Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief: Empire to introduce Civil Service Reform;
First arrests in Organized Crime Cases; Fear of the Unknown to Represent Kalistan
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 30, 5691


Fear of the Unknown release second album for ARC, Lead Single selected for FOMAT

Empire to Introduce Civil Service Reform
As the National Government fights corruption in Sulari, Kaliburg has announced efforts to reduce favoritism in the National and Civil Services of the Empire. Beginning in June of 5692, all Civil and Foreign Service posts at the level of Consular General and below will be assigned based on scores on a new Civil Service General Battery, or CSGB. The battery will include questions about general Kalistani History and Politics, literacy, logic, both formal and deductive, and ethics. Mathematics will be on the test, but will be used to check the systematic reasoning of individuals, rather than the extent of education. Language skills covering Vrassan, Egelian and an optional additional language will also be tested.

"Her Imperial Majesty feels that it is important that Civil Service Posts are determined by competency, rather than station of one's self or one's parentage," said Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue. "When Her Highness the Princess Regent proposed the topic in the House of Peers to gauge their opinion on the matter, most of the peers strongly opposed, saying it would force their children to compete against commoners for live long positions in the bureaucracy and the foreign service. Her Imperial Majesty proposed, as a compromise, that the requirement be limited to those at GS-15 rank and below, meaning that Ministry Branch General Managers and Consular Generals (FSO-15) and below are subject to the exams for entrance and promotion, but higher ranks remain purely political appointments." The Peers for the most part seemed willing to accept the arguments of the Princess Regent, speaking for the Empress before the peers, and the Civil Service Reform passed through the National Assembly on a vote of 59-19-1.

In National Service, the practice of Recommendation, by which children of the Peerage and other influential people can obtain preferential placement in the NSP has been officially outlawed, effective immediately by fiat of Her Highness the Princess Regent. This too angered not only many Peers, but also many Institutional Party Members, who nearly defeated the enactment bill in the Legislature and most of whom had benefitted from the long standing practice of recommendation. The Chancellor was able to whip enough votes by pointing out that it was Her Imperial Majesty who dictated the new policy, after being shocked to learn of its existence and prevalence. "The National Service is designed to put people where they will be most use to the Empire, based on their natural aptitudes and interests," said Lady Donahue. "Recommendation distorts that system, and denies positions to qualified yet non-connected conscripts. Her Imperial Majesty believes that NSP is service to the Empire, not service to one's self and one's future, and has asked the Princess Regent to order it outlawed immediately." The practice will be phased completely out over the next six months so it is no longer exists by the time Her Imperial Majesty musters in in September.

First arrests in Organized Crime Cases
Sulari Police have arrested three men implicated in the Bookmakers' probe last year. All three men are employed by the Bank of Suldanor, and work as personal bankers. The men indicted are Salvatore Martinez, Henry Caldwell, and Andrew Segal. Each man handled at least fifty accounts, and together they are responsible for accounts where more than ₭4.5 million is missing. Each man's computer was seized following their arrest, and hard drives were searched thoroughly.

"What was telling," said Connie Stewart of Sulari PD's investigation unit, "was not what we found, but what we didn't find. The most damning information is that many of the records were altered after the investigation was announced and the records of several transactions to and from the bank accounts we are looking at were erased, likely by the men we have indicted. A detailed record was supplied to the Bank, who was ordered to provide bank backups for the days we are looking for, and they have 90 days to comply. The three men are in custody now, and have been arraigned, and the Grand Jury has returned a 35 count indictment for the three men."

Though all men have been formally charged with 35 counts of tampering with bank records in an effort to conceal criminal behavior, bank and wire fraud, and money laundering, they have been put back at liberty pending their trial. "We are not in the practice of holding most people in jail while they await trial," said Stewart. "These men are free on their own recognizance, and retain their rights, including the presumption of innocence." All three men are expected to retain legal representation during the pre-trial period, which is expected to be scheduled in mid-June. Asked if more arrests can be expecting in this developing case, the detective answered simply, and with no irony, "Bet on it."

Fear of the Unknown to Represent Kalistan
Mordusian-Kalistani Art rock band Fear of the Unknown's sophomore release Dihydrogen Monoxide only generated a minor buzz among record buyers last month: the album debuted at number 89 on the Hot 100 Albums Chart. Its first single, the synthoart-acid drenched "Why Would I do it," barely cracked the top 200 singles chart, and didn't even make a dent on the Top 40 Singles chart. Where it did make a bit more of a splash was on the Experimental Chart, where it burst into the Top 20. From there, it developed something of a cult following, and spent all of February and early this month climbing to Number 3 on the Experimental Chart, and, surprisingly to Number 38 on the KRTVN Top 40 Singles Chart.

When voting for FOMAT opened last week, the song was entered for the competition by listeners in Sulari, who wanted the Second City represented in the Contest. After that, the fans of the tune launched a major online campaign to secure enough votes for the song to send it and its performers, the Mordusian-Kalistani immigrant trio Fear of the Unknown to FOMAT to represent the Empire. Coming into the last day of voting, FotU was still in fourth place behind two alternative rock songs and a New Wave of the RF song. But it got a major assist on Friday Morning when Her Imperial Majesty was quoted in Kalistani Rock Monthly as saying she thought that Fear of the Unknown was the most interesting band in Kalistan right now. After that, calls from fans from across the nation called into to vote for the song, and by the end of the day, it was sitting at the top of the poll, having beaten out 12 other competitors.

FotU's Junior Sweeney said he was floored by the outpouring of support. "We always loved you guys," he said to Radio 1, who called him and put him on the air to tell him that his band will represent the Empire at FOMAT. "This is so cool. And we'll get to see (Mordusia's contestant) Anne Jones at the contest too. She's great. This country is so awesome. Man, good drugs, good music, cool people. It's all love, brothers and sisters!" Sweeney said his band is about to start a tour of the Empire and will wrap it up just before the band heads to Bianjie to compete in FOMAT. "It's gonna be a lot of work, but we should be total veterans when we perform.

You can check out Fear of the Unknown's single, and now FOMAT 42 Entry "Why Would I Do It?" and the B-Side "I know that I'll be Happier" from their second ARC release Dihydrogen Monoxide right here, or check out the whole record, available at any record store near you.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1kvjA7STg]
"Why would I do It" Kalistan's Entry for FOMAT 42 in Bianjie

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkqu1DKyIX0]
B-Side "I know that I'll be Happier" from Fear of the Unknown