Local News Topic

[Nev]

Spoiler: In OOC review

ÞEKSIAN CONGRESS FAILS TO PASS JARNHOLL REBUILDING BILL AGAIN AMID POLITICAL DEADLOCK
By Adrien Lentz​

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Ástinn, Þeksmark, 02 Aug 2024 (IAP) – A congressional motion to fund the reconstruction of Jarnholl, once the industrial core and former capital of Þeksmark, failed again this week after opposition lawmakers from the so-called “Ranch Belt” blocked the bill, deepening the ongoing national divide and raising new concerns over the future of the confederation.

Jarnholl, now a symbol of postwar neglect, has languished in urban decay since the fall of the Syndicalist regime. The city, once home to over 1 million residents, the only other city in Þeksmark to have a million people living in it, was a hub for steel, rail, and heavy machinery. It was devastated during the end of the Syndicalist government nearly two decades ago.

Though humanitarian and reconstruction aid from several nations such as the Imperium Suavidici, Sutherland, Waltalriche, and the Stadt has flowed into Þeksmark’s national budget over the years, Jarnholl’s recovery has stalled amid political gridlock. According to the Þekskarl Census Bureau, the city’s population has plummeted by over 65% since the war’s end, with projections suggesting full abandonment by 2045 if no major intervention occurs.

"Revival of Syndicalism"

The latest proposal to fund a comprehensive urban renewal package was introduced by Federalist lawmakers, mostly representing the northern industrial states, including New Harrowgate and Norswickglen. The bill would have allocated 68 billion Þekskmarks to rebuild critical infrastructure and restore housing in Jarnholl, with an emphasis on public sector employment and municipal revitalization programs.

However, the bill was defeated after lawmakers from the Great Plains states—informally referred to as the “Ranch Belt”—voted as a bloc against the measure. Many representatives from the agrarian interior argued that the plan would disproportionately benefit the north and potentially reintroduce centralist economic controls reminiscent of the Syndicalist era.

“This isn’t just about rebuilding bricks and steel,” said Rep. Harland Reeve (N–Westholdt). “It’s about stopping the creeping return of the same centralized state planning that brought this nation to the brink before.”

The Ranch Belt coalition, which has grown more assertive in recent years, views the Federalist agenda with suspicion, accusing the party of using reconstruction as a political vehicle to re-entrench bureaucratic influence and funnel resources to historically Federalist strongholds.

Urban Collapse and Political Fallout​

In Jarnholl itself, the consequences of legislative inaction are increasingly visible. Abandoned tenements, collapsing factories, and a gutted rail yard stretch for kilometers through what was once a thriving industrial capital. Many of the city’s remaining residents have relocated to satellite suburbs or have left the state entirely. Job loss and depopulation have driven down property values, and basic services are intermittent at best.

“The people here have been left behind by every government since the war,” said Liene Mørdal, a community organizer in the city’s southern quarter. “The aid money came. But it never came here.”

As frustrations mount, protests in the de facto capital of Ástinn have turned violent in recent days, with demonstrators clashing with security forces outside the Þeksmark State Capital. While officially centered on labor disputes and fuel pricing, analysts say the protests reflect deeper disillusionment with the Federalist-led government’s failure to unite the country’s divided regions.

Secession Talk Surfaces​

More alarming for national unity are emerging signs of dissatisfaction within the northern Federalist bloc itself. Lawmakers from New Harrowgate, Vinladr, Norswickglen, and Kressholt—states with historical ties to the former Eiygerland colonial administration and latecomers to the Þeksmark declaration of independence—have reportedly begun to discuss secession in closed-door meetings.

Multiple sources inside the State Capital confirmed that quiet conversations about the viability of continued union are taking place “with increasing frequency,” though no formal motions have been introduced.

“The union made sense when we believed in shared progress,” said one northern delegate who requested anonymity. “But when the rest of the country sees our collapse and refuses to help—we have to ask why we’re still here.”

The central government has not commented on these reports, though internal security agencies have increased monitoring of regional party caucuses and communication networks within Congress.

With no new rebuilding bill scheduled for debate and nationwide elections looming next spring, analysts warn that the political fracture lines exposed by Jarnholl’s fate could harden into permanent division.

Foreign Pact Under Review as Unrest Escalates​

Amid growing protests and political paralysis, the Federalist-led government is reportedly weighing the extraordinary step of invoking military support from the Imperium Suavidici, its closest foreign ally under the terms of the Nuova Marcium Agreement—a strategic military and economic alliance signed in 2014, following the fall of the Syndicalist-government.

The agreement, named after the Suavidici port city where it was formalized, provides for mutual defense, joint intelligence-sharing, and the possible deployment of Suavidici forces in defense of Þeksmark’s sovereignty. At the time, the pact was seen as a bulwark against the aggressive politicking from Scalvia, South Ethian, and Eiygland.

In exchange for favorable basing rights and access to deepwater ports in the Þeksmarkic north, Suavidici pledged both conventional military assistance and advanced equipment transfers, solidifying Þeksmark’s security posture during the volatile postwar reconstruction.

But with social unrest now surging internally, the Nuova Marcium Agreement may soon be tested in a new context. Three senior officials within the Department of War confirmed anonymously that discussions are underway to request Suavidici security forces for crowd-control support and infrastructure protection, particularly around key government buildings and transportation corridors in Ástinn.

“We are beyond the capacity of local security services,” one official said. “Without support from the states—and they’ve made their refusal clear—we’re left with few options.”

Critics, however, warn that the use of foreign troops, even under treaty obligations, would deepen domestic resentment and risk further delegitimizing the Federalist administration. Opposition leaders within the Ranch Belt have already issued statements condemning any potential deployment as “a foreign occupation by invitation.”

“Calling in Suavidici troops to suppress domestic anger would be the final betrayal of the Þeksmarkic republic,” said Rep. Lota Greshall (N–Sarnham), a vocal opponent of the Federalists. “This government has failed its people—and now it plans to outsource repression.”

The Suavidici Foreign Ministry has not officially commented, but IAP sources in the Suavidici’s capital, report that pre-deployment consultations between Suavidici advisors and Þeksian federal police began quietly last week.

If confirmed, it would mark the first active deployment of foreign forces under the Nuova Marcium framework, and one aimed not at defending borders—but at quelling a population many say has simply lost faith in their state.

OOC: adjusting to remove Scalvian, South Ethian, Eiygerland intervention, possible change in lore. 01072025, 1726 edit. Nev.

 

[Predice]

CBC News

Parliament Approves Naval Forces Ship Orders

MERIDIA, C.T. — The Parliament has approved the ship order plans presented to the Ministry of Defence by the Commonwealth of Scalvia Naval Forces.

Background
The Commonwealth of Scalvia Naval Forces presented its new ship acquisition plan in late May of this year and that plan has now received approval from both Houses of Parliament.
Ship acquisition plans are presented to the Parliament to provide for a medium term fleet plan for the Commonwealth of Scalvia Naval Forces.

Basic Outline
The Acquisition Plan as approved by the Parliament authorises the construction of twenty vessels for the CSNF. In total the plan is expected to cost as much as SC$33.5 billion over the upcoming five years.

Inclusions
The plan authorises the construction of two new guided Missile destroyers, with the first of the vessels expected to be delivered in 2027. Both of the new destroyers are to be Georg Jõgisalu-class vessels. In addition, the last of the planned Aurora-class of frigates have been authorised for construction, with the eventual plan to commission a frigate every other year. In a departure from usual Scalvian practice, five new Submarines have also been approved for construction, with the eventual plan to bring Scalvian submarine building capabilities up to one submarine a year. Two large replenishment ships and a number of patrol vessels have also been approved for construction.

Notable Absence
Notably absent from the final approved plan is the replacement for the aged CSS Kamika (CV-02,) flagship of the Commonwealth of Scalvia Naval Forces and currently its sole serving aircraft carrier. Policymakers have been unable to agree on a retirement date for CSS Kamika and thus the in-service date for her successor. Some have questioned whether CSS Kamika should be retired at all, during a period of heightened tensions in the region, some believe that CSS Kamika should be maintained in commission alongside a new carrier to make the CSNF a two-carrier navy.

Nuclear submarines?
The Scalvian Naval Forces have long considered the acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines. While the latest plan does not approve any nuclear-powered attack submarines, plans remain very much alive, with the CSNF expected to ask the Parliament for approval for nuclear-powered attack submarines as soon as next year.

 

[The Yeti]

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10 hrs ago	Chancellor Þórðarson announces the plan to welcome 100,000 foreign skilled workers Meeting with the members of the press this week, Chancellor Jónar Torbjørn Þórðarson had officially announced the approval of the bill to welcome 100,000 skilled workers under the realm's Skilled Labour Visa programme. The aim of the programme is to welcome labourers in fields of manufacturing, healthcare, education, engineering and construction. The invited workers will be required to take the government-sponsored Ostish language courses in order to pass the proficiency test and be eligible for an official work permit with two year instant residency. Political News	​
16 hrs ago	How the national railway system fixed itself in just a few years in Ostmark Formerly a beacon of unserviceability with constant delays, cancelled trains and poor infrastructure, the KJ had gained its notoriety for its many problems since the start of 2000s. However, since 2022 when the railway network was privatised under the name Kongaliga Jarnbreytin (Royal Railways), independent sources and the general public alike report significant improvements, stating that compared to 2015, the network had reported 76% less delays monthly. The improved railway network had also contributed to Osts preferring rail over air in recent years. National News	​
1 day ago	Folketing approves bill to make denial of "syndicalist genocides" illegal nationwide Proposed by Høyre MP Mariana Haugen-Bakken, the Anti-Revisionism Bill wanted to make all denial of genocides perpetrated by syndicalists worldwide, inspired by the 2006 Historical Truth Act that made it illegal to deny fascist genocides and war crimes in academic writing, news broadcasting, formal speeches, political rallies and in schools in order to combat extremism and revisionism. Haugen-Bakken, a former refugee from Prydania, described the approval of the bill as a "great step forward" for the Ostish society. Political News	​
22 hrs ago	Gunned man attacks local shopping mall in Ljón, one dead and eleven injured A gunned man entered the Lykksbrðænskje Mall in Ljón's central Ískurþórnur neighbourhood today during early morning hours with an unlicenced hunting rifle, opening fire at the security guards and shooters at the entry. The attacker, a 26-year-old man of Caminian descent, was later neutralised by security guards while he attempted to jump past the barricade. Eleven people had been injured during the attack, with only two reported to be severe, while security guard Annegret Ýngvarsdóttir passed away on scene after being fatally shot on the chest. Regional News	​

 

[North Timistania]

37 Years later: Remembering the Polar War

The early years

The Erasian poles are a vast and treacherous expanse of frozen land, home to ferocious predators and deadly terrain that can lay low even the most seasoned of expeditions. Despite the hostility of this region there has been an unceasing flow of explorers and scientists to this place for nearly a century.

South Ethia can rightly claim to have pioneered many aspects of polar exploration, it was after all the legendary emperor Oskar II who first journeyed personally to the poles at the head of the vast exploration fleet of the 1869 expedition. The fleet arrived in what is now Von Tempsky’s land and set up an outpost on St Wilhemina Isle that has persisted in some form until present day.

Of the poles Oskar II wrote:

“Though I am of Prydanian ancestry I none the less required heavy furs and goggles while taking in the poles, a great white expanse extended as far as the eye could see and my sailors grew very fearful when on the ninth day we saw what seemed like terrible giants looming down upon us, this thankfully turned out to be a trick of the dawn light and mist.

We have set up a small outpost at the mouth of a natural harbor, at my captain’s suggestion I have named the cove St Arvins Bay in honor of the Naesserine. My portrait was taken this morning, amusingly the large waddling birds we have come to refer to as “penguins” do not seem intimidated in the slightest and waddle up to us, one sat on the rock next to me and was included in the finished portrait!

Truly this land is a mystery, gods most savage canvas, I hope to return one day and unveil more of its wonders”

He would make a further three trips before his death in 1877.


Modern exploration

The Polar War was the result of non-existent laws and the lack of a formal political framework regarding activities in the polar region. To this day there are few formal treaties with regards to activity on the poles and this would lead to catastrophe in 1988 when the white snows would be stained red for the first time.

The trouble began in September 1988, the South Ethian company “Bergen Crude” had begun the initial phases of oil exploration on St Wilhemina, the deposits discovered were considered lucrative enough to commence drilling operations. This, however, led to an increased presence on an island that was no longer merely South Ethian.

[Members of Bergun Crude celebrate the discovery of oil]

The Suadivici Imperium had also maintained a long-standing presence on the other side of the island and the expansion of South Ethian activities lead to misunderstandings and far more frequent interactions. The tradition of Ethians on the Western side and Suadivici on the East was broken in dramatic fashion.

Early in the morning on September 19th a patrol of South Ethian wildcatters was travelling across the Alteman mountain range that runs directly across the middle of St Wilhemina. Due to low visibility the patrol did not recognize they were moving close to a Suadivici position until it was far too late to prevent an accident. It is not known to this day which side fired the first shot, what is known is that when the exchange was over a Suadivici contractor was wounded and a South Ethian man was dead.

Attempts to negotiate broke down very quickly as contractors on both sides, already frustrated by their isolation, ignored orders to remain within the boundaries of their outposts. Instead, bands from both sides would wage unsanctioned warfare for over three months.

Notably an oil crane was damaged by explosives planted by Suadivici contractors, the barracks on the Suadivici side of the island was damaged when a raiding party set fire to the building and multiple shootouts occurred in Von Tempsky’s land as the leadership on both sides was powerless to prevent the ensuing violence.

[Image of the oil crane damaged by explosives]

[The Suadivici barracks following fire damage]

By October the situation had grown so desperate that police assistance was requested, though this would still be delayed due to the lengthy travel time required to ship lawmen to the region. In the meantime, angry gangs of contractors on both sides continued to shoot at one another and damage equipment as the situation had devolved into roving militia actions.

Things finally ended in November 1988 when a deployment of several hundred military police on the South Ethian side of the island and a matched commitment by the Suadivici reined in the chaos. Officially there were no formal arrests, though several contractors were summarily dismissed upon their return to the mainland. In total the war is believed to have led to the death of over 19 individuals and the injury of nearly a dozen others.

Considered a public embarrassment for both nations, the governments of South Ethia and the imperium promptly signed the “Covenant of the Poles” agreeing to enact policies designed to prevent such violence from ever erupting again. Today St Wilhemina is home to several oil extraction and scientific outposts, both sides maintain small forces of police and lines of contact are maintained at all times.

The end of the so called Polar war was not the end of issues within the region, the presence of valuable resources and the lack of solid international agreements continue to make the region a divided and lawless place, national sovereignty once again proving an excellent tool for politics but lacking for humanity. Thankfully there appears to have been no lasting ill will between the two nations, a wreath laying ceremony has taken place at the site of the first skirmish every year since.



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