Noverian News and Movements

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC ACTIONS - VISIBLE THROUGH MEDIA OUTLETS[/b]

After many hours, and several days, of protests, the situation seemed to be peaceful, given that hundreds of police units were on the city's streets, keeping watch on the protestors. The authorities, for their part, did nothing.

That is, until someone (or more) fired a shot. Several police officers fell, wounded. And all chaos broke loose.

Given the level of support for the Revolutionary Workers' Party, and especially the violent ideology of the Union of Revolutionary Socialist Republics, among the protestors, it was apparent to the Ursalian authorities that the protests was a smokescreen for a more sinister plot. This was confirmed by legitimate evidence provided by the Ursalian Intelligence Agency [s]COMPNOR[/s]; however, unless the situation turned violent, there was little the Ursalian authorities could do.

As the situation in Prince George erupted in violence, with many clashes between the protestors and police - which was eeriely similiar to the events that led to the overthrow of the first Ursalia - and after many unheeded warnings for the protestors to stand down, Columbinan Governor Barry Durrig made a fateful decision: crush the protestors with force.

This decision was enforced when minor riots broke out throughout the streets of Nadrink, coupled with similiar news from Vancouver, Sipatau, and Kelowna, which threatened to spill further violence. Now that the protestors were not under the protection of the Constitution (it only guaranteed the right to 'peaceful protests' - and this was definitely not peaceful), the resolve and determination of the Holy Ursalian state would be seen for all to see.

In all the aforementioned cities, with green light given by the federal and local authorities, police units clamped down on the protestors, utilizing riot guns, tear gas, and even real weapons to subdue the protestors. Massive arrests were carried out; hundreds were hauled off to detention centers. In some cases, Army units joined in, where they provided additional muscle to subdue large crowds of protestors, more often than not using lethal force against them.

In Nova Coimbra, the situation was much restrained. Although minor 'incidents' broke out in many parts of Bastion, the threat by Governor Wilfur Baskin to use "heavy force" to force the protestors to disperse if riots broke out immediately caused the protests to simmer down. However, there were several dozens of arrests in the Nova Coimbran capital and a handful in neighboring Byss.

[b]NEWS BROADCAST[/b]

NADRINK - The protests, which had been ongoing in few cities for several days, devolved into violence today. The radical ideology expoused by the protestors, which are supporters of the Revolutionary Workers' Party, the party that reigned over the Union of Revolutionary Socialist Republics, have made their true position clear for all to see. Evidence have been uncovered that the RWP plans to overturn the Nonpartisan Decree so they would be able to take a more active role in undermining and then overthrowing the Ursalian state. The unnecessarily violent actions of the protestors are but one evidence of this subterfuge.

Columbinan Governor Barry Durrig in a special press statement justified the use of force to deal with the present situation, saying that the violence on the streets "had reached such an extent that we had no choice but to take action to preserve the stability of the Holy Ursalian Empire." If the protests had continued the way they were going, he explained, "it would lead to a repeat of the revolution that had overthrew the Kingdom of Ursalia in the first place." When a reporter pointed out the rights included in the Constitution, Durrig stated that the "Constitution only permits peaceful protests. If the protests had remained peaceful, they would be allowed to continue. Unfortunately, this ceased to be the case." This seems to be the notion shared by many Ursalian citizens, according to online polls.

In the Ursalian capital, a spokesperson of the Imperial Ruling Council announced that Imperator James Norton issed a decree in response to the situation. The [b]Decree on the Preservation of Stability under Certain Circumstances in the New Order[/b], or rather the [i]Preservation Decree[/i], outlawed any "act of protest or demonstration that has the potential to disrupt, through violence, law, order, and stability in any District and Diocese in the Empire" under certain circumstances such as a national election, for instance, and empowered the police to deal with them "with any means and resources at their disposal, including the power of arrest and detainment, the way they see fit."

In response to reporters curious of whether the Revolutionary Workers' Party would be banned or something like that, the spokesperson affirmed that the Nonpartisan Decree already took care of that. The RWP cannot officially form itself and participate in the Empire's politics; appropriate action would be undertaken if the RWP attempted to do that. The same goes for any political party, no matter their political views and orientation.

Edited May 19, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - Despite the recent pro-Red protests that had occurred in parts of the Empire as of lately, the electoral process went on as usual under the vigilant watch of Imperial Election Commission (IEC) officials. Over the weeks and months, in every Electoral District, in each Diocese, across the country, voters went to the polls in the thousands. Election ballots were thoroughly counted, and even recounted, taking into account the margin of error (3%); any spoilt votes were eliminated. Once the final results were tallied and confirmed, the two elected candidates would be sent to Ursalia City from every Electoral District across the Empire. Altogether, over 140 Senators would take up their seats in the Imperial Senate building in Ursalia City (the former Parliament building).

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/tPf4k.png[/img][/center][i][center]The Imperial Senate building[/center][/i]
The election was now over. The Imperial Senate was elected into existence, where it would formally assume legislative power on the third of January of the next year. Until then, the Imperial Ruling Council (particularly the Imperator) would reign over the Empire.

[JEDCJT]

[b]HIGHLY-CLASSIFIED[/b]

Ever since the formation of the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, the two organizations (Imperial State Intelligence and the Holy Inquisitorious) had experienced a high degree of growth. But it was, most particularly, the Inquisition that underwent massive expansion. Although the Decree on the Organization of the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order set the total number of Inquisition personnel to no more than 50,000 (of which 20,000 were supposed to be 'part-time'), the Inquisition quickly surpassed that, growing to more than 70,000 full-time personnel - and still-growing.

Despite the fact the Inquisition was supposed to report to the Director of COMPNOR, in practice, it was nearly completely autonomous from its umbrella organization, with the COMPNOR Director allowing the Director of the Inquisition (formally referred to Director of State Security, but now commonly known as 'High Inquisitor') to run the organization as a sort of a 'fiefdom' directly responsible to the Imperator. The role of the Inquisition as a national law-enforcement organization seemed to clash with its true purpose as a secret police: as the former, the Inquisition controlled the Ursalian police at the national and provincial level (but not the local level), despite the fact the Ministry of the Interior was actually responsible for law enforcement, and was supposed to uphold the law according to the Constitution; as the latter, however, the Inquisition would go beyond the law to protect and safeguard the Empire from all threats, domestic and external, real and perceived. If this meant subverting the autonomy of the local police, so be it.

From the very first moment it was formed, the Inquisition had been establishing and operating something of a 'parallel bureaucracy' alongside the regular law enforcement/police network. In accordance to Article VIII of the Decree on the Organization of the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order (which stated that the Inquisition had the "right to exercise powers deemed appropriate for the purpose of fulfilling its goals, objectives, and responsibilities in regards to national security interests"), the Inquisition accumulated considerable power, perhaps much more than what it was originally intended to have. Although it was supposed to turn over any criminals captured by Imperial State Intelligence) to regular law enforcement, the Inquisition often judged and executed them on the spot without the right to trial. In their zeal to serve a Holy Empire, Inquisitors received for themselves the right to try and "mete out appropriate punishment" to anyone they deemed 'heretics', 'insane criminals', 'traitors', along with others. Only the Imperator and his family, the House of d’Albuquerque, members of the Imperial Ruling Council and their families, the Director of COMPNOR, and High Inquisitor were exempt from the Inquisition's scrutiny and justice.

In the first months of its existence, the Inquisition did not have the chance to flex its muscles, partly due to the autonomy of the local police. The recent pro-Communist rebellion in Columbina and parts of Nova Coimbra would have given the Inquisition such a chance - were it not for the fact that it was the local police and Army that crushed the uprisings, a fact that was received with considerable disappointment and resentment in Inquisition circles. However, a golden opportunity would be given to the Inquisition when the Director of COMPNOR, acting on orders from the Imperator, enpowered the secret police to "undertake operations to crush, by any means possible, the Revolutionary Workers' Party and its cells throughout the Empire."

And so the Inquisition began its transformation into the "avenging sword of the New Order."

The operation was targeted at Prince George, and was to move out to Nadrink, Vancouver, Bastion, Byss, Regina, Saskatoon, and other cities and towns across the Empire. And it was to take place at night, to be carried out with the highest discretion and ruthless efficiency.

In the dead of night, dozens of Inquisitors - dressed in an imposing, imtimidating suit that was remescient of these worn by the Spanish Inquisition centuries before, topped with something similiar to a 'cowboy hat' - moved against the University of Northern Columbina in Prince George (known to RWP members as the University of Karl Marx), as well as RWP cells throughout the city, including private homes of RWP members. Blatantly violating several articles of the Constitution, the Inquisitors completely caught their victims off-guard, arresting them and hauling them off to somewhere private (like a darkened alley or city outskirts). There, they utilized their powerful Desert Eagle pistol, as well their special 'swords', to deal 'summary punishment.' Nobody in the city (at least, these not near the outskirts) would hear the distant shots that rang through the air. Anyone who did, and tried to investigate (be it ordinary citizen or local police officers), were often shot out of hand.

[center][url=http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/index.php?title=Inquisition&image=Ordo_Hereticus_Inquisitor-jpg][img]http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110514031517/warhammer40k/images/thumb/5/5e/Ordo_Hereticus_Inquisitor.jpg/218px-Ordo_Hereticus_Inquisitor.jpg[/img][/url][/center]
This was pretty much repeated in the other, larger cities - although in the case of Bastion and Byss, the Inquisitors were careful to avoid the "vibrant" areas, such as the downtown area and their endless nightclubs and bars, as not to attract unwanted attention. However, 'plainclothes' Inquisitors, as well hookers in the pay of the secret police, did indeed scour such places in search of their victims; the targets would be lured to somewhere "private", right into the willing hands of Inquisitors and their guns in the dark.

Not all of the targets were 'liquidated', however. These deemed to be "high-ranking" were kept alive, detained in Inquisition holding centers located somewhere. It was there Inquisitors exercised their right to "exercise powers deemed appropriate for the purpose of fulfilling its goals, objectives, and responsibilities in regards to national security interests." Often, Inquisitors would report to the High Inquisitor of their success in "coaxing" information out of RWP members in their custody with "patience and persistence." Anyone who were brought into Inquisition holding centers never left them; the cycle of arrest and interrogation would be repeated once again, and again, and again.

With this single operation, the Revolutionary Workers' Party would be systematically dismantled, with every and each of its cells uncovered and 'liquidated' over the course of many nights and weeks. Understand though, the Inquisition was not randomly targeting ordinary citizens, both Ursalian and foreign. It was only pursuing RWP members, from the highest to lowest levels. Ordinary citizens often slept peacefully through the night without hearing the dreaded knock on the door; the Inquisition was not incriminate in its operations. It was very specific to the point of obsession. Anyone who used to be members of former Vinilandese, Canuck, and Ursalian political parties were usually left alone, and so were foreign citizens.

Given through time, the RWP would vanish. And so would anyone who tried to form political parties or commit subversive actions against the Empire.

Edited May 22, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

After discussions with other Ministry heads and members of the Imperial Ruling Council, the Ministry of the Interior issued a ministrial decree reorganizing the entire Ursalian police and law enforcement structure.

Among other aspects, the [b]Decree on the Organization of Law Enforcement in the New Order[/b], established a three-tiered system; instead of a centralized police structure, the police was to be organized at the central, provincial, and local (municipal) level.

Firstly, the [b]Polizefederal[/b] would have broad enforcement powers and authority in regards to law enforcement at the central level across the Empire. In other words, the Polizefederal was to enforce laws at the federal level, and would have some jurisdiction over provincial and local areas under certain circumstances. The Polizefederal would be headed by the High Police Chief, who would report to the Ministry of the Interior, and who would oversee (but not control) the Polizediocese.

Secondly, the [b]Polizediocese[/b] was to function as the provincial police of the Dioceses. The Polizediocese would enforce laws within a particular Diocese(s) at the provincial level, and would be led by the Chief Police Inspector, who would report to the Diocese Ministry of the Interior (a member in the Diocese Governor's cabinet), who would in turn report to the Diocese Governor. In addition, the Polizediocese would be divided into five police organizations:

[quote]Nova Coimbra Polizediocese
Columbina Polizediocese
Rio Grande do Leste Polizediocese
Alta Vancavite Polizediocese
Nova Alasca Polizediocese[/quote]
A Polizeinspectorate was to be established in every district in a particular Diocese, and was to report to the Chief Police Inspectorate Office in the Diocese capital.

Lastly, the [b]Polizemunicipal[/b] was to function as the police at the municipal level, the lowest level in the new law enforcement system. Each city and town across the Empire was to have a Polizemunicipal Police Authority, which would be led by a Police Commissioner, who would in turn report to the city/town's Mayor. The Polizemunicipal would wield considerable law enforcement powers as well control over resources within city limits in most cases. The Polizemunicipal was to cooperate with the Polizefederal and Polizediocese whenever required.

Perhaps most significantly, the Decree on the Organization of Law Enforcement in the New Order transferred control over the entire law enforcement apparatus from COMPNOR (the Inquisition) to the Ministry of the Interior. This was confirmed by the Imperator himself over the objections of the COMPNOR Director. Moreover, the police on all levels was to become a paramilitary force in the sense that they would receive weaponry, equipment, and training from the Imperial military (through the to-be-established Military Police Academy), such as high-powered assault rifles, artillery, and armored personnel carriers, among others.

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

Since its inception, Project CERBERUS had been a great success so far. With considerable effort on part of authoritarian Alta Vancavitean Diocese Governor, Abran Balfour, every available resource, funding, and labor across the island was channelled toward this ambitious endeavor to make Alta Vancavite a fortress. To facilitate this, Balfour had even gone as far as to institute near-draconian measures to accomplish this, such as establishing a 'Labor Front' to conscript able-bodied male citizens into the project, and imposing something of an exclusive zone around the island forbidding civilian and military vessels from even venturing near the island in lieu of military retaliation. Alta Vancavite was rapidly becoming militarized in the extreme sense.

In Project SHADOWHAND, hundreds of thousands of krakatoa mines had been produced in factories across Alta Vancavite, and even from the Columbinan and Nova Alascan Dioceses, and are currently in the process of being fitted in beaches around the island. They were - and currently are - also being fitted in major roadways, highways, streets, tunnels, and bridges across the province, as per Project FORTIFICATION.

In Project DREADNOUGHT, a large seawall was slowly but steadily coming into form as thousands of construction workers and engineers labored around the clock to not only map out the specifications of the seawall, but also to actually build it according to strigent standards outlined by Governor Balfour. So far, it was pretty incomplete, but nevertheless the work was unremitting and continuous.

Not only were SONAR emitters and torpedo launchers being built in Ursalian waters as per Project DECEPTION, but so were fortifications such as Fortresses, forts, bunkers, and pillboxes, as per Project FORTIFICATION. Hundreds of artillery guns, anti-aircraft guns, and SAM sites had already been built, and hundreds, if not thousands, more are currently work in progress. The same went for Project ORBITAL, where hundreds of RADAR stations had been constructed and/or are being built. Not only were 75mm, 90mm, and 120mm flak guns being erected all over Alta Vancavite, but so were missile launchers.

Lastly, as a part of Project ORBITAL, all major components of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) was a currently a work in progress, with acoustic arrays, underwater bunkers, and sea-based launchers currently being embedded into the ocean floor.

In short, the individual projects of CERBERUS went as follows, according to various reports submitted to Governor Balfour:

[quote]Project SHADOWHAND: 25%
Project DREADNOUGHT: 17.5%
Project DECEPTION: 25%
Project FORTIFICATION: 17.5%
Project ORBITAL: 20%[/quote]

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - The Defense Ministry announced that five [b]military districts[/b] would be established in the Holy Empire of Ursalia, partly to ensure a streamlined command, distribution, and deployment system and partly to consolidate the authority of Diocese Governors over troops and military equipment within the boundaries of their respective provinces.

Although the exact composition of the Imperial Armed Forces would remain classified for now, the Defense Ministry nevertheless laid out the projected number of troops and tanks to be stationed within the military districts, which would correspond with the boundaries of the Dioceses:

[quote]Nova Coimbra Military District (100,000 troops, 1,000 tanks)
Columbina Military District (200,000 troops, 1,500 tanks)
Alta Vancavite Military District (100,000 troops, 1,000 tanks)
Rio Grande Military District (45,000 troops, 700 tanks)
Nova Alasca Military District (50,000 troops, 700 tanks)[/quote]
This does not include the 5,000 troops and 100 tanks currently stationed in the Holy Ursalian Protectorate.

===

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - In a special televised press statement today, Imperator James Norton announced a plan to establish what he termed the [b]Neighborhood Watch[/b] system, of where groups of organized citizens (Neighborhood Watches) will work together to maintain public safety, combat crime, and to further develop their respective neighborhoods - and to enforce law if necessary.

According to this plan, a Neighborhood Watch may legally consist between three and eight lawful Holy Ursalian citizens at one time - in order to garner more members, the Watch will have to apply to the nearest police department (the Polizemunicipal Police Authority) to receive a special permit that would allow them to recruit up to twenty members total. In regards to the law enforcement part, members of the Watch will assist local police in their duties in a specified number of towns/cities; in the case where local police is unable to perform their duties, the Watch will step in their stead and effectively function as auxiliary police for a specified period of time.

A single Neighborhood Watch will be responsible for five neighborhoods (defined as containing up to twenty blocks [with ten lots each], a total of five miles). Twenty Neighborhood Watches will form a single [b]Neighborhood Watch Committee (NWC)[/b], headed by a Neighborhood Commissioner responsible for maintaining law and order, everyday administration and other aspects within his/her sphere of jurisdiction. Each Commissioner will report to the local Polizemunicipal Police Authority.

It is not mandatory for citizens to join a Neighborhood Watch program, but it is heavily encouraged for them to do so. After all, it is the citizen’s responsibility and duty to “maintain the high standard of safety, peace, and prosperity in the Holy Empire of Ursalia as expected him/her to”, so as the Imperator aptly put it. Various incentives are given for citizens to join up, such as reduced taxes, more employment opportunities, higher prestige in society, etc.

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - The first session of the Imperial Senate convened in the capital as 140 Senators from all over the Empire met in the magnificent Senate building to discuss states of affairs, and effectively assumed legislative powers from the Imperial Ruling Council as according to the Constitution.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Bz68g.jpg[/img][/center]
One of the very first acts of the Imperial Senate was to pass a special resolution that not only formally sanctioned the Constitution of the New Order but also affirmed the right of the Senate to pass amendments to the Imperial Charter.

The Holy Empire of Ursalia not only had a functioning central government, but it had a legislature popularly elected by the people.

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - The Imperial Senate passed its first Act, the [b]Border Security Act[/b].

The Act, passed with 98 in favor and 38 against, established a [b]Border Security Zone[/b], a strip of land no less than 2 miles and no more than 5 miles wide parallel to the Holy Ursalian land borders. The Ursalian Border Agency, in turn, had the power and authority to enact and enforce security measures to restrict any and all public activity within the Border Security Zone. This includes but is not limited to issuing, and enforcing, requirements for official documents and visas in order to cross the Zone, and thus the borders.

Likewise, the UBA had the right to close down the borders of the Empire with the approval of the Minister of the Interior, as well to expand or reduce the scope of the Zone (no less than 1 mile and no more than 8 miles total).

[b]PRIVATE[/b]

What the Act did not mention, at least publicly, was that the Armed Forces (Army, Air Force, and Strategic Rocket Forces, for that matter) and COMPNOR would assist the UBA in enforcing the Border Security Act.

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT[/b]

JUNEAU - Troops of the Imperial Ursalian Army have been dispatched into the neighboring Kingdom of Barona due to concerns about that nation's inactivity, according to a report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As per the norm, the regions of the former Kingdom shall be made into a [b]Holy Ursalian Protectorate[/b] and subsequently covered under the Norton Doctrine.

A decentralized governance and administrative system is currently in the works in the Empire's newest protectorate, with the capital to be set in the City of Whitehorse. Approximately 500 troops will be stationed in the Protectorate.

OOC: Razgriz's 25-day inactive.

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

NADRINK - The Ministry of Defense, in conjunction with the Ministry of Science and Technology, announced in a special press statement in Ursalia City today that an underground nuclear test had been conducted in northern Columbina, with the cooperation and support from the Columbinan Diocese government, and that it was a "high success."

The success of the test had heralded the entry of the Holy Empire of Ursalia into the world's nuclear club, and gave way to the resurrection of [b]Project Brasilia[/b], which had been the former Viniland's nuclear program. The exact details of Project Brasilia are classified, but the Defense Ministry have confirmed that control of nuclear ICBMs will placed under the Imperial Ursalian Strategic Rocket Forces, or simply the Strategic Rocket Forces.

The exact numbers of nuclear weapons to be constructed under the aegis of Project Brasilia are classified for the time being.

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

Defense Minister Gabriel Favalaro reported to the Imperial Ruling Council that the shipment of aircrafts and tanks from the United Federation of the East had been received, and were arriving in the Holy Empire of Ursalia as he spoke.

The aircrafts (which consisted of 17 squadrons of F/B-23 Strike Widows, 16 squadrons of EF-50 Banshees, and 17 squadrons of F/A-66 Light Weight Fighters; and 5 squadrons of Tu-160 Heaven's Fury S and 5 squadrons of B-9 II Grim Reaper bombers) would formally become part of the Imperial Ursalian Air Force (IUAF). They were currently in the process of arriving and being assigned to various airbases and hangars located throughout the country.

Coupled with the F-35 Strike Fighter, the Imperial Ursalian Armed Forces now had seventy squadrons of aircrafts totalling over 840 aircrafts defending the country. This included transport aircrafts (C-130 Hercules), cargo aircrafts, and the like. As for tanks, the 3,000 tanks purchased from the UFE would join the 2,000 Abrams tanks produced by Ursalian factories, making for a total of 5,000 tanks.

In short, the Ursalian military position had been strengthened immensely.

As for tanks, the Defense Minister stated that over 3,000 tanks total had been received, and are in the process of assignment to various Army units across the country. To specify, the Imperial Ursalian Army would have 1,000 Juggernaut II Main Battle Tanks, 1,000 NLOS-AA Hydras, and 1,000 Titans.

Lastly, military personnels (specifically Air Force pilots and tank personnels) are currently in training to condition themselves to the newest aircrafts and tanks.

Edited June 7, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - In a press statement today, Housing and Development Minister Julius Noname announced that construction of the Imperial Palace has begun in the capital - and that construction of another Palace will begin off the coast of Nadrink.

The Imperial Palace will serve as a residence, as well administrative offices, not only for the Imperator and his family, but also members of the Imperial Ruling Council and their families, the Cabinet and their families, and the House of d'Albuquerque.

Furthermore, the Minister stated that the Columbinan Diocese Governor Barry Durrig had agreed to pitch in, to provide the necessary resources and funding needed for the project.

This indicated the acceptance of the proposals submitted by the Ursalia City and Nadrink branchs of the Imperial Planning and Development Commission (IPDC), a sub-branch of the Ministry of Housing and Development.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/sSVhv.jpg[/img][/center][center][i]The Imperial Palace in Ursalia City[/i][/center][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/wedQJ.jpg[/img][/center][i][center]The secondary Imperial Palace off the coast of Nadrink[/center][/i]

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS: SPECIAL NEWS BROADCAST[/b]

BASTION - The announcement regarding the formation of a new regime in the Nation of Selenarctos had prompted several peaceful demonstrations in the Nova Coimbran and Rio Grande do Lestean Dioceses. In Bastion, Byss, Regina, and Saskatoon, crowds of several hundreds citizens (a relatively small number) converged on the streets to call for "peaceful change" and "increased social rights for Ursalian citizens."

"If the people of Selenarctos could overturn an oppressive government, and form a government more responsive to its people's needs, so can we!" One such supporter in Bastion told a [i]Calgari Times[/i] news reporter.

It had not escaped the attention of the Ursalian authorities that, due to the reign of the former Great Lakes Province (GLP) over the areas that now comprise Nova Coimbra and Rio Grande do Leste that had preceded the first Ursalia, a large part of the population still support Communist and Socialist ideologies.

Due to the recent emergence of radical Communist wings (such as the now-eliminated Revolutionary Workers' Party), several Senators from Columbina and Alta Vancavite have proposed "stricter protocols on how to deal with Communist sentiments." Other Senators have expressed concerns that this "pro-Communist" protests would give away to formation of illegal Communist or Socialist political parties in defiance of the Nonpartisan Decree (now officially called the [b]Nonpartisan Act[/b]), and/or encourage "violent actions" like these precipitated by the RWP.

However, large counter-protests emerged all over Nova Coimbra and Rio Grande do Leste, where crowds of Empire supporters took the field against the pro-Communist/Socialist supporters. They argued that Ursalian citizens were enjoying greater freedom of action that they had not seen since the days of Viniland, and demanded the pro-Communist/Socialist supporters "stand down and cease their silly declarations." "Look at the protests by the [Revolutionary Workers' Party], they started out peacefully and called for peaceful changes. Then...bam! Plenty of violence." A pro-Empire supporter claimed in a televised interview in Cervo (Red Deer). "How do we know the Commies wont pull off a dirty trick on us this time?"

The response of the Ursalian authorities were cautious enough: Polizediocese and Polizemunicipal units in Bastion, Byss, Saskatoon, and Regina were mobilized to these cities; Polizefederal units were activated, ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. Several Army units have been placed on alert throughout Nova Coimbra and Rio Grande do Leste. The Imperator and Grand Vizier, currently visiting Ireland, had been notified of the situation.

Edited June 12, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - After debate, the Imperial Senate voted 83-57 to pass what had been called the [b]FairTax Act[/b]. With its approval by the Imperial Ruling Council, the Act repealed most taxes at the federal level (such as payroll, corporate, gift, and estate taxes, but excluding sin taxes and specific others) and replaced them with a national retail sales tax (FairTax) set at twenty-third percent.

In addition, the Act tasked the Imperial Taxation Bureau with implementing the transition to a FairTax system. Diocese, provincial, and district governments across the Empire were given a twelve-month grace period of which to implement the new reforms. Once in place, the FairTax will be enforced by the Imperial Taxation Bureau on all levels; Diocese governors would be granted increased powers to impose and collect tax revenues generated by the FairTax.

Not only that, but the central government would pay a monthly rebate to lawful Holy Ursalian citizens depending on the total of FairTax paid on poverty level spending. These rebates would be disbursed by the [i]Previdencia Sociale[/i] (the nation's social insurance system, similiar to Social Security) in the form of paper checks, electronic transfer, or a ‘smartcard’.

According to the government, the FairTax would be progressive on consumption and regressive on income at higher level, and is designed to ease the tax burden by expanding the tax base and help stimulate the economy by increasing purchasing power. The Act would be designed not only for simplifying government bureaucracy when it came to tax collection, but to encourage economic growth and combating the 'underground economy' (alas, the black market).

Regarding economic growth, the FairTax would lead to increased economic growth, provide incentives for international businesses to move to Holy Ursalia, increase competition for Ursalian businesses on the world market, as well as many others. In regards to the black market, the FairTax would force underground markets to subject their proceeds to the ITB when they are used for legal consumption (thus forcing non-filers to pay their shares in taxes to the Imperial government).

Lastly, all businesses and corporations on Ursalian soil (be it foreign or domestic) are required to have a registered seller's certificate approved by the Ministry of Finance; maintain complete records of all business transactions; record all taxable goods produced and brought; provide consumers with a written receipt, regardless of type of transaction; and submit a monthly report to the Finance Ministry. Severe penalties shall be imposed upon businesses that fail to do so.

However, there are exemptions from the FairTax. Church property (of all religious denominations) would not be subject to the FairTax, and so would taxable property and services purchased by religious nonprofit organizations. Furthermore, any business/industry protected by the central government would be exempt from the FairTax.

[b]***[/b]

URSALIA CITY - At around the same it was debating the FairTax bill, the Imperial Senate devolved into heated debates regarding several sensitive issues. These included drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia.

The first issue didn't raise much debate, as the majority of Senators agreed that certain drugs such as marijuana and other 'soft' drugs would be legalized and subject to regulation -- and that the production, sale, and commerce of 'hard' drugs such as cocaine and crack would be prohibited.

However, it was on the second issue that the Senate clashed in heated debates. Two sides developed: one side argued that criminalizing prositution would only serve to further encourage such 'subversive' behavior and strengthen the underground sex market. The other side disagreed, arguing that prositution was a mortal sin, that for a Catholic state like Holy Ursalia to maintain such a immoral institution was tantamount to blasphemy of the worst kind. Eventually, the anti-prositution side won out, and a bill was approved by a razor-thin margin.

Next, same-sex marriage received the same attention as prositution had received, despite the fact that same-sex marriages were fairly rare in Holy Ursalia. Several Senators protested the possible unconstitutional restrictions on the right of individuals to "conduct their lives whatever they see fit." However, a fairly large majority of Senators supported the prohibition of same-sex marriage -- albeit with some compromises. A bill was drafted prohibiting same-sex marriage -- but allowed the existence of same-sex marriages conducted before the bill's passage.

On the last two issues, a large part of the Senate, adamant on the right of God to create as well take away life, agreed to prohibit abortion and euthanasia, and imposed severe punishments for violations. However, the issue of capital punishment was not raised neither discussed.

These bills, consolidated into a single act, the [b]Social Package Act[/b], were passed into law and approved by the Imperial Ruling Council.

Edited June 15, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

Due to increased tensions across the world, the Military Executor acting on the Imperator's behalf ordered all branches of the Imperial Ursalian Armed Forces to be placed in a state of high alert.

Accordingly, the nation was placed on DEFCON 3 as Army troops were alerted. All military leaves were cancelled as each respective Supreme Command of each branch prepared to mobilize the personnel, equipment, and resources under their control. All aircrafts across the Empire were placed on alert; Coast Guard ships were sent into patrol alongside the Ursalian coast as the Ministry of Defense prepared to contact neighboring nations and allies for naval defense of the Empire if needed.

Mobile missile launchers as well missile silos across the nation went fully-online. Alongside the border and the coast, the Ursalian Border Agency (UBA) and COMPNOR were placed in high alert as well.

The Holy Empire of Ursalia was prepared, and watching.

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

Despite the recent mobilizations, progress on Project CERBERUS had continued on as usual.

Project SHADOWHAND: Hundreds of thousands of krakatoa mines had been fitted in beaches around Alta Vancavite, and wired for automatic and manual detonation; hundreds of thousands more are currently in the process of being fitted.

Project DREADNOUGHT: The seawall was steadily being built up, with great success.

Project DECEPTION: Hundreds of RADAR stations, SONAR emitters, and torpedo launchers had been built and put in place, and hundreds more were undergoing construction. The same went for artillery guns, anti-aircraft guns, SAM sites, and flaks.

Project FORTIFICATION: Hundreds of thousands of krakatoa mines had been fitted into major roadways, highways, streets, tunnels, and bridges across Alta Vancavite, and hundreds of thousands more are currently being fitted. Work continued on Fortresses, forts, bunkers, and pillboxes around the island.

Project ORBITAL: The IUSS was steadily being expanded in Ursalian territorial waters, and even parts of it were going online and functioning. Acoustic arrays, underwater bunkers, and sea-based launchers had been, or are being, built in the hundreds.

In short, each Project of Project CERBERUS were a success:

[quote]Project SHADOWHAND: 50%
Project DREADNOUGHT: 37%
Project DECEPTION: 50%
Project FORTIFICATION: 37%
Project ORBITAL: 40%[/quote]

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

The Defense Ministry (specifically the National Council of the Imperial Air Force) issued directives to defense contractors and military corporations across the Empire, placing new orders for an additional ten squadrons of aircrafts for the Imperial Ursalian Air Force (IUAF). This would increase the Empire's existing military aircrafts from the current 840 aircrafts to 960 aircrafts.

According to a rough outline, at least five squadrons (60 aircrafts) of F-35 Strike Fighter aircrafts would be procured, and another five squadrons of B-8 stealth bombers would be produced.

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

The Imperial Ursalian Air Force was not the only branch of the military to undergo expansion.

The Chairman of the National Council of the Imperial Navy stated in a classified report to the Military Executor, which were carbon-copied for the Imperator and Grand Vizier for when they returned from their trip abroad, that the Navy had begun the process of upgrading to a blue-water fleet.

He stated that shipyards and drylocks constructed in Nanaimo and Vancouver (of which were built in utmost secret, partly thanks to the efforts of Alta Vancavitean Diocese Governor Abran Balfour and Columbinan Governor Barry Durrig) had enabled the Navy to begin the construction of two Destroyers, two Submarines, and one Aircraft Carrier. And there are plans to construct more.

Due to the Holy Empire of Ursalia placed on wartime footing, it is expected the naval programme will be conducted in a slightly-accelerated way, although the Navy will ensure that there would be no mistakes or flaws on the designs or systems of the vessels.

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

In addition to its previous orders, the National Council of the Imperial Ursalian Navy had placed further orders for an additional twenty-one vessels to be commissioned into the Navy in due time.

As such, three Cruisers, three Frigates, one more Aircraft Carrier, four Battleships, eight more submarines, and two Corvettes were ordered by the Navy and set to begin construction immediately at drydocks and shipyards in Nanaimo and Vancouver, augmented by two naval construction yards that had recently opened in Nadrink. Military companies and technology corporations involved in the military-industrial complex will partake in this project.

On this current plan formulated by the National Council of the IUN, the Navy is projected to have at least twenty-six ships total.

OOC: This takes into account the submarine multiplier.

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

The Navy indicated that it had updated its most recent orders; it placed new orders for an additional five Submarines, one Aircraft Carrier, one Frigate, two Corvettes, and two Landing Ships.

These ships, to begin construction along with the others in Nadrink, Vancouver, and Nanaimo, would increase the size of the Imperial Ursalian Navy to thirty-seven ships total, instead of the original twenty-six envisaged.

However, the Military Executor, after listening to concerns by Army, Air Force, and Strategic Rocket Forces officials regarding the allocation of resources and labor in the military hierarchy, placed a moratorium on any further expansion of the Navy, for the time being.

===

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

JUNEAU - A peaceful protest staged by citizens of Korean descent against the current war against the Greater Korean Federation in the City of Juneau, Nova Alasca, was broken up today, with scores of arrests conducted by Polizemunicipal units.

The protestors, which had demanded the Empire "cease its unwarranted involvement in the unjust war against their homeland" and "put support behind the Greater Korean Federation", were charged by the police with "conspiring to disrupt the current order and stability within and outside the Empire" as a prelude to operating a "fifth column" in the country in support of Greater Korea.

Later on, evidence behind the Ursalian Koreans' alleged plans, despite their protests to the contrary in police custody, was uncovered when Polizefederal and Polizediocese units raided several houses in Juneau, Sitka, and even as far south as Bella Bella, and seized large weapon caches there, in such copious amounts that boggled the minds of federal officers.

"The quantities, as well quality, of the weapons we have uncovered in such operations seems to suggest that a conspiracy of some kind, with such ulterior motive behind it, may have been in the works, and that the suspects may have been the catalysts behind it." Wilson Rolfe, High Police Chief, stated in a special press statement in Ursalia City. "Investigation are currently underway."

Edited June 26, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

JUNEAU - Several suspects detained by the Polizefederal and Polizediocese after the June 26th crackdown on the largely peaceful protests held in Juneau were released today, the city's Police Commissioner stated on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

The reason for this was that, despite the large weapon caches discovered in Juneau and neighboring Sitka, there was little concrete evidence linking the Ursalian Korean citizens to any conspiracy in support of Greater Korea. Even so, several major 'ringleaders' remains in police custody while the government continues its investigation.

Several media outlets such as the Ursalia Times and the Juneau Tribunal praised this move, calling it the "triumph of democracy in Ursalia" and pointed to the "lingering legacy of Viniland upon the Empire" as the catalyst. As the Ursalia Times stated, the release of the detained citizens probably helped to "dispel the impression of an authoritarian dictatorship that the Holy Empire of Ursalia had been accused, several times, of being since it was formed."

[JEDCJT]

[b]PUBLIC NEWS[/b]

URSALIA CITY - The Imperial Senate passed a special resolution adopting another official nation name that can be used to refer to the Holy Empire of Ursalia in official government communiques, especially in diplomacy.

Individual citizens, groups, government agencies, and international entities are allowed, under the [b]Official Nation Name Act[/b], to officially refer to the Holy Empire of Ursalia as the [b]Holy Imperium of Ursalia[/b] on the same basis the country has been referred to as the Holy Ursalian Empire.

===

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

Upon his return from abroad, the Imperator overruled the Military Executor's moratorium on the Imperial Ursalian Navy, arguing that the Empire's effective power projection capabilities relied, to a great degree, on the utilization of Naval power.

He thus authorized the construction of an additional ten vessels for the Navy, including one Battleship, five Submarines, one Aircraft Carrier, one Destroyer, one Cruiser, and one Frigate, bringing the projected size of the Navy to forty-seven ships.

To faciliate this expansion effort, a new naval construction yard has been constructed in the City of Sipatau, Columbina, and a dockyard contructed in the City of Sitka, Nova Alasca.

Edited June 29, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

The Imperial Senate ratified the removal of the Holy Empire of Ursalia's signature on the Pacific Harmony Accords, by an overwhelming margin of 126-14. As Grand Vizier J Thomas Christopher indicated in a video teleconference, this meant the Holy Empire of Ursalia could now adopt a more American-centered stance in diplomacy, and play a more active role in North American affairs.

However, the Empire's involvement in the American Treaty Organization, of which it had so recently affixed its signature on, is currently under debate in the Imperial Senate, with two clear sides forming, one in support and one in opposition.

===

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

In response to the changed situation to the south and to the west, the Imperator ordered the Holy Empire of Ursalia to be placed, on a more or less permanent basis, on DEFCON 3 "until further notice." The Ursalian Border Agency quietly sealed off, permanently, the Ursalian side of the borders between the Empire and the Austrian protectorate, and the Holy Ursalian Protectorate and the Austrian protectorate as well.

All branches of the Imperial Ursalian Armed Forces would now be in a permament state of alert, with all bases operating longer than normal. Patrols by the Coast Guard off the Ursalian coast would be stepped up. Other than that, nothing was out of the ordinary; troop deployments in each Diocese remained pretty much the same, although the Navy ordered an additional seven vessels (one Destroyer, one Frigate, one Cruiser, one Battleship, one Landing Ship, and two Corvettes) to be built, with yet another shipyard constructed in the City of Juneau as to give the Navy a more northerly base.

Edited July 3, 2011 by JEDCJT

[JEDCJT]

[b]CLASSIFIED[/b]

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salvador Nava, after privately conferring with the Imperator regarding the new foreign policy that was to be adopted by the Holy Empire of Ursalia in light of the changing situation in North America, issed a special resolution to Foreign Affairs officials and other relevant government personnel.

Taking into account the Empire's increased diplomatic isolation in North America and the rest of the world, the resolution -- soon to be known as the [b]Nava Resolution[/b], or more popularly the [i]Nava Doctrine[/i] -- committed the Empire to a more pragmatic approach. For one aspect, the Empire would not challenge any existing foreign land holdings in North America, including the Austrian protectorate in the former Cascadia, in any means. It would place increased emphasis on diplomacy instead of "unnecessary antagonism" that had charactized some of the Empire's diplomatic dispatches as of recently.

Next, the Empire would focus on facilitating economic and trading relations with foreign nations, with added emphasis on the North American continent, with the goal of attaining increased economic prosperity.

Finally, the Empire would pursue what was termed "armed neutrality" in foreign affairs, except in cases when its sole treaty with the CAN, was activated. The Empire would, of course, utilize force, if necessary, to defend her strategic interests and her people, including but not limited to enforcing the Norton Doctrine. But other than that, the Empire would utilize defensive means to repulse any armed foreign excursion into Imperial land, airspace, and waters. Perhaps more significantly, the resolution prohibited the Armed Forces from stationing its forces overseas and forming foreign bases in other countries. This reflected Nava's belief that sending over Army troops and personnel abroad would 'dilute' the Empire's ability to adequately defend its territories.

In enforcement of this new 'Doctrine', certain changes took place. To begin with, the Ursalian Border Agency was ordered to issue temporary entry visas, valid for up to ninety days and subject to possible renewal for another ninety days pending authorization from the Foreign Ministry, to anyone crossing the border into either the Empire or its Protectorate from the Austrian Protectorate or Austria itself, for business purposes. The border (and the coast) would remain closed to anyone without such a visa, and to foreign military personnel, of course. Austrian government officials were exempt, although they were required to notify the Foreign Ministry prior to visiting the Empire. The same went for foreign nations, including the United Federation of the East.

Finally, the Defense Ministry, in accordance to enforcing the Empire's commitments to "armed neutrality", authorized the National Council of the Imperial Ursalian Army to increase the size of the Army to 600,000 troops; over 1,000 new tanks were ordered from Ursalian military factories. Likewise, the Navy was authorized to purchase another five vessels, increasing the size of the Navy to include fifty-two ships.

Copies of the Nava Doctrine were silently transmitted to foreign governments worldwide.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Ursalia is making great strides in allowing Austria to consider that our northern neighbors may once again be counted as friends. The Holy Empire has Austria's sincerest thanks."
-Princess Angelika von Hapsburg, Plenipotentiary of Austrian-Cascadia

Edited July 5, 2011 by Sarah Tintagyl