Tofino Times | 4-4-2021

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SHINGZHAN - In a stunning diplomatic move never before seen, President Atticus Moreau left the Forum for Ausiana Annual Conference 2021 in Xiannen, De Yuan, boarded the presidential aircraft, and flew to Pangchu, where he met with Prime Minister Mao Hanying merely hours after the Prime Minister called on him to boycott the Yuan summit. The move reportedly left the Yuaneze President Xi Jingyi in a heated state, as Moreau's presence in Yuan was seen by many politicians as a capitulation from the Zamastanian head of state amid heightened tensions.

Zamastanian authorities have long stated that Yuan is interfering in multiple aspects of Pangchu infrastructure, political sphere, and economic aspects, and Yuan has long claimed that Pangchu is rightfully Yuaneze territory. Panchua Muslims, a minority population of Pangchu-descended communities, have been systematically rounded up and imprisoned in recent months by the Yuaneze government. Zamastan and most of the international community recognizes Pangchu soverignty, and Moreau's visit all but solidifies the Zamastanian government's support of the small landlocked nation.

Yuan has also been accused of using extensive hacking operations to interfere in Pangchu election systems and political cycles, with their upcoming national elections being shifted towards pro-Yuaneze parties that have never had credible backing by the Pangchu population. They've also been tied directly to major breaches of software at Pangchu's hydroelectric and natural gas electric plants across the country, severely damaging the structure of the electrical grids in the country. Traffic infrastructure has also been impacted.

"I can commit the resources of Zamastan to the Pangchu cause effectively today," Moreau said, with Prime Minister Mao at his side in Shingzhan. "Yuan likes to bully. I'm not afraid to say that, and other countries shouldn't be afraid to say that either."

The Yuaneze government released a statement upon Moreau's unannounced departure from the Xiannen Summit, stating "we are severely disappointed in Mr. Moreau's conduct and his blatant disregard for formality in this conference, which is meant to show unity amongst countries despite differences. This is a major blow to the diplomatic relations of Yuan and Zamastan, and there will certainly be reprecussions."

Moreau left several members of his delegation in Xiannen to continue attending the summit, including Secretary of State Jessiah Vallotis and Secretary of Commerce Remi Loup.

Yuan and Zamastan have been at odds in recent months, despite growing economic ties pointing to an opposite view. In August of 2020, Yuan detained several Zamastanian journalists and the famed "Delavian Bribery" prosecutor, Cairo Gough, at a restaurant on unfounded claims of espionage. In November of 2019, Yuaneze naval vessels nearly collided with Zamastanian shipping vessels near Gangkou. In between all of the major international headlines, Yuan has also been accused of espionage in Zamastan and of hacking electrical grids across Zamastan, including one incident that left a majority of Tofino in a blackout for hours in January of 2020.

Yuan is also pushing ahead with its controversial Global Economic Cooperation Initiative; a global infrastructure project meant to invest Yuaneze business internationally. Kossmil President Mikhail Kuznetsov signed onto GECI hours prior to Moreau's arrival in De Yuan on Thursday, cementing a growing Yuaneze influence in Adula. GECI is seen by many as a counter to the Trans Adula Free Commerce Agreement (TAFCA), which constitutes sizable Zamastanian investment through partnership of its allies. While Zamastan is not a member state of TAFCA, many of its biggest regional allies like Timeria, Austrolis, Emmiria, and Artegana are members and hold significant leverage in Zamastanian foreign investment. This has led experts to worry about a credible threat of Yuaneze economic shifts that will uproot preestablished international leaders in trade and commerce.

Congressional Liberals Introduce Legislation to Expand Ban On Assault-Style Weapons

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Pemberton Pier, Pemberton, Jade

TOFINO - Speaker of the Chamber Natasha Chastain, along with Green Liberal Member colleagues, have announced the federal government is seeking legislation that will place a ban on 1,500 models and variants of certain assault-style weapons that have been used in mass shootings in Zamastan and abroad, effectively expanding the ban put in place in 2019 on automatic weapons.

“If this legislation passes immediately, citizens will no longer be permitted to buy, sell, transport, import or use military-grade assault weapons in this country,” Chastain said.

The speaker described the sweeping regulations as “closing the market” on these weapons in Zamastan.

"Pemberton Pier was the latest in a long history of this occuring in our country," Chastain said, visibly holding back tears. "We saw the carnage these weapons caused just days ago in Shoassau, and those weapons are still legal here. The argument can be made, of course, that the people with these weapons kill people, not the weapons. But the fact remains that these weapons are the tools used in these massacres. No, banning weapons won't always stop a monster, but it will absolutely be a means to an end."

However, the changes that this legislation proposal would cause won’t outlaw these weapons completely in Zamastan, as the government will be offering current owners of these guns the ability to grandfather in their ownerships, allowing them to still possess these guns under specific terms. Owners will also have the ability to be compensated through a buyback program, though the details of both options have yet to be outlined.

The Speaker of the Chamber spoke about how every Zamastanian can remember the day they realized how “a man with a gun could irrevocably alter our lives for the worse.”

Citing a list of mass shootings in Zamastan, Chastain said they “shape our identity” and “stain our conscience,” and are happening more and more often.

"From Tirzah and Revelstroke, to Altenburgh and Orillian, and to Arinals and Utica Hill, these massacres occur too often and take too many lives. We will act."

Some gun control advocates are already voicing concern about the government allowing current owners to keep their guns.

“Allowing grandfathered weapons would be a huge concession to the gun lobby. In terms of public safety benefits, there is a world of difference between a total ban and a partial ban. A non-mandatory buy-back program could mean that it will take generations to get these weapons off our streets and out of our communities,” said Heidi Madersa in a statement. Madersa was injured in the 2019 Tirzah nightclub shooting and has since become a vocal activist for gun control.

Pro-gun groups, however, view the announcement as unfairly targeting legal gun owners.

“What I think a lot of people don’t understand, they don’t understand what it is to own firearms. Firearms are very important to the people that own them… They have gun clubs, there are volunteer activities, the things they do on the weekend all revolves around these things and they treat those guns with respect and follow the law to the letter,” said CEO and Executive Director of the Zamastanian Coalition for Firearm Rights, Brad Dasper, in an interview on Zamastanian News Network (ZNN).

“That’s why it’s so offensive for gun owners to have the finger pointed at them and have them compared to mass murderers and people that would misuse firearms,” Dasper said.

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