Keymon

[Yolo04]

As the nation continues it’s extensive reconstruction program, yet another challenge faces the nation: the economy. Whilst during the civil war, the Turtle Bay Stock Exchange was shut down for nearly 5 years, numerous companies have been forced to file for bankruptcy, as their headquarters and places of business where destroyed during the war. Many family owned businesses have also failed, due to losing most of their employees, as men and women where drafted in mass into the military on both sides. However, noting the worsening economic conditions, Queen Éva has formed the Economic Development Bureua to recuperate the Keymonite economy.

Queen Éva announced the formation of the Economic Development Bureau earlier today, in a press conference held at the Ministry of Finance. She stated that:

The economic problems facing the nation must be solved very soon, because for this nation to move forward, we must rebuild our nations economy. To rebuild our nations economy, we must focus on the industries that shall bring economic prosperity. Not economic desperation. To achieve these goals, I, Queen Éva, will use my full executive powers as the absolute monarch of Keymon, to form the Economic Development Bureau, which will be given the governmental authority to enact changes to the laws, or enact new laws, at the Head of the Bureau’s discretion.

The Council of the EDB will have 20 members, 10 representatives from Keymon’s largest economic sectors and 10 appointed by Edmond Demaret, our Minister of Finance. This will allow both the government and corporations to negotiate with each other and come to compromises that will ultimately, directly benefit the people of Keymon.

According to financial analysts throughout Terra, this move will possibly move financial capital from the more successful industries of Keymon, such as the services and trade industry, to new and upcoming industries, such as high tech manufacturing and the technology sector. However, this body may potentially fall into stalemate, as the government and the representatives of major industries butt heads over taxation and other issues of financing.

In a TV interview, Minister of Finance Edmond Demaret claimed that the Economic Development Bureau would ultimately benefit Keymon regardless of the results of the Council of the Bureau. Mr. Demaret stated that:

This body will provide and benefit Keymon. It allows the industries and government of Keymon to directly negotiate and benefit from each other’s powers. It will benefit Keymon, one way or another.

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As the countries economy slowly emerges from the civil war, and as more soldiers are sent back home to destroyed businesses and lost jobs, many have questioned what the EDB would do to bring back the jobs lost in the civil war. Now, the first apparent answer is here, however it is already highly controversial. The EDB has announced that they have cut regulations in the manufacturing, agricultural, construction, and technology sectors.

The Head of the EDB, Léone Bourbeau made the announcement, following nearly three weeks of constant negotiations with representatives from the countries largest economic sectors, many of whom complained about the “vagueness” of the regulations surrounding labor laws. Mrs. Bourbeau stated that-

The laws concerning labor are over 150 pages long…that is simply ridiculous and cannot be acceptable if we want this country to once again thrive. We at the EDB have gone through the hundreds of pages on labor laws and have cut the laws down to 50 pages. Whilst that’s certainly still a lot of pages, it’ll be a bite sized version of the previous laws.

Once the EDB finished cutting regulations concerning the labor laws, we began looking at numerous other regulatory laws and noticed that they where either redundant, or where irrelevant for the modern world. So, we decided to begin scrapping said laws and attempting to simplify the regulatory laws of the nation, which will be the ultimate key to economic revival in the country.

The regulatory laws repealed by the EDB have, however, angered many, especially those within trade unions. Many union leaders claim that, by not being invited to the EDB to discuss reducing regulations, that the average worker was going to be misused and mistreated. They also critiqued the regulatory laws being repealed, including laws concerning the amount of carbon monoxide that may be present in factories and the number of employees that may be placed into a single room.

One Union Rep told us at the Island Times that:

What is happening is we’re sacrificing working conditions for economic prosperity. Whilst that may work in the short term, it will crash in the long term. And when that happens, this nation will collapse back into civil strife once again.

According to some unconfirmed rumors, Union Reps are considering taking the EDB to civil court.
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As the nation continues to push through economic and infrastructural repairs and reforms, yet another threat has arisen to face the nation. The issue of debt and when and how the country should pay it off. The EDB believes it has the solution: ending sovereign debt repayments for 5 years. Yet many claim that this move will merely harm the nation in the long term.

Prior to the civil war, the federal government’s debt to GDP was around 20%, relatively low for a developed nation. However, as the civil war began, all sides of the struggle began to take out loans to fund their militaries, to fight the others. And whilst the Royalist government under Queen Éva did ultimately win the war, the debt from all three major combatants (New Valois, the Royalists, and the Carluists) has fallen upon the newly formed government. This has caused the government to lose badly needed cash, just so it can pay off debtors. The nations debt to GDP is now at 50%, which is quickly draining the quaffers of the government. To prevent further loss of revenue and to prevent any slowdown in the reconstruction efforts, the EDB has announced that it will halt all sovereign debt repayments for 5 full years. Head of the EDB Léone Bourbeau stated that-

We’re spending billions of dollars on debt, that should be going towards rebuilding our war torn nation. It’s entirely shocking that the government hasn’t declared baker up the, because we are being forced to spend 30% of our budget on debt repayments, which is significant for a nation attempting to rebuild itself. So, to prevent further wastes of cash, we’ve decided to halt all sovereign debt repayments for 5 full years, in an attempt to rebuild the nation quicker. Let it be known to all the debtors our there, this is not a default. We are merely halting the payments. Once those 5 years are up, we shall continue paying, and will pay for the skipped 5 years as well.

Whilst most financial analysts agree that this move will certainly free up capital, which can then go to rebuilding Keymon’s infrastructure and building new economic projects, many also question if it is even legal for a country to simply refuse to pay off its sovereign debt. Whilst most agree that, it is the states full right to do so, many owners of Keymon Sovereign Debt have threatened to take the government to the Supreme Court of Keymon, to reassert the debtors claims that the government cannot merely postpone paying off its debt.

Perhaps this move will ultimately be a net positive for the creditors holding Keymon Sovereign Debt, as they see this nation rebuild and reform itself. However, time will only tell if these creditors ultimately either benefit or are harmed by this.

[Yolo04]

As the country continues to march forward, leaving the scars of the civil war behind it, a thorn has yet again found itself stuck in the collective mind of the nation. Carlu Catena, otherwise referred to as King Carlu, has continuously claimed the throne of Keymon, even after his leaving of the nation. Now, in response to reports by the Malivian government that he is living in Malivia, Queen Éva has placed a warrant for King Carlu’s arrests, with anyone who is able to arrest the claimant to the throne and return him to Keymon receiving 50 million KED as compensation.

King Carlu, following the total defeat of his army the Battle of Bloody Rivers (which saw the current duke of Leighstown, Duchess Maria Catena, turn against King Carlu) fled Keymon, after establishing a regency headed by Admiral Annica, who is set to face trail in Jamestown later this year. Whilst originally, neither Keymon nor Allied Coalition Intelligence Agencies where able to track down the attempted usurper, reports soon began to flood out of Malivia that Carlu had escaped to the country and was now held up in the Kajpur Palace.

Whilst the reports where originally dismissed as merely rumor, they where soon confirmed as fact when Carlu appeared on Malivian national television, flanked by the President of Malivia. The President of Malivia then proceeded to announce that the Government of Malivia would officially recognize King Carlu as the official monarch of Keymon. King Carlu then announced that he would integrate Keymon into “Greater Malivia”, a political idea that Malivia’s borders should include several other sovereign nations, including Keymon, if he was put back into power as ruler of Keymon. Whilst the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did release a statement condemning the Malivian governments actions, it is the bounty being placed on Carlu’s head by Queen Éva that has sparked major interest into this.

Whilst many doubt that anyone will take up Queen Éva’s offer to capture her brother and bring him back to Keymon, it has now clearly demonstrates the political conflict between Malivia and Keymon, both of whom wish to expand there spheres of influence, and both of whom want to defend there political spheres.

We where able to have an interview with Minister of Internal Affairs Jonathan Deshales, whose Ministry placed the bounty on King Carlu. Mr. Deshales stated-

Carlu Catena is a usurper, whose failed attempt to seize power killed hundreds of thousands of Keymonites and destroyed the economy of the nation. His actions have harmed nation and we will punish him, regardless where that rat hides. I guarantee it.

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As the arguments over King Carlu’s exile in Malivia hogged the nations television screens, 20 men sat in jail cells, awaiting the formation of a jury to try them for their attempts to overthrow the Royalist government. As the members of the jury slowly began to coalesce and the preparations for the trial began, those men must have known that they would be executed. But, what those men didn’t know was that they’d be executed merely 2 days after being sentenced. And that they would be executed, in front of an audience of millions, watching on their television screens.

As the Jamestown trials began, a noticeable trend began to emerge from the numerous accounts from the members of the Carluist regime. This common thread was the continued belief that Queen Éva couldn’t take the throne of Keymon, based on accusations of “debauchery”. These claims ranged from overuse of swearing to claims of organizing and participating in orgies taking place within Turtle Bays preciously vibrant nightclub scene. When asked by prosecutors to provide evidence that Queen Éva did in fact participate in their alleged debaucheries activities, all sourced claimed that King Carlu and other Pro-Carluist sources had provided “evidence” of their allegations. However, neither the defense nor the prosecution provided the evidence allegedly gathered by these Pro-Carluist sources.

As the sentences for treason began to be handed down (all 20 men on trial where found guilty of treason), the punishments became clear. The court ordered all 20 men to be executed on January 5th, merely three days after the courts ruling. As the men where dragged out of the courtroom, they must have realized that this would most likely be the last time they would most likely see the greater public.

As January 5th arrived, the televisions of Keymon where soon changed to the National Television Network, they saw 20 Men, arranged against a brick wall. As the men in the firing squad lined up to open fire, Keymonites around the nation saw the bodies of people with a wide range of ideas, ranging from absolute monarchism to communism, drop to the floor as gunshot riddled corpses. And as the final salvo rang out, as the final body dropped, Keymon was a changed place.

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As the people of Keymon witnessed the execution of the leaders of the Carluist and Communist rebellions, many wondered what would happen to the POW’s of said rebellions, who are mostly currently working on major infrastructure repairs throughout Keymon. Many wondered if they would be put to death or if they would be punished for their participation in the civil war. However, as now evident, neither of those options are going to occur. Because, starting on 12 AM this morning, all POW’s where officially pardoned by Queen Éva and where given back all property and assets that she be seized by the government after the wars conclusion.

The question of what was to occur to POW’s was prevalent ever since the end of the civil war, when nearly 25k men (female POW’s where immediately released, due to concerns of unplanned pregnancies in the work camps) where made to begin reconstructing Keymon’s infrastructure, which had been severely damaged by the civil war. Those men have been working to repair Keymon’s infrastructure for nearly 2 years, without pay (though they have been housed, fed, and given basic necessities) and calls from Keymonites to end the forceful work of POW’s has grown stronger. We where able to interview members of a protest outside of the Royal Palace, protesting POW’s being forced to repair infrastructure. One protester stated:

These people are being treated like animals. They haven’t been able to see there families, who are most likely suffering, they haven’t been able to go home and assess the damage of their homes, which where unlawfully seized by the government over two years ago. These men have been practically forced into slave labor, the same slavery we freed tens of thousands of Canrillaise people and Royalist POW’s from. It’s just atrocious

With this new government policy, POW’s have been offered the choice between going home and being reimbursed for their labor five years from now, or continuing to work on reconstruction teams, whilst being paid and continuing to live in said work camps (though the government is now calling them “Reconstruction Camps”). Whilst many have taken the opportunity to head for home, many have taken the opportunity to continue working on and rebuilding Keymon’s infrastructure.

One man, who decided to stay with his reconstruction team stated:

It’s hard not seeing your family. But now I’ve got a well paying job, a guaranteed reimbursement for my 2 years of hard work, which my family will get in a few weeks, and now I can legally see my family again. I’m not a criminal anymore, and there aren’t anymore guards flanking us every time we go to work on something. It feels like an actual job, where I’m respected by my colleagues and by my government. This job may be hell on me…but I’ve got a roof to live under, food to eat, and money in my pocket…that’s more than what some people can say.

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As the nation continues to rebuild from the catastrophic civil war sparked by King Gaudino Catena VIII’s death, yet another tragic event has struck the nation. Princess Améilie has passed away peacefully in her sleep, at the age of 65.

Princess Améilie was born in 4710, into the House of Orléans-Vasser-Duex-Rivières, a cadet branch of the Royal Lourennais House. Her life as a youth hasn’t been well documented, but it is assumed she was like most girls of royal class, learning to play an instrument and learning Canrillaise. Princess Améilie married King Gaudino Catena VIII on October 1st 4750, after a 3 year long relationship had formed between the two. Shortly afterwards, the Princess became pregnant with her first child, Princess Éva, who she gave birth to on August 23rd, 4751. Shortly afterwards, she became pregnant once again with her second child, Prince Carlu, who she gave birth to on March 3rd, 4752. Princess Améilie had the main job of not only taking care of the Prince and Princess, but also advising her husband on diplomatic Affairs, such as the Valruzian-Airline Crisis. During the civil war, Princess Améilie had acted as a mediator between both sides, working to end the war without further bloodshed.

The Queen announced earlier today that her mother would receive a state funeral, similar to her fathers, and would be buried next to her father. She stated that-

My mother worked as not only as an advisor to my father, but as a loving wife and a loving mother. She will be missed greatly by me and by all Keymonites. I believe it is best she be buried next to my father, with the honors that my father was rewarded, because she helped my father run the state when so many others failed. She is the reason the monarchy lives till today. And for that, she will forever be considered as Amélie the Great.

Keymonites across the nation have been devastated by the news, many seeing Princess Amélie as a unifying symbol for a harshly divided nation. One Keymonite stated-

She was like a grandma that everyone looked up to and respected. We saw her as a figure that could be trusted and we could unite under to defend her from foreign threats. Now? I just don’t see that happening under Queen Eva.

[Aquinas]

Ganapuli condemns Keymon bounty on King Carlu

[Auditorii]

Verteidigung wöchentlich: Matern Naval Installation construction nearing completion (May, 4776)

[Aquinas]

Malivia demands extradition of Queen Eva over attack on Carlu

[Yolo04]

As the nation continues to rebuild, the government has begun to note the need for the nations economic system to be reimagined. Currently, the main sectors of the economy where the service and agricultural sectors. However, with the EDB announcing a new 5 year economic plan, that may soon change.

The EDB, after performing several studies into the economy of Keymon, made the announcement of the new Five Year Plan at a press conference in Turtle Bay. The head of the EDB, Léone Bourbeau, stated that:

Keymon’s economy cannot simply rely on domestic consumption of services and agricultural produce. If we continue to believe that, we will inevitably find ourselves either bankrupt or with no true geo-economic power in the world, neither of which is acceptable to the government.

To counteract this issue, we at the EDB have devised a 5 Year Economic Plan, which shall swiftly change the nations economic outlook from domestic consumption to international export. We at the EDB hope to encourage the technology and high-tech manufacturing sectors to move into Keymon, which can act as a major hub for said industries throughout the world. We shall do this by introducing a system of subsidization for the technology and high-tech manufacturing sectors, mainly subsidizing the importing of raw materials and finished goods necessary for operation of these businesses. Alongside that, we shall also assist those sectors by subsiding the construction of offices and factories.

We at the EDB firmly believe that the future of Keymon will be found in an export-focused economic system. Once said system is achieved, we shall begin to see the economic success we had previously noted.

Whilst the nations economy has slowly began to rebuild itself, many have questioned the idea of turning the countries economy towards manufacturing, an industry that requires plenty of raw materials to produce a finished product. Some have also questioned the idea of turning the countries economy towards technology, which the nation of Lourenne has a practical monopoly on.

However, Léone Bourbeau has dismissed these concerns, stating that:

We at the EDB are hoping that Keymon’s tech and manufacturing sectors will focus on specific products and ideas that our dear Lourennais counterparts have not explored thoroughly, like unmanned vehicles and superconductors.

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As the EDB continues to push forward with its 5 Year Plan, many have questioned how the government planned to encourage the high-tech manufacturing sector to enter Keymon. Whilst the nation does have small pockets of industrial buildings spread throughout, the EDB has decided to pull together all the industrial power of the nation in several industrial parks, nearby the cities of Golden Coast, Jamestown, Leighstown, and Turtle Bay.

The EDB announced the construction of these industrial parks at the ‘Keymon Economic Development Conference’, a conference where several major industry leaders and the head of the EDB discussed economic development in Keymon. EDB Head Léone Bourbeau stated that:

After intense negotiations with the industrial leaders of Keymon, the EDB came to the conclusion that for the further industrialization of Keymon, we should focus this industrialization into specific areas of major cities, which would allow these industries to benefit from each other’s proximity. These industrial parks will specifically begin focusing on the production of certain, high value products.

Take for example, the EDB plans for the Jamestown Industrial Park to focus on the building of technology hardware products, such as computer processors, motherboards, and optical drives. All of these product are hardware based around technology. We’d also like to begin to construct solar panels and other renewables energy sources. These products will ultimately benefit Keymon, as they’re exported to nations around the world.

These industrial parks have already began to be constructed throughout the nation, despite many environmental activists demanding said industrial parks be cancelled. These industrial parks will reportedly employ 5,000 people, a number which was drastically reduced due to the apparent employing of industrial robots, which will perform the most menial tasks.

Despite numerous complaints from residents of the cities mentioned previously, it appears as if these plans shall continue without end. Perhaps this is what is best for Keymon. A newly industrialized Keymon.

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As tensions between Keymon and Malivia both grow ever more rapidly, many awaited to see what the first move of this new standoff would be. Then, the Malivian government announced that it would solely recognize King Carlu (who had been successfully smuggled to Malivia) as monarch of Keymon. This set off a tit-for-tat set of responses, with the Keymon government placing a bounty on King Carlu, followed by the Malivian government banning all pineapple imports. Even the World Congress was not immune to these attacks, as the Malivian and Keymon representative fought a war of words in the General Assembly. However, now the Keymon government has stepped up it’s response to the Malivian government, by beginning a sanctions regime against the Malivian economy.

The official announcement of these sanctions was made by Queen Éva in her monthly address on national television (often described as “Dinner with the Queen” Talks), where she had begun discussing the economic and political concerns facing Keymon. Around 20 minutes into the broadcast, she began to discuss the political standoff occurring between Malivia and Keymon. After thoroughly discussing the verbal confrontation between the Keymon and Malivian delegate at the World Congress, the Queen announced that she had ordered the Ministry of Commerce to implement sanctions that would begin effective on 12:00 AM, that night (May 16th).

As many throughout Keymon continued to listen to the Queen speak, she further elaborated the extent of the sanctions, explaining that the most prominent Malivian export, cotton, would be easily replaced by new supplies from Vascania and other third world countries. She also explained that, whilst this would potentially harm the Keymon agricultural sector, she believed firmly that the nation could sustain any economic damage brought about by retaliatory sanctions.

The implementation of sanctions marks the newest phase in the Malivian-Keymon Conflict, which has been brewing for nearly a decade. Whilst no actual fighting has commenced (and hopefully none ever shall), this demonstrates that both sides in this conflict are willing to step over boundaries that are rarely crossed, indicating the potential for military conflict.

Whilst many fear a potential military conflict (and perhaps rightfully so), the Minister of Defense has been quoted as stating:

The Malivian military is too busy building toilets to ever be a true and legitimate threat to Keymon. We would be better off being afraid of our own shadows then be afraid of the Malviian military.

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As tensions between Malivia and Keymon cit is to heat up, yet another major blow has been struck to the nations tenuous relationship. The Ministry of Transport has now officially banned all travel to and from Malivia, excluding refugee and military operations.

As Malivia and Keymon continue to engage in tit-for-tat economic warfare, the calls for further action against Malivia has reached the ears of even the most powerful of people. Queen Éva, in yet another of her monthly addresses to the nation, announced the travel ban, stating:

The nation of Malivia has continuously proven itself to be a violent and dangerous place for individuals who are not ethnically Rajutti, as displayed by the Cricket Day Massacre.

These numerous incidents of violence against minorities has convinced me and my Ministry of Transport to ban civilian travel to and from Malivia, with the exception of diplomatic missions. I, as the absolute monarch of Keymon, am responsible for my nations and my peoples protection and I will fight until my last breath to do both.

This travel ban has sparked controversy with the small Rajutti community in Turtle Bay (roughly 5k in number), many of who demand an exception to the ban on civilian travel due to their religion. However, Queen Éva and her government has stood firm on its commitment to the travel ban, even authorizing military action to be taken, if a civilian aircraft from Malivia where to enter Keymonite airspace.

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[Aquinas]

Malivia offers to host talks on "power-sharing" between royal Keymon siblings; Pongy effluent washes up on Keymon coast

[Yolo04]

As Keymon continues in it’s path of economic revitalization, focused on an export-based economy, the nation now has to find ways to secure it’s economic interests. With the nation’s lack of raw materials (excluding small deposits of bauxite and cobalt), the developing industries of Keymon must find a foreign source for the raw materials needed to power the planned industrial facilities across the nation. To better secure the nations economic and diplomatic needs, Queen Éva has flown to Grænnhöfn, the capital of Telamon, to sign a trade deal with the nation.

As the Queen’s plane landed in Grænnhöfn International Airport near midnight on November 4th, she was quickly escorted to a hotel in the capital, which had been firmly secured ahead of time. Once the sun began to rise on the 5th of November, the Queen and her guards hurriedly drove to the * to begin discussions on building economic cooperation between Keymon and Telamon. Following nearly four hours of thorough discussions between the Queen and Telamon’s Prime Minister, the economic deal had been thoroughly drawn up. Following further discussions on immigration and military arms sales, the trade deal was ready to be signed.

However, both sides agreed to postpone signing the trade deal until the next morning, so that both sides may hold the public signing event within the morning. Once the sunrise of the sixth of November rose, numerous Terran news media gathered at the * to witness the signing of the trade deal. As both sides shook hands and put there signatures on the deal, the Queen smiled as brightly as the sun itself.

This visitation by the Queen has been the first time she has visited a foreign country following the end of the civil war, marking a potential turn in foreign policy towards economic cooperation with Keymon’s neighbors. Whilst Telamon and Keymon have previously held decent economic cooperation, this new display of economic cooperation between the two countries makes it clear that Keymon is pursuing a geo-economic strategy of economic cooperation with its neighbors.

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As the nation finishes rebuilding it’s infrastructure and soon plans to enter the second stage of the Alvium Project, many have questioned how the nation’s Dukedoms will be handled when it comes to the question of autonomy. A major concern expressed by the people of both New Valois and of Leighstown has been the fact that current capital, Turtle Bay, is also the capital of the Turtle Bay Dukedom, giving the dukedom, as some are calling it, an unfair advantage over it’s fellow dukedoms. To combat this potential threat to internal security, the Ministry of Infrastructure has announced the construction of a new capital city, outside of all three dukedoms.

The announcement came during a press conference held by the Ministry of Infrastructure, during which, a reporter questioned the idea of having the capital of a dukedom also be the capital of the entire country. In response, the Minister of Infrastructure stated:

We have heard concerns similar to that and we at the Ministry have come upon a radical, yet the best, solution for the problem your presenting. As you know, the nation is still rebuilding from the civil war and it will continue doing so for another five plus years. So, whilst we already have these large construction companies working on large infrastructural repairs, why not have them also construct a new capital for the national government? The capital will be located in a region which is already controlled directly by the monarch, so there will be no disputes over favoring one dukedom over another. This city will also be built along two major rivers, permitting us to use more green energy than Turtle Bay currently uses.

Whilst no physical documentation was reward regarding the construction of the news gorilla building, the construction of a new capital building has caused both anger and hope. Some have criticized the governments idea of building a new capital city, claiming that it would cost the nation far more money than it would be saving it. However, proponents of the new capital claim that having the capital based in a more central location will allow for a fairer political system.

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[Aquinas]

***BREAKING NEWS*** CARLU KIDNAPPED?

[Yolo04]

As companies throughout Keymon begin to settle into the recently constructed industrial parks throughout the country, many have struggled to economically justify there industrial ambitions to investors. Now, to defend the nations newly arising industrial sector, the Economic Development Bureau has announced that it will begin subsiding all companies currently working in these industrial parks.

Whilst the EDB formerly announced the new subsidies only last week, in a press conference held at the EDB Offices, rumors had been swirling throughout the financial world that the government would begin fiscally supporting the companies that decided to set up factories in these industrial parks. However, the rumors where confirmed true at the EDB press conference, where EDB Head Léone Bourbeau stated that-

To further reconfirm our economic and fiscal commitment to these industrial parks that we’ve built across Keymon, the EDB will begin subsiding all companies that currently use said industrial parks, so that they can continue to employ workers in these factories. Whilst we at the EDB are very hesitant to hand out money out of our extremely limited coffers, this is necessary for the continued industrial development of Keymon.

This direct financial support to corporations, such as Vissente Armamenti, has caused anger throughout Keymon, many accusing these companies of receiving “corporate welfare”. Whilst some financial experts question the need for said subsidies, many have also agreed with the EDB that these industrial parks will not be immediately financially or economically beneficial to major companies, and that these companies will need to receive some sort of compensation for investing early into these industrial parks.

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As tensions in the Mad Dog Ocean heated up once more, many questioned Keymon’s ability to defend itself and her interests, with its military infrastructure still being repaired. The Ministry of Defense, noting this major hole in national security, has recently finished off repairing all military infrastructure in Keymon.

The Ministry of Defense began repairing its damaged infrastructure almost immediately after the civil war ended in 4773, as Malivia made it’s intentions of forming a “Greater Malivia” instantly clear. Like civilian infrastructure, many POW’s where employed to rebuild military infrastructure throughout Keymon, most deemed vital for national security. But, as POW’s where released en mass by Queen Éva’s pardon, the military began to have issues concerning getting construction workers to help them repair this infrastructure, which led to the repair of military infrastructure taking far longer than the repair of civilian infrastructure. However, by earlier this week, the Ministry of Defense announced that all pieces of military infrastructure had been repaired and would begin to be fully operational in a few weeks.

The military just now finishing repairing it’s infrastructure, when civilian infrastructure was finished being repaired over a year ago, indicates to the general public, and to all of Terra, that the government of Queen Éva apparently doesn’t care about Keymon’s national security or ability to defend itself. This attitude will inevitably open up the nation to challenges from an ever more powerful Malivia and from nations like Lodamun and Endralon.

One man who shared the concerned that the government wasn’t paying enough attention to the military is Nico Nervetti, Minister of Defense. When we questioned him on the issue, this is what he said:

Whilst it is understandable that other things, such as economically repairing the nation, would come ahead of rebuilding the military, it is unacceptable that it took nearly 5 years to get all of our military infrastructure into a usable state. As the Minister of Defense, I will personally demand that Queen Éva double the militaries budget so that we can begin re-equipping and retraining our forces, so that Keymon can come again become a great military power.

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As rumors swirled throughout Terra, following Malivian reports that Carlu Catena was kidnapped, many had one question on there minds: Where was King Carlu? Many in not only Malivia, but all across Terra wondered this, with some hope that he was either dead, living, or in custody with Keymon authorities (depending on who you had asked). However, as the sun rose on August 8th and the people of Keymon turned on their televisions, they where shocked to see the face of Prime Minister Maria Saveria looking back at them. As she began to talk, millions across Keymon couldn’t believe the words they where hearing. The Prime Minister announced that King Carlu had been brought to Keymon by 3 of his closest friends (who where then given royal pardons and 50 million KED each) and that he, following a closed door trial, had been found guilty of treason and would be executed that very day, at 6 PM.

As the people of Keymon enjoyed there Saturday mornings as bets as they could, the thought lingered in their minds, wondering about the usurper King’s planned demise. As 6 PM rolled around and as the Keymon National Network began to play live footage, from what appeared to be a bunker of some kind, that showed King Carlu standing against a wall, blindfolded. As the leader of the firing squad began to read out the charges to the now defenseless King, small whimpering sounds and, perhaps, even crying could be heard echoing off the poorly insulated walls. As the leader of the firing squad finished his speech, he ordered his men to pick up there rifles and aim them solely at the crying King. People watched and waited for the order to be given…yet it seemed to take forever. Then, like a crack of thunder, the leader of the firing squad ordered his men to open fire, and the Kings chest was soon littered with lead. As his lifeless body slumped forward, away from the post his hands were tied to, the reality of the situation began to land on many Keymonites. The former leader of the Carluist forces had been shot dead in front of them, effectively securing Queen Éva’s place on the throne and permanently dashing Malivian dreams of a peaceful integration of Keymon into “Greater Malivia”.

Many have questioned the significance of this execution in the long and short term. Many have claimed that this was merely a final, violent message for Queen Éva to send to any person who wished to challenge her rule. Yet others have claimed that this execution makes the official end of the civil war and, perhaps, marks the start of a new Era for Keymon.

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