socialist Republics and the Socialist Federal Republic of Galicia. As I'm sure you know how corporate media operates, its main function is to sell the war to its denizens to continue to pump out military arms for the war profiteers to make more money. I actually also find it very disgusting in the way the European media has been describing the War of Independence. They don't call it that. Instead, they call it the "Fantastic War".

Martinez: That doesn't make sense. Why do they call it that?

Schneider: To be more specific, they called it the Second Fantastic War. They call it that to portray the war as a noble act, but there's nothing chivalrous about declaring war on a non-threatening nation, one who did nothing to them. In fact, when they deployed me, I was still clueless as to why I was deployed. The fact that the governments of Europe have declared war on another country in Europe, which directly contravenes the Bismarck Doctrine, that Germany so-called 'upholds', is a travesty and none of us have been given a reason why we are deployed in an endless, regime-change war. The fact that they don't recognise it as the Galician War of Independence is testament to their brain-washing.

Martinez: What do you believe the European powers would do if they somehow won the war?

Schneider: It would be hell. First of all, they've already proven themselves that they need no rationale for war. It really begs the question, who's next in the firing line? How come our governments are not held to account for their plentiful war crimes? No German, Italian or British general has been sent to the CSN for war-crimes. I firmly think that Portugal will try to re-annex Galicia, the elected-government of Galicia will be turfed out by the European militarists. That's why this is a War of Independence. The freedom of an alternate foreign policy to the European group-think should be allowed, not killed.

Martinez: How do you believe this war will end?

Schneider: I have no doubts that Galicia and her allies will win. Germany is lost in the Caribbean and the imperialist armies on the march are in no capacity to occupy the mainland of the Socialist Republic of Galicia. It is only time before French tell their vassal state in Germany to sue for peace, because that threatens the trade environment on the European Continent.

Martinez: What do you think the real reason of this war is about?

Schneider: It's simple: neoliberalism. Galicia stands as the last bulwark in Europe against the free-market agenda pushed by the French Empire through the DEU. That's clear. They have no other reason to invade Galicia, an independent and sovereign nation in Europe. Without any reason to, it is easily to see why the want to destroy the last pillars of a people's democracy. Because at heart, the socialist project in Galicia has been far more successful than Germany. It's the responsibility of every man and woman on this world to stand united against military aggression. However, we will never see anything positive come through the CSN to stop this travesty. It's a rigged world against the international south and I want to go down in history having stood on the right side of it.


Steven Schneider, pictured above.

[Lusophone]

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The new pillars of Portuguese foreign policy

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Barely a week into her presidency, Oluwakemi Taliscas met with the Portuguese military’s top generals and admirals on their own turf, at the Defense Ministry's Lisboa headquarters. A senior official recalled the new president as “remarkably confident—composed, relaxed, but also deferential, not trying to act too much the supreme commander.”

Taliscas walked around the room, introducing herself to everyone; she thanked them and the entire armed forces for their service and sacrifice; then she sat down for a freewheeling discussion of the world’s challenges, region by region, crisis by crisis.

She was “the woman in full,” the official said, fluent on every issue, but more than that—a surprise to the officers, who had been leery of this young, inexperienced Liberal—she displayed a deep streak of realism.

At one point, Taliscas remarked that she was not the sort of person who drives down a street wishing he could park wherever she likes. If she saw an open spot, even one that required some tricky parallel parking, she would be fine with squeezing into it.

Taliscas’ meaning was clear: she had been dealt a bad hand (an unpopular war in Galicia, distant allies and an economy absorbing the effects of the war), but she would find a way to deal with the world as it was.

The introductory phase of Oluwakemi Taliscas' foreign policy ambitions will begin when she touches down in the East African Commonwealth, the first country she will visit in her thirteen nation foreign trip. Taliscas' itinerary includes time-tested allies as well as nations Portugal under Sara Palveiro had not prioritized and nations that Portugal had not previously interacted with before.

Taliscas' inaugural trip aims to dot the i's and cross the t's. In what is expected to be an exhaustive and repetitive detail, Kemi Taliscas will travel the world, from the EAC to Japan and from Russia to Canada offering her international vision: a strategic combination of classic realpolitik, diplomatic determination, collaborative idealism and charismatic leadership.

She's gearing up to present what she hopes will become a new public identity for Portugal: a global leader than global participant, more responsible partner than another country on a call list.

The effect of this change in tone, style and message will not be known for some time. What's more, it can be difficult to measure results in international affairs.

What is known now, however, is the outline of Taliscas' operating philosophy of world affairs, a set of principles and assumptions that were only hinted at during her presidential campaign. So what is the new Taliscas Doctrine? Here are two of its central pillars:

1. Pragmatism should often trump idealism
Compared to the nationalistic vision of Sara Palveiro, who sought to disrupt global institutions in favor of nativism, Taliscas brings a more measured, smart view to the question of when nations should act on idealistic impulses. At a press conference on Wednesday, the President was asked how she would resolve the theoretical conflict between respecting state sovereignty and intervening to defend the universal rights of oppressed people.

"The threshold at which international intervention is appropriate, I think, has to be very high," Taliscas said. "There has to be strong international outrage at what's taking place. It's not always going to be a neat decision." That same pragmatism is evident in Taliscas' approach to negotiating. As a rule, she has sworn off the Palviero practice of punishing foreign misbehavior by cutting off diplomatic ties or threatening an end to direct conversation.

2. Portugal first? Portugal with all.
Palveiro-era signed directives and upgrades will continues to boost the Portuguese Armed Forces much larger and more powerful and while Portugal's economic future is expected to absorb hits from the Second Fantastic War, experts remain optimistic about economic growth. But Taliscas is expected to make a point of noting, stop after stop, that Portugal's fate is tied to those of developing nations. She will hammer repeatedly that despite Portugal's commitment to open societies with democratic governance, Portugal will not seek to impose its views or form of governance on other countries.

Following her DEU Assembly Speech in Strasbourg, she asserted to the press her view that, it takes nothing away from Portugal's extraordinary position in the world when she says Portugal will not go at it alone. "The fact that I am very proud of my country — and I think that we've got a whole lot to offer the world — does not lessen my interest in recognizing the value and wonderful qualities of other countries, or recognizing that we're not always going to be right, or that other people may have good ideas, or that in order for us to work collectively, all parties have to compromise, and that includes us," she said.

Read more

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Foreign Sec. Sampaio: TeleSur interview claiming Portugal will "re-annex Galicia" is unimaginable; Invites South America to "participate in productive diplomacy not entertainment conspiracy"

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[United Democratic Christian States]

Germanic Times

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- 2027 Elections - Bismarck Doctrine - Internal Policy - Foreign Affairs - Education - DEU - GUAF Central -

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TeleSur caught lying again!

Recently TeleSur held an interview with Marine Steven Schneider or so they wanted you to believe. While in and of itself the interview has obvious logical flaws such as the notion that European Media was screaming POWs in Puertollano were being mistreated. Or the fact that the 2nd Fantastic War was anything other than a historical nod the first fantastic war (but lets be honest any country that worships a dictator like god probably hasn't read that much history). However their biggest home run is somehow managing to get a POW to spew out Puertollano state propaganda (likely to cement anti-German views in the ABC islands, but who knows). Except this is a huge lie, and the real Steven Schneider was picked up only a few hours ago after a fishing vessel saved his life in the aftermath of the Puertollano sub attacks on the German Marine transports. It is now presumed that given Schneider's status as MIA maybe the German Government would even believe he had been turned themselves. An assumption that ended up backfiring for Puertollano.

However this isn't the first time TeleSur has lied and sadly won't be the last either, heck they finished the interview claiming Galicia will win this war after the Galician Relief Fleet just got sent running with their tail between their legs

[Saif Fara]

LEBANESE DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON RESULT OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

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It was a result that the military did not expect and gave more hope than ever to Lebanese who have long dreamed of liberation and democracy. In what is being treated as a "turning point" in Lebanon's history, the first real practice of democracy in Lebanon is coming into effect: the Parliament of Lebanon has been elected and the Cedar Movement prevails.

Parliament Structure: 128 Total Seats
CEDAR ALLIANCE: 71 Seats

• Cedar Movement: 40 Seats
• Future Movement: 20 Seats
• Azm Movement: 8 Seats
• + 3 Independent Affiliated Seats

UNAFFILIATED: 9 Seats

• Progressive Communist Party: 9 Seats

PATRIOTIC NATIONALISTS: 48 Seats

• Lebanese Forces: 15 Seats
• Free Patriotic Movement: 20 Seats
• Hezbollah: 9 Seats
• Kataeb Party: 4 Seats

Even though it was a common guess that the Cedar Movement and its allies were going to capture a majority in the 1st Parliament, it was never imagined that they would have landed 71. Many believe that this win was achieved because of two factors, 1. the instant celebrity and support brought by Amal Aladeen's star power, thanks to her own work advocating for democracy plus international support (and distancing herself from her family) and 2. because of the infighting between nationalist parties. The race became messier when Hezbollah and Kataeb decided decided to compete against the Lebanese Forces (led by Adm. Aladeen Aladeen) and the Free Patriotic Movement. The nationalist vote was ultimately either lost or split.

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But now that parliament is all figured out, the country's attention is now on the presidential race which everybody sees as what will decide if the dream of democracy will be lived by Lebanese. The Lebanese Forces have already called the results of the parliamentary election "rigged" and in a new video released by Admiral Aladeen Aladeen (top image), son of the late General Saddam Aladeen and the younger brother of the Cedar Movement's Amal Aladeen, Adm. Aladeen has broken the vow that all parties took that they would accept the results of the presidential election, whoever the winner is. In the video, Adm. Aladeen said that the only result he deems acceptable is his "own win." The video has brought to life worries about voter intimidation and suppression since being posted.

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With the election a week away, there is a lot of pressure on other candidates to drop out and back Amal Aladeen (right image), the candidate for president with the strongest chance of turning out voters who want democracy. Everyday Lebanese have criticized the other candidates, Hanna Gharib (center top image) from the Progressive Communist Party and Walid Jumblatt (center bottom image) from the Lebanese Socialists, for being "selfish" and would cause Adm. Aladeen's (left image) win. As one citizen put it: "They are so full of themselves. They think this is about them, it's not. It's about democracy. They're taking votes away from the only woman who can actually free our people, Amal. Unless they drop out, Aladeen will win and we will never escape dictatorship."