Jacobean Cildania (5321 - 5369)

[Wu Han]

Guiliano Alagona to divorce wife Mundhir after four years of marriage
10 February 5330

Former Prime Minister of Cildania Guiliano Alagona and his wife Mundhir have announced they are divorcing after four years of marriage. The pair have two children together. In a statement posted on Mundhir’s social media accounts, she cited the stresses of frontline politics as a key factor in the separation. Alagona has served in the Cildanian government for the past nine years.

Guiliano Alagona and Mundhir al-Rahimi were first pictured together in 5324. At the time, he was Cildanian foreign minister and had recently finalised divorce proceedings with his second wife. The relationship caused a minor scandal due to the twenty-five year age difference between the couple: al-Rahimi was only twenty-three years old at the time.

The announcement follows a difficult six weeks for Alagona. A disappointing performance in last month’s snap general election means his party have been forced into opposition for the first time in their history. Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the former Prime Minister announced that he would be taking a two-week break from politics to recuperate. During this time, he will holiday in Lourenne.

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Originally posted by Jamescfm on 10 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Guiliano Alagona engaged to Lourennais model Marie-Noëlle Moineau
23 February 5330

Serial divorcee and former Cildanian Prime Minister Guiliano Alagona is engaged to nineteen-year-old Lourennais model Marie-Noëlle Moineau. Alagona has spent the last ten days relaxing at a luxury resort in Beaumont-sur-Mer. It was only thirteen days ago he announced his third divorce!

The pair are thought to have met at an exclusive resort on the Lourennais coast. Moineau had been staying with gal pal Sabrina Lefeuvre, while Alagona was thought to be staying alone. Not anymore! Photos of the two looking loved up in the sun first surfaced earlier this week. Few would have expected such a whirlwind romance though.

In a post on social media captioned simply “LOVE at first sight”, Moineau showed off a stunning diamond ring to her 134,000 followers. Martina Degiorgio, our resident jewellery guru, said, “this is a beautiful choice of ring that reflects the passionate love the couple must share”. How much would a ring like this cost? Martina estimates in the region of 1 million francs.

Friends and fans of Moineau showed their support in the comments section of the post. “Wow! So happy for you <3”, said Lourennais tennis player Anaïs Bonhomme. “GLOWING”, wrote a fan. Not all of the comments were positive though, with one user adding “omg wtf, he could be her dad”.

Moineau will be step-mother to Alagona’s seven children, including twenty-six year old Elena and twenty-four year old Kyran. Right now, there is no date set for the wedding. Speaking exclusively to Talk of the Town, Moineau said, “I never expected this to happen but I feel like I am dreaming. I have never felt love like this before”. When more details emerge, you know where to find them!

Taħdita tal-Belt is a Cildanian tabloid magazine and website that reports on the biggest celebrity news and gossip across the world

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Originally posted by Jamescfm on 10 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Ilħna | "Voices"
"Your Source for Cildanian News"

People's Choice Joins Big Tent Coalition
Early 5330

QART QILDAR -- Following the much-publicized collapse of the Alagona-led cabinet, which was brought down by People's Choice leader Redentur Piscopo's fiery speech in the Council of Deputies and the fresh elections held in January, People's Choice has once again entered government as a junior coalition partner. Former Defense Minister Nunzio Piscopo is now serving as Internal Affairs Minister and former Science and Technology Minister Sebastjan Pellicano has been reinstated. Joining the People's Choice frontbench are Xand Piscopo, heading up Infrastructure and Transport, and former Ilħna journalist Katerin Stefanin leading on the Environment and Tourism portfolio.

"I am very proud of our continued growth as a party and, indeed, as a movement," Redentur Piscopo told Voices. "I am confident that we will continue to present a real alternative for our voters. After all, when you give the people what they want, they will speak loudly and with one voice." "I feel that we could work with just about any political movement," the septuagenarian founder of Għażla tal-Poplu responded when asked about his party's preference for working with the left, right or big tents. "As long as our voters are represented in government, then we have a purpose for carrying on."

Internal Affairs Minister Nunzio Piscopo, seen as the real political force behind GtP, has promised to "clean up the streets," and "ramp up investigations into corruption." It remains to be seen what legislative fixes the Minister has in mind.

Ilħna is the closely-held media empire founded by Redentur Piscopo, who also leads Għażla tal-Poplu.

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Originally posted by Reximus on 11 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

7 February 5331
Deputy Tonio Pullicino renews PK call for deregulated animal ownership
Deputy Pullicino's proposed 'Responsible Animal Ownership Act' would allow Cildanians to own and trade in endangered, wild, and exotic animals without government oversight

➥ Deputy Pullicino (PK) speaking to reporters in Qart Qildar

Qart Qildar, Aqildar Principality: Unfettered and unregulated animal ownership has long been a policy position advanced by the Constitutionalist Party (Partit Kostituzzjonalista; PK) in the Council of Deputies, though proposals to that end have been routinely defeated when brought to a vote. Deputy Tonio Pullicino (PK), however, believes that his proposed Responsible Animal Ownership Act of 5331 may yet achieve success.

“Cildanians love and respect their animals, and know how best to take care of them,” Mr. Pullicino told reporters outside in Qildar this morning. “I have faith that, God willing, Cildanians will soon be free to practice their love with any animal they choose.”

Mr. Pullicino and the Constitutionalists in Council are likely to face stiff opposition from the government and other opposition parties which have blocked similar legislation before. Moreover, the passage of such a bill would arguably be in contravention of customary international environmental law, such as that which is enshrined through the widely-adopted Treaty for the Protection of Endangered Animals and the IUCN (though it is important to note that Cildania has notably not ratified either agreement). Nevertheless, Mr. Pullicino remains optimistic, describing his legislation as a clear ideological bellwether for the lawmakers in Qart Qildar:

“Voting on the RAO Act will demonstrate to Cildanians exactly which of their elected officials are in favour of expanded liberty and freedom, and which politicians seek a return to the statist authoritarianism of the pre-democratic period” said Mr. Pullicino. “We Constitutionalists know that we will always be on the side of freedom.”

Il-Ġurnal is a broadsheet daily newspaper in Cildania, owned by the Magro Family. The newspaper has a 'moderate' editorial bent.

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Originally posted by Wu Han on 12 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Margerita Giudice to take over as One Flag leader
15 February 5331

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In a sudden turn of events, Cildanian politics-watchers can expect Defence Minister Margerita Giudice to take over as leader of the One Flag party. This comes after Economy & Finance Minister (as well as current party boss) Yan Despott declared he would not lead the party into another election after two consecutive national votes in which the party lost grounds. It transpires that Giudice is the only candidate with sufficient backing in the One Flag caucus to contest the subsequent leadership election after Agriculture & Rural Development Minister Astarte Dimech declined to seek the role. Giudice will be the first female leader of One Flag and the only female leader in Cildanian politics.

Giudice is a relative moderate in the One Flag party, describing herself as a 'Hosian Democrat' and on the centre-right. She is from Nabul in Jilrit and is an ethnic Qildari, which could deflate the party's large Hebilean base. She was a leadership contender in 5325 but lost unexpectedly to Despott. She had a tense relationship with the late Denzilee Depares and served as Defence Minister previously under Alec Benaglia. One Flag was originally founded as a more radical right-wing party but has moderated after a number of its most hardline members left to the far-right Order of Saint Sebastian (OtSB). A Giudice leadership could be expected to further moderate the party but still occupy a space between the right-libertarian Constitutionalist Party and the aforementioned OtSB.

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Illum Kinaan is a news agency based in the Kinaan region of Cildania. It covers both local and national current events.

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Originally posted by Pragma on 12 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Guiliano Alagona acquires local television news channel L-ewwel24
14 July 5331

Guiliano Alagona, leader of Alagona Faction, has acquired the Pone-based television news channel L-ewwel24. Although full details of the sale have not been made public, Alagona confirmed the purchase in a short statement. In this statement, he expresses a desire to transform the news channel into a major national news network.

Questions have been raised about the future independence of L-ewwel24. Critics have suggested Alagona will use it is a means to promote his political agenda. In response to these claims, Alagona has stated that the operation of L-ewwel24 will be completely independent from Alagona Faction.

The acquisition of L-ewwel24 is the latest in a series of business moves by Alagona over the past eighteen months. In the wake of the last general election, he formed the Alagona Group conglomerate to consolidate several existing business entities. Despite an earlier failed attempt to popularise the historic sport of pallone col bracciale, Alagona has sought to re-enter the sports industry. Last year he purchased the San Mikiel Saints football club. Currently in the Cildanian second division, he has invested significant funds in the club in an attempt to secure promotion to the top flight.

Together these recent acquisitions suggest that Alagona’s wealth is larger than previously estimated. In the past, a handful of stories had emerged suggesting that Alagona was on the brink of bankruptcy. At the end of last year, he married twenty-year-old Lourennais model Marie-Noëlle Moineau in a lavish ceremony in the Cildanian capital.

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Originally posted by Jamescfm on 13 Jul 2023

[Wu Han]

Controversial Deputy Ilarju Rizzo enters board of directors of San Basjan F.C.


Players of the San Basjan F.C. team during the recent relegation match against rivals Lega tal-Atletika which bumped them down to First Division.

August 2, 5331 | The football club San Basjan F.C. is the primary club in the San Basjan region, which apart from its historic football club is known mostly for the early medieval monastery dedicated to San Basjan. A rural region with an unlikely football club that on and off plays in the top leagues of Cildania. A success made possible by oil baron Danjel Sisner seventy years ago, who was able to invest heftily into his "childhood club", giving it longevity and punching power far above what its region should be able to offer. While the club has been in a downward spiral the last four seasons, narrowly missing relegation last season, it has become a staple of Cildanian football. The Blacks and Reds are known throughout the nation as an apolitical 'old boys' football club priding itself on its legacy, as such the marriage between Ilarju Rizzo and San Basjan F.C. seems unlikely at first glance.

The leader of the Order of Saint Sebastian, Ilarju Rizzo, started his career as a man from humble beginnings. Born out of wedlock to the uncle of a Cildanian prince and part-time nurse the 42 year old Rizzo did not grow up in any means of wealth and without a father. In his late teenage years he became involved in far-right movements, often inhibiting his professional career. At age 21 he was fired from the popular electronics store Belt Elettrika after his manager discovered his involvement and criminal record. As such Deputy Rizzo never made any money and when he entered parliament several years ago he was one of the few party leaders that was not able to call himself a millionaire or billionaire. Now it seems that the financial means have turned around for Deputy Rizzo who is often seen in his signature suits of the expensive Istalian Balbo brand with a time piece from the exclusive Wrnukaek watchmaker Paksrmo. The Rizzo family recently moved into a large estate in the suburbs of Qart Qildar, further cementing the fact that on his average Deputy salary mr. Rizzo is financially well off and far above the means of the average Cildanian.

This fact is now further cemented as Ilarju Rizzo has entered the board of directors of the relegated football club San Basjan F.C., who recently moved from the Premier League to the First Division after narrowly losing the relegation match against Lega tal-Atletika. The club is owned by the investment group Red & Black, a group of semi-wealthy investors that come and go. While not publicly announced it has been discovered by journalists of the HtS that Ilarju Rizzo bought himself into this investors group, which is the main reason as to how he was able to enter the board of directors. Allegations have been brought forward in the last ten years that organized crime has been investing into the club, but none of these charges were ever proven.

Meanwhile the Order of Saint Sebastian have used Rizzo's entry into 'their club', as they call it, as a media moment. The party has greatly expanded upon its Hosian name and tries to reinforce it whenever possible. At the announcement Deputy Rizzo devoutly stated that he hoped "Saint Sebastian above will bless us the last few votes we need", adding onto rumours that Rizzo is still attempting to form a far-right government with himself as prime minister.

The Ħarald tas-Sur is one of the oldest Cildanian newspapers, which nowadays lays its focus on investigative journalism. It usually remains politically neutral but has a history of writing for the upper middle class.

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Originally posted by Kubrick on 13 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

↳ Sinjur Konstantinu & Sinjura Kanimana Baluch

Kilian-Elkan Engagement Ends Millenia-Spanning Rivalry
10 September 5331
The engagement of Sinjur Konstantinu of the House of Kilian and Sinjura Kanimana Baluch bent Yadisgan of the House of Elkan brings the two princely houses closer than at any other time in their history.

Qart Qildar: Son of the Grand Prince, Sinjur Konstantinu of the House of Kilian (41), and Sinjura Kanimana Baluch bent Yadisgan of the House of Elkan (30), have announced their engagement, bringing together two Princely families that were once historical rivals. The engagement has been interpreted by many throughout the nation as a literal and symbolic representation of modern Cildanian unity under the Grand Prince since the end of the dictatorship period (5283-5321).

The historic rivalry between the House of Kilian, seated in Aqildar, and the House of Elkan, seated in Aheblun, finds its origin in the Cildanian War of Unification, a conflict which occurred nearly 3,500 years ago. The war was fought primarily between the two Houses, with Prince Jugurtha Elkan II of Aheblun waging a war against Prince Gildas Kilian of Aqildar over the latter's attempt to consolidate political control over the entire island. Ultimately, Prince Jugurtha was killed on the battlefield, while his rival was enthroned as Divine King Gildas I of Cildania, bringing about the Divine Kingdom period (1847-1929) in Cildanian history. Prince Jugurtha's unsuccessful effort to preserve Aheblun's autonomy, and his martyrdom for that cause, made him a national hero for the Hebilean people, with such high regard also extending to his bloodline.

Though thousands of years have passed, the War of Unification has remained a seminal event in Cildanian history and culture, with the conflict inspiring many of the nation's most revered works of art and literature, as well as its folk stories and narratives. Similarly, the war is an influence upon many of Cildania's inter-communal sentiments and animosities, particularly with respect to divisions between the ethnic Cildanian majority and the ethnic Hebilean minority. Thus, the union takes on great social, historical, and cultural importance in the politically-fraught Grand Principality.

Following the announcement, spontaneous street celebrations across the Hebilean-majority Principality of Aheblun have taken place, while supporters have also gathered outside the Grand Prince's residences in Qart Qildar and San Origen. Sinjur Konstantinu and Sinjura Kanimana Baluch expressed their gratitude for the support and well-wishes of the Cildanian people in a joint statement, wherein they each emphasized their intent to honour and appreciate the heritage of their partner. The two also expressed the hope that their union may contribute to understanding, respect, and acceptance among the diverse communities within the country.

However, while the engagement represents a significant inter-communal breakthrough, there is no panacea for thousands of years of discord and division. While many have celebrated the fact that the future child of this union will inherit the Principality of Aqildar, some ultranationalist Cildanian groups have voiced their opposition to having a half-Hebilean descendent of Prince Jugurtha II on the throne of Aqildar.

il-POSTA NAZZJONALI is one of Cildania's most widely-read broadsheet daily newspapers, respected for its journalistic integrity and objectivity.
A standard-bearer of Cildanian liberalism, il-Posta has become one of the nation's 'newspapers of record.' It is owned by the Grupp Editorjali PNFP.

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Originally posted by Wu Han on 13 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Izabel Giacomotto-Monteforte: “Don’t let losers and squares run the government”
7 September 5331

In an interview with L-ewwel24, Alagona Faction deputy Izabel Giacomotto-Monteforte has issued a direct appeal to Cildanian voters: “Don’t let losers and squares run the government”. In a wide-ranging interview, the former minister commented on her time in government, as well as her party’s prospects at the next election. Towards the end of the interview, she was asked about the recent failure of legislation that would have liberalised Cildania’s smoking laws.

Previously the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Giacomotto-Monteforte directed fierce criticism towards the current government and accused the Prime Minister of “abandoning rural populations”. In her response, she claimed that current regulation was stifling small tobacco farmers and “starving their families”.

Tobacco cultivation is a central part of the Cildanian agriculture industry. Despite this, some have claimed that tobacco is damaging to public health. Giacomotto-Monteforte dismissed these concerns. “I have been smoking since I was fourteen years old,” she said, “and I am still here, so what is the problem?” When pressed on the issue, she continued, “Countries like Dankuk and Dundorf have some of the strictest smoking laws in the world. Look at their women, they are all fat! It is a real shame.”

Referencing government opposition to the proposed “Love and Liberties” bill, Giacomotto-Monteforte added, “Are we going to listen to these men who are afraid to see a woman’s breasts on the television? I think these guys are taking revenge on the country for their high school experiences.” At the end of the interview, the former minister pledged to continue the fight for personal freedoms in Cildania and urged voters to “reject the nanny state”.

L-ewwel24 is a television news channel and online news website owned and operated by the Alagona Group.
User avatar

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Originally posted by Jamescfm on 13 Jul 2023.

[Wu Han]

Qart Qildar's largest synagogue rocked by car bombing, at least six fatalities


Rescue workers and firefighters hard at work to clean up after the deadly bombing that killed six people and injured 40 more.

August 30, 5331 | A car bomb placed at the rear offices of Qart Qildar's largest synagogue, the Sacred Follower Erial Synagogue, exploded around noon on August 30 as part of a coordinated suspected anti-Yeudi terrorist attack. A few hours earlier a civilian pickup truck arrived near the offices and parked. A man in traditional Yeudi dress was seen exiting the vehicle, not acknowledging any of the other people around, and leaving the area shortly after. When the bomb went off shortly after noon the explosion rocked the entire capital city of Qart Qildar and claimed at least six lives. A further 40 more people were wounded as part of the office building collapsed. Amongst the casualties is prominent Rabbi Ġakobb Hosegħa, who was pronounced dead shortly after paramedics arrived at the scene. Police have stated at least 12 children were part of the wounded, claiming there was a special children's session at the synagogue that afternoon.

Rabbi Ġakobb Hosegħa openly spoke against Rizzo and claimed he found "OTSB" markings on his synagogue before. Hosegħa said he often received threats but that they did not "bother" him. "Ariel will protect me from harm against any harm" is what he said during a recent televised interview. The Yeudi community has responded in shock to the loss of the prominent Rabbi and the terrorist attack with one eye witness to the bombing declaring that "the time has come to migrate". As of yet there has been no statement on the origin of the bombing by the police nor has Prime Minister Franġisku Namur given his perspective on the situation. The PM's office was unavailable for comment. Some pundits have criticized the PM for his lacklustre attempts to curtail anti-Yeudi violence.

The attack has gone unclaimed so far but many point towards several fringe movements that were active in the past and may still be. The neo-fascist Righteous Men recently had several members arrested after assaulting a Yeudi shop owner in July. The Righteous Men movement was founded by Guzi Crescimanno as a splinter faction from the Order of Saint Sebastian during its pre-politics time. Crescimanno and Order party leader Ilarju Rizzo were once friends but have since fallen out, with Rizzo distancing himself repeatedly from the Righteous Men. Another radical group, the Mark of the Cross, has also recently threatened increased violence against the Yeudi community. In January they claimed the fire at the Qartja Synagogue in Northern Cildania. In recent years there have been increased calls from within both Cildanian politics and the Yeudi community to put in a larger effort to curtail anti-Yeudi violence.

The Ħarald tas-Sur is one of the oldest Cildanian newspapers, which nowadays lays its focus on investigative journalism. It usually remains politically neutral but has a history of writing for the upper middle class.

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Originally posted by Kubrick on 14 Jul 2023.