[Ilan]

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Outrage as Police Hospitalise Student Protester



Photo: Moment Songho City Police set upon a Rhan'Di student protester

Images circulating online that purport to show a student protester being assaulted by Songho City riot police has caused outrage across Rhand.

According to reports the ethnic Rhan'Di student was part of a group of student activists involved in the Progress and Development Party (PDP) who were protesting over the lack of government attention being given to the current rural crime-wave targeting the primarily Rhan'Di farmers of the Dong'Co. About 25 students were holding a peaceful demonstration outside the city government offices in Ronghyu Square where the student in question was believed to have been holding a provocative sign calling for Governor Bui Hoc to either address the issue or step down.

Police were then said to have arrived and ordered the protesters to disperse before setting upon the student in what witness said was an unprovoked attack. The male was then taken to hospital by ambulance where his condition is said to be stable having sustained a concussion, broken ribs and arm.

A spokesman for the PDP said "Today one of our student activists was brutally attacked for exercising his legal right to advocate on behalf of our party. This shocking assault is not only upon the body of our member, but upon the democratic and civil foundations of our state. It has long been suspected that there exists an inappropriate closeness between the policing hierarchy and the governing National Party, but now we see clearly that they are acting to suppress all legitimate criticism of the Governor and his policy choices. We have this to say to the Governor, Rhand is not a one party state and it would be foolish of you to believe you can continue to use the security forces as your personal thugs."

The National Party press office responded saying "We reject outright the slanderous accusations of the PDP. The National Party respects and fully upholds the long standing democratic traditions of our country. The PDP are known agitators who seek any opportunity to undermine trust in government to further their anti-traditionalist agenda."

The Progress and Development Party advocates for the development of the country's interior, providing greater infrastructure and economic opportunities to the largely Rhan'Di farmer community of the countryside. They also advocate for limited political and social reforms such as set regular elections and a greater social role for women.

The Governor's Office and Songho City Police were both contacted for comment but as of going to print have not yet responded.

Economic News

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Gloomy Forecasts for Oil Production

The Tsentsugan Institute of Economics (TIE) has issued a warning for oil production citing recent figures that show that extraction rates have dropped across the sector. This has been put down to increasing difficulty of pumping as the reserves pressure have dropped as a result of exploitation.

While this is an inevitable, and foreseeable, consequence of oil extraction the Rhand National Oil Company (RNOC) has failed to sufficiently invest in the technology and expertise required to offset this and maintain production at previous rates.

Historically the company has been able to avoid falling productivity by developing newly discovered fields, however the rate of discovery of proven reserves has fallen in recent years, and those discovered have been of lower quality. As a result the much vaunted opening of the Hanxio field is not expected to be able to make up the shortfall.

TIE has warned that without significantly more investment in the sector by the government the sector faces contraction over the next two decades. Given the centrality of oil to the Rhandese economy this could spell trouble in the future if not properly handled.