Vascania

National news threads that host the key national news outlets for each of the game’s countries.

Re: Vascania News

Postby Pragma » Fri Jun 12, 2020 9:30 pm

Image
Image
AeroVasca Prepares For Increased Production
Image
Image
Above: The Kanistha Va-52.

The nation aerospace manufacturer, AeroVasca, has announced plans to greatly increase its military production after an agreement with the Ministry of Defence to build upon Luitail-era investment in the national air force. The proposal set out by the committee in charge of military production says that the nation's air force will increase in total size from 300 total combat aircraft to 500 by the end of the next decade, with particular designs on increasing the size of the twin-engine Kanistha Va-52 fighter force from 150 to 250. There will also be increases in the production of the light-weight, multi-role Surasa Va-30 from 100 total to 150 total in service in the next ten years. Both aircraft are named after former Vascanian monarchs.

The production costs will be aided by the government's new keenness to export oil westward and potential contracts with Lodamun and Telamon to purchase large significant quantities of the aircraft for their own uses. A greatly increased Vascanian airfleet could potentially see the Empire increase its military presence in the region and start to assert more authority over its neighbours. The production will also create thousands of new jobs in the Bhaporistan and Utsal factories that serve as key hubs for AeroVasca. These are also areas that voted heavily for the current government in 4768.

Image
Vascania News is the national public broadcaster and information outlet for the Vascanian Empire.
Last edited by Pragma on Wed Jun 28, 2023 10:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

Re: Vascanian Empire

Postby Pragma » Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:42 pm

Image
Image
Multural To Help Vascanian Navy Develop New Technology
Image
Image
Above, from left to right: VIS Dolostipe, VIS Manas II and VIS Sundarata

Tech giant Multural has confirmed reports that it plans to work alongside the Ministry of Defence to develop Vascania's naval technology. This is a major departure from the company's primary investment, social media, though rumours of work with the Navy have existed since the start of former PM Luitail's second term in office. The democratic socialist government, led by Prime Minister Durga Upamash, has been making increasingly strong moves towards military development and this move is seen as an attempt to overcome the barriers Vascania has faced technologically to become a world-class naval force.

Multural has aggressively courted the nation's top technological minds over the last two decades, with high pay and lavish working conditions. The highly versatile employees at the top of the company's structure are internationally regarded for their ability to adapt to new challenges, though the transition to a military helper is certainly in a different league to their previous struggles. Key communication development grandees in Multural will be offered even more lavish pay and expensive training to put their minds to developing new and innovative ways for ships to communicate adeptly between and withinthemselves. Multural says they have 'full confidence' in the ability of their employees to help the navy develop.

The Vascanian navy has been rumoured to be in contention with the Vascanian air force for each new expansion the government announces. With mostcommentators expecting more new military enlargements to come in the future and the army buoyed by a huge potential pool of conscripts, the navy andair force are looking more and more for ways to get the advantage over each other and not just other nations. The Vascanian military has yet to developan aircraft carrier, though it is apparently looking for a foreign sponsor to help it develop a small one in the next two decades.

Image
The Kayal Journal is Vascania's leading business and technology newspaper. It is based on Kayal Island and is ran as a private business.
Last edited by Pragma on Wed Jun 28, 2023 10:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

Re: Vascanian Empire

Postby ChengherRares1 » Sun Jun 14, 2020 8:11 pm

Gabriel Boțan, oldie
Home nations:
Lodamun - main
Kizenia
Rutania

Lodamun above all!
User avatar
ChengherRares1
 
Posts: 699
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:33 pm
Location: România

Re: Vascania News

Postby Pragma » Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:24 pm

Image
Image
Parliament Votes To Claim Outlying Reefs
Image

The Vascanian parliament has voted 602-146 on partisan lines to declare that the Empire is the 'rightful controller' of the various uninhabited reefs beyond the western coast of Khond State. 32 islands, varying in size from 200km2 to less than 1km2, will now be declared to be sovereign, imperial territory. This will allow Vascania to assert ownership of the oil reserves in what is currently recognised as international waters, beyond the 4502 line drawn and currently recognised internationally as the boundary of Vascania's valid oil claims. Experts expect that up to 620,000 bbl/day could be produced by stationing oil derricks in the newly claimed territory.

This is the culmination of several years of increased Vascanian interest in its oil reserves that had previously been limited by the former government environmentalism - and comes after a controversial oil deal between the Vascanian government and Lodamese anarchist groups. This is the most controversial move made so far as Vascania seeks to more-than-triple its oil production capacity and become Terra's leading oil exporter. The government has also made plans to expand its oil reserves to the north-east, an area currently shared by Kurageri and Istapali but which Kurageri is not technologically able to tap into. The move will likely bring Vascania into conflict with Istapali, the other major oil producer in the region - though no foreign governments have yet responded to the move by the parliament today.

Image
Vascania News is the national public broadcaster and information outlet for the Vascanian Empire.
Last edited by Pragma on Wed Jun 28, 2023 10:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

Re: Vascanian Empire

Postby ChengherRares1 » Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:14 pm

Gabriel Boțan, oldie
Home nations:
Lodamun - main
Kizenia
Rutania

Lodamun above all!
User avatar
ChengherRares1
 
Posts: 699
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:33 pm
Location: România

Re: Vascania News

Postby Pragma » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:52 pm

Image
Image
Vascanian Plans Reconfigurement Of Diplomatic Plans
Image

The Vascanian government will be looking to reconfigure its relations with nations in Dovania and worldwide after several years of investment in is exportation and security capacity. The government of Prime Minister Upamash has announced it is planning a potential run for the Security Council near the decades' end, which would offer it a newly increased voice on the international stage. Upamash's government will campaign hard on Vascania's significant regional superiority in terms of military capacity and economic ability, with international commentators expecting Vascania to be announcing further internal investments in the short-term future.

The Vascanian government will also be investing in a number of businesses in the nearby island of Rapa Pile, in particular the 3M medication manufacturing company. The Ministry for Trade and the Ministry for Health will be working collaboratively to import a number of drugs that are not produced natively and can be obtained cheaply and reliably from its northern neighbour. This will be big news for the economy of the small island nation, as Vascania is a large new market with a well-funded public health system.

A royal visit is also in the works to the nation of Malivia, which is regarded as a cultural sister-state to Vascania. Prince Madhu is Emperor Manas' youngest son and one of his most respected relatives, having undertaken a life of religious service and piety. He will be accompanied by his wife. The mission is part of a multi-step program being developed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to increase links with the Artanian nation, based primarily on religious, linguistic and cultural ties.

Image
Vascania News is the national public broadcaster and information outlet for the Vascanian Empire.
Last edited by Pragma on Wed Jun 28, 2023 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

Re: Vascanian Empire

Postby Aquinas » Mon Jun 15, 2020 11:52 pm

User avatar
Aquinas
 
Posts: 9796
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:28 am
Location: UK

Re: Vascania News

Postby Pragma » Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:17 pm

Image
Image
Navy Procures Major International Contracts: Pennington-Reid & Deltaria
Image
Image
Above: Plans for VIS Sagana, a monumental leap forward for the Vascanian Navy

The Vascanian Navy will be enjoying an even greater boost to its capabilities after two major new deals have been struck with international partners. Kazulia-based shipbuilder Pennington-Reid has previously helped Lourenne to develop its first aircraft carrier, and will now be asked to help the Vascanian government to produce a new carrier - called VIS Sagana after the nation's founder, Takarana Sagana. The production of an aircraft carrier, though this one will be small, will no doubt set Vascania apart from the rest of the global far-east and will see the Empire become increasingly prestigious in the nearby sea regions.

Production is expected to take up to 15 years to complete, and Pennington-Reid will be working from Dolostipe dockyard, the empire's largest, in the state of Avidangana. There are numerous logistical and technological challenges to be faced, but if overcame Vascania would rule the oceans between it and its Dovani neighbours. The ship will be decked out in modified Surasa Va-30s. Though not as powerful as the ships of the world's superpowers, VIS Sagana will become the Imperial Flagship and a size, displacement and fuel capacity not to be trifled with. Her potential carbon footprint has already been an issue of contention on social media, though most of the public has so far expressed a positive view of the project.

If successful - which remains a big 'if' - this will be the costliest single ship in the history of the Vascania Navy, as well as the biggest and most awe-inspiring. VIS Sagana is a visual representation of the Empire's indefatigable ambition to become the far-east's first superpower, and the Ministry of Defence has been clear in its briefings that no expense shall be spared. The ship will mostly be based on Deltarian and Kazulian technology, though will be kitted out with a number of technological gadgets developed by native tech giant Multural. Her cost will likely be in the tens of billions of rupees, paid for with oil money.

Image
Image
Above: one of the new frigates bought off of Deltaria by the Defence Ministry
Image

The Ministry of Defence has also procured a contract with Deltaria for a large purchase of 25 ships, to form a new ship group off the north-east coast. The arms deal, the largest conducted by the Vascanian government so far, will consist of twelve corvettes, three frigates and ten minesweepers. These vessels will be modified at Dolostipe dockyard, which has experience modifying older ships from other nations to meet modern anti-piracy requirements. The corvettes, all to be renamed after royal family members, will be vital to the nation's ever-expanding anti-piracy efforts. The frigates will be a show of naval power to discourage foreign powers from threatening Vascania's extensive off-sea oil network.

Piracy has decreased in most of the waters surrounding the large Vascanian Empire, but the government remains determined to crush the remaining pirate forces emanating from Rapa Pile and Temania before it builds any more oil derricks of its coast. The large purchase has also been controversial among government circles, but many of the government's traditional opponents have commended the deal, which will be paid for by the money gained in oil exports over the last few years. The entire fleet will be housed in two new docks already built on the coast of the northern state of Tannaraga. The upkeep of these ships and any modification is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the local area.

The deal was confirmed in a meeting between Prime Minister Durga Upamash and the Deltarian First Minister Alois Horák, held as part of Upamash's tour of Majatran nations. She has also visited Kalopia, and will soon be visiting Malivia to encourage the adoption of the Vascanian monarchy by the Artanian state. This purchase is seen as the first step towards improved relations between the two powers. Their mutual interest in Malivia and the seemingly cordial relationship of Upamash and Horák has sparked rumours that future deals are already underway, though the government of Vascania is unlikely to want to lower tariffs too far considering the Socialists' heavily industrial electoral base.

Image
Vascania News is the national public broadcaster and information outlet for the Vascanian Empire.
Last edited by Pragma on Wed Jun 28, 2023 10:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

Re: Vascania News

Postby Pragma » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:15 pm

Image
Image
Election 4772: Upamash Re-Elected
Image
Image
Election results. Above, popular vote share; below, number of seats.

Vascania has voted, and it appears Durga Upamash will be continuing on as Prime Minister for the next four years. Her left-wing Democratic Socialist Party (Rajutti: Lokatantrik Samajavadi Samu) was able to maintain a clear advantage over all others, though their popular vote has fallen slightly. They will not be renewing their outright majority, but they will be able to govern with the support of the minor parties - who will likely want to see the regional list threshold fall to allow them more chance of winning a seat in each region. The result is an endorsement for Upamash's left-wing populism and developmentalist policies.

The result was disappointing for Upamash's two main rivals - the centre-right-to-right-wing National Action Party (Vasakani Rashtri Karavai) and the centre-to-centre-left New Progressive Alliance (Nai Pragati Gathabandhan). The VRK was looking to build upon its base in the north and south-west, but only succeeded in narrowly winning the north overall. The NPG was hoping to regain its footing in the east and centre, but only made minor gains in those areas and ultimately fell back in the north. Both parties have new leaders who were unable to stand up to the charismatic Prime Minister Upamash.

Prem Joshi's List rebranded to the 'People's Nationalist List' (Rajutti: Lokapri Rashtravadi Suchi), and was able to win a plurality of votes and seats in Kalam Nadu. This was mostly due to a strong showing in Sangora and the surrounding area, a deeply socially conservative part of the Empire. The LRS mostly stalled in the rest of the country, winning a handful of list seats but struggling to win in the constituencies. Prem Joshi remains the party's leader, but has struggled from ill health and was thus mostly unable to join the campaign as an active participant. He did, however, create much uproar at the debates by calling Upamash a 'trollop'.

The smaller parties did not make much inroads in this election. The Communitarians, bereft of decisive leadership, lost list seats throughout the nation and failed to take most of their top constituency targets in Hamal Pradesh and Sanashtra. The Agrarians made not large fuss, though they will be supporting Upamash' government in exchange for new farmers' subsidies and a lowering of the threshold required to get seats on the regional list - currently at 5%; they would prefer 2.5%. The various regional parties had little success, and will mostly fall in line with the Upamash machine.

As a large and diverse country, the Vascanian Empire can be subdivided into four geographic and cultural regions. This allows for our elections team here at Vascania News to further dissect the election results:

Image
North: Kalam Nadu, Tannaraga & Avidangana
Image
Image
Vote shares in Kalam Nadu, Tannaraga & Avidangana.

The north has been narrowly won by the Actionists, who have historically been completely dominant in the region. The conservatives of the region are split, however, between the VRK and the upstart LRS. The LRS is often underestimated in polling precisely because they are so controversial - and frankly, want to be associated with them openly outside of the Sangora area. In the north, the LRS nearly won and in fact was the plurality popular vote winner in Kalam Nadu due to the Sangora factor. A significant 8.6% increase in their popular vote delivered them around a dozen new seats, including one or two gained from the NPG.

The NPG, for their part, took a few steps back in this region. Many in the area voted for Subhas Luitail because they saw him as a bringer of jobs, but now that Upamash has exceeded his knack for naval construction many in the region are voting based on other issues. It is surprising, considering the new naval construction jobs, that Upamash's party still managed to fall back in this region. Most likely, many of their voters in the north of Kalam Nadu and in western Tannaraga were influenced by the energetic Prem Joshi campaign, powered by very enthusiastic volunteers, even though the man himself was rarely there due to his health issues.

Image
East: Rajuttistan, Hamal Pradesh & Zaqrandi Pradesh
Image
Image
Vote shares in Rajuttistan, Hamal Pradesh & Zaqrandi Pradesh.

The east was somewhat of a disappointment for the LSS and is likely where their majority was lost. The area went for Upamash's outfit more heavily than anyone had expected in the last election, and much of the pacifist student vote has been disillusioned by Upamash's grand naval build-up. Perhaps this is what explains the much more significant popular vote drop in the region as opposed to the others, though some have pointed to lower turnout in certain parts of southern, coastal Rajuttistan as another factor in the drop. LSS remains the largest party in the region, however.

The VRK and NPG understand that the road to a parliamentary plurality is paved with eastern stones. Kamalata is rich in constituency seats that they were simply unable to pick off. Despite their best efforts, nobody was able to approach Upamash in Zaqrandi Pradesh - an working class state to its core. Rajuttistan and Hamal Pradesh gifted the right and the centre with some decent list representation, with a few faces who had lost their parliamentary seats before returning to the parliament via the list boost. The VRK and NPG must do better here in future though - to be in with a chance of forming government.

Image
South-West: Khond, Rajavant & Paristan
Image
Image
Vote shares in Khond, Rajavant & Paristan.

The south-west was a prime target for the VRK, who have experienced a surprising degree of support in the rural areas of Khond and Rajavant. It wasdisappointing, therefore, when the region had very little in the way of swing towards the right, perhaps because the VRK overperformed last time around.The area gave a small uplift to the NPG and the Agrarians, mostly due to voters on Rajavant's southern coast feeling ignored by the naval build-up thathas primarily benefited dockyards like Dolostipe in the far-north. Cities like Vakavant on the southern coast do, indeed, have much in common with the very upper-middle-class demographics of areas like Kayal Island.

Paristan is a different story, as it is less rural and more urban than the two states either side of it. It went for the LSS by a strong margin and deliveredfew list seats for the rest of the parties. Khond's increasing VRK tendency makes sense on paper, due to its socially conservative rural voters, but the statepreviously was less willing to vote for people like Harijen F and Hasika Asuri due to the perception that they were northern-centric. Some of these southernconservative also voted for Prem Joshi's people, though not any more than they did last time.

Image
Centre: Utsal, Bhaporistan, Surasa & Sanashtra
Image
Image
Vote shares in Utsal, Bhaporistan, Surasa & Sanashtra.

The central states are the most important to Upamash, because they are reliably hers and the fundamental building blocks of her large advantage over her political rivals. States like Bhaporistan and Utsal are fundamentally socialist areas, full of plenty of pro-military working class people - this area evenvoted socialist back in the dark days of the Bhaporistan unrest, when they were toxic in the rest of the nation. The region provided barely any good newsfor the VRK and NPG, even if they managed to increase their popular vote totals to a slightly less embarrassing figure. The LSS won two-third of the votehere, which demonstrates their dominance in the area.

The Communitarians were hoping that standing still in the centre could be the start of their fight-back. They did fall back here, and fell to fourth place behind the VRK and NPG. In a three-way national battle, the smaller parties simply failed to get a look-in in this area. There are still plenty of supporters of the Communitarians in Sanashtra, but they will need to beat the VRK among conservatives in the states of Surasa and Utsal to get more seats in thearea. The case in Bhaporistan for any non-LSS party remains mostly hopeless, and nobody on the hard left dares challenge her at the moment.

Image
In Summary:
What is so powerful about Upamash's position, and what her predecessor Subhas Luitail never truly understood, is that the Vascanian people want development as a way to empower themselves relative to their neighbours - not as a way to build bridges. Anti-foreigner sentiment runs high, and Ahmadism is increasingly taboo. Upamash has successfully built a grand coalition of social conservatives, moderates and progressives. Luitail was always insistent on having a highly internationalist, liberal foreign and social policy - something that philosophically contradicted the way Vascanian think of themselves, even though they might agree with many of the NPG's actual policies.

The VRK, Community and Prem Joshi are unable to offer a serious, popular vision of Vascania that differs from the current direction. Social conservatism is dominant throughout the country, but those voters do not feel threatened by the left-wing in the way they used to. They know Upamash is not fighting that battle, even if they do suspect she harbours more socially tolerant views than she lets on. As Vascania continues to grow on the international stage, a more traditional and isolationist kind of politics may re-emerge. Right now, however, there is simply no path to government that doesn't appeal to that typical, working class voter who wants to see Vascania stand above its neighbours - not away from them or even next to them.
Image
Last edited by Pragma on Wed Jun 28, 2023 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

Re: Vascanian Empire

Postby Pragma » Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:23 pm

Image

In Memoriam: Prem Joshi

Image
by Ranjithan Chanakya

Friends, today I must share with you the saddest of news. My personal friend and hero, Prem Joshi, has passed away at the age of 55 after a brief illness. While corrupt, establishment doctors may claim he suffered from gout, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, we know that his passing was the supreme god Sanetaku calling him to paradise - or at the very least, a reincarnation greater than we could ever imagine.

Joshi started his career in politics at the age of ten, when he would go around the village with his friends confronting unmarried women and accosting them for their life choices. He was immediately seen by the brahmins of the area as a promising young student, with a big heart and a love for piety and proper order. He soon found himself in journalism after he discovered how to use the internet at age 26 after eight years of intense studying. He came to see it as a way to interact with like-minded people and share his opinions. He was warmly welcomed into the Sangora Post family.

For decades, Joshi fought the good fight against homosexuals, unmarried women and liberals. His sharp commentary led him to national stardom after his entirely correct take on the Bhaporis riots went viral. In calling for the police to use chemical weapons against Bhapori citizens, Joshi stuck up for law and order and earnt himself many fans. This popularity allowed him to enter a new altruistic pursuit: politics.

Forming the Prem Joshi List, he got himself into national debates and the headlines. He fought two elections on platforms of traditional values, expelling Ahmadi leeches from the nation, taking homos off our TV screens, spending the foreign aid budget on a new royal yacht and other excellent policies. He stood up to females on the debate stage, telling them where they belonged and putting them in their place. He put dozens of strong men into the legislature, having himself displaced a flagrant homosexual who had held his home district hostage. He liberated his home and gave people around the country an opportunity to vote for a better future.

Prem Joshi leaves behind a family of twenty-six children, each whom he loved dearly. After five sets of quadruplets and three sets of twins, his wife Arishta sadly passed away due to a chocolate fountain-related accident ten years ago. His twenty five daughters are all happy stay-at-home mothers and his son is an elected member of parliament. They are testaments to the excellent parenting Prem Joshi employed. Some would say that throwing slippers at one's children would make them scared of you, but Joshi's kids looked up to their parents and listened to his wisdom. His two-hundred-and-five grandchildren also loved their grandfather, and are heartbroken by the passing of their Baba. Let us keep them in our prayers, and sacrifice some of our best goats in his memory.

Rest in peace, Prem Joshi.

Image
Currently playing in: Cildania

Image Vascanian Empire
User avatar
Pragma
 
Posts: 1416
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:29 pm
Location: your mother

PreviousNext

Return to National News

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests