Andoran Union of Journalists - Unión Andora de Periodistas

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Armada Herald
Codexian Print 28 January 2022

A Repudiation of the UCA
By Elena García

Porta Armada- This may be a bit overwhelming for those people who are still soundly asleep in a world of make-believe and television and who don’t want to hear how the UCA offers us no happiness, no answers, naught but the cold embrace of the void. To begin with an illustrative case, the UCA has stated that we can change the truth if we don’t like it the way it is. One clear inference from that statement—an inference that is never really disavowed—is that decaying public confidence in our politics implies that the truth doesn’t matter anymore. Now that’s just pigheaded. I just want to say that we have a number of problems for which the UCA bears most of the responsibility. You don’t believe me? Well, consider that the UCA advises its slaveys to bombard me with insults. Such advice isn’t merely bad; it’s dangerous. It tells us that I, speaking as someone who is not a discourteous, moonstruck mumpsimus, strive to be consistent in my arguments. I can’t say that I’m 100% true to this, but the UCA’s frequent vacillating leads me to believe that I would like to have a civilized conversation with it on the subject of whether or not it intends to make insecure, grumpy spielers out to be something they’re not. In such a conversation, I would of course politely and respectfully point out that you’ll never hear the UCA admit it made a mistake. On the other hand, I would not need to bring up that it isn’t enough for it to stifle the free inquiry of science and the application of its discoveries towards bettering the lot of mankind. It adds insult to injury by asserting that it is able to abrogate the natural order of effects flowing from causes. What balderdash! What impudence! What treachery!

The facts the UCA has often stated contain some serious distortions. Some are blatant; others are subtle. One of the most iniquitous is the UCA’s discussion of unrestrained finks. If the mass news media were actually in the business of covering news rather than molding public attitudes to subject us to an intense barrage of misinformation, deception, and hidden propaganda, they would unmistakably report that if the UCA’s thinking were cerebral rather than glandular, it wouldn’t consider it such a good idea to brand me as obsessive-compulsive. I mean, it wants us to believe that we can solve all of our problems by giving it lots of money. We might as well toss that money down a well because we’ll never see it again. What we will see, however, is that the UCA claims that it can make all of our problems go away merely by sprinkling some sort of magic pink pixie dust over everything that it considers truculent or irrational. That claim is preposterous and, to use the UCA’s own language, overtly effrontive. No history can justify it.

What, then, does antiprestidigitation mean? It means considerably more than any dictionary is likely to say. I’ve suggested before that unless we stand our ground, things will only get worse. I would now like to suggest that if it manages to plunge us into the dark abyss of annihilation, it’s have won, and we’ll have lost. I do not intend to let the UCA win. That’s why you’ll soon see me leading protests against its profligate, hoggish memoirs. Imagine a thousand people shouting in unison, What do we want? To educate the public on a range of issues! When do we want it? Now! Okay, perhaps a pithier slogan would help, but the UCA’s occasional demonstrations of benevolence are not genuine. Nor are its promises. In fact, the UCA dismisses its denigrators as either servants of an existing power structure or as sufferers of false consciousness. Now that that’s cleared up, I’ll continue with what I was saying before, that to it, the fact that its jejune threats have yielded little in the way of positive results—and that they sincerely have dangerous long-term consequences—is not a reason to stop and reassess. Rather, the UCA sees this as a call to action, as an opportunity to keep a close eye on those who look like they might think an unapproved thought. Although it’s because of the UCA’s willingness to prevaricate and equivocate that from the very beginning, the worst kinds of palookas there are have labored to recruit into their ranks the sons and daughters of the powerful, famous, and rich, when you look back over the text of this article, it should be clear that I have defeated this bookish, wretched Xanthippe with my words. Just imagine what I could have done with my fire-breathing fists.

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Corric Daily Post
Codexian Print - 31 January 2022

Federation Nuclear Program Met With Sanctions

Orléans Capitale République- The Federation of the Southern Coast, a Norgsveldet monarchy dominion and socialist nation in western Yasteria, announced today that they were officially a nuclear-armed state. The Prime Minister, Jeanne Pierre, released the information during a session of the Federation’s parliament, terming their weapons program “Star Kindle.” Prime Minister Pierre insisted that the development of the Federation’s nuclear capabilities were necessary to defend the nation from their neighbor and enemy, the Vistari Empire. The Prime Minister stated that Star Kindle gave the Federation “full” nuclear capabilities, but the details on whether the nation now operates a nuclear triad or ballistic missiles are unclear.

The Royal Cabinet moved almost immediately to condemn the development and impose sanctions on the Federation. The most esteemed Prime Minister Orellana and the esteemed First Minister Goméz of the Ministry of Diplomacy both released statements to the press on the matter. Prime Minister Orellana said during an emergency press conference that “the Federation’s defense situation notwithstanding, their decision to continue the pursuit of fissile weaponry is massively misguided and dangerous. Urth already has enough nuclear-armed nations, in our opinion, and the fact these were created specifically as part of ongoing hostile relations between two nations does not give the Cabinet confidence they will be responsibly cared for.” First Minister Goméz echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments in a printed press release, further describing that “the Royal Cabinet, in agreement with His Grace the King and the House of the Nobility, have moved to impose economic restrictions on trade with the Federation going forwards.” The Corric Kingdom is projected to no longer supply the Federation with mineral materials and military arms, with heavy tariffs imposed on all goods imported from the Yasterian nation.

The history of nuclear weapons in the Corric Kingdom is very hotly debated. While the previous King, his Grace Benito Ares, pursued the technology on and off throughout the second half of the 20th century, His Grace the King Sebastián II put a hold on development at the trial phase citing a “lack of need for weapons of mass destruction.” More militant parties in government have pushed for the development to be re-started, but the nuclear terrorist incident several years ago caused the Popular Assembly to permanently ban any sort of weaponizable nuclear technology with the nation’s borders via popular referendum. This has restricted Corric nuclear sciences to the power generation field, though the knowledge and capabilities to restart the nation’s fissile arms program remains. In a 2019 poll, 79% of Corric citizens said they viewed nuclear weapons as dishonorable and against sapient rights.

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Political News Journal
Codexian Print - 1 February 2022

Final Prime Minister Candidates Prepare for Elections

Eleçeron- The candidates for the elections for Prime Minister have been nominated by their respective parties and all who have accepted the nomination will proceed to the election campaigns over the coming month. The Popular Assembly convened today to observe the commencement of the election period, which lasts until the 1st of March as Representatives and Prime Minister candidates traditionally hold community events and canvass for constituent support. The honorable Minister of the Assembly Ruíz took the oaths of the six Prime Minister candidates for the commencement of a fair, chivalric, and competitive election season. All six candidates are bound by these oaths going forwards and may be dismissed from the elections and the Assembly if the House of the Nobility’s Election Review Board finds any evidence of fraud or subterfuge in their campaigns.

The seven candidates are as follows:

• The Honored Juan José Salazar (CC-OC), Floor Captain for the Chivalric Caucus. Nominated only yesterday after fierce deliberations behind closed doors that lasted for the better part of the month, Señor Salazar is a veteran of the Assembly and has served in a variety of positions within it and the Royal Cabinet. Popularly termed “Tío de Asmblea,” he has served for a total of forty-eight years in government first starting as a junior staffer for Representative Rafael Morata of Tonderouca. Occupying the position of Assembly Liason during Morata’s tenure as Prime Minister, Señor Salazar was appointed as the First Minister for the Justice in the following Ayerbe administration before going on to be elected as the Representative for his home Province of Occuñés five times in a row. After serving as Prime Minister Notario’s Second Minister from 2010 to 2016, he was returned to the Assembly as the Floor Captain of the Chivalric Caucus. His career and skills in politics are well-regarded and he remains one of the most notable members of the Corric government. His nomination suggests that there was either a lack of acceptable CC candidates or so many were proposed that the party became paralyzed. Whatever the case may be, Señor Salazar accepted the nomination and now has the support of the largest political party in Antora behind him.

• The Honored Diana Ballester (APP-TO), Senior Member of the Antoran Progress Party. Señora Ballester’s nomination came as no surprise as she has been a candidate twice before in the elections. She is a widely-respected economist and has served for ten years on the Board on Economic Relations Abroad, one of the chief groups in government responsible for the details of trade and financial interactions with other countries. Señora Ballester serves as the Chairwoman of the Board and has overseen negotiations with Cryria, Volkia, and Kurikia in recent years. Currently on her fourth term representing Tonderouca, and with a Gold Publishing Award-winning book titled “The Economic and Sociopolitical Sciences as Applied to Public Legislatur,” Señora Ballester is a strong choice for many according to public opinion.

• The Honored Xabier Montemayor (APP-SA), Member of the Antoran Progress Party. Señor Montemayor is the Vice Goverment Chair for the Board of Public Works, a position he has held for six years, before which he served as the Junior Minister of the Interior for Prime Minister Notario. His career as the Mayor of Quenco catapulted him into the national spotlight when he announced that he would be devoting all of his salary to the improvement of government services and local roads. An advocate for increased infrastructure, public welfare programs, and transparency of the democratic process, Señor Montemayor has ran alongside Señora Ballester on behalf of the APP in previous Prime Minister’s elections.

• The Honored Alberto Zamorano (ES-CJ), Floor Captain for the Environmental Stewards. In a pre-planned move Señor Zamorano was nominated by his party without notifying him first, causing a shakeup in representation that has forced Zamorano to step down as Floor Captain for the duration of elections. A published scientist in the field of marine environmentals, and a veteran of the Royal Cabinet, Señor Zamorano is one of the oldest and most experienced candidates in these elections. Appointed to the position of Junior Minister of the Environment under Prime Minister Morata in 1986, he went on to serve as the First Minister under Prime Minister Lagos in 1998. The Representative has been elected by his constituents from Castijara in every election since and is the most senior member of the Environmental Stewards outside of the party’s Royal Conference leadership.

• The Honored Cavalier Inez Majuré Soriano (FF-MS), member of the Feudalist Front. A controversial nomination backed by the FF as well as the Royalists and Deus Vult, Cavalier Soriano is an embattled candidate with no formal political positions to call upon for experience other than their Representativeship. As a two-term Representative in the Assembly, they were elected from Marsalvano on a position of military reform and restructuring. Cavalier Soriano’s positions have been popular with security-minded members of the Assembly as well as voters, and their input as a veteran of the Royal Corric Armed Legion’s 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment has been requested at many meetings of the Board of Armed Service Oversight. Being courted for a seat next office term indicated a rising importance that has ben called into question by many, including their constituents, now that Cavalier Soriano has been endorsed by the hardline nationalist parties in the Assembly.

• The Honored German Rabellini (HAC-SA), Junior Member of the Honorable Action Caucus. Señor Rabellini is a popular Representative with young voters for his outspoken opposition to corporate over-reach, environmentally destructive policies, and corruption in government. He currently holds a seat on the Board on Business Regulation, having formerly served as Chief of Staff to the chairman, the honored Julí Maestros (CPF-AJ.) It is unusual for Representatives to hold board seats during their first term and many within his party and the public have taken this as a sign Señor Rabellini has potential. His loud demeanor has some voters concerned about his election chances, though.

The Coastal Prosperity Front nominated Jose Maria Malillos (CPF-TO,) who rescinded his acceptance last week on grounds of ill health. The Royalists, Island Secession Caucus, and Deus Vult declined to nominate any candidates for this election, leaving the field to six. The candidates will face each other in various debates during March, and voting will take place on the 22nd of March for the nation’s public. The final results will be known by the 24th, with the winner of the election petitioning His Grace the King for investiture on the 1st of April.

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Political News Journal
Codexian Print - 2 February 2022

Death of Rep. Salazar in Drunken Crash, Elections Narrowed

Occuñés- The Honored Juan José Salazar, Representative to the House of the Populace for Occuñés, was killed in his hometown in the early hours of the morning as part of a three-car crash. Señor Salazar was heading to his residence in the town’s Piñe neighborhood when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Both cars then impacted a third vehicle, a sports utility vehicle, due to the momentum. The drunk driver and Señor Salazar were pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the SUV was taken to Saint Adriana’s Provincial Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The intersection of Main and Sparrow Streets in downtown Occuñés remains closed off as forensic investigations and crews from the District Transport Authority work to clean up the situation.

Sevitoria Ducal Guard officer Sergeant Marti Sánchez, as the first responder on the scene, spoke briefly to the press on the incident. Sergeant Sánchez said that he and his partner, DCG officer Corporal Luka Ferrufino, had stopped the drunk driver two miles north on Sparrow Street approximately five minutes prior to the accident. The driver, a middle-aged woman, appeared severely intoxicated and fled the traffic stop before the officers could extricate her from her car. The officers attempted pursuit only for the crash to happen shortly after. Identification of the driver will be released along with the autopsy reports. As is the procedure for national law enforcement and Guard services, Sergeant Sánchez and Corporal Ferrufino have been placed on leave pending an internal review.

Señor Salazar leaves behind a husband, Diego Jurado-Salazar, and two children. Señor Jurado-Salazar was contacted for a statement but provided no comment other than to request the family’s privacy at this time. The Ministry for Popular Assembly and the Chivalric Caucus released a joint announcement detailing that support for Señor Salazar’s relatives would be undertaken using material from political aid funds. With the death of the candidate of the largest political party in the nation, and certainly the most popular one, the outcome of this year’s election cycle has become extremely unclear. Professor Laura Malillos of the Royal Corric Academy’s School of Politics estimated that “the certainty of any one candidate winning the people’s support and the votes of the Assembly has dropped from a likelihood of 79% to nearly 32.1%. I really don’t know if we will see a traditional coalition government when this is over.”

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
National Defense Enquirer
Codexian Print - 4 February 2022

Armada Downsizes Further, Ships Offered for Sale

Descarai- In the latest move to modernize the Defense Forces, the Armada has announced they will be moving 14 ships into reserve status. These ships constitute a significant portion of the Armada’s surface fleet that will now occupy drydocks for several months undergoing mothballing. Both remaining ships of the Rége Felípé class of guided missile frigate, the ARC Rége Felípé and ARC Rége Marius Sancho, will be retired to the Royal Corric Armada Reserve Flotilla, along with the Princesa Mariangel and Princípe Jerónimo class of corvettes. These ten warships will be joined by the four Garra class patrol vessels to make way for the new Amity class Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels. As the largest reduction in fleet numbers since the 1980s, the Armada leaves a significant gap in their doctrinal capabilities by retiring these ships from active service. The Princípe Jerónimo corvettes, classified as gunboats for their lack of missiles, and the Princesa Mariangels formed the bulk of the Armada’s air defense ships. The Armada’s Public Outreach Office stated that at this time they are “exploring replacement options both domestically and abroad.”

The Bureau of Procurement, a Ministry of Armed Services office, issued a concurrent statement that the Princípe Jerónimos and the Garras would be available for sale to other nations’ naval forces. “While neither class of vessel possesses helicopter facilities or missile armaments, they are equipped with battle-proven radar, targeting, and gunnery fittings and have the facilities and endurance to be capable green-water warships or patrol craft for nations looking to source cost-effective assets,” BoP spokesman Juan Gavalié said. The BoP plans to offer the corvettes at a price of $150 million and the patrol craft at a price of $80 million. The four remaining corvettes of Princesa Mariangel class along with the missile frigates will be held for emergency wartime use by the Armada.

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Corric Daily Post
Codexian Print - 1 February 2022

Populace Outrage Over Posol Industries Reaches a Boiling Point

Covieles- In one of the largest public demonstrations in the last five years, over 45,000 people gathered in the city of Covieles, Vizedora District this morning. Initially part of a Pigeon-organized “Antora Against Trafficking” protest, the demonstration was centered around the Posol Industries Covieles Hub, a large business park and logistics center located near the city’s waterfront. The protests, which were peaceful if vocal for the first several hours, soon turned active upon the Hub’s day shift change. Posol employees were blocked from entering and leaving the property by the large crowds which filled the street and several blocks around the Hub. When the Posol security on-site attempted to clear the way, many protesters began accosting them, starting a spiral that ended in the crowds storming into the Hub facilities and damaging products, equipment, and vehicles.

Ever since the information that Posol Industries CEO and head of Baykalia Lady Posol had been orchestrating one of the largest sapient trafficking operations on the planet, revealed by MBE’s Operation Wraith and the actions of East Auroran News Network journalists Robert Edwards and Samminel Johannes, the worldwide uproar against the company, nation, and executive have been fierce. While the Corric Kingdom and the League of Novaris have condemned and sanctioned all involved, moving to seize financial and physical assets, many Corric citizens feel that the government has been dragging its feet. Posol Industries still operates several facilities within the nation’s borders, and some feel that they continue to be used in illegal enterprise despite the government crackdown.

“I really think that there’s something going on behind the scenes here. The Assembly and the Cabinet say they’re gonna take Posol down in our country. They’re gonna seize the money, seize the records, shut everything down. And yet there’s these big Hub places that people still go to work at, they’re still running, they’re still shipping stuff in and out. I get people need jobs. I get people need their stuff delivered wherever. I just don’t get why these places haven’t been swarmed by the Guard yet. For all we know they could still be grabbing people off the street and sending them out of these Hubs in shipping crates.”

The words of Maya Arianga, 42, of Covieles echo a sentiment felt by many in the city and in other municipalities that have Posol facilities. According to Señora Arianga, one of the organizers of the demonstration, community members want to ensure that the crimes of Posol Industries are not going to continue so near to their homes. The demonstration was intended to peacefully prevent the operation of the Hub until the government could step in to completely remove the Auroran company’s presence. While the organizers feel it was regrettable that the Hub was occupied and damaged, the mood of many of the protesters was one of satisfaction. A male individual climbed atop a Posol delivery van and burned the Baykalian flag along with a printed poster of Lady Posol to the cheers of several thousand others.

The honored Spokesman for the Covieles Municipal Patrol, Captain Arturo Gonzalez García, spoke with the CDP on the matter of the protests. “While we cannot anticipate the actions of crowds this size, my department was aware of the event in advance and made sure to contain it to a previously-agreed upon set of streets. Officers from the Municipal Patrol as well as District Guard forces were on standby to contain any spillover and excessive violence, as well as to treat injuries.” When questioned why the city did not station officers at the Hub, the target of the demonstration, Captain García responded that “risk assessment and standing orders advised that course of action as too dangerous and inflammatory to be feasible.” The Captain refused to elaborate on the phrase ‘standing orders.’

Governmental response to the incident has been markedly neutral. In a short press conference, the honored Junior Minister of Law Enforcement, Jose Angel Artigas said that his “Ministry is monitoring the situation and will advise district and municipal-level authorities if and when arrests, interviews, and prosecution are necessary. We wholeheartedly condemn the actions of Posol Industries and the affiliated parties in the ongoing scandal. However, we urge citizens not to get carried away in seeking redressment, as these actions have the serious potential to adversely impact fellow Corric citizens both in terms of physical safety and financial stability.” The Ministry of the Interior likewise issued a press release detailing that it is monitoring political trends and situations regarding Posol and Baykalia, and that it would “be reviewing the options of the government in cooperation with the rest of the Cabinet and the Assembly Boards as to the possibility of nationalizing or otherwise removing Posol Industries operations within our borders.”

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Corric Daily Post
Codexian Print - 9 February 2022

Employees of NYA Conglomerate Detained, Deported

Royal Corric Armada H-23 Uro helicopters lift off from the deck of the ARC Gracia de Régne, Newport Harbor

Newport- Elements of the Royal Corric Armada and Royal Corric Guard made landfall in Nystatiszna today for the first armed repatriation of Corric citizens in more than two hundred years. In an agreement with the Nystatinne government, the Crown authorized the operation to remand the assets and employees of Corric mining companies operating in the Borean nation. The Armada flagship ARC Gracia de Régne was dispatched to convey the Guard’s 8th and 9th Companies from the Julinazo Brigade, accompanied by the frigates ARC Rége Diego Erik and ARC Régeñe Maria Platia as well as the multirole logistics ship ARC Santa Emmanuel. The Guard made landfall in the Nystatinne capital of Newport early this morning accompanied by a team of Royal Inquisitors from the Ministry of the Justice.

Over the next three days the 8th Company, along with the Inquisitors and agents from the Nystatiszna Intelligence Bureau, will travel to the various mining operations established across the Nystatinne countryside by “the Conglomerate” - a business venture between the Corric mining companies Anbareza Corporation, Antora Mining Limited and Kimaneó Holdings. The Corric citizens at these sites will be transported via the Gracia de Régne’s helicopter compliment to Newport, where they will be processed by the Guard’s 9th Company and held to await transport home via Royal Corric Merchant Marine ships. The financial records and assets of the Conglomerate in Nystatiszna will also be seized, though their tangible assets have been ceded to the Nystatinne government as compensation for their cooperation.

This repatriation comes after the Popular Assembly found the executives of the three mining corporations negligent in their business operations and in contempt of official summons. The hearings on the alleged ignorance of Corric corporate regulations held by the Houses of the Populace and Nobility brought to light found that the Anbareza and Kimaneó board of directors knowingly flaunted legal statutes covering worker exploitation, tax reporting, and workplace safety. The executives of the two companies, in attempts to defend themselves, submitted evidence that implicated each other in the various schemes to abuse the Nystatinne economy and populace for financial gain, and defrauded Corric workers of union protections in a foreign workplace.

The executives from Antora Mining Limited failed to appear before the Assembly at all, defying the Summons to the Courts and Demand of Honorable Justification they were issued. Subsequent warrants from the Courts of Honor led to the arrest of all but one executive from the three corporations. Kimaneó CFO Adelmart Adohnes has embezzled millions of Régnes and fled to Gamlevinland, according to the Ministry of the Justice. The Ministry of the Interior issued a Councilor’s Charge, the most important and weighty proclamation a Royal Ministry may make, requiring all assets of the three corporations to be nationalized and their employees in Nystatizna to be repatriated for interview and possible criminal trial.

The Royal Cabinet’s Ministries of the Justice, Armed Services, and Diplomacy have closely coordinated with Nystatinne authorities to ensure this repatriation effort is a success. The Corporate Investment and Operations Act of 1999 states “no company, enterprise, business, or other private financial entity native to and registered in Corric territory may do business with, operate in, invest in, support, endorse, or otherwise act in the interests of any international state that practices species apartheid, the genocide of religious, ethnic, or other groups, or restricts heavily the rights of citizens that live there.” Up until recently, Nystatiszna fit this description. Many crimes of violence, deprivation, and persecution of various species within the country led the Royal Cabinet to cut ties in the 1960s. Though the nation has been making strides to improve, the Conglomerate’s investments began before these reforms, thus breaking the CIO Act. Ministry of Diplomacy spokesman Carlos Rod Majóre said during a press conference today that “the actions of the Nystatinne government have been honorable in their cooperation with our Ministries. Empress Ingrid’s directives and reforms have shown that the nation is moving in a positive direction. Their assistance in repairing our legal honor and the repatriation of our citizens and assets give the Ministry of Diplomacy hope that a road to normalizing relations has opened.”

The Corric citizens working in Nystatiszna are expected to be processed by the Royal Inquisitors in Newport by Sunday, and be separated into groups of those complicit with abuse of sapient rights and work standards and those who were doing as directed by employers. All will face penalties once returned to Casilló y Réal, but only some are expected to face imprisonment. The Armada and Guard presence will draw down by next Friday the 18th once it is confirmed that all financial material of the Conglomerate has been removed and the NIB signs off on the transfer of legal ownership of mining equipment. The Gracia de Régne and Rége Diego Erik will return from Newport on Saturday the 19th, while the Régeñe Maria Platia and Santa Emmanuel will return the following day as escort for the Merchant Marine vessels, expected to arrive next Monday the 14th.

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Corric Daily Post
Codexian Print - 11 February 2022
Axdel Withdraws from Puntalian Compromise Treaty

Axdelian President Diego Corbinn

Eleçeron- Axdel’s President the esteemed Diego Corbinn announced today that his government would be withdrawing Axdel from the Puntalian Compromise Treaty, ending the participation of one of the largest and wealthiest signatories in the enforcement of the treaty. President Corbinn cited the lack of progress the PCT has made in stabilizing southern Arcturia, and for signatory states for appeasing the dictatorship of Rodenia. As the aggressor of the illegal 2020 invasion of Puntalia, Rodenia is considered a pariah nation barely recovered from the military intervention of the North Shield Treaty Organization, the Union of Commonwealth Alliances, and the Urthian Worker’s Internationale. As one of the major participants in the intervention, Axdel was granted a seat on the Puntalia Cooperation Council, a seat the nation has now foregone.

A major economic factor contributing to this decision is likely the steel trade in Axdel, which took a severe downturn after the Puntalian crisis. Sales to both Rodenia and Puntalia were key to the Axdel steel industry, and the output domestically has seen an irreversible dip since 2020. The Axdelian West Fleet has been redeployed following this announcement to Tawuse and the Kolstream Isles, likely to prepare for any economic or military reprisal for the nation’s withdrawal from the Treaty.

The Ministry of Diplomacy released a statement at 1 pm this afternoon supporting Axdel’s decision to leave the PCT. The honored First Minister Goméz wrote that “the responsibilities of those in positions of power is to follow through on their obligations and promises, ensuring the stability of society and the prosperity of the people. This is a time-honored tradition that the Puntalia Cooperation Council has thus far lacked in. The few results and appeasement of dangerous governments gives us little confidence in the future stability of southern Arcturia. In this, we have the same view as Axdel, and we offer them our support and respect in this matter, as their decision was likely not an easy or simple one.”

Axdel is a semi-regular trade partner of Casilló y Réal, with limited but consistent commerce supporting the arms and refined materials industries. Economist Jane de Pirieñe of the Antoran Trade Study estimates that the effects of the Axdelian withdrawal and the Corric response may have a limited negative impact on the steel, alloy, smelting, ammunition, and automotive industries in the short term. “We may draw some ire internationally from siding with Axdel,” she said during a CDP interview, “but as we were never involved in Puntalia to begin with, the lasting effects of the government’s support of the withdrawal should be minimal.”

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Corric Daily Post
Codexian Print - 18 February 2022

Referendum Passes, Elections Rescheduled to July

Eleçeron- The national referendum to rename the nation passed today, officially transitioning the Constitutional Corric Kingdom of Casilló y Réal to the Crowned Republic of Antora. The elections for Prime Minister and Assembly Representatives are also temporarily postponed, with the Election Review Board reaching the decision to move the proceedings to July this morning. His Grace the King and the most esteemed now-Acting Prime Minister Orellana endorsed this decision in a joint statement, citing “the tumultuous and outstanding effects this election cycle has had on the nation and people require time to absorb.”

The massively important revelations that rocked the nation eight days ago are still having their repercussions felt by all, and are not expected to stop anytime soon. In what are being termed “the Astolfo Papers,” government specialists and Royal Inquisitors have been given an almost-13,000 page dossier on government corruption, political assassination, war crimes, economic and territorial manipulation, and treasonous conspiracy. As detailed in the Assembly session on the 10th by His Grace the King, the information within these papers is a first-hand account of crimes committed on the orders of King Benito Ares I, the King’s own father, as well as almost four decades of accumulated evidence on these crimes and subsequent criminal activities of the Corric government and various organizations within the country. Already, more than fourteen members of the House of the Populace and twenty members of the House of the Nobility have been arrested and imprisoned on charges of high treason, gross negligence, and other felonies.

In large part due to the falsified nature of the Cátran Conflict and referendum of the '80s, His Grace the King put the nature of the national identity in the people’s hands. A referendum organized by the Royal Cabinet, held from the 16th through today the 18th, was instituted for the citizens to either decide if the country should rename itself to reflect the unified Antoran identity rather than continue to pay homage to two long-gone kingdoms. An addition to the referendum was held for those of Cátran descent to gague interest in their district becoming an independent nation once more, as recompense for the illegal and unjust actions that led to the Grand Duchy being dissolved in 1984. In a remarkable result, the majority of the populace voted to stay united yet assume a new national identity. All districts voted for the same decision, with the results coming as a shock to many.

Cátras turned out over 76% of eligible voters, 92% of which decided to remain as one nation and 90% voting to rename the country itself. They were followed by Avantana, Marsalvano, Julinazo, and Salasca, which with 87%, 83%, 81%, and 78% of votes demanding a new name. The districts of Cartevedra, Málama, Castijara, Tomaras, Vizedora, and Eleuvros each polled above 65% of their population as wanting to change the country’s name. The “honor and unity of the Antoran people was thus rewarded,” according to the honored Minister of the Popular Assembly Marco Ruíz, who inaugurated today’s Assembly session with a vote on the nation assuming the name Antora, as proposed on the 10th. In a unanimous decision, the name was accepted, and the Royal Cabinet has begun the process of changing names and signage, according to the honored Second Minister Escuerdo.

With the evidence of the treason of the Royalist, Deus Vult, and Feudalist Front party members included within the Astolfo Papers, the House of the Nobility’s Election Review Board convened to investigate the integrity of this year’s elections. With major findings such as a plot to assassinate Chivalric Caucus Representative Salazar, a candidate for Prime Minister, several operations to alter ballot records and intimidate voters, as well as records and testimonies concerning future assassinations, the Election Review Board issued a unanimous decision that the elections cannot go forwards in their present form and must be started over entirely later in the year. This decision was met with criticism from the National Unity Party in particular, calling it “a subversion of the democratic process and a clear attempt to maintain the oligarchy’s power.” The NUP’s statement has drawn intense scrutiny, however. The ERB, in particular, recommended: “a review of the communist political organization registered as the National Unity Party for sympathizers or collaborators with the treasonous and disbanded Royalist party, based on the NUP’s total obstructionism and posturing in the face of heavily reviewed, debated, and accepted democratic election auditing.”

The postponing of elections means that the current Royal Cabinet and their appointments will stay in place until the new mid-July election term. The most esteemed Prime Minister Orellana and her Ministers have transitioned to Acting Ministers, a first in the nation’s history. Provided by the Second Constitution, the office of Acting Minister is created to ensure the operation of the government in times of election interference or uncertainty. Acting Prime Minister Orellana is expected to speak at a press conference tomorrow afternoon on the Royal Cabinet’s role in the coming months. Sources from inside the ministries tell the CDP that feelings are “optimistic” about the future and the nation’s ability to heal from the wounds so recently revealed.

His Grace the King has recalled all foreign ambassadors temporarily to brief them in person going forwards on the nation’s policy shifts and priorities. The integration of the Quill Tactical Consultants in to the Royal Corric Guard, with over 300 employees who assisted with the capture and exposing of the Royalist conspirators receiving knighthood, will conclude the same day as the ambassadorial briefing on the 23rd. The new special unit of the Guard for assisting the Royal Inquisitors to deal with high treason, quickly termed by the public as “The Red Hawks,” will make their formal debut the weekend of the 26th. His Grace the King has expressed much admiration for the former mercenary contractors, saying on the 15th that “None of the change we see today would have been possible without the admittedly controversial help and sacrifices that the Corric people have been provided by these knights.”

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
Urth Defense Digest
Codexian Print - 27 February 2022

Quill Security Recalled from Tavaris, Citing Religious Violence

Members of the “Paladins of Akrona,” seen here in January of 2022, have been recalled out of Tavaris

Tonderouca- A spokesman for Quill Defense Contractors, Incorporated revealed in a press release today that all private security contractors in the nation of Tavaris were being recalled immediately. Jorgé Vesquez, Publicity Director at the Tonderouca Auxiliary Dispatch Center, signed a press release delivered to major Antoran news outlets and defense-oriented journals this morning that detailed QDC, Inc.'s attitude towards the situation in Tavaris and their steps going forwards. Notably, all QDC, Inc. employees currently within Tavaris are being “recalled, effective immediately and at their best speed, for reallocation and review.” The release further goes on to state that although QDC, Inc. and all its subsidiaries enjoy healthy working relationships with Tavari government organs and businesses, the executive decision has been made “to suspend all security, defense, law enforcement, and other activities relating to the armed services” within Tavaris and the “potential future territories of Acronis.” Quill cited the exponential uptick in religious violence, bombings, and the uncertainty of the future stability of the region, saying “the deaths and mayhem caused by nationalist and religious extremists within Tavaris and its adjacent areas are highly troubling and do not align with the values that Quill and subsidiary corporations focus on in our missions and client services.”

Tavaris is currently undergoing a highly-contentious referendum on secession. The current government, led by Prime Minister Žarís Nevran Alandar, is attempting to keep the nation in one piece in the face of increasingly tense relations between the major religions in the country. The Church of Akrona, in cooperation with the Goddess and Country and the Tavari Communist Parties, are the main proponents of the creation of a new, Akronist-majority socialist theocracy pre-emptively termed “Acronis.” Major issues between the minority Akronists and the status quo of the Tavat Avati, the “de-facto” religion of Tavaris, include cremation, sapient rights, self-expression, taxation, and proper government representation. No Tavari Prime Minister has ever been an Akronist. Šano Šonai Tuvria, the previous holder of the office, expressed he followed “both” religious practices in the only known exception to that rule. The catalyst for these events has been identified by many commentators as the engagement of Tavari Crown Prince Otan to Prince Hendrik of the Vistara. Hendrik is an Ademarist, and this perceived acknowledgment of the legitimacy of a foreign religion over the one that arguably “built Tavaris” enraged many Akronists in and outside government.

QDC, Inc. entered this picture last year, at the beginning of major protests and demonstrations in Tavaris over religious tensions. Due to rising violence in communities across Tavaris, QDC, Inc. stepped in to provide security personnel to the Church of Akrona for use against counter-protestors, vandals, and extremist agitators. The volunteers were noted to come from a plurality of religions, though most were native Tavari Akronists. These “Paladins of Akrona,” as they termed themselves, are estimated to number around 700 and have been seen at a variety of Church events and secessionist-majority cities since December of last year. Their recall orders in the face of excessive violence likely result from the increase in terror attacks and bombings by the Akronist Fist of the Moon terrorist group. With more than eight bombings resulting in nearly a dozen dead or injured attributed to them, the Fist of the Moon has become a scapegoat and rallying cry for many traditionalist Tavat Avati extremists and nationalist groups. QDC, Inc. is regarded as the most honest and honorable security company by the international private security community, and it comes as no surprise they have refused to endorse or support a two-sided religious conflict via the presence of their employees. Quill estimates that a seventh of their employees will refuse to leave the country due to “religious, social, and cultural loyalties” and is prepared to terminate said employees “with generous severance but no options of future employment.”

Former QDC, Inc. Chairman and founder, Astolfo de Naranza-Carratéo could not be reached for comment on the development, nor could his son and current Chairman and CFO Miguel Remolunzo de Naranza-Carratéo. de Naranza-Carratéo Senior is currently serving as the Antoran government’s representative to the League of Novaris, and any personal interest in the Tavaris issue may play into his future activities there. The Quill company has meanwhile directed all inquiries on their response to the Tavaris referendum to their publicity offices in Packilvania. Increased maritime shipping by their transport and armory fleets indicate that the private security forces may be anticipating increased demand for their services in western Gondwana in the near future. Several defense experts have also raised the question of whether the Quill corporate umbrella could be moving to take advantage of Tavaris’ decreased future contributions to UCA peacekeeping and mutual defense missions. Estimates anticipate a quarter to as much as half a reduction in combat ability and power projection as a result of the referendums, and also raise questions about the integrity of the Tavari nuclear arsenal. As the situation develops, check back here for more commentary on these points.

[Casillo_y_Real]

Antoran Union of Journalists
National Defense Enquirer
with consulting by The East Pacific - Tapatalk - Viewing profile - Acronis
Codexian Print - 19 October 2022

Government Donates Ships to Acronis, “The Chivalrous Thing To Do” - Armed Services Minister

The Most Esteemed Raquel Alaméda, First Minister of the Armed Services, during her speech on 17 October in Porta Armada

Porta Armada- In an unprecedented move on Monday, the Ministry of Armed Services announced it would be donating two ships from the Royal Antoran Armada to Acronis, with the possibility of further exchanges with the larger Tavari Union. The First Minister of Armed Services, Raquel Alaméda, stated during a speech to at the Naval Defense Conference 2022 in Porta Armada that the Ministry of Armed Services Administration and Security would be working with the defense organs of the state of Acronis to facilitate a donation of the two laid-up Rége Arturo class destroyers. The two ships, listed to be refitted from their origins as Tavari Nežeren class coast guard cutters, would instead be transferred to the Acronian Ministry of Internal Affairs by the end of the year, where they will become the first, and primary, vessels in the Acronian Coast Guard.

Minister Alaméda explained that "the non-violent and environmentalist views of Akrona and the peoples of Acronis are something that I admire, as I am sure many of my countryfellows can agree with. It is said, sometimes, that chivalry is a cousin of pacifism. That showing restraint and honor in the face of danger is as close as many can come to complete nonviolence. While we share no common lineage in culture, language, or history, it is the position of the Antoran people - and thus, through democracy, our government - that the state of Acronis, and the larger Tavari Union, are comrades in chivalry and the pursuit of a better world. It is with this in mind that we have agreed to divest the Armada of the two ships slated to become new Rége Arturo class destroyers. The Bureau of Procurement and the Office of the Chief Admiral are in close conversation with the authorities in Acronis to facilitate our donation of these vessels to their burgeoning fleet.

This decision comes with diverse benefits to both parties. Our Armada does not have to wait for two large surface combatants to be ready for commissioning to complete outdated combat formations, and can instead focus on continuing its modernization as a mobile, rapid-reaction, defensive force, rather than one with offensive capabilities in excess of our doctrine, and our sensibilities. Our taxpayers do not have to bear the burden of supporting the expensive refits and upkeep of these ships, and our sailors can better be assigned to ships where their talents will not be spread as thin. And of course, our friends in Acronis and the Tavari Union will have access to two refurbished and capable vessels for the patrol of their waters at practically no charge, which fits with their fiscal reality, and as these ships were originally Tavari and have not undergone Antoran conversion, there will be no issue of retraining or incompatible systems. This is the chivalrous thing to do, and I and the other members of the Royal Cabinet hope that this is the start of a mutually-beneficial friendship with the new Acronian State."

Purchased recently in 2020 for a sum of SHD$ 2.5 billion, the cutters were originally constructed for the Royal Tavari Marshalls Coat Guard Division. Intended to be a class of 12, public criticism over the cost of the program as well as shifting strategic and operational changes meant that Tavaris downsized to only 8 vessels. Antora purchased the remaining four with the intention of upgrading them from medium-threat patrol cutters to main-line heavy warships, at a projected cost of over SHD$ 6 billion. The program, termed Destroyer Modernization and Conversion Project One, allocated SHD$ 300 million annually to refit the cutters into Armada system-compliant destroyers.

The two vessels to be donated, according to a release by the Armada, have not begun their refits and remain in their original configuration. The extensive suite of search-and-rescue equipment, including boat launches, a well deck, a medical suite, sonar buoys, and a Remote Operated Underwater Vehicle, have been left in place. The only alterations to the ship’s systems have been the removal of most weaponry, including the deck gun and Vertical Launch System for missiles but excluding a remote autocannon and mounts for crew-served machine guns. A happy coincidence for both parties, as the Armada retains the combat systems for spare parts and uses on other ships, and the Acronian sensibilities about warfare are complied with by providing them warship-quality vessels without the capability for serious combat.

A rendition of a cutter in Acronian Coast Guard livery.

This deal comes after much political turmoil in Acronis and western Gondwana, months after the nation seceded from Tavaris and was almost drawn into a war over religious tensions and questions of governorship. While, as part of final separation negotiations with Tavaris, Acronis did assume control over a handful of smaller naval vessels and other Tavari state assets in exchange for also assuming around a third of Tavari sovereign debt, those vessels were designated for naval defense purposes, leaving the new country entirely without any equipment for search and rescue and law enforcement. One of the most immediate concerns facing the new Acronian Coast Guard is drug trafficking—coca and cocaine from the wild, highland interior that Acronis is now responsible for—as it is feared cocaine tycoons will seek to exploit the new country’s relative inexperience in these matters as a way of increasing their exports.

According to the Royal Tavari Marshalls, it is estimated that since the beginning of 2022, the volume of cocaine smuggled out of the region has increased by nearly 50%, nearly all of this through the aquatic route through what is now Acronis rather than overland through the dense jungle into Vaklori. Vedra Lacõno, a spokesperson for the Acronian Ministry of Internal Affairs, thanked Antora “for their tremendous act of kindness and assistance” in granting the vessels to Acronis. "It is likely that, absent this honorable act, it would have taken significantly longer for our country to establish a working Coast Guard. With these vessels, we will be able to keep our waters and the people in and around them safe, while all the while continuing our commitment to peace and to civilian enforcement of civil laws.

The release from the Armada concludes with the possibility of further divestment of the Antoran reserve fleet for use by various members of the Tavari Union. Thirty-four ships of the Royal Antoran Armada were decommissioned early this year, among them nine frigates, eight corvettes, and an assortment of patrol vessels, as well as the flagship, Gracía de Régne. The larger vessels are earmarked for either mothballing or sale to other parties, while the smaller patrol units are halfway through the scrapping process. All ships retired were built in the 1900s but have been maintained to a modern standard through upgrade packages; it is possible the Royal Tavari Armed Forces or other members of the Tavari Union may acquire some of these ships due to their inherent lower price and operating costs compared to more modern vessels.