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Il Protettore del Popolo
Il Primo, Il Meglio 172 KILLED IN TERRORIST BOMBING West Worken. Panic reigned in West Worken today as a deafening explosion obliterated the Tolsen Governor Mansion and killed 172 people, including Lieutenant Governor Giovanni Lavorno. Officials from the West Worken Fire Department struggled to contain the flames as the Tolsen State Police closed off the affected area and asked citizens to stay in their homes.
Governor Celia Bellona was in Citella at the time, inspecting the recently inaugurated State Museum of Tolsian History, but immediately took a train back to West Worken upon being informed of the bombing. Before boarding her train she told reporters that "this event brings us back to a dark time in our history, but I can assure the whole world that we are more resillient and will prevail over these criminals". President Walsh is reported to be flying to West Worken at the time of publication. A veteran of the terrorist wars from the 1970s, he is credited for having drawn up the strategies that lead to the defeat of the Forza Nazionale terrorist group. While most senators and representatives have expressed their condolences to the victims, some Progressive legislators have begun questioning why there no intelligence agency prevented the bombing. As a Tolsian newspaper, Il Protettore del Polo expresses its deepest condolences to all the victims and their families. We stand with you. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
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Il Protettore del Popolo
Il Primo, Il Meglio PRESIDENT WALSH SHOT WHILE DEFYING TERRORISTS West Worken. President Walsh was shot today at noon while giving a defiant speech on the rubble of what once was the Tolsen Governor Mansion. He received a single gunshot wound on his left shoulder by a young man who was later identified as Benedetto Scarlone, just as he was vehemently condemning the bombing and vowing to crush any emerging terrorist threat. Seconds after being shot, the President was surrounded by agents from the State Security Service. He was removed from the scene by his vehicle and taken to the Belzan Memorial Hospital.
Chaos erupted on the bombing site shortly after, as officers from the Tolsen State Police secured the perimeter and agents from the State Security Service aprehended the shooter. Though there has been no official pronouncement, sources within the Service claim that Mr Scarlone said to be a member of Orgoglio Belzano, the same group which took responsibility for the recent bombing. It is still unclear whether he is in fact a member of the increasingly infamous terrorist organisation or if this was the act of one person. Vice President Todd Wilcox held a press conference one hour ago at the Executive Mansion, announcing that the President was stable and determined to continue his work, though resting on the advice of his physician. In a rare show of bipartisanship, senators and representatives gathered in the Executive Park with red ties, the colour of the Conservative Coalition, to express their sympathies and well wishes to the President. -------------------- Hermes 2 orbits Maxima Broadside. Director Clara Stokes from the Space Exploration Agency announced at a press conference today that the unmanned probe Hermes 2 has successfully been inserted into maximan orbit after a four-day journey. It was launched from Castle Air Force Base with a mission to map Maxima and provide KSEA with possible sites for a future soft landing.
Director Stokes also answered question on the future of the astronaut corps, which has not seen any activity since the Chariot and Orbiter launches. She confirmed that manned spaceflight will resume within the next few months with highly elliptical orbits around Pacifica and extensive experiments on the effects of microgravity and extended spaceflight on humans. Congress is expected to pass the Space Exploration Act later this week, granting much needed funding to the Agency. It has been relying on funds from the Air Force and temporary appropriations granted by President Walsh, though the latter were limited in amount and would only last until the next congressional election. It is expected that KSEA will be given a substantial budget in anticipation of deep space manned and unmanned missions. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio 37 ARRESTED IN RAID BY STATE POLICE West Worken. Shots were fired tonight in the industrial dictrict of West Worken, as a militarised State Police broke into several abandoned factories and tried to arrest individuals said to be members of Orgoglio Belzano, the terrorist group responsible for the bombing of the Governor's Mansion and the attempted assassination of President Walsh.
Officers of the State Police were allegedly acting based on intelligence provided by the Kringalian Security Agency and wearing gear and weapons supplied by the Kringalian Army. West Workans reported hearing loud voices as officials broke into the different factories, followed by gunshots between sides that spread to nearby streets. Employees leaving their jobs at active factories were forced to remain inside for the following fifteen minutes, until the shooting ended. State Police Captain Giacomo Pavioli indicated that 12 suspects were killed and 37 were arrested, while 2 officials were wounded to different degrees of severity. Those arrested are set to be questioned by the State Police and the Security Agency and potentially charged with multiple counts of terrorism and murder, in relation with the recent bombing. A feeling of uneasiness has been increasing throughout West Worken, as people have been filling their storage rooms with foods and other essentials. Many have expressed their concern on the possibility of a resurgence of terrorist groups similar to the Forza Nazionale from thirty years ago, which battled the Kringalian Government for over ten years and cost the lives of 35 000 Tolsians. Some harbour hope that President Walsh, a decorated veteran from the terrorist wars, will recover quickly and deal decisive strikes against the resurgent terrorists, before they have a chance to increase the deadliness of their attacks. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio WILCOX INAUGURATED AMID GROWING TERRORISM CONCERNS North. There was a sense of unease among security forces and the general public as Todd Wilcox walked across Republic Avenue on January 3, making the traditional visit to each department on his way to the Executive House. Polls conducted days before the inauguration showed that as many as two thirds of all citizens expected some kind of terrorist attack, but the morning was mostly uneventful. That did not prevent President Wilcox from mentioning terrorism in his inaugural address, celebrating the advances made during the previous administration, but acknowledging that government had been slow to respond to the expansion of subversive groups in the southwest.
A recurring comment from news shows was the relatively low attendance from the public, worn out by months of ongoing military operations against Orgoglio Belzano in the west and the Kringalian Sovereign Army in the southwest. Though security and law enforcement forces had made significant gains against the former in October, the Walsh Administration was ultimately unable to predict and contain the growth of the latter, which was formed by radical nationalists opposed to Tolsian terrorism, but eventually formed an informal alliance with it. President Walsh received a harsh blow to his popularity when he personally commanded a military operation in southern Donnerson, which ended in the temporary occupation of the historic Vallen City by what became the Kringalian Sovereign Army. A victory of sorts was eventually achieved in early January, when the Kringalian Army eliminated more than half of Orgoglio Belzano in the Battle of Centro dello Stato, which also resulted in the capture of Capitano Renato Gallo, the leader of the organisation. He is currently on trial for treason and numerous counts of murder, kidnapping and other crimes. Though there are still remnants of the organisation, their activities as of late have been limited to armed robberies and kidnappings, which are being handled by the Tolsen State Police. Campaigns in Donnerson have been less successful, since the Kringalian Sovereign Army is headed by five former army colonels who received dishonourable discharges due to certain violent crimes they committed. Most of its membership is composed of radical nationalists and military enthusiasts who failed their enlistment psychological tests. Their stated goal is to force the enactment of laws that remove all rights from minorities and restrict the self-government of states with significant minorities, most prominently Tolsen and Sleigh Winds. In what some consider a contradiction, there is a growing number of former Orgoglio Belzano members fighting for the Sovereign Army. Currently it controls significant portions of southern Donnerson, including part of the coastline, and is heavily fighting the Kringalian Army north of Vallen City. President Wilcox made a surprise trip to West Worken the day after his inauguration. There he was joined by Connor Walsh in visiting the site of the October 23 Bombing. He retook the presidential oath and gave a speech to those present, promising to fight for freedom from terrorism and for the prosperity of all Kringalians: "We knew the moment that bomb exploded that it was our duty to fight those responsible to the end. There simply was no other choice. We have fought since, and the costs have been high. We have lost fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They gave their lives so that we could live another day in freedom, and we must honour their memory by doing so. Join me in living free, in defending the values for which blood has been spilled. We will work together. We will rebuild. We will thrive. That is the Kringalian way. That is our way."
In subsequent speeches, President Wilcox has highlighted the need to promote small businesses in the southern states and suggested giving them tax benefits and guidance, to make them more competitive against businesses in the northern states. He also promised to continue the space policy of the Walsh Administration, but said his own inclination was towards increasing funding for deep space manned missions, as opposed to the current policy of prioritising unmanned probes. SEA Director Clara Stokes seconded today that, saying it was an important step towards achieving a greater understanding of our universe. The President has accepted an interview request from this newspaper and is currently in the process of scheduling its conduction. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
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Il Primo, Il Meglio 81 CIVILIANS KILLED IN VALLEN CITY Vallen City. Terror once again took hold of Vallen City this morning, when the battle between the Kringalian Army and the terrorist Kringalian Sovereign Army moved from the outskirts of the city to the outer core, where many residential areas and small businesses are located. Soldiers could be seen engaging in combat with terrorists, who constantly set buildings on fire and allowed opportunists and sympathisers to loot nearby stores. Most houses and apartments had already been evacuated days before, following an order issued by Mayor Christian Sickles. Still, there were dozens of residents who had not yet evacuated and found themselves in the midst of the battle.
Reports from the 2nd Kringalian Army indicated that 81 civilians have been killed since the battle moved to the city outer core, most of them evacuating residents who were targeted by the Sovereign Army. As many as 14 civilians were killed when terrorists set their houses on fire, while another 47 died when caught in the crossfire between the Army and the Sovereign Army. Other civilians were killed in related instances of violence and lawlessness when trying to evacuate. Governor Denise Barnett has deployed the Donnerson State Police to guard evacuation routes and protect civilians as they head over to nearby cities or refugee centres. This morning she made an emotional televised speech, calling on newly inaugurated President Wilcox to defeat the terrorists and restore law and order to her state. Governor Barnett is set to request the State Legislature to authorise the militarisation of the State Police, which would enable it to take certain combat functions in areas where the Sovereign Army is not yet as strong. Former President Walsh had strongly advocated for such measures weeks before terrorists first took Vallen City, but state legislators were mostly unconvinced at the time. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio SOVEREIGN ARMY LEADERSHIP KILLED IN SURPRISE BOMBING North. General Edward Grigsby gave tonight a brief statement to the press, informing that the Kringalian Air Force recently conducted an operation that resulted in the deaths of several members from the Central Command of the Sovereign Army and over two hundred regular members of the same terrorist organisation. This confirms reports throughout the day that the Army had been withdrawing from nearby combat areas and helped evacuate any remaining civilians before KAF fighters arrived.
Evelyn Stevens, correspondent from this newspaper on the scene, reported several bright flashes over the then-occupied town of Falton just as Air Force fighters flew over the area. General Grigbsy, who was recently appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said in his statement that most of the Sovereign Army leadership had been killed, but acknowledged that leader Marcus Broke was unaccounted for and possibly not in the town at the time of the bombing. Several people have gathered at the gates of the Executive House to cheer and celebrated, while it has also been reported that North Police has had to put out several fires started by people in Kringalia Square, where they attempted to burn pictures of Colonel Broke and others from the Central Command. Similar celebrations have been reported in other cities, particularly in the south. President Wilcox is expected to address the nation within the next twenty to forty minutes, to discuss the recent bombing and his future strategy to combat the Sovereign Army. -------------------- Grey Elephant Wraps Up its Return and Goodbye Tour Lyrica. Fans sang to the tune of Return and Goodbye as the highly famous rock band Grey Elephant wrapped up the final concert of its reunion tour. They traveled across Kringalia during the past three months, singing in 25 different cities before a combined total of 1.3 million people. This was confirmed to be the last major engagement of the band in the foreseeable future.
Grey Elephant was formed in 1993 by three seniors from Lyrica City College. They first performed at the wedding of a friend of theirs, where music agent Frank Cortes saw them and gave them a contract. Throughout the following ten years they released 4 albums and embarked on a corresponding number of national tours and an additional international tour that took them to certain cities in Sovonor. The band went dormant after all three members got individual contracts for their budding solo careers. Their last concert was at the birthday party of President Vannelli in 2004. Even though two of the band members repeatedly rejected any reunions, the high demand from their fans and the personal appeal of then-Vice President Wilcox convinced Grey Elephant to embark on one last reunion tour. They kicked off at the Skaran Concert Hall and went on to play many fan favourites, including Colourful Ballad, Couple Play and Return and Goodbye. Their last concert tonight was held at the Riverside Stadium in their hometown of Lyrica, with former President Vannelli in attendance. Experts are already calling the concert the "dream event of a whole generation". Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio WILCOX: "WE WILL LAND AN ASTRONAUT ON MAXIMA" Broadside. President Todd Wilcox gave a speech yesterday at Castle AFB, where he laid out his space policy and explained the priorities of his administration with regards to manned and unmanned space exploration. He had met with KSEA Director Clara Stokes earlier that day and sources close to the Agency say both had agreed to advocate in favour of current funding levels, following concerns in Congress that defence should increase greater funding at the expense of space exploration.
In his speech, the President defended the extremely high levels of funding for space exploration and promised to give greater prominence to the Agency, following months where terrorism dominated the front pages. With Director Stokes to his side, President Wilcox announced Project Eagle, the official name for a national effort to land astronauts on Maxima and return them safely. While Mr Wilcox acknowledged that such a mission would be highly dangerous and difficult to complete in the immediate future, he expressed his confidence in the scientific and technological competence of the Space Exploration Agency and promised that the landings would happen, regardless of how long it too to enact his vision. Director Stokes is scheduled to hold a press conference on the details of Project Eagle this weekend, but the President already gave some hints during his speech. He stressed the need to send more unmanned probes to Maxima and revealed that the Agency was already evaluating the possibility of landing a rover. He also announced the opening of astronaut applications and said the Agency would focus on long duration missions in Low Pacifica Orbit. The President did not elaborate on the specifics of the actual manned mission to Maxima, admitting that the project was in its infancy and still required careful evaluation and planning. In addition to Project Eagle, President Wilcox also announced that the Agency might reach out to nations in the Southern Space Agency in order to jointly build deep space probes, designed to explore outer space and the composition of certain planets beyond Pacifica. This has been praised in scientific circles, with many scientists stressing the importance of international collaboration when it comes to space exploration. -------------------- Wilcox Administration will establish an Arts Endowment Clark City. President Wilcox spoke tonight at the historic Hansen University at a ceremony where he received an honorary doctorate from the School of Philosophy, a privilege only afforded to four other individuals before him.
In his speech, President Wilcox reflected on the historic nature of the University, which as founded by Oscar Hansen, the first President of Kringalia, in 1825 as the first university independent from the recently abolished monarchy. Until that time all universities had their leadership and faculty appointed by the Ral. President Hansen had already decreed that all universities would be autonomous from the government, but he founded Hansen University as a symbol of changing times. Since then Hansen has had a strong focus on art and philosophy majors, with an increased interest for other social sciences since the Miller Reformation. President Wilcox also discussed the need for more interest in the arts and social sciences, which he called just as important as more popular fields like business and engineering. While Mr Wilcox served in the Army like his predecessor Connor Walsh, he is also a philosophy major and is known for writing several books analising the Miller Reformation from philosophical and sociological perspectives. In response to this need, the President announced that he would sign an executive order establishing an Arts Endowment to be funded with the cultural awareness spending area. He explained that the funds from this Endowment would be available to all university art programmes and to art students, provided they met certain requirements. The President said it was his hope that this would encourage young people to pursue art majors or follow their interests in art-related subjects, saying cultural development was just as important as economic development. This was the first event Mr Wilcox had for his three-day visit to Dambert. Tomorrow he is set to meet with Governor Martha Hewitt and will also address the Dambert Legislature. He has promised to visit all eleven states during his term. Dambert is his second state, having visited Castle AFB in Stanler yesterday to give a speech on his space policy. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio Surviving the Raggedy Hallway Citella has a reputation for being the centre of all kinds of unexplained events, but few are as baffling and feared as whatever happens in the Raggedy Hallway.
At plain sight it looks like a regular third floor hallway at an apartment building, but locals are well aware of the fact that nobody has lived in the third floor since 1953, and anyone since then who has dared sleep in the hallway or in any of the apartments on that floor has either died during the night or become insane, and spent the rest of their lives committed in psychiatric institutions, mostly unable or unwilling to speak about their experiences in the Raggedy Hallway. There is no widely accepted explanation for what truly goes on there, even though there are multiple theories and accounts of what visitors experience during their night on that third floor hallway. Most famous is Dinner with Ghosts by Andrea Morelli, which tells the story of three college students who took a dare to spend one night at one of the third floor apartments in August 1963. These students went to the third floor with a camera, some food and sleeping bags. There are not first-hand accounts of what happened on that floor, but people living in the fourth floor said they began hearing some disturbed voices at around midnight, followed by screams and desperate calls for help, finishing with what they assumed was a firearm being shot. Police arrived at the third floor hours later to find a gruesome scene right on the hallway, without having to enter the apartments. Two of the students were dead and had massive bleedings, due to injuries that looks like gunshot wounds, but did not match any known weapon, and besides no firearm was found at the scene. The third student was found beneath his two friends in a state of shock, with serious injuries and cuts all over his face and arms. He was soon determined to be seriously shocked, and was placed under the care of a psychiatrist for the following twenty seven years. Morelli interviewed the third student when he was doing research for Dinner with Ghosts. By this time the student had partially recovered, though he still had regular sessions with a psychiatrist and was very reluctant to discuss that night. His recount mostly focused on the fact that they were yet to have dinner when the panic began. He was unable to explain how his friends were wounded or why they began killing each other in the first place. The Raggedy Hallway resurfaced in public view two months ago, when field correspondent Jamie Mathers from the Riviera Chronicle, who was living on the fifth floor, was reported missing, after he missed work for an entire week and nobody in the building could say they had seen him either. His phone and other personal items were later found at the entrance to the hallway, but Mathers himself is yet to be found. His neighbours told the police that Mathers had taken a keen interest in the history of the third floor and had been behaving erratically ever since briefly inspecting the floor. Just as there is no single theory on what goes on in the third floor, there is no record on who were the first occupants or when these events started. Nobody is known to have inhabited the third floor, and all new tenants are told by neighbours to avoid the floor altogether. All landlords throughout the years have made the elevator skip the floor, and the emergency escape door is locked. Unless Mathers is found with his sanity intact or someone continues his research, it is very unlikely anyone will discover the truth with the Raggedy Hallway. -------------------- A Road Story Sleigh Winds is the oldest state in Kringalia, and that leads to it having not only a long history, but also lots of little known facts and quirks, including the now-abandoned State Road 17. There is a lot of folklore and urban legends about SR-17, mainly the thick fog at odd hours, the random disappearances and the seeming suspension of physical laws. These occurrences have earned SR-17 the nickname of Hellish Highway, and led the state government to close access to it indefinitely, under the guide of repairs that never took place.
What eventually became State Road 17 was originally just a dirt road that crossed the Sandvin Woods, one of many paths that Tolsians took on their way from Port Haper to their new home in Tolsen. Wealthy families could afford to use the well-maintained and relatively safe road built by Sovonor, but poorer families were forced to use less travelled paths, including the aforementioned dirt road. Hundreds of Tolsians died while crossing the Sandvin Woods, most of their bodies having been left to rot, their remains soon to be covered by dirt, leaves and eventually asphalt. Accounts of strange happenings at SR-17 did not surface until 1975, when a family that set out on a road trip drove through the road, never to be seen again. All nearby towns started their own investigations, and most concluded that whatever happened to the Redricks had happened somewhere along State Road 17. Many search parties were organised and dispatches, but countless searches through the woods resulted in northing, and were called off due to an increasingly thick fog that prevented any additional searches. Many say that something was awakened that year, and strange events increased dramatically since then. Dozens of drivers have reporoted seeing a thick fog suddenly surround them, and once they went through it, they found themselves driving in the opposite direction, as if some supernatural hand had turned them around, forcing them out of SR-17. Those who experienced such incidents got out relatively unscathed, psychological effects aside. Others have not been so lucky, and at least seventy people have been reported missing, never to be found, after travelling through State Road 17. While numerous books and accounts have been written throughout the years, the best known story by far is the one that resulted in the immediate closure of the road. In spite of constant complaints, the Sleigh Winds Department of Transporation had consistently refused to take any steps beyond referring people to their local police departments. That changed when the Lieutenant Governor decided to address people live from State Road 17, as proof that there was nothing wrong with it. Footage shows him walking along the road, as thick fog began to envelop him, until he disappeared from sight. Minutes later, fast steps were heard, the Lieutenant Governor running back towards the cameras, screaming and calling out for help. Eyewitness accounts agree that his silhouette could be seen running towards them, but then it fell to the ground, and disappeared as the fog thickened. There is no video record of this, since all cameras were turned off the moment the Lieutenant Governor began screaming. All present were too scared to venture into the fog to search for him, and he was found wandering around a nearby town three weeks later, his clothes ragged and his eyes devoid of any emotion. He immediately resigned from office and secluded himself in his house. He has remained out of public eyes since then. Governor Casey issued an executive order the day after the event, ordering the closure of State Road 17 pending urgent repairs to the asphalt and surrounding area. There have been no repair crews dispatched to SR-17 since that fateful day in February 1991, and the latest state map no longer features the road. That is not to say maps were particularly accurate before that. Considering the numerous disappearances and 'turning' events, nobody really knows what lies beyond the entrance to SR-17. There are rumours of an abandoned town and mysterious people who live beyond the fog, but none of those rumours have been proven, nor is it likely anyone would dare try to check for themselves. Whatever goes on in Hellish Road, it seems destined to remain a mystery, at least to all but those who were not so lucky to escape its fog, or the invisible hand that controls it. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio STRANT SUPREME COURT: "KENNETH JOHNSON FACED DISCRIMINATION" Melie. Thousands are celebrating the decision in Johnson v. Melie University, in which the Strant Supreme Court ruled that Kenneth Johnson had faced discrimination and was entitled to a fair admission procedure. This brings to an end the years-long legal battle that caused indignation throughout Kringalia and highlighted the ongoing challenges of Tolsian discrimination.
In its unanimous 7-0 ruling, the Strant Supreme Court ruled that student Kenneth Johnson had been discriminated against when his admissions application was denied by Melie University in October 2012. Johnson was initially told he did not fit their ideal student profile, but when pressured, admissions officials admitted that they denied his application because of his Tolsian ancestors. This led the then-18-year-old to file a discrimination suit at the Second Melie Court, which ruled against him and argued that, in the absence of hard evidence for discrimination, private universities retained the right to refuse admission. Soon after the ruling, the Melie Chronicle printed an article where certain members of the admissions committee admitted on condition of anonimity that they had been pressured to deny admission. Johnson appealed the decision to the Superior Court for the Southern District and managed to convice committee members Marie McEnzie and Patrick Newton to show emails where the University President ordered them to deny Johnson on account of his Tolsian ancestry. This was enough for the court to rule against Melie University and ordering that Johsnon be given a fair admissions process. Melie appealed to the State Supreme Court in July 2014, arguing that there was no reason why a private institution should not be able to determine who to admit as a student. MU lawyers appealed to several articles of the Private Education Law and the Constitution of Strant, but all seven justices were relentless in their questioning, and their ruling today agrees with Johnson in that the rights of private institutions rank below the equality clauses of the Constitution of Kringalia. Johnson v. Melie University brought up the white elephant of Tolsian discrimination. Once prevalent throughout Kringalia, discrimination has subsided in the northern and southern states, but Tolsians are still subject to subtle in the central states, mainly Strant and Freesom. Many civil rights organisations have consistently denounced this treatment, but their efforts were damanged by the terrorist campaign by Orgoglio Belzano last year, which caused a surge in discrimination and led to the rise of the Sovereign Army. The case went on to receive massive public support, including from the powerful Association for Equality and the Judiciary Committees from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Just a month ago Congress had passed a joint resolution condemning Melie University, following the steps of the Strant Legislature. Johnson himself called the decision "a victory for our society" and said that this had grown bigger than him, instead turning into a test for the ability of Kringalia to become a fair and open society. based on the values of tolerance and integration. Currently a student of Communications and Journalism at the University of Riviera, Johnson is set to meet President Wilcox tomorrow morning. -------------------- Mystery Surrounds McEnly Base Grime. Indignation in Grime is increasing, as local newspapers and residents demand an explanation from McEnly base regarding the disappearance of several officers and civilians and the subsequent refusal of the military to provide any answers.
Major Arthur Webster was reported missing by his husband, Tom Webb, on January 24, after he left for work at McEnly Base but never returned. A preliminary investigation showed that Major Webster never left the base, but the inquiry was suddenly shut down and all questions from Mr Webb were left unanswered. A similar case was reported with Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Merritt, who disappeard under similar circumstances before reappearing three weeks later with no memories from the incident. On Saturday a Sargeant from the Capital District Police went missing while investigating a case that reportedly took him near McEnly Base. Mysterious happenings are not new for the small town of Grime, situated 70 km away from McEnly Base. Established at some point during the Great War, McEnly is officially under the jurisdiction of the Combined Strategic Command and serviced by all three military branches, though its purpose has never been clearly stated. Some suggest that it serves as one of many fallout shelters distributed all over Kringalia. Other more sentational theories propose that McEnly is the site of checmical and biological research, given that neither has ever been officially banned, that it serves as the meeting place for an international conspiracy or that it holds the remains of extraterrestrial spaceships. Grime Mayor Martin Smith has laughed off all those theories, insisting that McEnly is simply a military base and saying people should be honoured to host it. His claim is cast into doubt when one considers the numerous disappearances throughout the years and the bright flashes that can be seen over McEnly every few nights, which merited articles from newspapers all the way to Crownsville. A report from the Civil Society Institute estimates that as many as 53 civilians and military officers have gone missing while in McEnly since it was first established. Mr Webb recently filed a lawsuit against McEnly Base for kidnapping and obstruction of justice before the Court for the Third District. Officials from the Department of Defence quickly tried to have it dismissed, but Judge Stephanie Brennan refused the request when the officials refused to specify their reasons beyond 'national security concerns'. In declarations to this newspaper, Mr Webb said that it was time McEnly faced justice and said that the government had a responsibility to account for his missing husband. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
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Il Primo, Il Meglio ARMY TRIES TO RETAKE MIRANA Vallen City. After two months of informal truce, the 5th Army has been tasked with the liberation of Mirana, medium-sized town south of Vallen City and stronghold of the terrorist Kringalian Sovereign Army. Incursions began at midnight, when communication towers were destroyed a detachment took positions in the outskirts of the city.
At 6AM the 5th Army, under the command of General Matthew Pryce, began advancing into Mirana, taking terrorist outposts and pushing the frontline. While resistance was scarce at first, the Sovereign Army quickly organised and engaged the 5th Army at Coast Avenue. While little is publicly known about life under the Sovereign Army, rumours say that the city outskirts house ethnic minorities, relocated by the terrorists away from the cleaner city centre. Mirana is the unofficial capital of the what the terrorists call the Homeland, what they hope will become a sovereign state from which to take the rest of Kringalia. Taken in December during the early military campaigns, Mirana was been effectively ruled by the Sovereign Army, under their policy of military-first and ethnic segregation. Reports indicate that quality of life has decreased dramatically for most, though collaborators living at the city centre have seen an increase in their wealth. As the 5th Army advances, with support from the Kringalian Air Force, sources within the Department of Defence say that this is the best bet of the Wilcox Administration to retake the entirety of Donnerson. Most of the Sovereign Army had already been killed in February, so what remain are the middle rank leadership, who have less preparation and tactical knowledge. In compliance with the Press Safety Act, this newspaper will not be reporting from the front lines until the 5th Army has full control over the city outskirts. -------------------- "We have become numb to fear" Bryan McNeal You can't just read a book or watch the news and have a clear idea of how life is in Mirana. In all honesty, living through it is the only way of truly understanding the realities of living under the fist of the Sovereign Army.
I worked at the City Hall, processing legal documents and occasionally advising the Mayor. It wasn't a glamorous job, but it paid well, and it allowed me enough time to care for my parents and play with my band, HeatStain. This all changed when the terrorists established base here, coming in shooting and claiming to liberate our city in the name of their Homeland. They shot the Mayor, when she refused to surrender the city and threatened to call the State Police. This was the early days of the war, so we all thought these were just radicals, people who had failed to adapt to society. How wrong we were. They quickly took the city centre, and soon the outskirts fell too. Initially they treated us well, providing many services and easing up business regulations. You could see many were actually happy with our invaders, who had ushered in a brief economic revival. This changed when the Governor sent the State Police to arrest the invaders. The Police was massacred, and the invaders went to the city square and denounced an attempt by the State Government to take away our sovereignty. They named themselves the Kringalian Sovereign Army, saying they would cleanse the nation from all that had corrupted it. Much of what followed is already public knowledge. What is not public knowledge is how we fared in Mirana as the war developed in the southwest. We soon found out that this declaration had not been spontaneous, but rather they had been planning to fight the Government for months now, forming their army and getting ready for an all out war. They were racists, extreme nationalists who believed Tolsians had no right to live in this land, and hated the Kringalian Government for having included them in our society. That is when their true colours were revealed. On December 21, we were all called to the city square, and the local commander said that new regulations had been passed, and that all those with Tolsian ancestry would be relocated to the city outskirts, for safety. They never mentioned whose safety was being guaranteed. They were still allowed to own their businesses, and could travel from the outskirts whenever they wanted. People were concerned, but life remained mostly the same, the changes in administration notwithstanding. Life as we know it started on January 6, when the State Government cut electricity and water services, in an attempt to erode support for the Sovereign Army. They had been fighting the Kringalian Army in Vallen City, and most recruits still came from Mirana. This was a partial success, since people did start protesting. But the terrorists didn't budge, and as punishment for our defiance, they closed most businesses and instituted a curfew, changing the exact start every day, so unknowing residents would be killed for breaking it. Life took a downwards turn. I wake up now everyday and head over to the city market, the site of the old City Hall, where the terrorists give us our daily rations and check the required photos from our houses, to see we aren't hoarding any food. They will sometimes follow us back home and check themselves, taking stuff if they feel like it. Water has been restored, but electricity never really came back, aside from the occasional appearances every few days. As the Sovereign Army lost ground elsewhere, its grip here never wavered, and their repression worsened as they faced more defeats. I don't think anyone remembers the meaning of fear anymore. We have become numb to fear, accustomed to it breathing down our neck each day, ready for the time that bullet pierces our skull, or that gun hits us in the temple. I was relocated to the city centre because my grandparents were from Sovonor, but truth is I'm ashamed to live next to traitors and collaborators. I hear Tolsians have it much worse in the outskirts, being constantly harassed, summarily executed and forced to build fortifications around the city centre. There is talk that the Army is close, that they will make a direct attack on the city. I hope the rumours are true. I hope they'll dispose of every single terrorist, and rid us of their fist. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
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