Royal News Network: Zoran's Public Service Broadcaster

[Zoran]

The dikahnawadvsdi aninotlvsgi iyunadai has passed a bill that, if approved, will grant the Royal Aviation Administration the power to regulate the prices of airline tickets. People worry that these regulations will make air travel less affordable as the price of tickets would no longer change with market while supporters of the bill believe it would allow Zoranian airlines to focus on quality of travel and quality of service on their airline flights which would allow airlines to compete with each other over the quality of their service domestically and internationally. Opposition to the bill believe that these prices would cripple the Zoranian aviation industry as Zoranian airlines would not be able to compete with the potentially lower prices of the international market. "It's no longer the 1360s," says Lawmaker Tsosie of the Republican Action Party, "the Zoranian economy is more connected to the international market than back then where regulations like this were to help make a new industry a viable option for travel. But now the aviation industry is a huge part of the global economy that has flourished under its deregulation and its ability to set its own price based on supply and demand. By enforcing these regulations upon the industry, we are likely to see Zoranian airlines be unable to compete with the international market and thus potentially risk an entire industry in our economy along with the thousands of jobs it supplies for potentially a higher quality of service that is not guaranteed." Regardless, this bill will not become law until the Queen gives her approval on it but this hasn't stopped Zoranian airlines from scrambling as they seek to draft plans for if the regulations pass.

 

[Zoran]

 

11 August 1424 - Today it was announced that the proposed Internet Right Amendment to the constitution will be brought to vote in the Iyunadai in the coming days. This bill was proposed by Lawmaker Agasga Florius of the Pirate Party and would make internet access a human right for Zoranian citizens and would have dramatic far reaching changes that could send ripples through the internet service industry. The expanse of these changes are to be speculated but it is already being met by much resistance from the Talon League coalition, with leaders of the coalition stating that internet access is not a human right "as humanity has existed for centuries without it and the implementation of such an addition to the constitution would mean that people have been deprived of a right for centuries." This is just simply one of their objections to the proposed amendment with the various leaders of the political parties of the Talon League each coming up with their own reasons for opposing the law. The Prosperity Coalition, on the other hand, has been silent on the matter so far. Those close to Junaluska of the Junalusaknist Party has stated that they are likely to support the amendment stating that "the internet is necessary for the revolution to spread abroad in the modern world and for the citizens of Zoran to learn about the injustices of the global capitalism and to be part of the international struggle for a better world." Other parties have not given insight into their opinions on the amendment yet and no hints have been found with regards to the other parties. In the coming days more details will likely be released by the other political parties as to how they attend to vote on this amendment.

 

[Zoran]

 

13 August, 1424 - Today the Internet Rights Amendment failed to pass in the Iyunadai with the Red Throne Party voting against the amendment along with the Talon League coalition. Chancellor Yenuha Aditsi had this to say on this matter, "It is a shame that the Internet Rights Amendment was rejected by the Iyunadai, it would have brought great change to the people of Zoran in providing them basic access to information in an age of globalization." When asked about if he had any insight as to why the Red Throne Party might have voted against the amendment, he had this to say, "I do not believe that the lawmakers of the Red Throne party are against the idea of the Internet Rights Amendment, on the contrary I was under the impression that a majority of them are very much in favor of enshrining internet rights into the Zoranian constitution. But from what I have heard among the lawmakers of the party, they want to collaborate with the Pirate Party to re-write the proposed amendment and make it more defined and robust in its protections. What they mean by this I cannot say, but it would be safe to assume that the Internet Rights Amendment is far from dead." Agasga Florius of the Pirate Party and Degotoga Atawodi of the Red Throne Party refused to comment on the situation at this time. The public reaction to this ruling has been mixed with some saying that this was an disappointing decision by the lawmakers while others praise it believing that the proposed amendment was not properly thought out. Others praise the decision believing that access to the internet is not a human right and that the lawmakers acted wisely in rejecting the amendment.

 

[Zoran]

7 October 1424 - Today the controversial Pharmaceutical Copyright Act has been granted royal assent and has been signed into law. This law has effectively changed copyright law in Zoran in regards to medications and pharmaceutical products in that the Zoranian government will no longer recognize nor provide patents on drugs, effectively forcing pharmaceutical companies to sell their medications as generics in Zoran. This law, championed by the Red Throne Party, was created on the grounds that drugs that can save lives or improve the health of the citizenry should be viewed as a common good whose price should not be inflated by patents and copyright. The party argues that it is the goal of the Zoranian government to ensure that there are little to no barriers to healthcare and that patents on drugs can prevent people from accessing lifesaving treatments and thus go against this ethos. Critics of this law have stated that this would endanger Zoran's economy by making it harder for pharmaceutical companies in Zoran to fund their R&D departments. Furthermore, critics argue that the law could risk the imposition of trade barriers on the country from foreign powers who would see this as undermining their economy and copyright laws. These critiques are not without merit as the law could very well isolate Zoran economically and could have massive impacts on supply chains. However, supporters of the law cite that the lowered prices due to the removal of patents and vital medications can reduce the financial burden on the state's healthcare system. Supporters further argue that it could lead to Zoran becoming a hub for generic drug production and could open doors to trade with developing economies to allow them access to vital life saving drugs at lower costs. Those from the Junaluskanist party praise Queen Atsila for her decision to pass the bill saying that it may inspire changes abroad and incite the proletariate to demand the removal of such "monopolistic bourgeoise practices" elsewhere in the world. How this law will impact the daily lives of Zoranians and the country's international relations is just speculation at the moment, but in the next few days we are likely to see the consequences this law will bring.

 

[Zoran]

(OOC Note: Thank you to @Varanius for helping me with this post)

20 November 1424 — The Darkesian Sea has been a hotbed of tension for the past four months since Varanian ships were seen in Galetian (D5) waters a little over four months ago. A lot has happened since this first sighting with the Zoranian navy getting involved. Here are some of the major events that have happened over the past four months.

Cat and Mouse Chase in Kahuweian Waters

Soon after the Varanian vessels were spotted outside Geletian waters they were spotted in both Kahuwe’s (D3) and Onego’s (D4) waters. The Kahuweian, Onegonese, and Galetian governments all called upon the Zoranian government to uphold their promise of protecting their nations, to which the Zoranian government responded by dispatching the fleet to the area to drive out the Varanian vessels. A cat and mouse chase began with the Zoranian navy being humiliated as the Varanian vessels seemingly kept evading their grasps. Every time there was a reported sighting in one location, the Zoranian ships would not find anything even when following the anticipated course of the Varanian ships. For a whole week, the Zoranian ships could not catch the Varanian fleet until the 22nd of July when the Zoranian ships managed to encounter the Varanian fleet.

A tense stand-off was held between the fleets with the captains of the respective fleets engaging in tense discussion over radio according to those who were familiar with the situation. The Varanian fleet refused to exit Kahuweian waters so the Zoranian ships approached and began spraying the crew on the ships with water cannons, hoping to force them to move. The Varanians returned fire with their own water cannons. There were moments when the Varanian vessels attempted to force the Zoranian ships to back off by getting dangerously close to the Varanian ships, close enough to potentially walk onto the deck of another ship, but this did not succeed. The Zoranians then began firing warning shots with their 100 mm turrets, which was enough to force the Varanians to back down and retreat and were escorted out of Kahuweian waters. But despite this, the Varanian fleet would continuously be seen in the waters of Kahuwe, Onego, and Galete over the past few months and the same standoffs continue to happen with a few close calls of tensions being ignited.

Drone Shot Down Over Galetian Territory

Three weeks after the cat and mouse chase in Kahuweian waters on August 12th, a drone was detected flying over Galetian airspace by the Galetian Air Wing at 14:00. A reconnaissance aircraft was sent to investigate and found it to be of Varanian origin. When this was confirmed, the drone was shot down by Galetian anti-air defenses on the territory. Inspection of the wreckage by Galetian military personnel found it to be a reconnaissance drone conducting surveillance over Galetian defenses. The Galetian government condemned the Varanian government for this blatantly hostile act, demanding an explanation for their actions. The Varanian government responded by simply stating that the drones were “necessary security measures” with rising tensions in the region. The governments of Kahuwe, Onego, Awerista (D2), and Zoran echoed Galetian sentiment and condemned the Varanian government as well. Zoranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rayetayah Agaluysdi, assured the Aniwvwiyai states that Zoran would continue to uphold its commitment to their defense in face of recent Varanian aggression.

Three days later, a second Varanian reconnaissance drone was spotted over Galetian airspace. It was reported to be flying over Galetian coasts attempting to gain intel on the state of Galete’s coastal defenses. This drone was shot down too and invoked even further condemnation by the Aniwvwiyai states with the President of Galete, Donwanenshaa Taweeratt, stating in a press conference that Galete will bolster its security and work closely with Zoran and the other Aniwvwiyai states to ensure peace in the Darkesian.

Zoran Stations Aircraft in Galete and Kahuwe

A little over a week after the initial drone incident, Zoranian ZF-2 jets were announced by Zoranian officials to be stationed in Kahuwe and Galete on August 21st. Whether other aircraft are currently stationed in these nations is unclear but this move was a clear response by what the media has been calling the “Aniwvwiyai Coalition” against Varanian aggression. This action was met with outrage by the Varanian government with Sarah Finn denouncing Zoran's actions as “unnecessarily escalating” the situation. Furthermore, Sarah Finn stated that Zoran was manipulating the “unfounded fears” of Darkesian states to expand their influence as a form of imperialism. Since the reveal of these aircraft’s presence in these two nations, the ZF-2s have been seen flying over the country.

C-Tech Devices Banned in Zoran

The tensions have even been seen in Zoran’s economic scene with the Zoranian Competition and Consumer Authority (CCA) having concluded their investigation into C-Tech on August 30th. The CCA found that C-Tech devices are in violation of Zoranian privacy law with evidence of backdoors in C-Tech products for surveillance and data collection and has ordered a ban on all C-Tech products from mobile devices to even semiconductors for national security purposes and “in the interest of protecting the privacy of Zoranian citizens.” 

C-Tech made an official announcement denying the accusations levied against them and expressing “heavy offense” to the implications of the exploitability of their products; further adding that as an international corporation there is no reason to draw them into “petty nationalist disputes.”

What’s Next?

There is heavy speculation as to the direction this dispute between the Aniwvwiyai Coalition and Varanius will go. Many fear the break out of a war between the two while others speculate that this will just be a long ongoing power struggle with a series of one upping. However, certain groups in Zoran have seen this as an opportunity to increase their power and further their agenda. One group in particular, the Pan-Aniwvwiyai Party, has been using this flaring tension to push for a pan-national unification of the Aniwvwiyai nations stating that they would be stronger together in the face of “belligerent Varanian imperialism.” This message seems to have grown in popularity since the start of these tensions and rumors have it that a meeting is being planned between Queen Atsila I and the leaders of the Aniwvwiyai nations to address Varanian actions. However, no evidence has surfaced that points to these rumors being true. Regardless, many closely monitor the situation in the Darkesian as tensions seem to only grow each passing day.