Esamir International News Network

The NZDF has secured a modest, albeit higher than expected, annual budget of $241Bn NZD (U$478Bn) in funding for the current financial year. This while modest compared to the $260Bn averaged over Garagen's post war administration is higher than expected, with many fearing Jacotey's liberal administration would cut funding down to the $200-220Bn mark. The final liberal budget however shows no intention of downsizing the military, with the cuts mostly just reflecting the military reaching the end of it's rebuild and revitalisation plan as part of previous administration's "Peace Through Strength" defence policy. Wages for all military personnel are also expected to rise, with the NZDF promising to match all wages to inflation, and grant numerous pay bonuses and pay rises to those who deserve it. All in all the defence force can breathe a sigh of relief today, resting assured that the new government, perhaps due to it's close relation with the NZFirst party, has no intention of gutting it. 

The announcement also coincided with the flagship Valiant-class destroyer NZS Rociante returning to active service in the western fleet, following extensive testing. The NZS Rociante, or Roci/Ros as she's commonly called, made headlines about 2 years back when she suffered catestrophic engine failure while leading a squadron on an anti-piracy mission on the busy shipping route in the waters near Martono. The Rociante was forced to abandon her squadron and limp back to her home port at the Cair Mohan Naval Base in Drakenburg following a catestrophic mechanical failure, the details of which are still classified. It became increasingly suspicious when the NZ Navy turned down Zack assistance and offers to let the Roci dock at a nearby UKZ base for repairs, instead opting to carry out a 1 month long limp home operation that ultimately resulted in the ship being towed the last 1/3 of the way home by the engineering support vessel NZS Marlboro. It was later revealed that the Rociante was fitted with a field testing version of Chrysler Heavy Industries much anticipated revolutionary Twin Vortex marine propulsion drives (TVMDs). The news came as a massive embarassment in the face to the Navy and Chrysler Heavy Industries, and Garagen's administration left red faced. However, the past is the past, with the Roci officially passing her field tests with flying colours, equiped with a revised version of her original drivetrain, this time given the overly creative designation as the Twin Vortex Marine Drive Gen.2 or the TVMDII. The new drive, the specifics of which are once again confidencial, has reportedly addressed the issues with the previous field test and is now capable of being phased into the rest of the fleet over time. The new revision also reports a  5% fuel saving and 4% power output increase over the already class leading stats of it's previous generation. From the results of the field tests included a stress run where the Rociante was sailed at maximum speed from East Ireland to Drakenburg(NZ) indicate that Chrysler Heavy Industries were definitely able to walk the walk when it came to their design claims.

As promised by the Zack delegation at the OMNI summit in Grand Haven, New-Zealand earlier this year, the Zack Space Research Organization (ZSRO) has successfully launched the OMNI Satellite early Saturday morning from the ZSRO launch base in Chita.
The satellite is a 2-tonne class 'exclusive' communication and defence satellite for the association and was launched using ZSRO's GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle). The Satellite will be controlled from an undisclosed location in UKZ by a team from all OMNI member nations.

This is only the first phase of a plan to give OMNI undisputed control of the final frontier.

The current satellite will be used largely for communications, and help in the establishment of
1. Inter-government networks and business networks of each nation
2. Emergency communications in Disaster Situations
3. E-class room links for skill development
4. TV Broadcast and DTH services

The next series of satellites to be launched will focus on defence capabilities to warn the OMNI nations of an impending attack and some are suggesting possible spying abilities on potential enemies and threats.
The ZSRO has said that satellite is also on its way for launch as is scheduled to go up around Christmas time (in less than two months).

Her Majesty's Minister of Science and Technology has said that "this is a step forward not only for OMNI but even for the ZSRO that by the undertaking of this monumental project has proved to the world that is a space agency that must be taken seriously and one that is open to international cooperation and collaboration. I am not surprised that our scientists were able to pull this off and I am looking forward to seeing the entire OMNI satellite network up and running very soon.
This project also shows that the UKZ is very much committed to the idea of OMNI and is happy that they have taken our concerns and reservations into account and addressed them accordingly. This satellite network is UKZ's gift to the OMNI.
The UKZ is also now leading OMNI in a renewed and energised defence, economic and social partnership".

in the same press conference, a reporter asked the minister what he thought about the mysterious developments in Eurasia
"As the minister for science and technology this is out of my area of expertise, your question is better suited for the PM or the foreign minister. But what I can tell you is obvious. We are a nation that enjoys zero diplomatic relations with the Eurasian regime. We have always and traditionally kept ourselves away from that nation. The phrase 'ignorance is bliss' is followed when it comes to that nation. Because no good can come from any reaction to their antics and desperate attempts for attention."

Eurasian genocides and invasions: the "just the tip" of world history. ----- Empress Aurelia seen wearing necklace believed to have been lost for generations. ----- House of Eurasius shaken by allegations Proconsul Septimus, brother of Augustus IV, once made sexual advances on an Arveyran transvestite. ----- Proconsul Septimus states "It looked like a woman to me." They all do, Your Majesty, they all do. ----- Imports of Duresian board game "Whack a Refugee" hugely popular. ----- Kiwi Ambassador to Eurasia seen leaving pasta den; rumors surge about possible pasta addiction. ----- Emperor Augustus found under collapsed bookshelf in Julian Palace library, says "I thought I could reach it." ----- The book His Imperial Majesty wanted was "The Royal Dilemma: Is My Daughter Trying to Kill Me?" ----- Horror blockbuster "Id," featuring gaggle of miscreant minorities attempting to murder valiant jester, hugely popular in Eurasia, Arveyres. ----- Lyrian holiday of "All Hallows' Eve" celebrations commence in Cortoriacum; Eurasians celebrate Vesperalia instead. ----- Want more? Come suckle at my teet you greedy little piglet Go to www.eamc.co.ea

BREAKING
The developing scandal involving the Eurasian Government and an abandoned facility in the wastes of Tolbiacum continues to grow, with Kiwi whistleblowers leaking more details this morning. According to the hackers, the Catacomb 87 facility was part of a larger military operation dubbed "Operation Mariposa." The details of the operation itself are sketchy at best, but several key things have been made public by the hackers. The Eurasian Ministry of the Frumentarii again lashed out at the growing-number of hackers, arresting several Eurasian citizens who are believed to have leaked the information to the Kiwis. Further, the Ministry of War, in a surprise announcement, released a statement that said the facility was part of a nuclear defense initiative that was ended in the mid-1960s. It further stated that all allegations to the contrary are "anti-Raetic hogwash."

The details leaked by the hackers are vague, but it appears the so-called "Operation Mariposa" was a joint Duresio-Eurasian military research operation that took place in from the 1940s to the 1960s. The word "Mariposa" is an Arvero-Spanish word for "butterfly," but in Eurasian translates more directly to "metamorphosis" or "one who metamorphoses." The documents leaked by the hackers are, like the previous Catacomb 87 documents, highly redacted, but several passages allude to "containment failure" and "unintentional [REDACTED] dispersal." Further, the documents, which are dated to "11 [REDACTED], 1958," indicate a very peculiar intent for the operation. The leaked documents number only six pages, and it appears several were not accessed by the Kiwis, either due to inability to locate them or tampering by the Frumentarii.

As with the previous leak, this periodical is unable to print the documents in full, but several passages have been quoted. Readers seeking to read the documents may visit their host site, which is registered in New Zealand. However, we are unable to provide the URL for this site and are required to warn the reader that attempting to access the site or any similar site is an act of High Treason in the Empire of Eurasia, and is punishable by life imprisonment or execution.

The most informative portion of the documents, though heavily redacted reads "Phase I unsuccessful as in Phase II. Reengineering of VEC [REDACTED] material yielded success rate of around 45.6%, but [REDACTED] exhibited heavy [REDACTED], resulting in disposal as in previous iterations." The reference to reengineering of "VEC" is unknown, though it appears VEC is likely a Eurasian acronym for some sort of military project or entity. A further entry reads "Iteration 23a-7 saw greatest success but breakdown of [REDACTED] function caused multiple system failure. 23a-7 disposed of as per protocol." There is a seemingly tentative reference to Catacomb 87, but no mention is given as to the facility being disused or abandoned, and as such it is suspected that the facility continued to be active through 1958. The passage reads "Catacomb 87 reports 56.3% survival rate with VEC Iteration [REDACTED]. However, issues endemic to Phase II reported persistent." This suggests that there were multiple facilities, of which Catacomb 87 was only one. Lastly, and most importantly, the end of the report reads "[REDACTED] terminated as per protocol. Recommend reengineering of VEC expressions [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] for Phase III trials. Further recommend acquisition of [I: See below] [REDACTED] for further trials, as previous [REDACTED] showed insufficient [II: see below].

I and II:

The most recent revelations are certainly troublesome. What is "VEC?" To what do the "Phases" refer? If the logical connection with puritas is to be believed, were these human experiments? Was this some sort of bioweapon? Was this some sort of nuclear or radiological device? The answers beg questions, and it is likely we will learn more as future hacks unfurl. Despite the efforts of the Eurasian Government, the whistleblowers seem undeterred. Even with the impending execution of the three captured activists, which is expected to be televised throughout the world via the official Eurasian Government network, the hackers released this haunting information. Time will tell that which occurred in Tolbiacum's frozen wastes, but the world can only hold its breath and wonder.

The NZSIS has launched a national manhunt for the whistleblowing hackers at the centre of the Eurasian Operation Mariposa leaks, though not for the reasons you'd expect. SIS Director Sean Spigler has openly called for any and all involved parties to come forth to the SIS, with amnesty promised. The contents of the leak are of "national concern" according to the Department of Defence, and it is understood that the government has reason to believe the whistleblowers may have additional information regarding Mariposa. However the group behind the leaks have goon underground following the initial leaks, fearing Eurasian retribution with apprehended eurasian members of the group scheduled for execution in little under an hour. Their kiwi counterparts will now be fearing the all to real threat of an "off the books" assassination or apprehension by Eurasian secret services. Kiwi authorities however are pleading for members of the group and those with any knowledge to come forth, stating in an official release "We can't protect you if we don't know where you are". Under kiwi law the group would not be charged with treason due to the Whistleblower Act of 1964, that decriminalised whistleblowing in the name of transparency and government integrity. The members would however be facing charges for hacking such as criminal use of a computer. These charges however carry a maximum penalty of 25 years with no parole for 10, and should the involved parties come forth and aid the kiwi authorities in their investigations regarding Mariposa, the charges will be greatly reduced and maybe even dropped altogether. Either way the outcome is a lot better than being captured by eurasian agents. 





High Commander Coral Shepard officially stepped down from her post as High Commander of the NZDF at 12.15 today, with General Glen Mathers (pictured above following his promotion to a 4 star general) of the Army taking over as High Commander of the NZDF. Mathers was hand picked by the President due to his long and impressive track record which has seen him rise from a highly respected Army Ranger up to a 4 Star General, a position he has held for the past 3 years. The changeover brings an end to the decade long Shepard era, which was tied closely to the Garagen administration. It should come as no surprise then that Shepard left the NZDF to take up a position as Chief of the Lymurian Peacekeepers, once more under Chancellor Garagen.

Mariposa scandal: Tarajani government reacts with irritation to whistleblowers revelations ---- Landsraad sends representatives to assist to first OMNI satellite launch in UKZ ---- King Friederick Wilhelm II inaugurates new wing of Merlberg History Museum of Knighthood ---- A new heir for House Van Gendt: Anemoon Valerie Van Gendt has born yesterday afternoon in Gendtburg Faraj Hospital ---- Eindhoven Stock Exchange Indexes: FIX -1.3% ; AFIX -2.0% ; NTIA +0.5% ---- Would you like to know more? More updates and insights on www.ntko.co.tj


Astana.
The waves of the scandal arisen by Kiwi whistleblowers against the Eurasian government has finally hit New Tarajan. In the Kingdom, the news regarding the so-called "Operation Mariposa" have been received with almost incredible coldness.
Prime Minister Margrave De Witte-Beulen, while in visit at the ruins of Muraz this morning, hastily commented: "Although we cannot approve of the violation of a country intelligence system, we are shocked to know what the Eurasian government has made disturbing experiments for decades. That's unacceptable coming from a civilized country."
When asked about the possibility that Tarajani intelligence agencies already knew of Mariposa, the Prime Minister has been incredibly candid: "As every intelligence agency everywhere in the world, our own agencies keep a close eye upon other State activities. We knew only something about such a secret operation, but we had never reached such a close level of information as these hackers have revealed."
The Prime Minister further stated that an internal investigation has been launched under his personal orders and that "after speaking with His Majesty, I've come to the conclusion that we need to avoid any chance that such a kind of experiments could be carried on again. New Tarajan will propose to the United Nations a convention for the ban of biological warfare experiments." The Tarajani ambassador to the Imperial Court has been tasked with sending an official protest to the Imperial Government on behalf of the Kingdom.


That of the Prime Minister classifies as a relatively mild, although clearly irritated, reaction of His Majesty's Government. But from the whole Tarajani political worlds came even stronger words, particularly from the benches of the Regeneratije Partij of former Prime Minister Count Carl Van Houden: "Eurasia has now a consolidated tradition of violating human rights." a member of the party commented: "We need to send a stronger message in this regard." Another RP member also expressed her opinion about the decision of Eurasian authorities to execute those whistleblowers fallen in their hands: "That's the typical reaction of a government embarassed by its own actions" she said.
From Palace Van Geldern, the Landsraad shared the irritation of the government. In an official communiquè released yesterday evening, the powerful assembly of all Kingdom's Major Houses labelled Mariposa as "an outregeous infringement of everything a true monarchy stands for", stating also that "a country with so long a tradition of history and aristocratic ethos such as Eurasia should not accept similar events to happen inside its borders."
Meanwhile, Tarajani intelligence agencies have decided to actively support the Kiwi initiative about the whistleblowers: Tarajani agencies will give to their NZ counterparts full aid and support to locate and retrieve all those of the hackers who would prefer to work for the Social-Democracy.
This will probably be the only active measure adopted by New Tarajan in the midst of this scandal: struggling with its non-intervention principle, the Kingdom has been forced to adopt a more strong posture due to the rage of public opinion; however, the hope at the Palace of Government is still that Eurasia would voluntarily patch this whole situation, also because the involvement of Duresia could further embarass the Royal House (which also held the title of Patrician House in Eurasia).

The launch of the first OMNI satellite by the UKZ has been welcomed by New Tarajan as "an astounding achievement, a demonstration of OMNI capabilities and of the contributions that members such as the United Kingdom can give to our alliance." as said by Gen. Maximilian Viers, Deputy Minister of the Military and Chief of Staff of the Tarajani armed forces. Together with the general, also a delegation from the Landsraad came to assist to the launch, later sharing in the enthusiasm with the UKZ Minister of Science and Technology: "This is a wondrous step forward toward a better, more united, and more capable, alliance." they said.
From the Ring, OMNI HQ, confirmations came that the satellite signal has been received and it is now fully functional, ready to support OMNI activities all over the globe.

Redacted Mariposa documents curiously written entirely in English, Ministry of Culture very confused. ----- Hope you fuckers appreciate the work I put into writing this damn report. ----- First snowfall of season reported in Arbor Felix; residents indifferent. ----- Christians begin annual Yuletide tradition of avoiding Imperial persecution. ----- Deosians still wondering where Amulet of Sundered Kings went; Temple of the One blames Marquetien Orthodoxy. ----- Another dragon sighting in Cortoriacum dismissed as altitude sickness. ----- Arveyran transportation conglomerate wins contract to build modern Eurasian rail system; haters say it stinks of corruption. ----- Ministry of Transportation reportedly "confused" about why people want trains. ----- Feast of Marinus celebrated in Julium; sixteen deaths due to overeating "happily below usual," reports Culture Ministry. ----- New Tarajan voted "most racially bastardized country" in international poll. ----- Duresian mountains remain "breathtaking, if kinda cold." ----- Want more? Don't make me get the belt again you little shit I'm watching football Go to www.eamc.co.ea

BREAKING
The Kiwi hackers responsible for releasing the Operation Mariposa scandal to the public eye have struck again, releasing the most-complete set of documents yet. The hackers, whom have been accused of receiving aid from the Government of New Zealand by the Ministry of the Frumentarii, released three documents from a seemingly larger report written for Operation Mariposa. The documents detail what appears to be the development of a fearsome biological weapon, although its true nature and purpose remain totally unknown. The hackers, who have taken the name "Ira Populi", Eurasian for "Wrath of the People," released a press statement alongside their whisteblowing, saying "We demand the Eurasian Imperialists acknowledge what they have done. We demand they give answers about this nefarious program. We demand the international community condemn the Evil Empire that is Eurasia. We demand the truth."

For the first time since the beginning of this scandal, we at the Civitian Evening Tribune can provide our readers with the full, albeit redacted, series of documents released by the Ira Populi. A reading of Imperial Law has shone, as was confirmed by our solicitors, that providing the documents is not an act of High Treason, as the security clearance level mentioned in the documents is redacted, which could imply that there is no security clearance required. We remind our readers, especially our Eurasian subscribers, that viewing these documents remains a likely act of High Treason.

Operation Mariposa Leak:

Clearly, these documents show that something horrible was taking place in the frozen wastes of Tolbiacum. While we cannot condone the violation of Eurasian Imperial security by these Kiwi renegades and vagabonds, and nor can we condone the assistance proffered them, either actively or passively, by the New Zealander Government, we too demand to know what our Government was doing in our name. Were these subjects kidnapped Eurasians? These are questions which must be answered if our Empire is to be trusted again.

RHIELD deploying in Oriento after Chrysopolis attacks, PM ---- Chrysopolis attacks: MFA confirms no Tarajani citizen among the victims, spokesperson ---- OERAP Committee to announce official end of works and OEST inauguration soon, official ---- 18 years old girl wins Merlberg Chess Tournament: youngest champion ever ---- House Van Gendt confirm that newborn Anemoon Valerie is well and fully recovered from sudden fever ---- Eindhoven Stock Exchance Indexes: AFIX -0.5% ; FIX +0.5% ; NTIA +0.3% ---- Would you like to know more? More updates and insights on www.ntko.co.tj



Astana.
The recent news of deadly attacks in Chrysopolis carried out by terrorists loyal to the faction led by exiled bishop Akakios Doukas has triggered a serious response inside the Tarajani government. After holding a meeting of the Council at the Palace of Government (a meeting chaired personally by His Majesty the King), Prime Minister Ulrich De Witte-Beulen officially condemned what happened in Oriento: "What we have seen is the result of iconoclastic fury brought against innocent people by a man who never understood the principle of sanctity of human life, and by his blind supporters." the Prime Minister said: "Our thoughts and our solidarity go to the families of the victims, and to all those citizens of Morea who have been affected in some way by Akakios atrocities."
The strong, official condemnation, however, wasn't the only action taken by New Tarajan. His Majesty King Friederick Wilhelm authorized the R.H.I.E.L.D. to deploy units in Oriento in order to support Morean authorities in their investigation and attempts at locating Akakios and his major supporters. The decision, taken after talks with the Morean ambassador in Astana, marks the first official deployment of the agency outside Tarajani borders in years.
"R.H.I.E.L.D. agents will actively support Morean authorities, while also protecting those Tarajani citizens in Oriento who may be the next target of Akakios." the Prime Minister stated. Just another way of saying that, at the end, the Kingdom of New Tarajan has declared war on Akakios Doukas (who's still labelled officially as enemy of the Kingdom, after his fierce fight against Tarajani laws and alliance with the Sultanate). And the R.H.I.E.L.D. (the most powerful, yet secretive, intelligence and paramilitary agency of the Kingdom) seems to have taken this new assignment as a war, indeed: the Mahvash Alaleh Ziyhar, one of the famous skycarriers for which the organization is best known, recently upgraded and refitted, will fill the role of mobile HQ for operations in Oriento, ready to deploy its air squadrons and spec-ops teams wherever and whenever needed. The decision in itself, of deploying a skycarrier instead of one of the mobile air HQs, or even the submarine carrier Shalimar, is indicated by many as a sign of the intentions of New Tarajan to launch a clear, visible, signal to Akakios and his fellows that their existence as a threat to allies will not be tolerated anymore.
What this decision means for Morean domestic policies, however, is still a mystery: the Tarajani Government is for sure well aware of the disputes arising around the prominence people near the Montferrati Duke Nico are gaining daily in Nafplio, and how this could endanger the delicate balance of power inside the Sultanate; still, no response, in any form, came from Astana. And the official support for operations in Oriento, now led by the Montferrati Chamberlain could even be interpreted as a sign of extreme benevolence toward the Duke, his entourage, and House Baumbach as a whole, to the detriment of House Kallergis. However, the support already demonstrated to Sultana Aikaterini, and to her father Ioannis before her, leaves all this in doubt.


Meanwhile, the Royal Diet, convened in the morning to discuss the most important issues of the day, called for an official investigation about the so-called Operation Mariposa, after more revelations coming from the hackers, now labelling themselves Ira Populi.
"It is deeply disturbing, and disgusting, what those documents are revealing" a member of the Diet said from the benches of the TRP (Tarajani Republikein Partij): "It is imperative that the government launches a thorough investigation, calling for the International Community to intervene, and pressing Eurasia into disclosing the truth."
Although reactions from other parties were more nuanced, irritation and disgust pervaded the whole assembly, leading to the motion to be approved almost unanimously. Now the ball passes to the Council, which already addresses the issue in the meeting of today, but still without reaching consensus about the next moves or, more probably, waiting to see what the official reaction of the Eurasian government will be before taking new steps.

SUVA, FIJI == On Tuesday morning it was announced that the official inaugural royal state visit to the Commonwealth of the Islands of Fiji by the Queen of Arveyres, would be held in Suva. On Friday morning the Queen departed from Gyeongsang International Airport and was en route to the capital city of Fiji.

Upon arrival the Queen was greeted by the Prime Minister of Fiji and shortly thereafter by the people of Fiji during a public walk. The Queen, well-known for attempting to connect better with citizens than her predecessors, chose to walk from the airstrip to the State Meeting Hall.

After many brief stops to converse with the Fijian public, the cabinet eventually convened in the Fijian Parliament. While sitting with the Prime Minister the two nations opened up about their wishes and desires from the meeting. A mutual agreement was settled upon: the expansion of trade between the two nations.

Fiji is a primarily agricultural society, largely relying on their sugar-molasses production and their tourism industry. Because of this, the Islands rely deeply on foreign imports, primarily from the UK Zackalantis, with whom Arveyres shares less-than-ideal relations, as shown in the recent months.

Arveyres, a nation well known for its extremely advanced transportation and land-management programs has offered to extend a hand to the Islands, with possible projects including the construction of light-rail systems and the beginnings of land reclamation efforts to maximize living space on the islands, to prevent eventual overcrowding.

Queen Sofia also pointed out directly to the Prime Minister, without trying to covertly state it that the Commonwealth of Fiji is not as independent as they think, and that they need to branch out and create ties to other nations. The Queen is quoted as saying (translated): "Fiji, few islands, many people, all reliant on the grasp of the UK Zackalantis, who has executive power over the islands essentially; if they let go, you will sink, we can help you stay afloat in times of need if they shall fail."

It is not known how these harsh comments will play out in the future, as no response has been given by the UK Zackalantis government but they are expected to stoke anti-Zack resentment among the Arveyran population, which is at an all time high, an unexpected statistic considering that many Arveyrans prior to the Ceylon Port Incident had favorable views of the UK Zackalantis, as the UKZ and Arveyres had extremely close relations during and after the Great War.

Garagen who? 6 months has passed and we take a look back on Jacotey's revitalizing start, with Garagen's unprecedented 14.5 years of "strong, stable governance" seeming eons in the past. In just 6 months Jacotey has scrapped the past 40 years of our conventional income tax driven welfare state with a revolutionary new mixed taxation system. The new system sees the government drop income tax to a far lower progressive taxation system ranging from 0% for the first $45,000 to 17.5% for every dollar over $150,000, dropping the average taxation burden a long way from the previous 40% mark. To make up for the loss in revenue the government has doubled GST (Goods and Services Tax, known as VAT overseas) from 7.5% to 15%, introduced a capital gains tax of 25%, introduced an asset tax of 1.5%, and a MediCare levy of 2% on income. All of these will be covered in detail below. 

Asset Taxation
Perhaps Jacotey's most revolutionary change. While initially challenged as unconstitutional, the supreme court later ruled in favour of the policy. Introduced to make up most of the lost revenue from the drop in income tax, the government is introducing a flat 1.5% tax on all assets worth more than 40,000. The tax would then be converted into a weekly basis and taken directly through the PAYE system. By law all residents are now given 10 working days to inform the Inland Revenue Deparment (IRD) of any new assets worth more than 40,000. This process can be done online in less than 15 minutes and failure to do so can result in a 100% fine on all unpaid taxes. This tax will be collected from income and should someones income fall under certain thresholds or a person find themselves unemployed the tax will not be immediately collected, however will accrue as a 0% interest debt. This insures that should someone find themselves unemployed, they will not accumulate unfair debt. While the specifics of the policy are detailed in a 25 page document of mostly accounting jargon, IRD and Jacotey have insisted that the new policy will not affect the middle class, likely benefit the lower class and potentially increase the tax burden of the top 10%, albeit not by much compared to the old progressive income tax system, and well... they can afford it. All assets based in New-Zealand, held in NZDs, bought through New-Zealand income or generating revenue for a resident in NZ will be taxed under this system. While previous proposals of this nature have been shot down due to the complexity of policing overseas assets and "tax planning", the government is confident that thanks to the complete digitization of NZ currency in 1998 and subsequent open government monitoring and record keeping, the policing of all taxable assets will be effectively computerized and painless. 

Medicare System
Another revolutionary policy is the introduction of a Medicare system funded by a flat 2% additional tax on income. Rather than the DHBs being funded solely by the government, they are now funded through a Medicare system. While the government still owns and runs the DHBs and all public hospitals are State Entities, they are now to be funded through the Medicare system, with all permanent residents and citizens of New-Zealand being automatically enrolled in the system. People on working visas are also eligible for enrollment in the Medicare system provided they have a job and are paying tax, a stark contrast to the previous system that left them at the whim of private insurance companies. Tourists are also covered by a levy that is paid either upon arrival or on approval of visa. The biggest change in the new system, is that private healthcare consumers can now claim 80% of their insurance premiums on their medicare tax. Encouraging the wealthy and upper middle class to take out private insurance policies to ease the burden on the public healthcare system. The Government has also affirmed that it will pick up the slack through it's federal budget should Medicare fall short of adequately funding the public system. Fair trade laws and the Commerce Commission will also be keeping an eye out to ensure no insurance providers attempt to corrupt and manipulate the system in their favor through uncompetitive pricing agreements. The government projects that this change will drop the overall burden of healthcare funding by 10% over the next decade. A similar system is also meant to come into effect for the education system, but the specific details of that are yet to be released.

Capital Gains Tax
The capital gains tax has been increased from 10% to 25% and now affects every asset over 20,000 on sale. CGT is pretty explanatory: any profit from the sale of a capital asset is taxed at a flat 25%. 

Goods and Services Tax
Again pretty self explanatory, GST (or VAT as it's sometimes called overseas) is increasing from 7.5% to 15% effective from the 1 April at 0100. 



Overall these changes are expected to drop the government federal budget by around 25%, with the savings going directly back into the pockets of the people, albeit in a slightly more progressive system than before. Either way every New-Zealander, even the richest New-Zealander who's now saving a whopping $2.37 a year in tax, is walking away with more money in the pocket and a smaller, leaner, more efficient government. Nearly a decade and a half of Garagen's left leaning governance has left the government with a cancerous socialist bureaucratic mass that Jacotey has removed with a swift deft movement.

CLARENCE HOUSE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Princess from Anneland, New Tarajan will be the first Tarajani royal to be wed into the Zack Royal Family and is set to consolidated Tarajani and Zack relations.

The princess will also begin her catechism with the Roman Catholic Church to convert to Catholicism (as is the norm with weddings to the royal family) and will be baptised into the Roman Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil on the 31st of March 2018 at St. John The Evangelist Cathedral, Windsor City, Buckingham.

The princess will be taken out of the public eye, only being out in the open for events like Christmas, New Years and Independence Day etc. However, it is being suggested that the newly engaged couple will be sent to a Royal Visit to Fiji to remind the people of Fiji that they are important to the UKZ and its royal family. This could be very beneficial as the popularity of the royal family has reached a high in the Commonwealth realm and this will be able to tackle some of the damage done by Arveyres who has tried to sow the seeds of dissent and hate against the UKZ in the newly independent Fiji.

But outside the Caspian Palace walls began a nationwide celebration. This news will mark a very special Christmas for Commoner Zacks and the Royal Family

Korromo, MQ—Reports of an international conference of socialist politicians and activists in the northern Marquetien city of Korromo, Belmont Principality, have been confirmed. According to those familiar with the matter, the goal of the conference will be to plan a clear path to establishing a viable pan-Raetic socialist state. The conference is expected to last another four days.

In accordance with Marquetien law, local authorities did nothing to prevent the assembly. Nevertheless, many in Marquette are nothing less than alarmed at the chosen location—a mere one hundred miles from the border with Fjolskar. There are many calling for the arrest of those involved on the grounds of it being a Fjoltun plot to overthrow the Marquetien government, but these allegations have yet to be confirmed. Fjolskar, Marquette's historical arch-nemesis, has been under a militantly isolationist authoritarian regime since the communist coup nearly sixty years ago. The last half of the 20th century saw a significant easing of tensions as the two turned inwards, but Charpentier's commitment at the beginning of this year to greater international cooperation has fueled an increase in hostilities once again.


Neither Chancellor Charpentier nor King Frédéric could be immediately reached for comment, nor could major party leaders. Silence by senior Marquetien officials following major dissident organizations and rallies is nothing new, generally being received by the people as both unequivocal condemnation but respect for the freedom of speech.

This time, however, Frédéric’s silence is viewed rather suspiciously, as the last major meeting of socialist activists was attended in 2005 by his father, the late King Vincent II. With Green Party leader Maya Silva increasingly dropping hints at disapproval with leadership in the Conservative Bloc, those in the establishment are on their toes as for what will happen next.

As a new face in Besançon, Maya Silva’s actions are being closely watched by political observers. Until May of this year, she served as an environmental policy advisor for the Marquetien agricultural giant MarqSano. Her rapid ascension to leader of what is now the largest party in the senate has been shocking to say the least. While the Greens have long been a reliable ally for Independence, her stern leadership and sudden influence are causing anxiety to abound in the nation’s conservatives. Whether or not she will defect from the Conservative Bloc is hotly contested, but it would not be the first time the senate sees a significant shake-up in the tense time between the autumn and spring sessions as party leaders build support for their agenda for the coming year.

Further details of the Socialist Front’s meeting are being held private until the conclusion of the summit. It remains unknown whether participants are from Marquette or if this is a collaboration by radical leftist representatives from across the globe.

For the rest of the country, it is still business as usual. Those in the financial sector were quick to reassure their overseas clients that their assets will remain protected no matter what, and that the rumblings of social unrest now and then are nothing new, despite the general stability that characterizes Marquetien politics.

The most wonderful time of the year has come around again and the UKZ is its usual pageantry and tradition began the festivities by the closing of the winter session of parliament with the PMO's address to a joint sitting of parliament and the Provost's annual Christmas gala at Cair Paravel house for all parliamentarians.

The PMO's address does not only wish all the UKZ a very Merry Christmas but also informs the nation of the steps his government has taken since the last Winter Session concluded. Here is an extract from his speech.

"Honorable speaker ma'am, Honorable Chief Councillor, Honorable members of parliament. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that your new year will be prosperous and fruitful. In order to achieve this goal, my government has taken several steps both international and domestic.

On the international front, we have been focussing on increasing our soft power and influence through open dialogue and cooperation. This has been made possible by the increasing popularity of the Commonwealth Association and the Zack Council.
The Commonwealth Association is the largest it has ever been and is working as one cohesive unit, we cannot, however, take credit for this as it is truly the goodwill of all members under the able leadership of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which has on multiple occasions stood up for the rights of all Commonwealth citizens and displayed the true independence of the association.
That is why my cabinet has approved a bill to allow Commonwealth Citizens to vote in all zack elections (subject to each individual presidency approval) provided they have resided in that presidency for over 3 years. We hope to introduce this to parliament when the budget session kicks off in February.

The Zack Council was approved as the official cultural organization of the UKZ and its English and Hindi language assessments will be recognized as appropriate language assessment for foreign and domestic students applying to our universities. The Zack Council will also promote the arts and scientific research between Zacks and all the nations in which it runs its operations, the likes of these include New Tarajan, New Zealand, and Marquette and many more.

Our influence is also apparent in the case of the OMNI, where we lead the organization into a new era of military and economic cooperation. I am happy to inform you all that our next satellite launch will be before Ash Wednesday and the OMNI Institute will open its doors before Easter 2018.

Our commitment to democracy and rule of law as we have displayed in Ireland and Wales also stands testament to our nation's cultural ethos. i am also pleased to announce that the Committee on Zack Ireland (COZI) has decided to scrap the referendum as Free Britain's leaders want to join our great union. North Ireland will go free.
We look forward to the assembly election results coming in on the 18th for Wales.

When it comes to our domestic policies, my cabinet is working hard to solve the unemployment issue at hand. We are working to get more foreign investment into the country so we can have more jobs for our young people. I look forward to opposition's cooperation in this matter......"

Following this, parliamentarians joined the Provost in light up Raisina Hill (the location of Zack government) and the Christmas Tree and attended a Christmas Carol concert at Cair Paravel house. But even as these festivities continued the opposition was mounting a scathing attack on the PM's speech.

Conservative Party President said, "The only part I liked I was when he wished us a Merry Christmas, and I am not sure how sincere that was either".
The ZPP said that they were disappointed in the numerous lies the ZNC told them in parliament while the Liberal party said that they were sad that the PM only gave 5 lines worth of his entire speech to the unemployment crisis and claimed that while they appreciate the push for Zack soft power, the ZNC attempts are frankly underwhelming.

While political bickering continues, the nation prepares for Christmas and the now booming tourism industry braces for an influx of party goers and religious pilgrims. You can find a Christmas and New Year party in every corner of the UKZ and its territtories.

Birth of Jahan celebrated all over NT: boom for restaurants and hotels in main cities confirmed by data ---- Birth of Jahan celebrations: King Friederick Wilhelm wishes a prosperous future for the Kingdom from Royal Estate of Vieneskel ---- RHIELD investigation unveils startling evidence about Doukas involvement in Ioannis IX's death, official ---- Landsraad to resume work tomorrow: storms at the horizon as Major Houses fights over foreign policy ---- Eindhoven Stock Exchange: closed for festivities ---- Would you like to know more? More updates and insights on www.ntko.co.nt



Astana.
While the whole Kingdom is just recovering from the three-days celebrations of the Birth of Jahan, the most important Tarajani holiday, news from the Pasargade, the HQ of RHIELD, risks to spark a political conflict with serious international implications.
Indeed, yesterday morning the powerful intelligence agency of New Tarajan released a preliminary report for the Council, revealing some startling data recovered from the on-going investigation undertook in the Morean territories of Oriento against Gavril Ekklisias, Akakios Doukas, and their supporters. The report affirms that evidence has been uncovered which could potentially demonstrate that Akakios Doukas is, in fact, not involved in the plot which killed Sultan Ioannis IX Kallergis. The murder, whose authoer was a member of the palace guards, has been generally blamed upon Doukas and his preaching, a position always strongly supported by the Kingdom, which sees the former bishop of Naufplio as a dangerous enemy, and apparently confirmed by his own escape from Morea during the accession to the throne of Sultana Aikaterini.
Although details were not revealed, for obvious reasons, the news already risks to create a political storm: from the benches of the Diet members of all parties are calling for a thourough investigation on these new possible leads, while the Landsraad will announce its position once it will be convened tomorrow morning. However, rumors seem already to point toward few Major Houses ready to profit from this to directly attack the Prime Minister and his foreign policy, a traditional way in Tarajani politics to pressure up on the Council and eventually lead to its demise.
Meanwhile, the KVD (Koninklijk Veiligheidsdienst, or Royal Security Service) also revealed that a preliminary investigation prompted by the RHIELD findings have led to the discovery of suspected contacts between the Royal International Bank and the Morean Prince Dimosthenis. No member of the RIB board nor the prince himself (actually in Vieneskel, together with the Royal House) could be reached for comment, but the matter is being pursued by the KVD until further notice from the Council or the King himself.
Amid this mist of clouds one thing is certain: the year risks to end in a mess, for New Tarajan and other countries.

The 172nd Independence Day of UKZ (1847-2018): Commemorates the Eurasian departure from the UKZ and the establishment of the Kingdom of The United Kingdoms of Great Britain (becomes UKZ following the end of the civil war on 20th May 1855).

King Frédéric of Marquette was also invited to participate in the festivities preceding talks with the Prime Minister in the constitutional capital- Cair Paravel.

The festivities are largely centered in the Crown Capital-Buckingham City, Presidency of Windsor. The PM and members of his cabinet, as well as the leader of the opposition, the speakers of the houses of parliament, flew down from Cair Paravel to Buckingham for the celebrations which began at 8 am with an interfaith prayer service on the grounds of St. John The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church. Religions from across the UKZ were represented, including Christians of other denominations, Hindus, Muslims, Roghtanganistines, Jews, and Parsis. King Frederic skipped this event and it was not missed by the media, with news houses calling it a Marquetian snub to Zack Secularism. The PMO, however, stated that "neither Her Majesty nor any government official was offended and it was a free choice of his highness to skip or attend the religious services."

This was followed by Solemn High Mass at St. John's which his highness did attend. Prayers were said for the well being and unity of the UKZ and all her dependent territories. The service ended with God Save The Queen. The mass was presided by the archbishop of Buckingham who was one of the preferred and popular cardinals at the last conclave.

A parade then followed at 10am outside Caspian Palace, this saw marching bands of all wings of the armed forces as well as dance performances from different presidencies and dependent territories of the UKZ.

This was followed by lunch and a ball and fireworks in the night over Buckingham city. The King of Marquette will travel to Cair Paravel now to begin talks with the Zack PM and cabinet in order to deepen relations between the two counties.
This visit is very important as a traditional Eurasian ally was invited to celebrate Zack Independence Day, this is either sign from this government that the UKZ is ready to let the past go or that the UKZ is actively working to isolate Eurasia, something that seems rather lofty but very achievable.

OSTIUM
Tensions have come to a head in Ostium, following the controversial police sting operation against suspected Muslim political groups. Earlier this week, the Ostium Bureau of the Ministry of Police raided several suspected meeting locations for Muslim political advocacy groups, including several mosques. Due to unknown reasons, the raids turned violent, and as of today four people were killed and one policemen seriously wounded. Praetor Marcus Pacuvius, the long-serving Praetor of Ostium, called the deaths "regrettable," but made no further comment.

Following the incident, crowds of Muslims have gathered in the streets of the capital and major cities, lodging themselves in front of the Praetorial Palace and police stations. Boasting signs in both the native language, Khan, and Eurasian, which read variously "Pacuvius Diabolus Est" (Pacuvius is the Devil), "Homo Ego Sum" (I am a human being), the protestors were initially peaceful, but have since turned violent following attempts by the police to remove them from government property. The violence reached a head in the capital, Laeum, where protestors threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Early this morning, however, riots broke out throughout the province, with Praetor Pacuvius declaring a state of Provincial Justitium, equivalent to English State of Emergency. The death toll continues to rise, with rioters killed reaching almost twenty, and one policeman killed by an exploding car. Protestors in various locations have gained access to firearms and have been engaging in firefights with the increasingly overstretched police force. Praetor Pacuvius has declared that he is in consultation with the Julian Palace to determine if the Legions must be deployed.

UPDATE


In a rare press conference, His Imperial Majesty Augustus IV has stated that the 13th Marquette Auxiliary Legion, which is currently stationed in the province, will be deployed to put down what is now being called an uncoordinated insurrection. His Imperial Majesty stated "we will not stand idly by whilst these hoodlums and thugs flout Imperial law." The legion, which is a part of the auxilia and is comprised of Eurasian-speaking Marquettiens under Eurasian command, is expected to deploy within the hour. It is unknown what methods will be used in order to quell the uprising, but it is unlikely to be bloodless.

The 13th Marquette Auxiliary Legion has a checkered past, with it frequently being used as a sort of mercenary force for the Government of Marquette. While nominally a Eurasian military entity, it is stationed in Marquette on the border with Ostium, and is frequently deployed to the troubled province to beat down uprisings from the largely-non-Raetic populace. Moreover, the legion was heavily involved in the genocide which took place in Ostium, then known as Newellia, during the Great War. It is unknown how involved the Marquettien Government will be in the legion's deployment, but it is expected that they will be in some form.

Ostium, Eurasia -- In light of recent unrest, Marquetien forces in the Ostium province of Eurasia have taken full control of the region's principal roadways and access points. Control of government buildings has been regained after several of them were close to being overrun by rioters and extremist religious political groups. The 13th Marquette Auxiliary Legion is rumored to have been cooperating with Marquetien naval and air units to secure the coastline to ensure total isolation of the province's inhabitants. General Tullissimo of the 13th Marquette has stated that, "at this time, our one and only goal is to ensure the security of the region and to prevent further insurrection from giving opportunities to global terrorist sleeper cells."

When asked about a possible course of action for Marquetien forces in the region, Chancellor Joseph Charpentier said he could not comment at this time.

Midterm results are in and left wing Solidarity has made a significant comeback since getting it's arse handed to it by right wing Unity. Under the leadership of Jack Southerland, formerly Vice President in the Garagen administration. Solidarity now commands 54 seats in Senate compared to Unity's 44 and 247 seats in the House of Representatives compared to Unity's 188. That said Southerland, who is tipped to be Solidarity's presidential candidate, is trailing considerably behind incumbent President Maisy Jacotey of the Unity Party. While Jacotey is still a much loved personality and favoured President, her inability to pass the tax reforms act through congress with it being ruled unworkable and officially dropped by congress has led to public confidence in the Unity led government dwindling. Additionally the economy fell short of it's predictions for the 3rd consecutive quarter in the lead-up to the midterm elections, with polls indicating that 63% of New-Zealanders now believe the economy would be performing better had Solidarity remained in power. 

That said, Jacotey has confirmed an overhaul of the power grid following the large scale blackouts last month caused by heightened air conditioning use due to the heat. Jacotey conceded that the current power grid is mostly outdated, with much of it's generation and transmission systems being from the late 60s, early 70s. The KiwiGrid project will cost $2 Trillion in addition to state-owned generation companies individually providing additional financial investment and is expected to take 10 to 15 years to complete. This project of national significance should follow on the tail of Garagen's "Think Big" public investment policy, and keep thousands of contractors and small businesses employed. The project will also see a drop in energy prices around the nation in additional to significant surplus production that should incentivise new businesses and existing companies to expand their operations. Currently large scale manufacturers are being bottlenecked in their energy needs, with some large manufacturers like the Chrysler Group opting to invest in their own onsite generation plant. Polls indicate 84% of the population support the policy, with many citing their concern at the ageing nature of the Social Democracy's dinosaur era nuclear power plants and rising electricity costs due to lack of supply. The Social Democracy already "imports" electricity from neighbouring Arveyres during peak hours to meet demand at an pricey rate.

The Garagen administration's flagship "Federal Hyperway System" had it's final stage of Federal Hyperway 1, currently the only federal hyperway network, opened and the speed limits dropped at 13.53 with a group of 3 district troopers charging through the final leg of the networks New-Zealand wide loop in their marked patrol cars at what looked like full throttle. The Federal Hyperway project was inspired by the smaller Aloian and Arveyrean Autobahn system and manifested as a $680Bn upgrade of the existing State Highway 1 network which loops the mainland and passes through every single one of New-Zealand's 21 districts, with the exception of East Ireland. Federal Hyperway 1 effectively replaced existing roads, mostly State Highway 1 roads, upgrading them along to way to include more lanes, better roading compound, and increased safety such as corner smoothing. FH1 will technically have no speed limit, but electronic overhead signposts will enforce a speed limit in times of low visibility, surface water, heavy traffic or other hazardous conditions. We are told FH1 will somewhat increase productivity of local businesses, but the Department of Business, Innovation and Employment has stated that this is likely to not make a large difference as the vast majority of inter-district trade is transported through the Railway network, albeit thanks to Garagen's other KiwiRail Upgrade policy. The Department of Transport officially stated in it's post project report that while the project came in only 9% overbudget, at $679.4 Billion funded and owned wholly by the NZTA through taxation, it is expected to take an indefinitely long period to recoup it's extra expense of the initially planned $180Bn routine SH1 upgrade, especially when factoring in extra maintenance and operating costs of the FH1 network as well as loss of speeding ticket revenue. That said the project will drastically reduce travel times for inter-district commuters, particularly around the holiday periods, and was marketed to the public as such by the previous administration. Public support for the project has been significant from day one, with 87% of people supporting the initial proposal and 74% of people still supporting it now with the additional expenses. Future NZTA and Department of Transport plans for the Hyperway system are to maintain the FH1 network and potentially phase more of the State Highway system into the Federal Hyperway system citing support, success of FH1 and fiscal viability. 

The completion of the project will come as a double edged sword to the incumbent Jacotey-led Unity administration that recently lost vital swing seats in congress to opposition Solidarity. While some may attribute the lower commute times of the FH network to the government as a whole and the increased public satisfaction will support the strength of the existing government, Solidarity and opposition leader Jack Southerland will work tirelessly to remind the public that the Federal Hyperway and other successful national projects are a direct result of Solidarity and Solidarity alone. The success of the Jacotey administration and Unity's immediate success in the next general elections will hang on the success and marketing of her flagship KiwiGrid electricity project. At $2 Trillion (1.3 of which is directly from the federal government through tax revenue) over the next 10 to 15 years the KiwiGrid policy alone is about as ambitious as Garagen's KiwiRail Upgrade, Hyperway System and Smart Cities projects combined. With recent announcements from Arveyres suggesting that our supply of electricity from their grid to meet demand may no longer be as safe as we'd liked to believe. Regardless of whether Jacotey manages to politically sell the KiwiGrid policy to the public well enough to save her administration remains to be seen, but the project is one that can't come too soon and will almost definitely be continued by Solidarity should they come into power at the end of the term. 

Lastly consumer confidence fell once more this month as major defence contractor's BlackAcre, Chrysler Heavy Industries and Boeing Defence, Space and Security all reported their sales fell short of expectations and subsequently sparked a drop in their share values. The unexpected and recent stability in the geopolitical sphere, particular in regards to the typically frosty Kiwi-Eurasian relationship, has seen many of the worlds defence forces downsizing their orders and in some cases cancelling the future run altogether. The NZDF was no different, dropping their purchase rate for for Sentinel FIII class destroyers from Chrysler Heavy Industries ship yards in order to save costs and shelving a potential new aircraft carrier class design and purchase run. Subsequently the NZDF indefinitely shelved a contract for new STOL aircraft from Boeing for carrier purposes, paying the design segment of the contract and termination agreement but cancelling a lucrative production run for the aircraft range. Increased gun control in New-Zealand and around the world has also seen a drop in private sales for leading gun manufacturer BlackAcre Inc.

All in all the economy is still performing relatively well and holding it's world leading status. However following nearly a decade on constant positive "guess what, it's even better" news from the previous Garagen administration, the public is understandably seeing neutral news in a negative light. Economists however have argued that the Garagen era economic growth was unsustainable and continued rates of such growth would inevitably lead in to a large scale market crash and global recession. In their eyes while our economy is no longer growing at the same rate, it's finally becoming stable and dependable. Rather than the fluctuating rollercoaster of the past 15 years.

Leader of Irish Conservatives Patrick Grant(left) and Sinn Fein President Edward Collins(right)

In a public office building 2 miles north of Dublin the Leader of the centre-right party, Irish Conservatives, and president of the left-wing Sinn Fein met in a small office to sign a letter to the nations of the world demanding the return of Irish land to the Irish people. This comes two months after the two parties took control of multiple City and County Councils and 3 weeks after Collins formed a shadow government with himself as Taoiseach(Prime Minister) and Grant as President.

"We demand that there must be an Irish Parliament that speaks for Irish people. We demand that there is an Irish Executive made up of Irish people speaking for the Irish people. We demand that there is an Irish Judiciary to interpret Irish laws. We demand that all lands that were taken and divided up by the nations of the world be returned to the Irish people so there is an Irish nation to pass Irish laws and represent the Irish people." said Sinn Fein's Edward Collins.

"We don't want to take this land back by violence but our people can march and have marched and will continue to march for freedom, justice, and the establishment of the Irish nation."

The letter asks the nation of the world to allow a referendum on the matter of Irish sovereignty and elections for an Irish Parliament at the same time. The Leader of the far-right party, New Ireland, said that "If Irish lands aren't returned to Irish people we will kill the citizens of the nations who colonize us until our freedom is granted." These comments were quickly condemned by the Shadow Council of Ireland and Wales, the "Governing" body of the Irish people until freedom is granted.

Questions were quickly raised on the issue of Wales which was seen as part of the downfall of Ireland a while back. Edward Collins says "We will split Wales right down the middle. Part will go to UKZ and part will go to us. There is no reason to fight like this."

Naval freighter recaptured after harrowing terrorist plot

JAMESTOWN, Arcadia -- The RANS Mission San Luis Rey has been recaptured the Second Pacific Fleet in the rogue islands south of Kaevi. The Mission San Luis Rey is a Mission San Jacinto-class freighter that was traveling from Patagonia to Arcadia when it was ambushed by pirates in the south Pacific Ocean. San Luis Rey was carrying outdated weapons and armaments back to McNear Naval Base outside Jamestown.

San Luis Rey left Oceanside Naval Base in southern Patagonia on February 13. Contact was lost on February 15 as the ship was passing through the Rogue Islands in the South Pacific. McNear Base dispatched the Riga-class light cruisers RAS Tyro and RAS Danzig to investigate. Tyro and Danzig reached the islands on February 16 and began their search for San Luis Rey. They discovered San Luis Rey beached on Hyacinth Island in Apollo Atoll. Apollo Atoll is the largest atoll in the world, a ring of 45 islands approximately 35 miles in diameter. As the Aloian ships approached Hyacinth Island, they were surprised the hijackers had armed and were using the outdated weapons. When being shipped, old Aloian weapons are always disassembled and only Aloian Navy officers have the ability to reassemble and activate the weapons. Nevertheless, the hijackers were able to activate some of the ship-crippling missiles and fired on at Danzig, critically damaging the ship.

Danzig and Tyro turned and were able to hide behind Gardner Island and began repair work on Danzig. Meanwhile, the ships sent out drone scouts to assess the situation. They found an encampment on Hyacinth Island of fighters from the Nacosta Revolutionary Army. NRA is a far-left revolutionary group from Anacostia, made up mostly of members of the Nacosta people, the natives of Anacostia. NRA fighters have been tied to bombings and attacks on Aloian communities throughout Anacostia. The NRA have stated their goal is "the liberation of Nacosta territory and expulsion of colonial oppressors."

At this point, the Aloian ships called for backup from nearby allied ships, and the Arveyran HSS Vincix answered the request. The combined Aloian-Arveyran expeditionary force were able to capture Hyacinth Island in combat, though they were unable to stop a small group of NRA fighters from escaping with one crate of weapons and body armor. This small group of fighters appears to have been led by former Lt. Commander Frank Thibodeau, a naval officer who went missing in 2016, but we now know defected to the NRA. Thibodeau must have shown the NRA fighters how to reassemble and activate the old weapons. It's unsure exactly where Thibodeau and the NRA soldiers escaped to, but the Royal Navy will not stop searching until they are apprehended.

After the battle, the RAS Hatteras was deployed to tow San Luis Rey back to Jamestown and ships from the Royal Aloian 3rd Fleet are now actively patrolling the rogue islands and searching for the missing NRA fighters and arms.

Political deadlock inside Landsraad continues: waiting for King's move ---- Far left activisties staging protests in Astana tracked by police and arrested, spokesperson ---- Eindhoven Air Show to be postponed due to weather; fears that political uncertainty may have influenced the decision ---- Eindhoven Stock Exchange Indexes: AFIX -5.0% ; FIX -3.2% ; NTIA -6.0% ---- Would you like to know more? More updates and insights on www.ntko.co.tj



Astana.
After weeks of apparent calm, political tensions in New Tarajan are again boiling up to the surface. After the funerals of Prince Maximilian V Van Sondenburg, Lord President of the Landsraad, which were held in his native town of Horatstadt, the race for succession is going to end sooner than expected, or so it appears at first.
Indeed, amid a growing escalation between the rival Major Houses, rumors from the Royal Palace point toward the possibility that King Friederick Wilhelm will announce his official candidate for the prestigious role soon next week.
At the moment, the Major Houses are roughly divided into two blocks: the first, which advanced the candidature of the Duke of Eindhoven, Meinhard III Van Geldern, is comprised of many western Houses, although with some notable exception; the eastern Houses have presented their alternative in the person of Wilhelm V Van Ceytal, Grand Duke of Middensteden.
Lacking official consesus for one of the two candidates, the situation in the Landsraad has slowly moved toward a political deadlock, which is negatively influencing the Diet as well: political parties are taking their own position into the question, with the Far Right openly supporting the eastern Houses, while, out of official politics, movements affiliated to the far left are staging protests in the capital and other larger cities in order to call for the removal of all Landsraad Houses and the abolition of the monarchy.
The King has made no announcement yet about what position he will take, but rumors from the Royal Palace point toward the possibility of a mediation candidate, in the person of Godfried, son of the deceased Prince and his heir at the head of House Van Sondenburg, or alternatively Rudolf V De Witte, Count of Zeeland. This last choice, in particular, has the merit of putting in the chair a person already expert of the field (Count Rudolf took the seat of Deputy Lord President for five years) and with powerful links to the political world (he's the uncle of Prime Minister De Witte-Beulen) and in the aristocracy (House De Witte being an ancient cadet branch of House Van Sondenburg).
However, there's no clue about whether both these candidates could be acceptable to the rival blocks inside the Landsraad.
Moreover, the political fight is being fuelled also by growing concerns about a deteriorating situation in the international arena: the possibility of renewed conflict between the UKZ and Ireland over Wales, for example, is looked with discomfort by Astana, worried that the vicinity of the conflict could endanger the economic recovery of the Kingdom (which has already halted due to the climate of political uncertainty); news of terrorist plots from Anacostia, and the weakening of central government in Arveyres, also, have not been welcomed too gladly in New Tarajan. While the government already pledged full assistance to Aloia, in a note released this morning, about the pursuit of any possible Anacostian terrorist to be found in the Kingdom's territories and beyond, no comment has been released about Arveyres yet, but the ambassador has been seen meeting the King in more than one occasion recently, so probably the issue has been discussed at closed doors.
So, the tenure of the Tarajani political system is inextricably double-linked to that of the international system: a failure on one end of the chain could have unprecedented and unforeseeable consequences on the other.
How other countries will eventually react is still to be seen, together with the move that King Friederick Wilhelm will design to get out of the impasse.

As the COZI (Committee on Zack Ireland) had promised, the second in a series of three referendums were held on February 28th, and the results show that 52% of the population in Free Britain and 51% in New Ireland voted against a united Ireland. This comes after the extreme polarization carried out by the Zack Authorities, pitting the Free British (South Ireland) Roman Catholic Population against a largely protestant New Irish (North Ireland) population.

But as the Irish Conservatives and Sinn Fein have won several cities and provincial council elections, the call for a parliament for Ireland have grown stronger, but the question remains if there will be one united Irish Parliament or two separate ones for the North and South. The Viceroy of New Ireland and Free Britain have said that a parliament for Ireland will only be possible after the last referendum (after Easter season) which will ascertain for sure if there is a united or divided Ireland. They renewed their promise that the Irish People will get democratically elected representation.

The Zack Government has called Kiwi and Irish representatives as well as the two Irish Viceroys for a meet in Cair Paravel to discuss the future of Zack and New-Zealand Ireland. This meeting will come in the background of a very polarised and divided Ireland, where reports of violence between Protestant and Catholic groups in Ireland are starting to surface. The repercussions of this can be felt in even in UKZ as a protestant Irish immigrant studying in the Presidency of Eucharesto was attacked by Zack Catholics on his college campus.

The Zack government has called for calm and the Archdiocese of Glasgow and Cardiff are planning on a joint Catholic-Protestant Easter celebration at the end of this month.

What will come of this summit could make matters worse or better, only time and the attitude of the attending parties will determine its outcome.

State visit in Grand Haven

GRAND HAVEN -- Queen Victoria and Prince Daniel are meeting Chancellor John Mark Nelson in Grand Haven this week as Aloia and New Zealand begin negotiations to renew Aloia's 99-year lease over New Brighton.

In late 1918, King Erik XIII and Chancellor George Nelson came to New Zealand seeking to lease the small island off the coast of New Zealand, then known as Leona. Leona had a small village located on its southern point, but otherwise it was economically underdeveloped and had little to no resource value or strategic value for New Zealand. The King and Chancellor saw value in the little sandy spot as a future center of industry and commerce and were able to acquire the island for the Kingdom on a 99-year lease. After Leona had been acquired, the island was renamed New Brighton in honor of Brighton, Wessex. Two cities were built on the island, Halfmoon Bay and Nelson. The island became a primary entry point for Aloian goods entering the Kiwi market, and vice versa. New Brighton also hosts a major Aloian naval base, with a portion of the First Anacostian Fleet stationed there.

Today, as fate would have it, Chancellor George Nelson's great-grandson, Chancellor John Mark Nelson, and King Erik XIII's great-great-granddaughter, Queen Victoria, are returning to New Zealand to renegotiate Aloia's lease on the island and also to conduct a state visit. It's almost completely certain that the Aloians will leave Grand Haven with a solid deal, as it's in both countries' best interests that the island remain a center of Aloian commerce, supporting a portion of New Zealand's economy.

Queen Victoria and Chancellor Nelson are also scheduled to meet with President Maisey Jacotey on Capitol Hill and host a banquet at the Aloian Embassy. Chancellor Nelson is also slated to meet with Jack Anderson, head of the opposing Solidarity Party.

Collins: "UKZ Divided Ireland. Ireland Didn't Divide Itself."

In an address to the press, last night Sinn Fein President Edward Collins bashed UKZ for dividing Ireland. "When the Irish Government collapsed there wasn't a protestant-catholic divide here. What happened was UKZ came in acting like they knew what they were doing. Divided Ireland up and pushed to make it seem like we hated each other. It's gotten to the point where there is now a Protestant-Catholic divide and I think that is the complete fault of the UKZ Government. I have a lot of respect for them but they don't know a damn thing about governing a foreign country. That's why it's important for there to be a united Irish parliament over a United Ireland.

A united government can fix the problems that UKZ caused yet the UKZ is sitting here toying with the idea of creating two separate bodies. That can't stand. It won't stand.

I'll go to UKZ along with Patrick Grant where we will both fight for a united Ireland. I think the UKZ has caused enough problems in this nation and it's time we realized the mistakes Ireland made in the past and start to actually govern ourselves."

This comes not long after the UKZ Government extended an invitation to Irish leaders for a summit which was accepted. The outburst from Collins leads many to believe if the rising tensions will blow up at the summit or will things actually get solved.

The centrist party, New Labour, also signed onto the United Ireland pact, a pact of political parties in Ireland that have joined together to fight for a United Ireland. The leader of New Ireland, a far-right militaristic party, tried joining in but Collins had the man arrested by The National Security Forces, an unofficial police force funded by the political parties.