Jacobean Cildania (5321 - 5369)

[Wu Han]

In rural Cildania, continued military presence at synagogues, while controversial, finds advocates

August 18, 5332 | In the remote highland valleys of southern Gilzon, the small city of Kammum is a relative center of diversity. Qildari, Hebilean, and Cildanian Yeudi coexist here in tense balance, with the latter group facing all the same troubles as their brethren in the bustling cities of the coast.

B'nai Achim, a small synagogue in Kammum, home to a congregation of 25 orthodox Cildanian Yeudis, has seen attendance drop nearly by half, and its members now worry theymay soon no longer be able to assemble a minyan at all.

It is not difficult to understand why: when Elija Galdes, a congregant, approaches the synagogue today, he still faces a sight that the newly re-empowered Alagona government officially forbid over a month ago - two armed military men still stand watch over the synagogue, citing authorization from the former Minister of Justice, Hosegħa Caxaro.

Though the sight is unexpected and perhaps disheartening to the eyes of those accustomed to the swift efficiency of government change on the coast, here, Galdes says, wheels turn slowly, and though it is widely understood that the military should not be actively patrolling anymore, there are advocates for the continuation of the patrols both within and without the small Yeudi community.

"Of course it is terrifying to walk past them, their guns..." Galdes explains, "Many of us won't risk it - we know these men, they are locals, they are boys who spat on us in school yards, who wave the red and black... But then again, they are often the ones who spat, rather than threw stones. These men have disdain for us, but they do prevent the elements who truly hate us from doing harm while we worship."

This complex relationship, where the protection of military men feels necessary to ensure the continued survival of the Cildanian Yeudi community, so much so that the direction of Qart Qildar is interpreted creatively and enforced only slowly is not unique to Kammum. Galdes says that he has heard of similar situations in nearby northern Aqildar principality, and, worse, of militias serving similar functions alongside explicit military presence elsewhere.

The Alagona government stated in a comment to the Ħarald tas-Sur that it was investigating claims of continued military presence outside of synagogues against orders, and that offenders would be tried in military court for insubordination.

The Ħarald tas-Sur is one of the oldest Cildanian newspapers, which nowadays lays its focus on investigative journalism. It usually remains politically neutral but has a history of writing for the upper middle class.

---

Originally posted by Zanz on 15 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Giudice defends One Flag's new environmental policies
1 February 5334

The former Defence minister has pushed the party in a more eco-conscious direction.

---

In a post on her weekly blog, hosted on One Flag's website, party leader Margerita Giudice has defended her decision to pursue a more pro-environment position as part of One Flag's platform. Giudice noted that environmental degradation would be most severely felt in rural areas - central to the party's agrarian identity - and that damage to the environment would be damage to small-scale farmers and the sustainability of their business. The only current female political leader in Cildania, Giudice further noted that as a mother she wanted to leave a well-maintained and clean countryside for her children to inherit.

Her push for greater ecological focus within the party has been met with a warm response by the party's "Hosian democratic" wing, to which Giudice belongs, which sees stewardship of the environment as an important part of their faith. It has brought scepticism, however, from farmers in rural Kinaan and miners in northern Aheblun who worry about new regulations that could increase costs and damage their industries. All of these constituencies are vital to the One Flag movement's electoral successes, so balancing their interests can be seen as a major test of Giudice's leadership ability.

Giudice has been known as an advocate for the environment within the One Flag movement for as long as she has been an elected official, but since obtaining the leadership and especially since becoming leader of the opposition she has sought to implement her stance in a stark departure from her predecessors. Under the late Denzilee Depares and then later under Yan Despott, the party took a moderate - if slightly sceptical - approach to environmental concerns and advocated for localism as the solution. Though Giudice stresses that she still supports community-centred decision-making on ecological issues, where One Flag is represented in local government it will pursue a policy of preventing waste mismanagement and maintaining air quality. This could bring the party into conflict with some wealthy land-owners, though smaller-scale farmers especially from Hebilean backgrounds might not mind their larger competitors being challenged by One Flag's leader.

---

Il Bandiera Indipendenti is a political and current affairs newspaper aligned with the Bandiera Waħda movement in Cildania. It has a religious, conservative and pro-Hebilean editorial stance.

---

Originally posted by Pragma on 18 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

The premier source for sports news and rumours across the globe

Purple boots banned by San Mikiel Saints owner Guiliano Alagona
3 March 5334

Cildanian second division football team San Mikiel Saints have told players they will not be allowed to wear purple boots during training or matches. The new policy was devised by club owner Guiliano Alagona. Currently serving as the Prime Minister of Cildania, Alagona is known to be a superstitious person. Sour relations with Cildanian political party People's Choice, whose official colour is purple, have reportedly strengthened his view.

Although it might seem unusual, Alagona’s suspicion about the colour purple is not uncommon in Cildania. Historians are unclear on the origin of the superstition. According to one version of the story, it is linked to the colour’s association with royalty. The treachery of royal families is said to have led to an association between the colour and bad luck.

San Mikiel Saints are hoping to secure promotion to the Premier League this season after narrowly missing out last year. In the opening weeks of the season, the team has struggled to find form. Since purchasing the club four years ago, Alagona has invested significantly in the team. Nonetheless they have struggled to achieve on the pitch. During his tenure so far, Alagona has fired four different managers.

---

Originally posted by Jamescfm on 19 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Economic indicators give reason for cautious optimism in Cildania
20 February 5333
Increasingly robust economic indicators point toward positive economic trends, but political instability still haunts the long-stagnant Cildanian economy.
By Marija Didonian

Qart Qildar: Investor sentiment in Cildania has improved from the lows of March 5332, when insecurity and political fragility threatened to push the developing nation's economic growth into the negative. Now, increased household spending, increased demand for commodity exports, and robust stock market performance altogether suggest that Cildania's economy may enter a long-awaited expansionary period.

According to figures released by the University of Qildar College of Commerce, Cildanian GDP growth was a sluggish 0.8% in Q1 5332, weighed down by political instability and security challenges. Following the 5332 Cildanian general election and relative stabilization of the political scene, GDP growth rose steadily by 1.2% in Q2 5332, 1.9% in Q3 5332, and ended the year with a rate of 2.5% in Q4 5332. This has given rise to hopes that economic growth may continue to accelerate along this trajectory for 5333 and 5334.

Moreover, disaggregated figures released by the jointly by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Labour and Industry earlier this week shows momentum in nearly every area of the economy, particularly consumer goods manufacturing, mining, and construction. Nevertheless, some sectors remain sluggish such as tourism, which underperformed expectations, indicating that tourists and foreign observers remain concerned about security in the Grand Principality. Telecommunications have also underperformed, with heavy price-controls imposed on phone services, and governmental control over internet service provision, limiting the growth potential of firms in the sector.

Agriculture, especially tobacco and wine, is the fastest growing sector in the Cildanian economy, growing by 5.5% in 5332. Increased investment in the sector has led to an increase in orders for manufactured capital goods, as well as a subsequent increase in agricultural yields. These yields are anticipated to continue to increase year over year, as new investment in expanded production and operational efficiency is driven by high consumer demand at home and abroad, as well as the strong stock market performance of firms engaged in this sector. In order to avoid overheating the surging sector, it will be imperative for the government and its successors to secure market access for Cildanian agricultural exports, both within and outside the MEA.

 Demand drives tobacco stocks up in wake of deregulatory reforms
20 February 5333

Late last year, Cildanian Tobacconists Association President Feliċ Abbate appeared with Deputy Prime Minister Sigismondo Falzon before a crowd of industry leaders, lobbyists and investors. With fists raised, the two men declared emphatically that "the war is over," celebrating the complete deregulation of the tobacco industry following the passage of the Constitutionalist Party's (PK) Support for Core Industries Act of 5332. Since the bill's passage, demand for tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars has continued to soar, leading to a sustained run on tobacco companies listed on the Cildania Stock Exchange (CSX) which has persisted into Q1 5333, and is projected to continue.

Against increasing demand, many tobacco companies have invested in increasing production while raising the prices on cigarettes and cigars, exploiting the strong pricing power producers in this space enjoy as smokers tend to absorb price increases due to the addictive nature of the product. This strategy has led to record-shattering profits across the industry, with the Kinaan Investment Fund, a privately-held company heavily invested in the tobacco industry, releasing the strongest fiscal report in its history. Given the omnipresence of KIF-controlled assets throughout the industry's supply chain, the firm's performance sent a powerful signal to market players throughout the sector, leading to sustained gains across the board for shares of the largest national tobacco producers, such as the Lear Tobacco Company (CSX:LTC ➚+6.8%), the Abjad-Fortizza Tobacco Company (CSX:AFTC ➚+10.8%), the Cildanian National Tobacco Corporation (CSX:CNT ➚+14.1%), and luxury cigar producer Mulej Masinissa International (CSX:MMI ➚+22.9%).

 Cildanian Condom raises quarter of a billion dollars in IPO
22 February 5333

Shares of Cildanian Condom (CSX:KK ➚+26.3%) ended with gains of 26% in their trading debut today, valuing the producer of Qabda Tajba, ManPower, Prinċep Ċkejken, and Sħabi brand condoms at nearly $246.8 million. The successful public offering of the company has turned its founder and largest shareholder, Mr. Ġużeppi Pene-Qasir, into one of the wealthiest men in Cildania. Institutional investors, including the National Pension Fund of Cildania, took the majority of Cildanian Condom shares on offer, though a few other notable investors also purchased equity in the company, with Grupp Falzon (CSX:GFZ ➚+2.9%) acquiring 10% of the condom-maker.

The company's ManPower and Sħabi condoms are the two top brands in the male condom category by sales in the Cildanian market, with the company now eyeing wider expansion into the much larger Majatran market. Investor confidence was also bolstered by recent passage of the Abstinence First, Safe Sex Second Act of 5333, which mandates the government to subsidize the price of contraception, including condoms, for all Cildanians.

Gazetta Kummerċjali (Commercial Gazette) is a weekly business newspaper in Cildania, owned by GK Media.
The paper supports liberal economics and is widely read among Cildania's economic elite.
OOC Note: all monetary values are expressed in USD for context, given the state of in-game currencies.

---

Originally posted by Wu Han on 19 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Prince Pawlu officially opens University of Harat‎
The new university has already attracted a faculty of Cildania's leading liberal and progressive intellectuals, set to make a diverse contribution to Cildania's academy.
Harat, Principality of Gilzon
4 April 5334

His Highness Prince Pawlu of Gilzon was in Harat today to officiate the grand opening ceremony of the University of Harat, a new post-secondary institution with an emphasis on liberal and fine arts. The University of Harat will be publicly-funded by federal resources allocated toward the Principality Government's education budget, as per the Law. His Highness Prince Pawlu also pledged an endowment of $1,000,000 per year to the university from his family's philanthropic arm, the Mattanid-Bastjani Foundation, for which the University shall name its law department the "Prince Pawlu College of Law."

The committee struck by the Principality Government to organize the new university has been aggressively recruiting a diverse array of highly-sought and talented faculty members for its foundational year. With a commitment to intellectual freedom, the University of Harat has attracted some of Cildania's leading progressive and leftist academics, including Dr. Emmanwel Meziani, a socialist political theorist who gained public attention after he criticized government legislation which included communist paramilitaries alongside racist and fascist paramilitaries in a sweeping ban. Another incoming faculty member, Dr. Rożarja Demciri, is an self-proclaimed Metzist Humanist whose work attempts to conform the Sekowan model of socialist development to conditions in Cildania.

Accordingly, observers expect that the University of Harat may evolve as a epicentre of progressive Cildanian thought in a nation where the academy is overwhelmingly moderate, if not conservative. Early application and enrolment figures suggest extraordinary interest in attending the University from throughout the island, though an agreement with the Principality Government requires that preference for admission will be given to residents of the Principality of Gilzon for the first five years of the University's operation.

❧ Gilzon: First edition of the 'Tour ta' Gilzon' kicks off in rural Kammum municipality
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 9 April 5334

The first edition of the Tour ta' Gilzon began this morning in the rural municipality of Kammum. Athletes from across the island and around the world descended on the small village to begin their winding, gruelling 10-day road cycling race across the Principality of Gilzon. Yeudi-Cildanian cyclist Mosè Levi-Bendahem (20) is the favourite to win the race according to the Principality's sports betting markets, as well as fans and experts of cycling.

The organizers of the Tour ta' Gilzon, the Cildanian Cycling Federation (FKtĊ), hope that the seven-day sporting event will increase interest in cycling in the Principality of Gilzon and across Cildania. President of the FKtĊ, Ħilda Aïtbrahim, hopes to see a "Tour ta' Kildanja" in the future, urging corporate sponsors to see the potential of such an event. "Cildania is the perfect country to host such an a grand, international road cycling race," said Ms. Aïtbrahim. "We've got great roads, beautiful coastlines, perfect weather, and we're an island after all—you've got to go in a loop!"

❧ Aheblun: Construction begins on new Santa Alessandra Library
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 20 April 5334

Construction has begun on the new Santa Alessandra Library, a monumental new building designed to house over 10 million books. Upon completion, the research library will be the largest in the country at over 70,000m², and capable of accommodating more than 4,000 visitors at a time. The library will also house the largest collection of Hebilean texts and artefacts in the world, from pre-Hosian Hebilean mythic scriptures to radical writings associated with the Hebilean Resistance Army. The Santa Alessandra Library shall share texts with and aid the University of Santa Alessandra in its research, fostering a unique scholastic environment in the capital of the Principality of Aheblun.

The Santa Alessandra Library was designed in a modernist style by emerging architect Alessandru Cini of the private firm Alessandru Cini u Soċji. It is being constructed by Kostruzzjoni Falzon (CSX:GFZ) and Bajada (CSX:BAJ). Funding for the library's construction has come almost entirely through charitable donations from the Grand Prince's Foundation, the Princely House of Elkan, the Mattanid-Bastjani Organization, and the Cildanian Tobacconists Association. Mr. Ġużeppi Pene-Qasir, former Chairman of Cildanian Condom (CSX:KK) and one of Cildania's richest men, personally donated $10m toward the construction effort, while Mr. Karmenu Kazti-Abjad, President of the Abjad-Fortizza Tobacco Company (CSX:AFTC) is said to have donated $5m.

❧ Princely Houses: Sinjura Tereża, daughter of Grand Prince, marries Lourennais billionaire Antoine Vivaldi
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 24 April 5334

Sinjura Tereża Kilian (33), daughter of His Serene Highness Grand Prince Ġakbu Maria, has married Lourennais billionaire Antoine Vivaldi (42) in a private ceremony, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of the Grand Prince's Affairs. The pair reportedly met at a social gathering in 5326 while Sinjura Tereża was pursing graduate studies at the University of Delaune in Lourenne. Sinjura Tereża and Mr. Vivaldi remained close friends until 4330 when they announced their courtship.

Mr. Vivaldi is a member of the influential Vivaldi-Vandam mercantile family, which is a major share holder in Groupe Larosière, Lourenne's largest conglomerate, as well as in the Banque Moreau-Vandam, one of Lourenne's 'Big Three' banks. The Vivaldi-Vandam family is of Istalian extraction, but identifies culturally as Lourennais today. In 5320, Mr. Vivaldi received his PhD in Business Administration from the University of Delaune, followed by a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Lourenne in 5323. Currently, Mr. Vivaldi serves on the board of Groupe Larosière as Executive Vice-President of the company.

Fil-Prinċipalitajiet (In the Principalities) is a newspaper focusing on regional and subnational issues of general interest. The newspaper is owned by Grupp Editorjali PNFP.

---

Originally posted by Wu Han on 19 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

↳ Guiliano Alagona during his visit to Yishelem

Prime Minister Guiliano Alagona completes long-awaited visit to Beiteynu
11 August 5334
After being postponed several years ago, the Prime Minister of Cildania completes an important foreign visit to a key regional partner.

Yishelem: Over four years after originally planned, the Prime Minister of Cildania Guiliano Alagona has completed a visit to Beiteynu. Alagona had been scheduled to visit the country in December 5329 during his first term as Prime Minister. The visit had to be postponed when early elections were announced days before he was scheduled to leave. The visit had already been postponed once before. In the meantime, there have been two Cildanian general elections.

Alagona held a series of meetings with Beiteynuese head of government Meaholit Shteman during his time in Yishelem. Despite the time that has passed since the previously-scheduled visit, many of the priorities were the same. At the centre of the talks was deepening ties between the two countries. Despite opposition from some parties, the current Cildanian government is committed to developing a strong relationship.

Last year it was announced that Beiteynuese manufacturer Beimar Industries would provide Cildania with twenty-five Guarder trucks. The deal was part of a wider effort by Beiteynu to support law enforcement authorities in Cildania. A particular focus for the Beiteynuese government has been anti-Yeudi violence, which has escalated since the rise of the far-right Order of Saint Sebastian. According to sources in Qart Qildar, Alagona has now agreed that Beiteynuese personnel will work alongside Cildanian police to provide advice and support.

Both governments have agreed in principle to the creation of a military alliance between the two countries. Whether this is realised depends upon the support of two-thirds of the Cildanian Council of Deputies though. Opposition political parties in Cildania have opposed cooperation with Beiteynu and some have openly deployed anti-Yeudi stereotypes.

In the economic arena, the priority of the Alagona government has been to secure new markets for the export of Cildanian agricultural goods. Tobacco and wine have been central to the country’s economy for centuries. Efforts to reduce trade barriers between members of the Majatran Economic Association have stalled recently though. As a consequence, the Cildanian government aims to promote bilateral trade partnerships with larger economies like Beiteynu.

il-POSTA NAZZJONALI is one of Cildania's most widely-read broadsheet daily newspapers, respected for its journalistic integrity and objectivity.
A standard-bearer of Cildanian liberalism, il-Posta has become one of the nation's 'newspapers of record.' It is owned by the Grupp Editorjali PNFP.

---

Originally posted by Jamescfm on 19 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Cause and effect: anti-Yeudi sentiments encourage rapid rise of organized Yeudi crime rings


Two Yeudi men near the Sacred Follower Erial Synagogue in Qart Qildar, the target of the nation's most recent terrorist attack that claimed eight lives.

September 20, 5334 | In a new publication from the independent research institute Fondazzjoni tar-Riċerka Lini Tarssia it has become clear that organized crime across Cildania has seen a massive rise since the return to democracy. Crime expert Kail Ubaldini was the lead researcher on the project and explained its goal and reasoning. "Cildania's return to democracy has been turbulent, invigorating, and a true blessing in many ways for our country, yet it has also caused a massive problem. The organized crime so relentlessly oppressed by the dictatorship was able to flourish after law enforcement suddenly had to follow rules and regulations, during the time of Franġisku Scolesi-Aveta the lawless liberty against organized crime made it so that the old crime families and syndicated could do little to maintain their grasp. Now we have the opposite, the FtRLT (Lini Tarssia Research Foundation) is convinced that certain organized crime families are actively lobbying politics and injecting their personal wealth to influence policies." dr. Ubaldini further explained that in the transition to democracy several high-ranking members of criminal enterprises were able to almost become oligarchs within Cildania. "There's people being voted into office that in any other country would be in jail."

In further research done by the Ħarald tas-Sur it became clear that the heads of the 'old families' all now openly flourish. While none of the big families ever lived in squalor it has now become clear that several heads of alleged crime families, previously convicted mob boss Alessandru Delucca lives in a multi-million mansion in the suburbs of Qart Qildar, while alleged criminal figure and well-known politician Sigismondo Falzon has an even more expensive house. A source within the Cildania Police Force confirmed they have an open investigation in regards to the personal wealth of known and alleged criminals but that "mysterious forces" are delaying the investigation and blocking access to "essential documents". "Within the government circles, specifically the Ministry of the Interior, there is a clear influence from these families to block any progress", said the anonymous source to Ħarald tas-Sur. While all this is happening the big families also have essentially agreed to a ceasefire. The FtRLT report notes that gang on gang violence has almost completely ceased. "There is still gang on gang violence but the big families, the ones that respect the 'rules', are no longer setting up operations against each other. We believe they might have split Cildania up in pieces and are now using the current instability of the political system to fully infiltrate all levels of our society," said dr. Ubaldini.

Open corruption and lobbying from organized crime have made the Police Force a lame duck. The report from the FtRLT reinforces this conclusion, as does dr. Ubaldini: "Everything points to the way of the police being infested with moles that work for organized crime, with several organized crime aligned people in the upper ranks. We have unconfirmed reports that the entire department responsible for undercover operations has been compromised, but apart from death notices we cannot give any conclusive evidence." Ubaldini states that in the past ten years more undercover police officers have died than in the thirty years before that, citing internal sources confirming which officers that passed away on the line of duty were part of the undercover program. "It's a real tragedy, the lack of justice makes it worse."


The congregation of the Qadim Haxrit Synagogue being protected by a member of the pro-Yeudi paramilitary group Protetturi ta’ Kulħadd.

"My grandfather started this business, but this is it for me, no more." Local Yeudi businessman Rafal Montagu is the third generation owner of the Yeudi restaurant Kċina Kosher ta' Montagu but he and his wife have decided enough is enough. "We always had some problems, sure, as did my father and grandfather, but the last four years have been hell." Montagu's restaurant is one of the most popular spots for Yeudi cuisine in Patah. "I have a tab with the local window pane salesman, that's how often they are thrown in these days." His wife no longer goes outside and has not worked in the restaurant for two years. "She couldn't take it, all the shouting, the obscenities, them breaking our stuff. It was too much. I did not want to give up that easily, I felt that quitting would make them win. But now I've reached a point where I rather let them win, its truly been too much to handle." Local law enforcement has been powerless in subduing the anti-Yeudi violence or has allowed it to happen according to Montagu: "The Order (Order of Saint Sebastian) is fairly popular in this city and many of them are police officers, most of them just let it happen." The closing of Montagu's restaurant is the eight Yeudi business closing in Patah this year. More and more Yeudi business owners decide to call it quits, going into different sectors with less public exposure or simply entering unemployment out of desperation against the violence.

The crime report of the independent research institute Fondazzjoni tar-Riċerka Lini Tarssia has linked these developments to the massive rise of Yeudi organized crime in many parts of Cildania. "When the legal side of doing business becomes increasingly difficult it only removes more barriers to join the illegal side," explained dr. Ubaldini. "Yeudi organized crime has historically been irrelevant, but now with the rise of anti-Yeudi violence and its continued persistence in combination with a general rise in organized crime these syndicated are able to flourish like never before." Cildanian Yeudi that turn to crime after selling their business use their acquired wealth to engage in money-lending activities, illegal gambling, and smuggling. "Especially loansharking is becoming increasingly popular, which is mostly a Yeudi on Yeudi activity as many legitimate Yeudi are facing difficulty in getting loans from banks so they turn to the local Yeudi criminals to help them." Whereas Gziri and Hebilean organized crime makes most of their money in waste management, construction, real estate, and illicit drugs the Yeudi families steer away from these sectors according to Ubaldini. "It is less acceptable in their culture and it is perhaps also a deliberate choice to not provoke any other crime syndicate." The FtRLT research showed that the traditional crime families mostly leave the Yeudi families alone, considering them 'small players'.

Some Rabbi's also get involved in Yeudi organized crime which has resulted in one very specific business that can be paid for. A year ago the Alagona cabinet passed a law making divorce legal for either partner for any reason. However within the more strict Yeudi communities it is not allowed for the wife to initiate divorce. The Ħarald tas-Sur knows of several Rabbi's across Cildania that engage in the lucrative 'divorce trade' where a Yeudi wife pays the Rabbi. After this the associates of the Rabbi take the husband and torture him until he states he wants to divorce. The day after the husband is forced to go the local government to initiate the divorce, adhering to the religious laws of the strict Yeudi community. More peace-loving Rabbi's have denounced the practice is "corrupt" and "barbaric", yet none can deny it is not a lucrative endeavour.

The Ħarald tas-Sur is one of the oldest Cildanian newspapers, which nowadays lays its focus on investigative journalism. It usually remains politically neutral but has a history of writing for the upper middle class.

---

Originally posted by Kubrick on 19 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Il-Veritá Iebsa (The Hard Truth) is a far-right online news site known for pushing conspiracy theories. It has close ties to Ilarju Rizzo, the prominent neo-fascist leader of the Order.

WHO TOOK HIM? ILARJU RIZZO REPORTED MISSING BY NEIGHBOURS!
After sudden unannounced leave of absence Ilarju Rizzo and his family have been reported missing by neighbours.


The designer villa of Ilarju Rizzo in Qart Qildar, which according to the Police Force was not lived in for "over a week". Rizzo has previously been the target of far-left threats on his life.

28 September, 5334 - The Leader of the Order of Saint Sebastian has been reported missing by his neighbours. Neighbour Yan Torregiani, successful businessman and card carrying Order member, noted he had not seen Rizzo and his family for a week when he decided to knock on their door. After checking he discovered Rizzo's car missing in the driveway and the front door unlocked. After calling around to the party leadership none of them knew of his absence, which prompted Torregiani to inform the police. Ilarju Rizzo was a frequent target of far-left and radical Yeudi threats and was supposed to be under protection of the assigned police officers of the Council of Deputies.

In a complete failure of operations the police chief of the Council noted that a week ago Ilarju Rizzo requested a more "distant approach" of the police officers to enjoy a "small break at home". During the seven days none of the police officers involved noticed that Rizzo's car left and never returned on the first day of his break. Commander Nunzio Asti refused to comment on the developments, stating that the "investigation is still ongoing." At Il-Veritá Iebsa we know what happened: the elites came for him. The most honest Deputy of the nation knew too much and had to pay the price. The beasts did not even have the decency to leave his family alone, showing the barbarity of the modern Cildanian society.

The disappearance of Rizzo came as a great shock to his party. Deputy Leader Valentinu Pizzuto appeared clearly distressed at a press conference shortly after the announcement of the disappearance. "Everyone at the Order hopes he and his family are alright, his daughter is only 14 for Hosiah's sake." Pizzuto announced a 1 million reward for any tip leading to Rizzo. "We want our Leader back. We want his wife and his young daughter back. Whichever monster took them from us, step forward - we can pay. Bring no harm to them, we never harmed anyone. The ones that give us the golden tip to find Rizzo will receive a million from us, all our donors have already contributed to set up this fund." The police have called for calmness while they conduct their investigation, "We do not want a vigilante witch hunt," said a spokesperson in Qart Qildar.

One inside source stated that Rizzo wanted to retire from politics and had been involved in "shady business", yet no substantial evidence for this could be provided. All the staff at Il-Veritá Iebsa are praying for a swift reappearance of Leader Rizzo and his family.

---

Originally posted by Kubrick on 20 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

A September 5334 advertisement from the Abjad-Fortizza Tobacco Company

[Wu Han]

Levanzin begins PLR's radical shift to the left on economic issue

Qart Qildar, Cildania - Radical Labour Party leader and current Minister of Finance Mattew Levanzin today set out a strong shift to the left for his party with regards to Cildania’s economy. The PLR leader has proposed nationalisation of key industries including energy and banks, as well as greater worker involvement in the running of companies.

The proposed changes have been billed as the “5350 Industrial Road Map” by Mr. Levanzin with the key aim being to expand Cildania’s industrial capacity through heavy government investment. Energy would be fully provided by a state-owned company with the nation's major banks also being nationalised alongside other large industrial companies.

The proposals represent a hard shift to the left for the Radical Labour Party, and have been argued by some to be the most left-wing proposals the party has made since its legalisation. The proposals represent both Mr. Levanzin's own personal views on the way the economy should be run as well as aiming to win over left-wing voters who feel the party and its policies do not sufficiently represent them, which is seen as a key reason for its failure in the last elections.

Internal polling produced for the PLR seems to suggest that an overwhelming majority of the party's own membership would also support many of the proposals put forward by their leader.

Whilst there was some opposition amongst the party’s more moderate deputies, they have been told by the leadership that they must either fully support their new vision or risk de-selection from the PLR's lists ahead of the next election. Some have also been referred to behind closed doors as “red flaggers”, a play on the name of the right-wing One Flag party, by some Levanzin supporters who also feel they need to be purged from the party.

Il-Gazzetta Radikali is property of Grupp Gazzetta, a private limited company.

---

Originally posted by RadicalGeo on 20 Jul 2023.