NationStates Jolt Archive

[ooc: given that my classes have started up, the time between my larger thread-orientated posts will become steadily larger although I do hope to have some time to post on the weekends. During this time, however, especially the long commute to and from school, I occasionally think of interesting things that are almost worthy of being posted here in II. So, what I’ve decided to do, in order to keep my writing skills semi-fresh is to create the official thread for the Azazian Broadcasting Network, the result of various separate radio and television broadcasting companies throughout the UK merging into a single network. These little blurbs of news may or may not relate to other things I have going in other threads, and more than likely they will be related to RL news I see going on around me and that I adapt for my own country’s use in NS.

As for everyone else, if you’re interested in a particular news item out of actual interest or sheer boredom, feel free to write in as the “average citizen” questioning whatever or saying whatever it is that you’d like to say (IC of course.) Time permitting, I should hopefully get back to any such questions within a day or two’s time depending on my workload. So, enough of this chatter and prattling on about bad intentions/ooc]

The Azazian Broadcasting Network

Articles
Nuclear Power for Azazian Sarnia (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10268850&postcount=2)
Markets Down After Reopening (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10300395&postcount=3)
Christiansen Blasts Collins Over Devolution (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10307063&postcount=5)
Drug Boat Bust (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10331352&postcount=9)

Imperium (ABN) – The Ministry of Colonial Affairs approved this afternoon a business deal that will see New Century Energy Corporation begin to develop Azazian Sarnia’s energy market. Specifically, the deal calls for the construction of two nuclear reactors outside the town of Atherton that will supply most of the growing colony’s energy needs as well as those needed by nearby aluminium and titanium mining complexes. Construction is expected to begin later this year and the yet-to-be-released details of the agreement allegedly propose completion and start-up of the first reactor within eighteen months and the second six months later.

The deal is expected to bring economic development to the interior of the new colony as the infrastructure to support the nuclear power station will also be built concurrently by companies yet-to-be determined. The power station will be built alongside the River Selby and its power should reach the main cities of Avalon-on-Avon, Port Royal, and Inverselby in addition to Atherton. After the announcement from the Ministry, NCEC’s stock is up approximately 20 points on the Philadelphia Exchange.

Philadelphia (ABN) – On the first day of trading following the death of King Michael, the markets closed with mixed results following several days of important business developments in the United Kingdom. The Philadelphia Exchange closed down 23.78 this evening at 39,817 after a day of heavy trading while the Barents Exchange closed at 37,019 after falling 37.02 in heavy trading.

Initial concern over the succession of King Andrew appears to have been blown out of proportion as the market opened higher on the news of the unemployment rate holding steady the prior month and initial estimates for the coming quarter indicate a falling rate as economic growth in the colonies of Azazian Sarnia, Novikov, and Port Elizabeth are expected to pick up quite suddenly. Also boosting the markets in the early morning was a report from Istanbul where Minister of Trade and Industry Clive Lefler confirmed that the United Kingdom would be formally signing a long-planned free-trade agreement with Khailfah al Muslimeen, with whom the government has been negotiating since formally opening diplomatic relations earlier this year. Rumours also abound in Philadelphia and Breningrad that press announcements scheduled for later this week will centre on trade deals that will see several UK companies investing several billion Commonwealth Credits in Khailfah al Muslimeen, among them Azazia Petrol.

Azazia Petrol saw its shares rise up to CC52.47 after announcing over the hiatus in trading that after Prime Minister Collins’ announced a free trade agreement with the Beltway, it would be investing in a terminal and refinery in the city of Baltimore that will see its export division increase their profits in coming years. Another company on the rise on the PHEX was Carson and Wolff, the UK’s number two shipbuilder, which announced it had bought significant holdings in the Beltway’s nascent Baltimore Shipyards as well as announcing a deal that will see its docks busy constructing five new warships for the nation of Mationsbuds.

Ultimately, however, the markets saw their overall gains retreat as news broke of the possibility of a recession striking Sarzonia. Relations between the two nations have chilled in recent months, especially after the Novikovian War and the UK’s admittance to the UWP, and while the two countries have few investments in each the markets of the other, there remains the distinct possibility that a Sarzonian recession could have far-reaching impacts on states allied or on friendly terms with the Incorporated States. Economists fear that if the expected recession spirals too quickly out of control the markets in allies such as Pacitalia could stumble and that could lead to a dip in Azazian markets.

(Just a tag, because I feel that I should try to keep up with this. Once BG completes its revolution, I'll need some capitalist bogeymen, after all, and most aren't played so well as Azazia. Plus, these guys have been on the radar since they butted in to The Nicobar Islands!)

Imperium (ABN) – Green Party Chairman, Joshua Christiansen, blasted Prime Minister Collins this afternoon in a brief statement after remarks made out of session wherein the Prime Minister called for Parliament to review the formal political structure of the United Kingdom. Collins, well known for his opposition to former Prime Minister Tetley’s goals for imperial expansion, has in the past frequently called for devolution as a means to both better ensure the freedoms of Azazian citizens as well as to streamline the government.

Returning from a mixed vacation/business trip to Pacitalia where he met with his counterpart, Neros Constantakis, Christiansen called the plans to grant autonomy to the northwestern republics, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Juristan, and independence to those colonies wishing it, as a “plan conceived by a man who leads without the consent of the people.”

For his part, Prime Minister Collins rebuked Mr. Christiansen claiming that devolution only “proves to not only the world, but to our own citizens, that we are serious about the ideas of freedom and self-determination.” Parliament is set to debate the issue next month.

TAG for interest - good idea too! :) I tend to make different threads for different issues, and although I've occassionally thought of doing something like this, I never have for smaller issues... Good call. :) And you and me are pretty well in the same boat - college is taking up alotta my time as well.. so I probably will do this as well.

ooc: thanks, yeah, the commute to and from school allows me to think of little tidbits of news, and since they don't really fit into any particular ongoing storylines, I figured why not do something like this... but I'm glad you like it. Good luck with your school this semester (or trimester or whatever).

OOC: quarter... I'm just in community college for the time being... what college you go to? And good luck with yours too! I have a roughly 20 minute commute, but the majority (ok, maybe half, time wise) is on the freeway, and I spend very little time in traffic thanks to the timing of my classes...

Portsmouth (ABN) – The Royal Navy frigate Rapier intercepted a moderately-sized drug smuggling vessel late last night as it attempted to illegally enter the maritime borders of the United Kingdom. Seized aboard the vessel were nearly two tons of cocaine, although it is conceivable more had been onboard as pursuit helicopters indicated the crew began to dump their cargo into the ocean before being caught.

The initial investigation indicates the drugs being smuggled had come from a third party country and had been routed into the Royal Crown Colony of Novikov through the rebellious province of Lesser Novikov, which exists tenuously alongside the colony and the United Kingdom. The illicit trade of drugs, with Lesser Novikovians being middlemen, finances the government of Monika Kacnerova and the terrorists networks she uses to strike at the UK and the colony of Novikov.

Before his temporary removal from office, Lord Salisbury had ordered the Royal Navy, in conjunction with the Home Guard, to beef up patrols of the UK’s expansive coastline in order to combat the booming trafficking of narcotics, an industry valued at over two billion Commonwealth Credits per annum. The continuing growth of the industry, at an average of 4.5% per annum, has become a source of embarrassment for the Salisbury administration, which pledged in the mid-nineties to significantly curtail the trade.