United Forum of Nations

LBCI / Levantine Broadcasting Corporation

Levantine Asserts Claim over Hatay Province, Seeking Reunification.

BEIRUT — In a bold move reflecting Levantine's renewed strength and stability, President Abela Hakim has announced Levantinum's intention to reclaim the Hatay Province, igniting a geopolitical debate and raising concerns among neighboring countries. The Hatay Province, also known as Alexandretta, has been a matter of historical dispute between Turkey and the Levantine Federation since the 1930s. After a tumultuous past marked by shifting borders and regional conflicts, Levantinum is now emerging as a formidable force, seeking to restore its territorial integrity.

President Abela Hakim addressed the nation in a televised speech, asserting Levantine's claim over Hatay and emphasizing the region's deep-rooted historical and cultural ties to the Syrian counterpart of the country. She argued that it is high time for the province to be reintegrated into the Levantinum fold, particularly into Syrian territory, highlighting Levantinum's stability and military strength as key factors for revisiting this issue.

"In the present era, we stand united as a steadfast and sovereign nation," enunciated President Hakim, "and it is our solemn responsibility to redress historical imbalances. The inhabitants of Hatay merit inclusion within a potent and united Levantinum." President Abela further expressed the importance of reunification with the Hatay territories on the levels of the citizens of Hatay, and their families in the Levantine Federation, and urges the reversal of the encroachment upon Levantine lands.

The Levantine President further noted that the utilization of Diplomacy will be the primary method by which the country manifests to retrieve the Hatay Province. However, she further expressed that Levantinum will project its military power if its attempts at reunifying Syrian lands diplomatically fail.

The Global Vermonter
_{11 July - Anna P. Beard, homeland affairs senior editor}

Historic rainfall and flooding strikes Vermont, thousands evacuated as Montpelier Reservoir nears spillover
(The Global Vermonter) MONTPELIER - Vermont has been gripped with historic and catastrophic flooding after a powerful storm dumped over 23 centimeters of rain on many parts of the state. Worse yet, Prime Minister Selene Colburn warned that the catastrophe is "nowhere near over," as weather forecasts expect the rain to continue for the rest of the week.

Data from the Vermont Atmospheric Administration showed that parts of Vermont saw upwards of 600 percent of the normal rainfall in the days leading up to Tuesday, 11 July.

On Sunday, the national government, in coordination with county and local government units issued flash flood warnings and advisories and evacuation alerts for much of Vermont, and Co-Presidents Molly Gray and Bernie Sanders, with the assent of Colburn, declared a state of emergency. This early declaration allowed thousands of people to evacuate early, and in the early morning hours of Monday prepped evacuation centers all over the country were reporting still receiving new evacuees.

Evacuation alerts stressed to people to secure their homes as much as they can but to not bring more than their essentials. Furthermore, warnings were given out to not under any circumstances leave behind any pets, as every evacuation center will be specifically equipped with facilities to house animals, and people with the means to evacuate to hotels will be given leeway for the time being to bring their pets with them. Farmers were advised to coordinate with local Army and Gendarmerie units to secure their livestock. Families that leave behind animals and farmers that neglect to provide for their security during the storm will be prosecuted.

As of Tuesday, Vermont officials said that there have been no injuries or deaths. At least 150 rescues have already been carried out, not including the rescue of several dozen household pets like cats and dogs.

The Atmospheric Administration warned that Vermont is still in the "earliest stages of the disaster" as the rainfall is expected to continue almost unabated for the rest of the week. The administration is keeping an eye on Vermont's major bodies of water, particularly the Winooski River, which runs through Montpelier. The rainfall has already caused water levels in the Winooski to surpass the levels they had reached in the historic 2011 storm. Worse yet, if the torrential rainfall does not abate, it could cause the nearby Wrighstville Reservoir that is preventing Montpelier from becoming fully submerged to spillover.

Water levels at the Reservoir were reported at less than one meter from the spillway early Tuesday and were slowly rising. Montpelier Chief Administrative Officer William Fraser warned that if the dam overflows, it would result in "a large amount of water coming into Montpelier, which would drastically add to the existing flood damage."

"This has never happened since the reservoir was built, so there is no precedent for the potential damage it could cause," he added.

Gray and Sanders have already mobilized most active units of the Vermont Army for search, rescue and evacuation operations in most of the country and for disaster relief for parts of the country that were already through the worst of the flooding. The co-presidents were also reportedly in talks with the General Assembly looking into the possibility of calling upon the Militia to provide additional assistance if necessary.

Diaspora Minister Patrick Sharp MP has called upon Vermonters to do what they can from abroad to check up on their families and, if possible, to donate to rescue and relief organizations.

LBCI / Levantine Broadcasting Corporation

Levantine Prepares Military Near Hatay.

BEIRUT — In a display of its dedication to reunifying the Hatay territories into the Syrian Counterpart of the Federation, the Levantine Federation has reportedly positioned a significant number of its military assets near the borders of the Hatay Province, causing concerns among neighboring countries. The move comes as Levantine further asserts its claim over the Hatay province, which is historically related to the Syrian Counterpart of the Levant.

Amidst a backdrop of regional geopolitical tensions, the Levantine government's decision to reinforce its military presence near the Hatay Province has raised eyebrows in neighboring countries and has drawn the attention of the international community. The Hatay Province, located in southern Turkey, shares a border with Syria, making it a strategically significant region. Furthermore, with the Levantine Arab Federation asserting its claim over the territory, and receiving no response from the Turkish Government, Levantinum has resorted to a possible military intervention that must be approved by the Legislature and Executive Branch of the Levantine Government.

Furthermore, the Levantine government has recently invested in modernizing and enhancing its military capabilities, including upgrading equipment, training personnel, and fortifying defense systems all in an effort of strengthening the Levantine Armed Forces, and the Syrian Local Defense Forces. While neighboring countries closely monitor the situation, Turkish authorities have expressed concern over Levantine's military build-up near the Hatay Province.

While Levantine will continue exercising the deployment of its military assets near the Hatay province, the government will still call for dialogue and diplomatic efforts in order to re-integrate the historically-significant territory of the Hatay Province into Levantinum. The President, Abela Hakim, has noted that diplomatic channels are going to be utilized to foster understanding as to why it is vital to connect Hatay to Syria.

Other News:
• Severe Flooding Hits GMR Vermont
• Levantine Continental Railway finalizes its plans for construction
• Article 9 Referendum Fails in Hizurukuni

The Global Vermonter
_{2 August - Anna P. Beard, homeland affairs senior editor}

Government, private entities providing grants to Vermonters impacted by flooding
(The Global Vermonter) MONTPELIER - Vermonter homeowners, renters and business owners alike impacted by the historic flooding can now avail of various grants and other relief programs to help them recover from the disaster.

As the record-breaking floods and rainfall recede in the Green Mountain Republic, national and county governments and even private organizations have stepped up to provide grants and other relief programs for Vermonters.

The Emergency Board of the Vermont Republic has recently approved a VCu 50 million ($19 million) emergency financial assistance program. Emergency Board President Phil B. Rutherford said the funding will enable government units to provide grants to help residents repair flood-damaged and destroyed parts of their homes.

"Tens of thousands of Vermonters have been terribly impacted by the recent floods," said Rutherford in a statement. "It's imperative that we help Vermonters rebuild."

Renters and homeowners can avail of grants of up to VCu 25,000 ($9,500) by applying through the Emergency Board.

The Office of the Co-Presidency announced that, in light of the delay in approving the emergency financial assistance program, Co-Presidents Gray and Sanders will be providing an additional VCu 50 million to the fund so that it can reach more people. Furthermore, Vermonter diaspora organizations have also pooled together resources and have been able to provide the Emergency Board with an additional VCu 20 million ($7.5 million), with this specific fund prioritizing the families of members of the diaspora still in the homeland.

For businesses, the Department of Commerce is opening up a grant program for business owners that can prove significant physical damage to their businesses. They will be provided up to VCu 40,000 ($15,000) to help with the repairs, and can also receive an additional VCu 20,000 for paycheck relief.

Renewable Vermont, a nonprofit dedicated to helping businesses and homes in the country transition to using fully renewable energy, has also opened up its purse strings. It is providing VCu 5 million ($1.88 million) in grants for individuals and small business owners replace damaged appliances and equipment with more energy efficient appliances. Priority for the grants will be given to Vermonters with incomes at or below the area median income, with grants maxing out at VCu 25,000.

County governments have also come out with their own grant programs. Montpelier County, for example, has started a program to provide up to 100 business owners in the county with VCu 5,000 ($1,900) for repairing their businesses. Chittenden County has likewise started a program to provide grants of up to VCu 4,000 ($1,500) in rental assistance for renters in the county and grants of up to VCu 5,000 for businesses and homeowners.

Applying for county-level grants does not disqualify renters, homeowners and business owners from receiving national grants. Private grants may have different terms that Vermonters are asked to look into first.

Armenian Chronicle
_{16 August 2023 - Sara Araratian, Editor-in-Chief}

International student population doubles in size
(Armenian Chronicle) YEREVAN - A new joint report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Science notes that Armenia's population of international students currently studying in the country's universities has more than doubled in size.

According to statistics from the 2018-2019 academic year, there were approximately 3,500 international students in Armenia's higher educational institutions – around 17 percent of the total higher education population of 20,000. Current data accumulated from the 2022-2023 academic year shows that from the approximately 34,000 students in higher educational institutions, over 20 percent were international students, or about 7,000 students.

"This is an absolutely remarkable development, and goes to show how Armenia has a lot to offer the international community, especially young people who want to take advantage of educational opportunities abroad," said Minister for Education and Science Vahram Sargsyan in a statement. "We hope Armenian academics, culture and people attract more students. Please - if you have the talent, if you have the desire, come to Armenia."

Some parts of Armenia's plan to attract more international students has drawn criticism. Close allies of the Republic of Azerbaijan have claimed that it is "undiplomatic" for Armenia to try to attract international students to Artsakh University in the so-called disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, recognized by Armenia and a growing number of nations as the rightful territory of the United Armenian Free State as the Province of Artsakh.

Despite the detractors, the Armenian government is Yerevan is determined to push ahead with plans to attract even more international students, and their latest target are young people and descendants of the Armenian diaspora from GMR Vermont.

Since Vermont's decision to recognize Artsakh as the lawful territory of Armenia, relations between the two nations have blossomed. Armenian drones are currently being field tested by the armed forces of Vermont. An all-Armenian football team – FC Ararat-Vermont – is set to participate in Vermont's first-ever premier league. Vermonter investments are flooding into Armenia, and a company of Vermonter peacekeepers currently patrol the border between Artsakh and Azerbaijan.

Now, it seems that Yerevan is not content with the state of bilateral relations between it and Montpelier. While unconfirmed, sources within the government that spoke with the Armenian Chronicle on condition of anonymity have noted that the government is planning to roll-out an easier process for Vermonter students to study for a semester or a whole academic year in Armenian universities. This plan includes waiving certain or possibly all visa requirements, discounted tuition fees and expanded scholarship programs. One source noted that Yerevan may be willing to fully subsidize the cost of at least a dozen Vermonters who choose to study in Artsakh, with the plan potentially including fully subsidized room and board and a small weekly stipend for the Vermonters to spend in Artsakh.