New Verham

[Rogue]

Former president Altansarnai launches "Straußist Front" party
November 18th, 5480

Former president and PAP leader Jargal Altansarnai has launched his own political party, the Straußist Front, subsequently announcing that the party will run in the upcoming provincial elections and in the next general election. The new party identifies itself as a "Liberal Conservative, Nationalist political movement" with Altansarnai as its first political leader. The former president, who ran as a independent presidential candidate last election, was long rumoured to be pressured into making his own party. Altansarnai is a openly Straußist politician, in favour of devolved governments, liberal conservatism and a pro-market economic policy. He was voted out as PAP leader in a tight leadership race against current president Sarnai, before announcing a independent run in order to maintain the presidency. Now, with the help of some notable former Straußists of the PAP, he has launched the new party which will compete in the upcoming provincial elections. Altansarnai noted that "this party allows those that feel a distance from the PAP following its transformation to find a new home. Straußism should never be a forgotten ideology and it is up to those that allign themselves to it to keep it alive."

Current polling suggests that the Straußist front could potentially do well in Sudland, while also performing well in the Capital District as well as some central provinces. In the capital district, the party polls second just behind the PAP, showing the potential of this newfound party. Some Straußists within the PAP have denounced the new party with MSC Khada Dokholkhu, parliamentary leader of a prominent Straußist faction in the party, stating that "Straußism is rooted in the PAP, this party serves as nothing more then yet another divider for the ideology and our chances at winning elections." Political commentators sight the presence of the more radical Straußists within the new party as a potential danger sign for the new party, with Altansarnai likely going to attempt to keep the party moderate to attract more voters.


The released logo of the Straußist Front


in the moment is a Luthorian language, short-form news website specializing in rapid-fire coverage, with a focus on Dovani. Reporting on affairs throughout the continent, it has dispatches in several countries.

[Rogue]

State Security Service warns of "disrupting extremism"
30th of November, 5480
Baatrynsentii, National Capital District

Director of the State Security Service, Albert-Jan ten Brinke, has issued a public warning on what the agency describes as "disrupting extremism." The warning comes following defense cuts and reforms which have sparked debate amongst experts on whether New Verham is prepared in case of national and international security threats. Potentially as a response to these reforms, director ten Brinke issued the public warning in a interview with "In the moment" last night. ten Brinke, himself coming from a Vanukean nationalist background through his family, left his family at the age of 18 to later become active within the PAP and a advent supporter of unitarism. After leaving politics at 43, he was appointed director of the UABA (Ulsyn ayuulgüi baidlyn alba or State Security Service) by then President Altansarnai. In the interview the director described the situation at home before his departure, saying that the "hostile attitude towards the state and continued disregard for regular political discourse created a explosive situation hard to defuse." He saw first hand what nationalism, separatism and extremism did to his family and made a active choice not to be a part of it.

Now, ten Brinke says, that extremism and distrust has come back full force as parties like the new Straußist Front seek to "exploit distrust and uncertainty for political gain." While devolution has tamed the flames of seperatism for a long time, ten Brinke also notes that it has given in to "some of the more extremist forces within the separatist movement" and that devolution allows these groups to gain traction. While the warnings are somewhat tame, there seems to be a clear and serious fear within the intelligence and security apparatus that political extremism could break the fragile status quo in the country, creating security threats not seen for decades. ten Brinke further named the recent defense cuts as a "worrying sign" that the security situation isnt being taken seriously. When asked if he believed the current PAP-SN coalition was weak on security ten Brinke refused to comment, stating that "it is not my place to make that determination, that is up to voters and politicians."

The Evening Post is a nightly newspaper focussing on defense, national security and foreign policy issues.

[Rogue]

Consequential state visit sees New Verham and Lourenne enter new era of cooperation
15th of July, 5481
Eroncourt, Lourenne

President Sarnai and a delegation of ministers state-secretaries and other government officials visited the Lourennaise capital of Eroncourt earlier this week in what has been described as a "clearly consequential visit." The president went on a official state visit to the country, meeting with High Chancellor Isabelle Santabarbara as well as several other Lourennaise government officials. The visit, announced just a month prior, was meant to bring the two nations closer together and to introduce the two leaders with one another. What came out of it was far more then that however. After what were described as "extremely amicable talks" the two leaders hammered out a deal lucrative to New Verham and strategically important to Lourenne. At the same time Dovani might also be heading towards an era of further cooperation as a result of this visit.

Just 5 hours into the visit, Sarnai and Santabarbara held a joint press conference, answering journalists their questions and setting a friendly tone for the remainder of the visit. At the end of the press conference, it was President Sarnai that announced New Verham its entry into the Dovanian Council, with Santabarbara noting Lourenne would also be joining the organization as a gesture of cooperation and friendship. This move is seen as a positive sign for regional cooperation, with the council being noted as a important forum for its member states to conduct diplomacy and work together on the international stage. Lourenne noted the importance of the Dovanian Court of Justice, citing it to be the main reason for joining. With the entry of these two states, the organization is expected to gain a much needed boost and become more important for regional diplomacy.

While entry into the Dovanian Council already was major news, the visit continued for another three days. President Sarnai held a speech in front of Lourenne its Assembleé Royale, praising the important role Lourenne has played in the world and expressing the hopes for a new Dovanian era, an era of "peace and progress".

At the end of the visit, joint press releases by both the Office of the President and the Office of the High Chancellor announced that Lourenne would be granted permits and licenses to construct and operate a air base and naval base in New Verham, with Lourenne to be granted the guarentee that they can operate these bases for at least the next 20 years. In exchange, while vague, New Verham is to gain significant investments into its manufacturing, green energy and finance sectors. The deal is seen by Baatrynsentiim as a way to gain a valuable ally, while at the same time benefitting the Verhamese economy. The additional security presence is also welcomed, with New Verham itself cutting and downsizing its armed forces in recent years. For Lourenne the bases allow it to have a presence at the Sea of Carina, allowing it to operate more freely on the Dovanian continent.

The state visit ended with President Sarnai thanking the Lourennaise hosts for their "warm welcome", before departing on the presidential plane. The visit is seen as historic by observers, noting the impact of new and friendly relations and entry into the Dovanian Council. The security agreement is also seen as consequential, with Lourenne finally being granted a foothold in the Sea of Carina and gaining a important defense partner in the region.

The Evening Post is a nightly newspaper focussing on defense, national security and foreign policy issues.

[Rogue]

Straußist Front suprises in provincial elections, becomes second party in New Verham
July 20th, 5481

The PAP has won the provincial elections. With nearly 22% of the vote the party managed to retain its position as the largest in the provinces. Suprisingly however, the new "Straußist Front" has managed to capture second place, winning 20% of the vote in what many see as the largest win by a new party ever in New Verhamese politics. The party of former president Jargal Altansarnai managed to even win outright in 3 of the 10 central provinces, getting in a position to form a governing coalition. The PAP retained control in all other central provinces except for the Capital District, in which the Democratic Party-Democratic Unity alliance won the overall amount of seats.

The Democratic Party had forged a electoral coalition with the Democratic Unity party in 4 of the 31 provinces, winning in at least two of them under this alliance. Democratic Unity, a big-tent party, failed to overcome the treshold in the last national election. With these results under their belts, calls within both parties head towards a potential merger. The Socialist Party came in third, behind PAP and SF, to win in three provinces. The party, currently in the governing coalition nationally, has benefitted from a decision by the Democratic Labor Party to support it in the local elections. The DLP did not run any candidate this election, opting to conserve its strength ahead of the next general election. The results, despite an overall win, are still a blow to the ruling PAP which has failed to keep the Straußist Front at bay. Altansarnai celebrated with supporters last night as his party became second, vouching to work on the local level to form coalitions and "become an active governing partner." Controversies surrounding the Front did arise however, with one of their provincial leaders calling on an end to Sudland autonomy in order to "keep those Ostlanders from taking over everything." The comment sparked outrage from other parties, which vouched not to enter a provincial government with the SF in the respective province.

Subsequently several new provincial governors were appointed, as at least 15 of the 31 provincial governors had their term end on the same day as the election. In New Verhamese politics, this is sometimes reffered to as the "great reshuffle." Under the constitution, it is the president that still appoints the governors despite any governor needing the support of their provincial legislature to form a functional government. For at least 10 provinces President Sarnai appointed PAP veterans. In one province, the one expected to be highly supportive of the SF, the president appointed a independent governor to oversee potentially hard negotiations. In other provinces where the SF won the governors still have two years left in their term. The elections are seen as a indicator on which parties could do well at the next general election, with the SF surging and posing a real threat to the governing coalition its chances at maintaining a majority.


The largest party per province, with bright red denoting the OVFP, the deep blue denoting the OVSP, purple denoting the DP-DU alliance, orange denoting the VVP and the other colors originating from the national parties

in the moment is a Luthorian language, short-form news website specializing in rapid-fire coverage, with a focus on Dovani. Reporting on affairs throughout the continent, it has dispatches in several countries.

[Rogue]

Government to nationalize parts of energy sector
Baatrynsentii, New Verham
9th December 5481

The Ministry of Industry, Infrastructure and Public Works has announced that it will nationalize parts of the energy sector in order to "strengthen the state its position in this field." The move comes after a visit to Eroncourt in which Lourenne pledged to work with New Verham in elevating its green energy sector. The energy sector is currently largely private owned, with government regulations in place in order to keep electricity and other energy products arriving in a timely order to bussinesses and households. The new plan, detailed by the Ministry in a memorandum to congress, will see the state further nationalize the Ayanga Electricity company. Ayanga has been largely state owned in recent years, with a 65% stake for the government in the company. The plan will make that 100%, making Ayanga fully state operated. To further its green ambitions, the ministry is also planning to aquire Urgamal Khüch Kompani, the Verdant Power Company, which is a private green energy producer so far mainly operating in Sudland and parts of central New Verham. By nationalizing the company, the government hopes to expand its operations across the country and use the pledged Lourennaise investments and technical aid to increase its capacity.

By increasing the state its involvement in our energy sector, we ensure that we have the capacity and operational strength to further our ambitions at a quicker pace then could be done under a largely private sector. The nationalizations should not be seen as a attempt to cast aside the private market, but more as a method to increase our pace on ambitions surrounding green energy and overall energy infrastructure, a method private companies can use and work with. We welcome any private initiatives to work with these state companies in order to achieve our overall goal, reliable energy that is both green and abundant.

Said minister Suke Khorihilemunaisi. The plan is set to cost an estimated 8 billion in total, further increasing a already growing national debt. Oppossition parties, mainly the Democratic Party, have criticized the "out of control" government programs introduced this term. Left-wing policies in the realm of economics and infrastructure have caused a increase in spending. Despite this, President Sarnai stated that he is willing to "accept the short term losses for long term gains", citing that he believes these programs will enable the state to further develop the country and set the stage for growth and better living standards in the years to come.

Medeeutas (Newswire; stylized as Medeeutas.) is a breaking news outlet available on both radio and television, with dispatches throughout Dovani.

[Rogue]

Verhamelen Republic elections see VVP retain electoral dominance
Zuidervoort, Verhamelen Republic
17th December 5481

The Vanukeaanse Volkspartij (VVP) has retained its absolute majority within the unicameral 150 seat Legislative Council (Wetgevende Raad). The party has ruled the republic since its inception and has retained absolute control over it in all those years. This election saw the VVP once again elected with a absolute majority of seats, capturing 81 seats and 53.4% of the vote. The second party was the Vanukeaanse-Verhamese Eeinheidspartij (VVEP), which won 24 seats and 16.1% of the vote. The VVEP, advocating for a closer relationship with the national government, has been the main oppossition party for at least the last 20 years, failing to beat the ruling VVP even once. Other parties that won representation were the left-wing Vanukeaans Welzijn (VW), right-wing nationalist Nationale Kracht (NK) and several national parties, such as the PAP, ULP and the Socialist Party.

Current Verhamelen First Minister Jurre Bloemendal came on stage at a party rally in Zuidervoort, speeching to the 8000 supporters present. Bloemendal is set to enter his third term as First Minister under a VVP majority government. Under his reign, the republic has seen a period of relative stability and economic progress. A centrist, Bloemendal has not pushed for Vanukean independence within the country, at times calling for more autonomy and criticizing the national government but always coming back to the negotiating table in order to govern effectively. Nationale Kracht, a split from the VVP, has entered the Raad for the first time ever, capturing 4 seats and 2.3% of the vote. Despite this meager result, the party capturing seats on its own is notable, as it is the only party in the Raad to call for outright independence from New Verham.

With the VVP its massive victory, the next five years are likely to see a continuation of already existing policies, focussing primarily on economic issues and not so much on the issue of independence. Whether this course could end up elevating the NK at the next election is open for speculation.

Medeeutas (Newswire; stylized as Medeeutas.) is a breaking news outlet available on both radio and television, with dispatches throughout Dovani.

[Rogue]

The statue in front of the new Heritage Museum

Heritage Museum opened by minister Bukidai
8th of december, 5478

Baatrynsentii: Amidst great fanfair Minister of Culture, the Arts and Sciences Narin Bukidai opened the New Verham Heritage Museum in the capital of Baatrynsentii. The new museum, constructed in six years time, was first meant to become a museum dedicated towards teaching about the founding of the nation. As the new PAP-SN government took office however, President Sarnai personally ordered the museum to only include the history from Mönkhdevshilm onwards, thus leaving out all that came before it. While criticized by primarily the United Liberal Party, the move was welcomed by a population eager to relive the time in which Mönkhdevshil took power and brought the nation back to a stable era.

The opening ceremony saw Minister Bukidai cut the ribbon at the entrance of the museum, entering together with the press to go through the timeline of Mönkhdevshil taking over to present day. The museum has been categorized into different sections, meant to allow for a smooth transition from one era to another. Special attention was given to the early periods of Mönkhdevshilism and Mönkhdevshil's reign, citing this period to be the true "heritage of modern New Verham." President Sarnai took to social media to highlight the new museum, saying that we should keep our heritage close. This museum allows us to remember Mönkhdevshil and all he has brought us, i am honoured to see it opened for you all to enjoy!

The opening of the museum follows a pattern of the coalition government which seeks to push for a return of praising Mönkhdevshilism in New Verhamese society. President Sarnai recently visited the National War Memorial in the city of Soukanai to commemorate those that fell during the civil war. In the visit, he lashed out against "those seeking to erase our history and all we fought for", with commentators arguing he spoke of Straußism and more specifically the Straußist Front.

The National Voice is a nationwide newspaper in New Verham focussing mainly on political and domestic news

[Rogue]

Central Bank warns of growing budget deficit
January 20th, 5482

President of the Central Bank of New Verham, Suke Adkiragh, has publicly warned for the growing budget deficit in a interview with !n the Moment. Adkiragh did so following the annual Financial Conference in Baatrynsentii in which he was a keynote speaker. During his speech, he argued for a mixed-economic policy that maintains "a healthy reservation for fiscal conservatism." Adkiragh was appointed nearly 9 years ago by then President Toghemur, a Straußist and liberal conservative politician. This is Adkiragh his second term, with his term ending next year. In the interview given after the conference he noted that he was seriously concerned about the growing budget deficit as it could endanger the health of our finances in the long run.

Currently, the budget deficit has risen from 0.2% of GDP at the beginning of this term to over 3.9% of GDP, meaning billions in additional spending this term and a growing national debt. While the Sarnai Administration has defended its policies, noting it accepts a higher debt in favor of further development, Adkiragh has gone against this point of view. He argues that the current spending scheme of the government is not substainable and that continued excessive spending will burden future generations with excessive debt. He also argued that the things that the budget is being spend on, such as nationalization of energy, do not have a significant impact on the economy or living standards in the country, arguing that this is "wasted spending."

While President Sarnai is reportedly angered with Adkiragh his oppossition towards government policy it is expected that he will not be replaced. The president is rumoured to let Adkiragh finish his term, which ends next year, and will then appoint a Mönkhdevshilist president for the central bank more alligned with government economic policy.

in the moment is a Luthorian language, short-form news website specializing in rapid-fire coverage, with a focus on Dovani. Reporting on affairs throughout the continent, it has dispatches in several countries.

[Rogue]

Climate refugees suprise Darkhan provincial government
June 5th, 5482

Governor of Darkhan Province, Mergen Gal, has declared a provincial state of emergency as the province is facing a unexpected refugee crisis. The coastal province, situated in the north-east, has been faced with a large stream of "climate refugees" largely originating from Mina, Istapali and Nsanlosa. In recent years these countries have been facing extreme drought, largely caused by a changing climate in the region. While the north of Istapali, Mina and Nsanlosa had always been dry, recent years have turned them into true deserts with the water sources available slowly drying out and rain being a rarity in the region. It is estimated that at least 31 million people live in this region. Due to this changing climate thousands had already fled the region to head south, seeking better fortune in the more green parts of their own country. But as cities overcrowded and the area continued to dry up fleeing south was no longer an option.

This has led to at least 40.000 asylum seekers ariving on the New Verham coast in the last year alone, with the majority ariving in Darkhan Province. The refugees use makeshift boats and costly smugglers to try and cross the Sea of Carina, seeking better fortunes in New Verham and the rest of western dovani. Besides those that actually arrive, it is believed that a total of 9.000 refugees have died in the Sea of Carina in the last 3 years. These deaths are largely the result of the boats themselves, with at least a quarter of the refugee boats either sinking or becoming unusable halfway through the journey. So far, the smugglers have managed to stay out of the hands of authorities, largely due to exorbitant bribes or simply a lack of government control in many areas along the Minese coast.

The Darkhan government under Governor Gal has now declared a state of emergency and has reserved at least 20 million in additional funding to construct emergency shelters for those that arrive. Governor Gal has stated that the refugees will be largely kept near the coast, as he expects a vast majority will not be elidgeble for asylum and will thus have to return. The Ministry of the Interior has announced that it will step up the presence of the Home Guard in Darkhan Province, helping local authorities with managing the processing of those that arrive. Local officials are also calling upon the central government to take the issue up with the Dovanian Council in order to create a "regional response" to the emerging crisis. This request has so far gone unanswered.

in the moment is a Luthorian language, short-form news website specializing in rapid-fire coverage, with a focus on Dovani. Reporting on affairs throughout the continent, it has dispatches in several countries.

[Rogue]

Dagasi Sokhatai during a catwalk earlier this year

Fashion icon Dagasi Sokhatai launches new fashion brand
14th of June, 5482

Baatrynsentii: New Verhamese fashion icon Dagasa Sokhatai has launched her own fashion brand simply called "Sokhatai". The new brand focusses on accessible, casual and semi-luxurious clothing according to Sokhatai herself. Dagasi has been an icon in the fashion industry, largely thanks to her appearance in fashion commercials and a variety of beauty contests in New Verham. She became most known for calling out the fashion industry last year, as she smashed the brand she was suppossed to promote by saying "you shame women, so i say shame on you." The criticism came as the brand, Nokokai, had been charged in a civil lawsuit for alledgedly denying women a chance at auditions for being "to fat" as well as forcing existing models to undergo extreme fasting rituals in order to maintain their "skinny persona." While Sokhatai lost her job at the brand and did not get hired by any of the other brands, she gained wide praise from New Verhamese women for standing up to the company.

With her new brand, she seeks to be fair to everyone and create a brand in which any person in New Verham would feel comfortable. She launched the brand with the grand opening of the first Sokhatai store in the Mönkhiin khökh zakh (Eternal Blue Bazaar) in the capital of Baatrynsentii. The first store is large, with over 12.000 square feet of store space. The new store features at least 2000 original pieces of clothing exclusive to Sokhatai and designed by Dagasi her team while another few thousand items come from retailers across the country. Following opening Dagasi expressed her hope that the brand would grow out to become a clothing chain, seeking to open more stores if the concept catches on.

The National Voice is a nationwide newspaper in New Verham focussing mainly on political and domestic news