APwire ~ Affiliated Press News Agency

[Hesperia]

Diwan of Foreign Affairs

The Sultanate expresses its shock and outrage over this event and demands that the Sinese government protect humanitarian workers within its territory. Aid workers, including our own, must be protected by the Sinese state if Sinhai wishes to stave off a disaster.

We express our great concern about the growing prevalence of pogroms and organized violence and vigilantism in the country as well.

 

[Polesia]

Ethnic violence in Vangalan refugee camps
AP International

There are reports of dozens being killed and scores more injured in a series of armed clashes in refugee camps in eastern Vangala, where an estimated 100,000 Ratomkirans have fled from the internal conflict afflicting their home country. Racial tension has been cited as the main cause for the bloodshed, but humanitarian organisations have also blamed overcrowding and insufficient food and water. Fighting has been focused between the majority Kambudjan and minority Lanxangese and ethnic strife has fuelled Ratomkira's insurgency.

The Vangalan Ministry of National Defence, which administers the camps, has rejected rumours of large-scale killing and only referred to what it describes as 'isolated incidents'. Stories from fleeing aid workers contradict the statements. Human rights NGOs also worry about a potentially heavyhanded reponse from the People's Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Vangala has quickly accused Kambudjan extremists in Ratomkira for orchestrating the violence while Ratomkira has repeatedly alleged Vangala is supporting Lanxangese separatists and Communist insurgents. The two countries held unofficial talks earlier, although many believe they were unfruitful with tensions continuing to run high.

 

[Thaumantica]

Commerce & Diplomacy Park Plans Announced
AP International

Zjadnbrdo authorities in the Captaincy of Divovia, Životinje intend to meld international and business together by loosening rules for companies and government embassies in a high-tech Commerce & Diplomacy park in the southwestern Zjadnbrdo suburb of Životinje as part of an Administrative

Union initiative to illustrate the city as a 'Second City' in Central Europe beside Augsburg, Wiese a Militant Republic source said on Monday.

"Zjadnbrdo Autoriet Kapetan Neculai Lovro met with Maresal Huszar, where the leaders signed an agreement that indicates aggressive development of the special economic zone nicknamed Projekt Oźwiena," the source said.

Huszar's Administrative Union, internal sources say, have begun to draft policies and special rules to repeal complicated restrictions that have prevented many businesses and embassies from posting representatives in Zjadnbrdo. Diplomatic officials in Životinje have begun spreading the word to their foreign contacts regarding 'Projekt Oźwiena', says Herald for the Union Bojnik Konavle.

Divovia has marked development of the Commerce & Diplomacy sector its top priority for the 2010-12 fiscal years, by targeting billions of Union Kredijia in tax payers funding. Since the construction of the Council of Nations, Zjadnbrdo has lost "an unquantifiable amount of potential wealth" said Neculai Lovro earlier this year.

 

[Hesperia]

Hajri Border Police Arrest Akhaltsikhi Drug Smuggling Suspects
AP Al A’raf

Five men were apprehended in the mountainous region which forms the border between Hajr and Akhaltsikhe by men of the Hajri Royal Border Troops today, the Hajri Diwan of the Interior has announced. A spokesperson for the Arab country’s ministry said that the men are suspected of drug trafficking and border trespassing, and that “they are of Akhaltsikhi descent.” The first crime is a capital offense in the Sultanate.

Hajr and Akhaltsikhe have maintained frosty relations ever since the former regained its independence in 1946. The border between the two countries has been closed since they went to war in the 1950s and ‘70s, and has since often been the sight of violent clashes. Hajr accuses Akhaltsikhe of funding separatist rebels on the island of Qirwan, while Akhaltsikhe accuses the Arab sultanate of fomenting unrest amongst the majority Arab population within its borders, which it denies political rights.

The suspects were reportedly arrested on the slopes of Mount An Nabi, the Arabic name of a highly disputed peak situated in the border region between the two nations. The mountain and the region surrounding it were occupied and officially annexed by Hajr after its victory in the 1973 war between the two countries. Akhaltsikhe has never recognized the annexation and regards it as illegal. The status of the peak, an important national symbol in both countries, has been a major obstacle to rapprochement ever since.

Analysts expect that the arrests may lead to heightened tensions in the volatile border region. The nationalistic regime in Tetri Tsqaro, which maintains a rigid system of racial segregation between the minority Christian population and the majority of Muslim Arabs living in the country, is unlikely to take the arrest of several of its citizens under unclear circumstances lightly.

 

[Khemia]

Violence Flares in Sinhai
AP Sri Rama

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Sinese Defense Forces face increasing violence throughout Northern Sinhai. Two soldiers question Sinese citizens concerning the attack on Rahji Plaza.
Photo courtesy of Associated Press

Violence in Sinhai has reached a new high last week, with the SDF reporting no less than two hundred and eighteen deaths among civilians and military personnel. Sinese Defense Forces are hard pressed to keep the peace throughout the highly rural north, and face not only increased violence from insurgents, but militants and anti-minority death squads.

Notable attacks include an assault on a protest in Rahji Plaza Sunday, which accounted for the deaths of over one hundred and twenty protesters, insurgents, militants, and soldiers; as well as a mortar attack on a Khalistani humanitarian camp near the Khalistani border. During the last week, the majority of attacks were committed by militants and death squads targeting ethnic Khalistanis and Viets. This has forced the government to respond by closing aid camps and requiring all Khalistani humanitarian workers and contractors in the north to relocate to other locations in Sinhai, or return to their own country. Large numbers of ethnic Khalsitani and Viet residents have begun seeking refuge further south and in the mountains along the Dai Viet border, where PIP insurgents have begun providing protection for minority refugee camps.

 

[Khemia]

Sinhai Wages War on Inflation
AP International

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Sri Rama skyline at night. Photo courtesy UBN.

SRI RAMA, where inflation has gripped Sinhai since the acquisition of impoverished North Sinhai, action is being taken to combat the devaluation of Sinese currency. The Sinese Baht (SNB) has dropped in value significantly, falling to ฿1 : $0.083, and the Unity Regime has recognized inflation, not unemployment, as the most dangerous factor facing the economy of Sinhai. The National Assembly has addressed the issue of a weakening economy in it's bid to regulate the industry, passing a law that will freeze prices throughout the nation.

"Yes, we realize that people are losing their jobs. But in order for there to be jobs, people need to be buying goods. Without a demand there is no need for supply," Unity party officials stated in a press release Friday afternoon.

The Unity Regime's plan of action calls for a general nation-wide price freeze, prohibiting the increasing of prices of any goods sold in Sinhai. Though discussed, the National Assembly moved to not freeze wages, and hopes that the Department of Industry will be able to work together with corporations to adjust wages to suite the new cost of living throughout Southern Sinhai.

"Inflation is an illusion," stated Suphot Siamwalla, a leading economist in Sinhai. "It is simply people worried that what happened yesterday will affect today and tomorrow. They're scared their money will be worth less a month from now, so they adjust their prices, thereby creating the inflation they fear. It's inflation by inertia. We need to attack this disease at the source, and that's exactly what the Unity Regime is doing."

Detractors of the policy note that though inflation may be balanced, foreign investors will have irreversibly lost money in the Sinese economy, and that the Department of Industry has been asked to place Southern Sinhai on a higher priority to North Sinhai. Critics call this move unfair favoritism that will create disadvantages for those unemployed or in poverty in the North. Government officials have stated that they believe that a form of 'economic triage' needs to be applied to the Sinese economy, and that once Southern Sinhai has recovered it will buoy the North.

However, the Unity Regime remains optimistic in their plan and many of President Marjhan's economic advisors are hopeful that Sinese Banks will see opportunity in the devaluation of Sinese currency and begin reinvesting in Sinese businesses, reviving the national economy. A spokesman within the tourist office believes that the devaluation of the Baht may actually increase the tourist industry.

(ooc: ฿1 : $0.083 = ฿12 : $1)

 

[Frescania]

Tension continues to rise near the Frescanian-Wazistani Border
AP San Martin

While the the Government continues to discussion its options regarding the conflict in Wazistan, the border provinces of Andaluz and Catamarca are not waiting for the National Government any longer. Here in San Martin, one of the closest Andaluzian cities to the border with Wazistan, Andaluzian Guards can be seen walking around in the outskirts of the city.

Authorities in both Buena Tierra and Leon have ordered their provincial guards to the border already. While the presence of 3000 troops from the armed forces has helped the frontier, many here think it is not enough. “What they don't understand in Fortaleza Real is that the situation is getting worse and worse and we'll soon see the violence here.” said Daniela Pulesas, professor of Civil Conflicts at the University of Leon, “Wazistan has not been able to keep the conflict at bay, and unless the Council of Nations acts now, we will find ourselves not only with violence on this side of the border, but Frescania will have limited choices.”

What exactly Frescania should do about the situation is still questionable. Many believe the Government will send additional troops and call on the Council of Nations to push for a peacekeeping missions, but they also believe this will not work as the Wazistani government has in the past pushed any ideas by the international community aside.

 

[Serenierre]

Foreign Office

The deterioration of the situation in West Himyar is not a good trend. We urge all parties to resolve outstanding matters quickly and coolly. Paris shall monitor the situation closely.

 

[Khemia]

Negotiations With 'Red Shirts' in Pak Nam Pran End, 38 Dead
AP International

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Sinese Defense Forces fire live ammunition on crowds of Red shirts after protest turns violent.

Negotiations between the 'Red Shirts', led by former Assemblyman and ultranationalist radical Sayan Jaa, and Sinese Unity regime officials ended violently Monday night as protesters attacked negotiators, killing 2. In the firefight that ensued, a vehicle carrying more Sinese soldiers was ambushed, leaving over a dozen injured and seven dead. Sinese troops responded by firing into the crowd in an attempt to disperse the radicals.

At first, protesters returned fire with mixed weapons, but Sinese troops, supported by light vehicles and heavy weapons, quickly routed the lightly armed renegades. Despite initial victories, Sinese troops are consolidating their positions in Pak Nam Pran, and are expected to move against vital targets on June 1.

Eyewitness reports suggest that it was Sayan Jaa himself who ordered the attack, killing one negotiator with a concealed weapon. In total, 38 people have been confirmed killed in the attack, with over two hundred casualties in total. Sinese Defense Forces refused to comment on questions concerning the use of force against civilians, and stated simply that "the situation in Northern Sinhai is deteriorating rapidly, the Sinese Defense Force is having difficulty holding ground against large amounts of militant-led violence. Without help, there's little we can do."

Despite the declining situation in Northern Sinhai, the Unity Regime has initiated negotiations with PIP insurgents near the Dai Viet border, and is hopeful that some sort of ceasefire can be arranged before the situation spirals into chaos.

 

[Keida]

Jizhou Increases Presence at Tenzing Border
AP International

Tensions remain high at the mountainous and poorly-defined border between the partially-recognized Republic of Jizhou and the equally legally ambiguous State of Tenzing as the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, Head of State and Head of Government for Tenzing respectively, refuse to negotiate with Premier Li Yuying, acting Head of State and Head of Government for the Republic of Jizhou.

Diplomatic friction began in April when the President of Jizhou, Zhang Bowen, was hospitalized with heart problems and forced to leave the country. The Dalai Lama, a personal friend of Mr. Zhang, has implied that Mr. Li usurped the government in subsequent months.

With Li's government demanding military cooperation from Tenzing against communist and other anti-government groups in west Jizhou, the Lamas' Government has stated that it will negotiate only with the President. Li responded by pushing for sanctions in the Grand Assembly of the League of Free States. The League, so far, has been silent on the issue.

Frustrated by the slow progress of League action, Li's government has begun a military buildup in west Jizhou, near the border with Tenzing. Despite the Jizhou military's funneling of ever-increasing stocks of equipment and support staff to the conflict in Barazi, sources in Tenzing are expressing concern about the Republic's apparent belligerence toward the State.

 

[Polesia]

পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রক
Ministry of External Affairs

The People's Republic has continuously warned the world about the intentions of the junta in Yiyuan and now our fears have been confirmed. Appropriate measures to ensure the defence of the Vangalan Motherland will be enacted and we expect the full and strong support of the international community in our endeavours to maintain peace and stability in the region together with preserving our territorial integrity.

 

[Frescania]

Thousands Cross Border as Conflict Continues in Wazistan
AP Leon

While the Government in Fortaleza Real calls on the Council of Nations, specially the Security Council, to begin discussion on establishing a peacekeeping force in Wazistan, reports are coming from both Andaluz and Catamarca that in the border, even thought secured by hundreds of forces, has began to see increase immigration by Wazistanis.

While immigration from Wazistan has always been a problem, the crisis in the country has began to fueled more movement towards Frescania. Just last week, the Andaluzian government published a report saying that the province has seen “1,450 refugees crossing from Wazistan to Frescania in the last two months”. This number is predicted to increase in the coming months, specially if the civil war continues. Catamarca has also seen an increase of refugees, but it has yet to publish how many have crossed.

This has angered many people living in the border areas with Wazistan. Many believe that the National Government has no idea of the situation and they are already planning to cut with them. “They are living in a fantasy land” said Daniela Termas, a local in Leon, “they think that by just saying words and sending more troops it will solve the problem. Until the conflict ends in Wazistan, we won't see the end of the problem”.

While the problem is currently affecting these two provinces, the others are beginning to worry. Activist in cities throughout the northern provinces are demanding the Government to start taking actions before it reaches their cities. What the Government will do it is not known, but opposition parties are beginning to see this as a way to get more power within Fortaleza Real.

 

[Batavië]

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We would like to cooperate with the Frescanian authorities regarding this refugee crisis. We urge Wazistani's seeking refuge to report to Batavian consulates and the embassy in Frescania. There they can apply for the new refugee programme and possibly be relocated to Batavië.

 

[Polesia]

Vangala tests missile near Tenzing border
AP International

The People’s Republic of Vangala has announced the successful test-firing of a short-ranged ballistic missile near its border with the partially-recognised State of Tenzing. The Strategic Assets Force, who are responsible for Vangala’s military missile programme, said the test is the first of a series of tests that will occur over the next few days. The Ministry of National Defence has claimed the tests are not linked to Vangala's dispute with Jizhou, another largely unrecognised nation, and that they are solely for research purposes.

The international community has yet to respond to the test but reactions are likely to be critical, especially from immediate neighbours. Many of Vangala's missiles are capable of carrying chemical or nuclear warheads. While Vangala abandoned its nuclear weapons programme in the late 1970's, it allegedly continues to manufacture chemical weapons and experts worry these may be deployed on missiles in a conflict and used against both civilians and military personnel.

Vangala's President Moheen Chatterjee welcomed the outcome and praised the Strategic Assets Force, describing them as the ‘ultimate guarantors of the Motherland’s independence and people’s freedom’ in a televised statement. National Defence Minister Nurul Banerjee was also present at the test and added further praise.

The Shakti (meaning ‘power’ in Vangalan) series of missile was the focus of this test and has a range of an estimated 400 kilometres. Other Vangalan missiles are capable of striking targets 2500 kilometres away.

 

[Keida]

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The Republic of Jizhou will not be intimidated by communist belligerence and unethical arms proliferation. As we, the Free People of Cathay, struggle against violence and terrorism objectively caused by the Vangalans, so too do we unite the other risen peoples in brotherly solidarity against the socialist criminals.

Let the communist government understand that your transparent threats only strengthen those who will bury you. You, your missiles and the Hànjiān you shelter may share a footnote in the next century.

 

[Fulanistan]

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The Government of Fulanistan is deeply concerned with Vangalan missile tests near Tenzing, and very worried that such tests could escalate to total war resulting in the deaths of many people.

 

[Polesia]

পররাষ্ট্র মন্ত্রক
Ministry of External Affairs

Vangala, as a sovereign nation who struggled hard and long to achieve its independence, will not bow to outside pressure in regards to national defence. The possession of missiles and the subsequent tests necessary for development and maintenance would not be needed if dangerous, rogue regimes like the junta in Yiyuan did not exist.

 

[Clarenthia]

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When a nation develops nuclear weapons, they do nothing but increase the tensions and the need for other nations to develop nuclear weapons. Developing these missiles is by no means a means of defense, it's a means of destruction. So for this, we congratulate Vanagala on making it so that nuclear weapons cannot be disbanded world wide.

Signed,
Levan Karlovich Uchaneishvili

 

[Khemia]

(ooc: he doesn't use nuclear weapons, at least that's what his government claims, but he does use chemical weapons)

 

[Aquitania]

Secretariate for Foreign Affairs

The Grand Duchy is concerned with the implications of testing of a missile capable of delivering chemical and biological warheads especially so soon after the 05-06-2010 statement made by the Vangalan Ministry of External Affairs.

Henri Mercier, chevalier de l'Ordre du Templiers
Secrétaire d'Affaires Étrangères