Ravenspire
14-01-2003, 11:27
The most recent publication of the Ravenspire Review, a newsweekly with an international edition, bears an eye-catching cover: Plain black, except for a small logo at the upper left corner and the word "PEACE" in white letters in large type across the front.
Some excerpts of interest.
Top Story: Peace in Demoness
The latest conflict in war-torn Demoness appears ready to draw to a close today, as the leaders of the invading Polynesian Free States/Grenzland Alliance agreed to Demoness' peace terms. Active conflict has ceased, and several war crimes trials related to the conflict are expected to commence soon. The final death toll and material damages remain unknown at press time. [...]
Many of the Ravenspire air and space forces committed to the conflict have been recalled. Most of the remainder is expected to return shortly, with the exception of a few air force wings, which have been offered to Demoness to serve as an air patrol, possibly in cooperation with other nations, until the trials are complete. Demoness has not yet officially replied to the offer, according to Minister of Defense Arik Peridon. [...]
Immeryl Re-Elected by Wide Margin
In a special election, Minister of Trade Loryn Immeryl was re-elected with a 59% majority of the vote, over twenty percentage points ahead of the second-place candidate. Immeryl, who is known for her analytical, pragmatic attitude, is a ten-year veteran in the ministry and has served for the last five years as Minister. Most attribute her victory to the recent resurgence of Ravenspire's economy, which had been temporarily strained following massive deficit spending on military hardware.
"Naturally we recovered," Immeryl said (while going through some paperwork) when asked for comment. "There was never any true danger. Our industrial capacity was merely taken up for a short time. Now we're back to normal, but much safer with the Seraph's Wings and Minerva Aegis in operation. Clearly, the benefits were worth the cost." Asked for further clarification, Immeryl replied, "Are you still here? I'm busy. Go away."
A Unified Ravenspire
Following the latest round of internal talks, the government of Ravenspire has joined with the informal government of the foxgirls, becoming a single entity. Previously, for historical reasons, the foxgirls had been considered an independently sovereign people, but close ties have existed between the two since long before Ravenspire's independence (in which the foxgirls played a key part). The last vestiges of that obsolete structure have been cleared away, and foxgirls are now officially full citizens of Ravenspire.
Little is expected to change, in practice. As Rodrik Justarian, the Minister of State, notes, "Foxgirls have been considered Ravenspire citizens under our law since our nation's independence. The only significant change, aside from the census procedure, is that they may now run for the top two offices of the country, Leader of Ravenspire or Minister of State." Asked about the foxgirls' representative on the Council, he said, "The position will be retained for the immediate future. We expect it to be phased out eventually."
The procedure had been stalled in recent years, but a sudden upsurge in anti-nonhuman sentiment elsewhere in the world prompted the speeding of the process, according to Chief Diplomat Alaric Morgannan, who was instrumental in the agreement. Morgannan is on assignment in Demoness and could not be reached for comment.
Ravenspire Honored for Civil Rights Record
The U.N. recently declared Ravenspire a world benchmark in the area of civil rights. "Of course we're one of the most free nations in the world," commented Setsuna Arisugawa, a government official. "I'm a little surprised the U.N. would admit it, given some of their mistakes, their pettiness, and... er, never mind. Don't quote that part. The point is, all citizens are welcome to do pretty much as we please, and we like it that way."
Some excerpts of interest.
Top Story: Peace in Demoness
The latest conflict in war-torn Demoness appears ready to draw to a close today, as the leaders of the invading Polynesian Free States/Grenzland Alliance agreed to Demoness' peace terms. Active conflict has ceased, and several war crimes trials related to the conflict are expected to commence soon. The final death toll and material damages remain unknown at press time. [...]
Many of the Ravenspire air and space forces committed to the conflict have been recalled. Most of the remainder is expected to return shortly, with the exception of a few air force wings, which have been offered to Demoness to serve as an air patrol, possibly in cooperation with other nations, until the trials are complete. Demoness has not yet officially replied to the offer, according to Minister of Defense Arik Peridon. [...]
Immeryl Re-Elected by Wide Margin
In a special election, Minister of Trade Loryn Immeryl was re-elected with a 59% majority of the vote, over twenty percentage points ahead of the second-place candidate. Immeryl, who is known for her analytical, pragmatic attitude, is a ten-year veteran in the ministry and has served for the last five years as Minister. Most attribute her victory to the recent resurgence of Ravenspire's economy, which had been temporarily strained following massive deficit spending on military hardware.
"Naturally we recovered," Immeryl said (while going through some paperwork) when asked for comment. "There was never any true danger. Our industrial capacity was merely taken up for a short time. Now we're back to normal, but much safer with the Seraph's Wings and Minerva Aegis in operation. Clearly, the benefits were worth the cost." Asked for further clarification, Immeryl replied, "Are you still here? I'm busy. Go away."
A Unified Ravenspire
Following the latest round of internal talks, the government of Ravenspire has joined with the informal government of the foxgirls, becoming a single entity. Previously, for historical reasons, the foxgirls had been considered an independently sovereign people, but close ties have existed between the two since long before Ravenspire's independence (in which the foxgirls played a key part). The last vestiges of that obsolete structure have been cleared away, and foxgirls are now officially full citizens of Ravenspire.
Little is expected to change, in practice. As Rodrik Justarian, the Minister of State, notes, "Foxgirls have been considered Ravenspire citizens under our law since our nation's independence. The only significant change, aside from the census procedure, is that they may now run for the top two offices of the country, Leader of Ravenspire or Minister of State." Asked about the foxgirls' representative on the Council, he said, "The position will be retained for the immediate future. We expect it to be phased out eventually."
The procedure had been stalled in recent years, but a sudden upsurge in anti-nonhuman sentiment elsewhere in the world prompted the speeding of the process, according to Chief Diplomat Alaric Morgannan, who was instrumental in the agreement. Morgannan is on assignment in Demoness and could not be reached for comment.
Ravenspire Honored for Civil Rights Record
The U.N. recently declared Ravenspire a world benchmark in the area of civil rights. "Of course we're one of the most free nations in the world," commented Setsuna Arisugawa, a government official. "I'm a little surprised the U.N. would admit it, given some of their mistakes, their pettiness, and... er, never mind. Don't quote that part. The point is, all citizens are welcome to do pretty much as we please, and we like it that way."