High Command Mombombu revealed the official emblem of the RainDrop at the 2024 RainDrop Year-End Press Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.

“Simple yet distinct, it evoked the feeling of a raindrop, an airforce roundel, and the famous saying ‘raindrops though miniscule strike hard’ by showing that although there is only one drop, there are multitudes within it,” the Pact leader explained, which received standing ovation from regional representatives.

The RainDrop Pact remains strong and resolute amidst the storms in the world. Formed in 2023 as a faction for the 9th N-Day by the regions India, Alcris, and Africa, they rocked the world with immense strength, snatching the 6th top spot against the infamous hardcore N-Day factions. And with its recent victory during the 11th N-Day, the Pact was able to secure the 4th place for highest scores per nation, expressing to the world that the unity of such dedicated nations is unwavering.

“Next year’s a promising year not just for our own region, but for the entirety of the Pact. And we’ll see more improvements and happenings coming,” Regional Vice-President of the Far East Oriental Federation Namvosk stated in an interview.

Hail, RainDrop Pact! May you continue to shine the light of cooperation and camaraderie to the world!

The UEPU Federal Republic is in chaos after the Central Government of UEPU issued a state of emergency and a temporary lockdown in the region.

On December 1, 2024, Landbang Rkipo Islands 2 issued an evacuation notice in the federal republic. Residents of the said region were advised to migrate to UEPU, and it was described as a “merging move” to unify people of UEPU.

The root cause, according to Landbang Rkipo Islands, was that the WA Delegate of the federal republic was affiliated with a raider group. Due to the inactivity of the federation’s government and the incapability of the UDF to oust the said delegate, the Central Government took matters to their own hands and enacted a state of emergency.

“I expect him (the prime minister) to push through a bill telling everyone from the UEPU Federal Republic to go to the capital, UEPU,” he said in an interview.

As of the time of this writing, the UEPU Federal Republic is still under temporary lockdown. The Central Government of UEPU is taking steps to stabilize the issue, despite uncertainty on when the region will be reopened.

A recent Ausomian restorative justice bill was proposed at 4:07 PM at the Beixing People's Assembly which shocked the states that deliver the death penalty, with the execution method being via needle. The move was dubbed as “game-changer”, which would “strengthen justice and safety” in Awesomeness.

This proposed bill gives the victim of a heinous crime a chance to push the needle, making it the “perfect legal retribution” against the offenders, and empowering them. If the victim opts out, the police will be the ones to perform the act.

Recently gathered information from Katyusha, the Republic of Namatika’s state-owned newspaper, revealed that all Ausomian victims of heinous crimes are waiting and hopeful for its approval, with most of them showing mass movements of support across different public parks. Additionally, the ever-active Ausomian community abroad, more specifically those residing in Namvosk, also expressed their support.

While the majority of the Ausomian legislature is on board with this initiative, saying that it is a symbolic message to all future criminals, they echo the sentiment that the only issue with implementing this is anything related to international humanitarian laws.

Emperor and Chair of the Ausomian People's Party Sun Wu Wo Kong has declined to comment regarding this issue, as he prefers to let his aura resonate to his subjects.

Officially the Game Master System 3 for the international market, the “Hommicrom VIdeo Game System” made by FEC from Vanuzgard and Ega from Expos is the hot-selling children’s toy for this holiday season! Video game enthusiasts were stunned, wondering if the console will truly deliver a “revolutionary” gaming experience, and a farewell to the use of “clunky and expensive” cartridges.

Fokkussan video game giant FEC revealed the specifications of Hommicrom in FEOF’s Consumer Festival:

“The new generation of the 'Game Master System' would be significantly more powerful than the previous one - a new CPU codenamed 'Soul' has a proper set of 32-bit instructions and has an impressive frequency of 51.3388 Mhz and an astonishing amount of RAM - 8 MB, which would blow any competition out of water. The new system would use the recently developed 'HD-CD', a significant improvement over classical Compact Disc technology, FEC official data suggests that 'HD-CD' is capable of storing up to 2 gigabytes of data.”

Namvosk has also taken a slice of the video game industry pie and released “Honshu III”, which is essentially a “reskin” and localized version of the Hommicrom, thanks to the interest of Sam-seung Electronics, a Kwangmyongni tech company.

Despite the confidential telegram that was leaked on 2San forums, the conversation between Sam-Seung Ok—CEO of said company—and FEC, was described as “utterly embarrassing”.

"We beg you, help us and let us sell your console locally, since someone's gonna stop BGC's monopoly in the game space, their Funbox Online Play, and their crappy in-game purchases," Ok stated.

For now, the console is only available on the nations under FEOF Trade. A deal between the three nations might be made to export the game system outside the region.

With the efforts of former Premier Matsunoya on making Namvosk like the other Namatikan National Republics--one with robust healthcare and a well-funded education system--she ruined the pockets of ordinary Namvoskans with an astounding average tax rate of 90%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The national treasury is dwindling, with its coffers reportedly "almost hitting bankruptcy" due to extensive spending in different sectors of the government.

It is true that the people of Namvosk are reaping the benefits of high tax rates, but the stagnating economy, along with a dropping average disposable income, would ultimately lead to a significant decrease in the standard of living for all Namvoskans in the long run.

Surely, high tax rates will discourage investment, stifle innovation, and drive businesses out of the country, ultimately leading to job losses, poverty, and social unrest.

The Namvoskan government currently having no clear vision on where its funds will be going will ultimately result in a financial collapse, one that not even the other Namatikan Republics can cover the cost if Premier Remy Kartoshka Wright overlooks on this situation.

In Sant Hiorii, the Merstoeressans stormed the Qilbterma Palace, eventually leading to the downfall of the theocratic government and the establishment of a new, anarchic society in Phyroecia, toppling the iron grip of the elites.

Led by Maffe Oistuinseuqqa, the restorationist-anarchist movement successfully took over nine cities under their anarchist banner. As he was put in power, he enacted a state of isolation over the entire nation, seeking to “rebuild what was once destroyed.”

"We successfully overthrew the previous government, but the way forward needs to be discussed quickly. We're still discussing whether we (should) take over the government or not. The people are in an anarchic condition. Thus, we decided to isolate ourselves. Let us rebuild." he said in his speech in front of the Qilbterma Palace.

As a response, the theocrats of Phyroecia launched counter-revolutions to reclaim what was once theirs. They refused to recognize the sovereignty of the Merstoeressan government, labeling the movement as a "threat to Phyroecia's goodness."

“An unstable government may result after establishing a framework-less government,” quoted one DCCB analyst of Awesomeness. Despite promises of Maffe to create a framework for the fledgling government, his statement and actions made not just the nations of the Council of Asia worried, but including foreign nations.

By December 2002, English generals and admirals were already preparing for the next chapter of expansion. The fear of Italian dominance in the Mediterranean and Chad's growing influence in Africa added urgency to their plans. During a meeting on December 27th at the newly established Southern Command in Gibraltar, the generals hashed out the details of a plan to invade Spain.

Some generals expressed doubts about Italy or Spanish capacity to resist, but Pattison silenced them. The room echoed with his declaration: "We have the might. Our tanks, our bombers, and our fleets are poised to sweep Spain off the map."

The New Year (January 2003) saw the return of English troops to training camps, and the Gibraltar border bristled with soldiers, tanks, and artillery. On January 15th, war was declared.

The Royal Air Force targeted Spanish defenses along the Pyrenees, bombing fortifications and communication lines. The Royal Navy launched a blockade of Spanish shipping in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bay of Biscay. Destroyers shelled ports like Malaga, Cadiz, Vigo, and Bilbao.

By January 17th, English troops crossed the Pyrenees, engaging in fierce battles as they pushed into Spanish territory.

Sallent de Gallego fell on January 25th after a bloody engagement. Pamplona and San Sebastián soon followed, both cities suffering heavy damage. San Sebastián was left in ruins after relentless bombardment, and Pamplona endured a two-day siege before surrendering on January 30th.

While the army pushed through northern Spain, the Royal Navy executed sea landings along the Spanish coast.

Santander fell on February 2nd, and A Coruña followed on February 3rd. These victories solidified English control over Spain’s northern coast and provided critical supply lines for the advancing army.

On January 17th, English troops poured out of Gibraltar, sweeping into southern Spain. By January 20th, Marbella had fallen. Barbate de Franco surrendered hours later, and the push toward Cadiz began.
Cadiz capitulated on January 26th after a brutal four-day siege. Malaga surrendered the previous day, and on January 27th, English forces captured Ceuta and Melilla on the African coast.

By February 3rd, Jerez de la Frontera had fallen, and the southern front slowed as English troops regrouped for the next phase of the campaign.
English forces turned their attention to cities further inland and along the eastern coast.

• Ronda: Captured on February 5th.

• Motril: Fell on February 7th after a brief skirmish.

• Almeria: Secured via naval landing on February 13th.

In the north, the army continued its advance, capturing:

• Huesca: February 11th.

• Calahorra: February 12th.

• Logroño: February 18th.

• Bilbao: February 21st.

• Vitoria-Gasteiz: February 22nd.

The final major offensive of February focused on Seville, a key stronghold in southern Spain.

By the end of February 2003, the English Civilization had captured vast swathes of Spain. The campaign was marked by both strategic brilliance and immense destruction, with many cities left in ruins. Soldiers prepared for the next phase, knowing that victory over Spain would solidify English dominance in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Lunar sand revealed to The Typhoon in an interview a soon-to-be-constructed one-of-a-kind high-speed railway, a joint project with the Russian federacy republic, aiming to speed up travel times, reduce travel costs of cargo and commuter transport, and promote public transportation.

The proposed railway will pass through multiple countries of Europe, spanning from St. Petersburg, Russia, all the way to Marseille, France. It will support both cargo and commuters, with cargo trains having specialized stations for easy docking and shipping. As the railroads will be constructed by parts, the constructing nation will be given the right to control its share of the rail system to maintain its national security.

“Third-party nations”, or the nations where the railway will pass through, also pledged to assist in construction, added Lunar sand.

The said project is approved but awaits construction.

It’s still raining bombs on the battlefield! The chilly winter (and an outdated official war summary) hasn’t stopped the Third World War, and African nations keep sending nuke after nuke to their dreaded enemies. The Typhoon has gathered the current stance and situation of various nations:

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"We moved our fleets towards (the) north and south of (the) Atlantic Ocean to patrol, due to our intelligence detecting suspicious activity. We also declared war on ALF (Aurarian Liberation Front), the movement against the imperial system (they control Northern Angola)."

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– Lunar sand

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"(Our nation is at) war with Jordan/Palestine (under USM) and anti-ba-athist (?) group in Lebanon. I’m not sure when it actually happened. Indopersia is losing against me, Turkey (Roman Empire) is getting railed by Russia, and slowly losing more territory, and Lunar Sand and I are preparing to beat up North Korea/Australia, because they support the RANF."

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– Akzvoria

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"I am good with (the) Roman Empire "Neutral Relationship"."

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– Russian federacy republic

Here’s an interesting technical comment regarding the outdated war summaries:

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"Nothing is happening (on our side). It’s been 6 months and the mods haven't done the war moderation. Ironically enough, they tried to use (the game) to speed up warmods, but (it) just made them spend half a year doing literally nothing."

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– Roman empire

When asked about why war still looms all over Africa despite the holiday season, Lunar sand boldly said to The Typhoon, “this is Africa, babe.”

India embarks on a ground-breaking journey with the introduction of nuclear energy, bringing a radiant era of discovery, innovation, and opportunity to many nations.

With the discovery of uranium’s powerful use, there has been a surge in scientific breakthroughs, especially in healthcare. For the military field however, certain measures are kept in place to prevent misuse and abuse of such powerful technology, and weapons of mass destruction are under research and further development.

India’s nations are eager to invest in this energy, as they were given full control on their policies regarding the use of nuclear power. Construction of uranium refineries, nuclear power plants, and anything that handles uranium has exponentially increased.

Despite the advantages that nuclear power has to offer, nations of India will most likely face problems such as public protest, potential contamination, accidents, uranium shortage, and ethical use of uranium within different fields of industry.

It’s the region of wonder and enlightenment: India! This section of The Typhoon features hand-picked quotes from leaders in India—awe-inspiring with a taste of humor.

• "When it comes to self-defense, relying on someone is as foolish as expecting a lifeguard in the middle of a desert." — Raymond Hill

• “The state is the body and the people are the brain.” — Yusuf Alkan

• "Success doesn't require having the best tools, the average is all I need to succeed." — Empress Lucia Hernandez

• "The hands can attack hard if the eyes guiding them are seeing well." — Vincenzo Napoliello

• "Get a man with balls." — Chancellor Aléxandros Metaxás

It's not just rains that are being blessed in Africa—even bombs too! An interregional war is currently happening!

Here's what's going on so far in the region, with data gathered from October 19, 2024. Short disclaimer, The Typhoon tries its best to be neutral in this situation, and these key happenings come from multiple sources both from UAA, CEDO, and the neutral nations all summarized.

• UAA invaded RANF, a terror group based in Nigeria.

• UAA claimed that CEDO was "supporting" RANF because UAA found out stocked weapons in New England (some of its territory is CEDO).

• There was an IANS vote regarding this situation UAA "accidentally" voted against this, so the suffrage wasn't really put into effect.

• Conflict started when UAA occupied Lower Nubia without a fight, just good-ol’ regular "barge-in" strategy.

• Petrolia (UAA) attacked Iran (CEDO) with casualties on both sides, now stuck in trenches with thousands of casualties, and Indopersia's supply lines are dead leading to its demise.

• South African artillery (CEDO) blew up UAA navy on the coastline. BK's nuclear carrier leaked fuel off the coast of Capetown and helicopter carrier needed to be scraped.

• Akzvoria and BK used nuclear equivalent explosives to destroy the Gabal Elba National Park in order to build something else.

• Russia (now USSR and in UAA), once neutral, attacked Scandinavian Empire. SE claimed they were "supplied by CEDO", to which they denied.

• Russia assists in UAA attack to Iran, saying that "plan worked well".

• UAA reported CEDO was going to supply the RANF-backed faction in the Khoikhois civil war, which CEDO denies.

• Neutral nations express discontent and desire to form a new alliance with the words: "[Censored] CEDO and UAA, let's form an alliance”

The Typhoon News Team quickly gathered to know what the leaders of UAA, CEDO, and some of the neutral nations of Africa have to say about this devastating war:

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"Lower Nubia is entirely owned by us; we are at the doors of Tehran, and we have total naval superiority. They also rely on Americans shooting down our missiles–it's getting that bad. 100 billion of the 173 billion GDP of my country is based off war, so I'm quite full. One nation is forced to keep his ships in port, and doesn't try at all to hit my forces (that are) currently bombing his forces"

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– Bro Kinaba, UAA

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"CEDO sank 2 carriers and their aircraft with shore-based artillery weapons, the first of its kind in history. CEDO has the financial backing, and although dealing with a technological disadvantage, is closing the gap rapidly, with diplomatic support in the important spheres of the world, and Imperial Sith magic from Emperor Basil to back it all up. UAA also condemned themselves in the roleplay’s equivalent of the UN, IANS, in the greatest diplomatic blunder ever witnessed."

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– Lower Nubia, CEDO

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"In my opinion as a neutral, CEDO is on a backfoot as USSR has joined UAA, the numbers advantage is not in their favor and technology gap is still there. There is a chance that CEDO can win, if Lower Nubia pulls out the so-called 'card' which CEDO has failed to use till now. Just gotta deal with the consequences of who would win…"

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– Indiaxxx, neutral nation

While in the midst of the battle, Transvaall appealed to the African nations, to which The Typhoon was able to record:

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"Well yes, war doesn't usually have 'good guys', however from a moral standpoint you should consider: would you support the UAA, who's genocided, gassed, destroyed, invaded and (did) numerous other war crimes against other nations as well as mass civilian bombing against Nigeria, or, CEDO who is a collection of nations that are in an actively defensive war which started after the UAA invaded one of their members. And if I recall I think they also nuked Lower Nubia, I think…"

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– Transvaall, CEDO

As the war goes on, we may never know what will be the future geopolitical landscape of Africa after this war.

With recent regional elections happening in Africa and the Council of Asia this fall, the Council of the Far East Oriental Federation is currently eyeing on a possible region-wide election that would likely be held within the last quarter of 2024.

These speculations of an incoming regional election arose when the FEOF regional government rapidly pushed their member-states to census its population and verify active membership via offiste social platform and forum site Discord. According to Regional Vice-President Namvosk, this was done in order to centralize census-taking and provide efficient services off-site.

The Regional Vice-President is encouraging every single nation who hasn’t joined the official FEOF Discord server to “join for better services and upcoming perks as active member-states”.

Aside from elections, Regional President Awesomeness has abolished the FEOF Standing Committee. VP Namvosk called this move revolutionary, as having a standing committee is “an obstacle to the people’s democracy and their right to political freedom.” Moreover, the Far East Assembly are having sessions regarding on increasing its WA endorsement cap for both Regional President endorsers and non-endorsers, in an effort to increase both national and regional influence in the World Assembly.

“We need people whom we can entrust with the torch of FEOF's future,” said Regional President Awesomeness on October 24, 2024 during a regional assessment session.

It’s not just the government that’s getting a new makeover. The Feof information office was established, succeeding the Ministry of Information and Communications. Future dispatches related to the regional government’s works and progress will be posted there. What’s more than that, a new lineup of government offices will succeed the ministries of FEOF. Acronymed as CISSRO (Cultural, Information, Statistics, Shield, and Relations Offices), this bold move was proposed by VP Namvosk to revitalize government services and to establish a new framework of operations.

On October 7, 2024, scientists and military leaders of the International Science Community of FEOF, led by nations Arzastan, Vanuzgard, Expos, and Namvosk have successfully destroyed the enigmatic "Ring of Doom," a colossal alien structure that threatened to plunge the planet Orientalis into an eternal ice age.

The Ring of Doom, a massive orbital ring encircling Orientalis, was detected since early September 2024, and had been gradually siphoning the planet's energy, causing temperatures to plummet, with some areas near the planet’s equator having an abnormal rise. Its origins remained shrouded in mystery, but recent discoveries have linked it to a long-forgotten conflict involving an advanced alien civilization. The international coalition, recognizing the existential threat, united to devise a plan to neutralize the alien artifact.

Through a series of daring missions made by the nations’ respective space agencies and aeronautics departments, their advanced spacecrafts engaged in a fierce battle with the Ring of Doom's defenses. Fokkusuan Space and Aeronautics Agency’s V-14 and Namatikan Space Agency’s Abigail-2 were instrumental in targeting the weak spots of the Ring of Doom. In a climactic moment, FokkSAA’s V-14 struck a critical blow, destabilizing the Ring of Doom as it plunged into the sun. Space enthusiasts who witnessed the battle with state-of-the-art telescopes dubbed it as "The Largest Battle Ever Observed”.

All these applauding efforts aside, the coalition of nations with space agencies face multiple issues both in the national and regional scale. One of which is the infamous case of the death of a Namatikan Liberation Army soldier in Namvosk, who was allegedly accused of being a spy of NamSA and was “behind the works of the Ring of Doom”. Former Premier Natalya Matsunoya did in fact confirm in a publicized statement that the accusations were true, three days after Colonel Bansk, the NLA general that killed the soldier, was arrested. The Typhoon got information from Transcendiant’s free press media DCCB regarding the origins of the spy:

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“We haven't confirmed this yet, but the spy may come from an unidentified species of bipedal creatures with dragon-like features…”

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Arzastan and Vanuzgard’s role in coordinating with the International Science Community of FEOF are recognized around the region. The entire ISC Assembly gave the two nations a standing ovation, with some of their scientists receiving the Kwang-Eun Sok Award, expressing gratitude on promoting international cooperation and unity in a gigantic threat.

Namvoskan biologists and Exposian botanists collaborated to build biospheres in strategic areas of the planet to stabilize the temperature. Now the threat is over, these will be repurposed to farming places and greenhouses, capable of preserving multiple species of plants and animals for generations to come.

Despite the positive remarks, a minority of scientists were disappointed in the total destruction, as the technology of the Ring of Doom can advance research on the climate patterns of Orientalis. The Typhoon quoted from an analyst of Vanuzgard Today that stated on the future implications of this event:

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“Some of the more ethically inclined scientists, especially biologists are wondering about the unknown alien species that built the 'Ring of Doom', and that people of Orientalia, witnessed and even possibly organised the very first act of genocide against interstellar species. Some also pondered the idea of retribution from these alien creatures, if of course those who died with the 'Ring of Doom' were not their entire population.”

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Scientists are now working together to study the remnants of the alien structure and to understand the advanced technology that it employed.

To commemorate the success of the International Science Community of FEOF in taking down the Ring of Doom, here are some words spoken by leaders during the crisis:

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“'Ring of Doom' will be destroyed, our space vessel is steadily on course and would be at destination in the middle of October. The Enemy is advanced but unaware. Their Arch is unstable on itself and would succumb to the gravity of our sun even from the smallest of collisions. Although outlanders are panicking as barbaric as they are, we should remain diligent and patient, and show, by example, how to deal with such a crisis."

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– Vanuzgard, words of Sumāto Hoshi, Chief of FokkSAA

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"Today, on the day of Mehregaan, the day of the Sun God, we see that our Sun, our Mithra, our source of energy, life, and divinity, is drying out. This is the bitter truth we all have to face. But I believe that together, we can overcome this event. We are doing our best efforts on both the military and scientific sides of the problem. Our space agency is cooperating with the international community to find more information and weaknesses about the Ring of Doom, and our military is doing a fantastic job of destroying this horrific scum of extraterrestrial colonialism and imperialism. Our scientists are finding new sources of food and conducting fascinating research to use magma and nuclear radiation as new sources of energy. We will extract energy from rocks and keep the light alive in our hearts. Because people are capable of anything, and Arzastan is capable of anything, and you are the people of Arzastan."

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– Arzastan, excerpt of Arzenese PM Askān Yakhnābān's speech on the day of Mehregaan (September Equinox)

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"This is all but a minor situation. I don't see a reason to start panic by exaggerating to the masses. We got the biospheres, our military is always ready, other National Republics are willing to support—even you (NamSA) are capable of building satellites and space WMDs. The general population (of Namvosk) will be just fine as long as we adapt and mitigate swiftly with the effects.”

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– Namvosk, words of First General Namato Matsunoya, Emperor of the Republic of Namatika during a conference with NamSA

The Council of Asia has made history by electing West Nichibotsu as their new Prime Minister. In a landslide victory, West Nichibotsu secured 21 votes, significantly outpacing North wonscia having 3 votes and Scavagatia with only 1 vote. West Nichibotsu will serve until January 2025, with the next election tentatively scheduled for the second week of that month.

“I would first like to offer my upmost gratitude for voting me into the position of Prime Minister. Though this will be my first (and only) time in office, I wish everyone to place their trust in me in order for a brighter future for the Council of Asia,” the newly-elected Prime Minister of COA stated on October 24, 2024.

The newly elected Prime Minister has announced that the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Defense are open for applications. Interested member-states of the COA are encouraged to contact Prime Minister West Nichibotsu for further information.

On July 18, 2001, the Notisport government announced a new regional cooperation initiative, offering strategic land on its territory so that other countries can build military bases. The agreement, which aims to strengthen mutual security and strengthen diplomatic ties, was revealed during a press conference led by President Declan Thatcher.

According to the president, the measure is part of a joint defense strategy, which seeks to ensure stability in the region and promote the development of military alliances. "Notisport has always advocated peace and cooperation between socialist nations and our allies. By opening our territory for military bases, we are creating a system of shared protection that benefits all involved," said Thatcher.

The land offered is located in strategically selected areas, with easy access to logistical resources and infrastructure suitable for modern military installations. Furthermore, the Notisport government has assured that the use of these bases will be controlled by bilateral agreements, respecting the sovereignty of each participating country and ensuring that the focus is always on peaceful cooperation.

Neighboring countries have not yet shown interest in the proposal. The measure is seen by analysts as an attempt by Notisport to consolidate itself as a regional military coordination center, while strengthening its relations with allied governments.

The international community awaits with interest the developments of the project, which could transform the security dynamics in the Council of Asia and create new opportunities for collaboration between Notisport and other countries.

Some people are born with (near) perfect, crystal clear, bright as day 20-20 vision. Some people wear glasses or contacts to compensate for a slight refraction error, and would often have to visit their local optometrist every two years or so. But there are also a handful of people who experience eye diseases. One of these eye diseases is glaucoma—which remains one of the leading causes of blindness in the entire world.

I was diagnosed with juvenile primary open-angle glaucoma during my elementary days. This eye disease was described to me as like a thief that could make my eyes go blind in just a single day. Generally, glaucoma is an eye condition that affects the optic nerve–the “wires” that transmit visual signals from the retina to the brain. When the eyes produce too much aqueous humor inside our eyes, it causes a buildup back to the optic nerves, therefore damaging them over time. In the case of primary open-angle glaucoma, the trabecular meshwork (described as the eye’s drainage of aqueous humor) is open but clogged. Add that up to my eyes having thick corneas, it may generate a false increase in my intraocular pressure, which could still damage the nerves. Simply put, glaucoma is just high blood pressure for the eyes. I recommend y’all check out articles about that.

It was no easy task to live with an eye condition that has no cure—though I hope for one in the nearest future. Both of my eyes received selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) last June of this year, but was only able to alleviate my symptoms for a while. I was still grateful that it did reduce my frequent headaches. With no luck in laser surgery, my ophthalmologists requested that I must get trabeculectomy, a surgery in which a new opening is created for the aqueous humor to flow. The result would be an eye with normal intraocular pressure and would be less of a risk for developing blindness over time.

Because of this, I took the bold move of having a trabeculectomy surgery for my left eye on October 22, 2024. It took almost three hours for the operation to be completed. I didn’t feel any of the pain during the operation, as I was under anesthesia the entire time. The only pain I had was when the nurses injected the intravenous stuff on me four times; three of which were busted due to my blood vessels being hard to find. They put me for two hours in the recovery room before I was released outside hospital grounds, cold and shivering on a rainy evening. It’s still a week (or two, depending on when I’d publish this) since that happened, and my body is still recovering from the stitches and burning sensations I had experienced. I thank the Lord and Mother Mary for calming me down the entire time.

To describe trabeculectomy as a mere surgery is an understatement. Vision is, to most of us, is an essential asset. Losing our eyesight would lose the visible world around us. We may not see the beauty of the world anymore. Despite this, let us not forget that there is still hope in the midst of darkness. Let us continue to hope for a brighter future, where every disease is cured, every color made vibrant, and every shadow be illuminated with light.

A world with nothing to see is lifeless. Let’s become the light of everyone else.

Let's help build a glaucoma-free world.