Kalistan

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Romero visits Valruzia
"Encouraged" by the formation of Homeland Party
Hel, Valruzia
November 15, 5662


David Romero meets with Jacek Pawlak in Hel Valruzia to talk about Seleyan Yeudi concerns

Representatives from the Kalistani AYIC and the Valruzian Nasza Ojczyzna Party met this week in Hel Valruzia to discuss forging a closer relationship between the two Northern Seleyan Yeudi communities. The AYIC, founded earlier this year, claims to represent the nearly 3 Million Yeudi citizens in Ananto and Kalistan, while the Homeland Party has formed to give political voice to Valruzia's 15 million Yeudi citizens. Both organizations are focused on building and highlighting a national Yeudi identity within their respective nations which is free of external influence.

Romero and Pawlak met for several hours to discuss how the two groups could work together to advance both the national identification as well as a broader Seleyan identity that is separate from the Majatran nation state of Beiteynu. "As we have learned in Kalistan, the Yeudi diaspora, where ever it happens to exist has different interests than the population who happen to live in the nation formerly known as Beiteynu," said Romero in brief public remarks following the meetings. "This is not to disparage our Majatran kinsmen in any way, nor to tell them that they should join us in the diaspora. But we also invite them to follow the example of both AYIC and Nasza Ojczyzna and develop their own identities, independent of the Yeudi population that happens to live in the diaspora. They should know obviously that their interests in building and maintaining their own nation state are clearly not the same as mine, which happen to be in supporting both the Anantan Empress at home and in her foreign policy, and building a movement that is local to our nation and to our region of the world, with a focus on the lives, experiences and needs of the Seleyan Yeudi population rather than the Yeudis who live on the other side of the planet."

Romero expressed that there still remains a kinship with Yeudis all around the world. "I think ideally we would like to see similar movements and organization and associations of Yeudis everywhere there is a decent sized population of Yeudi people," said Romero. "We just don't want Beiteynu to think that they can direct our lives or split our loyalties, as they have in the past. As I have said: God has given me and my family and my neighbors a verdant garden, known as Kalistan to live in. This is the land he promised my own ancestors and descendants. Why would I ever prefer a barren wasteland in northern Majatra, where I have never been, where I am not wanted or well liked, and where I will end up being a second class citizen just so I can live in a land where struggle and conflict are guaranteed for me and my family? Yeudis in Kalistan live at peace where we are. Yeudis in Valruzia are here because they fled from there. These are the places we belong, and these are the places we must focus our time, attention, energy and resources onto."

Romero stated that the policies of the Beiteynese Government in the past were the largest sources of anti-Yeudi sentiment in the world in the last century. "I need not remind everyone here that Beiteynu was the country who deployed a nuclear weapon against Xsampa. What was the reason? It is very difficult to tell. But that disaster killed more people than even the Beiteynese designed missiles fired by Kundrati against Kalistan did. The war and death is plain for all to see. The meddling in other parts of the world to satisfy a parochial blood vendetta that is thousands of years old is also plain for all of us to see. And this provided fuel to collective blame of all the Yeudi people world wide who had nothing to do with any of that, no say in the policy, no vote. We want to make it explict: both the AYIC and the Homeland Party in Valruzia speak for ourselves. And if we loudly criticize the policies of the Beiteynese Government, that means we are on the side of those who prefer peace. But when they target Xsampa with a nuclear weapon, they may as well put a target on the backed of every single Yeudi in the diaspora, because they still claim to speak for all of us. Beiteynu has been the greatest single threat to the safety of Kalistani and Valruzian Yeudis for more than a century. But now, all of that is over."

The two groups meeting in Hel declared a common goal to improve the lives of the Yeudi people in Northern Seleya. "We will work together to push back against groups that would like to deny us our basic rights as citizens of either Kalistan or Valruzia," said Romero. "And we will help each other where we can against common adversaries. My group seeks to provide access for our people and to our community. Mr. Pawlak's group wishes to provide his people a unified political voice. We both are working for the betterment of the Seleyan Yeudi population and so we have these mutual shared goals that we can both work on. And best of all, they are working for the betterment of the communities we ourselves are a part of: Our family, our friend, our neighbors, and our homelands. The Beiteynese can do the same thing if they wanted. They can focus on their own home and leave other peoples' home alone."

Mr. Pawlack also delivered comments, largely echoing Mr. Romero's comments but adding words about the need of Valruzian Yeudis to unite politically to continue to advance the community's interests in Valruzia, and spoke out loudly against efforts to get his new party banned along ethnic lines. "We are a secular party," said Pawlack, "but like all Parties, we are an organization of shared, mutual interests, and those interests are quite unique. Whether we feel Valruzia is growing hostile to Yeudis or we prefer our Valruzian lifestyle over the strict Majatran one, this Party can give us a voice that is our own. We look forward to the opportunity to get to know all of you and talk to you about how Nasza Ojczyzna can help you make your dreams a reality."

The meeting, attended about 350 people, mostly large figures in Valruzian business, administrative and legal sectors, but also a lot of Yeudi activists, received the messages well, and then joined the two leaders for a short demonstration down Hel's main avenue to the City center, where they celebrated.

@TheRepublic

[GreekIdiot]

Amudim
Kalopian-Yeudi AIG signs ₪15M donation to support Yeudi Diaspora in North Seleya
November 5662
https://forum.prtcy.com/thread-3-post-9058.html#pid9058

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Empress wears priceless Hulanevek Diamond in Public
"Stunning," says crowd of onlookers at Orchestra Season Finale
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
December 21, 5662


Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Lady Companion at Orchestra Finale

The most valuable single stone in Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Mary I Ananto's entire gem vault, the Hulanevek Diamond, which hasn't been seen in public in just over thirty years, was on full display on Friday night at the season finale of the National Orchestra in Sulari. The piece played by the National Orchestra in Sulari to close out the season was the magnificent classical piece by Dunic composer Viktor von Strich, the romantic Symphony No 12 "Pastoral." The closing performance of the season was dedicated to the Empress.

Patrons of the arts are quite familiar with the National Orchestra, who choose one major piece to play over 16 annual performances, as well as a review of other works. "Going to all 16 concerts," said Sulari sociality Baroness Heidi Gomez-la Calle, "I've heard von Strich 16 times this season. They play it excellently. But the real pleasure from the annual pass comes with all the other little concertos, sonatas and chamber pieces they play. Each program is different and it finishes off with the Major piece at the end, so it's always fun to listen to these artists perform these pieces."

The Empress and Her Highness the Lady Companion Victoria Jensen showed up immediately before the beginning of the first program of the evening. As she arrived, all conversation halted and all eyes turned to her, an upon her head, fixed to a diamond chain diadem, was the glittering Hulanevek Diamond, first received in Kalistan by the Black Empress, Empress Pavlina I Ananto-Hulanevek, then passed down through Empress Carolina, Emperor Fredrick III and then to her. The last time the famous, and priceless diamond was seen in public was on Her Imperial Majesty's Coronation day in November 5532 and then only in photos. But here it was the legendary diamond, in full glitter, the centerpiece of an already excessively opulent diamond tiara, itself made entirely out of diamonds and white gold.

"When I first saw the Lady Companion enter with her own stunningly fabulous diamond necklace on, I thought I had seen it all," said Gomez-la Calle. "But then, as it turns out, set directly upon her forehead, like some kind of Vascanian Goddess, here is the Empress with the Hulanevek Diamond right there, attached to two strands of diamonds encircling the crown of her head, with a single anchoring strand going over the center of her head, just to hold the thing in place! It was blinding. Literally everyone in the room stopped talking and stared, until Lady Donna (McConnell of Jah County) bowed deeply, and all others followed suit. My heart was racing. I thought I would fall over dead right there."

Most of the people didn't know first that the Empress would be in attendance, or second what the Hulanevek Diamond looked like, and only later did it become widely known that she had worn it to the Orchestra. "My husband asked me in the middle of the second piece if that diamond was well known," said Baroness Gomez. "I explained to him that this was the Hulanevek Diamond. And I told him about the curse that is supposedly on that stone. He said he had heard of the diamond but never the curse, and so as I tried to tell him about it, that it is widely sought after but only can be possessed by the person to whom it is directly given by the last owner, and that if it is stolen, it will kill whoever stole it immediately, he said he didn't believe in a curse like that and then the Lady behind us rudely told us to be quiet and listen to the program."

At intermission, the crowd was informed that Her Imperial Majesty would be in the Lobby to greet the attendees of the performance personally, and a cue formed as people lined up to bow or courtsy to the Empress, and see her face to face. As many of the theatergoers were commoners, most had never had the opportunity to meet the Empress in person before. One little girl, ignorant of the rules of protocol, waited her turn, and when she arrived at the front of the line, she watched her mother courtesy to the Empress, she mimicked her, and then pointed at the diamond to show her mom. The Empress knelt down so she was at the small child's head, looked her in the eye and said "Would you like to touch the diamond?" The girl's eyes grew wide, she looked at her mother for permission, and her mother very slowly nodded her head, and the little girl stuck out her pointer finger and moved it to the stone. The Empress smiled, the girl stepped back in awe and the Empress stood back up and nodded at the girls mother.

"We all watched that happen," said Lady Gomez. "The funniest thing was, that little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old, didn't really know who the Empress even was, but when she touched the stone, just then, by coincidence, the lights dimmed briefly and then came back up to let the crowd in the lobby know that the intermission would be over in 3 minutes. The little girl likely went away convinced that she caused the lights to dim, when it was just an accident of the time."

The appearance of the Empress with the Hulanevek Diamond in Sulari was all anyone talked about the next day. At the end of the performance, Her Imperial Majesty rose in her Box Seat and applauded the orchestra, as the crowd applauded her. "She was the image, in fact, the personification of grace," said the Baroness. It was such an experience to see her there. I know she comes to the Orchestra fairly regularly. It's not strange to see the nobility attend, or even occasionally royalty. But tonight was something special. It is a season finale I will certainly never forget."

@LaModa

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FM Explains Rildanorean Visit
"We don't support Foreign Intervention into Seleya"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 1, 5663


FM Hewlett Appears on "Kalistan Today" with Terrance Albertson

In a popular daily call-in show through Radio Kaliburg Kalistan, the host of "Kalistan Today", Terrence Albertson scored an interview with Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister Mr. Jeffrey Hewlett, concerning the recent visit of the Rildanoran Diplomatic Staff. At many times the exchange between the two was tense: Albertson is a known supporter of a more liberal orientation for Kalistan, and has frequently supported increased liberalism in the economy and in the political system.

"It is imperative that Kalistan counters foreign intervention in Seleya," said FM Hewlett. "Failure to respond sets a dangerous precedent for those nations out there who are sharpening their knives and licking their chops for the moment when they can descend on Seleya and carve us up for their own benefit. We see it starting to happen in Rildanor. Who's next? Aldegar? Baltusia? Valruzia? Kalistan?"

The minister defended Her Imperial Majesty's decision to accept the first overtures from the National State of Rildanor. "First let me clarify something," said Mr. Hewlett. "The government in Rildanor is not on the island of Meriath. Meriath, as it is now, is a break away territory that is being propped up by a foreign power, in this case definitely Egelion. It is an illegitimate state in revolt and a protectorate of the Kingdom of Egelion. And furthermore, it is likely that Beiteynu, who seems to be behind a lot of this kind of stuff, is also behind Egelion's invasion of Selaya. So honestly, Mr. Albertson, Why would we recognize them? It would be like Suldanor declaring independence after getting the green light from someone like Dorvik, a countery all the way over on the other side of the planet, and then when Kalistan goes and attempts to put down the revolt, a foreign navy interposes itself between us and the revolt to ensure the revolt's success, and then claiming Port Elga as its payment for helping a revolution to success. That's precisely what happened in Meriath, and we would never support that, not in Kalistan and not in Rildanor."

The Foreign Minister was clear that it also saw commonality in ideologies. "The legitimate government of Rildanor has declared its purpose to be nationalist development of their state. For centuries that benighted land was a mere latifundia of Canrille: A backwater that was deliberately kept underdeveloped for the purpose of extraction of resources. What is clear is that some people, who have apparently declared themselves to be the successors of Canrille, and are seeking to re-establish a relationship they were never a part of in the first place, are not satisfied with a nation attempting to improve itself without the watchful eye and careful cultivation of a mother state. But every nation committed to both national development and Seleyan identity ought to side with Rildanor, not Meriath. This is a Seleyan cause, one nobody can expect a Kerisian state to understand."

Hewlett took a strict national development line on Rildanor. "We invited them because we would like to be there to help them balance the scales. Aircraft carriers are one thing, but what Rildanor needs is infrastructure and development, that they own, that they control, and which will benefit their nation. Upon the visit of Foreign Minister Simon Bruneau, I was asked to offer him whatever aid his nation will need. He was non-committal on the aid, which is understandable: The last thing anyone wants is to interrupt the process of national development. But he knows Her Imperial Majesty has made the offer and we are willing to work with them on a host of issues, short of direct military involvement in Meriath."

The foreign minister pushed back on claims that Rildanor is violating civil liberties from the Mr. Albertson. "Well, I think there will be a time for civil liberties," said Mr. Hewlett. "But first of all, they just got out of a war and need to rebuild, and restoring order is far more important than enabling the opposition to keep causing disorder and chaos in the state. And besides, not everyone shares your love of liberalism, Mr. Albertson." Albertson countered that he is not a liberal. "Please, Sir, don't insult me," said Hewlett. "I happen to listen to your program daily. You support capitalism, you support democratic pluralism, and you rarely say a good thing about the benefits our state brings to this society and this continent.

"Look", he continued, after Alberston attempted to interrupt him. "Rildanor opposes capitalism and communism. We do too. Rildanor opposes liberalism. So does Her Imperial Majesty's Government. It is a plague. Neither of us supports parliamentarianism or political pluralism. Neither of us support internationalism. We have a lot in common. Certainly a lot more than we have in common with the Egelian virtual colony in Meriath, a place that actually claims to like all these things that we oppose, though the reason for the revolution in the first place was because the radicals in Meriath didn't like the outcome of an election, and anything else is a thinly veiled attempt to justify the unjustifiable. Why wouldn't we stand with Rildanor? They have been attacked by radicals and foreign interventionists. Kalistan wouldn't want that to happen to us, why would we stand by when it happens to others?"

Hewlett handwaved other objections. "First of all, its not a double standard, Mr. Albertson. No... No sir. Kundrati was and still is an actually fascist state. They had concentration camps, gas chambers, storm troopers, illegal medical experimentation on their prison population, a prison population that lived in virtual slavery... the list goes on and on. Their supporters were fanatics. We see none of that in Rildanor. And quite frankly, it insults the memory of those who lost their lives fighting the actual fascists in Kundrati for you to even attempt to compare the two countries."

And he continued, "And second of all, we don't just 'hate republics' as you say. We trade and have great relationships with plenty of republics. And plenty of constitutional systems. That is not the issue here. Our point is that Rildanor is a country worth working with, and so we will. And to be quite fair, if Egelion had not swiped a naval base for themselves as a spoil of a pure war of choice in a part of the world they really have no business being in, we wouldn't even know where Rildanor was. But they decided to do that, likely at the urging of some dark forces that are moving once more in the world. So, now we do know where Rildanor is. And we want to help."

The Foreign Minister said he intends to make a reciprocal visit to Rildanor in the summer of this year, and would bring with him a formal offer for exchange of Embassies. "Kalistan does not maintain a diplomatic presence in Southern Seleya. That needs to change. Ideally, Her Imperial Majesty would like to place an embassy in Alkenne Rildanor. That will be something for our next discussion. At the very least, Rildanor has moved to Kalistan's top tier of states that we need to pay attention to, and so it is now on our ongoing agenda."

In conclusion, the FM said "We did not ask for this role, but now that it is in our face, it's one we embrace. We hope to discuss Rildanor with other nationalist States in Seleya as well. As this sort of naked foreign intervention is a concern for all of us."

@TheRepublic

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Empress announces abrupt halt to Rildanoran Talks
Issues of Base still outstanding, says Her Imperial Majesty
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 15, 5663


Her Imperial Majesty speaks in Session of National Assembly on Rildanor

"It turns out that our policy on neutrality was the correct one," said Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto. "It is one we should have stuck to. We are also correct to protest the naked powergrab in Meriath with regard to the stolen naval base on the Island. But there needs to be significant re-evaluation with regard to our position vis a vis Rildanor." These comments came directly from the Empress during her recent visit to the National Assembly, and signaled a halt in the ever so slight warming in relations with Rildanor.

During the speech, Her Imperial Majesty explained what happened since comments that appeared to fully support Rildanor were released at the very beginning of this year. "We've discovered a number of important pieces of information that have moved us on this topic over the last couple months: First, the initial position we held of cautious neutrality was correct. If seems that from Kalistan's perspective, we cannot abide a break away supported by a foreign power in Seleya. That invites a horrific precedent that is one we cannot set. Kalistan will act everytime this happens in our continent. If there is one pillar of Imperial Foreign Policy, stretching back to the Nicolettes, it is this: Seleya is for Seleyans. Full Stop.

"However: we also, at the time said that we had no evidence that Rildanor was tipping fascist. And we have maintained this the entire time. From what our sources saw, authoritarianism and anti-liberalism is not equivalent to fascism. Anti-capitalism is not equivalent to fascism. Outlawing Parties who are not committed to national unity is not fascism. Rildanor themselves told us their government was not fascist, but described themselves as third positionist. But what can you say? You can agree with someone 85% but if the remaining 15% is not negotiable, 85% is as good as 0%. Kalistan does and always has taken a hard line against Communists and Fascists alike. After looking a bit deeper into what is actually happening in Rildanor since their FM left in late December, the 85% was no longer enough."

Her Imperial Majesty gave much of the focus for an altered foreign policy to Gaduridos, whose Majority Party, the PSSG presented a more nuanced view than Kalistan had, and one, it appears that Kalistan is far more comfortable with. "We had the opportunity for a long conversation with several member of the PSSG in Gaduridos, as well as the Viceroy, His Excellency Lord Treviño in Gaduridos, who laid out the position of the Government of our closest and dearest friend and ally. While the issue of the military base remains firmly on the table, they were able to make the distinction between opposing the naval occupation of even a square inch of that land by Egelion, and supporting Meriath's opponents in Rildanor, which we no longer can. We found, listening to these important Gaduri voices, that we too could separate the two issues, continue to pursue our own legitimate security interests in the region, and not stand with a nation whose ideology violates a key component of our own. Our issue is with the Naval base in Meriath. We need to talk with Egelion to learn more about this, to hear their thoughts. But we don't need to stand with fascism to do it." Her Imperial Majesty thanked His Excellency, the Viceroy specifically for the clarity on the matter.

To remedy the Kalistani misjudgment, Her Imperial Majesty announced that Kalistan has officially halted further talks with the rightist government of Rildanor and will not be advancing a plan to put an embassy in the nation, nor agree to further talks about development aid in the country, until such time that they explicitly disavow, in word and deed, fascism to Kalistan's satisfaction, and seeks meaningful and good faith accommodation with their break away province with an aim to reincorporate the island into the Republic and restore order in the region. "Until that time, we have no interest in Rildanor," said Her Imperial Majesty.

She also applauds the recent statement by Instituto Rosalana Garcia, which is closely affiliated with the PSSG, and therefore reflects to some degree the view of the Gaduri Majority. To support, Her Imperial Majesty has committed Kalistani assistance to the Institute's project of hosting Rildanoran refugees, and helping them integrate into Gaduri society until such time as they either decide to stay permanently, or wish to return home. "Their aim is noble and just, and without exception we support making a safe and secure place for all within this Empire, and we endorse the Gaduri response wholeheartedly, even the comments about democracy and civil liberties in Meriath if that is the sort of place the people there demand for themselves. The Gaduri position is the position of the Anantonese Empire."

Furthermore, Her Imperial Majesty wants to send a diplomatic delegation to Egelion to discuss the base issue. "Without making comment on the chararcter of the Rildanoran Government or the validity of the Revolution in Meriath, the issue of the Base on that Island still troubles Kalistan greatly. This is the first time since Likatonia that a non-Seleyan State has established a full time military presence within Seleya. The base was, if the tune is to be believed, a 'gift' from the Meriath Government. But the base is a transfer of the patrimony of a Seleyan state, whether you call it Rildanor, as we do, or you call it Meriath, as Egelion does to a NON-Seleyan rising power. That must be objected to. We do not recognize the government of Meriath as the legitimate government of the nation, so under that line of thinking, Meriath would not have the power to transfer its territory to another state in the first place, but while that matter is a contentious one, the fact that it is going to a non-Seleyan nation is the real trouble. If Egelion leased it for a time, we would see that as a different matter. But to outright seize it, as Egelion did, we would encourage all to evaluate the consequences of this. Kalistan doesn't often adhere to global norms, but the silence of the liberal portions of the world to seizure of foreign territory is not only deafening, but it is also quite telling that the liberals in this world as just like Kalistan. No better and no worse, because you all only adhere to norms when it suits you too."

To add a little salt to the burn, Her Imperial Majesty continued: "Can you imagine if it was Kalistan instead of Egelion who did this? Who sent its navy to ensure the victory of a revolution and then declared that it is now taking a Naval Base to project its power into a completely new part of the world? Could you imagine the repulsive howls, the crying and whining of the liberal nations in Terra about the injustice of this action? We still get criticized for going to Kundrati, killing actual fascists, taking nothing, and returning home. How much more would these babies whine about international norms if Kalistan actually took a base for itself and began asserting its dominance in a part of the world it had no previous interests in? It's nauseating to even think about it, which is one of the reasons Kalistan does not engage in that sort of behavior. But... When its Egelion... silence. So be it. It's the world we live in. The issue between Kalistan and Egelion therefore remains contentious, and we need to sit down to talk to try at least, as good neighbors, to come to some mutually agreeable resolution."

Her Imperial Majesty said she would like to discuss with Egelion how to work out a solution to this issue which ensures that both nation's interests are acknowledged and discussed. "We do not have hope for a settlement that will make Kalistan happy. Possession is, after all, a fait accompli. We merely hope to talk with Egelion to better understand the situation there, and see if there is any overlap of our interests regarding that base. If not, we will expect to see Egelion support when we reclaim our own national territory from the usurpers who have been sitting on it for centuries." (Edit: This thinly veiled reference to Athosia and other crown lands was later dismissed as a joke by Deputies in the National Assembly. -ed.)

Her Imperial Majesty said she will await a response from the Egelian Ambassador in Kaliburg to her overture and then will ask the Foreign Ministry to set up a summit, possibly in Altea, later this year. She concluded with her desire to inquire about Beiteynese involvement in the affair. "They have done this sort of thing before, we do not doubt they will do it again," she added.

@TheRepublic

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Superlative MCs, the Addisjah Hip Hop Supergroup releases Debut
"This is a one time thing," says Ibn bin Islam
Addisjah, Duchy of Vrassa
April 24, 5663


Superlative MC's Debut Album "Letter to Addisjah" debuts at Number 1

The hip hop supergroup Superlative MCs, made of the duo of Learned Teacher and Ibn bin Islam, who is better known in the Addisjah boutique hiphop scene as Ill Will, have released their debut album Letter to Addisjah on LCR in Sulari. Both MCs are well known in the Hip Hop scene in Addisjah and decided to join forces and talents to create a hip hop masterpiece.

It looks, however, like this supergroup will be a shortlived limited life project. "Learned is my brother," said Ibn bin Islam, who recently became Ahmadi in Addisjah. "But this is a one time thing for me. Our album is kind of my farewell to hip hop, as I study my faith. We wanted to do at least one album together, but by the time we were big enough to score a distribution deal with LCR, God had other plans for me."

Both MCs are quite famous in their hometown, but the nature of the "Boutique Style" of Hip Hop, a movement which emerged from the conscious rap movement a couple decades ago, led these two artists to focus their efforts at home. "Learned Teacher and I both do a lot of cyphers, which are a lot of times freestyles and battle raps, but they involve playing off one another. The result is that the rhyme schemes get pretty complex. Lots of multi syllable words and that kind of stuff. Its hard to translate this stuff into a profession, if you know what I mean."

But bin Islam also added that both rappers have made records under their own names as well, as well as appearing on other people's raps. "We don't just stand outside some store and freestyle all day," he said with a laugh. "That would be ridiculous." Bin Islam, as Ill Will, also plays supporting roles in a number of films before converting to Ahmadism.

With both rappers so well known for their complex wordplay and illustrative bars, the success of their team-up was almost guaranteed. "We were approached by three different labels and a handful of independents," said Learned Teacher. The only one who gave us the kind of studio time, distribution and back end deal that we were comfortable with LCR, who already is a huge name in Hip Hop production. That's really the best thing for us, because we just wanted to make the dopest joint in the history of Hip Hop. I knew my brother Ibn was making some changes in life, and I basically was like 'Dude, we ain't ever gonna have another chance to do this.' We had the deal, we went into the studio, and we treated it like a cypher, brought in some friends and it came out better than we could have dreamed. And LCR was as good as their word. And now, the record debuted at Number 1. I mean... prayer works, you know?"

Indeed, Letter to Addisjah, which has been eagerly anticipated by hip hop fans did indeed debut at Number 1 on the Album charts, and is well on its way to being certified gold: It has sold more than 145,000 copies already, selling out of its first printing on Day 2 across the Empire. And this album is also a critical smash. It has an aggregated score of 96% favorable on chartz.com 5/5 on KRTVN Reviews.

The consensus report reads "Superlative MCs live up to their name in this magnum opus of Boutique Hip Hop, where the words come fast, they require several listen throughs to pick up, and they require quite a bit of thought to actually get. This is not your High School Dropout's hip hop album. It's a cerebral, extremely well produced and masterfully delivered album: There is so much wordplay and complex rhyme scheme stacked in this record, it is sure to be on constant repeat for any hip hop fan for the next six weeks."

Bin Islam was flattered at the praise. "I am not going to say I didn't think that we had something here," he said. "I'd say me and Teacher have been paying our dues for ten years now. We ought to be at the top of our games, respectively. But otherwise, I didn't expect this level of acceptance for our kind of hiphop. Its very location specific, you know. You won't find a single reference to anything but Addisjah on Letter... So I imagine a good part of the country won't get most of it. But I think it also kinda fills a void in Hip hop right now, and so a lot of things happened right that made this success possible, and a lot of it had nothering to do with either me or Learned Teacher. We're just grateful and I am moving into this new phase of life on a very high note."

You can check out all of Letter to Addisjah right here, or watch their first video recorded as a promotional movie for the single "One Two Three" on KRTVN and right here:

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuJaStSL0xM]

@KalistaniRawkMonthly

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Housing Boom across Kalistan and Ananto following Rent Control Law
All new Units are capped at 10% of a worker's Monthly Income
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
June 10, 5663


This 18 Plex in South Sulari is one of many new multi-family units going up under new Rent Control Law

A housing boom is being felt across Suldanor, Odufaray, Vrassa and Ananto, as Kalistan's Free Cities are aiming to dramatically increase the housing stock for Kalistanis over the next 5 years. The growth requires various Ducal and Free City Housing Authorities, who control more than 65% of all homes in the Empire of Ananto to cap rent at 10% the tenant's monthly income. The new law also provides hundreds of millions of Imperial Rubles to cities and Ducal Governments to fund the construction of new Housing in Kalistan's cities and towns.

"The goal of Her Imperial Majesty's Government," said Her Imperial Majesty's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Bradley Newburg, who is overseeing the new construction, "is to provide affordable housing to all Kalistanis. We have found that the issue isn't simply a matter of number of units available, but both quality and affordability. What goes does it do to have 100 units on the market if they are outside of the normal worker's price range? There is significant distortion in the market and it is pricing whole swaths of the Kalistani population outside of the market."

The policy comes in response to a sharp uptick in homelessness in Kalistan and Ananto over the past five years. "We've seen a lot of developers and corporations in the private market exploiting loopholes in the law for their sole benefit," said Minister Newburg. "This has led to a sharp rise in both home costs and rent in our cities. In Kaliburg alone, in the private market, we've seen a growth in rent of 47% over the past two years alone. It's obscene, and this is the result of price gouging. We know those responsible and if they refuse to stop acting like capitalists, by god we'll turn capitalism against them and beat them at their own game." Newbury noted that it's not technically illegal to raise prices to market rates, but what is legal isn't always ethical, "and if we have to pick one, we pick ethical every single time."

The new law allows land lords to continue to enforce their current mortgages at their current rates, but if an existing tenant moves out, their current home falls under the new rules. "The Government understands that there are some who wish to continue to live in their homes and pay higher rents: Perhaps this is a prestige thing, but the general increase of rent according to 'what the market will bear' if it were a formal agreement, would represent an illegal collusion between private actors. The tricky thing about the market is that it doesn't need to be a formal agreement between owners. They simply look around them, see what others are charging for comparable property and then raise their own rents, whether they have done anything to justify the increases or not. It's totally informal, but our goal is to artificially glut housing supply so that the market can no longer justify rent increases, and will have to cut landlords' margins to make their homes competitive--this will either result in directly lower rent as people move from high rent apartments and houses across the street to a rent controlled one, or indirectly for those who live in rentals already whose landlords need to offer a better deal to keep their tenants."

The various housing authorities, which are democratic institutions in cities, towns and counties, will have oversight over compliance of new housing with the law, and property managers may be brought in to work as Trustees of the public property. "Of course, it will be a job within the public sector," said Minister Newburg. "We will also utilize the NSP to help contractors with labor on building projects in the four of five duchies who are receiving new housing funds. By five years we expect to have enough homes to depress the rental market in the private sector, and virtually eliminate homelessness in our free cities and towns across the Empire."

The Duchess of Nevaras, Her Grace Kimberly Nevaras-Northern, has opted to pass similar legislation within her own Duchy. "The Duchess has opted to not take funds from this program, because her duchy has the lowest homelessness rate in the entire Empire, given her demesne's low population density," said Minister Newburg. "Her Duchy's plan is to help people to build their own homes either within various municipalities or in the rural parts of the nation, while putting a rental cap at 15% for all new private construction. We applaud her Duchy's innovation given its unique circumstances in the Empire."

The news of housing growth is very welcomed across the Free Cities, who have been asking for a serious commitment to housing for years now. Construction season is in full swing across the Empire, and the first homes will be in the control of the local and regional housing authorities by this October. It is expected that building will continue in Suldanor through the winter, but the building season traditionally ends in the north with the arrival of the fall rains and snows on the plateaus and in the mountains.

@TheRepublic

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Minor Princess wins top honors in Wilson River
"I will be competing in Luxon in August" says 17 year old surfer
Wilson Beach, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 1, 5663


Minor Princess' prize winning run in Wilson sees waves more than 15 feet

It was an excellent day for surfing in Wilson as the Kali Pipeline Tournament kicked off on June 20. This three day competition pitted some of Kalistan's best young surfers against one another and is one of the three major tournaments in each summer's "Triple Crown Competition" (the others being Dana Invitational in May and Luxon Open in August). This year, Her Highness, the Minor Princess Nicolette-Carolina Ananto-Collins, who is still 16 years old, took first place in the women's category, though she lost the overall category to Sulari surfer Mike Dawson, who also won the Dana Invitational and is the favorite in Sulari for the Triple Crown. If Dawson wins the Luxon Open, he will be the first surfer in 24 years to win the Crown.

The first two days of the competition is called an "elimination round" where surfers have a half hour to gain points by surfing waves spectacularly. They get points for length of rides, and bonus points for time inside curls and carving wave faces. A run needs to be successful without wipeouts or bails to score points. In this way, 32 surfers are whittled to 16 for the final day's competition where they have an hour each to score as many points as possible during their time, and the top point getters in both male and female groups are declared winners of their group, while the top point earner over all is declared winner of the tournament. "They have gender segregated categories because, although men and women surf the same water," said Minor Princess Nicolette-Carolina Ananto-Collins, "it's not entirely fair to pit the men against the women. Women tend to surf more stylistically and can stay within tighter curls longer than most guys, because women are shorter and tend to be thinner. So we often just end up with more points, based on how the runs are scored. But the overall score is fair because of the top male scores and the top female scores, it usually averages out 50-50 female and male-Men tend to have longer runs and can do more carving on the face than women can."

"I am very proud of the Minor Princess," said Her Highness Princess Margaret Ananto-DeLaurentis, who has taken the role of defacto coach for Team Nicolette. "She has progressed so far in such a short time. And she has two more seasons ahead of her too. I think she has a real shot in Luxon." In fact, the win in the Women's category in Wilson qualifies the Minor Princess to compete in Luxon which is considered the championship contest of the Kalistani Surfing Circuit."

"The waves in Wilson are quite a bit taller and a bit more dangerous than at Sunset," said the Minor Princess. "But I have surfed Sunset in so many different conditions that Wilson was a challenge finally. We're further into the Swell here, and there's more of a challenge." Wilson's waves are indeed generated by the Luxon Swell, however, the large waves which run at 45 degrees from the shore as the Swell enters the deep undersea channel created by the swift Wilson River running into the ocean generate large waves in a very specific zone. "Like a Hard Ski Slope, there's like easier bunny beaches, like Sunset and Playa Suldanor near Sulari, where the floor is long and sandy, and then there's like black diamond beaches, like Luxon which have a reef and a submerged ridge of volcanic atoll." Wilson is rated intermediate to hard, but the Minor Princess said she has surfed Luxon many times and is excited to compete.

"We really hope for the best this August," said Princess Margaret. "I think she's ready, and I know my sister, Madame Victoria and my nephew will all be there to cheer the Princess on!"

@LaModa

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Dawson scores Triple Crown at Luxon
Minor Princess takes 4th Overall
Luxon Beach, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 10, 5663


Mike Dawson (above) named Greatest Living Surfer with his win in Luxon, Minor Princess Nicolette (below) does respectably

Mike Dawson, age 25 of Sulari has scored the coveted Triple Crown of Kalistani Surfing, allowing him to join the pantheon of greats. The last Triple Crown winner Karl Swanson, from Dana, who won the three major Surf Competitions at Dana, at Wilson and Luxon in 5636. Swanson's untimely death in 5640 makes Dawson the only living Triple Crown winner, and therefore the greatest living Surfer. Swanson was humble in his victory, and thanked the Kalistani Surf Association for running the circuit, as well as his manager, his sponsors and his fans. He also thanked the other surfers in the competition for such an enjoyable season, and for keeping to good sportsmanship.

Dawson grew up on the waves, and began his career in the amateur ranks of club surfing in Sulari and Dana. He won his first Sunset Competition when he was 14, and took his first Major in Dana at the age of 17. After completing his term in the NSP, Dawson went professional, accepting a sponsorship from Santa Elga Boards in Sulari, and surfing competitively in his early 20s. At the beginning, everyone paying attention to surfing in Kalistan knew that Dawson was just about to hit his stride and did he ever. Besides taking the Triple Crown, Dawson won several minor tournaments, and did surfing expositions in Luxon, Dana, Yoshimi, Dulnerstaad, and Port Swedes. He was the odds on favorite with betting agents in Sulari, and met everyone's great expectations for him. Now the reigning Kalistani Champion in Surfing, Dawson wants to become an international ambassador for the sport, and hopes to do surfing tours around the world to popularize the sport abroad.

"Internationally, we know there are some killer swells," said Dawson earlier this summer. "Likatonia, Aldegar, there's some hotspots in Dovani and Macon where wave conditions are right. It would be rad to surf all the biggest waves in the world, and after this season I am going to take some time off of competition to travel the world, and show off what we do to the rest of the planet. Surfing is not generally popular in Terra: but there are some communities here and there. I'd like to go out and meet them and really kind of immerse myself in the whole world scene."

Dawson may be a hero in the Kalistani surfing world, but another story coming out of Luxon this year is the fact that Her Highness, the Minor Princess Nicolette-Carolina Ananto-Collins. At just under 17, she wowed judges and fans alike with her stunning performances during this year's competition. "What's cool about the princess," said Dawson after the Contest, "is that she just goes for it. Sometimes there's some waves that look pretty gnarly out there, but she just waits for them to kind of pick up the pace a little and when they start to break, she's on her feet and rides the hell out of them. It's so impressive to see a girl that young with no fear. I think she's gonna do important things in this sport."

The Minor Princess took 4th over all and 2nd in the Women's Category at Luxon, finishing behind Dawson, and then her team mate on the Dah Surf & Tan team, Marta Jones-Calliendo, who places second, and Douglas Ferrell of Luxon, who finished just behind Dawson, but took third overall. "I had a wipe out, right at the end," said the Minor Princess. "I thought I heard time, and jumped off the board. That was really the biggest ride of the day, right at the end of my time period and would have been massive, but I just stupidly bailed before I hit the reef, and lost major points." Her average points per ride, however, were significantly higher than most of the other surfers in the competition, and solidified her reputation as an up and comer in the Surfing scene.

"She just has a lot of talent," said Dawson. "All the surfers on the circuit this year would turn out to watch her ride, no matter what they were doing other wise. It didn't matter... Princess is on a wave, we got the tv on watching her. Most of the time it was to watch her beat almost all of us, but we recognize our betters in this sport, and I might have the triple crown, but I have been surfing as long as she's been alive, so I see what's coming up on me in my rearview. Sometimes, we would also see her crash and burn because she's trying to do something that she probably shouldn't do, and since we all kind of adopted her as like a little sister, many of us, me too, would count the seconds til the wave rolled by and we could see her head pop up on the other side, and then we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. She might be part of royalty, but we also all know she's one of us too. Her and her cool Aunt. Surf Royalty."

The Princess said she and Mike Dawson were indeed friends on the tour this summer. "He's very professional, and he's very old," said the Minor Princess. "A lot of us will be sad to not see him next year if he takes his tour. But he said it himself: he has a wanderlust, so. Hopefully he'll come back before my last season before I go in the NSP. We'll all miss this little but important part of our friend group."

@LaModa

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Kalistani News in Brief: Princess named Countess of Green County
Kalistan passes first Sumptuary Laws around display of Gems, Kalistan to undergo review of Naval Needs
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 1, 5664


Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins and Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto in Eveari

Princess named Countess of Green
Her Highness, Princess Nicolette-Carolina Elizabeth Ananto-Collins, upon achieving her Majority in September, became eligible for a Peerage and induction into the Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke. Her formal induction into the secret Order came in mid October, when she was officially named a Royal Lady Companion and received her peerage, the County of Green in North East Ananto. Green County is the mostly rural, picturesque territory north and east of the Green Mountains, which includes both the town of Bozo River as well as the Bozo River Combined Air Ground Training Center and several important geothermal power generation plants that help power the island. In her entitling, The Empress commanded the Princess and new Countess to focus on development of the region aiming to improve transit and mobility through the area as well as the development of municipalities. The Countess will retain the title for life, and will be expected to maintain a home in the county, which will likely be in in Bozo River.

Following her formal induction ceremony in Eveari last month, the Princess was given a reception dinner. While at the dinner, surrounded by the nearly two dozen formal companions in the Order as well as their invited guests, the Princess said she was honored to be among such illustrious luminaries in Kalistani and International politics. "The group of people assembled here are the true movers in the world. Kalistan knows our friends, we take care of our friends, and we look to our friends to support us as well. I have heard all the stories about this ancient Order, and some of them cannot be repeated here, because they are true. But what I do know is: if you aren't a part of this Order, you are missing an opportunity. And those who are know exactly what I am talking about. It is an honor to stand with you in support of our Sovereign, our Empire, and our Order."

The 18 year old professional surfer and student is finishing her last year in High School and will join National Service just before her 19th Birthday.

Kalistan passes first Sumptuary Laws around display of Gems
The National Assembly passed a new Sumptuary Law, dictated by Imperial Fiat, which outlaws the public display of certain gemstones to the General Public. The law passed 60-14, with 5 abstentions in the National Assembly last week, and specifically outlaws the wearing of Amethyst by anyone not a member of the Royal Family, and Rubies and Emeralds by anyone not a member of the Peerage. All other stones remain legal for commoners to wear.

"These stones are stones of our State," said the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Jennifer Alvarez-Miller. "They are as much of a symbol of the Empire as the flag, or the National Assembly, or the Wilson Bridge is. They are instantly recognizable, and are associated with Her Imperial Majesty and the crown specifically. Therefore, it is as reasonable to ban their public display as it is to make laws prohibiting the usage of our National Flag in advertising."

The law declares that while people may own these gemstones, they may not wear them in public, or they can be confiscated. "House Ananto offers compensation to all those in this nation who wish to grade and sell Amethyst, Ruby and Emerald to House Ananto in either Kaliburg or Sulari, but as this law makes it illegal for these stones to be worn in public, if a person is discovered to be wearing them, they can, and will be confiscated without compensation, as they are now violating the Sumptuary Law. A person whose jewelry is confiscated can retroactively seek a settlement from House Ananto, but it is not guaranteed as it would be if the trade in was voluntary on the part of the individual."

Peers will be required to hand in all amethyst they possess to House Ananto as a royal dictate without compensation. This includes all amethyst jewelry, raw crystal or geodes containing amethyst. "Amethyst has been named the stone that symbolizes the Royal Family, and therefore has essentially been nationalized," said the Chancellor. "Peers, unlike commoners, must obey royal dictum as a matter of fealty oaths, so, there will likely be no monetary compensation. The trade off is that they are allowed to retain their Emeralds and Rubies and display them in public. Such is the will of Her Imperial Majesty."

Kalistan to undergo review of Naval Needs
The Empire of Ananto and Kalistan is a nation whose security is based upon a robust and active navy which covers the entire Northern and Central Anantonese Ocean. Therefore, Her Imperial Majesty's Ministry of Defense has ordered a fleet wide review of the needs of the Navy.

"This will include every asset in all four fleets of the Regular Navy," said Navy Chief Admiral Allen Forrester. "We want to look at not only the conditions of the ships, but also the readiness of our crews. We want to look at naval logistics are handled: How to fuels and supply our ships more efficiently, how to deploy them more effectively, how to guard against new and emerging threats to our Sovereignty and our national waters. All of it is up for review, and all of it will be made public once the review is completed. Warts and all."

The review will be the first all fleet review since the end of the Kundrati War. "We were in a major war, which sunk one of our fleets. We were in rebuilding after that, and took receipt of some major new assets from our cooperation with Hutori, and we've been pretty much on alert since the beginning of the Rildanor situation," said Admiral Forrester. "If something were to break now in the system, it would probably break a lot of things that we aren't even thinking of. So now is the best time to do the review, and if we put it off til tomorrow, tomorrow will be the best time to do the review. We need to make sure all is well in the Fleet before we actually need everything to go well."

The review will take place over the next year, and then the final report addressing deficiencies, noting successes and suggesting efficiency and effectiveness improvements will take another year to compile. All units associated with the Regular Navy are expected to take part, including those hybrid public-private contractors who supply the Navy. Once the report is finished, it will be released to the press, and will likely be celebrated or scrutinized, based on the reader's opinion of the Regular Navy, rather than anything that is actually written in the report.