news Announcements from Aromania

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

It has come to the attention of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, the Imperial Government of Tagmatium, that it is not just the rogue nation of Derthalen that still maintains the barbaric and savage practice of slavery. There are many others that still pursue this crime, one that all civilised nations think has been consigned to the history books. However, this is not the case. Some nations, backwards and savage as they are, still accord it more than revulsion. They openly and willingly enforce it on their own citizens and, indeed, trade their own citizens with other barbaric nations. That it still exists is inexcusable and one that all right-thinking nations must make a stand against. That these vile nations still carry this bestial trade out must be stamped down upon.

In this modern age, this is entirely unconscionable that slavery still exists; it is an affront to the modern notions of self-determination and to God Himself. That these nations, these slaver-states, feel that they can continue with this abhorrent trade entirely unmolested is itself arrogance of the most extreme and noxious sort. They will find themselves disabused of this belief.

In the past, the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomaion was famous, nay, infamous for its use of slavery. In these ancient times, slavery was common and it played an important and well-defined role not just within the economy of Tagmatium, but in wider society, too. Manual labour was not the only role undertaken by slaves, but almost every profession as well. Whilst these slaves were often well treated by their masters, they were still the property of their owners, as much as those who were worked to death in brutal conditions in mines or the fields. They all could be subjected to sexual exploitation, torture or even summary execution, all at the whims of their masters.

As Christianity took root and Tagmatium slowly threw off the shackles of the old, ignorant superstitions that had formerly held sway over its populace and the state, it became clear that it was against the virtues that were now held dear. Slavery is an affront to God. It is nothing more than one of the most base acts of covetousness and an act of human rebellion against our true Father. As such, as the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator ton Arhomaioi is the representative of God on Eurth, it is decreed by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion that it cannot be stomached that slavery is allowed to continue without punishment of those who defy God in this manner.

As the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomaion is looked on as the shining beacon of civilisation on Eurth, one that all other nations follow as the example to live up to, it follows that it will be the first to truly step up to the mark and take a stand against these slaver-states and their abominable trade.

As such, any nation that has on its statute books slavery, indentured workers or similar practices or ideals, whether directly or indirectly, or indulges in the trade or sale of their own citizens, or those of foreign nations, will find themselves with the following sanctions levied against them. These are in line with those that have been placed against the rogue nation of Derthalen and will continue to be maintained until that nation, and those that hold the foul institution of slavery dear, change their ways and enter into these modern times.

There may be those that feel that Tagmatium is overstepping its reach, that it has no right to attempt to police the internal policies of other nations. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion feels that this is not the case – that to allow slavery in its many forms to continue is to encourage it. If it is not stamped out sooner rather than later, it will spread, a dark plague from history that will once again become a dark blot on the wurld.

1. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion will expel any non-essential diplomatic personnel that any slaver-state has within the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion.
2. The Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion will cease trading in any way with any nation that maintains slavery or similar, or backs the trade in any way; it will send no products to these nations, nor will it accept any items of any sort made in them or by companies owned by their nationals, whether in part or wholly.
3. Any property and assets, financial or otherwise owned by nationals from these states within the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion will be seized. This will include assets and properties owned by either individuals working for the the governments of these nations or entities and organisations based in those nations. It will then be disposed of, kept or sold in a manner that best benefits the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion.
4. Vessels owned by nationals or entities based in these nations or sailing under their flags will be turned away from Tagmatine waters, as defined by the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomaion. However, any vessel will not be turned away if there is a danger to the lives of those on board or those on other vessels.
5. Any such vessels, owned by nationals or entities based in these nations or sailing under their flags, within Tagmatine waters, as defined by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, or ports will be escorted from them along the shortest possible route, so long as that does not pose any danger to any vessel involved.
6. Aircraft based in these nations will no longer be able to land or use airfields in the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion, nor pass through Tagmatine airspace. An exception to this would be if there are emergency circumstances, which will be defined at the discretion of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion.
7. Any aircraft from these nations currently within Tagmatine airspace will be escorted from it via the shortest route, so long as that does not pose any danger to said aircraft or others, whether on the ground or also in the air.
8. A travel ban will be set against members of these nations' governments and those suspected of being members of said governments. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion reserves the right to place further travel bans against any nationals it is suspected that are working in the interests of their government, rather than as private individuals.
9. Any individual from these nations attempting to gain entry to the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion will be turned away from its borders before entry.
10. Individuals from these nations, if it is suspected that they are working for their governments or in the interests of their government, in an espionage capacity or otherwise, will be escorted to the borders of the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion and expelled.
11. It will be an offence, with a penalty of up to ten years in prison and/or an unlimited fine, for a citizen of the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion to trade with a company owned whether fully or in part by an individual from these nations, or an individual from these nations.

If these sanctions are perceived as having no impact on the nations that they are levied against, if they continue in their monstrous and blasphemous trade and beliefs, then the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomaion will consider what steps to take next.

Those that still pursue slavery; be warned. Tagmatium has a long reach and the means to make sure that slavery does not last all that much longer on Eurth.

May God bring those nations around to civilisation and guide their people, and may He break the chains of every slave, whatever their oppressors may call them.

[Tagmatium Rules]

Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion declares Sanctions against Slaver-States

Yesterday's announcement of sanctions of all nations that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion considers to be a slaver-state – that is, a nation that has legalised slavery – may have come as a shock to some, but it is very much a continuation of the interventionist policy pursued by the government of Kommodos III. There have been many times within the last decade that the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomaion has seen fit to involve itself within the affairs of other nations. This likely will not be the last.

This policy has seen its both its successes and its failures. The greatest success was definitely the coalition of nations formed due to the AdSoc crisis and subsequent war that saw the defeat of that regime and the King of @Adaptus, Carolus, placed back on his throne. But it has seen its fair share of failures. More recently, the sanctions placed against @Derthalen seem to have had little impact on that nation, and there has been little obvious change in its attitude towards other nations or, indeed, its own people. Whether the states targeted by these sanctions, likely the @Imperial States of Europe and @Greater Serbia, will find them enough of an economic burden to be brought to heel is, as yet, unknown.

However, this particular act of interventionism seems to be driven by a mix of impulses. On the one hand, there does seem to be a genuine wish at the upper echelons of the Tagmatine government to annihilate slavery on Eurth. Sources from within the Agios Basilikon Vestiarion, the cabinet, have suggested that this is the opinion of the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator Arhomaion himself. On the other, there appears to be a real fear within the government that Tagmatium is finding itself sidelined on the international scene and this is an attempt to once again make itself relevant to the rest of the world. That it comes so soon after the invasion of what used to be Machina Haruspex means that the threats implied at the end of the message may, as yet, be hollow.

 

Hostage Crisis in Greater Serbia

The main press agency of Greater Serbia, Zvezda News, reported that a hostage crisis is developing in one of their districts, the district of Kosvoska-Mitrovica, as gunmen purportedly from an oppressed minority stormed a building and proceeded to round up those within it. This building is primarily residential, although with some commercial properties on the lower floors. The area was rapidly cordoned off by the National Police, which was joined by elements of the local militia, Arkan's Tigers.

Ordinarily, this would be a sad crisis – a group of militants taking civilians hostage for their own ends. It could only be hoped that the hostages were released after, ideally, a peaceful end to the siege. However, that it comes hot on the heels of the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomanion's threat of sanctions puts a spin on the whole affair. It is not doubted that, although unnamed, Greater Serbia is one of the targets of these sanctions. Recently, this nation stated that it would begin selling members of an oppressed minority to the rogue nation of Derthalen. This is a pernicious and heinous act, on top of a systematic and systemic programme of oppression and repression against this minority, the Bosniaks. They are guilty of nothing more than being members of a different ethnicity and religion to the rest of the country.

Until more reliable reports come from Greater Serbia – although, more likely, from foreign observers – this hostage crisis may have more than one origin. It could well be a false flag attack, designed by the pernicious regime that runs Greater Serbia to justify its increasingly monstrous treatment of its own populace, both retroactively and in the future. Its government has demonstrated that it isn't opposed to the use of private militias, nothing more than armed mobs, primarily employed in cowing local civilians and actions that are virtually genocidal in nature.

It could be that this group of militants are genuinely members of the Bosniak minority, and are acting against the oppressive regime of Greater Serbia, in a misguided attempt to help the situation of their people. If this is the case, then it is hoped that the situation ends peacefully and that the government does not pursue reprisals against the Bosniaks, although that seems something of an unlikely conclusion, given that government's past actions.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The Greater Serbian Crisis Deepens

The campaign against slavery takes a dark turn

It comes as a surprise that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has sided against @Greater Serbia. They are one of the few powers in the world that promotes their Christian faith, rather than reject it and embrace heresy or even turn from Christ altogether, like many others across Europa and the wider Eurth. Whilst they may well have some doctrinal differences with our glorious church, it has been recognised that they are true Christians rather than heretics. The people of that nation are humble before God and work to further His glory. This means that the government's actions seem to be at odds with what our faith and our love of Christ demands.

The idea that a civilised nation, one that shares the same Christian values, can truly be undertaking the crimes that have been suggested is likely an exaggeration of the problems that Greater Serbia is suffering. Their Chancellor, the head of state, Slobodan Milosevic, is attempting to prevail against a growing crisis within his nation. Ethnic tensions and strife have started to spread across the country and it is driven by the Bosniak minority. Recently, it even made world news when a group of gunmen, part of a terroristic plot, seized an apartment building, precipitating a hostage crisis. The fanaticism of the gunmen was such that the local armed forces had to be called in when the police could not cope with the situation. There were a large number of casualties and mainly among the terrorists. All Christians should pray for the innocent that suffered during this outrage and and wish them a quick recovery.

Undoubtedly, this is not the only example of the turmoil that these Bosniaks are spreading and this is likely driven by their hatred for the religion of Christ. In fact, their detestation for our shared faith was such that the Greater Serbian government was forced to make their cult an illegal religion, as otherwise they might well have become dangerous. This assertion has been proven by the Bosmal Towers hostage crisis. The action that the Greater Serbian government is undertaking is some forced population movement of this malicious group and their families and is only going to make it safer for the populace as a whole. That is what is causing such false outcry amongst the nations of the world.

At first the campaign against slavery on Eurth looked like it could be a force for good. A collection of the great powers forced changes on the rogue nation of @Derthalen, through a combination of sanctions and the threat of military action. Other nations similarly inclined towards sin of slavery took stock of the situation and started to address their ways. However, the campaign has now lost its way. It has become merely adventurism, picking on nations that are suffering crises not of their own making and have been judged to be lacking by not the foremost nations of the world, but perhaps some of the worst Eurth has.

That those who are sanctioning or attempting to blockade Greater Serbia – a landlocked nation – are some of the worst examples of sin and debauchery should not be surprising, even if the reaction of Ahromaneia is. @Variota is an open nest of iniquity, led by a harlot and the new King of @Seylos appears to take pride in and even flaunts his sin. Even @Adaptus turns its back on much of its Aroman heritage and allows superstition and immorality to blossom in its place instead. The Church is being sidelined by the latest military strongman to take the helm of our creaking neighbour, who has to prop up his regime by distracting his people through warfare. They have picked up other waifs and strays, who seemed to be determined to follow on like jackals, trying to pick up the scraps left by other nations.

The sanctions that the Tagmatine government has put into place only help this league of sinners against a fellow Christian state only serves to weaken the faithful as a whole. It has also sewn the seeds of a worse crisis – there have been noises coming from Trapezon that His Holiness, Nikolaos IX, Patriarkhes of Tzankhia, might consider the threat of excommunication against the leader of the free world, the Agios Basileos himself. There has yet been no sign whether the other heads of churches across Ahromaneia might back him in this. It would be surprising if the Adapton primates did so – they have yet to issue any condemnation of the actions of their king, so they are likely to remain quiet when it comes to Kommodos.

Of course, this paper does not support the idea of a potential crisis involving the Church but there needs to be some attempt by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion to take stock of the situation. The path that appears to be the one that they are taking at the moment seems to be one that will only hurt the faithful across both Greater Serbia and Tagmatium, and likely the wider world as well. May God guide them towards acting in a right and just manner.

 

Fishing Industry suffering due to ongoing Military Conflict

War compounds Quotas

The ongoing conflict to pacify the lands in the north of the Occident is the largest one that has taken place since the AdSoc Crisis of eleven years ago. As yet, the force of Aroman arms is winning out against the mass of barbaroi and warlords that had taken root since the legitimate government departed and the area collapsed into chaos. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has remained somewhat tight-lipped on the progress so far, but embedded reporters from other publications and broadcasters are painting a picture of a war that is going to plan. The high command, the Epistrategai and the Logothesion of War have both indicated that casualties are what they have expected and that the timetable is on track.

However, one of the repercussions of the conflict has been on the fishing trade off the coast of the northern maritime themata. The increased naval traffic and even the occasional seaborne band of warlord militia and the danger that they present has made fishing increasingly hazardous. Some of the fishing villages close to the border have even been temporarily evacuated or taken over by the Basilikoploimon, the navy, for use in operations. This has had an appreciable impact on the livelihoods of those involved in the fishing trade, as their fleet cannot attain the catches that they need. It isn't thought that local supplies of garos, the ever-popular fish sauce, will not be affected.

This continuing threat to the ships and lives of fishermen, on top of quotas that are being forced upon them by the Logothesion of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has meant that the local economies of these towns are beginning to suffer. Whilst the logic behind the quotas is relatively sound – namely that overfishing is starting to reduce the fish stocks of the seas surrounding Arhomaneia – the hardship that it might cause seems to have been overlooked. As yet, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has not responded to calls for compensation for the disruption that has been caused to the fishing trade, beyond saying that options that are equitable to all will be found. However, churches in the areas affect are beginning to distribute alms and encourage charity in order to take the edge off the potential economic damage that is happening.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion was at first not going to give the actions of the Mundus Liber organisation the recognition that would come from Arhomaneia giving it attention. For it is naught but the judgement of a group of barbaroi – how could their appraisals be trusted, since they have so misjudged the heart of the civilised wurld? It is therefore clear that they have little idea of true civilisation, one driven by Christian values and standing at the head of two millennia of Aroman heritage. The gifts of culture that the Arhomaioi have given to the rest of the wurld are many and varied, from works of literature that are considered the Classics to democracy.

These surveys are demonstrably not perfect and, indeed, displays the ignorance of their producers. However, it also shows that this is likely driven by nativity rather than malice. If it was truly unbiased, and free from the influence of a barbarous culture, then clearly the Megas Agios Basileia Arhomaion would be in the top positions of any examination of what genuinely makes a country civilised. How could anyone that was actually unbiased find differently?

But only God is perfect, so it is to be expected that the results found by Mundus Liber do not reflect the true order of the wurld.

And by this, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion finds the indignation that now echoes across Eurth to be a trifle overplayed. From demonstrations in national capitals to diplomatic spats between nations themselves, ham-handed ire seems to be the current driving force in many governments. Even those that had previously seemed guided by more sensible and stable hands. The non-governmental organisation that carried out this survey obviously has a political ideology that drives its actions. These ideals blinker their vision and mean that they were always going to hold similar thoughts and viewpoints to their own above others. It then follows that governments who hold those would be ranked higher, even above one that ought to be considered the benchmark of the wurld.

There are certainly similar organisations in your countries that hold harsh views about other nations, even if they may be less vocal about it. Mundus Liber is, despite its political views, a peaceful organisation. They do imply by their habit of ranking other countries show that they wish their views influenced others, but they go no further. They do not aim to inspire terroristic acts or civil disobedience. There is no suggestion that they are attempting to spread their ideology. It does not even suggest that its findings should be acted upon. They do not represent, of course, the actual government of the nation they are based in. It may be that some of the more backward nations about the wurld, those who deny their people freedom of speech or press, cannot quite differentiate between the government making a statement and the opinions of private individuals.

Perhaps those nations who find themselves in such paroxysms of moral outrage need to consider why the findings of a small organisation with biased views is having such an affect on them. It may be that these exaggerated denials are drawing more attention to any possible failings, not less. Those governments whose officials, or even leaders, who are giving statements that drip with moral outrage must realise something. It is that being seen to tackle these claims will only validate the claims of this NGO in the eyes of the rest of the wurld. There is such a thing as protesting too much, after all.

It seems that Mundus Liber indeed has found itself to have some influence over the wurld's political landscape, although perhaps not in the way that they intended. May God grant them that this does not become something that they regret. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion hopes that they come to recognise true civilisation for what it is, rather than their erroneous, un-Christian viewpoint as it now stands.

May Christ guide their way and lead Eurth to a more peaceful future.

[Tagmatium Rules]

The Katepanatikion of Easteia to be Disbanded

In an announcement that many have seen as long in the coming, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has signalled that it is to begin to formally disband the Katepanatikion, or military governorship, in the far west of the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion. It has existed since the invasion of the Jaehosion in the closing months of EK7514 (AD2005). That had been conducted in response to the petty and failed states in the area beginning to turn more and more to the production of heroin to fund their governments, and the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion held this to be a possible threat to national security at the time. The territories have long been considered a heartland of Ahromaneia, although the influence of Tagmatika had waned in the 20th Century.

Since its inception, the Katepanatikion has been controlled by the army officer who lead the initial invasion, Strategos Antoninos Traianos. At times termed a scourge of the opium farmer, the blunt instrument of Tagmatika, the bane of the corrupt official and the fountainhead of a culture of bribery, Traianos has at least brought stability to an area that was often considered lawless. The weakening of central authority had promoted almost a bandit culture in the most inaccessible parts of the the basin, but the deployment of up to one hundred thousand Tagmatine soldiers and airmen has brought the lawlessness to an end. This has been combined with a concerted effort to re-introduce the rule of civilian law and authorities and has included successfully changing the cash crop from opium in the northern part of the Katepanatikion.

However, at times the military government has been accused of being heavy-handed, even brutal. The informal political structures that had developed in the absence of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion have been systematically replaced, with a mixture of armed action and occasional bribery. Rarely, courtly titles had been offered to the leaders of these small polities, coming with annual stipends, in order to bring them to the Tagmatine heel. The military have also been accused of having an occupational nature, especially by the Nea Demokrateia Party, which favoured a much more consensual establishment of central power. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has consistently ignored and rejected anything put forward to it by that party, representing as it does the Synkletos ton Tagmatika, the Senate of Tagmatika. The leader of the party, Isaakios Niketas, the former Proedros or President of the Senate, has dogged by controversy since he set up Nea Demokrateia.

The timetable for dissolving the Katepanatikion has been announced for the end of EK7528 (AD2019) and the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has suggested informally that it can see no real reason for any delays. Civilian power structure has been developed over the last decade and the police forces of the various themata that make up the area have been running with little oversight from the military for several years now. The divisions that have been undertaking the police duties alongside the local police are being withdrawn. Unsubstantiated rumours have suggested that this is in order to bolster the forces that are combatting the warlord factions in the territories to the north of Tagmatium. Their experience in acting as a gendarmerie has been informally recognised by the Logothesion of War and the Epistrategai, the high command of the armed forces of Arhomaneia.

Hosepipe Ban Ended

The hosepipe ban that has been in force in much of Perateia, since the late summer, some places even early summer, has been ended. This comes after several weeks of heavy rain, which has even seen some flooding around Boreapolis and Klimatos. Life has begun to return to normal after scenes that included bowsers of water being set up on the street corners of residential areas of Klimatos, the capital of the thema of Klimatolikon. The area had not seen a hosepipe ban since EK7523 (AD2014), although it is the most widespread one in almost twenty years.

One of the main accusations has been that the infrastructure that is in place is not up to the strains currently being put upon it by the increasing urban population. This has been exacerbated by farming techniques that saw deeper drilling for fresh water in order to expand irrigation. These methods have been banned in recent years, but the Logothesia for the Environment and for Agriculture have been slow to introduce proper alternatives for the areas concerned, arable farming being their economic base, which have been the hardest hit. A spokesperson for the Logothesion for the Environment has said that the last few years have seen an increase in investment into modern and environmentally-friendly farming methods, ones that are allowing the aquifers to replenish at their original rate.

The Patriarkhes of Dymafos also suggested that a recent dip in church attendance could be to blame but has said that these have begun to rise again since the hosepipe ban came into force. “It is encouraging to see the faithful have been reminded of their covenant with God,” His Divine Holiness, Theodorokanos IV, said in a statement issued to the press. “Pious behaviour, faith in Christ and wise stewardship of Eurth are the only true solutions to any current or potential ecological crisis.”

This mirrors the stance taken by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, which has seen heavy investment in alternative energy and carbon-neutral technology and policies since the election of Kommodos III as Agios Basileos kai Autokrator ton Arhomaion. This has chimed well with the Church's emphasis on maintaining Eurth as part of God's holy creation. However, some have been critical of the way in which the utilities were nationalised as part of an expansion of central authority under the current sovereign and allege that this has led, in part, to the need for a hosepipe ban due to frequent confusion over responsibility of parts of the network. In turn, the Logothetai for the Environment, Agriculture, Aqueducts and Works state that, in fact, it was years of chronic underinvestment under private shareholders who creamed off any profits that are to blame, and this is being steadily brought right.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion Starts Diplomatic Offensive

Relations with the United Kingdom and Others Broadening

The United Kingdom of @Great Burlington occupies the most westerly point of the Occident but has long maintained an almost isolationist attitude, interacting with few other nations in Europa, let alone Eurth. Because of this, despite it being a Christian nation, Arhomaneia has had little contact with it in the recent past. This has been something of a shameful state of affairs – it is a devout, God-fearing nation, despite it not adhering to strict Orthodoxy, unlike our own great nation. However, it still acts as something of a counterbalance to @Adaptus, since despite the population of Christians that inhabits Tagmatium's neighbour, they clearly support the godless regime that has taken over since Augustus has taken the throne.

This expansion of relations by the Logothesion for Foreign Affairs can only be considered a step in the right direction. Stronger cooperation between Christian nations, even if they are barbaroi can only foster a better and more peaceful Eurth. It would likely mean that even the most sinful and debauched states will then see the light and come to the embrace of true faith and civilisation. It could be a beginning of a great era in the history of our planet, and possibly even weaken the coalition of the sinning that is gathering its strength, even now, against a nation, @Greater Serbia that shares the faith of Tagmatium, even if it has erred in some of its interpretations of God's word.

However, the United Kingdom was not the only nation contacted by the Logothesion for Foreign Affairs. The others included the United States of @Prymont, the Most Serene Republic of @Mauridiviah and the Republic of @Kipan. Considering these nations' positions in Argis, Alharu and Aurelia, there does not seem to overmuch of a pattern to the attempts by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion's plan, if there is one. The United States appears to be the most civilised amongst them – a Christian nation, albeit heterodox and not as God-fearing as could be hoped. It is arguably also one of the most powerful within Argis, seeing as it recently undertook a humanitarian mission to the former-Hellenic Rus. This was not without bloodshed, however, and appears to have taken on a worrying aspect of occupation.

Mauridiviah is, of course, the originator of the now-infamous Mundus Liber survey, which has consistently and erroneously given Arhomaneia less than a perfect score. That, alone, speaks enough about them. Kipan remains something of a mystery – it is undoubtedly a nation that has yet to have the light of Christ shone upon it but the fact that they were able to make a peaceful transition from a monarchy to a republic demonstrates that they are at least partway towards a more civilised state. Unlike many others, they respect democracy, one of the core values of the Megas Agios Basileia.

When the Logothesion was questioned by this paper on the reason for this diplomatic “offensive”, the Protologothetes for Wider wurld Affairs, Konstantinian Makarios, gave this statement: “Whilst there seems much to be made of the nations that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has contacted, it is really just the start of a normalisation of relations across Eurth. Many of the nations that we used to have contact with have gone silent; in this time of change, it is best that the New wurld begins to receive attention from Arhomaneia. Our great nation merely wishes to see the spread of peaceful relations and the start of fruitful cooperation beyond Europa itself.”

Whilst much could be read into this statement, especially after some suggestions that the government is starting to perceive the potential to threats to wurld peace from some nations in the New wurld, perhaps it is best to take it at face value. Under the guidance of the Agios Basileos, may God bless his reign, Tagmatium had become one of the main guarantors of peace in Europa, through a combination of diplomacy and, thankfully rarely, the force of arms. This start of diplomatic relations will likely the Megas Agios Basileia once again become one of the foremost powers in the wurld, especially if it is followed, and driven by, pan-Christian cooperation. Not just between nations, but between the population of the faithful within the nations of the wurld.

 

Logothesion for War announces Cyber Warfare Focus

Expansion of the Cutting Edge

The Logothesion for War has announced that it, along with the Esoteriki Epitheorisi Pliroforion (EEP) and the intelligence service, Arhomaiki Diktyo Pliroforion, will be focussing significantly more on the threat of cyber and information attacks on Megas Agios Basileia. Whilst Eurth has not seen much in the way of coordinated, state-sponsored hacking or cyber attacks on infrasturcture often theorised or postulated in fiction, industry or academics, it is most certainly a threat that cannot be ignored. Especially since there seems to be a move to a significantly more integrated system in most nations. The spread of the AI network, Synapse System, from originating country, the @Sunset Sea Islands to @Astriedan and Prymont, has led to these questions being raised more, as well as its vulnerability. In its application in the United States, it seems to have been something of a miserable failure, which is perhaps something of a blessing – the AI network is a monstrous violation of numerous civil liberties that all right-thinking nations hold dear. Nonetheless, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has seen this as a prompting to review its cyber and information warfare capabilities.

The military of Arhomaneia has always been one of the best in the wurld. For hundreds of years, the armed forces of our nation has both maintained peace at home and abroad, as well as driving back the enemies of God's realm when it is threatened. However, in recent years, warfare has started to leave the physical wurld and become one of information and more. Since the introduction of the Prognostikator class cyber and information warfare light cruiser more than a decade ago, certainly the Basilikoploimon has taken the threat seriously. The vessel has long been a mainstay of Tagmatine fleets, making sure that Arhomaneia's attempts to further bring peace and stability to the wurld are kept safe from these sorts of attacks.

One facet of the information warfare that is reportedly being looked at by both the EEP and the ADP is that of using social networks to influence democracy and how that might impact upon the Megas Agios Basileia. Such manipulation would be a threat to the heart of our civilisation and must be strenuously guarded against. It is thought that there will be exercises in how such platforms could be used in this manner – obviously so that it can be guarded against, rather than used against Tagmatium's enemies. Although it is undeniable that it could certainly be a powerful weapon against those who would strike at the heart of civilisation.

It is therefore no surprise that the Logothesion for War and the Epistrategion have started to consider a much more consistent spread across all of the branches of the armed forces, and the security services at home and abroad. Fears of an attack by the enemies of Christendom against the power grid or the health service, have often been floated and portrayed as potentially very damaging to Tagmatium – not just causing large-scale blackouts, but even causing many casualties, directly and indirectly. These steps will not just help protect the average citizen from such possible events, but also possibly enable Arhomaiki arms to strike at similar targets within nations opposed to our faith and civilisation.

[Tagmatium Rules]

Logothesion of Education Announces Bursaries for Foreign Students

The Logothesion for Education, in conjunction with the Logothesia for Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs, has announced a programme of bursaries for foreign students that apply for places to universities within Arhomaneia. This programme will also include waiving visa restrictions for those applying for them, although the details have yet to be confirmed by the Logothesia concerned. The universities that this will include will be the prestigious Petrion University, the Mouseion, and the Hekademion, in Thenion and Prousa respectively. These three institutions are the foremost centres of tertiary education within the Megas Agios Basileia and are consistently ranked within the top twenty universities across Eurth.

This programme marks one of the first such undertaken by Tagmatium in recent years, after the end of the Navarkhokrateia, the infamous Rule of the Admirals, from EK7478 to 7504 (AD1969 to 1995). Whilst Tagmatine universities have always welcomed foreign students and occasionally offered stipends to help them support themselves whilst they study, this will be the first time that there has been a country-wide and consistent scheme to do so. It was suggested that at first it ought to be limited to just students from Europa, in order to keep it within a manageable size and prevent any abuse by uncivilised nations. However, this was reportedly, and surprisingly, quashed by the Mesazon Gregorios Traiektonos, who is said by sources within the Imperial Palace Complex to have maintained that all should be allowed to study within the most ancient centres of learning within the world. The office of the Mesazon would not comment when asked about this by this paper.

Similarly, the programme was to focus on STEM (Science, Theology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, as these subjects often have the biggest impact on workforce development and, even, military and immigration concerns. The Logothesion for Education instead made it clear that it would cover all subjects available at universities within Arhomaneia – although this would be at the discretion of the individual institutions.

“STEM subjects and disciplines are held to be amongst the most important for the development of not just individuals or industries, but nations themselves,” said the Megas Logothetes for Education, Manouel Aristarkhos. “A broadening of this programme will, however, allow barbaroi to take part in the full spectrum of education available at some of the most prestigious universities on Eurth, as well as seeing many facets of Aroman life that they may well have never seen before.”

Critics of this move, and the bursaries themselves, have stated that this will weaken Arhomaneia and enable foreign nations to strengthen themselves at Tagmatium's expense. Their standpoint is that it means that other nations will be able to gain knowledge without putting in the work, work which has been carried out by Tagmatine academics and institutions. This has been counterpointed by the Logothesion for Education, who stated that recent surveys had shown that many foreign nationals, attracted by the standard of Tagmatine education, often settled down within the Megas Agios Basileia, many electing to become nationals and members of the Orthodox Church.

 

A New Arms Race?

Across Eurth and even in our own continent of Europa, there appears to be a new arms race gathering steam. In the past, arms races seemed to take a single form – in the 7400s, it was the development of bigger battleships, with heavier guns and more armour. These days, it is seemingly manifesting as many countries upgraded their armed forces. From Great Burlington, whose government is planning on upgrading its nuclear submarine fleet, to our own Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion announcing development and focus on cyber warfare, almost every nation on Eurth is either overhauling its armed forces or looking towards new technology.

This may just be something of a trend that turns out to be nothing, an international blip that goes nowhere. However, it must still be something that could be a cause for concern. Although there has been no truly international war since the AdSoc Crisis, which saw a coalition of nations topple the totalitarian regime that had seized control of Adaptus, there is a myriad of small scale conflicts that have broken out across the world. Fighting persists in Afropa, the slaver-state of Derthalen saw a blockade levied against it for its actions and the Hellenic Rus crisis has only just drawn to a close, with that nation annexed by Prymont.

Eurth is not facing a cold war situation like it had been during the days of the League of the Treaty or the Entente of Oriental States. However, this perhaps makes the world more likely to spiral into conflict, rather than less. In those days, the threat of even a small skirmish dragging other nations into it often meant that diplomatic solutions were the first and often only resort, as no country truly wanted a world-wide conflict. Now, however, without this threat hanging over them, many governments see this as a free rein to meddle in the internal conflicts of others, resorting to armed interventionism almost on a whim. Even the Megas Agios Basileia has done so in the past and still does so, although with less frequency these days. This can be seen in the ongoing war in the former Machina Haruspex.

At the moment, unless the international situation drastically alters, there does not seem to be any way of changing this rash of conflicts across the world. Most governments seem to be more than willing to indulge in armed conflict and it may only be a matter of time before another one on the scale of the Thalassan War or even the Long War breaks out. There has often been talk of an international body able to mediate between nations within some intellectual circles. Perhaps it is approaching the time for such a body to come into existence.

 

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Arhomaneia Reaches Power Milestone

Fossil fuels on the way out?

The Logothesion ton Ilektrikon, the Ministry of Electricity, announced with much fanfare that the Megas Agios Basileia had run a full seven days on power entirely generated from renewable and nuclear power. This represents a great milestone for not just our great nation, but for Eurth as well. Although the Logothesion was unable to comment at this time on what the ratio was for renewable energy and nuclear energy, it has been suggested by some commentators, namely from Petrion University's Department for Metrology and Climate Science, that it is likely to lean towards renewable energy, rather than nuclear power. And, on top of this, the renewable sources that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has been investing in do not include biomass burning technology.

This heralds something of a turning point, and for many reasons. Firstly, it shows to the wider wurld that a nation of the power and might of Arhomaneia is capable of weaning itself off the teat of fossil fuels, at least when it comes to power generation. Secondly, it showcases that our country remains, and will ever remain, one of the leading lights when it comes to technology and the environment. Whilst other nations still clutch foolishly at fossil fuels, even when it is demonstrable that they are harming God's Eurth, the Arhomaioi are able to step further away from this dependence, especially when it appears that Eurth is reaching peak oil production. Now is very much the time to break away from this reliance on oil, especially since the biggest source of it lie within barbaroi hands – barbaroi who have ever plotted, schemed and cast envious eyes upon the might and glory of Megas Agios Basileia.

This feeds into the policies of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion under Agios Basileos kai Autokrator Kommodos III, may Christ forever bless and guide him, namely the policy umbrella of Strong State, Strong Church. Whilst others have in the past criticised the green energy tack that the Logothesion ton Ilektrikon has taken under the current regime, it has definitely made Arhomaneia less reliant on foreign powers for its oil and petroleum products. There has, however, been no indication that oil production within Arhomaneia is slowing down – after all, the majority of motor vehicles, as well as ships and aircraft run on it, as does the production of plastics within our country. Less reliance on oil, and to a lesser extent coal, for the generation of power means that there would be less of a need to turn to foreign sources for Arhomaiki industries, a step forward towards self-reliance and making the Heart of Civilisation much more secure against foreign powers.

“From here, we shall strive for an ever-increasing amount of time spent away from using fossil fuels for power generation, until we are capable of breaking away from its use entirely,” the Megas Logothetes ton Ilektrikon, Frantzeskhos Zemarkhos, was quote as saying. This goes hand-in-hand with a plan put forward by the Logothesia ton Ilektrikon, Raidarion, Koiaisitoron and the Agelon (Power, Transport, Works and Environment) to increase the number of vehicles on the road that run off electricity and a comprehensive support infrastructure that covers the whole of the Megas Agios Basileia – and possibly beyond, further into Europa.

This announcement did cause a short lowering of the price of oil across the wurld market, although it has since recovered. There have been concerns that it may cause oil-producing nations and companies to push up the price of oil for buyers based in Arhomaneia, although it yet seems that this has yet to surface. Such actions would, however, demonstrate why the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is correct in its actions, since no true Arhomaios would want to see our Christ-favoured nation held to ransom by uncivilised powers in such a manner.

 

Diplomatic Offensive Continues

A Step Too Far?

In a continuation of the so-called Diplomatic Offensive, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has opened relations more countries – and whilst this paper recognises that this is a necessity, that to shut the Megas Agios Basileia away from the wurld leads to isolation, some of the nations that have been contacted are, to varying degrees, offensive to all true Christians.

Whilst it is a sad fact, @Variota is indeed one of the leading nations of Alharu. As this paper has said before, it is nothing more than a hotbed of sin and deviancy. That one of its prime exports seems to be the monstrous Vooters chain is all that needs to be said about it and its pernicious influence on the rest of its continent. In an ideal wurld, it would be regarded by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion in the same way as the slaver-states that Arhomaneia has raised its hand against many times in the past – a backwards nation, closed to all right-thinking people. However, to compound the matter, it also claims to have a large Christian population, something that must be considered to be a contradiction in terms, as anyone who takes even a quick glance at their nation ought to realise.

Secondly is the Kingdom of @Seylos. Again, on the face of it, a Christian country, but ruled by a man who is nothing more than the chief deviant in a nation that goes almost whole heartedly against the word of God. King Aidan even recently made his male consort a feudal noble, as Seylos still clings to the barbarian trappings of nobility, with titles, fiefdoms and serfs. It should be not surprising that one of its closest neighbours is Derthalen. That nation's perfidious influence shows in its southern neighbour, as Seylos seemingly still clings to its medieval past in a manner where strongmen appointed by their monarch keep their boot upon a God-fearing populace, who, if they are truly Christian, simmer against their sinful ruler.

And it is perhaps best not to mention @Fulgistan, a Communist nation. Again, it must be said that there is a necessity to maintaining diplomatic relations with all countries, as it means that there is a way to enable missionaries spreading the word of Christ to those ignorant of it. Especially if those missionaries are backed by a Protathlites tou Khristou aircraft carrier. But to have cordial relations with such a nation, with an anti-religious ideology, is a bit much. It should be hoped that this opening of relations is the start of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion bringing pressure to bear upon the poor, ignorant Fulgistanis and helping to guide them and their nation towards the Light.

Finally is @Sancti Imperii Catholico, a nest of heretics if there ever was one. Whilst they are arguably not the worst of the so-called “Christian” nations that lie across Eurth, they do claim to have received Christianity directly from Arhomaneia itself, from Liosos, often claimed to be one of the seventy-two apostles sent by Christ to spread His Word to foreign lands. However, since then, they have slipped into heresy and wrong-thinking. Hopefully, now that they can have closer contact with God's chosen nation on Eurth and now can be led back into the Light of Christ.

Whilst it can only be applauded that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is initiating diplomatic contact with more and more nations, our great nation must become more discerning when it comes to expanding that beyond merely exchanging ambassadors. Unless, of course, it is to make sure that those nations know that the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator is not known as the Leader of the Free wurld for no reason.

[Tagmatium Rules]

Fleet arrives in Adrotiri

The force of peacekeepers dispatched by Arhomaneia to help with the worsening crisis in @Aluxia arrived at the Adapton naval base of Adrotiri in the early hours of this morning. Consisting of two Protathlitai tou Khristou super-carriers and two Protosebastoi missile battleships, as well as their escort vessels, it is the largest deployment of Arhomaiki vessels since the AdSoc War. It is also one of the furthest afield that the Basilikoploimon has travelled since the Great Christian Fleet circumnavigated the wurld during the reign of Basil V between EK7420 and EK7422 (AD1907 and AD1909), in order to spread the Word of Christ and demonstrate that the country was still a power to be reckoned with.

It perhaps should not be a surprise that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has decided to intervene in the civil war in Aluxia – after all, the Megas Agios Basileia has had a history of interventionism under Kommodos III, may God bless him. And, on top of that, Aluxia shares Arhomaneia's state religion. Public pressure, especially from the more conservative elements, would likely have mounted if Kommodos had failed to act to support a fellow Orthodox monarch, even if the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator rarely acknowledges public opinion. Perhaps, although the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion may loath to admit it, there are parallels between the Argic nation and the Europan one. Especially since Arhomaneia suffered a civil war 2005 and a coalition of foreign nations intervened to bring it to a close.

However, there are some large differences. For example, Theodosios VI was considered a fair and progressive ruler, which was exactly why he was murdered on the orders of a cabal of right-wing military officers. Davros XXII, the current emperor of Aluxia, is thought of as a stifling despot, deaf to the wants of his citizens. Secondly, the civil war was entirely fostered within the Arhomaiki military, whilst the Aluxian one seems to be struggling to gain military strength in the face of those forces loyal to their government. Even though there are these differences, it cannot really be denied that the so-called “Free Aluxian Army”, which claims to be acting for the good of the people, is undertaking the actions of terrorists and murderers. So far, they have stooped to bombings and appear to be attempting to stir up anarchy and unrest in order to achieve these goals.

So far, despite Aluxia being surrounded by some otherwise-sensible nations, such as @Morheim, @Sayf and @Seylos, none have come to the aid of the Aluxian government or attempted to stop the spread of lawlessness and disorder in one of their close neighbours. Similarly, the large Juddish minority within Aluxia's borders means that @Tikva ought to have taken some notice of the outbreak of armed conflict, but it appears that the Juddish state is turning a blind eye to the threat to those who share its religion. This is undoubtedly something of a shame on all of these nations – it is precisely now, whilst this civil war is still in its infancy that action needs to be taken, more so by these nations than by Arhomaneia. However, undoubtedly the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has the best interests of the ordinary Aluxian at heart and likely cannot agree with many of the policies of the Aluxian government itself. It can only be hoped that when this crisis comes to a conclusion that it is the citizens of Aluxia that have been able to gain from this ugly turn of events, rather than suffer from it.

 

Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion announces Travel Warnings

After weeks of ongoing protests and violence, described by some sources as akin to medieval siege fighting, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has stepped up its warning over travel to the Federal Republic of @Girkmand. Political instability in and around the city of Viburk, seemingly over the state of Kerlia's right to secede from Girkmand, spilled over into open conflict last month due to the Federal Government's crackdown on the democratic right of the people of that state. As the unrest worsened, the Logothesion ton Barbaron recommended that any Arhomaioi in the area steer clear of the protests and only undergo business or travel to Viburk if essential. Today, this warning was heightened – the Logothesion stated that no citizens of Arhomaneia should travel to Viburk, that any business there ought to be delayed until the emergency had passed and that if caught up in the crackdown against protestors, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion may not be able to help.

When asked for an official statement on the troubles in Kerlia, the Logothesion ton Barbaron stated that the Federal Republic seemed to have matters in hand. “This is an internal matter and it appears that the worst of it may have passed. Whilst the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion deplores the use of armed forces against protestors, it seems that the violence was in the process of spiralling out of control. God willing, the worst of it may now be over and the Federal Republic will be able to draw this situation to a close without any further escalation.”

Although Arhomaneia has had little to do with the Federal Republic in the past, there were fears that these protests might have become an outright secession attempt or the state of a civil war, perhaps even the descent of the otherwise-democratic Girkmand into some sort of dictatorship. Certainly, the pictures of armoured vehicles moving towards Viburk are not necessarily ones that would be expected of a country that has been held as one of the few bastions of democracy in a wurld that seems to be awash with oppressive autocracies.

These fears are likely unfounded and possibly reflect a lack of understanding of the Argic country. However, the Megas Agios Basileia, as it considers itself to be the protector of True Religion on Eurth, maintains an interest in any events that might affect followers of Christ, even if they are on another continent. The government will likely keep an eye on how events will continue to unfold, in case the rights of Christians are negatively impacted by the actions of the Federal Government.

Once the situation has entirely calmed down, the travel warnings are expected to be lifted, although it is perhaps wise to be cautious when travelling in Girkmand for the foreseeable future.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The old adage “If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all” has perhaps never been more true than in the case of the Prime Minister of @Bulgenstaz, Bavrov Krusken II, if what he said was reported accurately by the Bulgenstazi Liberation News Network. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is not so thin-skinned as to draw offence from people disagreeing with its policies or actions, whether they are Arhomaioi or foreigners. The very nature of politics means that not everyone is satisfied with an outcome, as unfortunate as this is, even when this itself has what has been striven for.

However, it seems that Mr Krusken is not just unsatisfied with the polices undertaken by Arhomaneia, he is also “ecstatic” about conflicts that are taking place in the wider wurld. Hopefully, this may just be an element of misreporting on the behalf of the media outlets that have quoted the Prime Minister, or a poor choice of words on his part, as to be truly ecstatic about blood being shed and lives being lost would be monstrous and celebrating these deaths an offence in the eyes of God. Especially since that not only is he “ecstatic” about the continuing crisis in the Empire of @Aluxia, but in the Federal Republic of @Girkmand as well. It may be that these comments are not meant to be taken as the official policy of the Bulgenstazi government and if that is the case, then the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion feels that it must remind Mr Krusken that he is the head of his government and he very much needs to consider what he says before he says it.

Mr Krusken went on to suggest that Arhomaneia is both childish and uninformed for its peacekeeping in Aluxia, which could not be further from the truth. The Megas Agios Basileia values peace, something that cannot be said of either Mr Krusken or, it seems, many of the parties in Bulgenstaz. If these parties valued peace as much as Arhomaneia does, then they would not be proposing to send armaments to an organisation that is actively carrying out terrorist attacks and attempting to destabilise another country's government. Whilst the Bulgenstazi parties may make the claim that this is because they view the events to be similar to their independence from their old colonial masters, this is just seeing patterns that are not there.

Whilst Mr Krusken claims that the so-called “Free Aluxian Army” is a force fighting for freedom and democracy, facts do not bear this out. So far, these terrorists have merely murdered civilians and government officials in a bombing in Narlis and are subverting part of the Aluxian armed forces through bribery – money that may well be coming from sources outside of the nation, thus proving the idea that it is a spontaneous and home-grown outpouring of popular feeling to be nothing more than a lie.

Both the Prime Minister and Bulgenstaz may need to step back and look at the situation from other angles. If Bulgenstaz sends arms to this terrorist organisation, then the Arhomaiki peacekeeping forces would be forced to intercept any and all such shipments. Especially if these weapons are then utilised against the peacekeeping forces in the conflict. Bulgenstaz risks a lot more than just the pursuit of freedom and democracy if it decides to continue down a course of action that puts at risk the lives of Arhomaiki citizens. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion prays that God will guide the undoubtedly peace-loving people of Bulgenstaz in the right direction and that they may apply pressure on their legislators to make them see the error of their ways.

To this end, rather than nakedly inflame another nation's crisis, endangering not just Aluxian citizens, but those of Arhomaneia and the State of @Tikva as well, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion suggests that the government of Bulgenstaz put aside its warmongering ambitions and instead help Arhomaneia to find a peaceful solution to this crisis. It is short-sighted and naïve of Bulgenstaz to paint a peacekeeping operation a heavy-handed attempt to stamp out a pro-democracy uprising. One that may very well be nothing more than foreign meddling in the affairs of a sovereign nation.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Aluxian Benevolent Fund Announced

Church encourages donation of money to suffering Christians

As the civil war in @Aluxia continues to grind on, His Holiness Patriarkhes Nikolaos IX of Tzankhia has announced the founding of a benevolent fund to help our fellow Christians in that war-torn country. It has been given the name of the Aluxian Benevolent Fund and although . The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is sending a task force to deal with the rising threat of the so-called Free Aluxian Army (FAA) but the conflict seems to be gathering pace nonetheless. His Holiness has urged all Christians to give generously to this benevolent fund, as winter comes harshly in that part of Argis and this is the season of goodwill and charity.

“It is the duty of all Christians, whether they follow Orthodoxy or more heterodox beliefs, to help those in need, such as the benighted people of Aluxia,” said Patriarkhes Nikolaos IX. “We must make sure our Christian brothers and sisters are not going to suffer whilst this crisis continues. God willing, it will be over soon and then the Aluxians can see a return to peace and stability. I therefore call on not just Arhomaioi, but Christians across Eurth, to donate to help the Aluxians in their hour of need.”

The line from Tagmatika is that it the FAA is nothing more than a terrorist organisation, funded by money coming from overseas and not a home-grown movement, although the Aluxian monarchy has often been viewed as stifling and uncaring towards its citizens. Its isolationist stance meant that the country had little in the way of contact with the outside world almost from its formation as a nation, although they were steadily converted by missionaries led by Saint Andronikos, from the middle of the EK6700s (AD1200s) onwards. Whilst Aluxia itself has been relatively closed off, contact with the mother church in Arhomaneia did continue, although somewhat sporadically.

As yet, since the Aluxian government still holds the major port, Narlis, food, medical supplies and other necessities are reaching those who are in the territories still under government control. However, the same cannot be said of the areas that are held by the FAA. Little clear information has been received from those parts of the country and, although fighting has been sporadic at the moment, it cannot be doubted that the innocent are beginning to suffer due to this chaos. Few other nations have got involved with this burgeoning humanitarian crisis, although the State of Tikva has stated that it is at least trying to help its own citizens, as well as those that share the Juddish faith, with leaving Aluxia. The @Oyus Matriarchy has also expressed a willingness to take in refugees from Aluxia, although it has not gone as far as to offer aid to the people themselves, which isn't entirely useful to Aluxians. And the Matriarchy's distance may mean that few Aluxians take advantage of the offer.

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, whilst being the first nation to actively intervene in the civil war, has not quite followed this up with a stance on humanitarian aid. It can only be hoped that Tagmatika will recognise its Christian obligation to the Aluxians and not limit itself to bringing peace to Aluxia but also help the citizens of the country and to try to avert any humanitarian crisis before it starts to make itself felt.

Whilst the Benevolent Fund will be set up by the Patriarkheion of Tzankhia, it will be administered to by the Parabalanoi as opposed to the Patriarkheion itself. They which will use the money gathered to purchase humanitarian aid such as medical supplies, food, water and shelter for the Aluxians and will be distributed by representatives of the Parabalanoi. The Parabalanoi itself has indicated that it hopes the first shipments of aid will be sent at the start of the new calendar year, although the distance involved will mean that there may be some delays.

This paper heartily condones the words of His Holiness and encourages all of our readers to give what they can to the Aluxian Benevolent Fund. A portion of the Kronografia's profits from now on will go towards the charity, to show that we are keen on following through with the Patriarkhes's call to all Christians.

 

Tunnel Proposed between Tagmatika and Matapon

Ambitious new engineering project floated

A new proposal for a tunnel between the Tagmation area of Arhomaneia and Perateia, the south-western part of the country, has been proposed to the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion by a deputation from several haulage firms. It is an idea that has often been put forward, as the only way to move between the north and south of Arhomaneia has been through ferries. Whilst the Kentriki Thalassa, the Central Sea, is not often racked by storms large enough to cause severe disruption, they nonetheless have happened, often several times a year. They can entirely cut commerce, as the only other way to reach either part of the nation is a very long land route around the western end of the Kentriki Thalassa, which often deters those who need to go in either direction.

The route is still served by a long distance road network, as well as one of the longest rail routes in Arhomaneia and these routes wind along the coast and do connect many major cities, including Theodosiopolis and Prousa. The haulage firms have said that a tunnel link would mean that the north and south is linked together no matter the weather and that it would prove a massive boon to the economy, not just of Perateia and Tagmation, but Arhomaneia as a whole. As such, the tunnel would not just be a tunnel – it would consist of what is called a “bridge-tunnel”, the advantages of which are said to be that it is not quite so expensive as a true tunnel. Critics, however, have said that it may well need to have several artificial islands constructed in the Kentriki Thalassa, raising the cost above a true tunnel.

However, this is not the first time that this has been proposed. Such moves date back as far as the mid EK7300s (AD1800s), although the attempts made back then were abortive as the technology was not up to the task of building such a long tunnel. Indeed, the subscriptions sold and the stock bought for the company set up to build the tunnel caused a financial bubble to form, which has since been termed the Tunnel Scandal. This held back any attempts for at least one hundred years. Since then, the ferry companies that run between the northern and southern parts of have often attempted to stifle any attempts to make a tunnel, pointing towards job losses to stave off any plans. Infamously, during the reign of Konstantios IV, the ferry companies went on strike in response to Konstantios' flagship policy of tunnel construction in EK7477 (AD1968), precipitating the crisis that led to the Navarkhokrateia, the Rule of the Admirals.

So far the Logothesion for Transport has stated that whilst it would like to consider the building of such a tunnel, it is far too expensive at this point for the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion to start on in the foreseeable future. This is undoubtedly due to the conflict in the former Machina Haruspex, as well as the deployment of a large force to Aluxia. When the idea of a tunnel was brought up during the reign of Theodosios VI, it was shot down by the Synkletos ton Tagmatika, the Senate of Tagmatika, due to the fact that a tax would have to be raised specifically to pay for it.

[Tagmatium Rules]

Playing God in the Sunset Sea Islands?

One of the more intriguing stories to come to light last month was the birth of a pair of twins in the @Sunset Sea Islands (SSI). That in itself is not remarkable but it was claimed by Dr Giang Ngo, described as a “renowned geneticist”, that these twins had been born immune to HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, he also claimed that he had been the one to genetically modify these twins, manipulating their DNA in order to make them so immune. As yet, his claims have not been verified by any independent source, although they have been seized upon by the Prime Minister of the SSI, Theresa Tumbleweed. Prime Minister Tumbleweed suggested that it was an opportunity “to improve the lives of countless generations significantly.”

It is easy to dismiss or attempt to whitewash away the claims of Dr Ngo as “playing God”, but, if true, it does indeed represent a milestone in the development of the human race. However, one of the main problems with the work of Dr Ngo – casting aside the idea of the work meddling with God's Creation – is that it has yet to be verified by anyone outside of Dr Ngo and his PR team. Undoubtedly, the government of the SSI will be keen to add this to their image of being at the forefront of scientific discovery and advancement on Eurth, so it may well need another party to add any credence to the claims of either Dr Ngo or Sunset City. Especially after the Synapse system is more or less a dismal failure in all of its applications outside of the Radiant Republic itself.

Possibly one of the more disconcerting factors about the work of Dr Ngo is that there appears to have been little in the way of ethical oversight, although perhaps that relates to the secrecy under which it has taken place. This shroud of secrecy could be claimed that this was for the good of the subjects, including their parents, but Dr Ngo and his team appeared to go no further than stating that their work had been successful. It may also speak much of the attitude of the Radiant Republic towards almost unfettered technological advancement, without the concern for the physical and, of course, spiritual well-being of the people it impacts. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion declined to comment on the matter, stating that the veracity of the claims remained to be seen.

However, the Katholikos Patriarkhes of Europatorion, His Most Divine All-Holiness, Kosmas I, did have this to say on the matter: “Whilst any advancement in science can often be a glory to God, for He is the font of all knowledge, each step must be acted on with deep, serious thought as well as scrutiny and aforethought. Without suitable spiritual or theological guidance, it may go entirely astray. The Radiant Republic might be more aware of that than any other.”

There have been protests outside of the SSI's embassy in Tagmatika, although the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has been keen to distance itself from these protests – the earliest groups of protesters, bearing banners with religious slogans and lead by what appeared to be several priests and monks, were quickly moved away by Praitorioi, the uniformed police. Further groups of protesters were monitored by both the Praitorioi and the Esoteriki Epitheorisi Pliroforion, the secret police. Likely, this was to demonstrate to the SSI and the rest of Eurth that the government of Arhomaneia has been keen to move away from the image of our great nation being backwards and ignorant. As yet, the protests appear to be peaceful and have not gone beyond the occasional chanting of slogans and prayers for the souls of the inhabitants of the Radiant Republic.

 

Refugees Land on Arhomaiki Shores

In recent months, the number of refugees crossing the Fillipou Thalassa (the Kosscow Sea) has increased in numbers and frequency in recent months, although it appears to have died down since winter arrived. As the weather has become more harsh, small boats have been less likely to risk the crossing the seas between the Megas Agios Basileia the the eastern lands of Europa. However, it has meant that those who have risked the journey have often suffered in the often stormy weather, as some of the boats and ships that they use to make the crossing are often inadequate or in poor shape. This leads to both the Basilikoploimon, the Imperial Navy and the Vestiaritai, the Fiscal Guard, having to make rescue operations to make sure that lives aren't lost.

As yet, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has not found a satisfactory answer to the flow of refugees from eastern Europa. The steady breakdown in communication between Arhomaneia with the countries to the east points towards most of their governments taking on an isolationist stance. There have been reports of unrest taking place in many of these countries, and occasionally civil strife, which is likely what is causing people to flee their homelands and head towards the Occident, where @Adaptus and Arhomaneia remain the only stable governments in northern Europa. Such is the lack of contact between Tagmatika and the rest of the continent that, reportedly, the Logothesion ton Barbaron has unofficially nicknamed eastern Europa the “dark continent”, from how many other governments have gone “dark” through the lack of communication.

In the past, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion had taken on a stance of intervention in the affairs of other Europan nations, often aiding a faction that was likely to align with Tagmatika's goals and aims. This, however, is unlikely to be an option this time around. It almost appears that other than Adaptus and Arhomaneia, the Beautiful Empire of @Orioni, the Free Port of @Cristina and the Magnean Confederation (@Magnaeus) are the only functional nations in the entire continent. Any attempt to stabilise the entire continent would likely end only in failure, even with help from all of those nations.

Precisely what path the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion will take remains to be seen, for the moment. A wait-and-see outlook might not be for the best, as there is no guarantee that the situation to the east will improve any time soon. However, with the peace-keeping operation in Aluxia beginning to come to a head, as well as the ongoing pacification of the former Machina Haruspex, Tagmatika may have little in the way of options to tackle this burgeoning crisis.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is sad to announce that the Aluxian port of Gradin has fallen to the rebels and traitors that are plaguing the Empire, attempting to usurp the legitimate government of the nation. The brave defenders of the port attempted to resist the assault of the terrorist rabble of the so-called Free Aluxian Army, but without avail. The port fell after several days of combat between the forces loyal to Emperor Davros XXII and those who are under the sway of foreign paymasters. An attempt was made by the loyalist forces to spoil the port facilities, so that they might not be utilised by the traitors to the Aluxian Empire.

Whilst this might appear to be a selfish act by the governmental forces, it is in fact an entirely necessary and understandable one. The Empire of Aluxia is fighting for its very existence, against a mob that is certainly paid for by interests from outside of the nation, made up of malcontents and commanded by officers and generals bought by this foreign money. Demonstrably so, in fact – this is not merely conjecture or false accusation. As Arhomaneia must remind those whose sympathies lie with the Free Aluxian Army – the Empire of Aluxia is still recognised as the legitimate government of the country by the international community, and was so by all until the recent troubles.

Not a word of protest was raised against the government until it looked like it was weakening. This is perhaps the true selfish act – no other government or country attempted to help guide the Empire of Aluxia, if it needed guiding, or raised a word in protest at its actions until terrorists killed dozens of its citizens. Apparently, this was in the name of democracy and freedom, which is seemingly enough to absolve the terrorists of the blood on their hands. A crime against God, if there ever was one. It might be said by those who have little clue, or who bend in whichever way the wind is blowing, that Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is an enemy of democracy, modernity and the will of God. But this is not true – far from it. Arhomaneia is the heart of democracy and considers it amongst the core values of our culture, but the hypocrisy of those who support warmongering insurrectionists is painful to all those who are right-thinking. And obvious, as well.

However, the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion will not bend in such a manner and side with the hypocrites that clamour against the Empire of Aluxia. There are those who challenge the Arhomaneia's reputation as one of the leading defenders of freedom in the wurld, on the basis of our support of the legitimate government of Aluxia. This is blatant mistake for several reasons. The most obvious of which is that Arhomaneia has always defended freedom – the stance taken against the slaver-states of Eurth, such as Derthalen and the Imperial States of Europe, and the genocidal activity of Greater Serbia are but the most recent examples of this, as well as the AdSoc War, which cost thousands of Arhomaioi their lives and ended in the AdSoc threat being defeated, democracy and freedom being restored to Adaptus.

To this end, in order to starve the Free Aluxian Army, a terrorist organisation, of the support that it is getting from foreign powers who have an agenda that is in opposition to the welfare of the Aluxian people, the port of Gradin is being closed by the peacekeeping forces led by the Megas Agios Basileia. Any and all humanitarian aid will be directed towards the ports of Chubka and Narlis, as they remain in the hands of the government of Aluxia. Any ships that attempt to run this blockade will be requested to turn back and head towards the aforementioned ports. If it is considered necessary by the peacekeeping forces, they may well be boarded and searched, to check whether the cargo that they carry is indeed legitimate humanitarian aid. Force will not be used unless in the most dire of circumstances and it will be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Similarly, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion recommends that that uninvolved sea traffic keep a safe distance from the naval forces that have been deployed off of the coast of the Empire of Aluxia. Due to the perfidious nature of the Free Aluxian Army, shipping that might get too close to the peacekeeping forces will be challenged, in order to ascertain its intentions. The same will be the case for any air traffic, if not more so – due to the use of anti-aircraft weaponry, the airspace above Aluxia may well be doubly dangerous, and it is recommended that any civilian aircraft steer clear of the areas of conflict, at least for the time being. It might be considered that the airspace of Aluxia is a no-go area for the aircraft of uninvolved nations.

However, Christ and the Saints will protect the righteous.

[Tagmatium Rules]

                               

 

Petition for the Banning of “Barbaros” Circulating

Students' Unions behind attempt to flout tradition

A petition has been circulating around the Students' Union calling for the banning of the use by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, or any official Arhomaiki body, of the term “barbaros” (or related terms). The petition has described the use of the term as a disparaging one, stating that it downplayed the achievements of the other nations of the wurld and did more harm to international relations than otherwise. The petition has even been signed by students from the three most prestigious universities in Arhomaneia, the University of Petrion, the Mouseion and the Hekademion. A spokesperson from the Students' Union was questioned on the petition by this paper and had the following to say: “'Barbaros' is a loaded term and it does not reflect the modern wurld, or modern Arhomaneia. It sets our great nation apart, but not in the way that is meant by it – instead, its use sees the Megas Agios Basileia held as a backwards and isolationist country, nowhere near the forefront of the wurld.”

This is, of course, utter nonsense. Arhomaneia is the centre of civilisation on Eurth, and has been so for almost three thousand years. It is clear that the students that have signed the petition have little clue about how the wurld truly works, having been caught up in the ivory tower of academia, and likely influenced by staff of a left-wing persuasion. This paper would not be surprised to find out that the Tagmatika Kidemonas was the best-selling newspaper on the campuses that have high levels of student signatories. That in itself would be evidence enough that there is little actual thinking going on at these so-called centres of learning.

As well as banning the use of this word, the petition has called for the Logothetes ton Barbaron, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Skrinion ton Barbaron, to be renamed to prevent any possible insult to other peoples and nations. This itself is patently absurd – the names of these two ancient institutions, two of the oldest within the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, have remained unchanged for over one and a half thousand years. Changing them now would show the barbaroi that the Arhomaioi are weak and wont to bend whichever way the wind blows, rather than standing firm as God's chose nation on Eurth. Moreover, the expense of the change would be very significant, especially at a time when Arhomaneia is bring the light of Christ to several nations, both in Europa and Argis.

On top of that, the idea that the Megas Agios Basileia is seen as backwards by other nations could not be further from the truth – much of the modern wurld is laid on foundations set down by Arhomaioi in the past. Democracy, for example, has always been a tradition held dear by our great nation, as it descends from the traditions of the Laimiaiki city states that became a core part of Arhomaneia. And, of course, the first powered flight was carried out near Klimatos (and reported by this newspaper) in EK7411 (AD1903). The rest of the nations of the wurld have always looked upon the achievements of Arhomaneia with envious eyes and covetous plans.

The Logothesion ton Deeseon, the Ministry of Information, was asked by this paper for an opinion on the petition being circulated amongst the students, and a reply was given by the office of the Megas Logothetes himself, Arkhiepiskopos Doxapatres Kalothetos. The secretary of his Beatitude had this to say on the matter: “It is not the habit of the government to comment on such matters. However, if the petition was handed to the Logothesion, we would certainly give it all the consideration it was due.”

A damning condemnation if there ever was one. May God guide these wayward students back to His light and the wisdom of the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator, Kommodos III.

 

Stone Age Finds on Road Scheme

Large-scale archaeological remains unearthed during building work

During the pre-excavation works for a bypass linking the towns of Estingoron and Vexela, forty miles to the south-east of the city of Thenion, a large-scale scale archaeological investigation has unearthed what is said to be the best-preserved prehistoric landscape ever found in Arhomaneia. Although it is reported that precise dating has yet to be undertaken on the site, estimates so far date the majority of the site to the Mesolithic, roughly between 15,000 and 5,000 years ago. It is also said that there are several iron working sites, suspected to be associated with known late Laimiaiki sites within the area.

The site itself is relatively controversial, as it is part of a riverine wetlands landscape that is held by the Logothesion ton Agelon, the Ministry for the Environment, to be potentially under pressure due to environmental changes. That the road was given planning permission at all is a decision that has been widely criticised by the local population – not just because of the fragile environment is being threatened by the road scheme, but also because of the fact that the wetlands itself floods every winter. One of the proposed routes of the road was a nearby ridge, but this was rejected by the city council of Estingoron for reasons of expense.

However, many locals have stated that the bypass is desperately needed, as the coastal road that serves as the link between Estingoron and Vexela is not up to the amount of traffic that it sees every day, which has only grown over recent years. This has been primarily due to the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion undertaking a regeneration drive in numerous run-down seaside towns, ones which used to be popular holiday resorts before the advent of cheap air travel popularised foreign holidays. This has ranged from the foundation of new monastic sites to reduced business rates to encourage companies to relocate to the towns thought to be suffering.

The excavation itself is thought to run for almost two years and see around sixty archaeologists involved in the project. The majority of the finds recovered so far are pieces of worked flint, and the archaeologists are painstakingly excavating each site in one metre by one metre grids, going down five centimetres at a time. The archaeologists themselves are from a private company based in Petrion, although they will be working with volunteers from local archaeological groups.

“This is one of the most exciting sites that I've dug,” said field director Mikhael Kafeandreias. “Rarely do you see an entire prehistoric landscape preserved almost as it was left.”

It is understood that there will be a priest on standby if any of the excavations uncover human remains, although it is thought that that is unlikely. Estingoron is, of course, famous for the for the Battle of Estingoron, which took place nearby, as well as the Monastery of Makhion, which was built by Agios Basileos Arhomanos II in thanksgiving for his victory. The Battle of Estingoron saw Maurikios II Sylvanos overthrown by the forces of Arhomanos Andronikos in EK6552 (1044AD), despite holding a superior position and having the support of almost the entirety of Arhomaneia. Famously, Maurikios was struck in the face by a javelin and killed early on in the battle, as depicted on a mosaic within the monastery.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The recent spate of terrorist attacks against the Kingdom of @PyeMcGowan have gained the attention of the wurld, as they have seemingly been a campaign designed to disrupt life and business in the Argic kingdom, and have little goal beyond that noisome achievement. It does not need to be said that the Kingdom has the sympathy and prayers of the Arhomaioi, as well as the offer of humanitarian aid, if the PyeMcGowian government chooses to accept the offer. The images that have been broadcast across the wurld could not have failed to stir even the hardest heart, especially since that it seems that no one, not even children attending school, have been shielded from the harm caused by these atrocities.

However, perhaps what is even worse is that these terrorist actions appear to be intensifying. The past week has seen an increasing number of attacks in PyeMcGowan, with the casualties yet to be fully known – there have been attacks in the cities of Charleston, Dawson and Southerland. These have not just been attacks against what might be considered “legitimate” targets in the Kingdom – if such a phrase could be so callously used to describe such monstrous acts – such as civil or military infrastructure, but cultural landmarks, like the Southerland City Museum. Undoubtedly, this will have been a blow to the cultural heritage of not just PyeMcGowan, but Eurth as a whole.

It has been suggested by the Kingdom that these terrorist attacks have been committed by a group known as “AA”, and that the PyeMcGowian government has intelligence that directly implicates the government of its close neighbour, Theodoria. If this is indeed the case, the government of Theodoria has blood on its hands and must explain its actions, if it wants to avoid not just censure but also retribution for its actions. Of course, it must be proved beyond doubt that these accusations are true before any action is taken – the charges are most certainly extremely severe and will have sweeping ramifications for all of the parties involved.

Sadly, it does appear that the sponsoring of terrorist actions by one government against another is turning into a common and deplorable state of affairs on Eurth. If the accusations laid at the door of the Theodorian government by that of PyeMcGowan are true, then it is but another example. The recent atrocity in Dinalla, in the Republic of @Rihan, appears to have almost certainly been carried out by agents of their neighbour, Enolia, with the aim of causing chaos and panic ahead of a military attack against the Rihannsu. However, it has provoked a strong response from the Tellosanoi, although only time may tell whether it was the correct one. It could also be suggested that the destruction of the City Hall in the city of Narlis was also in a similar vein, as the Free Aluxian Army that now plagues the Empire of Aluxia is being funded and armed by powers beyond the Empire's borders.

Thus, it seems that waging an undeclared war against ones neighbours via terrorist proxies has become preferable to open warfare, likely in the hope that a series of attacks will prove to be destabilising enough that when overt warfare happens, it will be significantly easier than a conventional campaign. It does not appear that there even needs to be a consideration of even a pretence of a casus belli or a just reason for a conflict, if there are such things. Any warfare, with the loss of innocent life, is an affront to God, of course, but purposefully striking at civilians in such a manner is especially abominable. As an act, it goes far beyond what might be considered to be a reasonable one in wartime but into the territory of a war crime, or a crime against humanity.

To allow those who perpetrate such crimes to go unpunished would just encourage them to continue, and more to follow in their stead. This cannot be so. Because of this, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is willing to coordinate with the Kingdom of PyeMcGowan, if the Kingdom is able to provide evidence of who precisely carried out these actions to the satisfaction of the Agios Basileos ton Autokrator.

The people of PyeMcGowan must know that they do not stand alone. The King of @Alenveil, his majesty Damocle La Pollo, has stated that he and his nation are with them. And now the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion affirms that Arhomaneia, the Heart of Civilisation, stands with the people and Kingdom of PyeMcGowan also.

May God see to it that those who have worked these heinous acts are brought to justice, and that peace one more reigns in the Auraid Bay.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Northern Europan Development Fund Announced

The collapse of central authority across many northern Europan nations over the last decade, often called the “Great Europan Collapse” has become one of the longest periods of turmoil that the continent has seen in a long time. Whilst this has meant that Arhomaneia and @Adaptus have become the largest economies within northern Europa, surpassing the other large nations across the Fillipou Thalassa, it has been something of a double-edged sword. It has posed some immediate and on-going problems for the more stable governments, including the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, not least of which is an increase in the number of refugees that are moving across the Fillipou Thalassa (the Kosscow Sea).

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has used this local instability to its advantage, cynically conducting economic treaties to its own advantage, rather than encouraging a mutually beneficial relationship with the smaller nations and islands that surround it. This has given the Arhomaiki economy something of a short-term boost but it cannot go on. If nothing else, the unfair economic conditions that are being fostered by this practice have helped to fuel the burgeoning refugee crisis that starting to brew. This, in turn has increased the unstable situation in northern Europa, one which will only become more of a problem as time goes on.

In order to try to reverse this degrading situation, there had been several conferences between the Logothesion ton Barbaron (Ministry for Foreign Affairs), the Logothesion ton Kommerkiarionikou (Ministry for Trade) and numerous economists and heads of industry in order to try to redress the situation. On the face of it, a reduction in wages and standards of living in parts of northern Europa has proved tempting to some businesses, who have sought to move their manufacturing plants abroad, the fact that instability has occasionally flared into strife has meant that there is an unwillingness to invest outside of Arhomaneia.

The Logothesia have therefore come up with a plan to found a “Northern Europan Development Fund” to try to encourage the growth of the economies of the more stable states around the Fillipou Thalassa. It is hoped that this will mean that the states themselves slow the downward trend that has been manifesting as instability across the region. The fund itself will provide relatively low interest loans and investment in key industries, as well as dispatching advisors to help guide those states back into normality. There will be strict oversight of how any loans are spent, as the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion does not wish to see any of the money funnelled off into vanity projects or used to free up money to expand these states' militaries.

The proposed fund has been opposed by several groups, however. Keeping investment within Arhomaneia has been seen to be a good thing within some parts of the population. However, the fragmenting economies of other Europan nations means that the market for goods produced within our glorious nation has fluctuated significantly, except further abroad. The cost of transport to other continents often means that Arhomaiki goods are seen as too expensive when compared to local products, apart from luxury products such as mosaics. Similarly, the collapse of local economies could mean that the inhabitants of those countries could turn to less legitimate means of income – southern Europa faces a similar situation to that in the north and has seen a dramatic increase in piracy. It has been such an increase that the Entente of Oriental States, led the Beautiful Empire of @Orioni, has been undertaking anti-piracy operations for the last two years.

Whilst the situation in northern Europa has not devolved to the point that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion needs to consider military action, it is hoped that encouraging the economies will forestall any need to intervene in other nations. Critics, however, have pointed out that it appears to be an economic form of imperialism, rather than the outright military action that has been almost a hallmark of the reign of Kommodos III, may God guide him. As such, it may well end up making the current crisis worse before it gets better.

 

Greater Serbian Embargo Continues

The blockade against @Greater Serbia – enforced against them by Adaptus, the Kingdom of @Seylos and the Arab Democratic Republic of @Sayf, amongst others – has been going on since late Summer of last year and was put into place as an international response to the trafficking of the Bosniak ethnic minority as slaves. This was part of Greater Serbia's overall policy of repression against the Muslim minority, which is thought to have seen tens of thousands killed over the past six or seven months. This itself is an utter tragedy and a black stain against Greater Serbia, as no truly civilised nation could carry out a campaign of genocide against its own people.

This blockade, somewhat hampered by the lack of sea ports to target, was strengthened by an embargo placed against Greater Serbia by the Unified @Variotan State and the Megas Agios Basileia. The involvement of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion was at first criticised by portions of the more conservative parts of the Arhomaioi, as Greater Serbia is a nominally Chrisitian nation and many of the blockading nations were secular, heretical or even Communist. However, once the full extent of Greater Serbia's crimes became known, as well as genuine evidence was released, any support for that nation within Arhomaneia quickly evaporated, apart from a hardcore that was adamant that any such evidence was entirely fabricated.

What had weakened the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion's stance against the government of Greater Serbia was that, whilst maintaining the embargo, they were willing to try to intercede on their behalf with the nations that were ranged against Greater Serbia. Apparently, this had been done to attempt to defuse the situation before it spiralled into outright warfare, although sources within the Logothesion ton Barbaron had not expected Slobodan Milosevic, the Chancellor of Greater Serbia, to genuinely take up the offer. It seemed that Chancellor Milosevic was determined to carry out his genocidal policies even in the face of threatened military action.

Recent news stories from Greater Serbia have demonstrated that the combination of blockade and embargo are indeed having an effect. The latest report, released by Zvezda News, shows that there is an increasing reliance on ethanol-fuelled vehicles and away from the use of fossil fuels. This is due to the Greater Serbia having to likely rely entirely upon its national stockpiles for fossil fuels, rather than being able to import them from the outside world. This demonstrates that the continued embargo and blockade are having a significant impact on how their government is enacting its policies. This may well be the start of the Greater Serbian government coming to its senses and realising that it cannot act in a manner that is against the sensibilities of a civilised nation and, more importantly, against the will of God.

In response to the question of the continued embargo of Greater Serbia, the Logothesion ton Barbaron had this to say: “There is at the moment no question that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion will weaken or cease the embargo placed upon that nation. We have not seen any evidence that they have stopped pursuing their monstrous policies, or even any contrition over the impact that their policies have caused. Instead, it appears to have hardened their hearts. We pray that God will show them the light, and soon.”

The reduction in the use of fossil fuels could also be considered to be a small victory for environmental reasons, too. However, this may be balanced out by the fact that that more land will need to be dedicated to the growth of crops for the creation of ethanol, which could see an expansion of arable land at the expense of the natural environment, a heavier use of fertilisers and pesticides, all of which will have an impact on the flora and fauna of Greater Serbia.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Greater Serbia Announces Plans for Negotiations

An end to the crisis in sight?

In surprising development, the state-owned news outlet of @Greater Serbia, Zvezda News, announced that the Chancellor of Greater Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, was planning on starting negotiations to end the economic blockade of his nation. The Central Argic nation has been under embargoes and blockades from various foreign powers, including our own Arhomaneia, since reports came out about its treatment of a portion of its own populace, a minority that follows Islam. At first, many in our great country were sceptical about how a Christian nation could treat anyone in the manner that was being suggested – accusations that were being put forward by mainly non-Christian nations, or at least nations that did not follow Orthodox Christianity. The fact that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion did not raise its hand to defend Greater Serbia came as a shock, as it seemed that the rumours put about were nothing more than baseless lies.

However, and this paper would be amongst the first to admit it, it rapidly became clear that these rumours certainly had a grounding in truth. The Arab Republic of @Sayf released evidence that not only was the maltreatment of the Muslim minority severe but it also bordered upon genocide. Although this evidence was made public by a nation that could have been perceived as biased towards the Bosniaks, as they share their faith, the Arhomaiki Diktyo Pliroforion demonstrated that this evidence was correct. Therefore, the Megas Agios Basileos was correct in placing an economic embargo against Greater Serbia, although the Heart of Christendom did not go as far as other, more warmongering nations and attempt to blockade the landlocked nation. This undoubtedly would have caused much more suffering in the Muslim Bosniaks and so was an astute decision by the Arhomaiki government.

It does seem that the embargo has been having a significant impact upon the lives of the population of Greater Serbia, as recent news released by the state media, after a long period of silence, appears to suggest that oil and fuel reserves are running low. The nation seems to be in the process of attempting to convert its motor vehicles to the use of ethanol or natural gas, which perhaps suggests the inventiveness of the people of Greater Serbia in the face of wurld-wide adversity.

When the the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion was asked by this paper for its opinion on the announcement by the state media of Greater Serbia, the following statement was given in reply: “Until such a time as Greater Serbia produces evidence that it is no longer pursuing its genocidal policies, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion will maintain the embargo against that nation. Whilst military action is not something that the Megas Agios Basileia is moving towards at the moment, it is cannot be discounted until Chancellor Milosevic decides to move his country to a path that is pleasing to God and does more than give vague suggestions.”

Sources from within the Logothesion tou Stratiotikou, the Ministry of War, have hinted at plans having been drawn up to divert one of the two carrier groups from the south-eastern coast of Aluxia, or the diversion of the carrier BPP Agios Ioulianos to support Sayf, but they have not gone further than that. The BPP Agios Ioulianos is currently performing Freedom of Navigation duties between the Raga and Amnalos Thalasses, the Raga and Amnalos Seas, off of the coast of @Suverina.

Previously, the Church had come out in support of Greater Serbia, especially in the north of Arhomaneia. His Holiness, Nikolaos IX, Patriarkhes of Tzankhia, had apparently considered the extreme step of excommunication of those who supported the embargo, although the evidence of massacres had made it plain that it was not God's work that was being enacted. Since then, the Patriarkhes has declined to comment on the embargo but has thrown his support behind the @Aluxian Benevolent Fund and the Parabalanoi, who have begun to distribute aid to the beleaguered people of Aluxia. Plans to extend this mission to help the Bosniaks have so far been mooted, for fear that problem elements may divert any assistance away from the intended targets.

In the end, it can be but hoped that the statement released to the wurld via Zvezda News mark a turning point in the Greater Serbia Blockade Crisis and that God has finally shown the way forward to Chancellor Milosevic. Peace is truly what pleases God, and this could well be the start of the normalisation of relations between the Christ-loving nations of Eurth.

 

Chaos in the Auraid Bay

Travel warning issued by the Logothesion ton Barbaron

The situation in the Auraid Bay continues to worsen after a spate of terrible terrorist attacks rocked the Kingdom of @PyeMcGowan over the preceding weeks. These attacks have purportedly been carried out by an organisation known as “AA”, which is recognised by the neighbouring country of @Theodoria as a civil rights organisation. It appears that these attacks have had no other reason than to destabilise PyeMcGowan, as there have been no known statements or manifestos released by AA, which is rare for a terrorist group.

In response to the attacks, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion issued a statement of support to the King and people of PyeMcGowan, as did PyeMcGowan's other neighbour, the Kingdom of @Alenveil. However, although Arhomaneia undoubtedly stands beside the shaken kingdom, it is the duty of the Megas Agios Basileia to stand by its citizens, and so a warning was released by the Logothesion ton Barbaron, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, advising against travelling to PyeMcGowan. This may not cause much of an impact, as it isn't thought that there are many Arhomaioi within the kingdom, but it demonstrates to the wurld that the situation within the Auraid Bay area is reaching a crisis point.

It is thought that there is likely to be open warfare between Theodoria and PyeMcGowan within a matter of months. The government of the Kingdom has repeatedly blamed its western neighbour for the rising tensions within the area, as well as sponsoring the AA terrorist group. PyeMcGowian aircraft have also struck supposed AA training camps within Theodorian territory. This is a gross breach of sovereignty, although it was precipitated by Theodorian actions, such as the arrest of numerous PyeGowian diplomats. This tit-for-tat nature of events is unlikely to go on for much longer in the manner that it has been. Unless attempts to find a diplomatic solution are found, and soon, war will likely come to the Auraid Bay.

This will have a definite knock-on affect on the rest of Argis. In recent months, it has seemed that the central part of the continent has been descending into chaos, with the political crisis in @Girkmand, the Greater Serbian blockade, the civil war in Aluxia and the actions of @Derthalen all adding to the sense of anarchy – even greater than that which is shaking Europa. With eastern Argis sinking in the same manner, it seems that it is only the west that has any semblance of normality.

The root cause of this is likely that most of the nations on the continent have turned away from the light of Christ. Whilst certainly Aluxia follows true religion, most of the other countries are either schismatics, heretics or worse. Thus, it could be said with no little certainty that many of them are beginning to reap what they have sown by turning away from God's love. It may be that the only way that the downward spiral of Argis can be rectified is if more of the population of the continent turn back towards righteousness, and the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion could help in this by encouraging missionary work by the Church in these sadly forsaken lands. But, of course, the governments of these many nations must also do their own part – they must make sure that their people are aware of what imperils them and are so able to be steered back from the precipice that is bringing this misfortune upon them.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Once again, storm clouds gather over the Makhaira Thalassa, the Dolch Sea.

In recent months, activity there has become troubling to all of the right-thinking nations of Eurth. It appears that a ship of @Limonaian tourists was hijacked, and the passengers have disappeared. Apparently they have been seized by pirates operating out of Derthaler territory and it seems likely that they were sold into slavery within that nation.

This does not appear to be a groundless theory, as shocking and monstrous as it is – several reliable intelligence agencies have drawn this conclusion, and have informed their parent nations. This in turn set wheels in motion, and has led to three nations to declare war against the so-called Holy Empire of Derthalen, who they hold to blame for these actions. This, of course, has been the Kingdom of @Seylos, the Workers' Republic of @Fulgistan and the Grand Ducy of Limonaia against @Derthalen.

This is of no surprise to the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. It has been maintained by Arhomaneia that that nation is nothing more than a rogue state, one which acts almost entirely in contravention to all sense and decency. Indeed, an embargo has been maintained against Derthalen by several nations, of which Arhomaneia is but one, since the Maurdivian Crisis last year. This embargo was brought against them entirely due to their own actions.

Whilst perhaps the government of Derthalen had some justification to what it was taking issue about, the sheer outlandishness and barbarity of the punishment that they sought to levy against any and all Maurdivian citizens went far beyond what might have been considered reasonable. Indeed, the government of Derthalen decided that it had the right to board any vessel suspected of carrying citizens of @Mauridiviah within what they claimed to be their territorial waters, an action likely to cause diplomatic issues at the best of times. However, what was worse was the fate that befell any Maurdivians if found – if on board a ship, they would be weighted down and thrown overboard. If caught on land, they would be hunted down like an animal and then burnt at the stake.

These are not the actions of a reasonable nation. Rather, the epitome of barbaroi

But, as God loves peace and the people of Arhomaneia are first and foremost servants of God, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion attempted to get the government of Dethalen to turn back from this intemperate path that it had laid before itself. After all, it would be unlikely that the rulers of that nation would be the ones to suffer – no, it would be the ordinary people instead. Such attempts to make the government see reason were rebuffed, and so the embargo was maintained, and is maintained to this day.

The government of Derthalen holds that the hijacking of the Limonaian cruise ship was the actions of pirates, nothing more sinister than that. Certainly not a government-sponsored action to keep the number of slaves at a satisfactory level. Although this points to Dethalen being a lawless and unstable country, built around a trade that is a sin in the eyes of God, the Megas Agios Basileia recognises that these actions may be beyond the control of the Derthaler government, if it is taken at its word.

Because of the love for peace of the Arhomaioi, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is willing to give Derthalen the benefit of the doubt. Therefore, Arhomaneia encourages the Derthaler government to work in concert with the nations arranged against it, to locate those who have likely been enslaved and to return them to their country of origin, as well as to make sure that the Makhaira Thalassa is no longer the haunt of pirates. Derthalen should also discuss compensation to those who have been taken as slaves, to try to undo some of the harm that has befallen them.

If, however, the Derthaler government refuses to do this, then there may well be little that can be done to try to normalise relations with the rest of the wurld. Once again, what happens to the so-called Holy Empire will have been brought about by nothing other than its own actions.

The Megas Agios Basileia also notes that other nations are joining this call for a peaceful end to the conflict brewing around the Makhaira Thalassa. However, it does appear that one of these countries may well have grasped the wrong end of the stick, although their actions are clearly sincere. Instead of leaning upon Derthalen to give up the foreign nationals taken as slaves and held unjustly within its territory and bring the supposed pirates to heel, this nation is taking action against all of those involved. The calls for a peace conference certainly demonstrate that that nation has its heart in the right place, but perhaps too much time is spent snooping on its own citizens for it to see the true state of affairs in eastern Argis. If it could see beyond its own citizens' bedrooms, then it would join calls for the Derhaler government to join the 75th century, not condemning Seylos and the others for attempting to free innocent people from a nightmarish fate.

As the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is undertaking operations within eastern Argis, to defend its ally, the Empire of Aluxia, against a terroristic cabal, additional forces will be sent to make sure that these operations are not impacted if the conflict spirals further. These forces will be protecting the convoys that are going in and out of Adrotiri and the Makhaira Thalassa.

May God see to it that a peaceful resolution is found, that the slaves held by Derthalen are freed and that the country of Derthalen finally sees reason.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion seeks Trading Partners?

The Logothesion ton Kommerkiarionikou (Ministry for Trade) recently announced that plans that Arhomaneia will start attempting to secure trade agreements with nations further afield than northern Europa. Whilst trade does exist between the Megas Agios Basileia, at has oddly seen a downturn in recent years – this is partially explained by the increasingly fractious nature of the rest of Eurth, but also the fact that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has been able to wrangle some relatively uneven agreements with nations in what might be cynically called its sphere of influence. This demonstrably cannot continue, especially since it appears to be fuelling the emerging refugee crisis around the Fillipou Thalassa, the Kosscow Sea. The nations around it do not seem to be recovering from the “Great Europan Collapse”, and likely the relatively predatory nature of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion's has something to do with this.

It has been suggested by sources within the Logothesion ton Kommerkiarionikou that the first nation to have been approached is Salvia, otherwise known as the @Sancti Imperii Catholico. This is both a surprising move, and a fairly obvious one for Arhomaneia. Despite the distance between the two nations, Salvia does provide a relatively large market for items produced within Arhomaneia – wine, for example, is one of the more profitable exports from Megas Agios Basileia. On the other hand, the religious differences between Salvia and our own nation could well prove to be a sticking point at a later date, although the government of Kommodos III, may God bless him, has often demonstrated its willingness to disregard what might be considered Christian scruples if it aids Arhomaneia, and therefore arguably the Church itself, in the long run.

The nations of the Auraid Bay might also prove to be valuable trading partners to Arhomaneia due to their proximity to the Occident. However, the on-going crisis between the Kingdom of @PyeMcGowan and @Theodoria would likely stifle any enthusiasm for that, at least for the moment. The Logothesion ton Barbaron is still maintaining its travel warning, advising its citizens from going to either Theodoria or PyeMcGowan, in case a situation of open warfare does truly develop between the two countries. On top of that, there has been a growing level of scepticism amongst the business community of Arhomaneia towards the outward image of wealth that the Kingdom has been presenting over recent years – especially since it appears to be entirely unremarked upon by other nations in Argis. There is the suggestion that the wealth of the Kingdom may actually be much more similar to the Dniesterian fake watches that PyeMcGowian originals – that is, a thin covering of gold over mundane copper beneath.

Further west, the Kingdoms of @Seylos and @Morheim could be better options than those around the Auraid Bay. Both nations live in the shadow of their neighbour, the so-called Holy Empire of @Derthalen, but both have shown themselves to be much more reasonable. The Laren Convention is probably one of the biggest political coups in recent years – that it was achieved by a young queen of what is arguably a small power shows that Morheim might be the key to central Argis. Seylos as well does not seem to be suffering too much, after having acted as something of a bastion against the oppressive forces of the Derhalers for so long. Recent announcements from both Seylos and the Kingdom of Gallambria show that the Seylosians are open minded enough and interested in spreading their own influence in the world to be viewed as a potential trading partner by Arhomaneia.

Of course, much of it does come down to how much the Logothesion ton Kommerkiarionikou is willing to offer – national pride and a sense of history have often been the downfall of the Arhomaioi, especially when it comes to attempting to make equitable agreements with countries that are viewed as barbaroi. Often, what is viewed by the Arhomaioi as fair is often little short of an imposition. It is clearly hoped by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion that at least Salvia will be interested in what Arhomaneia has to say.

 

Stylite ascends column in the heart of Tagmatika

The plaza that lies opposite the Imperial Palace Complex is usually remarkable only for the perennial hot sausage van that seems to be the only permanent occupant allowed by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. However, since yesterday morning, a man has stood on one of the columns that edge the square, preaching at those who would listen. The plaza is edged with governmental buildings and is one of the major tourists attractions in Tagmatika – after all, who doesn't want to see the heart of civilisation on Eurth? - and so far, the new stylite has attracted considerable attention.

The stylite, who has given his name as Khristoforos Filiponos, ascended the column in the early hours of the morning, with little fanfare or announcement. Reportedly, some of the police and soldiers that guard the square were convinced of Filiponos' piety after he gave them a short sermon and so did not attempt to prevent him from using a ladder to get to the top of the column. The column that he chose was not one that had been previously occupied by any bronze statues of former basileoi. The statues of Konstantinos VIII, who led Arhomaneia during the latter, disastrous years of the Long War and those of the Navarkhokrateia have been removed from such places of honour.

As a form of asceticism, the method that Filiponos has chosen is one that has become increasingly common in recent years. There have been many examples of stylite across Arhomaneia, especially since the start of the Navarkhokrateia in EK7478 (AD1969). Reputedly, it was encouraged as a way to distract from the increasing lack of personal freedoms. However, it is much more ancient than that, as of course Saint Vinkentios lived on a pillar outside of Kotion for nearly forty years, starting in EK5882 (AD374). Saint Vinkentios ascended the pillar after gaining a particularly holy reputation and wished that his devotions were not interrupted by pilgrims, who attempted to solicit his advice.

It appears that, so far, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion seems to be content to let Filiponos be, although undoubtedly he will be monitored closely. Several priests have been seen listening to what the stylite has had to say, although they themselves have declined to comment, as has the office of the Katholikos Patriarkhes of Europatorion. Members of the Esoteriki Epitheorisi Pliroforion (EEP) are also watching the crowd that occasionally gathers at the foot of the column. If Filiponos strays from the conventional line – whether religious or political – it may be judged that he needs to be removed from his place at the heart of Tagmatika.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Arhomaneia and the Gharoiki Question

The Dragon Rears its Head

After years of quiet, widely thought to be because of the Greater Europan Collapse, the Exousiokrateia has once again reared its head.

Once it was considered to be a major political coup by Kommdos III, may he remain blessed in the eyes of God, to have struck an alliance with Machina @Haruspex. For hundreds of years they have lurked in the northern Occident, squatting on lands that rightfully are a part of true Arhomaiki civilisation. The mountains that make up the border between our nations has long seen military build up, from stone castles to modern border fortifications and defences-in-depth. It seemed that the alliance would render such measures entirely unnecessary, that Arhomaneia would be able to demilitarise the border and the Sovereign Imperium could then be guided into an era of Godliness.

However, in the aftermath of the death of the previous Exousiokrator, Sa'Karn, it seems that the new chief squatter has decided to throw years of cooperation away. Despite sending an invite to the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator ton Arhomaioi, the Gharoi seemed to use this as a cover to undertake a naval exercise in the Rhankes Thalassa, crudely known as the Ranke Sea. This naval exercise included mock air combat and night-time gunfire practices. This was done entirely without notifying the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, despite the fact that the sea is one of the busiest sea lanes in northern Europa. No attempt, it seems, was made to warn any of the nations that border the sea and it is through the benevolence of God alone that there were no serious incidents because of it. Reportedly, aircraft from both the Basilikoploimon and the Basilikoaeroporia were scrambled to defend Arhomaiki interests, although they were not needed in the end. The Logothesion ton Barbaron issued a formal complaint to the government of the Sovereign Imperium, but it has gone unanswered.

This demonstrates the regard that Machina Haruspex holds for Arhomaneia, its God-ordained better. If the Exousiokrateia had valued the friendship between our nations, then they would have forewarned the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. As such, they did not.

On top of this, the government of Machina Haruspex is currently flirting with the Elegy Corporation, the pet of the @Sunset Sea Islands. They seek to spread its disastrous Synapse System, further across Eurth. This is monstrous for numerous reasons. It is little more than an automated spy system, where every aspect of life is monitored by an artificial intelligence. Clearly, that is something that goes against God and decency. However, it vastly flawed, likely because not a pious thought once ever entered the heads of the designers. The only other country that it has been exported to is the United States of @Prymont, and it was a miserable failure. It was trialled in a single city, Canastota, and rapidly proved that it was little more than an invasion of privacy without any effectiveness. The people of the city themselves demanded that it was withdrawn. Clearly, this latest development is little more than an attempt by the Radiant Republic to gain a toe-hold in the Occident, so that they might spy on true Christians whilst they widen their window-peeping and other, unsavoury actions.

Although the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has yet to make a statement, the Gharoi are marching north into Beautancus. This is particularly unforgivable – the Cussians, or Koussoeioi as they are known by the Arhomaioi, were close allies during the brief but bloody insurgency of the Arhomaiki Communist Party. It cannot be doubted that the blatant invasion of Beautancus will be protested, at the very least. Such noble people cannot be ground beneath the heel of a tyrannical regime without any comeuppance. If the Sovereign Imperium is to subjugate the Koussoi, then it must be made clear that they will be considered on equal terms. That the armed forces of Arhomaneia lie to their east whilst they busy themselves to their west should not be ignored.

It couldn't be missed by the Gharoi that Arhomaneia is taking nobly taking a stand against the actions of the Sunset Sea Islands. This was merely an attempt to undermine Megas Agios Basileia, with little thought that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion can control one of the life-lines to the Sovereign Imperium. In response to all these transgressions, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion ought to close the Iaehos River and the Kentriki Thalassa to any shipping from Machina Haruspex. That the Iaehos is the border between Adaptus and Arhomaneia means that it can easily be shut off. On top of that, the large naval base in Glevokastron means that almost the entire seaboard of the Exousiokrateia is at the mercy of the Megas Agios Basileia. Perhaps with most of their armed forces involved in finally crushing the Cussians, they ought to think twice before annoying their closest neighbour.

 

Nea Demokrateia demonstration in Resafa

Demands make little headway

In recent years, Nea Demokrateia, the pet project of Isaakios Niketas has been silent and hand more or less been considered defunct by many observers, including the Esoteriki Epitheorisi Pliroforion, the political police. It had always been sporadic at best, since the disgraced former Proedros, the head of the Synkletos the famed Senate, has been much more concerned with attempting to run his business ventures than once again have a run in with the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. Yesterday, however, protestors gathered in the centre of the southern city of Resafa in order to demonstrate against the lack of democracy within the Megas Agios Basileia. As they had not registered this demonstration with either the EEP or the local police, it was not long before they were moved on. It was dispersed peacefully and local media indicated that the demonstrators complied quickly with instructions from the police.

This is undoubtedly a good thing, as Niketas has only ever used his organisation to attempt to disrupt the rightful and God-guided rule of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. Largerly, it appears to stem from jealousy – before the coronation of Kommodos, it had been conjectured that the Proedros had been promised the position of Megas Logothetes ton Kommerkiarionikou, although the relatively unknown Takitos Khalkeos was appointed instead. Since then, Nikitas had been agitating against the rule of Kommodos III, claiming that it was going against both the direction of the reign of Theodosios VI, the democratic trends of the rest of Eurth and the history of the Arhomaioi to deny the people of Arhomaneia the representation of the Synkletos. This has often been challenged as hypocritical, as the Synkletos never possessed any democratic hallmarks – no members were elected, merely appointed by the Agios Basileos instead. Not that this was incorrect, far from it. After all, the Autokrator is guided by the will of God, as His representative on Eurth.

In many ways, the claims of Nea Demokrateia are false, casting aside the whiff of blasphemy that demanding such changes gives off. After all, the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator is elected through a general election of all Arhomaioi over the age of eighteen, which shows God's support for the elected candidate. The Themata are run along democratic principles, even if the Protonotarioi that head them are appointed by the central government.

Really, it merely shows the vanity and arrogance of Niketas. Nea Demokrateia was always just an engine for the man to attack his God-ordained ruler because of his own feelings of inadequacy. Such pomposity will undoubtedly be humbled in time and he, as well as the dupes that follow him, will once again submit themselves before God.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Megas Agios Basileia to take in Refugees from Koussoeia

As the Gharoi invasion of the territories of Koussoeia has gathered pace, the drastic anti-Christian practices and policies that the Exousiokrateia ton Gharon (@Haruspex) pursues have come into full swing. Recently, it was announced on the Gharoiki news service that the Christian minority in the Glorious Dominate would be shipped out to Arhomaneia, whilst putting onerous and punitive laws against them.

Of course, it cannot be doubted that the Arhomaioi will welcome these new arrivals with open arms, as can be expected of a nation that holds Christ dear to their hearts.

However, questions must be asked about the circumstances of these transportations. As the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has not protested or even questioned the transportations, or even the reason behind them, it can perhaps be assumed that the government supports them, at least tacitly. This is deeply worrying due to the fact that Arhomaneia is effectively party to the ethnic cleansing of a country. If the Gharoi had been willing to just send those who did not wish to live under their oppressive regime to Arhomaneia, then the actions of the Arhomaiki government could be overlooked, or at least understood. However, that does not seem to be the case. The Exousiokrateia is determined to smash a religious group that has lived within the Glorious Dominate for over one and a half thousand years, after fleeing persecution within the Megas Agios Basileia. And the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has provided them the means to do so.

If the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion had refused to take the refugees in in an organised and orderly manner, then we may well have witnessed even worse scenes than trains and transit camps. The Gharoi are not known for their mercy or pity – the Sovereign Imperium may well have taken a leaf out of @Greater Serbia's book and attempted mass murder rather than transportation. But the removal of an ethnic or religious minority, even if they are not killed intentionally during the process, is still ethnic cleansing, which Arhomaneia has vociferously opposed in the past. If they do so again, then it will look like nothing more than rank hypocrisy.

On top of that, the refugees will be arriving in a country that has been, historically, hostile to them. Their denomination, Gerenianism, has long been considered heterodox by the Church in Arhomaneia. This will undoubtedly cause friction for the refugees wherever they might be settled within the nation. There are small communities of Gerenians living in Arhomaneia, mostly in the major cities of the east, and they are mainly merchants who have interests in trade between the Glorious Dominate and the Megas Agios Basileia. It is unlikely that there will be attempts made to find and secure housing within these cities for the refugees, as there will likely be considerable push back against such actions.

Similarly, the refugees themselves will likely not view the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion in a positive light – many will have preferred to resist the Exousiokrateia's invasion. That may well have been the best course of action for Arhomaneia, too; although the alliance between the two nations is a decade old, it does appear to be fraying in some regards. Without the alliance being in place, the government may have been tempted to come to the aid of Koussoeia, which would have had grave consequences for peace in northern Europa.

As it is, how events will play out is unknown. A cross-ministerial committee has been working on plans since the beginning of last month in order to facilitate the movement of the refugees through Arhomaneia and it does seem that the Gharoi are determined to pass the responsibility of them over to their neighbour as soon as possible, even without anything being made ready for them. Whilst the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is certainly not showing itself in a good light with the Koussoeioi refugee crisis, it is without a doubt that the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the Exousiokrateia.

 

Environmental Policy Comes Under Fire

Since the acclamation of Kommodos III as Agios Basileos kai Autokrator, safeguarding the environment and instituting laws and regulations to that end have been a key policy. It is part of the overarching policy referred to as “Strong State, Strong Church”, as well as reflecting the theological idea that God has placed the stewardship of His creation into the hands of Man. It follows, therefore, that ruining it, whether through ignorance, indifference or malice, will displease Him. Such displeasure could then be shown through various trials and tests. A strong state would then be able to protect both the environment and the Church, which would lead to a stronger state, as the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion could count on God's blessing.

Arhomaneia has been one of the leading nations on Eurth in attempting to reduce climate change. It was one of the key members of the groundbreaking Laren Conference in @Morheim, and rapidly enacted the treaty once it had been signed. Indeed, several other nations that were not present at the conference have since signed it, including the @Sunset Sea Islands and @Soreana. Being in the vanguard of this wave of environmentalism will have helped the standing of the Megas Agios Basileia in the world, especially amongst those who hold the future of the wurld dear. There have been suggestions that the potential trade talks with Salvia (@Sancti Imperii Catholico) may be used to try to influence the southern nation to become a signatory as well.

The environmental policies have not been without their critics, however. Quotas enforced on those fishing within Arhomaiki waters have been hitting the fishing industry relatively hard, causing an upturn in unemployment in towns reliant upon it. The government has pointed out that it is increasing investment in those areas to try to counteract the impact on the industry and the rising unemployment, although it seems to have been making little headway so far. Officials from the Logothesion ton Agelon, the Ministry of the Environment, have been meeting with fishing industry representatives to set out plans for sustainable fishing, of which the quotas are part. Plans for offshore wind farms as a way to increase investment have been partially shelved for the moment, as there were concerns about how they might effect the current fish stocks.

Linked into this is the fate of Arhomaneia's nuclear power plants. They have always been controversial, although there has never been a major incident at any of the plants since the start of the civil nuclear programme in the EK7480s (AD1970s). It was rumoured to have been a offshoot of a supposed nuclear weapons programme initiated by the Navarkhokrateia, although this has never been confirmed. Despite generating roughly a quarter of the electricity of the Megas Agios Basileia and this proportion set to increase in the coming decade, the public perception of nuclear power has always been on the negative side. If there is a large-scale incident, even if it was abroad, it may turn public opinion against it further.

Similarly, the re-introduction of large land animals, including predators, has been said to have had a detrimental effect on farming in some of the upland areas. Wolves and leopards have been released in carefully controlled and monitored parts of Arhomaneia, after almost having been wiped out in the wild, as part of attempts to improve farming during the Long War. They are ever-popular with tourists, both from home and abroad, but as their numbers have increased, so have reports of attacks on livestock. The Logothesion ton Agelon has been assuring farmers that such attacks are rare, although documents seen by this paper through Freedom of Information requests has shown that the amount of money paid out by the Logothesion ton Paroikonikou, the Ministry for Agriculture, has increased over the years.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Gerenian Refugees Flee Crisis in Koussoeia

Gharoi step up religious persecution

As the situation in the Glorious Dominate continues to worsen at the hands of Machina @Haruspex, more and more Gerenian refugees have begun to be rounded up into transit camps to await movement into Arhomaneia, or have fled southwards. There have even been reports of small vessels being picked up by Basilikoploimon off the west of Akbiseia. These refugees have been effectively rendered into stateless individuals by the actions of the Gharoi, which is undoubtedly part of their plot to smash Christianity in Koussoeia, even if it is in the heretical form that is found in those lands.

Perhaps what is most shocking – apart from such brazen criminal actions by the Sovereign Imperium – is the distinct lack of international outrage. Although the Orhionioi (@Orioni), and their Entente of Oriental States, have issued words of condemnation, this appears to be the only overt response by any nation so far. Our own Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has not outwardly issued any stern words against the Gharoi, even as they attempt to pick up the pieces of the lives that are being ruined by the invasion. At least the Megas Agios Basileia saw that it must do our Christian duty and give shelter to these poor unfortunates, even though they might be heretics. It is a sad day that none of the other Christian powers of the world even seem to acknowledge this attempt by the Gharoi to excise our Faith from this corner of Eurth, even though this is being carried out under the banner of a stabilisation attempt.

Although the situation in the Glorious Dominate had worsened, likely precipitated by the Great Europan Collapse, there does not seem to have been any attempt to work with what is life of the old regime around Ttoille – merely a drive to finally beat their old enemies into the dust. Recent attempts to justify their actions as taking a stance against drug dealers and warlords looks like poor play acting on the part of the squatter-lord, Ji'Mar. The observers deployed amongst the Gharoi will make sure that the barbaroi do not indulge in their habitual war crimes.

The actions of the Parabalanoi will hopefully show to the Gerenians, as misguided as they are, that faith in God is still alive. Already, donations of food, clothing and aid have been pouring in from across Arhomaneia as the workers of the Parabalanoi strive to make sure that the refugees will be housed in at least some comfort after all of their hardships. In this, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has shown forethought – the armed forces, the Strates in particular, are working hard to make sure that there are facilities available to take the refugees once they begin to be moved across the border.

The Katholikos Patriarkhes of Europatorion, His Most Divine All-Holiness, Kosmas I, has issued a call for all the Patriakheia that the Gerenians, despite not following correct orthodox thought, should be cared for as if they were no different. “In this hour of their need, we must make sure we live up to Christ's teachings, and treat them as our brothers. There should be no thought to do otherwise.”

Whilst all true Christians will follow the words of Katholikos Patriarkhes Kosmas, there have already been some apparent knock back against the proposed refugee camps in the west of Arhomaneia. Signs and placards bearing slogans against the Gerenians haven been witnessed set up near the camps, although they were rapidly taken down by the soldiers building the camps. And although the question was raised by the Kronografia, it has not been confirmed by the Logothesion ton Dromou, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as to whether the heretics will be allowed to set up churches or, indeed, preach whilst with Arhomaneia. Most other denominations are granted permission to do so by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, but the sheer number of the Gerenians arriving as refugees may cause issues.

 

Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion Plans to Increase Rural Internet Speeds

However, stricter controls on the wurld wide web are needed

The internet has often been touted as helping to bring Eurth closer together, to make the planet smaller and allow people to make friends in countries they may otherwise never visit. It has also become little more than a sink of sin and iniquity, an electronic cesspool that spreads perversion, secularism and atheism across the wurld. This should be an offence to all true Arhomaioi, all true Christians, as it is little more than a vehicle to sow the seeds of tolerance towards the intolerable.

There are those within the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion that feel that greater, and quicker, internet access will help to boost the revenues of businesses and allow otherwise isolated rural communities better connections with the rest of Arhomaneia. The Logothesion ton Genikou, the Ministry for Finance, is leading the call for the internet coverage across the Megas Agios Basileia to be increased, as well as browsing speeds and mobile data coverage.

“Quicker internet speed and better connectivity is almost a necessity now. For many rural businesses, it will allow them to be accessed by a wider range of customers across Arhomaneia, and potentially the wurld beyond,” said a spokesperson from the Logothesion, who seemed entirely unapologetic for the dangers that this might mean for the ordinary citizen of our country. “This will mean not only a boost in sales and reach for them, but also increasing revenue for the state itself. A strong state will lead to a stronger church, after all, and these are not opportunities that can be passed up.”

However, this will also mean a better connection to the dross that pervades the rest of internet. In reality, it would be better if the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion takes significant steps towards safeguarding its citizens from this, rather than bowing down towards the bean-counters in the Logothesion ton Genikou. It in fact imperils the souls of God-fearing Arhomaioi, who might in different circumstances not be exposed to the dangers of the internet. Platforms such as Wittier allow for the quick spread of ideas, without much thought put into them.

Whilst there are already government-approved lists of websites, and the number of pornography sites banned by the Logothesion ton Deeson, the Ministry for Information, increases by the day, the internet still poses a danger with its free spread of ideas. This will include heresies long thought defeated, and even images of Christ and the saints. It should be that Arhomaneia leads the way against such dangers, rather than trying to play catch up with the other nations of Eurth, who seem to fall over themselves with exposing their own citizens to such hazards. This can only be because barbaroi understand very little of their own actions, and this must be something that our great and ancient nation is above.

The Kronografia approached Nikolaos IX, Patriarkhes of Tzankhia, for a comment on the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion's plans. However, his office stated that His Divine Holiness was too busy with his official duties to respond. It should be noted that the Patriarkhes (then under his birth name of Maurikios Amfonos and Mesazon under Theodosios VI) was instrumental in bringing wider internet access to Arhomaneia. It can only be imagined that His Holiness regrets these actions deeply and regularly gives suitable penance for such an oversight. It seems that unless the government is much more willing to take a firm stance, the internet is like the proverbial box that, once opened, spills its troubles in an unending tide upon the wurld. The only hope is that Kommodos III, by Grace of Christ the God, can see this before it is much too late.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The Fate of Rikardos Sagittarian Possibly Confirmed

Ahromaneia's longest manhunt may be at an end. Last week, leads from an anonymous source led police to the discovery of a shallow grave, which held human remains. Whilst this in and of itself is, sadly, not necessarily an event of national importance, information that has come to light since means that it may well have put a recent, traumatic chapter of the Megas Agios Basileia finally to rest. So far, what little information that has been officially released by the Logothesion ton Praitoriou (the Ministry of Police) suggests that the grave held the body of an adult male, who had been dead for some years. The cause of death had not yet been released.

However, the Logothesion has said that it is believed that the body may be that of Rikardos Sagittarian, the head of the so-called Arhomaiki Communist Party. After the bombing of Easteia in 2008, Sagittarian became the target of the biggest manhunts in Arhomaiki history. Ultimately, despite driving the Communist Party of Arhomaneia underground and resulting in hundreds of arrests of members of the terrorist organisation, the campaign failed to catch the leader. For years, a substantial reward of both money and courtly titles was offered for information of his whereabouts, but no convincing leads were ever received by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. This led to a fear that the terrorist organisation was either significantly more advanced than initially thought or sponsored by a foreign power of a similar ideology, which in turn led to the Esoteriki Epitheorisi Pliroforion (secret police) being given increased powers to tackle this terroristic threat, much to the alarm of civil liberties groups.

This increase of powers of the EEP, and Praitorioi, seemed to be in vain. No matter how the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion pushed the crushing of the terrorists, only low-level members could ever seem to be caught. An amnesty was put into place, to allow the atheistic group to find God once again. A policy was that if former Communists put themselves forwards as either monks or nuns, their previous crimes would be ignored. Sagittarian evaded capture, which stoked the fear of the Arhomaiki government. Rapidly, the inability to bring the terrorist leader to justice became one of the biggest embarrassments of the reign of Kommodos III, may God continue to guide him. This was despite the fact the Glorious Dominate of Beautancus was also putting diplomatic pressure on Arhomaneia as well.

It now seems that the manhunt may well have been to little avail. The current theory put forward by the Logothesion ton Praitoriou, as amended due to the apparent discovery of Sagittarian's body, is that he was murdered by one of his fellow terrorists shortly after the bombing of Easteia. It was an event that was supposed to inspire popular uprising in both Arhomaneia and Beautancus, but it was rapidly apparent that it had backfired. The sheer death toll in the Arhomaiki city meant that those who supported the terrorists' blasphemous ideology lost stomach and likely returned to the light of Christ quite quickly. The failure of the attack and the nationwide manhunt that followed meant that Sagittarian was no longer a charismatic leader, but an encumbrance. Therefore his fellow terrorists murdered him and dumped him in a shallow grave. This also goes towards explaining why the bombastic speeches that Sagittarian had put out in the run up to the attack on Easteia were no longer put up on social media in its aftermath.

That Sagittarian seems to have been finally found is both a blessing and a curse for the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion. It can now justify as to why the terrorist evaded capture for eleven years, despite the resources put into it the operation – he just was not alive to apprehend. On the other hand, that this information eluded the Arhomaiki government for over a decade, with the police, secret police and intelligence agencies being focused on the terrorist's capture is likely a major embarrassment for Kommodos' regime.

The office of the Agios Basileos kai Autokrator was asked for comment by this newspaper, but declined, stating that further information needed to come to light before the Mystikon, the personal staff of the Arhomaiki monarch, was willing to comment.

 

Relations between Seylos and Rihan Worsen

Towards the end of last month, the King of @Seylos gave a speech that was a harsh condemnation of the actions of the Republic of @Rihan. The speech was quite stern in its wording and pulled few punches. It is rare for the leader of a regional power to give such unadulterated criticism of the actions of another power, especially since Rihan has not been as disruptive on the wurld stage as other nations. It is, however, worth pointing out that the Tellosanoi have undoubtedly deserved the comments aimed at them by the barbarian king. The conflict in Enolia was little short of an aggressive war, even if the reasons for it being waged initially did seem to be wholly justified. That the conflict rapidly spiralled so that it became a war of conquest demonstrates that the Tellosanoi have changed much since their exile from Arhomaneia – then, they fled under the supposed threat of annihilation. Now it appears that they are more than willing to inflict such a fate on another power and its people.

Whilst it seems that the actions of Tellosanon seem to be little short of barbaric, it must be considered precisely where Seylos' justifications for its criticisms are coming from. The Kingdom has often been portrayed as a bastion against the piratical and megalomaniacal ambitions of its backward north-eastern neighbour, but it must be pointed out that the family that rules the island kingdom is little better. It is a family that seems to have more than its fair share of unstable members – after all, a coup was enacted by the current king's own brother during the succession and there have been whispers about the related families that ruled the smaller islands around Seylos. These rumours seem to be confirmed by the fact that the Seylosian monarch does not follow a conventional lifestyle, despite leading a Christian nation.

It has been unofficially suggested by some members of the Logothesion ton Barbaron that the complaints put forward by the Seylosian monarch stem more from the fact that Seylos is taking an increasing interest in the Aurelian continent than any genuine concern for the Enolians. The connections between the newly-annexed island of Eire and the Federative Republic of @Shffahkia mean that Seylos mean that the island Kingdom has an interest in attempting to disrupt the relationship between two of the leading members of the Aurelian League.

Some of the accusations of King Aidan ring true, however. Although the suggestion that Tellosanon is a successor state of Arhomaneia is dubious at best, the Republic certainly models itself on the early state apparatus of our glorious nation. It falls short in its imitation, however. That a duel can take place between an elected leader and a warlord is, at the least, surprising and that the victor then expects to be taken seriously by other powers is quite shocking. It remains to be seen whether other heads of state, including the Leader of the Free Wurld, will treat Morror Kassus as the dignified head of state he expects to be.

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has yet to comment on the circumstances of Kassus' rise to power, and in all likelihood, it will not. Whilst the diplomatic relations between Seylos and Tellosanon deteriorate, Arhomaneia will attempt to tread an even path between them. Seylos is the strongest – and most reliable – power in eastern Argis and the kingdom's further cooperation safeguards the Arhomaiki operations in the Empire of @Aluxia. Similarly, despite the differences between the Republic and the Megas Agios Basileia, the other Aurelian nations have even less contact with Arhomaneia. The Rihannsu are Arhomaneia's gateway to Aurelia, although this is likely as much to do with the Tellosanoi and their seeming control over the Aurelian League as it is to do with their willingness to do business with other nations.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

Bulgenstaz Opens Itself Up to Foreign Trade

Is socialism crumbling in the Marenesian state?

Last week, the People's Republic of @Bulgenstaz announced that it was opening itself up to foreign investment, by the way of allowing foreign companies to set up factories and base themselves within the socialist state. Bulgenstaz is by no means the first country within the wurld to do so – the Queendom of @Morheim opened up a trade and industry zone within its borders, in order to similarly encourage foreign investment within the country. For the Queendom, it proved to be a very successful venture – numerous companies quickly signed up to take advantage of the generous tax breaks offered by the Queendom, from as far afield as @Girkmand and Orhioneia (@Orioni).

Sadly, it also included the perfidious Elegy Corporation, which is perhaps one of the most monstrous organisations on Eurth. Undoubtedly, the Elegy Corporation used its toe-hold in Morheim to spread its influence further and strengthen itself at the expense of the Queendom and its citizens. The nature of this company, and in some ways the country that it hails from, the @Sunset Sea Islands, can be seen as little more than diabolical. It can only be hoped that the government of Morheim is vigilant against any attempts to spread the Synapse System, the notorious automated spy network, further still, and safeguard their citizens from such monstrous breaches of privacy. However, as Morheim is sadly not a Christian nation but a pagan one, it may be difficult for them to realise the true nature of the Elegy Corporation's influence within their nation, as they do not have God watching over them or Christ within their hearts.

However, the main differences between the Morheimian trade zone and the Bulgenstazi version are painfully manifest. The Morheimian trade zone, despite its tax breaks to encourage companies to set up shop within it, did little to infringe upon either workers' rights or environmental protections. Indeed, Morheim is undoubtedly the current world exemplar when it comes to environmental standards, of which our own Megas Agios Basileia is a close second. It shows that despite being non-believers, God can still guide their actions. Similarly, all businesses within the trade zone had to comply with the existing health and safety regulations of the Morheimian government. That they can uphold their own rights and values whilst encouraging foreign investment in their country is something that the Bulgenstazi equivalent should perhaps taken more stock of before opening up the so-called “Foreign Investment Opportunity”.

On the other hand, the People's Republic took steps to weaken their regulations, both workers' rights and environmental protections, to try to encourage foreign investment on their shores. This demonstrates that socialism is beginning to creak under its own weight in the Marenesian nation. Of course, this was inevitable, as any ideology that actively rejects God is always going to fail. That it has lasted so long in the southern nation is perhaps surprising, especially since they have a Godly, if somewhat misguided, neighbour in the form of Salvia (@Sancti Imperii Catholico). It can be hoped that their neighbour's influence will continue to weaken their atheistic government.

The biggest question will be how the people of Bulgenstaz will react to this reduction in their rights and protections, especially since it is apparently being done to benefit not just the state, which might have been considered a worthy sacrifice by the brain-washed masses, but foreign capitalists as well. This completely flies in the face of their misbegotten beliefs and is almost a slap in the face for all those who have starved or been worked to death in the name of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

It could well be that the “Foreign Investment Opportunity” is the act that is the beginning of the end for the People's Republic. It can only be hoped that the Bulgenstazi people can shake off the chains that have been holding them down for so long and once again find a place for God within their hearts and their nation.

 

Arhomaneia to Send Delegation to Ahrana

Struggling nation celebrates one year strife-free

In a move that has caused some surprise, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has opted to send a delegation to the celebrations in @Ahrana to mark a year since the inauguration of the current head of state, Federal President Sigrid Anastasia Anne Victoria Florence-Goring of Strasburg. Up until now, the relations between Arhomaneia and Ahrana have been cool at best and hostile at worst. This has been for several reasons. First was the overthrowing of the Unified Imperial Kingdom by a communist uprising which saw the death of the king and a civil war that caused widespread destruction and death. Following that, the supposed architect of the revolution, Gregor Ivanoff, was similarly overthrown and replaced by Alexsandra Misha Lars Core, in circumstances that were widely considered to be suspect. The then-Socialist Federation also supported one of the several slaver-states that was operating at the time, providing it with economic assistance despite significant international condemnation. It can only be through God's intervention that Ahrana was able to avert a worse backlash against itself, as that country remained largely Christian throughout its tumults, even if they did not follow true religion in the form of the Arhomaiki Church.

Ivanoff was later put on trial and then killed in very dubious circumstances, and many of his minions also faced trial, although commentators noticed that many of the military figures facing justice were of relatively low rank. However, despite its struggles, Ahrana was able to transition to a democracy, getting rid of the communist regime that had ruled it since the revolution. This transition has been hailed by some as one of the most speedy and peaceful changes in recent wurld history, no doubt helped by the face that the communist regime did not hold power for all that long, meaning that their foul atheist plots and schemes were not able to get a good grip upon the hearts and minds of the long-suffering Ahranaians.

Despite this change for the better, perhaps Ahrana's true revolution, the Megas Agios Basileia has maintained a distance between the two countries, despite the Ahranaian Federation being one of the largest countries in central Argis. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has, unofficially at least, held that the circumstances of Ivanoff's death needed to be investigated further and that the trials under General Secretary Alexsandra Core, Ivanoff's successor, needed to be more extensive and more far reaching. Indeed, Arhomaneia has not named an ambassador to Ahrana since the overthrow of the Unified Imperial Kingdom and has not invited that nation to send one to Tagmatika, demonstrating the low ebb of relations since then.

This is why the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion's acceptance of the invite is surprising. It likely represents the fact that Ahrana has now become stable enough to be a worthwhile member of the international community, in at least the eyes of the Arhomaiki government. The turmoil that regularly shook Ahrana has died down and the current head of state has no connection to the one that aided and abetted slaver-states. The delegation from Arhomaneia will be headed by Ioannina Vatatzkhina, who has held the post of Logothetissa for Obscure Barbaroi Nations for five years. Despite the title, it is one of the most important within the Logothetes ton Barbaron.

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion is also sending a Kontoubernion (platoon) of the Ikanatoi, one of the Tagmata guard units, to take part in the military parade that is part of the anniversary celebrations. This will likely cause some surprise, to see one of the wurld's most elite units marching alongside barbaroi rabble. It is without a doubt that they will cause envy amongst the rest of the wurld.

This anniversary may mark not just a new chapter in the Ahranaian Federation, but a fresh start between the Christian nations of Argis and Europa, one that will strengthen the cause of Godliness across Eurth.

[Tagmatium Rules]

 

The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion has been at the forefront of dealing with the burgeoning crisis caused by the invasion of the Glorious Dominate of @Beautancus by the forces of the Sovereign Imperium of Machina @Haruspex for months now. Arhomaneia has been welcoming with open arms the Christian minority forcibly expelled from their homelands by the armed forces of the Gharoi. They have come from transit camps located in Arhomaneia’s northern neighbour in varying states of distress and shock. Many of these people have lost almost everything - the nature of the Gharoi is to have little in the way of pity or compassion, only contempt for those who are different to them. At the moment, these refugees are being housed in temporary camps, set up by the armed forces of the Megas Agios Basileia. This is but a short-term solution and is obviously not ideal, but will have likely saved many from an unjust and cruel fate, if they had tried to stay in the homes where they and their families have lived for decades, if not centuries.

Because of the temporary nature of this solution, and that the numbers of those forced from their homes will likely end up being in the number of hundreds of thousands, the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion welcomes the intervention by other nations in helping to address this crisis. This will perhaps not solve the crisis, in the true meaning of the word - as it is, many of these people will now have to start from scratch in whatever new land that takes them. They have seen their homes taken from them, their communities broken and their culture despoiled. These actions are little more than an attempt of ethnic cleansing, a forced population movement because an invading force finds the Christian population of Beautancus to not match up with their own beliefs and morals, or lack thereof. If the refugees are suffering, then may God have mercy on those that are deemed to be "suitable" enough to be allowed to remain where they are. They may be forced to endure a worse fate.

The nations that are coming to the aid of the expelled Christians are undoubtedly driven by a sense of mercy and compassion, even if some of them are not Christian themselves. This is of eternal credit to them. In order to facilitate the rescue of the Christians, the Megas Agios Basileia will be opening the canal between the Ragas Thalassa (Raga Sea) and the Kolpos tes Stratonis, the Bay of Stratonis, to military vessels bearing the flags of the coalition that has been formed. Civilian vessels with flags of those nations will also be allowed to pass through the canal with no charge, so long as they are part of the effort undertaken by the coalition. Similarly, the national waters of Arhomaneia will be opened to the vessels meeting the above criteria. The ports that are to be utilised in this effort will be communicated by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion to the governments and militaries of @Iverica, @Gallambria, @Gallambria, Salvia (@Sancti Imperii Catholico) and @Seylos, as well as those who might join this undertaking at a later date.

All being said, the government of the Sovereign Imperium has allowed members of the Parabalanoi to have access the transit camps within the territories concerned. The people are being given aid and care, so that their hopefully brief time within these makeshift camps is not as grim as it might otherwise be. There are also observers from the Arhomaiki armed forces accompanying units of the Sovereign Imperium as they push further into the Glorious Dominate, to make sure that war crimes are not being carried out against the population there. These have besn seconded from the Tagmata units. The situation is certainly not ideal, but the government of the Gharoi has cooperated where necessary. Indeed, they have opened their national waters and ports to the coalition that is coming to the aid of the Christians. The uncharitable might say that this is in order to rid themselves of the hated minority all that more speedily, but the result is all the same.

May God see this endeavour through to a conclusion that is the least painful for those afflicted, and that all God-fearing nations and peoples aid the refugees in this, their hour of need.