Alternatus Historia- Regional News Thread (AH ONLY!)

[Southeast American States]

This thread will serve as the master international news thread for Alternatus Historia. Please, refrain from posting here unless you're part of the region.

You may, of course, use the banner above to denote a report from the international World News Today outlet, unless you've got your own that you prefer to use.
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[Democratic Nepalaya]

Last updated on 18/06/20 at 15:24

Nepalese Government Abandons Train To Construct New Line

Aadi Hamal
AAN India

Kathmandu -- The Government of The Federal Republic of Democratic Nepalaya has recently announced the closure of the historical Janakpur-Jaynagar line, which has faced extreme economic troubles since the beginning of the 21st century.

The Kathmandu government has been gathering foreign investors before the opening of the long awaited Trans-Nepalaya Railway, which is set to run from the far east of the country to the border with the disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir.

In order for such an ambitious project to take place, the government has been diverting its attention to attracting funds and materials, which in the process has meant abandonment for many services deemed unnecessary.

The Janakpur-Jaynagar line, crossing the unguarded border with India twice per day, has been closed.

The line had run for 70 years prior to the event, and is still regarded as being in use by the many people travelling and smuggling between India and Nepalaya.

With the closure of the line, the Kathmandu government has permitted the functioning of the line at the hands of the employed Nepal Railway workers, who would need the train to run in order to support their families.

Many unemployed Nepali will be employed in the construction of the new railway, which will benefit both the government and the people by creating jobs, and strengthen the country's infrastructure.

Many Chinese and Indian investors have taken interest in the project, as it will mean a possible future railway connection between the two powers.

The new Trans-Nepalaya Railway will commence construction on the 1st of July, and expected completion is 1 year.

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Donald Trump · $1 minutes ago
Cheeina is going to have more trade routes? SAD!

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0 up · 0 down

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_x_Indian-smuggler_x_ · 14 minutes ago
Great, they've let down their guard... Time to smuggle in some more psychedelic clothes...

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51 up · 33 down

[Tasmansland]

Last updated on 17/20/6 at 14:11

New Chancellor of Tasmansland Sworn In

Jan van Papen
Anderstaad, Tasmansland

Anderstaad -- The controversial Parliament elections that occurred three days ago declared the right-wing candidate Leonard Schoorl Grand Chancellor, the leader of the Tasmanian Parliament, last night, after multiple candidates. He was sworn in this morning. In his speech, he said, "The President is taking our country in the wrong direction. I hope that Parliament will unite behind me in trying to hinder his progress."

By his critics, the new Grand Chancellor has been called racist, sexist and homophobic. His election is just one in the wave of right-wing politicians being elected around this time. "I hope that we can cooperate with each other, and work out compromises. However, if he is stubborn, like I believe, I will fight tooth and nail to maintain the equality that we have established over the past two years."

On the campaign, Grand Chancellor Schoorl supported banning gay marriage and abortion, an increase on military spending, and the regulation of the number of Muslims that can enter the country. "Tasmansland has a distinct culture and a Christian heritage, and I want to preserve that," Leonard Schoorl said. He was largely elected by the poor, devout Christians, and the many who were opposed to the new President. Schoorl formed a coalition of many right-wing parties, all opposed to the President, which gave him a landslide.

[Union of Burkina Faso]

Last updated on 17/07/17 at 11:34

Burkina Faso Reaches Literacy Rate Goal

Jean Savadogo
AAN West Africa

OUAGADOUGOU -- The Republic of Union of Burkina Faso has been under Thomas Sankara's rule since the 1983 military coup that brought progress to the country.

Promising many improvements to the lives of Burkinabé people during the first years of leadership, Sankara had improved the education system in anticipation of highering literacy rates in the country.

Out of many successful initiatives, Burkina Faso has managed to raise literacy rates to an internationally recognized level of 90% men and 91% women.

The Ouagadougou government has been striving to improve Burkina Faso's international image, from a post-colonial instable state to a progressive and revolutionary one.

From strengthening infrastructure to composing the national anthem on guitar, Sankara is viewed to be one of Africa's most favourable dictators, and certainly one with the full support of the people.

[Mien Nam]

SAI GON TIMES

37 dead, 52 missing, over 100 injured in deadliest terrorist attack this year

---

SAI GON -- In what has already been declared "the deadliest terrorist attack on our soil this year" by the State Security Ministry, 37 civilians were left dead, 52 missing, and over 100 injured following another attack in the Northeastern sections of Sai Gon.

At approximately 11 a.m. this morning, several bombs were detonated in Bao Dai Square, quickly followed by entry by armed Viet Cong militants, both on foot and in some stolen vehicles. The National Police Agency was able to contain the situation and evacuate civilians before the National Army arrived and swiftly eliminated the insurgents. They were found armed with Soviet and North Vietnamese weaponry. 25 people died in the blasts, and several more died on the way to hospital or were killed by the armed militants. At least 52 are still missing, many of them due to one of the explosions causing a large apartment block undergoing renovations to collapse.

The Foreign Ministry has slammed the North Vietnamese government and Sovereign Union for providing weapons and support to the Viet Cong guerillas, and threatened action against the North. The Sovereign Union denied the allegations, Ha Noi has yet to issue any statements.

[Slavuja]

Česko-Slovenská televízia

Floods Ravage Slavujan Capital

Dobroslav KADLEC,
ČST Reporter

PRAGUE - Supported by troops and volunteers, Prague's fire brigade erected metal flood barriers and sandbag walls in a battle to keep the River Vltava at bay, during some of the worst floods the region has seen in the past decade.

Schools were closed, much of the Prague transport system shut down and the famous Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava usually teeming with thousands of tourists fell lifeless after local authorities closed it.

Days of torrential rain have disrupted central Europe and turned placid rivers into raging torrents that have claimed the lives of about twenty people and destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings across Slavuja and Austria.

In the Czech Republic over 9,000 people have been evacuated, and Stefan Kovac, the Czech prime minister, said he had ordered the release of emergency funding for people who have lost their homes to the flooding. The country's health ministry warned of the spread of waterborne diseases owing to flooding disrupting water supplies and flushing raw sewage onto the streets.

"People aren't frightened but they are anxious with many of them going down to look at the river," said Michael Prochazka, a Prague local. "We don't really know when it's going to peak so who knows what will happen." The Czech regions of Bohemia and Moravia suffered severe damage from the flooding, especially in mountainous areas where narrow valleys funnelled the destructive force of the water.

With the Czech industrial and economic centers facing severe flood damage, the Slovak Socialist Republic and the Subcarpathian Republic are accommodating the displaced people, and several businesses. Currently, much of the emergency funding has been spent on support systems and housing, while the government is running out of options for protecting infrastructure and slowing the floods.

In other news:
TATRA and Skoda create new vehicles, designed for maximum fuel efficiency on all-terrain.
Subcarpathian local president Spivak falls ill with stomach flu

[The Exalted Princely States]

Last updated on 2017/07/D27 at 08:34

Princes to meet in Mysore Palace to discuss federalisation of laws

Aadi Hamal
AAN India

Mysore, Indian Capital -- Maharajah Chamaraja Wadiyar XII of Mysore and Grand Maharajah of India has called for the Princes to meet within Mysore palace to discuss the possibility of a federalisation of laws across the nation. This is believed to be the first part of sweeping reforms he promised to bring in when elected Grand Maharajah last year, following the death of Karan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, who had been elected Grand Maharajah in 2000.

"I personally believe that the best way forward for India is to begin some base level federalisation of laws and regulations across the nation. Currently, only diplomatic, trade and military related matters are handled on a federal basis, however I believe this is not enough. If we are to be a truly equal state of Indians then we need some provision of federalised law. I have called the princes here today to discuss such ideas, and I hope the discussion will go well." - His Highness told reporters this morning.

However, across the five hundred different Princely states there has been mixed reactions, with some being heavily in favour and others calling it 'an attack on Princely autonomy.' However this is not the first time such legislation has been proposed, in the 1940s, then acting Grand Maharajah Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII proposed federalisation of the state into a new 'Indian Empire' in which the government would be centralised around Hyrdabad or Delhi and state wide laws and regulations would be issued out. However the idea was rejected on similar grounds. While this ideas are not as sweeping or as complicated as Osman Ali Khan's proposal, some older Maharajahs see it as the stepping stones towards reviving the idea.

Other News:
Tata Motors announces its own Auto-Rickshaw, genius or waste of money?
Flooding expected in Bengal states as heavy rain forecast for the following week.

[Slavuja]

Česko-Slovenská televízia

Subcarpathia Narrowly Elects the Stalinist Party

Dobroslav KADLEC,
ČST Reporter

UZHHOROD - In the end of a regional election season with a shockingly low turnout, the revolutionary Stalinist Party of Slavuja was elected to rule the easternmost republic of Subcarpathia.

In a underdeveloped, agrarian society that has the lowest quality of life in the entirety of Slavuja, it would be logical that a revolutionary party dedicated to industrialization would gain power. Even with these arguments, Slavujans were surprised that the Subcarpathian Republic followed in the footsteps of the Slovak S.R.

The regional president of the Slovak S.R. congratulated the new President Vasily Karpenko, but voiced his concerns for the seemingly apathetic population of the Subcarpathian region of the country. Only 29% of registered voters turned up, with the Stalinist Party gaining 62% of the votes.

President Karpenko has promised to push for Prague to divert more funding into the Subcarpathian Republic, which would in result increase the quantity of state-owned manufacturing industry in the region. The Federal Slavujan Prime Minister, Kovac, has been troubled by these claims, as the Czech region of the country had been recently devastated by floods, and the emergency funding had been depleted in the reconstruction after the damage had been dealt.

The Czech majority of Slavuja has voiced its dissaproval of socialist influence in the country, and have now been further annoyed by the recent Stalinist victory in the east. Several demonstrations have been led in Prague after the Socialist rule in Slovakia began after WW2, meaning that the Czechs might possibly attempt to lower the autonomy of the other two republics in the federation after this recent development in the country's political history.

[The Arab Islamic Emirates]

AIE and Green Energy--- Arabiyyah News

In the recent attempts to diversify the Arab economy, the President Khalid al Fahdi met with his ministers at the Green Palace in Doha to discuss potential benefits of the project. With the world adopting greener methods or transportation, the Arab Islamic Emirates continue coming up with new ideas to catch up with the newer technologies. Annual green energy expo will be held in Riyadh where the scientists from all over the AIE and other interested states will be participating to share their knowledge.

[Rhodesia-Malawai]

Last updated on 2017/08/29 at 12:00

Rhodesia looks to rejoin the Commonwealth?

The Paliament Building in Salisbury

Jacob Mushonga
The Rhodesian Herald

SALISBURY -- After the controversial Unilateral Declaration of Independence of 1965; Rhodesia saw it's self part from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The nation remained on it's own facing a rising guerrilla conflict backed by communist nations across the globe, internal strife, and international sanctions and disapproval. Nevertheless, Rhodesia was determined and willing to face whatever it faced. Despite, the odds; several nations later on in the 1970s, later recognized the small nation, particularly the Wallace administration of the CSA and the government of South Africa, which as well facing it's problems as well.

After the end of major scourge of guerrilla warfare dying down in the mid 1980s. Rhodesia managed to wipe out most insurgents out of the country. After that, Rhodesia became the "Federation of Rhodesia" in 1987. The federation was agreed upon by then minority government and moderate African-led parties into a equal representation government allowing both white Rhodesians and native Africans have a equal footing in government. The plan faced problems during the first few years, but eventually became stable by the first black Rhodesian prime minister Arthur Matombo of the moderate centre Federative Front in early 1990s.

Now to the year of 2017, Rhodesia has look forward to rejoining the Commonwealth with a public referendum. The public has raised the issue on to rejoining the Commonwealth, this has came quite recently with current events and the economic situation. Many economic annalists say with prediction of joining the Commonwealth, would help boost the economy of Rhodesia. Other reasons include the former loyalty to the Crown, nostalgia and other reasons. According to a poll released by the Rhodesia Herald, around 60% of Rhodesia support the idea of rejoining the Commonwealth, 36% oppose the idea or remain skeptical of the idea, and the remaining 4% remain unsure on the situation. Prime Minister Stefan Coopers of the Rhodesian Front has mention his support for the referendum. Voting on the Commonwealth referendum wild be held on September 29th.

[New French Quebec]

Last updated on 2017/08/20 at 08:50

Prime Minister to visit Confederate States

Prime Minister Philippe Couillard before departing

Auxilien Constantineau
Chronicle-Telegraph, International Politics

Quebec City -- Today Prime Minister Philippe Couillard departs for his last offical state visit before the 2018 elections. The visit is in order to discuss the future of the two nations and how relations will play out if he is elected again in 2018. Among this, it is in part to celebrate the long term friendship between Quebec and the Confederate States that started with Quebec aid in the US civil war.

Couillard is expected to start his visit the capital of Richmond, as well as visit several confederate war monuments across the country and all the state capitals. This is alongside a series of meetings with President Crawfords in the capital to ensure the relations between Quebec and the CSA are as strong as ever and ensure that he will do all he can if he's re-elected to keep these relations as well as they can be.

[The Exalted Princely States]

Last updated on 2017/10/02 at 16:30

First Federal Bill Aproved

Mysore Palace Throne Room

Sadri Khatana
Indian Politcs

Mysore, Indian Capital -- Today the Council of Princes has officially declared the First Federal Bill or the 'Law, Civil Service and Public relations Act.' This bill will result in the federalisation of the police force, fire services and emergency medical care. This will result in the decline of the 500 police departments across the nation and centre them in currently undecided city as part of a new 'Ministry of Law.' This ministry will also includes federalisation of laws in general and drafting up the first federal bill of laws. Fire services and emergency medical care will be placed under a new 'Ministry of Public Health and Safety' which will be based in the same city as the Ministry of Law.

The bill was voted in a slim majority of 264 out of 500 and this success marks the possible beginning of the centralisation of the nation. Some Princes have shown signs of protest against the idea, claiming this is a rebirth of Osman Ali Khan's attempts to federalise the state and remove princely power. Other Princes have hailed this as a step towards a stronger and more unified India. Some members of the general population are hoping this leads onto a more democratic nation as well.

But much is to be seen as to what will come of these reforms...

[Rhodesia-Malawai]

Last updated on 2017/10/02 at 11:00

Rhodesia to rejoin Commonwealth. Referendum passed 61% YES to 39% NO.

Jacob Mushonga
The Rhodesian Herald

SALISBURY -- After the much awaited referendum vote on Rhodesia's decision to rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations. The final results have finally been announced after several delays which held back the results for a day, causing much outrage from voters. The final results were 61% YES and 39% NO, which was close to the poll which was conducted by the Rhodesian Herald earlier in late August (60% Yes, 36% No, and 4% unsure). The major polling are was conducted primarily in the capital city of Salisbury, while other areas included the outskirts and among other locations.

Now, the only question that remains how long the process will take for Rhodesia to be approve to rejoin the Commonwealth? Some geopolitical intellectuals say the process will take up to atleast until late December or even up late February of next year to be approved. Despite the lengthy process, Prime Minister Stefan Coopers of the Rhodesian Front party assured the general public that Rhodesia is eligible to rejoin the Commonwealth, due the political reforms doing in the late 80s and early 90s, which allowed equal-representation in the Parliament. More news is expected to be released on the Commonwealth referendum.

[Centroguay]

Last updated on 2017/11/12 at 19:53

President of Centroguay Contracts Lung Cancer

Juan Vera
AAN South America

ASUNCIÓN -- The president of Centroguay, Gustavo Stroessner, has today been diagnosed with lung cancer. Gustavo, son of late dictator Alfredo Stroessner, had been a major force in the liberalization of Centroguay during his presidency, but has now been struck with this most unfortunate illness. The medical team does not expect Gustavo to recover, as his age and health history point toward the inevitable.

Centroguay, the only landlocked nation in South America, has been the world's most intriguing republic ever since Alfredo Stroessner seized control of it in 1954. Stroessner, without any real political ideology, led the country as he saw fit, as a strongman and powerful figure. Stroessner was a key figure during the development of Centroguay's development, behind the Itaipu Dam, and several other projects.

Stroessner had been sympathetic to the Nazi regime, and Centroguay was the exile destination of many Nazi figures after the end of the Second World War. Centroguay had been for a time nicknamed 'the poor man's Nazi regime'. At a certain point, the government had so many secret police officers that they had lost track. This changed upon Stroessner's death in 2006, and the power shift to his son Gustavo, who was particularly unpopular with the population.

Gustavo had led the country up to the current date in a more relaxed manner, even liberalizing the government by enacting several reforms to the armed forces and the public education system. His most famous piece of legislation was the homosexual rights act, which allows any citizen to declare homosexuality, then to be entitled to the same rights as all other citizens and to be able to marry with any other consenting partner.

His rule, lasting but eleven years, was marked by a period of hope for the young generation. The schooling system was overhauled to allow for free education lasting from 7 years of age to 13 years of age. This hiked up literacy rates, as many students that attended the free schooling felt inspiration to attain the funds required to continue to further education. Military spending was significantly curtailed since the death of Alfredo Stroessner, but still takes up a large portion of the government's spending.

Gustavo, upon learning of his illness, resigned from post of head of state, government, and the armed forces. The Colorado Party is now studying the situation to decide which actions to take with this sudden problem. The idea of a military coup is not far from the minds of the population, who now fear the worst outcome while hoping for the best. Centroguay has, to date, never had a democratic form of government, and with rising student demonstrations, the prospect of the first democracy in Centroguay is a possibility, albeit a far-off one.

[Southeast American States]

Last updated on 2017/11/17 at 13:52

Confederate States and New France signs the 'Long-Patenaude' Pact in Arlington

The Curtis-Lee Mansion, where the signing of the pact was held

Duncan Bohnanon
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Arlington -- Today, a groundbreaking pact was signed between the Confederate States of America and the Kingdom of New France at the Curtis-Lee Mansion. The 'Long-Patenaude' Pact was signed by the incumbent President of the Confederate States of America, Eric Crawford Jr., and the King of New France, Francisque II. This was the first trip to the Confederate States for the king himself. Earlier in late August, the Prime Minister of New France, Philippe Couillard visited the Confederacy itself, and met with President Crawfords at the Presidential Mansion to finalize the pact with the Confederacy and New France.

The pact itself is a defensive alliance, guaranteeing both nations support to each other in-case of war or a conflict. This also includes military aid to one another, which New France will be able to use newer equipment produce mainly for the Confederate States Army. Other provisions include, ability to use naval bases and airbases freely between each other. There are apparently among other provisions, which have yet been publicized for the general public.

Diplomatic ties between the Confederafe States and New France can date far as 1863, in which New France were among the first nations to recognized the newly found nation. New France as well provided a volunteer infantry unit that served alongside Southerners during the American Civil War. Moving to the late 1930s and the onset of World War II, the two nations proposed a defensive pact between the two nations with growing concerns of Nazi Germany. Despite fighting alongside the Allies later on in the war, the pact never went through.

Now, the Confederate States and New France have finalized the pact, which was named after former Confederate President Huey Long and New France's former Prime Minister Esioff-Léon Patenaude, whom proposed the historical pact between the two nations. The pact also shows a change in the Confederate States policy of alliances, which the nation has been wary of.

Despite the changes of foreign policy, President Crawfords assured in a interview with reporters that "The pact is justified and not a prelude to dropping the nation's traditional stance on non-interventionalism". After departing from Alrlington, President Crawfords and King Francisque II will visit Richmond, where the King will tour the capital and hold a conference with other diplomats on other issues facing the two nations.

[Iberia]

OOC: back-dated news post.

Last updated on 2017 September 07 at 1445h

Analysis: Iberia turns right

Adrián Carnicero Llona, Isabel Freixenet de Palafrugell, and Hélder Espinheiros de Oliveira
MADRID, BARCELONA, and LISBON

MADRID – in what analysts deem a realigning election, Iberian voters last week gave the opposition Conservative Party (C) a massive victory, ending a quarter-century of uninterrupted rule by Socialists or a Socialist-led Coalition. Even the pollsters were caught off guard. Even though most major polling companies predicted a small Conservative victory, the results showed a landslide, with the closest pollsters missing the vote total by 10%.

See complete election results here.

“Staggering”
The Conservatives won 121 million votes, or almost two-thirds of the vote. The Conservatives’ share of the vote increased by more than 50%. This enabled the Conservatives to win 524 of the 750 seats in the Chamber of Deputies – an unprecedented majority in the usually fragmented Chamber - which is also enough to push through changes in the Constitution of Iberia.

The Conservatives won seats in 141 out of 142 provinces, with the sole holdout – Orinoco province – narrowly awarding its lone seat to the Green Party rather than the Conservative Party. The Conservatives also led the vote tally in 139 of the provinces, coming second in the other three – Amazonas, Bissau, and Orinoco. Indeed, in 49 of the provinces, the Conservatives won all of the seats up for grabs, contributing 106 seats to its total.

“It was a staggering win,” said Justin Pastells del Vendrell, president of the Conservative Youth of Iberia. “Even I was not expecting such a victory.”

In contrast, the Socialists virtually collapsed, winning only 35 million votes, or 19% of the votes. The Socialists lost 229 seats, nearly two-thirds of their seats in the outgoing Chamber. In the incoming LXXIV Chamber of Deputies, 68 provinces have no Socialist deputy, as the Socialists lost their lone seats in provinces like Alhucemas, Alicante, Arauca, Cáceres, Murcia, Pontevedra, Valladolid, and in many Cuban and Hispaniolan provinces. Even formerly Socialist strongholds such as Seville (7C-1L-4S), Cundinamarca (10C-2L-5S-1V), and Marraqués (4C-1L-2S) gave the Conservatives a majority of its seats.

The Liberals and the Greens also lost seats, though not as catastrophically as the Socialists. The Liberals lost one-third of their seats, and the Greens lost half.

Distribution of seats in the new 74^th Chamber of Deputies.

Realigning election
“This is a classic realigning election,” said political science professor Maria Carmela Llanderal Blásquez of the Complutense University of Madrid. “What we see here is the culmination of Iberia’s trend away from the left and towards the right, and in this last election, a lurch to the right.”

Prof. Eudald Quadreny Margall of the University of Barcelona agreed with the assessment of Prof. Llanderal Blásquez. “We are entering into a new party system, in which sinistrisme is now being reversed.”

Prof. Llanderal Blásquez cited several reasons as to Iberia’s sudden tilt to the right. “First, we have to credit [Conservative leader] Vânia Quintanilha Milhais for her revitalization of the party. She modernized and cleaned it up, put youthful faces in the party, exercised zero tolerance for corruption in her party. Contrast that the Socialists.”

“The Socialists were also strongly tainted by corruption,” said Prof. Quadreny Margall. “The most drug-infested provinces of Iberia – in Colombia – are Socialist strongholds, there being collusion between the drug cartels and the Socialists in government. The Iberian public became privy to the collusion of corruption when Justice Minister Alejandro Folch Casado of the Greens presented an exposé implicating the Socialists in the underground drug economy. The voters, not just in Colombia, but in all Iberia, are in a rampage.”

Even these longtime Socialists strongholds went to the Conservatives, defeating the Socialist political machine in provinces such as Antioquia, Cauca, Cundinamarca, and Pacifico. The Conservatives won a majority in the latter three and a plurality in Antioquia.

“With the Conservatives, there is also this eagerness to reach out,” said Prof. Llanderal Blásquez. “Ms. Quintanilha Milhais also initiated the program to reach out through social media – the Conservative Party is the first one to establish its outreach in that new medium, and it also has the largest organization there. It made the Conservatives attractive to the youth. It is also a big help that the Iberian youth, unlike youths in other countries, are more conservative than their parents. The stereotypical youth also has the proclivity to challenge the old order. In this instance, the old order is represented by the Socialists, who held power for a long time.”

Exit polls showed that the Conservatives won 82% of voters aged 18-30, compared to 9% for the Liberals and 7% for the Socialists.

“Unlike in other countries, where universities and university towns are hotbeds of leftism, in Iberia, the youth in universities are either hardcore conservative or in the extreme left,” said Prof. Jânio Mascarenhas Gonçalves of the University of Lisbon. “If you look at results in university towns, you’ll see.”

In the university town of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), 57% of the vote went to the Conservatives, with the Greens coming in second with 29%. In Salamanca, with its more conservative university, 73% of the vote went to the Conservatives, and 17% to the Greens.

“Thirdly, the Conservative base is energized,” added Prof. Quadreny Margall. “They have a true-blue Conservative candidate for prime minister, and a woman at that. Iberian women tend to be more conservative than Iberian men. The prospect of electing the first female prime minister of Iberia excited them as well.”

In its strongholds like the northern “Bible Belt” stretching from northern Portugal and Galicia to eastern Catalonia, the Conservatives improved on their 2012 electoral performance: the Conservative vote exceeded 75% in the provinces of in this region. It is also in the “Bible Belt” that the Conservatives had their best province: Coimbra (also the home province/constituency of Ms. Quintanilha Milhais), which gave 85.52% of its vote to the Conservatives.

The gender gap has widened, even though the Conservatives both improved their vote share in both men and women. The Conservatives won 57% of the votes of men, and 72% of the votes of women, a gender gap of 15%. In 2012, the gender gap was just 5%.

“Economically speaking, the Conservatives moved leftward, towards a more “Catholic socialist” teaching, approaching the positions of the encyclical Rerum novarum,” said Prof. Llanderal Blásquez. “Its electoral platform, although socially conservative, is economically moderate. It had made the Conservatives palatable to small-‘s’ socialists.”

“The Conservative encroachment to the center – and shall I say to the center-left as well – of the political spectrum left their opponents on the extremes,” said Prof. Quadreny Margall. “The three other parties, with their infighting in the coalition and sticking to their guns, were drawn away from the center and into their party’s extreme positions. It provided a massive opening for the Conservatives.”

“Once an extreme position dominated a party in coalition, the coalition became paralyzed or were forced to adopt the extreme positions. Just look at the Greens' influence over Iberia’s oil policy,” said Prof. Mascarenhas Gonçalves.

Indeed, the oil-rich provinces in New Granada also turned massively to the Conservatives after the Socialist-Liberal-Green coalition government instituted policies construed to be inimical to the oil industry; and also after massive corruption was revealed in the oil industry, ironically by the same Green Justice Minister Folch Casado. The Conservative vote exceeded 75% oil-rich provinces such as Amacuro, Barinas, Carabobo, Margarita, and Zulia.

“It also helps that Ms. Quintanilha Milhais is seen as a pragmatist and not an ideologue,” said Prof. Llanderal Blásquez. “Her performance as opposition leader during the last parliamentary term brought more recognition and positive opinion about her.”

Government formation
Ms. Vânia Quintanilha Milhais will most likely be the next prime minister of Iberia. King Tristan II will most likely summon her to form a government next week.

[Iberia]

The unconventional leader: Iberia’s Iron Lady


Vânia Quintanilha Milhais, Prime Minister of Iberia.

Feature by Carolina Herrera Muguruza and Daniela Salvatierra Sucarrats
14:39 20 December 2017

The nickname was apt: Dama de Ferro, or Iron Lady. Iberia’s new Prime Minister Vânia Quintanilha Milhais is headstrong, unflinchingly unflappable, and not hesitant to take down opponents, male or female. Still only a few months into her term as leader of the Iberian government, but she already has some memorable quotes. Here are some of them:

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“You listen to me! I’m not your wife who you can tell to shut up!”
-- Question time in the Chamber of Deputies, 12 July 1999

¡Me tienes que escuchar! (“You listen to me!”), with an emphasis on the “you”, became a political catchphrase for the then-young opposition deputy sitting in the backbenches of the Conservative Party. In 1999, the Portuguese MP issued the Castilian verbal slapdown at then-Deputy Prime Minister Rodrigo Aguirre de Napóles (S – Sevilla) as Aguirre tried to sideline Quintanilha’s line of questioning regarding the auditing of money for housing projects. The complete statement was “You listen to me! I’m not your wife who you can tell to shut up! I’m not your wife who you stash away money from! If you can do that to your wife, you can’t do that to me! I represent the people of Coimbra who are asking what the Socialist Party did to the money that was supposed to build houses for the poor!”

Quintanilha’s remarks both refer to Aguirre’s marital problems (his wife left him for his infidelity two years later) and to the corruption scandal that had engulfed the Socialist Party.

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“What has the Conservative Party done for women? Well, for starters, we have the first female Prime Minister of Iberia.”
-- Question time in the Chamber of Deputies, 9 October 2017

She is also a woman of contrasts. She appointed a cabinet with gender parity (12 male ministers, 12 female ministers), yet her government supports conservative social policies that would make the Catholic Church applaud. Despite one of her most famous quips about being female in Iberian society, she eschews the label “feminist”. “I’m not a feminist, I’m a humanist. I respect all people, whatever sex organ they have,” she once said to journalists.

---

“I felt disadvantaged all my life for having a vagina. But look at me now!”
-- interview in RTVI’s Puerta a Puerta, 24 September 2017

Her policies indeed had drawn ire from feminists as “paradoxical” coming from Iberia’s first female prime minister. But as she described herself – “I don’t want to be seen as a female prime minister, but as a prime minister who happens to be female” – Ms. Quintanilha’s belief is that policies being forwarded by the feminists only serves to “entrench” the disadvantages that women have in society. “Self-help is the best help.”

---

“You can’t have your dictatorship of ideas... You are not the voice of women. You are the voice of a morally bankrupt and murderous ideology.”
-- Question time in the Chamber of Deputies, 9 October 2017

Still in the context of women in Iberian society, this quote came after MP Sofía Sotomayor Báez of the Green Party castigated the Prime Minister for her pro-life stance despite being a woman. Ms. Sotomayor decried Iberia’s strict abortion laws, which only permits termination of pregnancy only when the life of the mother is endangered. Ms. Sotomayor called Ms. Quintanilha “a hypocrite” and told her that “she should be ashamed of herself, because she is a woman against women’s rights.”

The Prime Minister delivered a blistering riposte, telling Ms. Sotomayor that she can’t have her “dictatorship of ideas”, a phrase that had now entered Iberian political parlance. Ms. Quintanilha told her that she can’t dictate what women should think. She also said that “millions of Iberian women agree with me, and disagree with you,” leading to the next part of Ms. Quintanilha’s comment that “[Ms. Sotomayor is] not the voice of women.”

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“Some of my detractors fling Colossians 3:18 to me. Here’s what I’ll say: my husband is the country. Artur approves.”
-- interview in Radio Católica, 24 September 2016

During her campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party, some of her male opponents (mostly to her right) opined that a woman was not fit to lead the party and the country, saying that her place was at the home to “serve her husband”. One deputy even quoted the bible verse Colossians 3:18: “Esposas, someteos a vuestros esposos, como conviene en el Señor.” (“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”) Hence, her pointed reply: “my husband is my country”. Quintanilha’s husband, Artur Vieira de Aldorninha, had always publicly supported his wife and has confirmed her statement that he “approves” of his wife’s career choice: “I know that there are two of us who owns Vânia’s heart: me and the country. I’m not jealous.”

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“We in the Cabinet are like family. Naturally I’ll go defend my children like a lioness will defend her cubs.”
-- interview in RTVI’s Puerta a Puerta, 24 September 2017

Foreign Minister Patricio O'Donnell Guerrero during his confirmation hearings in the Chamber of Deputies

Sometimes Ms. Quintanilha would show her feminine, maternal side. Members of her Cabinet had commented about the motherly way she treats them, especially the younger members. She had called at least seven younger members of her Cabinet “my child” or “my children”, and goes out to look after them, especially if she feels they aren’t treated fairly. In September 2017, Foreign Minister Patricio O'Donnell Guerrero was close to tears in his seat in the Chamber of Deputies after Green leader Roberto Iglesias Quadras brought up O’Donnell’s personal issues in the discussions regarding his investiture as Foreign Minister. “Maybe you’ll fit better in a laundromat than in the Chamber of Deputies,” she told Iglesias in her scathing rebuttal. “I know a lot about your dirty laundry as well, but unlike you, I don’t wash them in public. Why would I wash them? They’ll stink on their own.”

Ms. Quintanilha added, “Mr. O’Donnell’s personal life has nothing to do with his capability of serving as Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Iberia. You do not attack a candidate based on his personal life. You evaluate his capability to serve the role. You are confused on what you ought to do in the Chamber of Deputies. If the Laundromat doesn’t work out for you, try doing a Gossip Column.”

The Prime Minister continued to hit at Mr. Iglesias for a few more days until finally Mr. Iglesias stopped commenting to the media. “They should learn to stop harassing my children,” she said in RTVI’s Puerta a Puerta.

---

“Meritxell is like my sister, my best friend.”
-- interview in Vogue Iberia, 15 May 2017

Deputy Prime Minister Meritxell Montcada Pastells (left) and Prime Minister Vânia Quintanilha Milhais (right).

In keeping with the family theme for her Cabinet, Ms. Quintanilha had called Deputy Prime Minister Meritxell Montcada Pastells as her “sister”. The two women at the head of Iberia’s government had a long history together. They entered Parliament at the same time, Ms. Montcada as a deputy for Barcelona and Ms. Quintanilha as a replacement deputy for Coimbra. The two gathered a group of three dozen backbench MPs that was (at first disparagingly) called La Hermandad (“The Sisterhood”), despite it containing male deputies. La Hermandad brought a reformist image to this section of the Conservative Party, being unafraid to buck their party and stand up to it. Ms. Quintanilha and Ms. Montcada continued to “work for Iberia, not solely for the Conservative Party,” despite the Conservatives being in the opposition for more than two decades. Sometimes they even outshone the leaders of their party, the leaders of the opposition, whom voters saw as not that credible. La Hermandad also surprisingly garnered the support of much of the youth, including the youth wing of the Conservative Party (then headed by now-Defense Minister Íñigo Larrazabál de Grañén). It was through the support of La Hermandad and the Conservative Youth of Iberia that Ms. Quintanilha became successful in her bid to take over the leadership of the Conservative Party from the sclerotic (and mostly male) old guard of the party.

All the while Ms. Montcada remained by Ms. Quintanilha’s side. “We’re like twins,” Ms. Montcada once remarked to Barcelona’s La Vanguardia newspaper. “Inseparable.” They also manage the Cabinet – or “family” – like the matriarchs. “It’s really great working in this government,” Industry Minister Genserico Avendaño Bergáncia remarked on the same September 24 Puerta a Puerta episode. “Dona Vânia is like our mother and Donya Meritxell is like the aunt. Or sometimes the other way around,” Mr. Avendaño told the amused audience. ●

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Top Stories

• Real Madrid crushes Barça
• TSJ-Albacete orders arrest of Cayetano Alano Pedro
• How to have a very Iberian Christmas
• Royal fiancée Rosângela Combinha's Christmas fashion
• Energy Minister: Oil glut still depresses prices

Football

• La Liga: Real Madrid - FC Barcelona 4-0
• La Liga: SL Benfica - UD Panamá 3-1
• La Liga: Osasuna - Millonarios FC 2-3
• 2^a División: Carabobo Balompie - Moros de Fez 6-2
• 2^a División: Espanyol - Cádiz CdF 3-3

[Iberia]

OOC: Stuff here are entirely fictional

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A village wins the Christmas Lottery


The village of Castellar de Nuch (Barcelona).

by Sabrina Montserrat Forné
16:28 24 December 2017

CASTELLAR DE NUCH (Barcelona) – one Iberian village will be having a good Christmas this year. At the headwaters of the Llobregat river, the small mountain village of Castellar de Nuch, or Castellar de n’Hug in the local Catalan language, population 203, will be having a windfall. All of the 168 adults in the village won in the Iberian Christmas Lottery, splitting 7.2 billion Iberian pesos between them.

Winning number
One hundred series of the winning number 91512 was purchased by two young villagers, Ulric Junquer Duocastellà and Jordi Sucarrats Pi, in the village of Sort (Lérida). Junquer and Sucarrats gathered contributions from everyone in the village and took a three-hour drive to Sort just to purchase their village’s lucky winning ticket. “Of course it’s lucky, it’s from Sort,” Junquer remarked. Sort means “lucky” in Catalan, which is why many people make the trip to buy their lottery tickets in this Upper Pallars village.

Back in Castellar de Nuch, Junquer and Sucarrats divided the tickets according to each individual’s contribution. Tickets of the Iberian Christmas lottery are usually in several series (meaning that there are several series of tickets with the same number). Each serie, costing 10,000 pesos, is subdivided into ten identical billetes (sub-tickets) costing 1,000 pesos each. Some individuals and organizations even subdivide the billete into compartes (shares), in which the contribution of each shareholder in the ticket is recorded and prizes, if any, are divided according to ones’ share.

Some of the participants bought one billete, like Núria Duocastellà Viver, Ulric’s aunt. Some partook in a comparte system. The mayor of the village and Jordi’s father, Climent Sucarrats Marín, bought six and a half series, the remainder from the villagers divvying up their portions from the tickets brought from Sort. But during Friday's draw, the entire village was just rooting for one number: 91512.

The draw for this years' Christmas Lottery.

Christmas Lottery
Iberia’s Christmas Lottery started during the Napoleonic Invasion of Iberia. In 1812, the government at Cádiz instituted a lottery to raise funds for the war effort against France. Since then, the Iberian Christmas Lottery has evolved to become the biggest lottery worldwide, as measured by the total prize payout. The higher chances of winning, compared to most lotteries, meant that even those that do not normally gamble, are enticed to play. “We don’t usually do lotteries. We don’t have that in our small village - you have to come down to Berga or Ripoll to play lotteries,” said the older Sucarrats. “But this one is special. It’s like a tradition.”

An estimated 87% of Iberian adults partake in the Christmas Lottery, and it has indeed become a tradition for most Iberians. All of the villagers at Castellar de Nuch bought a ticket or a share in one; the demand for it was high enough that the mayor had to ask his son and his son’s friend to organize buying tickets for the villagers. “People were like, ‘I can’t go to Berga just to buy a ticket, can you do this for us?’, and ‘I don’t care what number, just buy us a ticket so we can participate’,” Junquer recalls. “Mayor Climent told us just to buy one number for the village. And there, in Sort, 91512 was the only one with the complete series intact – nobody seemed to want to buy it.” Indeed, the rest of the series of 91512, save nineteen billetes (each winning 7.2 million pesos for their respective holders), went unsold in the lottery booth in Sort.

Happy Holidays
The holidays in Castellar de Nuch will indeed be merry. The biggest winner in Castellar de Nuch was the Mayor himself, netting 475 million pesos through his sixty-six billetes. “I plan to spend the windfall wisely,” he said. The Mayor also had plan to help his constituents. “Before we claim the prizes, I’ve invited the villagers to attend a seminar in the ajuntament [town hall]. We have a speaker from the National Lotteries Administration and two financial advisers who will speak to our constituents on how to spend the money wisely.”

His son Jordi also has his own plans and dreams. “I want to replace my old battered car,” Jordi said, when asked how will he spend his 3.6 million pesos from his half a billete. He and Ulric split one billete between them. “But I don’t think your father will like your idea,” Ulric told his friend. “Yeah,” Jordi replied, “my father is a penny-pincher; he doesn’t want us spending money for ‘useless things’.” But clearly, the older Sucarrats didn’t think that betting on the Iberian Christmas lottery was a useless thing. ●

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Top Stories

• How to have a very Iberian Christmas
• Winning numbers for the Christmas Lottery
• Real Madrid crushes Barça
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• Royal fiancée Rosângela Combinha's Christmas fashion

Football

• La Liga: Real Madrid - FC Barcelona 4-0
• La Liga: Valencia CF - Real de Indias 7-2
• La Liga: Hercúleo Tánger - Atlético Medellín 0-0
• 2^a División: Sporting Gijón - Marítimo 1-3
• 2^a División: Gimnàstic Tarragona - Portuguesa FC 2-0

[AH Albion]

DEVELOPING: Eggs may be a fruit, Muskegon court rules

Boston Birds bound for High Arctic


An AF-15 Eagle over the Pacific Ocean. ROYAL ALBION AIR FORCE PHOTO

WINDSOR -- For the first time in three years, Albion's so-called Boston Birds are going north.

The Royal Albion Air Force says it will send three AF-15 Snow Eagles on deployment to various bases in the High Arctic starting tomorrow and continuing through 2018. These aircraft, considered the best aircraft in the force, will conduct patrols in the far north and assert Alban sovereignty in the thinly-peopled Northern Territory.

"We figured we'd give Santa Claus an escort when the time comes," said Air Force Gen. Richard Seuliq.

Seuliq said, "Albion's sovereignty in the Arctic is without question. We want to emphasize that very firmly. The AF-15s are great aircraft and we think it's high time they had another taste of the cold stuff."

The move continues Albion's policy of maintaining a strongly-defended border with Suvierren Alyeska as well as in the Arctic, where Suvierren and Alban maritime claims often nestle uncomfortably together. The two countries are the world's northernmost and tend to regularly dispatch aircraft to the north as shows of force to maintain sovereignty.

Alban aircraft in the north routinely intercept their Russian counterparts peacefully, and occasionally vice versa.

The AF-15 Snow Eagles - known as "Boston Birds" following the late-'80s and early-'90s controversy over their purchase, known as the Boston Bird Affair - are actually upgraded models purchased down the road, and have been equipped with winter-ready equipment to handle the Arctic cold.

The fighters are expected to touch down at the airbase at Alert, the farthest north these fighters have ever gone.

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Idi Admin · 23 minutes ago
The only thing that should be sent to the north is me. We must remove all of the Obote men from the north. Only I can get rid of the Obote men and make Albion truly great. The ladies all want me and the Obote men all want to be me.

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177 up · 12 down

muscovite · 38 minutes ago
jajajaja albon u fiters are small and wek rossiya has best fitr we war you in hockey we win world junoirs jajajajaja

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32 up · 101 down

DEPLORABLE SHANE · 57 minutes ago
Now all they should do is send that FAKE P.M. SHERGOLD up north too and cut her loose on an ice floe to float for all eternity so she'll stop RAISING OUR TAXES and turning us into COMMUNIST RUSSIA with all these IMMIGRANTS

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4 up · 2678 down

[AH Albion]

DEVELOPING: Shergold created Festivus to destroy Christianity: Reform MP

Air Force tracks Santa Claus on radar


File art of an Albion pilot escorting Santa Claus. ROYAL ALBION AIR FORCE PHOTO

ALERT -- The Royal Albion Air Force says it is tracking Santa Claus by radar as he crosses North America again this year.

"We've been tracking Santa since he took off from a location in northern Albion this evening," said Air Force Gen. Richard Seuliq. "Our AF-16s are escorting him as we speak. We wouldn't want him to run into any bears while he's flying around up there."

The northern defence agency, NORAD, also says it's tracking Santa by radar.

This year's note marks the latest in an annual Air Force tradition of "tracking Santa on radar" as he passes over the continent. However, sources suggest that the AF-16 overflights are real and serve to assert Alban sovereignty in the Arctic.

Seuliq said the Royal Albion Navy is also standing by to assist Santa should he need it.

"Even Rudolph sometimes gets lost in a snowstorm. Luckily we've got some pretty good radars on those ships in case Santa needs someone to point him in the right direction."

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Mirror Universe Idi Admin · 17 minutes ago
I hope Santa Claus brings gifts for all of the Obote men out there. We should embrace Obote and all the good little Obote girls and boys. Don't thank me. I'm just one of many decent people in the world. Vote for Obote.

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3 up · 291 down

Idi Amin · 12 minutes ago
Mirror Universe Idi Amin is an Obote man and a liar. Don't be fooled. Only I am the greatest.

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99999999 up · 1 down

Rudolph · 53 minutes ago
The Air Force showing up to help me is racist against reindeer with red noses. I'm highly offended by this display of verbal violence and will be reporting this to the North Pole Office of Species, Gender and Nasal-Hue Violence for immediate review.

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0 up · 3777 down

[AH Albion]

DEVELOPING: Are jodhpurs destroying Albion's future? This prof says yes

Russian bomber intercepted near Albion on New Year's Eve


An Alban AF-15 Snow Eagle escorts a Russian Tu-95 "Bear" bomber in this 2015 photo. ROYAL ALBION AIR FORCE PHOTO

COMOX -- An Alban fighter jet intercepted a Russian bomber which nearly crossed Albion's Arctic border on New Year's Eve, ratcheting up tensions as relations between Moscow and the West continue to deteriorate.

An AF-15 Snow Eagle was dispatched Sunday evening after North American early-warning air defenses spotted the bomber - a Tu-95 Bear - heading towards the Arctic island of Aulavik around 10 p.m. The Tu-95 bomber, which can carry both conventional bombs and nuclear weapons, was tracked by surface-based radar, before the fighter intercepted it over the Atlantic Ocean shortly after it was spotted.

Richard Moor, a spokesman for the Royal Albion Air Force, said that while the Russians came "very close" to crossing the border, they ultimately never entered Alban airspace and returned to their home base.

The intercept took place despite blistering winter conditions making takeoff and flight difficult, according to senior military sources. The Alban fighter was able to make it through the heavy weather and reach the bomber before it crossed the border into Albion.

Alban aircraft routinely intercept Russian bombers on long-range patrols in the High Arctic and along the edges of the heavily-guarded land border between Albion's Stikine Province and Yukon Territory and Russian Alyeska. While such intercepts may number more than a dozen in a given year, Sunday's was remarkable for taking place on New Year's Eve and for coming close to crossing the border.

Military sources said another Tu-95 was intercepted over the Arctic Ocean by an AF-15 earlier in the day, well away from Albion's border, and escorted back on a course to Russian airspace. This intercept took place at about 11 a.m.

Moor said no part of Albion was in danger at any point during the intercept.

"Interactions between our pilots and those of the Union of Sovereign States happen routinely. Our policy is to escort stray Russian pilots back to their airspace in a professional and calm manner," Moor said.

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Pootie-Poot · 31 minutes ago
I come to you now to say that I romantically identify as a Tu-95 Bear. I prefer non-triggering gender-neutral pronouns (Bear/Bear's/Bears/Bearself) and I need Albion as a safe haven to dominate strategic airspace and deploy high-yield nuclear payloads against priority targets. I like to discuss my engine fetish for Kuznetsov NK-12 engines with contra-rotating propellers. I prefer big-bodied people, as I am a fully-loaded 376,000 pounds of fetching bomberkin. Surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles are my triggers. Please respect this and help keep Albion a safe place for me to provide strategic aerial dominance.

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131 up · 87 down

Donald Trump · 39 minutes ago
Folks, there's absolutely no interception - no interception between them and the Russians. I love the Russians, okay. Great people. Fantastic people. Treated me great. I talked to Mr. Putin and he said 'Donald, you're the greatest.' What's wrong with that? Believe me, there's no interception. This whole thing with the bombers is just fake news. Believe me. Maybe if the media weren't fake in this country, we wouldn't have lots of problems. I'm gonna make Albion great again, believe me. I'm gonna win with poorly educated. I love poorly educated. If Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I would be dating her.

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62,984,825 up · 65,853,516 down

fleck · 41 minutes ago
only thing that stops rossiya is potate

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444 up · 4 down

[AH Albion]

DEVELOPING: Putting the lime in the coconut might kill you, new study says

Adelson slammed for Shergold terrorist snuggle remark


Reform Party leader Saul Adelson speaks in the House of Commons. RON LESZCZYSZYN, ABC Staff

WINDSOR -- Reform Party leader Saul Adelson says he won't apologize for accusing Prime Minister Rachael Neel Shergold of "snuggling up with a terrorist" and hurling a sexist slur at her following a Muslim delegation's visit to Parliament Hill.

Shergold's office, Muslim groups and political rivals slammed Adelson Monday after his comments about the visit by Ahmed Bensoussan, executive director of the Council for Alban-Islamic Affairs. Bensoussan was visiting Shergold with a group of Arabian refugees who have made better lives for themselves in Albion.

"Albioners are sick and tired of hearing this sob story about multiculturalism," Adelson told reporters later that day. "Instead of snuggling up with a terrorist, maybe Prime Minister Barbie should try talking to some actual working people for a change."

Shergold's office slammed Adelson's comments quickly. "Mr. Adelson's sexist and Islamophobic remarks are absolutely deplorable and he should apologize immediately. Clearly he hasn't figured out why Albioners continue to reject his divisive, disgusting politics of hate and fear," said Shergold spokesman George Edenshaw.

Reached by ABC later that day, Bensoussan said the remarks demonstrate that Islamophobia is still real in some parts of Alban society.

"It's disgusting," he said. "We reject these kinds of hateful smears against Muslims and we especially reject these old, false allegations, which were debunked by the courts years ago."

Adelson was defiant when ABC spoke to him Monday.

"I'm not going to apologize for telling it like it is," he said. "Rachael should get a thicker skin instead of playing the hate card every time someone tells it like it is in this country."

An Adelson spokesman said the leader was referring to allegations made in 2014 by former Liberal justice minister Donald Blunt that CAIA had "documented ties" to an alleged terror group supposedly called the Mahdist Front, a terror group said to operate in Arabia.

The allegations were controversial at the time, and a subsequent ABC investigation found no evidence that a group called the Mahdist Front existed. CAIA sued Blunt and former prime minister Anthony Handler, resulting in a settlement and leading to Blunt's resignation.

The false allegations about CAIA continue to circulate widely in alternative media favoured by far-right readers in Albion.

Opposition Leader and top Liberal Stephen Bodnarchuk, who served as Handler's finance minister, also criticized Adelson, calling his remarks "unfortunate and stupid." Green Party Leader Liane Aglukark also criticized Adelson harshly.

"Once again, it's a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," she told reporters Monday.

The allegation is the latest in a string of Adelson controversies. The flamboyant Reform leader has infuriated progressives and minorities with his inflammatory remarks for years, even as his party made a breakthrough in the 2016 election by winning 11 seats and securing official party status.

Late last year, Adelson raised eyebrows on Parliament Hill after accusing Aglukark of wanting to outlaw Christmas trees.

In the spring of 2017, Adelson was deluged with criticism after he called Shergold's immigration policy "anti-white and anti-Jewish and anti-Christian." That followed earlier remarks in which he allegedly insulted Windsor-area Labour MP Dashmir Mongush, who is Tuvan-Alban, by calling him "Genghis Khan" at a Parliament Hill banquet.

Adelson was raked over the coals during the 2016 election campaign for his reactionary platform, which included ending Muslim immigration, banning the hijab and niqab, and forcing oil pipelines through First Nations territory without consent.

Adelson regularly refers to Shergold, who is Metis, by various demeaning nicknames, most commonly "Barbie" and "Pocahontas." Shergold's office said the Prime Minister won't dignify those insults with a response.

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Deplorable Alfie · 54 minutes ago
Look at these globalist libs playing the fake racism card against the hero Adelson!!he's the only one who stands up for REAL ALBIONERS instead of pandering to all these IMMIGRANTS and selling out their country

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12 up · 17 down

fleck · 43 minutes ago
i hear adelson is prejudiced against potate

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4 up · 26 down

Debbie from Peterborough · 41 minutes ago
Once again, Adelson embarrasses himself and the country. This man is absolutely disgusting. Just a complete deplorable bigot who shouldn't even be in office. How many times does Adelson have to commit acts of violence against POC and vulnerable communities before he's removed? Why isn't there a means to recall him?

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31 up · 10 down

[The Empire of Yamato]

Last updated on 2018/01/12 at 20:00

Emperor Akihito to resign early in July

Emperor Akihito earlier today announcing his resignation plans with Crown Prince Naruhito
Source: The Imperial Family Association

Izuhara Sharaku
Imperial Family News

TOKYO IMPERIAL PALACE -- In an unexpected move by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito announced that he would resign earlier than previously expected following his recent meetings with the Prime Minister. He sights the reason for his early resignation to be the same as to why he originally wanted to resign, due to his old age making it difficult to carry out offical duties. Although many, including the Empress herself expected his reign to last until April of next year, the Crown Prince has entered preparations for his coronation expected to take place in the months following his resignation.

Emperor Akihito was born in 1933 to the then reigning Shōwa Emperor and Emperess Kōjun only a few years before the outbreak of world war II. He was originally titled Prince Tsugu as a child and he was raised and educated by private tutors and then attended both Primary and Secondary education at Gakushūin in Kyoto. As a child he learnt English and Western customs by his uncle Prince Chichubu between his diplomatic duties with the British emperor and before his Uncle assumed role as Japan's war time Prime Minister. He also studied in political science at the Gakushuin University after WWII, and gained a degree shortly before his uncles' death in 1960. He did not however, assume a military role at the request of his father.

In 1953 Emperor Akihito had a formal event officially declaring him Crown Prince and made appearances at several coronations, including British Queen Elizabeth II, Iberian King Tristan II, New-French King Francisque II (Although he was already Emperor at that point), and Alban King Richard.

Japanese public awaiting the newly declared Crown Prince Akihito, 1953
Source: The Imperial Family Association

In 1953 he married the current Empress in a live televised event. In which the Crown Prince and Princess dressed in traditional attire, and the whole nation watched in joy as a new era for Japan was beginning to dawn. Seven years later his first son and Current Crown prince Haruhito was born, followed by the birth of Prince Akishino five years later and Princess Nori in 1969.

Following the death of the Shōwa Emperor in 1989, Akihito became emperor and this marked the beginning of the Heisei, with the offical coronation taking place a year later.

Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for prostate cancer on 14 January 2003. Since succeeding to the throne, Emperor Akihito has also made an effort to bring the Imperial family closer to the Japanese people. The Emperor and Empress of Japan have made official visits to eighteen countries and to all forty-seven Prefectures of Japan.

In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima I nuclear crisis, the Emperor made an historic televised appearance urging his people not to give up hope and to help each other. The Emperor and Empress also made a visit on Wednesday, 30 March 2011 to a temporary shelter housing refugees of the disaster, in order to inspire hope in the people. This kind of event is also extremely rare, though in line with the Emperor's attempts to bring the Imperial family closer to the people. Later in 2011 he was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. In February 2012 it was announced that the Emperor would be having a coronary examination; he underwent successful heart bypass surgery on 18 February 2012.

On 13 July 2016, national broadcaster NHK reported that the Emperor intended to abdicate in favour of his eldest son Crown Prince Naruhito within a few years, citing his age; an abdication within the Imperial Family has not occurred since Emperor Kōkaku abdicated in 1817. However, senior officials within the Imperial Household Agency denied that there was any official plan for the monarch to abdicate. In 2017 the Emperor confirmed that he would be abdicating for the reasons stated by NHK, he also confirmed that he would be moving to the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto after his resignation. Allowing his son to move from the Hayama Imperial Villa to the Imperial Palace within Tokyo.

[Southeast American States]

Last updated on 2018/01/12 at 12:42

CSAF aircraft crashes after engine problems in Arkansas

The Vought A-7F aircraft involved in the incident

Jerry Thompson
Richmond Times-Dispatch

Little Rock -- Is a bird, is it Superman? No it's plane. A CSAF Vought A-7F plane crashed in the Piney Woods region of Southern Arkansas. The plane itself belonged to the 14th Fighter Squadron stationed Barksdale Air Base in Louisiana. The squadron it belonged to, was conducting a training exercise at a recently built Air Force target range in eastern Texas. The squadron was returning to the air base, when one of the planes belonging to Senior Airman Jake Marsh began to have engine problems over Miller County, Arkansas.

By the time, the flight path reached Lafayette County, Marsh was forced to eject from his aircraft after his aircraft became unstable to fly. Thankfully, Marsh's aircraft managed to crash in uninhabited area of woodland. Local fire department responded to the scene to put out the fire, with the Arkansas State Guard arrived to recover any intact equipment belonging to the plane. Senior Airman Marsh landed about a mile away from the crash, landing near a pond. Marsh was not hurt during the landing or when ejected from the aircraft.

The Confederate States Air Force released a statement online, stating that the official cause was engine problems relating to the aircraft. The Vought A-7 series of aircraft, are rather known to be rather reliable and sturdy aircraft, and hasn't faced any major incidents over the years. Marsh will expected to return to his squadron, in the following days and will face no wrongdoings. More information relating to the incident will be released by the Air Force itself.

[Jazirat al-Arab]

22 KILLED IN ADEN ROCKET ATTACK
Jaishallah claims responsibility as renewed insurgency troubles region


Civilians look on after rockets struck a hotel in Yemen Monday. AL-JAZIRAH PHOTO


AHMED KHATANI Al-Jazirah Staff Reporter

ADEN -- Twenty-two people are dead and Yemen's largest insurgent group is claiming responsibility after a rocket attack on a popular hotel in this South Arabian city.

Authorities say four rockets struck the Qasr Hotel just before noon. The hotel was set to host Arabian government officials in the region to discuss security arrangements in Arabia's restive province of Yemen, but the Arabian People's Armed Forces said no officials had arrived at the time.

Through their Twitter feed, insurgent front Jaishallah claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is the primary paramilitary organization agitating for independence for the region's Zaydi Shia minority. The attack represents the latest act of terror claimed by Jaishallah in recent years as Shia rebels continue to agitate against the government.

State-owned media in Arabia issued a statement blaming Jaishallah for civilian casualties and said all of those killed were Arabian citizens.

Witnesses said the hotel caught fire after the attack. Military helicopters were seen responding to the scene, delivering soldiers to protect first responders from further insurgent attacks.

The attack represents an escalating of tensions in the region, where Shia already enjoy some degree of autonomy, but where poverty levels are among the highest in Arabia. In Sana'a, the highland city considered the nexus of the insurgency, fear has ratcheted up as the city's wells run dry, with desalinated water logistically difficult to route into the area due to the difficulties inherent in piping water up mountains.

The regional insurgency has flared up since 2016, some years after the death of former rebel leader Ayman Saifullah al-Badawi in an airstrike outside Sana'a. The insurgency was largely co-opted by the Jaishallah network, formerly a bit player in the insurgency.

Military sources describe the group's leader, Abdul-Jafar al-Azraq, as a zealot with radical Islamist ideals. Jaishallah claims its intention is to restore traditional Islamic governance and overthrow the secular Arabian government, which it characterizes as heretical.

State-owned media said the military plans to increase security in the region to prevent further attacks.

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REMOVE BATH · 59 minutes ago
SANA STRONG BAGDAD WE WAR YOU

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77 up · 59 down

Idi Amin · 44 minutes ago
The only one capable of removing Jaishallah from Yemen is me, Idi Amin. We must get all the Obote men out of Yemen. Only I, the conqueror of the British Empire, can remove the Obote men. Just ask all the women who love me and all the men who want to be me. I am the greatest and you wish you were me.

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3542 up · 3 down

Abdul from Amman · 41 minutes ago
More rebels representing the old ways of doing business! This hasn't been how stuff has been done for a solid hundred years! Get with the times and join the rest of us in a secular country!

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134 up · 123 down