[Xiomera]

16 December 2020

Peace talks to end Xiomeran civil war begin
Status of former Xiomeran territories, Intra-Xiomera Canal expected to be major issues



Talks have begun in the Laeralite city of Jinyu to end the civil war in Xiomera, with delegations from multiple nations and relevant parties attending, both as negotiators and as observers.

The talks, which are being hosted by President Liu Mei-Han of Laeral and other Laeralite officials, are seen as the best chance to end the civil war which has been going on for eight months now, and has dragged multiple nations into the conflict on both sides. Representatives from the Xiomeran Empire, along with Eiria, Legionas, Milintica, and the separatist states of Huenya, Manauia Island and the Netlcoātl Islands are expected to attend, along with observers from the Slokais Islands. The information released by the government of Laeral for the talks stated that they hope "for a productive joint dialogue to resolve the conflict and lay the foundations for an equitable, lasting peace in Huenya, Manauia Island, the Netlcoātl Islands, and surrounding territories."

Those hopes, experts say, may be difficult at best to achieve. The two major parties to the conflict, the Xiomeran Empire and the separatist Huenyan Federation, have severely opposed positions. The Xiomeran Empire is demanding that Huenyan and allied forces withdraw from the area around the city of Zapotlán and the Intra-Xiomera Canal, and that the Huenyans abandon their claim to sovereignty over what remains of the Xiomeran Empire. The Huenyans, in their turn, are also demanding full control over the Canal, and demanding that the new ruler of Xiomera, Empress Calhualyana, step down and allow the Xiomeran Empire to be absorbed into the Huenyan Federation.

The other parties involved in the conflict also have strong positions that may make the discussions extremely challenging. While the Eirian, Kerlian and Legionite governments have not released official statements on their positions, it is widely expected that both will push for the Canal to become an international zone not under the control of either party to the Xiomeran conflict. It is also widely expected that the international community will demand that the Canal Zone become a DMZ to separate the two sides, a position strongly opposed by Huenyan religious and political extremists who are demanding unification of Huenya and the end of the Xiomeran Empire. The expected position of the international community concerning the Canal is also opposed by the Xiomeran Empire, which has said it is willing to cede western Huenya, Manauia Island and the Netlcoātl Islands but not the area around Zapotlán or the Canal itself.

Still other parties involved with the conflict, which have banded together under the banner of the Alliance of Non-Aligned Nations, are expected to mirror the demands of the international community, but go even further to demand reparations from Xiomera for both historic occupation and alleged war crimes during the civil war. The ANAN states (Milintica, Manauia Island and the Netlcoātl Islands) are also expected to demand that pivotal figures from the Xiomeran side be placed on trial by the international community for war crimes, and that the involvement of foreign mercenaries by the Xiomeran side be fully investigated, a demand expected to be echoed by some on the Huenyan side as well. The Xiomeran government has already stated that it will not surrender any of its nationals to any international body for trial or punishment, but that it will conduct its own investigations and trials to address alleged war crimes by its side.

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Unrest grows in Slokais Islands

The growing unrest in the Slokais Islands has begun to alarm other governments, as violence and terrorism there threaten to spiral out of control.

A series of violent incidents have been unfolding over the past several days. The cities of Asslanca, Nerrak and Wallnang have been taken over by the pro-Kaijan independence group known as the Kaijan League. The group is reportedly using a broadcasting tower in Nerrak, a city with a population of 1200, to communicate. There are reports that the group executed the local tax collector, as well as other government officials, in Nerrak as well. Reports have also emerged that the group has been performing extrajudicial executions of civlians deemed to be supporting the Sloakisian government. There has also been an attack on Velganga Township, but no further information has been made available about that incident. Reports have also emerged that a broadcast team from Serriel has gone missing, along with the head of the Kascan Police who was escorting them. The group has an estimated 200 to 250 fighters, according to Slokaisian government sources.

The government attempted a raid on Kaijan League operatives in Kaijan City, but the operation reportedly failed, with a wanted suspect escaping. The government has also had to deal with anger among its own citizens. A recent protest by the New Right political party in Southland, a Kaijanese area of New Liverpool, turned violent when the activists seized control of the Kaijese Community Center there and clashed with both police and local residents. The incident in New Liverpool has foreign observers concerned that the Kaijan unrest may spiral into an ethnic conflict between Kaijanese and other Slokaisians.

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Kerlian government swerves towards reform in unexpected moves

An amendment to the Education and Upbringing of Daughters of the Council Act has been approved by the Council of Kerlile. The amendment will make it legal for Kerlian Councillors and their heirs to raise male children, marry males and involve the fathers of their children in their children’s lives. Councillor Jennifer Hale’s Democracy Bill is also now proceeding to a debate in Parliament, after months of trying to get the bill passed by the Council. The Parliament of Kerlile is set to begin debates on the Democracy Bill in the new year, including discussions of fair and free elections, shorter terms for Members of Parliament, reducing the influence of the Council on the workings of Parliament, and running open Presidential Elections. A clause in the original draft extending voting rights to males was removed from the draft sent to Parliament.

The unexpected moves by the Kerlian government, which has previously been known for its strongly matriarchal views, has received differing reactions. Xia Chiu, second in line to the Chiu family seat on the Council, told the Kerlian News Service via video interview she is “ecstatic” about the changes. “I will finally be able to return home with both my children, who are both part of my family. The Council can only be strengthened by this amendment, as it strengthens the very fabric of our families.” Chiu is currently in exile in Lauchenoiria due to her bearing a son.

Former President of Kerlile Joanna Greenwood, on the other hand, said the decisions by the Council will lead to “degeneracy and decay”, and will distract the minds of the Council from their mission to seek full women’s liberation across the globe. Greenwood has been a staunch supporter of the restrictions on marriage and child rearing for those who will one day become Councillors, and had previously lobbied for a change to the marriage law to make it stricter by outlawing lesbian marriage for Councillors also.

The unexpected movement towards reform in Kerlile, which had previously been resisted by at least half of the Council, if not more, is being described by experts as "highly promising", but that time will tell if such reforms, which would bring about fundamental changes in Kerlile, can be achieved without resistance.

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ANAN to build headquarters, introduce joint currency

The newly formed Alliance of Non-Aligned Nations (ANAN) announced today that it will be building a headquarters complex in Huānoch, the capital of Milintica. The organization said that the headquarters will be mostly funded by the Milintican government, due to the "emerging status" of the other two members of the alliance.

The headquarters complex will be built on public land in the Government Quarter of the capital, near the Milintican assembly building. Plans for the building include a conference hall, archives, library, offices and an assembly chamber for members to vote.

In the same announcement, the ANAN announced that its member states will be adopting a joint currency, the ANAN Dollar. "This joint currency will help Manauia Island and the Netlcoātl Islands liberate themselves from having to use Xiomeran currency, and allow all three nations to jointly develop a stronger economic base," Prime Minister Tupai Tapihana of Milintica said when making the announcement. The former Xiomeran territories will begin using the ANAN Dollar immediately, while Milintica will slowly phase out the tlipan, its current form of currency, in favor of the ANAN Dollar over the next year.

Some Milinticans have criticized both the expense of building a headquarters complex for the ANAN, and of switching over to a new currency, when Milintica itself is economically struggling and faces significant budgetary issues. The Prime Minister dismissed these concerns, saying that "one cannot put a price on forging ties of cooperation and comradeship between like-minded nations and peoples." In a statement condemning the proposed headquarters, the Green Party of Milintica said that "despite what the Prime Minister said, one can put a price on the government's ambition of dancing on the world stage, and that price is 65 million tlipans and counting," citing the current estimate of the cost to build the proposed headquarters. The GPM also sharply cricitized the government's choice for a headquarters site for the ANAN, which will take a large urban park out of commission.

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Eirian Chancellor reveals talks of political union

Eirian Chancellor William Lancaster has revealed that discussions between Eirian and Legionite officials have been going on for several months now, with the goal of possibly forming a regional bloc.

The potential alliance has unofficially been labeled the "Caxcanan Union" in the preliminary discussions between Eirian and Legionite officials, and was praised as "an amazing opportunity to help increase cooperation, trade, and relations in Eastern Caxcana" by Professor Julie Hartman, Professor of International Politics at East Borean University, in an interview with the Eirian National News. However, the discussions have also raised concerns by other experts that the discussions of a Caxcanan Union, coming at the same time as the recently formed ANAN alliance, may portend an era of competing alliances and regional competition in Caxcana. "We're seeing nations aligning and picking sides, and this is always a concern, as alliances often lead to conflicts rather than preventing them," Marcus Thompson, with the think tank Renaissance Theory, told DTNS. Thompson also speculated that if a Caxcanan Union is formed, that the newly forming state of Huenya may seek to join, causing further unrest in eastern Caxcana. "If the Huenyans join an alliance, that may incite them to abandon pursuing a peaceful resolution to their conflict with what is left of Xiomera. We could also end up seeing a future-state Xiomeran Empire being completely isolated from the rest of Caxcana, and when already paranoid totalitarian states become pariahs that are isolated from the international community, that's when they become very dangerous."

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Senate scandal rocks Eiria

Formido Party leader Alexander Dukov and Eclipse Party leader Alison Legrand have resigned from their parties' leadership, as well as their roles as minority and majority leader of the Eirian Senate, after a bribery scandal emerged which has rocked the Eirian political scene. In a startling article published by the Borean Journal, it was revealed that both Dukov and Legrand allegedly attempted to bribe journalists to write articles favoring their factions of their parties. The two also allegedly tried to bribe journalists to write articles discrediting the moderate wings of their own parties and the rival Eirian Centrist Party. The two party leaders had also allegedly made a deal to try to win seats in the Senate for their respective factions.

Despite the resignations, Dukov and Legrand still hold the position of Senator for now. Investigations have been launched by both the Senate Committee on Improper Conduct and the Ministry of Justice in regards to the accusations.

Other Eirian political figures were quick to react to the news. "It's a frightening accusation, and if it's true, it says a frightening amount about the potential for corruption in our Republic. It's appalling that leaders of our country would break the law to try to stab their own party members in the back just to gain Senate seats," Centrist Senate Leader Justin Olmansen told the media. Chancellor William Lancaster also commented on the resignations and allegations by saying, "the accusations levied on Senators Dukov and Legrand are serious and reprehensible."

"If these accusations are proven true, I fully expect the Ministry of Justice to exact punishment how they see fit. Bribery is a serious breach of the Oath of the Republic, not to mention highly illegal. It's a shame that Legrand and Dukov would bring doubt and skepticism on the entire Eirian democracy like this," Lancaster said.

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Fellsian Chancellor announces Cabinet shake-up following Air Hespia probe

Queensgrace- High Fellsian Chancellor Choi Myung-ki has announced the replacement of two more members of the Council of State, the Fellsian cabinet, in a sign of the growing reach of the Air Hespia corruption probe. Minister of Telecommunications Gan Jiwoo and Minister of Transportation Tristan Powell presented resignation letters yesterday after both were placed under investigation by the Prosecutor-General’s office. Lord Chancellor Choi’s handpicked replacements appear to be intended to add star power to his only five-month old cabinet.

For Minister of Telecommunications, Chancellor Choi has chosen Constitutional Republican Party MP Keir Lamont as a fresh face for the cabinet. Lamont, first elected in 2018 as an MP for one of the Queensgrace Christian seats, was previously the founder and CEO of Tancom, High Fells’ second-largest telecommunications provider. At 39, Lamont will be the youngest member of Choi’s government. His first task is likely to be modernizing and expanding High Fells’s internet capacity, a key component of the Lord Chancellor’s Agenda 2030 development plan. An Dae, a long-time MP of the Felicity Party, will assume the Transportation portfolio.

The cabinet shakeup comes as the Air Hespia probe continues to rattle the Fellsian political elite. Having brought down the former right-wing coalition government, Chancellor Choi’s left-leaning coalition of the secular Constitutional Republican party and Minjian-aligned Felicity party now faces investigation by the Special Prosecutor’s office after allegedly accepting bribes in the forms of company stock from the Laeral-based airline in exchange for favorable privileges at Fellsian airports. Twelve company executives and 18 members of Parliament have already been placed under investigation, including former Chancellor Ryong Sang-chol and the two former ministers of Choi’s government. Speaking to the media, Prosecutor-General Chae Sang-ook did not rule out further prosecutions. “The extent of the corruption within Parliament has not yet been fully uncovered. All that is certain is that it extends deeply throughout the entire political apparatus.”

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Sunemia seats legislators, passes healthcare funding in Nashana

After the conclusion of successful elections, state legislators in Sunemia have taken up their seats in their respective state legislatures, to begin the usual process of legislating. Kicking things off was the passage of major legislation in Nashana state to increase healthcare funding. The legislation will enable the building of more rural hospitals, expanding medical research, and increasing benefits for health workers. The legislation passed 98-8 on a wave of overwhelming support by the public.