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Ostmark

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OSTMARK'S GERMANIAN MILITARY DISCIPLINE IS A JUMP TO THE PAST
EPA Wien

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VIENNA (People's Republic of Ostmark) - The brass band played a military march and behind it a column of goose‐stepping soldiers came marching down Volksrepublikplatz. It was a Volkswehr's parade, a display of military might that the National-Syndicalists stage each week.

60 years after the abdication of the last King of Ostmark Ludwig IV, are still very much alive here. And in the face of popular disaffection and listlessness, the National-Syndicalists have been praising the Kingdom of Ostmark's erstwhile philosophy of military discipline, subordination and service.

The weekly military parade, known as the changing of the guard, seems to derive its special poignancy from the historic setting, the Reichswehr‐type uniforms that the People's Defence Force soldiers wear and their strict military discipline. The parades are held in the heart of this city, on Volksrepublikplatz, the wide square where the monarchs of Ostmark once reviewed their troops.

Each Friday afternoon all traffic is halted on a two‐block stretch of the downtown thoroughfare as officers of the People's Police rope off the parade ground in front of the Memorial to the Unkown Soldier, a classic structure built for the Von Wien monarchy early in the 19th century. The National-Syndicalists, the first to post a permanent two‐man honor guard at the memorial, have named it their “Altar of the Fatherland”.

On a recent sunny afternoon, several hundred onlookers converged on the scene, pressing against the ropes or standing on benches and other high places to watch. Fathers carried small children on their shoulders. Judging from the languages spoken, most of those present were Ostmarkian, but the spectators included tourists from Elben, Serenierre and Eiffelland-Retalia.

Whenever they appear at public ceremonies, the troops of the People's Defense Force show the same rigid drill as that displayed by the famous ostmarkian grenadiers. The soldiers wear the high leather boots and stone‐gray uniforms of the old royal army, and only their flat steel helmets distinguish their appearance from that of the royal forces.

In the parade, a company of the army's honor guard regiment marched to the memorial, accompanied by its military band. The company commander, a powerfully built captain, used a microphone to bellow his orders. Public reaction was mixed. “Gabriel, isn't that just tops,” an older woman called out to her granddaughter as the soldiers performed their intricate drill. But a youth from Trier said he was disgusted. “I am glad we do not have that kind of militarism in our army,” he said.

The reason the National-Syndicalists stress the drill and the militaristic traditions seems to lie in their expectation that public display of armed power will help forge the national identity their National-Syndicalist state still lacks. “Don't forget that parades serve to instill respect and fear in the people,” a spectator said. Today germanians have broken with such traditions and have dropped the rigidity of 18th century military drills, all except Ostmark's People's Defense Force.
 
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Elben

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An Elbener tourist family in Ostmark

The little girl pointed at the men marching by, "Mama, look at all the pretty soldiers!"

Mama smiled and patted the child as she remembered meeting her husband long ago, so dashing in his uniform.

An older brother looked at his father and said, "Dad, I don't want to wait until I'm conscripted. Let me enlist!"

The eldest child, a daughter, smiled brightly at the handsome men.

Dad placed a hand on his son's shoulder and remembered his own time in the army and how he had become a man serving alongside ethnic Slavonians and Krasnislavians, all subjects of the king.
 

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State President declared dead

EPA CAMP HILL - The team of surgeons which have worked for over ten hours to try to save the life of State President Adrianne Stone have pronounced her dead today at 22:30 Central Himyari Time. The team of doctors has stated that they could not stabilise her and that as much as they tried to keep her blood levels stable, her organs started to fail. They did all they could, but she has been declared dead.

The State President of Natal has been assaulted by a maintenance worker at Combs House who attacked her and stabbed her four times with a screwdriver, once in the neck and three times in the chest. Witnesses have stated that he was ready to attack the Minister of Health Natasha Hopkins too before he was tackled by other MPs and seconds later apprehended by the Engell Central Himyari Police officers guarding the governmental complex.

The attacked has been named as Alexios Makris, a Natalian citizen who moved into the country six years ago and got his citizenship less than a year ago. He is of Pelasgian ancestry and has lived before 20 years in Loago. The DER has stated that politically he seemed apolitical but he has been a member of a series of different religious communities, starting with the Pelasgian Orthodox Church, following the Utatu Orthodox Church, the Justos Episcop Church and finally some form of cult from Loago called "Christians Anonymous", where he was known as a "Cousin of Christ".

The government of Natal, headed by Chief Minister Demetria Unathi Vavi has ordered a week long period of mourning and has already created a commission to organise a state funeral of Adrianne Stone. Some political analysts from Natal have stated already that elections will have to take place, as Stone was in office for just a year and the Vice-President cannot take over for such a long period as three years. Some of the Hyena MPs have also stated that with this, a general election might be necessary, to also solve the problem of the hung parliament and the minority government that was supported only by the Independent Group, a faction split from the Hyenas.
 

Pelasgia

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Throne Council of
Secretariat of External Affairs

ΑΣ 2377/2019 | Δημόσιον | Κανονικόν
Propontis, 19 June 2019

To whom it may concern,

On behalf of His Imperial Majesty, in His capacity as representative of the Pelasgian Nation and as head of the Orthodox Church, I extend the deepest condolences of the Pelasgian Empire and the Orthodox Christians across Europe to the people of Natal for the unjustifiable and barbaric murder of State President Adrianne Stone. For all Pelasgians and Orthodox Christians, it is most disheartening to know that the murderer was once one of our own, and that he committed such a horrible crime in his country of choice.

By Imperial Decree, all flags in the Pelasgian Empire's diplomatic missions across Himyar shall fly at half a mast for the entire mourning period in Natal. Equally, Orthodox Churches across Europe will hold a formal prayer for the late State President's departed soul on Sunday, following divine liturgy. The Pelasgian ambassador will be willing to attend the State President's funeral and offer a wreath, if the Natalian authorities would permit it. Once more, I would like to reiterate that the Empire offers its condolences to President Stone's family and loved ones, as well as the Natalian people as a whole.

Signed and sealed,

Emmanouīl Avgīros
Secretary of External Affairs
Knight of the Order of Saint Andrew
Senator ex officio
 

Tarusa

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Johnston Confederacy Protectionism Coming To An End?
EPA Ogallala - In a joint statement issued from the Castle Trust King Casey Trust and Chancellor Daniel have expressed their desire in the coming days to begin assembling a team of business leaders and representatives to launch good will missions abroad to seek out trade deals with foreign nations of interest to the confederacy. Neither would comment on which nations is has a higher interest in making favorable deals with or which would be completely overlooked. His Majesty Trust did however state that the decision of whom the delegation was to be made of and the end results would be fully decided upon by the Chancellor and himself as set by Law, largely bypassing bureaucratic red tape.

In the statement they did raise up the primary points the delegation would be attempting to cover some of these were; lowering of tariffs on certain foreign imports, the lowering of tariffs applied to the Confederacy products, specifically agricultural products and farm machinery which are the mainstay of the economy, expanded foreign investment into the Isles and partnering in foreign investment abroad with other nations and corporations.
 

Polesia

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Investigation: Inside Europe's newest narco-state

MIDWEIS - A special investigation by the European Press Association has revealed high level links between the government of Polesian People's Republic and drug trafficking gangs, as the secretive communist state looks for new sources of income following the collapse of the Trivodnian economy after the Seven Day War.

For several months EPA journalists have documented contact between senior Polesian officials and criminals from Crotobaltislavonia, Kadikistan, Kashtan and Polesia itself. The Polesian regime, widely regarded as a Kadikistani puppet, officially has a zero tolerance approach to drug taking and dealing, imposing the death penalty for both. However the EPA can disclose Polesia actively encourages the manufacture and distribution of drugs on its territory, targeting wealthier users in Gallo-Germanian markets, taking a slice of the profits.

"As long we don't sell in Polesia they leave us alone," explains one crime lord, who operates a number of large-scale cannabis farms.

Prior to the Seven Days War, the Free State of Trivodnia was on the frontline in the fight against drugs. Trivodnia received millions in aid to try and stem the flow of illegal drugs from Kadikistan, Kashtan and beyond into Gallo-Germania. Yet corruption in Trivodnian politics, plus the active involvement of Kadikistan in the drugs trade, meant the drugs kept flowing.

Now Polesia is a manufacturing and distribution hub, with key exports including herbal cannabis, hashish, opiates, amphetamines and research chemicals collectively known as 'Blud'.

Experts say part of this is down to the stabilisation of Crotobaltislavonia, which had previously been a major source of drugs, but also the fact that after the collapse of Trivodnia, the Yiddish mafia, known as the mishpocha (family), were one of the few institutions left. Many mishpocha foot soldiers now serve in the Polesian Peace Force, the 100,000-strong gendarmerie responsible for law and order, while higher ranking mafiosos can be found in local and national government.

This situation is no different from Kadikistan, where both the military and ruling communist party have close links with criminal factions.

For both countries, the drugs trade is a crucial source of foreign currency, and also helps destabilise rivals. "There is no doubt the Rurikgrad Pact is trying to weaponise narcotics while also profiting from addiction," states a regional diplomat who asked to remain anonymous.

However there are questions how long this symbiotic relationship between communism and crime can last. If the mishpochas get too powerful, they can pose an internal threat. Meanwhile, increasingly liberal drug policies abroad lessen the need for criminal involvement. In Polesia in particular, some of the more hard-line ideologues are also uncomfortable with the country's close association with criminality.

"Marx called religion the opiate of the masses, we are selling the masses actual opiates... How will world revolution ever happen if everyone is always high thanks to us?" Asks one Polesian apparatchik, again speaking anonymously.
 
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Elben

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Burgundian breakaway states in chaos

EPA CHAGNY - Teams of rescue workers continue to search through the rubble of the central government quarter of Pillau in search of possible survivors of the cruise missile strike that took place earlier this week. The strike targeted government buildings and infrastructure, with nearby civilian structures suffering collateral damage. The death toll is at 27 dead and countless wounded flooding local hospitals. Due to the cruise missile targets, many of the dead include senior government officials of the Republic and there remains much confusion.

The cruise missile attack also targeted Burgundian Peoples Republican forces that have invaded neighboring Neustria and reached the outskirts of the capital Ouistreham. Communications with the Neustrian capital have almost completely broken down except for ham radio operators and those with satellite links. Through these channels, there have been unconfirmed reports of Engellexian troops landing at Oustreham Airport.
 
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Elben

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Burgundians fleeing violence bring new problems

EPA CHAGNY - At a briefing for the press today, Prime Minister Villiers gave updates on the Grand Duchy of Bourgogne's border security. With the chaos in Neustria and the Burgundian People's Republic, the prime minister outlined the efforts underway by border guards to deal with refugees fleeing the violence. "So many of those fleeing to our current borders are those who were recently our countrymen and women. Many of them have identity papers, passports, and other documents that are still valid in the grand duchy that under the law must be accepted. We are reaching out to charities all around Europe to help us help our brethren in their time of need."

The prime minister listed the charities invited, including the Order of St. Basil. "I am hoping to speak soon with the grand master himself. So many of Bourgogne's sons have served. Our ties are close."

@Nicosia
 

Armorica

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Grand Duke Escapes Ouistreham Maelstrom

EPA CHAGNY - "Fellow Burgundians, fellow Gallians, I wish all to know that my family and I have escaped Neustria. We have found safety with friends in Chagny. Looking back, it was fortuitous that my family and I decided to abdicate the throne of Neustria and quit the country when we did. The people of Neustria have made their choice.

"I've never seen anything like it. I cannot believe the devastation. There are people wandering the streets. That so many powers are now concentrating on my homeland vexes me. If Neustria had received so much attention during my reign, I would not have given up. I see now that the powers of Gallogermania let events happen and then swoop in to pick at the bones of the dead. They are vultures, all of them. Damn them.

"But this is happening because the people would not accept my rule. And now they are paying for their impatience. Damn them too.

"Though I have abdicated the throne of Neustria, I am still the Grand Duke of Ouistreham. When the time comes, I will speak with those powers who even now make my homeland a battleground. And then I will decide what will be done with my rightful fief.

"Fellow Burgundians, you will hear from me again soon. Until then, au revoir."

- HRH Grand Duke Charles of Ouistreham
 

Socialist Commonwealth

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Trumm raises eyebrows in Clarenthia
EPA Palmerton

President of the SWR, Donna Trumm, has caused some awkward reactions from her host when, during a banquett, she ordered a "whale-steak", calling it a local delicacy she had always wanted to try. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, her hosts eventually managed to convince her to settle for a piece of meat from bovine origins.

Apart from her faux-pas at dinner, both her Clarenthian hosts and the President praised the meeting as a step towards good neighbourhood. Trumm herself noted that she had managed to clear up confusion and fears over her planned tariffs and that she had even managed to broach the subjects of the Burgundian war and the human commodity system without discord between the neighbouring nations.

"Clarenthians are our brothers and sisters. It is important to tell them where they are wrong. That doesn't mean we aren't still friends," the President summarized.

Apart from a new agreement on fishing quotas in the Nonestican Sea and the possibility of the SWR joining in on environmental protection plans in the area, there have only few concrete measures been announced as a result of this meeting and both sides seem to be content with vague promises of peaceful and friendly relations as neighbour.
 

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Nedernesian Capital Flows into Dune Sea at Fastest Rate in Years
EPA Vrijpoort

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Sandhavn International Airport could see major upgrades begin before the end of the year

The Dune Sea has for decades been in a precarious situation of not having a single commanding authority. In the grasslands of the north, Natalian companies are the closest thing to a government, the territory's only port of Sandhavn in the south, meanwhile, has a large Nedernesian presence. The centre of the country is largely lawless, although not to the degree where absolute chaos reigns. With global economic conditions requiring more creative and clever solutions to earn a decent return on investment, many Nedernesian businesses and even individuals are looking south to the desert port city.

The Sandhavn Metropolitan Authority, the city's municipal government, received an anonymous donation of nearly one billion Nedernesian Guilders this week (approx. 125 million Euromarks) to invest in various infrastructure projects, including major upgrades to the airport. United Parcel Service (UPS), the world's largest express air courier service based in Nedernesia, officially labeled the airport it's Himyari hub earlier this year. The normally sleepy airport only sees one KLM flight a day from Vrijpoort, a few daily flights from Natal, Pelasgia, Loago and Pohjanmaa, as well as bi-weekly UPS arrivals and departures. That is all set to change and fast.

'We plan to invest hundreds of millions of Guilders into Sandhavn International this year alone as we seek to turn the airport into our main hub for the continent. This will require a hangar for our aircraft, a warehouse and sorting centre, as well as basic upgrades to the airport such as a new emergency response facility' said a UPS spokesperson.

Eskom, the Nedernesian state owned utility company, has also announced plans to completely overhaul Sandhavn's electrical grid, with plans for a new natural gas powered power plant. The construction of the plant and the replacement and upgrading of new power cables and substations will bring thousands of jobs to the city.

Tourism also continues to grow. Although the major safaris are in the grasslands of the North, which is de facto a Natalian area, desert safaris, sand dune tours and pearly white beach resorts remain incredibly popular for tourists across Europe. KLM has begun offering package holidays to its customers by partnering with The Weston Group, one of Nedernesia's largest hotel operators that owns international brands such as the Grand Occidental, Weston Grande and Holiday House. The airline is considering a second daily flight from Vrijpoort to Sandhavn to accommodate the increased number of tourists and business travellers who feed in to Vrijpoort from other northern destinations.

Much of the investment in Sandhavn from Nedernesia and other foreign businesses has been criticised over the years, however. Jack Stapleton of Fair Capitalism, a research group in Vrijpoort, says that while the investments bring jobs for the locals 'few visitors interact with them beyond basic transactions and foreign corporations end up selling goods to people who can't afford them'. One of the biggest recipients of criticism from Fair Capitalism is NedFoods, the Nedernesian foods conglomerate.

'The criticism against NedFoods is unwarranted. We sell vital goods that the people of the Dune Sea need on a daily basis. Powdered milk, clean drinking water, instant coffee, biscuits, cereals, etc. are all popular products in the Dune Sea. If people couldn't afford them, I don't think they'd be buying them' was the response from a NedFoods spokesperson.

Fair Capitalism claims that most of the products NedFoods sells in the Dune Sea are produced elsewhere, such as in Natalia and thus bring little residual benefit to locals except for direct use of the end product.

'We actually have plans to open a powdered milk plant in Sandhavn and are awaiting regulatory approval to begin construction. Things move slower down here as the local authorities aren't quite as organised as in other places we operate. It requires a bit of patience and special fee payments. The plant will bring thousands of good jobs to the city' the NedFoods spokesperson said.

Standard Chartered Bank, another Nedernesian behemoth, is often the financier of choice for major Nedernesian and other foreign investors in this part of the Dune Sea. The bank holds so much influence that it actually prints the local currency in Sandhavn. Actually just Nedernesian Guilders, the banknotes have a different design and forgo Nedernesian Salic in favour of Engelsh and Austwegian. They also bear the logo and name of Standard Chartered on them as the issuing body. The bank received approval from the Nedernesian Reserve Bank in 1997 to print and issue the currency in Sandhavn after growing demand for hard currency could not be met by the NRB in the Himyari territory. Natalian Pounds are the second most common currency in the city.

All of these investments and developments, while welcomed by many, have also raised the question if the city can remain truly independent when it relies so much on foreign investment, especially so much from one country.

A worker in the mayor's office at the Sandhavn Metropolitan Authority, speaking on condition of anonymity, spoke to the EPA.

'What independence? We haven't been independent for hundreds of years. The local government is propped up by business interests, which need the basic services of government so they can make money. We barely have any income tax revenue because the locals are too poor. It's all corporate tax and these anonymous donations. It's pretty obvious that the money is coming from corporate interests, most of them way up there in Ned'.
 

Serenierre

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Serenien silence on Gallian Conflict uncharacteristic, say experts
EPA Monserans || Yet another month has gone by and the Serenien Government, hitherto strident in its Gallian nationalist sentiments, has remained silent. With constant pressure from international and domestic journalists, the Premier and the Politburo have remained mum on the issue of the continuing disintegration of Bourgogne, first at the hand of its own internal differences, and now at the hand of the ideologically driven Occidential alliances.

The Serenien Government has for the past several months simply re-issued the same statement that the defensive posture of the country was strong and that it was not interested in engaging with the forces of hostile extremism.

The Government has instead asked reported to focus on its developments in West Occitania, which continue to receive the last tranche of the massive investment scheme designed to ensure the country re-establishes itself and focuses on modernizing the formerly backward feudal kingdom.
 

Polesia

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Polesia 'mass-producing' fake Unionsmarks

TRIER - The Polesian People's Republic is attempting to flood Gallo-Germania with fake Unionsmarks, the national currency of Eiffelland-Retalia, in an effort to undermine its value according to leaked police documents seen by the European Press Association.

Intelligence files prepared by various law enforcement agencies across Eiffelland-Retalia suggest counterfeit Unionsmarks are being produced by the Polesian government then enter wider circulation through the Yiddish mafia and refugees fleeing former Trivodnia.

"The high quality and volume of the counterfeits suggest a highly professional, sophisticated criminal organisation is behind their production... Given the well documented links between the ruling regime in Polesia and organised crime we would not be surprised if there was some state involvement," reads one briefing note prepared for the Finance Minister of Eiffelland-Retalia.

European Press Association had previously revealed the close ties between the Polesian government and drug trafficking gangs in an earlier investigation, although today's revelations suggest the scope of criminal activity is expanding.

Eiffello-Retalian security services believe the Unionsmark is being targeted due to Trier's firm response to Folxmashin, a Polesian state-owned car brand, producing and exporting rip-offs of Eiffellander car designs.

"Polesian complicity in counterfeit money production is most likely a response to ongoing trade disputes regarding the automobile industry," reads a later briefing note, this time produced for the Foreign Minister of Eiffelland-Retalia.

However the Unionsmark may not be the only currency being targeted. Sources within the Larsian Reale Guardia di Finanza say they noted an increased number of fake Fiorinos in circulation, again of high quality. Polesia and Lars have been at odds ever since the Tiburan Grand Duchy invited troops to Beautancus and the Anti-State on its soil.

Experts say while the counterfeits being produced for both the Unionsmark and Fiorino are convincing, they are unlikely to impact the financial stability of either Eiffelland-Retalia or Lars, nor undermine the value of the currencies. "A minor inconvenience for businesses and consumers at worst," says a Retalian banker.

@Lars @Eiffelland
 
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Socialist Commonwealth

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Holy Land "occupied by Pelasgia", says President of the SWR
EPA Deliverance

Meeting with the President of the World Zionist Congress, Samuel Goldbaum, on the Weekend it was now revealed that President of the SWR Donna Trumm has stated that she views the nation of Pelasgia as an occupying power. The statement is sure to put a damper on the positive impression she reportedly had left during her visit to Pelasgia, but was welcome by Goldbaum and the Zionist Congress, who long have maintained that only Jerusalem and the ancestral Jewish homelands suffice for a future Jewish state.

However, Donna Trumm has reportedly managed to irritate her Jewish hosts as well, calling the Jews a "crafty and intelligent people". Albeit meant as an honest compliment, many felt this was evocative of antisemitic stereotypes regarding an uniformly Jewish character. Folkist organizations in particular have decried her visit to the Zionist Congress and her statements there as harmful, claiming that she was inciting hatred against the Jews by peddling stereotypes and antagonizing the Pelasgians. Zionist Jews, however, who are not coincidentally an important voter block for Trumms Social Republican party, were mostly welcoming of Trumms outspoken support.
 

Pelasgia

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Federative Republic of Pelasgia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Public Statement

ΑΣ 4040/2019 | Unclassified | Normal
Propontis, 19 August 2019

To whom it may concern,

The Federative Republic of Pelasgia categorically condemns the statements made by President Trumm of the Westernessean Socialist Republic. But a week after enjoying our hospitality, President Trumm has chosen to gravely insult us and millions of our citizens, siding with an international terror group over the expressed wishes and aspirations of the Philistaeans themselves. One can only wonder what shadowy forces moved the President to such statements.

The position of the Federative Republic of Pelasgia on this matter remains unchanged: Philistaea is the sole legitimate territory of Pelasgia and its citizens are nothing but Pelasgians. Pelasgia cannot occupy Philistaea because Philistaea is an integral part of our state, whose citizens enjoy the same privileges, rights and duties as all other Pelasgian citizens, and has been so for over one thousand years. The indigenous Karaite Jews of Philistaea have supported this position through their elected representatives countless times, as have the elected representatives of all Philistaeans.

We have summoned the ambassador of the Socialist Republic to Propontis to explain these statements, and have issued a formal complaint through our own Ambassador to the Socialist Republic. The criminal ideology of Zionism will not win, no matter how powerful its backers.

Signed and sealed,

Sophokles Dragonas
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Federative Republic of Pelasgia
 

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Serenierre must fight, say hardliners; sit it out, says Government
AP Villesen

The powers that be in the Gallian behemoth continue to remain of two minds, whether to intervene in the increasingly volatile and chaotic breakdown of order in the territories of the former Grand Duchy of Bourgogne. The hardliners led by M. Alexandre Renaudiere, known for his close links to Kadikistan, has been actively pursuing a hawkish line against the Occidental invasion of Burgundy, calling for a complete assault and an international sanctions regime against Engell nations involved in the "Human Commodity System" - which he termed little more than slavery redefined, an accusation which is deeply offensive to Engellsch sensibilities.

On the contrary, government deputies have remained adamant that a multilateral effort to calm tensions and to ensure the cause of peace prevails is the better way forward. M. Bernard Lavosnier, the country's foreign minister, countered M. Renaudiere by stating that the Pelasgian and Aurarian nations had understood the importance of the mature 10th Parallel Policy espoused by Premier Martinique. The wisdom of three combined nations could not be discounted. Commissar Lavosnier commended the Kadikistani led peacekeeping initiative and said that he had high hopes for a positive outcome from its presence in the region.
 

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The Great Rhino Trial Ends
EPA Camp Hill

The trial of the leaders of the officially called Army of God, but commonly known all over Himyar as the Rhinos has officially ended today at the Federal Tribunal in Parow. About 65 (sixty five) leading members of the organisation have been told today their sentences, with this being seen by many in Natal as an official beheading of the organisation, and even it's final disbandment.

The head of the organisation, Mutupo Sibanda, a self-titled "Saint" is presumed KIA after Operation Grapple, with many in the Natalian Defence Force upper echelons stating that he was indeed killed during the chaos of the commando operation. He has been sentenced to death in absentia, a move that is seen by many as the symbolic end to the movement.

In a show of clemency that is in line with the Himyari National Congress' (Hyenas) guidelines regarding human rights and the status of prisoners, 28 (twenty eight) self styled "apostles" of the movement, have been sentenced to life without parole. Out of those, the Chiroto Group of Five has been accused of setting up the Mzuzu terrorist attack earlier this year, killing about 60 (sixty) innocent civilians, while ten others have been accused of organising the adjacent attacks that took place in the same day, all over the Rozvi Kingdom. The others were accused of high treason, crimes against humanity and genocide, most of their actions taking place in Loago as a preparation for an attack upon Natal, by the words of the prosecutor, in hopes to repeat the 1970-1980 Bush War.

Special attention was given to Alexios Makris, a Natalian citizen of Pelasgian ancestry who assassinated the late State President Adrianne Stone and tried to attack the Minister of Health Natasha Hopkins too before being apprehended. He was at first given the death sentence by hanging, but today, the tribunal switched his sentence to something peculiar not only in Natal but in the whole world, as his new sentence given is "Imprisonment at the pleasure of the State President". While being extremely ambiguous and unorthodox, many analysts have already stated that in practice it will mean a life sentence without parole.

The rest have received sentences from 10 to 56 years of imprisonment for their actions in Loago, Cabaon in Natal, standing accused of high treason, kidnapping, crimes against humanity, violating the sovereignty of the state and murder or being accomplices to those.

The Rhinos have been first formed in the aftermath of the signing of the Status Quo Treaty between Pelasgia and Kadikistan in 1957. Many of the underground partisans and cadres of the Communist Party of Natal have been left to fend of for themselves as the clans lost power in Kadikistan and all the funds, weapons and support being sent to them by Ivar during the Nikolai Leninov years has disappeared. In the early 1960s, they have started following the self-styled Prophet Matamzima Sikali, who allegedly had visions, with Jesus telling him to create the Garden of Eden in the lands of Natal. Many of the old communists have turned towards this Army of God, where "The Prophet" was seeing himself as a second Moses. The tensions between them and the authorities have escalated into the bloody and prolonged Natalian Bush War, which has devastated large areas of the Mbunda State, Loda Chiefdom and the Rozvi Kingdom between 1970 and 1980. The Rhinos have made a comeback during the Loago Crisis, but they have been swiftly defeated militarily by the Natalian intervention in the Eastern Himyari nation.
 

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Villesen
Rumours of secret arms deal between Serenien defense consortium and BPR
EPA Monserans | The Serenien economic capital was rife with rumours that the National Defense Industries - a consortium of 36 unconnected defense companies - had reached a deal with the Burgundian People's Republic for the supply of infantry weaponry and other defensive equipment. The Government of Serenierre, apparently unaware of this, has reacted angrily and directed the Competition Commission (the primary regulator of companies in the country) to launch a preliminary inquest.

The defense industry in Serenierre is known for its strong links with the defense and political establishment in the country and if the rumors are proved to be correct would be a first where the defense industry has decided to show off its capacity for independent action. The industry, as a whole, has been enjoying a boom following the Seven Days War when its profits went through the roof as Serenierre embarked on the successful conquest of western Occitania and subsequently undertook a massive buying spree to restock spent arsenal.

The Government of Serenierre has not confirmed whether it will allow the weapons through to the BPR if the rumors are proved as being true. Given the current mood in Villesen, it is highly likely that the Government will stand as a roadblock to the ambitions of the NDI.
 

Socialist Commonwealth

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SWR President finished global Tour in Natal
EPA Camp Hill

During her final destination on her tour of the globe, President of the SWR Donna Trumm reiterated that the central message of her diplomatic tour was "peace around the world". She urged the leaders of the world to come together and settle their disputes through peaceful means, stating that Camp Hill was the perfect place to once again emphasize this message, calling it a "city of peace".

Trumm praised the peoples of Natal as "extraordinarily beautiful. They are all so beautiful on the streets and everywhere," and thanked her hosts for the hospitality shown to her. During her visit, President Trumm was presented with a Hyena as a gift. The President expressed surprise at the present, but stated that the animal will find a comfortable home at one of the Zoos in the west, where all people of the SWR can appreciate this sign of friendship.

Reportedly, President Trumms initial reaction to the animal was slightly less diplomatic: "Oh god, you're going to feed me to it, aren't you?"
 
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Socialist Commonwealth

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Thousands of east Occitans protest victory of Tiburan party in Marsilia
EPA Flonice

Thousands have taken to the streets in eastern Occitan cities following the announcement of a Tiburan Party victory in the former Occitan capital of Marsilia. With the Tiburan Party contemplating a referendum on seeking to join the nation of Lars, the protests are decrying what they see as a further partitioning of the Gallian nation and accusations of election fraud and foreign manipulation are being leveled.

"Our once proud nation has become a cake buffet for imperialists far and wide," a speaker at the rally in Flonice said. "Now Marsilia, the capital of a united Occitania is to be sold to a bunch of locusts from hundreds of kilometers away, so that we forget there ever existed a united Occitania!"

Marsilia was declared an international, neutral city following the invasion of Occitania and the treaty of Camp Hill, while the rest of Occitania was divided into western and eastern halves under Serenierran and Eiffello-Retalian protection respectively. Neither of the two powers has yet reacted to the prospect of a Larsian annexation of Marsilia, nor has the government of Lars made an official statement on whether it would heed such a request, but maintains close ties to the Tiburan minority in Occitania and has growing business interests in the city of Marsilia.

OOC: I thought I'd RP a bit of opposition to what Lars is doing, so he gets a bit more of a challenge trying to annex that city... hope no one has any objections
 
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