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Shadoveilian King replies to Forrwardian actions.
“Gloria is no longer independent and will never be independent. They are the remains of horrible people and they will be wiped from existence by any means necessary. There will be no aid sent we will intercept it and we will send it back. We advise you to stay away from this situation.
Geordinia Broadcasting Service
The Home Secretary announced the creation of a new Royal Commission which will investigate the current benefits scheme in Geordinia. Ever since coming to power in 2012, the Conservative Government, under Harald Stordahl, has cut the benefits programme budget by 1/3rd. His initial reforms had led to riots and protests for over a month and many fear such rioting will happen again if more cuts are put forward. The Government expects the findings of the commission to become available within 2 months. It is expected that the Statsminister will order more cuts for family and unemployment benefits but increase funding for disability benefits.
The Leader of the Opposition, Clara Adamsen (SDP), said today that "regardless of what the Royal Commission finds, the Government will twist its findings to call for more cuts which will end up hurting those most in need of our help." The Statsminister and Leader of the Opposition are expected to clash over this issue in next week's Statsministers question time.
New government budget
The Agarn finance minister has released an annual budget resetting the tax rates and government expenditure. The budget is as follows:
Tax Rate
Income Tax - Cut by 5% for all it applies to.
SME Tax - No changes made
Corporate Tax - No changes made
Inheritance Tax - Increased by 5% for all it applies to.
Capital Gains Tax - No changes made
Payroll Tax - No changes made
VAT - Standard rate decreased to 10%, exemptions and higher rate remain the same
Property Tax - No changes made
Carbon Tax - Flat rate increased from 20 to 30%
Fuel Tax - Flat rate cut from 5% to 3%
Vehicle Tax - Abolished
Tobacco Tax - No changes made
Alcohol Tax - No changes made
Expenditure
Education - 20.0% of total government expenditure
Administration - 16.5% of total government expenditure
Welfare - 13.0% of total government expenditure
Law and Order - 13.0% of total government expenditure
Environment - 10.0% of total government expenditure
Healthcare - 10.0% of total government expenditure
Public Transport - 8.5% of total government expenditure
Industry - 5.5% of total government expenditure
Defence - 2.0% of total government expenditure
International Aid - 1.5% of total government expenditure
The Step Forward Sends Aid Alongside Large Naval Convoy; The Question Looms.
Zullian Aqui spoke today on SFT (Step Forward Today) about the nation's first humanitarian aid mission.
"I believe I've made myself very clear; aid will be sent to Gloria. Any attempts to intercept or block aid in international or Glorian territorial waters will be nothing less than a declaration of war upon The Step Forward and her people.
You are not messing with rebels nor freedom fighters; you are attacking a nation ready to die for her principles and her sovereignty.
The comments made by Shadoveil in response to our announcement is nothing short of disturbing. It is clear that Shadoveil wishes to exterminate a unique and diverse people who cannot defend themselves.
Nations of the world must rally behind our collective humanity and see the belligerent motives taking place in Shadoveil.
If The Step Forward is to be the only nation to take a stand against Shadoveil and it's ignorance for human life, then so be it."
The Ossanza Star 10th of May 2019
ASD and PSM catch up as Mizana election nears
The Social Democratic Alliance and the Mizanese Socialist Party would have enough seats to form a government if the regional elections in Mizana were held today according to the most recent opinion poll.
The poll by the Ossanza Star and the Ossanza Republican University Institute of Sociology found that together the two parties would have 61 seats of the 115 seats in the Mizanese Parliament, with the ASD would have 42 with the PSM having 19 seats. The Mizanese People's Party (PPM) would have 45 seats with the Mizanese Conservative Party having 7 and the Mizanese Liberals having 2 seats.
The news will surely be good for the incumbent Mizanese Regional President Masignet Dupalle who faced the chance of the ASD losing power in Mizana for the first time since 1992.
Reply to the latest Forwardian statement
“The Forwardians do not know the atrocities that The Republic of gloria has committed. They slaughtered innocents in Heilens and The Byrdlands during their multiple invasion attempts. We do not seek to exterminate a people group we seek to exterminate a threat to the peace of all Southeast Atracia. The waters are not international they are Shadoveilian waters. We have every right to block out travel to and from The Island as we own it.”
Byrdish blockade grows due to threat of Forrwardian intervention
As a result of threats by The step forward to intervene in the crisis over the blockade of the Republic of Gloria, an unrecognized state which is also the home of the terrorist organization called the United Glorian Reformation Front, or UGRF, the Byrdish Naval Forces have increased the strength and size of the blockade to stop Forrwardian aid from reaching the island.
Russatrova Recognized South Dulando, Opens Relations
The General Secretary of the Russatrovan Communist Party Myroslav Levchenko and Chairman of the Supreme Russa Ruslan Panchenko visited with leaders of South Dulando today, pledging support for the fledgling nation and congratulating on their ideological shift. An agreement between the two nations was also signed ensuring a strong bond and accepting South Dulando into the Union of Anterian Communist States as well as a declaration formally recognizing the sovereignty of South Dulando. His Supreme, Premier Aleksandr has also promised South Dulando military support to ward off aggression against the new nations, pledging troops to be stationed in the nation as well as new arms deals to the new government. His Supremacy applauds the new government, siting it as an example of those in Anteria who are committed to the people and are willing to take the bold step in the freedom of the workers and hopes this will be one of many nations to embrace their message of communism.
Foreign Affairs
The Grafenlandian Government declared to maintain its neutrality in this matter and not to take sides for either nation, 
Shadoveil nor The step forward.
Internal Affairs
The results of the current referendums in Grafenland are available. The citizens of the country made the following decisions:
1) Referendum on the introduction of an eligibility test at the age of 18:
In favour = 54.00%.
Against = 46.00%
Result: From now on every citizen who wants to vote has to pass an eligibility test.
2) Referendum on limiting immigration and introducing a limit of 2,300 naturalisations per month:
In favour = 27.00%.
Against = 73.00%
Result: There will still be no naturalisation limit or limitation of immigration. The general immigration laws will continue to apply.
3) Referendum on the extension of visa-free travel for travellers from 1 month to 2 months, with the option to extend his travel visa for another month at the end of the 2 months:
In favour = 12.00%.
Against = 88.00%
Result: The visa exemption for travellers remains limited to one month.
AR NEWS
Yesterday morning, President Wieselbraun arrived in Agarntrop on his first state visit to the country. He was warmly welcomed by young children who offered him a large bouquet of flowers, and then by Prime Minister Auklando, which was accompanied by various high ranking dignitaries and officials. After that, the two men went to the presidential palace where they met the president of the Agarntrop Federation. Afterwards, the president also went to the Alliance base where he met the Axmaniean soldiers based in Agarntrop. Finally, at the end of the day the two men held a joint press conference where they answered the various questions of journalists. This visit, the first of an Axmanian president in Agarntrop, will be, according to Mr. Auklando, an opportunity for the two nations to strengthen the ties existing between the two countries.
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OTHER NEWS
A recent report by the Bundestag's Health Committee (Bundestagsgesundheitsausschuss) highlighted the various problems facing the Axmanian National Health Service, the NGS. According to this report, the various branches of the NGS around the country would regularly face a shortage of doctors, beds, sheets and sometimes even drugs. According to Manuel Haslauer, chairman of the commission, if the current government does not step up it's game, Axmanie could face a serious health crisis. The report, which was published only two days after the Federal Minister of Health organized a meeting with the Länder health ministers on the same subject, states that the reasons why the NGS is in such a state are: numerous budget cuts, the liberalization of the health market, which has favoured private hospitals whom pay two or three times more than public ones and the large number of foreign patients doing medical tourism in Axmanie and taking the place of the most needy.
After today's parliamentary session, various gewählter Vertreters to whom we spoke expressed their opinion on this subject.
For Günther Wallner (SDP), the report is a proof that the current administration does not considerate the working class as important.
Konrad Schutzendörf (AFA) stated that this report proved that the NGS was unsustainable and should be abolished as a whole.
It's all for now, whe hope you enjoyed,
AR NEWS, Kiergelensburg
THE LOUD SPEAKER
With the new equipment shipped from Russatrova, yesterday noon; South Dulandish Major General Joao Machado-leader of the second South Dulandish Infantry Division- led an attack on Escribano. The attack was successful. However, Northern Dulando retook Southwest Tio and Southeast Mariano.
South Dulando is now attempting to increase military power harder than ever; fearing that Dulando may see South Dulando more as a threat.
Tio City is hoping to have improved fortifications, they are currently working on adding trench systems.
OOC: Shadoveil, may I ask if I can join the conflict as an assisting force? Paslin has condemned Gloria, and would probably would like to help against terrorists.
I am asking as the Gloria conflict is a planned rp (as I found out with my earlier post), so I would like to see if I could join the rp.
With current world tensions high again, Paslin seeks to start trade deals with other countries that are neutral in conflicts currently so as to have something to fall back on if countries they were trading with stopped trading due to war.
Paslin is currently offering metals, rare minerals, and fishing; they can also produce things for other countries should they feel like it, like rockets or special parts like gears and such. Finally, Paslin has a big arms industry, and so seeks partners who would like to buy vehicles, ships, and aircraft from it.
Junterland News
Hello folks! I'm your host, Hans, and this is Junterland News! The Republic has recently condemned Gloria, and wishes luck to Shadoveil and the Brydlands on beating the terrorists. In other news, some scientists have deiced to access what was the limit for what a glowing 5537.778 degree Celsius (10,000 degree Fahrenheit) knife could cut . . .
TeleVis News
10 years after same-sex marriage was legalised...how have LGBT rights evolved in Visargia?: 10 years ago today the National Court voted overwhelmingly, to the surprise of many, to make same-sex marriage legal in Visargia. The Conservative party, in an alliance with the Democratic Liberal Party and Kanostic Democracy, had just come to power under the 'great liberaliser' of the party, Galleano Narosni. Just 5 years before the Conservatives had blocked an attempt by the Social Democratic-led government to make same-sex marriage legal but now they had changed their mind. The law passed with 286 votes for, with 96 Conservatives voting for, and just 131 against.
Homosexuality was first made legal in Visargia following the Liberal revolution of 1861 when Visargia became a democratic state. However, in 1863 the Conservative Party, the same one which legalised same-sex marriage in 2009, made it illegal once more. In 1925 following the right-wing coup and the beginning of the nationalist, extremely conservative technocratic regime homosexuals were under intense persecution. Despite this many LGBT people continued to rebel against the government of the day.
In 1971 the right-wing regime was overthrown and the new constitution gave all people living in Visargia freedom from government interference in their personal lives. However, under the Conservative governments of Enrio Madrele and Albio Mazirre from 1976 until 1997 LGBT people continued to face many hardships. Following the election of the Social Democratic Alliance in 1997 this was changed with the new government passing laws recognising same-sex relationships, giving same-sex couples the right to adopt and protecting all LGBT people from discrimination. By 2009 64% of Visargines approved of making same-sex marriage legal and the government did just that.
However, it appeared there was still further to go. In 2017 the Social Democratic Alliance, led by the openly gay Benoit Petares, won the legislative election and Petares became Visargia's first gay Prime Minister. In 2019, 94% of Visargines say they have no issues with LGBT people with 82% approving of same-sex marriage being legal.
BREAKING NEWS
A revolution has happened over the night in the unrecognized Republic of Gloria. Communist revolutionaries took the presidential palace with assistance from the military and instated a socialist government. The old Glorian dictator washed up ashore on the beaches of our capital, Freyja, still alive. He was executed publicly at approximately 3:47 today in the city center. People think this revolution happened due to the fact quality of life in Gloria being one of the worst in Anteria.
The Republic of Velvet has signed a document to join the newly-founded Union of Anterian Communist States. The El' Preisdente of Velvet, Edgardo Ermete, said that Velvet will always be a contributing member in the spread and presence of communism in Anteria, highlighting that the nation 'will invest in the spread of communism worldwide'.
National Assembly passes Government Reorganization and Control Act, much to dismay of critics.
The National Assembly has passed a new law, which grants sweeping powers to law enforcement, bans the use of warrants for the national courts, and lessened the requirements for warrants in the lower courts. Further reforms have also come in the wake of an uptick of crime, especially of the violent nature throughout the major cities of Demitor. Hiring drives for the police services, including the hiring of officers abroad with a fast track to citizenship has begun, which will hopefully double the number of police officers per capita in Demitor, which currently stands at forty officers per ten thousand population.
The changes will take effect over the next year, but amendments are currently being considered to the bill. Some of the amendments range from reinstating warrants for all courts but lessening requirements for them and immigration reform. Part of the bill is also being considered which may risk citizen's privacy, as metadata collection and phone call recording are also present and allowed with the passing of the bill.
TeleVis News
Left-wing parties gain a majority in Mizanese Parliament: Today elections for the autonomous regional Parliament of Mizana were held. With the preliminary results for the 115 seats now released it appears that the Left-wing parties have won a majority of the seats in the Parliament. However, tensions between the Mizanese Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Alliance may make forming a coalition difficult.
The other news coming from the election was the Conservative Party gaining 4 seats in a region traditionally hostile to their party. The party took 12 seats and 9% of the vote, the highest since the 1980s and early 1990s when the party won landslide results nationwide in the wake of the 1986 attempted coup d'état.
The preliminary results are shown below:
Party (Seats) (% Vote)
Mizanese People's Party (39) (32%)
Social Democratic Alliance (37) (30%)
Mizanese Socialist Party (20) (17%)
Conservative Party (12) (9%)
Misc. Left (4) (5%)
Democratic Liberal Party (3) (4%)
Misc. Right (0) (3%)
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