Interlaken deal clears way for military action in Lierland
ITO has negotiated a deal with the Papal States which will see Castel Papad take custody of holy sites in Torrence should the alliance depose the Solarian regime in military action expected to start ‘imminently’. Concerned that historic cultural and religious buildings, including the Aarde Kerk, could be ransacked or destroyed after the fall of the regime, the alliance has sought to create an international coalition to protect and rebuild many of the important cultural sites in the city. A major conference in December agreed a roadmap to overthrow the Elementist occupation, which has lasted over 13 years, but caution was raised by some participating nations about the need for a sustainable rebuilding programme. The Padanian government based in Vlaanderen, which oversees the rest of the Lierland territories, has begrudgingly accepted the need for an international deal to manage a post-war Torrence.
Bracing for harsh weather, Béspura and Isisny Islands lock down
Polasciana’s eastern coast is bracing for storms and treacherous weather conditions – expected to be the worst that the country has seen since 2008. Béspura’s governor Akim Veselov and Chief Council woman of the Isisny Islands Anna Rico have ordered curfews and a ‘lockdown’ designed to keep residents and businesses safe from the worst affected areas, but significant damage to property and infrastructure is expected. Harsh weather has been a major factor for the coastal regions for some time, and the construction of a new tidal barrier as part of the 2010 Environmental Protection Programme is behind schedule – failing to give additional protection to communities. Veselov and Rico have called on the government to speed up the multi-billion scheme in a cross-party plea for support. Evgeny Almarav, whose federal department assumed responsibility for disaster protection and relief last year, said he was committed to doing “everything possible” over the coming days.
New Year’s Day attacks commission not due for at least another year
The much awaited investigation into the 2020 New Year’s Day border attacks has been further delayed. Suggesting that the commission into how 38 people came to lose their lives on that day may not report for ‘at least another year’, the lead investigator said “it’s important we do this right”. But relatives of the families of the victims, and senior politicians have said such a delay is “unacceptable”. Former First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Lebedev, who has been critical of the government’s handling of the attacks and who resigned in the wake of the 2019 election, said that ‘justice and closure’ should be the first priority of the commission. “We have already waited over a year for this commission to begin. To not report on its findings until 2022, or perhaps later, should be of major concern to the government. Its first priority should be enabling the families, and the country, to move on – and that cannot happen if the attacks and how they were allowed to happen are still hanging over us all”.
