Cronos Herald

[Praetoria]

Cronos Inc is one of the biggest news agencies in Praetoria. Its audience encompasses 35% of country's population. The remaining percentage is shared by other private and foreign companies. The most notable products of Cronos Media and Entertainment Inc. are Cronos Herald and Coliseum Tribune, the most read political publication in the capital-city.

Referendum
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== Last-hour Communique ==

Today the national referendum regarding the entrance of Praetoria in General Assembly has passed with 85% pro and 15% against. The voting presence was over 75%, the highest in the recent history of Praetoria. The results could have been seen on line due to the new state of the art electronic voting system. The official results were followed by a presidential declaration. As president Robert Lupo stated earlier, the results of the referendum are a clear sign that Praetorian people wants to step further on the latter of diplomacy and be part of international decision-making structures. Peter Blackburn was authorized to represent our country at the annual GA summit, where he will hold an opening speech.

Another important headlines:
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• Governmental representatives are negotiating with EIB officials on the topic of investment management. Sources from inside are informing us about their intention to acquire a 15% influence share in the committee.

• HMS Airport has opened its doors today to travelers and tourists around the world. Having a capacity of 50 mln passengers and 150 operating airlines, the airport is part of the Aquilla free economic zone, a strategic national project meant to make this country a regional business hub.

We will come back later with important news.
​

 

[Praetoria]

Coliseum Tribune

A smart immigration policy
Economy news
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A new debate is warming the spirits in the parliament these days. "Why is Praetoria only an alternative for the young ones?" asked Chairman John Seebach. A series of students were affirming that the country offers them no opportunity for development, that they must leave in order to make a better future for themselves. The departure of the young men has come to our attention especially due to the ongoing economic struggle throughout the Europe. In the boom period, we saw only the good part of this exodus and I am talking about external money transfers that were sustaining the local consumerist sector(approximately 1.6% of GDP) but today we are compelled to look at the gap: the departing of intelligentsia and the possible failing of the pension system. In 40 years 25% of the total population will be over 65 years. One hundred employees will have to sustain 50 pensioners and this my dear readers is an equation with limited solutions. I hope you aren't frightened, this demographic problem can be solved right now but we need to implement a smart immigration strategy. We need to offer opportunities to the young generations not only from within our state. We need to open our borders and establish diplomatic and cultural relationships with other European countries. A good immigration policy will be a spark and will create a chain of positive effects. I strongly support the adherence to the General Assembly. This is a beautiful start for our country, but we need to continue the social reforms and make a clear national strategy regarding the foreign policy. But the road is much longer, as I said before. The greatest superpowers in history had 3 and three advantages only: economy, military and culture. We must invest in culture. We need to encourage our poets and painters and musicians. By having a proper cultural heritage, and we have, and by developing a sophisticated system of entertainment we can appear attractive to foreign visitors. This was all for today. I hope I got you thinking these minutes. Fare well. --- Arthur Bertrand, Chief Editor ---

Other important headlines:
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• Praetorian economy, which suffered a contraction last year, rebounded this year because of strong manufacturing growth, resilient exports and stellar performance in tourism-related sectors, bolstered by two new tourist resorts. The economy grew up by 8% in the last semester and prognosis are hopeful.
• Harvard Blossom, the fifth prime minister of the modern state in two decades, was cautious about the state of the global economy due to a weak Marquette economy and debt crises in many parts of Europe, but added growth momentum is strong from the part of developing countries. “Hopefully Europe will continue to do well despite the weakness in developed countries, and create a favourable regional environment for Praetoria,” he said. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is due to release advance GDP estimates for the fourth quarter and entire 2010 next week. Blossom did not provide figures for quarter-on-quarter growth.

 

[Praetoria]

Coliseum Tribune

Radical attempt fails
Last-hour news
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Today a terrorist attack was prevented on the last minute. A few citizens alerted the Police forces of Coliseum after having spotted smoke coming from a car in Grand Central Square. The bomb had been ignited, but failed to explode, and was disarmed before it caused any casualties. An hour later the CPD arrested Jaap Hefner, a radical militant, member of the nationalist faction "Speaker for the dead". He was arrested after he boarded the SkyCruise flight to Sybilla at the John Freeman International Airport. Hefner admitted attempting the car bombing and said he had trained 2 years for this mission. Right now he is taken in custody by the Federal Attorney Mike Simmons. The process will take place tomorrow at 2 pm. Federal Security Secretary Janet Fresco said the incident is being treated as a potential terrorist attack. "We avoided what could have been a very deadly event. It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact". President Lupo commended the "quick action" by police in dealing with the incident and said they had done "excellent work" in responding.

The Grand Square incident is the second in four years. "Speaker for the dead" faction has been outlawed and federal investigations are ongoing. The public debates and several conflicts intensified since the government decided to stop the until now isolationist policy of Praetoria.

Another important headlines:
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• Today the parliament adopted the "Praetoria Energy Policy". We will come back later with details.
• Bart Johansen is the new president of the Science Academy. We wish him good luck and virtue in leading the praetorian supreme scientific organization.
• Garry Spooky won the regional chess contest. This is his fifth consecutive victory in the grand master opening.

 

[Praetoria]

Coliseum General Stock Exchange
Embracing the change
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The Coliseum General Stock Exchange opened its doors to foreign and local investors. The society received Thursday an official authorization from the National Securities Committee. CGSE is practically a merger between Praetorian Stock Exchange and the Coliseum electronic over-the-counter stock market. The total capitalisation of the company is around $30 bln. The securities market is regulated by the National Securities Trade Law 113/2007. The exchange will have normal trading sessions from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Sundays and holidays.

The opening ceremony took place at the Chamber of Commerce with introductory speeches from the Finance Minister and other important business personalities. As mister Douglas has pointed "The parliament is currently debating a law on commodities trading. The new organization empowered with the regulation of this new segment will soon be established. We salute the opening of CGSE and we believe it is a step forward to the modernization and international cooperation of our country. We hope this exchange will soon expand its operations in a new market segment - derivative trading. The development of the praetorian derivative market is an objective assumed through the GSCE Development Strategy and is an event expected by many local and foreign investors mainly because of the Marquette crisis that extends throughout Europe slowly but inevitable. By using Risk Management instruments the regional companies will become competitive in these hard times. It is a unique regional initiative". The CGSE officials said the derivatives market will make its debut with futures contracts.

Meanwhile:
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• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is conducting negotiations and soon our country will open another embassy in a friendly state.
• The most important local companies enlisted today at the local stock exchange. CGSE officials are currently negotiating with foreign companies.
• The police arrested this morning five members of the terrorist faction "Speaker for the dead" after a raid has been conducted at one of their safe houses.

 

[Praetoria]

Foreign Investment Guide

Invest in Praetoria
Your guide to investing in praetorian space
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Praetoria Confederation is situated in the north-western part of the map. It is a federation of seven former CWUS States. It has been a stable and independent confederacy since 2007 when the declaration of independence and unity was signed. Right now the country is conducting negotiations to adhere to the General Assembly. Despite a sometimes turbulent history Praetoria emerged as a stable democratic state based on the rule of law.

The country's topography is diverse ranging from the steppes of the north and south to forested and mountainous highlands in centre. Praetorian landscape continues to be of high environmental importance. Underground water reserves are estimated to 12 blm cubic metres. Agricultural production continues to be a bulwark of the economy with 50% of country's surface. The industry is developed around Automobile Manufacturing. The service industry is dominated by Commerce, Insurance and Consulting Companies but other sectors are also developed. Since 2008, following a decade of economic decline Praetoria has achieved and maintained macroeconomic stability. Fiscal Management has been prudent, with a roughly balanced budget in recent years. Inflation has decreased from average 11% in 2005 to 1.7% in 2010. GDP growth rate is estimated at 3.5%. Fiscal facilities include:

• Zero taxes on reinvested profit.
• VAT reimbursement on several materials and utilities for companies investing in zones other than Coliseum Capital City of Sybilla.
• Five year exemption of taxes for companies investing in IT industry and agriculture.
• Low bureaucracy level, possibility of registering a firm in only 24 hours, on-line tax payments.

The government economic stabilization and structural reform programmes have made several notable and positive achievements:

• The privatization programme has been successfully completed;
• The foreign trade sector has been privatized and liberalized;
• Monetary stability has been achieved;
• Full current account currency convertibility has been introduced;
• National accounting and audit standards based on international standards have been implemented;
• The banking system has been privatized and streamlined;
• The process of land privatization has been successfully completed.

Our objective is to provide a transparent and supportive business environment. The Constitution of the country guarantees the inviolability of both foreign and domestic investors by incorporating principles protecting the supremacy of international law, the market economy, private property, provisions against unjust expropriation, provisions against confiscation of property, and separation of power among government branches. Praetoria is committed in its European integration efforts, on both the political and economic fronts, and it aims to strengthen economic relations with neighbouring countries. The confederacy enjoys ATP trading facilities in its export operations with several Northern Council states that is a serious attraction point for potential investors.

 

[Praetoria]

Diplomacy News

Diplomacy News
Official visit to Judea
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President Robert Templeton and Judea's Governor Mr. Nathan Shilat met yesterday in Edesa. Talks were held seeking to turn a new page of mutual cultural and economic cooperation. As Mr. Templeton stated "We know that our relations suffered from a sense of drift, but we are committed to leaving behind the suspicion and rivalry of the past. This is an important first step for a future cooperation between our countries. We respect Judean sovereignty and independence and we admire its cultural heritage. If we work hard during these next two days then we will make extraordinary progress that will benefit the people of both countries. We are confident on a whole host of issues that our countries have more in common than they have differences." After the meeting the two presidents visited together some of the most important and old historical places in Judea. The presidential delegation included besides officials, businessmen from praetorian companies.

"We have established several business contacts with local companies and authorities. We hope they will turn into future contracts" said Bill Schneider from Bernardier Systems.

"Nevertheless Smith&Lloyds is conducting right now due diligence works and we soon hope to establish our official business quarters for Himyar Region here in Judea" added Smith&Lloyds chairman John Smith.

Among other side agreements was the resumption of military cooperation. The visit in Judea is the first from a list of events meant to improve praetorian relationships on the international stage.

Other important news:
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• Toroni Inc and Lloyds Investments enlisted today in the CGSE index.
• Eiffeland's automobile manufacturer Audi recently introduces a new model, Audi A1. The new car with four seats and a hybrid propulsion system is destined to dominate the low-cost market since there aren't many competitors in this sector. The MINI market is estimated at several hundred billions and Toroni is currently conducting feasibility studies. What will Toroni's response be in that case?
• The Belmont-Coronado Conflict is escalating since Oikawa began naval manoeuvres towards the conflict area.

 

[Praetoria]

Battling Corruption
Don't forget to call 001-00708​

After a recent survey done by European Statistics Office it seems that our country has advanced a few positions on the scale of most corrupt countries in Europe. Recent debates initiated by civic organizations have drawn the attention of the government. After a few official debates between ruling parties, prime-minister Robert Lupos decided to enter the stage. Accompanied by the finance minister the chief of government exposed the sensible areas of our economy one of the most important being the overall high bureaucracy and also the high stakes that the government has at the Colliseum Stock Exchange.

"We are fighting a bureaucratical nightmare here" claimed Finance Minister Ishikawa San. "The government currently holds 75% of the praetorian companies listed at CSE and this has a huge impact on the economy. The bureaucracy and the very thing that these companies are subsidised by the country makes them very unproductive and non-efficient. We want a change here. Sure we needed to stimulate the economy and we supported the rise of these capitalist model corporations as to give our country a competitive advantage but it's time to step out of the equation and leave room for real capitalistic libertarianism. We talked with Mr. Prime-Minister early this morning and we agreed to adopt a plan to capitalize the major praetorian corporations. Five years from now we want the government stake in the stock exchange to drop to nearly 15%. This will make room for our economy to mature itself by becoming more competitive"

Of course the news went out rapidly and many foreign investors are looking very passionate to the current state of Praetoria. But serious investment banks still keep out of Praetoria pointing to recent corruption ratings. It seems Robert Lupos has a solution to this issue as well. "It's time we take things seriously. I am not talking only about the recently mediatized hot line for these kind of situations. It seems that our judicial system is not internationally trustworthy. Therefore we decided to propose to the parliament a new law that will require Praetorian Judges to have a clean historical record. If any of our judges will have at least two processes lost at the European Human Rights Court then these judges will be immediately relieved of their duties."

Of course the actions promised by the government's leader remain promisses so far, but everyone from businessmen to investors and magistrates are looking with interest at these declarations. The decision to impose restricitons on judges comes at a time when certain groups are lobbying for judge immunity. A little bit of a riddle here. Let's see what will come out of this. Buy the next number of Cronos Herald.

 

[Praetoria]

Game of thrones
Historical reconciliation for Praetoria​

The Royal Heritage Society unveiled today in Kensington Square the statue of king Thor Detriech. Believed by many to be the first ruler that overtook modern reforms in the praetorian society, Detriech name is also associated with the first educational reforms. The ceremony hosted by Heinrich Hertz was intensely advertised and among the participants were the minister of education and culture, prime-minister Robert Lupos and notable representatives from academia and politics. The descendants of the Detriech familly were also present, prince Harry Detriech the IIId being the most expected one.

"Through his state and educational reforms King Detriech assumed the role of a true leader. Many contemporary changes in this country are related to this name. We are not militating for constitutional change. Our role is simply to reconcile the praetorian people with its past" said Heinrich Hertz.

On the other end the prime-minister recounted his memories with Harry Detriech at the Coliseum Government School. "Harry is a a good friend of mine" he said. "I will continue to support the engagement of Royal Family in promoting our country through lobby activities overseas. We must not forget the past but accept it and only then will we be able to go forth into the future."

Other news:

1. The parliament passed the law 1432.2012.05 imposing strict penalties for corruption inside the judicial system.
2. Scholars from Praetoria took the first prize at the International Mathematical Contest in Berlin.
3. Harry Detriech, descendant of Thor Detriech, once king of Praetoria received from the government the symbolic title "Duke of Sybilla and Praetoria" and will be involved with his non-governmental organization in promoting Praetorian interests overseas.

 

[Praetoria]

Trials in the Aren Sea
Sea trials for the new "Aspen" Submarine

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Sea trials of the new Praetorian H class submarine called "Aspen" have started in the Aren Sea. The boat is the first series-produced vessel of its kind and is to become part of Praetoria's nuclear deterrence. The company trial of the ship is done under the command of Captain 1st rank Arthur Bordsky. His crew has passed special training course to man the modern submarine. Producer of the submarines, PSC Company, is building another boat of the series at the moment. The Navy wants a total of seven H class submarines deployed by 2035. They will be the backbone of Praetorian naval nuclear deterrence for at least several decades to come. Each vessel costs about €850 million, according to the producer.

The submarines are 185 meters long, 15 meters wide, have a displacement of 25,000 tonnes, can submerge up to 700 meters and travel at speeds of up to 55 knots. They can carry between 12 and 20 nuclear missiles, depending on the vessel. They are also armed with six 533-caliber torpedo tubes, which fire Brendon-class cruise missiles. The vessels are manned by 95 officers and sailors. They are equipped with a rescue capsule, which can bring call crew members back to the surface in an emergency.

 

[Praetoria]

A bridge is born

Hadamard bridge
Tearing down the gap between us
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Who said we can make nukes and can't build a damned sand castle? Today, the reputed construction company Geoffrey&Lylland has officially finished the construction of the Hadamard Bridge. The ceremony involved lofty speaches from the many political celebrities on site. The transportations minister has shed a few tears and praised the bridge as one of the miracles of the world. Having almost 50 km in length and 16 lanes the bridge was meant to ease the enormous traffic between the mainland and island Sybilla. Many still doubt the transparency of the initial bidding and blame the government for pouring money into a company that would have defaulted otherwise.

Nonetheless the traffic issue has not been resolved. It still takes me almost 5 hours to visit my 100 years old stinking rich without inheritance will auntie on the other edge of the island. And I must visit her more often now since the damn bridge is open. Sources tell us that a new project is underway, one that will complete in less that 5 years as opposed to this one. It will be an underwater tunnel for high-speed railways. So far the officials refuse to comment on the side.

Now leaving aside any personal troubles, I believe this is trully the most important historical act since the sybilean civil war. Today we can say that no matter the obstacles and wars and natural disasters, the Praetorian people will always find ways to unite the 5 parts of this mighty country. It's no accident the bridge has Hadamard's name.

 

[Praetoria]

Trade Regulations
When grandma's firm chooses the higher bidder​

Great debate today in the house of commons when social democrats and liberals argued upon a new law related to trade actions of multinational enterprises. Taking in account the global recession and lower revenues from taxation, the issue comes again into public attention. The Confederal Tax Administration has issued many warnings against evasion for many resonant industrial names over the past few years. It seems that our country faces again the challenges of globalization and world-wide capitalism. So, what are they talking about? Merely general ideas, like the one that prices in a trade deal should not be preferential but aligned to market ask-bid offers. In other words, the financial and commercial relations must be determined by market forces. That's clear to everyone, but the thing is that this applies only to independent organizations, such as Toroni Systems and it's customers. What should we do when we have associated enterprises? For example let's consider Grandma's enterprise sells 10 ton of gasoline to her Nephew's enterprise. No way the price set for those 10 tons will be the one shown by Colliseum Stock and Commodities Exchange. Such enterprises like the Grandma-Nephew analogy should be called "associated enterprises". How do we control that services and goods traded by associated enterprises are properly priced? Because right now it is used by multinational corporations to inflate profits in some low tax paradize and let Praetoria's treasury almost empty. There should be some rules that will regulate the price fixation on trades for such enterprises and CTA should make sure that all the companies are compliant with those rules.

The whole day Social Democrats were opting out for an Arms Length principle and strict regulation while their liberal counter parties where shouting about free market ideals. Nevertheless they all agreed that the rate at which tax revenues decreased is alarming. If the arms-length principle was a good idea, the liberals were very concerned that a national regulation in Praetoria will scare all the investors off due to possible double or multiple taxation and that would be the end of us. Liberals were convinced that many other countries are facing the same issue and it must be discussed on an international stage and have a common agreement or european regulatory body before making home a decision that would be irreparable to our economy.

 

[Praetoria]

Going green
going going​

Hundreds of business leaders, heads of states and negociators gathered in Coliseum today at National Palace along with members of civil society and press. The Conference on Sustainable Development was the main event of the month in Praetoria. The private sector was also involved. Year to year many corporations have come to see sustainability as a strategic issue. Still government needs to provide long-term policies to respond to such great demand. Prime minister assures the present people about the government's intent to reduce energy consumption by 15% in the next 30 years. Also a new idea has come to life on behalf of Coliseum Stock Exchange. It's something they call Emissions Trading Scheme - a way to trade emission allowances on the stock market. Unhappy with that law was the National Aviation Committee. The aviation sector is still having difficulties to reduce emissions.

In the same time government innitiated a project with subsidies for the companies currently involved in Green Energy, especially those which activate in the wind-based energy sector. "The steps into the future are small, but in time, I am sure we can reach the target of a safer and healthier country for our children" said Prime minister while acclaimed by the conference participants.

 

[Praetoria]

From free capitalism to nationalistic protectorate
Automobile industry gone mad
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The government shifted its attention from commodities market impacted by recent drought to automotive industry. Toroni Corporation is heavily influenced by recent entrance into praetorian market of low-cost automobiles from developing countries. It was all well and dandy until the foreign manufacturers accounted for 7% of the sales, in only 15 months. By that time Toroni already hired Herz Consultancy to lobby on its behalf in Robert Lupos administration. After a few months a law project was discussed in the senate about the protection of local car manufacturers. The project passed the parliament with a stunning majority last days. According to the new law the VAT for cars will increase by 25% starting next year. This measure will definitely influence our imports and many argue whether that's a bad thing or not. The law leaves however place for avoiding the tax increase. In order to do that foreign companies need to comply with a set of requirements. One important requirement is that the foreign company needs to have 3 of the total 7 automobile manufacture activities inside Brazil. By doing so the politicians are hopping to easen the effect of foreign competition on praetorian cars makers.

What will be the expected outcome? We will definitely see an economical shrinkage and let's not forget that our inflation has not reached the central bank's projection in 2 years but in the long term the politicians are expecting the consolidation of praetorian automobile industry. Stay tuned to Cronos Herald for further news on this subject.

 

[Praetoria]

Football Competition
One world series

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Ryan Bravo wasn't envisioning a world cup when he put the basis of soccer amateur club Praetorian Guards. Astonished by the overwhelming popularity in neighbouring countries, the former minister of defence decided to give our people the chance not only to be in line with other countries, but also increase people's awareness towards the benefits of practicing sports. "It's all about teamwork, perseverance and order. If books are preparing our kids to face the intellectual challenges of this world, then sport is preparing them to social encounters and team work and getting things done through mutual help and support, not to mention the health benefits" said Ryan earlier this year. Although the country doesn't have an official federation for this type of sports the amateurs are already competing in international friendly matches and competitions. Recently the team was invited to compete on behalf of Praetoria in the "One world series" organized by the Covenant of Cantignia. We wish the coach and his team good luck and we'll keep you posted on their performance throughout the tournament.

In other news Defence representatives visited Wasatch to close an arms deal at Sunter & Weston.

 

[Praetoria]

Daily News

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Edmond Hughes, owner of Hughes Shipyards opened a new facility for commercial ship building earlier this month. For hundreds of years, Hughes Shipyards has carried on the legacy of praetorian shipbuilding, building some of the most famous ships in our naval history with a diverse workforce of craftsmen and engineers. The company has been for years one of the key suppliers for the Defence Administration but also commercial companies worldwide. Since praetorian prime minister Milton Burke has enhanced diplomatic relations with other countries the marine commerce exploded and companies flooded Hughes Corporation with orders. Now it seems that being unprepared to satisfy such great demand Mr. Hughes will cease market share to foreign competitors.

In other news Praetoria Guards FC lost in the last minute to Meath Country FC during One World Series Competition.