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Pelasgian Press Association

Pelasgia

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The Pelasgian Press Association (Πελασγικὸς Σύλλογος Τύπου, ΠΣΤ - Pelasgikos Syllogos Typou, PST) is a professional association of media providers, ranging from newspapers to TV channels, which is meant to promote the collective interests of these organisations.

For historical reasons and for the public benefit, the Association maintains a permanent and public record of all press publications in the Empire. Among the publications maintained are the issues of the Empire's major newspapers, which include:

  • Propontios Logothetis (Προπόντιος Λογοθέτης - Propontine Logothete), a newspaper of note published in Propontis, the Imperial capital, since the late 19th century, and the oldest newspaper in the country. It is widely seen as accurately portraying the views of the government and the public, while offering insights on most crucial political issues from a variety of viewpoints. It is considered to have a market liberal and parliamentarian bias, opinions most often associated with the centre-right Nationalists.
  • Salpigktis (Σαλπιγκτής - Bugle-caller), a newspaper published in Therme, the Empire's second largest city, since the early 20th century, and the second most widely read Pelasgian newspaper after the Propontios Logothetis. It is generally regarded as having a hard right wing bias, its articles supporting the monarchy, the traditional Church, and the status quo of the Empire.
  • Isonomia (Ἰσονομία - Equality before the Law), a newspaper published in Hagios Symeon, the mostly working-class port of Propontis, which acts as the capital's main harbour, since the early 20th century. Widely read across all classes and areas of the Empire, it is the main news outlet of the Empire's left, with anybody from moderate social democrats to members of the far left expressing their views in it. Since 2018, it has largely purged its non-centrist influences.
Major broadcasting companies in the Empire include:
  • VIR (Βασιλικὸν Ἴδρυμα Ῥαδιοφωνίας / Vasilikon Idryma Rhadiophōnias - Imperial Broadcasting Corporation), the state broadcaster, which operates a number of radio and television stations, as well as an online site, covering topics ranging from culture and the arts to politics and world news.
  • Stathmos 9 (Σταθμός 9 - Station 9), a private broadcaster for radio and television, which often takes a right wing approach to socio-political analysis. Often regarded as the most serious private broadcaster in the Empire.
  • Diavlos 4 (Δίαυλος 4 - Channel 4), a private broadcaster which often promotes centre-left and social democratic viewpoints, being associated with the urban middle class. It is seen as the somewhat less prestigious leftist equivalent of Stathmos 9.
  • 452, the broadcaster of the Internationalist Communist Party of Pelasgia (DKKP), which promotes the DKKP's agenda and viewpoint, often championing the labour movement's cause, as long as said cause is led by the DKKP.
 
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Pelasgia

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Ἡμερήσια Χριστουπολίτικη Ἐφημερίς ἀπὸ τοῦ 1889
7 Νοεμβρίου 2017 | Τεῦχος ΤΙΑ' | Ὑπέρπυρον 1
Three Gunns arrested for trafficking drugs on Pityonesos
Accused smugglers face death penalty, reigniting debate on war on drugs in Council of Reps.
by Nikolaos Papachelas

Three Gunnish citizens have been arrested at the port of the city of Pityoussa, on the isle of Pityonesos in the Archipelago. The Gunns in question were found to be in possession of over twenty kilogrammes of cannabis and five kilogrammes of cocaine, being detained by officers of the Imperial Financial Police as they were about to board a liner to to the Eiffellander city of Aurich. The narcotics in question seem to have entered the Empire via Tephanon, having crossed into the Empire's easternmost Exarchate from Ostrovakia. According to Imperial Law 145/1996, which amended the Penal Code of the Empire, the attempt to move any quantity of narcotics or unlicensed medicine into or out of Tiburia is considered drug trafficking, a capital offence, meaning that the three detained Gunns could have a very real chance of meeting their end at the gallows. A spokesperson for the Imperial Financial Police's Archipelago Directorate stated that "The Imperial Authorities are determined to ensure that the heaviest punishment prescribed by the Penal Code is used on those who would seek to expose our society and our youth, as well as those of our allies, to the terrible evil of narcotics."


In the Council of Representatives, the lower house of the Imperial legislature, His Majesty's Government and His Majesty's Loyal Opposition clashed over the issue, with leader of the opposition, Mr. Andreas Pergamenos, proclaiming that "the Government has repeatedly ignored calls to repeal Law 145/1996, condemning hundreds to death instead of seeking to rehabilitate and helping them" adding that "our country's right-wing establishment treats the sick people who use drugs like criminals instead of helping them, and it kills those who are forced into a life of drug smuggling due to circumstances outside their control." Great Intermediary Theophrastos Anastasiades, the Empire's Head of Government, was quick to respond, stating that "the Social Party sheds crocodile tears for the criminals who put the people of Tiburia and her European allies at risk, ignoring the immense harm that is caused to whole communities even by the presence of a single drug addict," further stating that "despite any circumstances, the choice to commit or not commit a crime ultimately rests with a free person, who is endowed with a conscience and an eternal soul, and therefore with personal agency."

Apart from the debate on Law 145/1996, the Imperial Financial Police itself has, in the past, been the target of criticism. A militarised organisation, the Imperial Financial Police is under the direct control of the Sakellareia, the Imperial equivalent of a treasury and ministry of economics, and is charged with a wide variety of tasks ranging from immigration and narcotics policing to combating tax evasion and organised crime. Despite its unquestionable effectiveness in combating crime and enforcing the law, the Autokratorike Oikonomike Astynomia has often stirred controversy with its sometimes questionable use of force. The latest example of this tendency took place last May, when a shopkeeper on the remote island of Chandax, who had brandished his weapon in front of tax officials who had come to check his store for receipts and illegal foreign workers, was shot dead by Imperial Financial Police officers who were accompanying the tax officials.

Regardless of how the debate on the Empire's approach to dealing with illegal narcotics as part of so-called "Global War on Drugs", the first session of the three Gunns' trial is set to take place at the Court of First Instance of Pityonesos in the courthouse of Pityousa on Monday, November 12. Until then, one can only speculate as to the case's outcome.

For more information on the War on Drugs, visit our website at

In other news
☞ (International) - Catholic Patriarch Eleutherios III of Christoupolis taking part in ongoing election of new Pope as a cardinal. Pelasgian Catholic Patriarchate emphasises tradition and combating extremism. [page 3]
☞ (Athletics) - Aniketos Thermes FC (AT) of the Empire's co-reigning city to face off with the Athletic Association of Iolcus (ASI) as part of the semi-finals of the First National League's 2017 Cup. Strong police presence expected due to influx of fanatical sports fans from Therme. [page 5]

 

Gunnland

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Officium Legati, Regnum Marpesiae +
Foreign Office, Kingdom of Gunnland

These lawless men who prey upon addicts bring disgrace upon our Kingdom. We trust the Empire to deal with them justly. Should they merit a capital sentence, we shall send rope.

James Gunn Gallagher
Prime Minister of Gunnland
Foreign Minister



Clan MacLeish
Touch Not the Cat But the Glove

I have reason to believe that the alleged drug traffickers are members of Clan MacLeish. I ask the Imperial Financial Police to confirm this fact. If it is as I suspect, my clan and I formally request the opportunity to provide defense counsel. All too often, upstanding members of Clan MacLeish are held responsible for the actions of a few bad apples that I have expelled from the clan, and framed for political reasons by Gunnish and Eiffellandian authorities. I hope the Empire does not follow this nefarious pattern of extralegal persecution.

Duncan MacLeish
Chief
 

Pelasgia

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Great Secretariat of the Empire
Public Statement

Christoupolis, the 8th of November of the Year of our Lord MMXVII
To the attention of the Right Honourable James Gunn Gallagher, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Gunnland.

Honourable Sir,

The would like to thank the Kingdom of Gunnland for the understanding demonstrated by its officials for the need to combat the global drug trade, as well as its respect of our laws. Moreover, their intent to send rope to hang the three defendants, if they are convicted, has been noted.

Signed and sealed,

Geōrgios Aurēliou Kantakouzēnos

Great Secretary of the Empire
Patrician Nobelissimus


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Great Secretariat of the Empire
Public Statement

Christoupolis, the 8th of November of the Year of our Lord MMXVII
To the attention of the Mr. Duncan MacLeish, Chief of Clan MacLeish of Gunnland.

Honourable Sir,

The information drawn from the preliminary inquiry into the matter by the Imperial Financial Police and the Crown Prosecutor, it would seem that the three arrested men are indeed members of your clan, going by the names Donald MacLeish, Alastair MacLeish and Gregor MacLeish. The Empire shall make no comment on the decisions of the judicial systems of its esteemed partners across the Long Sea, but will do its best to provide the three defendants with a fair trial, according to the fundamental principles of justice. Clan MacLeish is more than welcome to relieve the Citizen Attorney currently charged with the men's defence, provided they can replace him with a man who is a certified member of the Lawyers' Association of any city in the Southern Tiburan Empire and who specialises in Criminal Law.

Signed and sealed,

Geōrgios Aurēliou Kantakouzēnos

Great Secretary of the Empire
Patrician Nobelissimus
 

Pelasgia

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Ἡμερήσια Χριστουπολίτικη Ἐφημερίς ἀπὸ τοῦ 1889
12 Νοεμβρίου 2017 | Τεῦχος ΤΙΣΤ' | Ὑπέρπυρον 1


Implarian Republic's plans to invade Tephanon leaked
International outcry and Imperial demands for apology follow; ambassador summoned
by Eustathios Konstantinides

A major international scandal emerged on Saturday, when a leak from an unknown source presumably within the Ministry of Defence of the self-proclaimed "Socialist World Republic" exposed a 400-page long series of documents detailing the Republic's plans to invade the Tiburian Exarchate of Tephanon. The plan was not solely meant for as a defensive war scenario, but included recommendations of an unprovoked invasion in the case of heightened tensions "beyond a certain threshold". The release of the document exacerbated domestic political disputes in the Implarian Republic itself, as candidates of the Social Democrats strove to quickly wash their hands of the plan, while the Social Republican candidate Donna Trumm demanded harsh action against the whistle-blower who released the alarming details of Implarian expansionism. The plans in included detailed accounts of Imperial positions, defences, numbers and tactics in Tephanon, making it clear that the Implarians had been spying on Tiburia for some time.

Outside the Republic however, European nations from Ostrovakia to Kadikistan condemned the act and demanded an apology on behalf of Tiburia, while the Great Secretariat of the Empire reduced the Empire's representation in Deliverance to a Consulate General and demanded an apology. The Empire did not shy from making it clear that deporting Implarian diplomats and withdrawing its own representation in Deliverance were sanctions which are being considered until an apology is issued. The Emperor himself has summoned the ambassador of the Republic, demanding explanations as to the reasons for the existence of such plans and the espionage which was obviously needed to draw them up. The scandal seems to have also harmed the voices of democratic socialism within Tiburia, as Social Party leader Andreas Pergamenos found himself in hot waters, with opinions polls suggesting a shift of left-wing support from the Social Party to the centrist Liberal Citizens' Coalition and the Progressive Party of the Struggling People, a Kadikistani-affiliated Communist party.

The National Rally majority government was quick to way in on the decision, with the Great Intermediary Theophrastos Anastasiades presenting an outline of legislative reforms to strengthen the Empire's defences against foreign espionage, especially from Socialist countries. Detailed versions of the reforms are expected to be submitted to the Council of Deputies in coming weeks and analysts expect them to include further relaxations on restrictions on surveillance of foreign nationals and domestic activists within Tiburia, points which the Social Party had formerly managed to put up a fight against. In the Exarchate itself, the Imperial Tephanon Enomotarchy have summoned all Implarian nationals to their nearest Department for a mandatory registration. The Imperial War Navy has also announced readiness drills off of Tephanon, with the participation of ships from squadrons docked at Tiburia proper, aimed at assessing the capacity of the Exarchate be defended in case of a foreign invasion. The plans outlined in the leaked documents are to be evaluated in the drills, while defence plans are to be readjusted according to these new patterns, according to officials.

For more information on the Tephanon Files, visit our website at

In other news
☞ (International) - Trial of three accused drug smugglers from Gunnland to begin on Monday. Clan MacLeish has hired Stratos Koressiopoulos, a renowned Tiburian defence attorney from Lycaonia, to represent the three men. [page 3]
☞ (Athletics) - Athletic Association of Iolcus (ASI) defeats Aniketos Thermes FC (PSTA) in Iolcus with an astounding score of 3-1, eliminating the Thermiots from the 2017 Cup. PSTA hooligans detained by riot forces of the Iolcus Police Authority after clashes. [page 5]
 

Pelasgia

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Ἡμερήσια Χριστουπολίτικη Ἐφημερίς ἀπὸ τοῦ 1889
10 Δεκεμβρίου 2017 | Τεῦχος ΤΜΔ' | Ὑπέρπυρον 1

Gunnish smuggling trial adjourned as testimony nearly leads to brawl
Plea bargain-based testimony incriminates Clan McLeish in organised drug trafficking
by Eustathios Konstantinides

The high profile criminal trial of three Gunnish citizens for the trafficking of narcotics in the Empire and abroad had to be adjourned prematurely on Saturday as the three defendants nearly came to blows, being separated by officers of the Imperial Politarchy. One of the defendants, Donald MacLeish, has been cooperating with the Imperial authorities as part of a plea deal aimed at lessening his own sentence. In his testimony to the court, as part of the prosecution's case, Mr. MacLeish exposed the links between Clan MacLeish and a number of illicit criminal organisations of an international nature, operating in the Long Sea, the Kalahari, and beyond. The networks in question have not only engaged in drug trafficking, but also other illegal activities, such as human trafficking and weapons smuggling. This testimony came as a shock to the defence, which tried but failed to obstruct it with objections based on pertinence, the defence attorney seeming to have not been informed by his employer, Clan MacLeish, of the information discussed.

Seeing their defence collapse, Alastair MacLeish and Gregor MacLeish, the two other defendants, attempted to stand up and strike the testifying defendant, being restrained by officers of the Imperial Politarchy. In a country where police often patrol unarmed, and where disrespecting the court in such a way is nearly unheard of, the two barbarians' conduct towards their countryman proved to be deep shock, doing them the grave disservice of adding two charges of contempt of court to their record. The trial was promptly adjourned by the presiding magistrate, Mr. Thomas Salamiotes, and is set to reconvene tomorrow, with the defendants being constrained by handcuffs and a greater presence of police. Clan MacLeish has yet to comment on its supposed illicit activities, but the Imperial Financial Police has already used the leads provided by Donald MacLeish to raid two storehouses of one of the networks in Philistaea, confiscating a large quantity of narcotics and illegal pornography. The Imperial Tephanon Politarchy has made similar moves in the Exarchate, seizing and burning over half a ton of cocaine and intercepting a vessel carrying citizens abducted from a number of southern Himyari nations to be sold into slavery.

For more information on the Gunnish smugglers' trial, visit our website at

In other news
☞ (International) - Communist nations' drills in the Kalahari raise an eyebrow at the Imperial Admiralty, as the Imperial War Navy plans to monitor the drills closely from Tephanon and Memphis for strategic and intelligence purposes. Unconfirmed reports of contact with @Nichtstein and @Eiffelland , among other partners, over the issue. [page 3]
☞ (Local) - The Imperial Secretariat of the Capital City and the Province of Phryxaea presented a proposed plan for the consolidation of Christoupolis, Pyrgos, and Hagios Symeon into the metropolis of Propontis. The three distinct municipalities have been interconnected since their earliest days, but urban growth has seen their borders converge and sprawl beyond their traditional bounds, leading to administrative issues. [page 5]
 

Pelasgia

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Ἡμερήσια Χριστουπολίτικη Ἐφημερίς ἀπὸ τοῦ 1889
16 Δεκεμβρίου 2017 | Τεῦχος ΤΝ' | Ὑπέρπυρον 1

Propontis merger plan approved, granted Imperial Assent
Christoupolis, Hagios Simeon and Pyrgos merge into new capital metropolis
by Anastasios Koutras

The much-discussed Propontis merger plan has finally gained official approval after weeks of discussions and negotiations, as well as months and even years of consultations that resulted in the proposal of the current plan. For decades, the Imperial capital, Christoupolis, and its two port cities, Hagios Simeon, the original capital port and a major industrial and maritime centre, and Pyrgos, a port city of similar value to Hagios Simeon, founded as a quarter for Latin merchants living in the Imperial capital region, have coexisted as separate municipalities for centuries, the former being governed by an Imperial Secretary, and the latter being administered by mayors chosen by the local populations from a list approved by the Eparchy (Province) of Thrakesia.

However, the passage of time, the movement of Imperial citizens from the countryside into the capital district due to industrialisation, and the increasing growth of the local population and resulting urbanisation of the lands between the three municipalities' cores have led to the formerly uninhabited borders between the localities being highly urbanised parts of the same urban region. This growth resulted in problems due to conflicting municipal and urban police jurisdictions, differing municipal regulations, port duties, adminstrative red tape, and difficulties in jointly addressing the metropolitan area's problems. Wishing to resolve the situation in the capital region, the Imperial Senate approved a law setting January 1st, 2018 as the deadline for a comprehensive plan for the closer association or merger of the three municipalities.

Wishing to comply with the Senate's law before an ever less distant deadline, the Imperial Secretary for the Capital, the Demarchs (Mayors) of Hagios Simeon and Pyrgos, and the Eparch (Provincial Governor) of Thrakesia begun negotiations for such a merge or closer association. Though there were a variety of plans involving the maintenance of separate municipalities, these were seen as too costly and ineffective by the Crown, which was adamant on the merger of the three localities. However, the existing framework for the administration of the largest of three municipalities, Christoupolis, was seen as inadequate for the proper governance of the larger metropolitan region surrounding the capital. As such, the new merger has united the three municipalities into the Metropolis of Propontis, to be governed by the Propontis Metropolitan Authority (MAP). The MAP is to be chaired by Prefect (Archon) appointed by the Imperial Government, and a to include a Council with members elected from all boroughs (demes) of the new metropolis.

Since yesterday, when the plan was finally approved by the Imperial Senate and been signed and sealed by the Sovereign, Propontis is set to be the new Imperial Capital, encompassing a population of over ten million citizens. Smaller municipal organs, such as the Hagios Symeon and Pyrgos Port Authorities (OLAS and OLP, respectively) and the local headquarters of the Imperial Cities Police (Astynomia) in each municipality, are to be joined into new joint organs of the metropolis, such as the Propontis Metropolitan Port Authority (MOLP) and the General Police Directorate of Propontis (GADIP). Rather than simply granting dominance to Christoupolitan organisations, the structure of these organs will integrate the preexisting infrastructure, personnel and programmes of its predecessors and use them to realise a new policy based on the needs of the metropolis as a whole.

For example, MOLP is to be headquartered in the port area of the former municipality of Hagios Simeon, the Empire's largest port, while GADIP has placed a focus on better policing in the less fortunate regions of Hagios Simeon and Pyrgos, whose local departments lacked the resources of Christoupolitan police authorities. In any case, the new Metropolitan Authority is to take on its duties before the new year, with elections for the councilors set on Friday, while the current Imperial Secretary for the Capital has now been made Prefect of Propontis by Imperial Decree, with the new Authority having considerable autonomy from the Province of Thrakesia, where it is nominally located. Celebrations have been planned for the new metropolis' founding across the capital region.

For more information on the Propontis merger, visit our website at


In other news
☞ (International) - The Great Secretary of the Empire has contacted the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of @Gunnland to inquire about possible links of alleged Clan MacLeish-associated criminal groups in the the Long Sea to the Far North. The Imperial Coast Guard-Port Corps have announced plans for increased patrols in the Long Sea and Kalahari and searches of Gunnish and other Clan MacLeish-affiliated vessels. [page 3]
☞ (National) - Enomotarchēs (Chief Sergeant) Petros Nikolaïdēs of the Imperial Politarchy's Melingia division has been reported missing while on active duty and in pursuit of an ongoing investigation. The Enomotarch was last seen in the town of Mizythras, in the Province of Melingia's mountainous inland, where he was inquiring about a now escaped suspect for the murder of an elderly fisherman in the coastal town of Tiganion. [page 5]
 

Gunnland

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Inter-Service Office 15AR
National Security Service + National Guard + Highland Watch

[Secret.] Our government is beginning to build a file on Duncan MacLeish for international narcotics smuggling. By some estimations, our own included, he sits atop the most sophisticated drug trafficking network in Europe. Since Mr. MacLeish is a clan chief and leading civic figure in the Kingdom of Gunnland, this matter must be handled with some delicacy. And since Mr. MacLeish resides mostly in Eiffelland, this operation will require international coordination. We propose a discreet meeting of law enforcement personnel, Gunnish, Pelasgian, and Eiffellandian, to be held in the Empire.

In the meantime, Mr. Kantakouzēnos can expect the Foreign Office to deny all knowledge of alleged illicit activities on the part of members of Clan MacLeish or employees and agents of Lloyd & MacLeish General Maritime Group.

Dionysius G. MacHugh
15AR Director
 

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Great Secretariat of the Empire
Imperial Embassy in Windhaven

Classified - Secret (Τ.Α/3)
Propontis, 19 December 2017

Φ537/2965/12902 - ΑΣ 167/2017
To the attention of the Dionysios G. MacHugh, 15AR Director

Honourable Sir,

The Empire has received your letter and understands your government's motivations and stance. We shall henceforth dissist in publically requesting your aid against Clan MacLeish until such a time until you notify us that you are prepared to act against them and have completed your preparations for the large-scale prosecution such a move would entail. We appreciate your cooperation in this regard, as well as your efforts in putting an end to Clan MacLeish's criminal activities. With pertinence to the proposed meeting between officers of the Gunnish, Eiffellander, and Imperial law enforcement agencies to prosecute Clan MacLeish and its associated criminal networks, the Empire would be more than willing to host it and would be extremely eager to attend. With your permission, we shall forward a request for attendance to the Kingdom of @Eiffelland , along with context of our discussion, to ensure that such a meeting does take place as soon as possible.

Signed and sealed,

Dēmokritos Antōniou Papaurēliou

Ambassador of the Empire to @Gunnland
Patrician Nobelissimus
 

Rheinbund

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Streng geheim — Top secret

Trier, Eiffelland, 19 December 2017

Subject: Clan MacLeish

Dear Mr. Papaurēliou,

Also we are investigating matters regarding the subversive activities of certain members of the MacLeish clan, including the clan leader Duncan MacLeish. We agree with you that it will be beneficial to coordinate activities with you and the Gunnish government. Please mention a date and place; we will send agents to represent us.

Yours sincerely,

Ludwig Graf von Waldeck, Hauptdirektor Abteilung Organisierte Kriminalität des Staatsschutzes
 

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Great Intermediary addresses CBS crisis in House of Deputies
Urges restraint on both sides, calls for mutual respect of status quo
by Charalambos Zenonos

After weeks of back-room diplomacy and official silence, save for short calls to calmness on all sides, the Imperial Government has finally made its formal stance on the CBS crisis known to the public. On Friday, the Great Intermediary, the Empire's Head of Government, responded to a formal question by the leader of the formal opposition by outlining Tiburia's policy on the crisis which has errupted in the small Germanian country since the failed abortive coup by the country's military against President Farango, who has ruled as the country's de facto dictator since a self-coup.

Mr. Theophrastos Anastasiades outlined the need for restraint and deescalation on all sides with regard to the external blocs which have involved themselves in the affair, citing the increasing mobilisation of the Gallo-Germanian nations and the direct military involvement of the Ruriksgrad Pact as affronts to the status quo which has held in the region since a war was nearly averted in the 1950s. "For over half a century, nations have committed themselves to avoiding involvement in the internal conflicts of the region's members, ever since Burgundian air sorties from Trivodnia and Kadikistani arms supplies in Novo Srbja nearly led Europe to a global war," Mr. Anastasiades said.

The Great Intermediary added that an immediate diplomatic summit involving all parties, internal and external, is in order, while a ceasefire between the putschists and the forces of President Farango, as well as those supporting each side, openly and otherwise, must take place. "The Empire remains committed to its obligations as a founding member of the Trier Concord as well as a signatory of the Status Quo Treaty," he pointed out, adding that "Tiburia will not entertain any moves which throw more oil into the fire of an otherwise internal conflict, and will do its best to ensure that all parties involving themselves in the Crotobaltoslavonian people's internal struggle withdraw and allow that country to determine its own fate, as a sovereign member of the international community. That includes open participants and cladestine parties, of which there certainly are plenty."

While the Empire has avoided a mobilisation, to ensure the situation does not escalate further, the Empire's landing ships and the Imperial Marine Corps' troops are rumoured to have seen their leave cancelled, to enable the Empire to quickly respond if the situation escalates to a potential international armed conflict involving its allies. Similar reports have been heard with regard to the several airborne formations. That being said, sources from within the Great Secretariat at Propontis have confirmed that diplomatic contacts with fellow Trier Concord nations as well as Ivar, the Empire's primary partner in the Status Quo Treaty, have been initiated with the express purpose of mediating a deal that would avoid war. While the Empire is not part of Germania, its treaty obligations connect it to both sides of that region, meaning it has a vested interest in peace.

For more information on the Crotobaltoslavonia Crisis, visit our website at

In other news
☞ (National) - MacLeish drug trial ends with conviction of all defendants on all counts, resulting in a capital sentence. As the Empire is a civil law jurisdiction, appeals are systemic, and the Archipelago Court of Appeals will be hearing the case anew on Wednesday. Even if the convictions are sustained all the way to the Imperial Praetorium in Propontis, Duncan MacLeish is expected to receive a reduced sentence for a lesser offence, by the Crown, for his cooperation. [page 3]
☞ (National) - Crown Prince to deliver speech on the day of Epiphany, announcing his vision for a more open, democratic and socially conscious Tiburia, based on solidarity and the example of early Christianity. Speech to be delivered in Hiersolyma, with the attendance of spiritual and community leaders from the diverse population of Philistaea. The speech is expected to signal the beginning of a new era for the Empire, since the liberalisation of the former military regime in the 1980s. [page 5]
 
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Polesia

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Ministry of External Affairs

The Freer State fully agrees with the South Tiburan Empire on the need for a diplomatic and political solution to the problem posed by Crotobaltislavonia. Sadly it seems Kadikistan is hellbent on placing Banja Luka under its thumb and threatening the delicate balance of power in Gallo-Germania while simultaneously guaranteeing the oppression of the Crotobaltislavonian people. We urge Pelasgia to use what diplomatic leverage it has to bring Ivar to the negotiating table.
 

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War in Heaven: Emperor, Head of Government clash over coming War Vote in Senate
Emperor wants to enter war due to Eiffelland ties, Grand Logothete wants to maintain SQT with Kadikistan
by Nikolaos Papademetriou

A mere week after the Dormition of the Holy Virgin on August 15, one of the Empire's greatest Orthodox Christian holidays, the supposedly healed rift between the Emperor and the Government over tensions across the Long Sea has all but grown. The supposedly successful intervention of the Patriarch of Hiersolyma proved to have a temporary effect, as the tension between the Empire’s Head of Government, Grand Logothete Theoophrastos Anastasiades, and HIM Emperor Ioannes VII Laskaris has all but worsened. The two men met at the Imperial Summer Palace on Prinkeponesos Island near Propontis in the weekend, hoping to reach an agreement, but no such agreement seemed to materialise, as the Grand Logothete left the Palace visibly aggravated. A new meeting was held at the Grand Imperial Palace in Propontis, yesterday morning. The return of the Imperial family to the palace early was further indicative of a deteriorating situation, while recent information indicated an emergency recalling of the recessed Senate, which has now been officially announced.

The dispute between the two men is a dispute that lies at the heart of modern Tiburia; on the one hand, the Emperor, tied to Eiffelland, Nichtstein, and Bourgogne by long-standing ties, wishes to join the war to protect fellow Christian Monarchic states from a communistic enemy, in an increasingly republican world. The Emperor is largely joined in this wish by the High Conservative Aristocracy, and the High Church faction of the Pelasgian Orthodox Church, including the Ecumenical Patriarch Himself, as well as the High Command of all three branches of the armed forces, and the Imperial War Navy in particular. This faction reflects a wish to stop the spread of modernism and maintain a traditional corporatist state, based on religion and hierarchy, rather than loyalty to class and nation or race, which defines Modernist Politics. By contrast the Grand Logothete wishes to maintain the Status Quo Treaty with Kadikistan and the Spheres of Influence Agreements with Engellex and Bourgogne, both of which are largely regarded as immensely successful by the general public, and have prevented war and repaired ties numerous times in the past. Mr. Anastasiades himself is joined by the junior command of the armed forces, particularly the Imperial Land Army, as well as the increasingly interconnected Low Aristocracy and Urban Bourgeoisie, and the Reformist faction of the Orthodox Church, led by the Patriarch of Cassandris and the Archbishop of Crene. Mr. Anastasiades represents the modernist Nationalist Faction, who have increasingly sought to reform the Empire into a modern, constitutional, parliamentary Nation State, based on a cultural-geographic conception of a new Pelasgian nation rather than a multiethnic religious state based on the after-echoes of the feudal past.

Since the 1950s, the Nationalists have staged a quiet revolution of reforming the state, culminating in the 1972 Constitutional Amendment after the fall of the old regime's last reactionary act against the rise of a reformist Social Democratic-Liberal coalition government, the 1963 Coup. The Aristocracy and the Bureaucratic elite, representing old Noble power and new Bourgeois industrial interests have managed to peacefully coexist, somewhat untied by the spectre of an impending communistic threat across the Long Sea for more than three decades, with the Nationalists conducting foreign policy as they please, with a number of concessions to the Crown (such as joining the Trier Concord with Eiffelland and other monarchies), and the Aristocrats ruling the interior of the country (with concessions such as an increasingly less corporatist and more capitalistic economy, and a semi-nationalistic identity based on religion, rather than language). Added to this is a careful balance between the Reformist Orthodox and High Church factions, and another between the High Aristocracy of Propontis which is related or tied to the Imperial family, and the Low Aristocracy of the Provinces, who have fought for greater power since medieval ties.

However, the current Great War has severely upset this balance, threatening to destroy the decades of careful foreign policy planning by the Nationalists. The Crown has rushed to show the populace it is still in control, reasserting power through Royal Prerogative to push for a Declaration of War vote using the Imperial Decree clauses in the Constitution, which can call for a single vote on an important bill within a set number of days by both Houses of the Senate. However, the Nationalists hold a majority in both Houses, even without the support of the Monarchist Deputies and Nobles in the Senate, and could defeat the bill with the help of Socialist and Liberal deputies, who oppose the war. This would, however, create a deep rift, as it would not only humiliate the Emperor by shutting down a bill directly proposed by the Crown, but it would also do so through a de facto breaking up of the Monarchist-Nationalist Alliance in favour of a United Front of the Nationalists and the Socialists. The Liberals would also be absorbed by the Nationalists, once the latter are free to give up pretensions of supporting corporatism and monarchic conservatism. This would mean that the 1973 compromise which has held the Empire together for decades would finally be at an end.

Though the two men's meeting was supposed to produce a last-minute compromise, the two sides have simply proven to be irreconcilable, making a Political Crisis, which could even lead to a Constitutional Crisis, inevitable. The vote is set to take place tomorrow, with both factions preparing for a harsh fight that will surely make it to Tiburia's history books. Whether August 23rd will be a day of celebration or one of grieving for future generations remains to be seen.

In other news
☞ (International Trade) – Designs for a high-speed rail upgrade of the train line connecting Himyar from @Natalia to Propontis, and a possible expansion, have been proposed by the Propontis Chamber of Industry & Commerce. The rail link was one of the Nationalists’ main projects for solidifying Himyari solidarity, and has served to greatly expand trade and ties between Natalia and the Empire. Further trade deals have been recommended to divert the trade flow from nations suffering from the Great War, and reports of contact for trade expansion between the two governments are increasingly surfacing. [page 3]
☞ (Public Order) – Protests held by various parties outside the embassies of Trivodnia and Kadikistan. The Tiburian Loyalist League and the DKKP staged conflicting demonstrations of support and dismay at each embassy, being separated by the Imperial Astynomia. As the protests quickly turned heated, riot units of the Imperial Politarchy garrison of Propontis and reinforcements from Selymbria were brought in to restore order. Armed Politarchs have been permanently deployed outside the embassies of all parties engaged in the Great War. [page 5]
☞ (Fire Season) – The Empire’s summertime fire season seems to be coming to close. Despite the tragic loss of over a hundred lives in the large wildfires near Neapolis and Anaktora, which got dangerously close to the chemical industry and refineries in those areas in July, the last major fire of the summer seems to have been contained with the extinguishing of the flames in the forests of northern Philistaea. The Imperial Fire Service remains vigilant, but specialists are hopeful no further incidents of nationwide importance will be noted in their domain for 2018. [page 7]
 
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Nationalists, Opposition Unite and Defeat War Declaration Decree
Senate rejects Imperial Decree; Now is the time for a United Nationalist-Leftist Front
by Solomon Chamoutzes, 23/08/2018

The Imperial Senate gravitated between euphoria and outrage today, as the Imperial Decree to declare war on Kadikistan, Serenierre and their allies was put to a vote in the lower house of the Imperial Senate, the House of Representatives. The bill had been directly proposed by the Crown, circumventing the government's refusal to endorse the bill through Article 40 of the Constitution, which grants the Emperor the power to submit decrees to the legislature of His own accord or at the behest of the government. The Parliament had been recalled from their summer recess immediately using other Constitutional provisions for emergencies, following yesterday's breakdown in negotiations between the Nationalist-dominated government and the Crown over the latter's push for the Empire to enter the Great War in Gallo-Germania on the side of the Trier Concord.

His Imperial Majesty chose to exercise the Imperial Privilege of attending a vote by either House of the Senate, though this is the first time that an Emperor attends the lower House of the legislature since 1977. The vote was marked by tense speeches and an even more tense crowd, as Great Logothete Mr. Theophrastos Anastasiades was the first to take the podium, being the leader of the government and the largest party in the Senate. Mr. Anastasiades claimed to understand the true feelings behind the bill, before proceeding to debase the bill's reasoning as self defeating, stating that declaring war on Kadikistan due to the Empire's supposed obligations to the Trier Concord would violate the Status Quo Treaty and do much more to dishonour the Empire than peaceful neutrality ever could. Mr. Anastasiades further added that the present war was owed to the errors of the Trivodnians and the Trier Concord, and that the Empire was not obliged to send its children to the gutter to save smaller nations from repeating mistakes that the Empire had saved them from and warned them against in the past.

Following cries of "Judas!" and "Traitor!" by the People's Party, after Mr. Anastasiades compared the Trier Concord to the subject of the Pelasgian folk tale, the House was returned to order, with the Great Logothere concluding that any truly loyal citizen of Tibur, devour Christian, and subject of the Emperor would seek to prevent the Crown from making such a grave mistake, rather than endorsing it. The formal Opposition went on to echo the Nationalists; however, the third party to speak, the People's Party, which is also the junior government partner of the Nationalists and the second largest party in Parliament, went on to attack both the Nationalists and anti-war side, and Mr. Anastasiades personally, as cowards, traitors, communist sympathisers, and a host of other charges, before calling on all "patriotic Tiburans and loyal subjects" to support to Decree. This only seemed to appeal to the far-right National Phalanx, which was split in half along ultra-Orthodox/Monarchist and ultra-Nationalistic lines, while all other opposition parties, including the Social Party, Liberal Citizens' Coalition, and the DKKP went on to reject the proposed Declaration. The Emperor left the House without making any comment, and has returned to the Grand Palace in seclusion, while the House of Nobles did not need to vote, though the absolute majority held by the Nationalists would ensure a clear rejection of the Bill.

Today's vote is truly historic for the Empire, in that the entire political spectrum in the Senate, save for the People's Party, which is essentially the parliamentary façade of the High Aristocracy, voted against a living Emperor's direct Decree, humiliating the Sovereign and disturbing the political status quo for good. The three-decades long political alliance and uneasy compromise of the Nationalists and the Reactionary Conservatives has finally to an end, the former emerging as the apparent victor due to three decades' worth of slow conversion of the populace and culture to its vision. While the alignment of the Liberals with the Nationalists, not that the latter have abandoned all pretense of corporatism and monarchist conservatism, is far from surprising, the Left's historic alignment with a Nationalist government is a first. Unlike the Liberals, who will probably be soon absorbed by the Nationalist Party, the Pelasgian Left has waged a long struggle against the Nationalists ever since the breakup of the Centrist-Social Democratic alliance in the 1950s. The gradual transformation of a the Pelasgian Left from a multiculturalist group the a consciously nationally-aligned but secularist and still labour-oriented group under Themistocles Savvides in the early 2000s made the cooperation between the centre and the left against the conservatives possible.

Since the People's Party has left the government for good, the Nationalists are in the business of looking for new partners. Already, talks of the Liberal Citizens' Coalition transforming into a semi-independent branch of the Nationalists as the National Liberal Coalition, and then being gradually absorbed have emerged. However, the Pelasgian Left, from the Social Party to the DKKP, has a historic chance to move from the fringes of the political order to the spotlight, participating in the governing coalition, and carving a place for itself where it can exist in legitimacy, and then grow, rather than being opposed by the official mainstream. Now is the time for a United Front with the Nationalists, to finally transform old Tiburia into Pelasgia, a modern nation-state, where the feudal past can be replaced with a modern order, and the class interests of the working people can finally be addressed with laws instead of bullets. Comrade Marx recognised that Capitalism was necessary as a stage for Socialism and Communism to come about. Let us finally understand his message and seize this opportunity!

In other news
☞ (International) – Massive Burgundian push through Crotobratislavonia to reach Kadikistan brings war across Gallo-Germania, while Ivar's push to Amstov could bring a premature close to the war, as the Kadikistanis capture their strategic objective. Could Serenierre keep fighting alone? [page 3]
☞ (Defence) – Despite War Declaration rejection, Logothesion of Military Affairs still raises defence readiness across the Northern Defence District and the Long Sea and Kalahari Maritime Districts in view of escalating conflicts across the Long Sea. Spokesperson maintains that Empire has to be ready to defend itself if attacked or interests are intruded upon. [page 5]
☞ (Public Order) – Peaceful protest staged outside the Loago Embassy by Himyari Solidarity and Democratic Advocacy groups against minority rule. Local Nationalist councilor reported to be in attendance, but reports denied by Nationalist Party. [page 7]
 
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VIRT Web Radio - the Voice of Tiburia at 9420 kHz
Currently Playing: Emergency Broadcast System - Imperial Decree

Normal programming is disrupted to bring you an important message from the Empire's authorities. Please listen attentively.

Ioannes VII Lascaris, Emperor of the Tiburans

Having taken into consideration articles 48, 80, and 91 of the Constitution, and as per the Divinely Ordained Prerogative of Ours recognized in Articles 1, 2, 3, 10, and 14 of the Constitution, We immediately rescind the provisions of articles 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 20, 95 and 97 of the current Constitution over the entirety of the Empire’s territory due to a manifest threat against the public order and security of the country from internal and external dangers. Our Household Officer of the Interior shall publish and execute this decree, thereby retroactively possessing all powers of the current Logothete of the Interior, who is hereby dismissed.


In Propontis, on August 24th, 2018

Ioannes VII Lascaris, Emperor of the Tiburans

The Privy Council

The President, the Members

Until further order, the circulation of traffic of any kind, whether pedestrian or vehicular is prohibited on the streets of the Capital and other cities. All those outside their domiciles must return there instanter. Violators will be shot without warning, after sundown and until sunrise. Circulation is only allowed to doctors, pharmacists, and the gravely sick, following the permission of local police authorities.

From today, effective immediately, the Senate is dissolved and its legislative powers are to be directly assumed by the Crown.

From today, and until further notice, the Imperial High Courts are sent into mandatory recess, and their functions are taken over by the Emergency Military Tribunals.

From today, and until further notice, the cabinet is sacked and all its members are dismissed, being replaced by the relevant Officers of the Imperial Household.

From today, and until further notice, Martial Law and a State of Siege are declared across the entire country.

From today, and until further notice, all strikes, demonstrations, and gatherings of over three people are prohibited.

From today, and until further notice, the Propontis Stock and Commodities exchange is closed.

From today, and until further notice, all withdrawals from banks and other financial institutions are prohibited.

From today, and until further notice, the purchase of foreign currency and gold is prohibited. Any attempts to hoard food will be considered sabotage and will be punished by death by the Emergency Military Tribunals.

-broadcast interrupted- please wait...

Currently Playing: Emergency Broadcast System - Great Logothete's Message to the Nation

People of Pelasgia,

Now is the time to defend your sovereign rights. The Armed Forces, commanded by the Emperor and the High Aristocrats have once more taken to the streets with tanks to arrest your representatives and dissolve the Senate that represents you. The Crown has decided to dismiss the cabinet at gunpoint and replace it with its own Household Officers, treating Tiburia like a fiefdom. Men and women of Pelasgia, if you are feudal peasants, then keep your heads down. But I have a feeling that times have changed since 1956 and 1963. Already, many of the soldiers of Crown have turned on their illegal orders, freeing me and other government members. You will know them by a blue armband on their right hand, or a blue symbol on their vehicle. You will find us at the VIRT Broadcasting HQ and the Senate. These brave men are doing their duty, but they cannot do it alone. People of Pelasgia, take to the streets and defend your country; or else, you might lose it for good. Please pay attention to Twatter and other social media platforms for my messages from now on, as the putschists will cut the connection I'm using soon. My compatriots, now is the time to act.

Long live Pelasgia! Long Live Freedom!

NOTICE: VIRT Web Radio's service has temporarily been suspended. Sorry for the inconvenience.
 

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Propontis changes hands twice, and the Empire splits into two over War Declaration and Coup
Emperor returns to capital, Senate proclaims Republic in Nestane; Crown declares war, Senate annuls Declaration
by Charalambos Zenonos

After two days of great confusion following the Emperor's evacuation from Propontis, the situation in the Empire has now become clear, with the country splitting into two camps. Immediately after the Emperor evacuated the capital city, the Senate successfully moved to impeach the Emperor from all His civil and military offices, effectively neutralising his power. In the following hours, the Armed Forces and the various Provincial leaders declared for different sides, as most of the Army declared for the Senate. The exception to thus rule came from the 1st Army Corps of the 1st Army, the 1st Army Corps of the 4th Army, and the 2nd Army Corps of the 3rd Army, as well as some elements of the 3rd Army Corps of the 2nd Army, which declared for the Crown. On sea, the 1st and 2nd fleet declared for the Crown, as opposed to the smaller and newer 3rd fleet. The air force seems to be largely divided between the factions controlling the territories near its bases, with the Crown holding an advantage, controlling all airfields on the Archipelago's islands, as well as the Selymbria Air Base near Propontis, the Mizythras Air Base and the Mizythras Air Training Base, and the Spata Air Base in Philistaea. However, the Senate maintains the control of most airborne units.

While largely holding an advantage on land, the Senate was surrounded by loyalist forces in the capital, and thus fled to the city of Nestane in Lycaonia, in central Pelasgia proper. This city, which was the historic headquarters of the ancient Pelasgians' last resistance against the Tiburans, was voted as the provisional capital and seat of the Senate by that body, before the Senators, save for a handful of loyalists and High Nobles, evacuated the city. Once the Emperor rentered the capital city on the next day, he moved to dissolve the Senate citing Divine Right and the War Measures clauses of the Constitution, while the Senate itself moved to abolish the posts of Emperor, Princeps, and Consul, citing Senatorial Supremacy and the Constitution's descent from the Tiburan Republic. From their respective seats, two new regimes seemed to arise, one being the now absolutist Southern Tiburan Empire, and the other the self-proclaimed Provisional Government of the Second Pelasgian Republic. The forces loyal to the latter have moved to rename themselves the National Revolutionary Armed Forces, including the National Revolutionary Army, the National Revolutionary Navy, and the National Revolutionary Air Force.

While the Loyalist Regime in Propontis has declared war on the Communist states as part of the Trier Concord, the Nationalist-dominated coalition Government of National Salvation has declared such an act invalid, proclaiming Pelasgia's neutrality. The Republican side has announced that, should the Trier Concord intervene in the upcoming conflict, it would declare Pelasgia to no longer be part of said alliance. Despite such talk, it seems impossible that the Imperial Armed Forces would be able to take part in the conflict in Gallo-Germania, save for some patrols in the Long Sea, being tied up at home, while the Great War would prevent any large-scale intervention by the Trier Concord in favour of the Crown. Whatever the case, the Empire's political system seems to have broken down for good, as both sides are openly heading for a civil war.

For more information on the Pelasgian Civil War, visit our website at

In other news
☞ (National) - Crown suppresses and then nationalises the Empire's oldest newspaper, Apogevmatine, due its Republican leanings. The leftists publication Isonomia has also been suppressed. However, both papers have used their seconday offices outside of Propontis to continue their printing work. [page 3]
☞ (National) - Nationalists, Liberals, Socialists, and some former far-right MPs form United Front as the Government of National Salvation, to fight against the Loyalists forces. Unknown whether DKKP will join, though debates seem to be occuring within the party over potential membership. [page 5]
☞ (Colonial) - Azraqi radicals demand annexation or invasion of Tephanon, as 150 years pass since Tiburian-Azraqian Treaty of 1868. Loyalists refuse to bulge, while Republicans promise to honour treaty's 150 year renegotiation clause after Civil War has ended. Exarchate Government announces it will remain loyal to whichever side controls Propontis, while local garrison forces from all three branches refuse to take part in civil hostilities. [page 5]
 
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DKKP Fractures, new EKKP joins United Front, old DKKP neutral
Pelasgia's oldest party has seen yet another fracture, as the Civil War escalates
by Athanasios Mavrides, 06/09/2018

The Empire's political historians must have gotten a feeling of deja vu as broadcasts from the Internationalist Communist Party of Pelasgia (DKKP)'s party broadcaster, 452, announced the fracture of the party and denounced the breakaway faction as class traitors and state agents. The breakaway faction seems to have been led Demetrios Vitsioris, a rising star in the party young Internalist Wing and a former protege of the DKKP's chariman, Ioannis Stephanopoulos. The rift between the two men seems to have finally widened beyond reparation as the party spent the last weeks being divided over participation in the United Front of what has now become the Republican side in the Empire's civil war. While the oldest party in the Empire has seen and survived its fair share of fractures, this one seems to have cut particularly deep, with the enthusiastic membership of many young Pelasgians in the new Internalist Communist Party of Pelasgia (EKKP) seemingly surpassing the stable but stagnant DKKP.

While the DKKP has continued to hold on to its traditional bases of support, namely the labour unions and organised labour movement, the EKKP has seized the spirits of the young students of the urban middle class who believe in leftist ideas, advertising a message of actively participating in the Civil Struggle with a view to secure a legitimate and lawful participation in the Empire's public affairs from the Nationalists and the Centre-Left following a supposed victory against the Loyalists. To many younger radical leftists, this represents a direct manifestation of the Class War and Revolution they had been waiting for for so long; moreover, the EKKP's rejection of Ivar's Orthodox Marxism in favour of a distinctly reformist and Pelasgian brand of Communism or Socialism has managed to capitalise on an increasingly nationalist feeling among the country's leftist circles.

Meanwhile the Old Guard of the DKKP continues to preach neutrality, probably expecting the Nationalists to betray the United Front. Its leadership still vividly remembers the indifference and inaction of the Centre and Right during the Juntist Purges of the late last century, despite promises to the contrary as part of a similar coalition from that time. The DKKP can expect continued support from Ivar and tolerance from the authorities as part of the Status Quo Treaty, hoping to weather out the storm while the EKKP gets wiped out by its own actions. However, many more hopeful and optimistic voices on the Tiburian left's rising reformist sector are voicing hopes and expectations that the EKKP might just succeed in its goal. While one cannot possibly know who is in the right, Isonomia, as the Voice of the Pelasgian Left to the Internet and Europe at large, continues to endorse participation in the United Front. Yesterday, seventeen prominent leftist academics and intellectuals called for a Pampelasgian Congress of the Left in support of the United Front in Nestane, the Provisional Capital of the recently-proclaimed Republic; Isonomia will give full coverage to the event and calls on all our leftist compatriots looking to the future and not the past to join it!

In other news
☞ (International) – Serenierre accused of war crimes as Eiffelland presents accusations and -disputed- evidence of the use of chemical and biological weapons by the Villesen regime in Occitania. Eiffelland has issued international arrest warrants for its enemy's leaders, as accusations of war crimes fly on all sides on the Occitan Front. [page 3]
☞ (Civil War) – Brigade of Eiffellandian regulars deployed in Philistaea to aid outnumbered local forces in defending strategic oil fields. National Revolutionary Army to mount decisive assault with multiple Army Corps and overrun enemies on all sides, according to Republican HQ reports concerning Southwestern Front. [page 5]
☞ (Civil War) – National Revolutionary Army reports the Cassandris and Balbitinum seem abandoned by Loyalist troops and claims Loyalist naval units have evacuated; to enter cities imminently, according to local reports. No armed resistance expected, despite strong pro-Imperial sentiment in Kyphtic Memphis. [page 5]
 

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Republican pincer move drives Emperor out of Propontis; Loyalist revolt in Haydis
Mass defections of entire Army Corps on both sides; Lycia and Cyrenia on apparent diverging paths
by Nikolaos Papademetriou

As the morning of September 8 broke, it became apparent that the Imperial forces in Pelasgia had fallen into a trap; the Republicans had bypassed the Melingian plains, capturing Orestias and Marmaras, opening the path to Propontis. Rather than obeying orders to counterattack, the mainly-Pelasgian staffed men of the 1st Army defected to the Republican side en masse, arresting their officers, including Megas Doux Laskarides, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. It was only thanks to the sacrifice of the Varangian Guards, who fought to the last man for over two hours around the Grand Palace, that the Emperor himself was able to escape arrest. All across Pelasgia, Republican troops entered cities and were greeted as heroes, with blue Republican flags flying all over the Empire's heartland. The Senate itself was soon installed back in its original quarters, were it renamed the National Revolutionary Army to the Armed Forces of the Republic, including the Republican Land Army, the Republican War Navy, and the Republican Military Aviation. Another act adopted a white eight-pointed sun, an ancient Pelasgian symbol, on a blue field as the new Republican flag, signifying an abandonment of the Empire's medieval past in favour of its Pelasgian heritage, and the dominance of the Nationalist faction.

All across Pelasgia, nationalist sentiment has gripped the citizenry, bourgeoisie, and nobility, and even factions of the clergy; the song one rembete folk singer uploaded to the internet under the title has already gotten hundreds of thousands of views, including lyrics such as "The Lads of the Defence kicked the Emperor out", in reference to the revolt of junior officers against the General Staff in the Logothesion of the Military, which is located in a district called "The Holy Defence" in reference to Propontis' defence against the Crusaders. Another lyric reading "And they sent him packing to his foreign family" conveys the sentiment of an increasing number of Pelasgians, who regard the Emperor as a foreign agent, owing to his support by foreign expeditionary forces, such as those of Eiffelland, his wish to impose a foreign war on the Empire without Senatorial consent, and his last loyal troops in the capital being the foreign Varangian Guards. Slogans such as "Down with the Crusaders" and "Crusaders back across the sea" have appeared in many Loyalist-held areas, while Catholic and foreign populations from anti-Republican countries are reporting increasing popular hostility. While the Church has discouraged attacks on foreigners, the Emperor's choice to appoint Karolos Vitman, a descendant of Pelasgised Retalian nobles, as his new Chief of the Household Service has only served to aggravate sentiments.

While fighting has largely subsided in Pelasgia, with small Imperial remnants near Mizythras being slowly hunted down and what's left of the Imperial forces crossing the sea to the Archipelago and the Prinkeponesian isles alongside the Emperor, the Civil War continues to rage brutally through the southern provinces. Philistaea has been the scene of bloody combat between the Republican 2nd and 3rd Armies and the Loyalist 4th Army, supported by a full brigade of Eiffellandian regulars and sizeable Eiffellandian aerial contingents, with the cities of Metaikhmion and Ampelia being reduced to rubble, the latter's river literally flowing red with blood after its defenders were virtually wiped out. Another formerly serene and fertile Tiburian province, Haydis, has seen the reverse of what happened in Propontis, with Loyalist junior officers and soldiers arresting their Nationalist officers, and proclaiming their intent to march of Memphis. Cassandris, the capital of that province, has only been under Nationalist control for two days, and already the local populace is showing its hostility. The opposite is true in Hierosolyma and western Philistaea, where large amounts of units have been bogged down to keep the Pelasgian and highly-Pelasgised Urudoah citizenry from openly revolting in favour of a Republic. The region's Pelasgians are among the most fiercely Republican in the country, while the Urudoah never really forgave the Crown for the brutal supression of a local revolt in the 1950s. If anything, the assimilation programmes of the following decades worked against the Imperials, by converting much of the populace to Pelasgian nationalism, while doing little to alleviate latent and deep-seated hatred for Imperial authority. In Hierosolyma, the deeply loyalist Catholic, Jewish, and foreign quarters are heavily guarded, to prevent outbreaks of violence with the deeply Nationalist Pelasgians and Pelasgised Orthodox Urudoah, some of whom have started to paint their doors and windows in the Republican shade of blue.

In other news
☞ (International) – New constitution approved in Jyskerige-Østveg. Secularisation on model of "progressive" Marxist states sets monarchy on path for its own abolition. Other reforms paint the country as increasingly democratic, with the Crown and Church remaining only symbolic. [page 3]
☞ (Civil War) – @Occitania naval detachment arrives to support Loyalist naval forces, joining up with 1st Fleet to conduct patrols in case Nationalist 3rd Fleet moves closer to Propontis. [page 5]
☞ (Colonial) – Exarchate of Tephanon raises Nationalist flags without much pomp or ceremony, sticking to claim of supporting whichever side controls Propontis without entering the war. Imperial flags retained in unlikely case Propontis is reclaimed by Loyalists. [page 7]
 
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Nationalists outside Hierosolyma after decisive Battle at Phrygos River; War nearing end?
Nationalists ready to seize Holy City; Imperial advance in Memphis halted; 1st Fleet mutiny suppressed;
by Charalambos Zenonos

After nearly a week of fighting, the engagement at Phrygos River, next to the Philistine city of Tiburias, has finally ended. The battle itself cost both sides a total of 40,000 dead, wounded, missing, and other casualties, as it took over htree different assaults, including a night attack, before the Nationalists finally emerged victorious. Led by Lord Field Marshal Aristarchos Kavalaris, the Nationalist 4th Army engaged in a large-scale frontal attack combining mechanised, motorised, armoured, airborne, and normal foot-mobile units, as well as heavy artillery and air-support, to overwhelm the Loyalist line. While the battle lasted a whole day, by noon the first breakthroughs had been noted in the northern sector of the line along the river, with the decisive turning point being the capture of the Bridge of the Four Evangelists by a Nationalist tank column, after its demolition failed. The pouring in of troops established a foothold across the bridge, and by evening, the main defences near Tiburias were abandoned, as the units there were in danger of being outflanked. Whereas the Loyalist 4th Army exists on paper, what remains of it has effectively scattered, and the road to Hierosolyma lays wide open. Loyalist Marshal Anastasioulas has issued no new orders, and an Eiffellandian-led counterattack towards Euxenia seems to have had little effect, other than some units of the Nationalist 4th Army having to break off to reinforce the 3rd Army defence of Hiberia.

As the Nationalists are already celebrating their victory in Philistaea, the tens of thousands of refugees in the city have been gripped by panick, being joined by retreating Loyalist soldiers who fear Nationalist reprisals for Sacred Band massacred in Memphis. Even more concerning for the Loyalist cause is the fact that the Republicans have finally succeeded in halting the advance of Alexandros Balas's columns, which were attempting to capture central Kyphtic Memphis. The Hagios Menas-Hagios Antonios line seems to have locked the two sides into a stalemate, as Republican reinforcements have been pouring in from Pelasgia, supported by light attack aircraft and Politarchy units, which have used brutal measures and reprisals against Loyalist settlements to supress the Loyalist guerillas in northern Memphis. Another nail in the coffin of a potential Loyalist resurgence came earlier this morning, as news broke a failed mutiny by middle and junior officers of the 1st Fleet. The Fleet was preparing to leave its new base in the Archipelago, haing not entirely recovered from the loss of its base near Propontis, to intercept the 3rd Fleet's exit from the Copper Sea. However, pro-Nationalist officers protesting aristocratic nepotism in the fleet's promotions, as well as inaction in the face of Sacred Band atrocities, attempted to capture the Fleet's HQ building and several ships, holding higher officers hostage. The Imperial Naval Police suppressed the revolt after several exchanges of fire, which resulted in light casualties, as well as the summary trials and imprisonments of several officers; seven of the leading mutineers were also executed. While the Crown retains the 1st Fleet, its morale has plummeted and it has been forced to abandon plans of active operations for the immediate future, leaving the 2nd Fleet as the sole major Loyalist naval formation capable of actively operating.

All in all, the Pelasgian Civil War seems to have reached a stalemate, where the Nationalists dominate the land but are incapable of capturing the Arhcipelago and pushing through southern Memphis, depriving them of the Empire's major waterways, while the Loyalists can hold on to their territories but have no access to the mainland and its crucial resources, including its population base and deep sea ports. Both sides also covet the oil fields and agriculture and industry possessed by the other, respectively, making a protracted war a questionable possibility. The two sides might be forced into a compromise yet, and avoid further harm; however, it might take the capture of Hierosolyma, and the halt of the Loyalist attack on Hiberia before the two factions are finally forced a compromise. Moreover, the Melingians on the Loyalist side and the Leftist factions on the Nationalist one have equally rejected a compromise, further complicating matters. For now, uncertainty seems to dominate the Empire's future.

In other news
☞ (International) - Trivodnia suing for peace as its finds itself overrun by Communist forces across the Long Sea. Great War might end before the Civil War. [page 3]
☞ (International) - Eiffellandian court convicts tabloid of libel against members of Eiffellandian, Gunnish Royal Families. [page 5]
 
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Pelasgia

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Ceasefire declared across Empire! Negotiations for Peace to take place at Pyrgos!
Imperials sue for peace following Fall of Hierosolyma; Hostilities halted across Tiburia at midnight;
by Nikolaos Papademetriou

According to press statements released simultaneously by both the Imperial Household at the Imperial Summer Palace of Prinkeponesos, and the Provisional Government of the Pelasgian Republic at Propontis, hostilities across the Empire halted due to a ceasefire effective from September 17, 2018, at 00:01, Propontis time. The announcement was followed by the proclamation of negotiations, which will take place at Pyrgos, the port of Propontis. The move comes after the announcement that Hierosolyma finally fell to the Nationalists, following the Loyalist 4th Army's defeat. Reports speak of the suicide of the Loyalist Marshal commanding that force, Lord Pavlos Anastasioulas, who was buried honourably but discretely by the Nationalist troops at the command of Nationalist Field Marshal Lord Aristarchos Kavalaris.The move is seen as the first sign of reconciliation between the two sides, though the short but bloody conflict that gripped Tiburia since late summer has certainly left quite a gap to be bridged. The Leftists on the Republican side and the Melingians on the Loyalist side continue to protest any negotiation, though they have agreed to send representatives to the talks.


Further south, in the Holy City itself, the entry of the Nationalist troops came without a fight, other than sporadic Loyalist units stopping their retreat to fire at Nationalist recon squads on the road from Tiberias to Hierosolyma. Though initially slow and uncertain the entry of the Nationalist troops escalated into a public celebration, as the city's Pelasgian majority welcomed the soldiers as liberators, waving flags and handing out flowers and traditional sweets. Though there was initial apprehension about the fate of the refugees who had fled to the city out of fear of reprisals, the assurances of a Nationalist Major who led the first major column into the city, and then the Lord Field Marshal himself, quelled such concerns. Save for a handful of incidents of sporadic tension between Pelasgians and minority or expatriate refugees getting out of hand, the heavy hand of the security forces, including the local Police, alongside the calls of the Nationalist leaders for peace and calmness, generally kept things quiet. Slowly but steadily, refugees have started to leave the city, sometimes under escort. However, Loyalist soldiers who had taken refuge in the city, as well as refugees who had joined the Loyalist forces as volunteers did not escape arrest. Neither did prominent supporters of the Loyalists, such as Lady E. Antonopoulou and the Retalian merchant Mr. F. Klarewitz, both of whom were major patrons and propagandists of the Imperial cause. Never the less, the arrested prominent Loyalists are being well treated and are currently detained in the famed Grand Drosovilas Hotel of Hierosolyma, which formerly served as the Loyalist Military Administration's headquarters. Assurances have been given to foreign consular authorities and the local clergy that the city will not see any sort of large-scale reprisals or violence.

Across the Empire, the guns and bombs of the conflicting forces have finally seized their horrid symphony. Both sides find themselves in a standstill, as the large conventional forces that have been used in the war would destroy the very resources necessary for their upkeep to secure victory in a protracted conflict. On the one hand, the Nationalist risk seeing the Archipelago cut off from the rest of Pelasgia, and the country deprived of its naval might. On the other hand, the Loyalists also find themselves unable to maintain their large forces without a presence on the Himyari mainland, while their increasing dependence on foreign support has hurt their morale and legitimacy. That being said, both sides bring very opposing views to the negotiating table, and it is clear that neither the nascent, self-proclaimed Second Pelasgian Republic, nor the antiquated and largely driven away Southern Tiburan Empire will survive the end of the war. The future of Tiburia seems to be a mix of the two worldviews, a socio-political and economic framework that embraces the new without abandoning the old. Unless, of course, Tiburia is to be broken up into the Empire of the Archipleago and the Republic of Greater Pelasgia. Only the coming weeks will tell.

In other news
☞ (International) – Summit for Peace Negotiations over the Great War begins in Bergenheim, as delegates from across Gallo-Germania arrive. Kadikistani insistence on Trivondia's unconditional surrender reflective of an actual refusal to compromise, or a facade meant to extract greater concessions? [page 3]
☞ (International) – 25th Congress of the Vasakpartei starts in the Democratic Republic of Virumaa. Tiburia's own Internationalist Communist Party of Pelasgia (DKKP) among attending delegations. Revisionist EKKP nowhere to be seen, rejecting Virumaan and Kadikistani Communism as "outdated and myopic". [page 5]
☞ (National) – Association of Israelite Communities of the Southern Tiburan Empire expresses increasing fear for future of Yiddish community of Trivodnia, following country's de facto defeat. Division within community over whether pressure should be applied for refugees to be accepted into Empire. Both factions of civil war reject potential call in advance, citing caring for Tiburian refugees of Civil War as priority. [page 7]
 
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