24 Hours Quintelian News Service

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

PROSECUTED PROTESTING PROLETARIAT

The two main leaders of the protests, Berta Santiago and Bartolomo Gerola, have been prosecuted. They were charged with arson and and inciting of property damage, to which the two were given the bare minimum: 10 days in prison with 100 hours of community service. The pair of minimum wage earners were reportedly tearing up with joy as they heard the verdict. No interview with them were allowed as per law, though their defendants said that "Of course, violent means were necessary to show the public and the world how much these companies are abusing its workers. Now, we encourage those in the same situation as these people are a month ago to show that they deserve to be treated as a person." Next week would be the start of the prosecution of Joselito Ocampo and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

GP HYPE

The Lungsod Grand Prix will be held soon, and both the government and people in Lungsod have been preparing for months. The MLDA has already put together alternate routes for vehicles as well as three suspension of classes all throughout the city. Three-fourths of the curbs have been painted and seating for the starting and finishing point have been set up, with a seating capacity of 4,000. A few residents also offer their homes for rent where the race is visible. Meanwhile four newly delivered airships from Neu Uburzis will be also used for those who want to see an aerial view of the race.

Meanwhile, Quintelian racer Marlon Laurel has given the statement when interviewed. "I'm confident with this race. I've been driving through these streets my whole life and I even got a speeding ticket. laughs And hey, my house is visible from here." The other three Quintelian racers refused to be interviewed.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

AIRPORT UPGRADE FINISHED

Full construction terminals 4 and 5 and 2 new runways have been completed last week and after a thorough inspection, it will open for public use in Sunday. Terminal 4 will be used primarily for international flights from other continents, especially from airlines using rigid airships as terminal 4 is also the nearest terminal to the newly built airship landing tarmacs. Terminal 4 will have a total maximum capacity of ten million annual passengers, increasing the original airport's capacity by 25%. The architecture is inspired by beach resorts in the coasts of Quintelia, and is also inspired by tribal fishing villages. Terminal five, however, is purely a cargo terminal and is an extension of terminal two. Terminal five is also up for rent for shipping companies to use. The whole project costed about $75 million and made use of the generous donation from the Ecclesiastical State.

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CEOs ON TRIAL

This week, CEO of the Ayala Conglomerate, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayal has been tried and was ruled as innocent of any forms of corruption and all charges on him were dropped. CEO of NutriArdia Joselito Campo was immediately tried and was found guilty of mistreatment of his employees and corruption. He will serve ten years in prison with no chance of parole. All of Joselito's assets will be confiscated by the government and use seventy percent of it will be used to compensate the former workers of NutriArdia. The other thirty percent will be kept as reserves for any future project. The same thing will be done to any official that is proven guilty. "Putting over two thousand people on trial will take a long time, so we're allocating the month of September in trying all NutriArdian officials that have been listed by Joselito and by the protesters." This is the first time a billionaire will be convicted and imprisoned and many people have praised the anonymous judge in social media.

In a related news, Berta Santiago and Bartolomo Gerola, the two leaders of the protests, were freed from what people would consider a slap in the hand. They will then serve the required 100 hours of community service, mostly helping in cleaning up the locations where they protested on. However, the duo were seen happily doing what they were told to, even smiling to the camera when documented and interviewed. "We aren't even complaining, if this is what I pay for providing the rights we have neeeded for a long time, then I think this is cheap." Bartolomo said in an interview during his break time while Berta refused to have her interviewed for the reasoning of being "Too happy".

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

WHEEL OF TORTURE

A random inspection of an undisclosed prison in the province of Bulataan has yielded a few controversial results. A group of five undercover inmates were planted in the said prison as to see and inspect the prison firsthand without any prior preparations. Today, the "inmates" have revealed given their warrant of investigation to the superintended of the police district, who shall remain anonymous. After the investigation, a kilogram of cocaine, fifty bottles of alcoholic beverages, and a few cannabis plants being grown inside an inmate's cell, all of which are illegal to possess in a prison. Keypad phones and improvised two way radios were also seen in the possession of inmates. However, the most surprising find was a "wheel of torture" as what the inmates and the prison guards referred to. The inmates described how the guards tortured them.

"We were all rounded up to the mess hall every week and we were asked to spin the wheel or else we will get five minutes of being beaten by a stick." An inmate said in an interview. The wheel, as shown, has five possible outcomes: "Hayahayyy" which is the smallest one means the inmate can go back to their room unharmed; "Tusok Ulo Ka" translates to "Your Head Gets Poked" which means that a stick is poked around an inmate's head for twenty seconds; "Paniki" which means "Bat" forces the inmate to hang upside down for thirty seconds; "Manny Pacman" is a reference to the famous bocer and warrants the inmate twenty seconds of non-stop punching; and "Zombies" means the inmate will be chained and beaten up severely for three whole minutes. All prison guards are now arrested and are facing a possible ten to twenty years sentence. The inmates, meanwhile, will be transported to a safer rehabilitation center.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

QUINTELIAN SATELLITES ALMOST FINISHED

The construction of the three satellites have been finished and safety inspections have begun as of writing this article. While the examination of each equipment are ongoing, we took the time to interview Pedro de la Peña, the head of the development of the three satellites.

Reporter: Today we are here in our studio with the one and only Pedro de la Peña. Sir de la Peña, how are you today?
Pedro: I'm good, a bit sleepy, a bit excited, a bit worried. You our what, In actually a bit of every emotion now.

R: Ok, so we have prepared a bunch of questions about you, your team, and of course, the satellites you've been creating, you ready, sir?

P: Bring it on!

R: I like your enthusiasm. For our first question, what would our satellites do and for how long would they operate?
P: Bathala 1, the first satellite to be developed, with construction starting back in 2016, would be our weather satellite. It has all the necessary equipment to observe weather and relay information from space back to here in Quintelia where the information will be processed. It also has a few sensors and specialized cameras to observe the effects of climate change in Quintelia and in Hygelac. The other two satellites, Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, will be used for relaying signals mostly for commercial use. Diwata-1 will be used for television and radio signal while Diwata-2 will be for cellular signal.
R: That does sound progressive and exciting, but where would the launch be?
P:We will launch the three satellites from Ui Cenneslaig and if all gles smoothly, all satellites would be launched by early December.
R: So we don't need to wait for longer to have decent internet, that's nice.
P: Oh yeah. You don't know the pain of communicating with people outside of the country.
R: Oh I know how painful that is. Anyways, how many were directly involved in the building of these satellites?
P: I personally picked the best 500 graduates from Lungsod University that I think will be best suited in making this project possible. Other than them, almost a thousand blue - collar workers have helped in transporting equipments, making our workplace safe, and many others.
R: There may be a more than a thousand people involved
in making our first step to the final frontier, but what we're more interested is in the leader of this project, you. So, tell me first, how would you describe yourself?
P: Well, I'd describe myself more of a hardworking man than a smart or even wise. I was the leader of this project, yes, and that's a given, however, I'd say it agaim and emphasize, you should focus on these graduates. They're doing a gteat job. But the only thing you need to know about me is, looks at camera I'm still single and I'm looking for abyone above 18,. Woman from the crew audibly giggles.
R: Well, you heard it first from here, guys. This man is single eh. Get ready to be constantly asked on social media on your availability. Now, if given the chance, would you do another project like this again?
P: Yes and thankfully, I have another project with the purpose still classified if the three satellites are successfully launched.
R: Ok, thank you very much for your time. May we wish good luck on the launch and may God bless you.
P: Thank you too and may God bless you as well.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

SATELLITE LAUNCH LIVE COVERGAE

Today, the three satellites made by the Quintelian Space Agency will launch from Ui Cenneslaig. In 4 minutes, the rocket carrying the three satellites will take of and mark the beginning of Quintelia’s presence in space and that presence shall remain the status quo for as long as Quintelia exists. Now, the rocket where these satellites are in is capable of bringing the communications satellite to a low earth orbit, where it can perform it’s task with the most efficiency while the two research satellites would be brought to further orbits as to be able to observe Quintelia and the Hygelac at the same time. Diwata 1 is equipped with a high precision telescope, multispectral imager with liquid crystal tunable filter, and a wide field camera that will help in the observation of Quintelia on a daily basis. Diwata 2, on the other hand, is equipped with a magnetometer, which measures magnetic fields in space, high resolution dynamics limb sounder, microwave limb sounder, ozone monitoring instrument, and tropospheric emission spectrometer, all of which will help in the observatio of the ozone layer and greenhouse gases. Bathala 1 is a telecommunications satellite that will provide mobile network coverage for the whole nation of Quintelia for all major network service providers in the nation, however, it can also provide the same service for all of China and New Derusmia if they were to ask. All satellites are also equipped with Reaction Control Systems and 10 liters of mononpropellant that will be used in readjustment of orbit, may it be due to orbit decay or anomalies during launch.
5[/i]
Ignition
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The rocket has launched and within a few minutes, will reach space and deploy the Quintelian satellites. We shall check in with Karenina in mission control back in Lungsod.

Thanks Jess, the atmosphere here is celebratory and may be observed by one of the satellites ince it reaches orbit. As for those that will remotely control and observe our first satellites, they will be on duty for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 6 hour shifts. As for future projects and launches by Quintelia, we have confirmed that 7 satellites will be completed by next year, with one of them being capable of carrying a man, however, we have not confirmed if there will be any manned missions planned for the near future.

It’s been five minutes now and as you are seeing it live, the fairings have been deployed and we can see and determine which satellite is which. The two Diwata sats will be offloaded in a 10 minute interval while the Bathala satellite will be offloaded once it reaches the altitude it needs, which is about an hour after the two satellites are launched, which would give it a geostationary orbit instead of a low earth orbit. After that, the rocket will then go back to Ui enneslaig to be used again.(OOC: if this is not the type of rocket you have, then just ping me in Discord) Catch the full flight in our stream in your tv or online.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

SATELLITE UPDATE

More than a week after the launch of the first three satellites of Quintelia, an official update has been released by the Ministry of Science and Technology regarding the current missions and future launches.

"Right after launch, all three satellites deployed without any anomalies and went to their orbits and their solar panels within an hour since launch. Bathala 1 was the first to send a signal, followed by Diwata 1 and then Diwata 2. Diwata 1 was also the first to transmit scientific data, which was an infrared image of Quintelia, showing cold winds from China going east towards the Strait of Shaw. Diwata 2 then transmitted data on the thickness of the ozone layer on Lungsod. As for Bathala 1, it is providing service for all major telecommunications company in Quintelia.

All of the three satellites will have a mission duration of fifteen years. For those next years, we will be taking in more ambitious projects and will be doing more missions in space and in Mundus. Our next big project would be sending a few manned rovers in Hygelac and maybe establish a oermanent research base there. It will soon be followed by a launch of five more research satellites, and hopefully get a chance to talk with the Achkaerinese or the Rokkenjimans to let a Quintelian board their space station for a couple of months for research purposes. Other larger-scale projects, such as landing a rover on another heavenly body or launching a probe to deep space, will come but not in the near future. As for other projects in Mundus, we have started working on less toxic pesticides and herbicide in association with Dizon Farms, as well as a few drones being built with Dalton Motors."

BORDER UPDATE

Although there are no casualties from Quintelia, the government is open to lending military equipment to Dragonai border officers. If the need arises, they can borrow any gun and at most three tanks from the army. The air force is considering to start reconnaissance missions within 10 km from the border on both sides and giving information from the said missions to the Dragonai. The navy will not offer any services whatsoever.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

MINISTER OF DEFENSE TALKS ABOUT SUSPICIOUS KILLING

A few months ago, a Rokkenjiman immigrant was found dead in her house, poisoned with thallium sulfate. An investigation was made by the local police, however no leads were made other than the immigrant was an unlucky victim of a home invasion and robbery. The culprit was never caught or found and the investigation was closed one month after no more additional evidences were found. Local syndicates, such as the Akyat Bahay syndicate and Salisi Syndicate, were blamed for the murder, however, both groups denied any involvement in the said murder. The tainted water tank was taken and replaced with a clean tank by the local water service provider. The housing unit where the immigrant was found was thoroughly searched for any evidences and afterwards, cleaned. Currently, the house is occupied by two previously homeless families.

A week ago, a Rokkejiman leak in Free Mundus Network occurred, wherein rogue Rokkenjiman agents from across Mundus were killed by Morelander agents. Minister of Defense Ronald Bato gave a comment on the situation. "If we trust the leaked source, we can say that Quintelians are not responsible for the incident. This would leave the Morelanders to be guilty if we get to know which of their citizens did this. Of course, we still have doubts on the source, so we shall send investigators to Rokkenjima to see any record of the immigrant and to East Moreland to confirm the source. This is not meant to be anything damaging, we just want to clear things up."

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

LAST PLASTIC MANUFACTURING PERMIT TO BE SOLD THIS MONTH

According to a 2017 research, Quintelia is the largest producer and consumer of plastic and plastic products. This results to more than five million tons of plastic being thrown to the ocean and seas annually. In Bahay City, there are more plastic and rubber factories than any other type of factory. Due to this, the government has built multiple recycling centers and enforced strict rules on littering and waste disposal of byproducts. Now, the government will issue its last ten plastic factory permits to he highest bidders while previously issued permits can be traded and sold to those willing to buy. As of the reporting of this news, the highest bid that has been placed on a fresh permit is $5,000,000 while the total bids amount to $35,000,000 with more bids expected over the next few days.

According to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Regina Legarda, all the money that will be collected from the bids will proceed to projects for environment conservation and rehabilitation. "Since it's invention, plastic has always been harmful to us and to the environment, although it does have many applications. However, we should still try to limit the use of plastic. Cities should also do what Lungsod City and Ayala City did and ban the use and sale of plastic bags and plastic cups." She stated in an interview.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

SNOW FALL IN DAGOHOY AFTER 30 YEARS

As the spring equinox approaches and the days start to shorten, there is no doubt that summer is at an end, harvest season is ongoing, and the colder months will begin afterwards. However, the mountain tops of the Dagohoy Forest Park was seen to be covered by snow yesterday by a few hikers. The snow cover on the mountain range has been confirmed by the Quintelian satellite Diwata-1, photographs from planes, and even more hikers. Snow itself has not yet been seen in Quintelia for thirty years, and a blizzard hasn't hit Quintelia for a hundred years. The local government of Dagohoy, along with the towns that overlap the park, has advised against going and hiking in the park as to lower the risk of suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. Colder weather in the whole country is to be expected, and farmers should now hasten their harvest.


OOC: Assuming Mundus works like earth and the southern hemisphere's winter is at the same time as when the northern hemisphere is in summer.
 

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

WINTER IS COMING

Snowfall is a rarity in Quintelia, having only been seen in the peaks of certain mountains in the past few decades. However, snow has covered most of the province of Dagohoy, along with a few towns from nearby provinces of Ilocandia and Cagayan. The Diwata-1 satellite has sent pictures of the affected areas in different spectrums of light as to help in the prediction of snowfall in the country. Tourists from Lungsod City flock to the aforementioned provinces as to escape the fairly warm city, with the Dagohoy Forest Park Management Office recording a total of 285,438 visitors in the past month with more coming. This has provided a large sum of revenue for local businesses and the parks themselves.

However, the snowstorms have done more damage than good, as crops and fields were ruined within a few minutes of freezing in the snow. Hectares of rice paddies were frozen and made worthless, sprouting gourds and vegetables froze and rot. An estimated $50 million worth of food and crops were destroyed in almost an instant, with a predicted $500 million worth of damage in crops and livestock if the snowstorms continue. “While it will be a big sum of money for a lot of our farmers, we can assure that this will not be the end of it all. We have seeds in storage for these situations, and we can compensate these farmers if they need it. Dizon Farms has $2 billion reserved in multiple banks, we have enough. We put the welfare of our farmers and workers over profit, we’re here to help” Omarelle Dizon said in a private interview with him.

Experts predict that if a blizzard were to hit the metropolitan are of Lungsod City, 5 million people would freeze to death due to lack of proper heating systems, with the slums of Fort Bonifacio City being the most affected. “The best thing we can do now is to prepare an evacuation center for the most affected areas.” Minister of State Eduardo Buenarbe said in a brief press conference. “The logistics of it will be challenging, but we can definitely reduce a lot of casualties in urban and rural areas. We can mobilize task forces to contain any possible riots due to food shortages. If push comes to shove, we can open up warehouses to keep the food prices low.”

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LUNGSOD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION REVAMPED

20 million people in all of the Lungsod Metropolitan Area regularly travel through the major thoroughfares of the cities, may they use private vehicles or public transportation. With an ever-increasing population, the highways and avenues get more congested, and train cabins look more like sardine cans than a decent way of travelling. It seems like such conditions will worsen as time goes on, not to mention the pollution this will bring. However, there is a last ditch effort to save the transportation infrastructure before it is too late. The Minister of Transportation, along with officers of the Lungsod Metropolitan Area Authority, or LMAA, and the mayors of the cities of Lungsod, Laurel, Ayala, Bahay, Baybayin, and Fort Bonifacio discussed a long-term plan that will hopefully solve the neverending transportation problem.

"First of all, we would establish a Metro Lungsod Transport Authority under the LMMA. This sub-department would be in charge of all the transportation in the metro. We will be given appropriate funding for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure." LMMA Chairman Jose Pialago said in the press conference. "Next, we have plans for a subway system and three more lines of elevated monorail, with the Lungsod-Laurel line halfway done. The projected cost of this project alone is $50 billion, however this may change depending on any fluctuations on the cost of materials or labor, or any changes in the routes of the lines. We have also talked about a line that goes to the other provinces and a line that connects to the Southern Ardian Line, but we have no certain plans for it yet. Next thing we discussed are buses. While most of the buses are operated by companies and private individuals, we now have set rules and quotas that will benefit both the commuters and operators. Along with buses are jeepneys, which will be banned in a few major thoroughfares, however, their fares will increase slightly to give the jeepney drivers a bit of an incentive from the inconvenience from this ban. Lastly, we are turning over the operation of the Lungsod International Airport and the Baybayin Seaport to the Lungsod Transport Authority to ease the congestion during peak hours."

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

DAGOHOY OBSERVATORY OPENS

After almost a year of construction, the Dagohoy Observatory and Laboratory Compound will be opened to scientists and astronomers alike. The observatory will be designated as an extraterritorial jurisdiction to Ui Cenneslaig, while the laboratory compound will mostly be underground in Quintelia. The observatory will be able to detect visible light, ultraviolet rays, and infrared rays. The telescope can rotate 360° giving flexibility to the astronomers. "Scientists from Ui Cenneslaig and Quintelia can enter the compund for free for as long as they can provide proof that they are scientists. Students that will do their thesis here and scientists from other nations will have to pay $100 per week to stay in the compound and use the telescopes. Although the observatory is open to any Cenneg or Quintelian scientist or researcher, the compound itself is not yet finished. With the nearest hospital being a mountain and a river away, we need to build a small clinic. Some few additional laboratories will be built in the near future. A small clearing will serve as a helipad for now, but we will upgrade it in the next coming weeks." The Supervisor of the DOLC said in a recent interview.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

NEW SANE CHARTER SIGNED

Earlier this day, (OOC: Pretend this happened today) a new charter binding the members of South Ardian New Electorate, or SANE, has been signed by all the member nation in the Nueva Lungsod City Hall. The new charter removed redundancies, added a few provisions, and overall made he charter more comprehensive.
In other related news, a design for the SANE Headquarters has been released. As of now, the Nueva Lungsod City Hall serves as the headquarters for SANE, and with more staffs and representatives being stationed there, a separate building is needed to maintain orderliness. "While the SANE HQ is still under construction, we will rent a few office spaces nearby to decongest the city hall." Mayor Diego Moreno said in an interview. The construction of SANE HQ is expected to finish in time for the first anniversary of the signing of the SANE treaty in late April next year.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

LOST CANNIBAL TRIBE REDISCOVERED IN BULUBUN PROVINCE

BONDOL CITY, BULUBUN - Currently, members of the Pria-Makan tribe, which are numbered to have 198 members, have been the only people in Quintelia who are exempt from being charged with cannibalism due to their culture and faith. The ever-decreasing Pria-Makan tribe believes that consumption of the first-born son of the matriarchs coerce Pria, their god of destruction, to give a bountiful harvest. That is until today, when the supposedly-extinct Kaintao tribe was approached by a group of hikers. The Kaintao tribe was known to be more barbaric, with accounts from de Gama and Legaspi[1] detailing attacks and raids. Similar accounts also detailed how Ecclesiastical soldiers burnt down the forests surrounding the Kaintao village, ultimately leading to their deaths. However, rumors of their survival continued on for centuries.

Jaime Santiago, the leader of the hiking group, detailed their discovery. "We were following the trail as laid out by the maps on our guide when suddenly, we heard what seemed to be screams by that of a pig or a man. Andres insisted that we follow the source of the sound, maybe it was a trapped animal, maybe it was another hiker needing help." Jaime said in the interview. “Our group then approached the cliff overlooking a forest. What we saw next was an arrow shooting right past us. I decided to have my phone out to take a picture before running away back towards the trail. That's when we decided to call the park rangers to report on what we have seen.” All hikers involved in the incident are now being treated for their minor injuries.

"Studying the cultures of our indigenous people is important for promoting cultural and historical significance of our ancestors," Anthropologist and Head of the Cultural Bureau of Quintelia Felipe Jocano stated in an interview. "However, I think it is best if we leave them for now, use satellite imagery to cordon off the areas where such tribes live for the well-being of us and them. Until uncontacted tribes decide to approach us first, then these tribes shall remain isolated and be protected from any government or civilian interventions."

1.	OOC: Let's just say they are Ecclesiastical explorers for now

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OOC: Thanks to KrisNord for giving me this idea
24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

NEW SPACE PROJECT ANNOUNCED

The Ministry of Science and Technology announced in a press conference the Near-Earth Asteroid Scout mission in association with the Lungsod University and Cenneg researchers. The new space mission will consist of a group of thirteen low-cost Cubesats that will examine asteroids and meteors that are within the orbit of Mundus and Luna. Each satellite, named Mamboboso 1 through 4, would be equipped with cameras and sensors to analyze surface composition of bodies within the Mundus’ orbit.

“We are excited to announce Quintelia’s second scientific space mission, and more importantly, SANE's first joint space project!” Minister of Science and Technology Antonio Tuazon stated in the press conference. “We have been working on this project for two years, with a few working prototypes made. However, with the help of Cenneg, Derusmian, and Dragonai brains working alongside us, we can finish the first of four satellites within the next month, with other satellites completed by our allies in SANE. The launch should optimistically occur by the end of the year if there are no hurdles to set us back.”

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

BAHURA CLASS DESTROYER LAUNCHED

Almost a year after Quintelia expanded the Sarafian shipyard, the first military vessel launched in this shipyard. The QSS Mameleu, named after a serpent-like aquatic cryptid that was believed to have roamed the Ilog River, is the first of five Bahura Class destroyers that are planned to be built in Tamora. The launching ceremony was headed by Admiral Tamagal, who represented Quintelia in the talks for constructing the shipyard. In his toast, he declared that Tamoran-Quintelian relations are stronger while also denouncing the practice of slavery, stating it as a “barbaric practice”. The QSS Mameleu was then christened  by the Admiral with a Quintelian basi.

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

LEGAL DRUGS: A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
A FOUR PART MINI-DOCUMENTARY

Use of recreational drugs that are usually illegal in other countries such as cannabis, opioids, cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and even methamphetamines have been formally legalized by the first Quintelian President Boniface in 1901 as a way to maintain traditions and customs of most tribes. Narcotics were then temporarily banned under the Roxas regime in 2008 to "save the economy from lazy Quintelians". King Lapu later on re-enacted the legalization of all recreational drugs in 2011 as part of his "de-regulization". The Ministry of Health later on imposed light restrictions on the processing of opioids and methamphetamines and limited the legal dosage for ketamines, lysergic acid, and ecstacy in 2013.

Historically, herbal hallucinogens have been integral to tribal customs ceremonies since they were founded. One such notable ceremony with heavy use of drugs is the Wewazkangz burial ceremony of a monarch, wherein the Elders of the Tribe and any representative from other tribes take in hallucinogenic mushrooms as the deceased monarch is being burnt on a stake made of hemp. It was also customary for Esiha and Wewazkangz tribe members to drink tea mixed with psychedelic mushrooms, and opium in addition with spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and gingee; while coca and tobacco leaves were often chewed with caustic lime as a stimulant. Due to these traditions, herbal and fungal drugs are more often used than synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines and lysergic acid. Moreover, the stipulations put up by the Ministry of Health limits the dosage and consumption of certain drugs, thus making locally-made narcotics safer than illegally-made drugs from other countries.

This gave the country an opportunity for the government to open a new sector in the economy. Drug tourism has attracted tourists from all over the world to visit the Green Market of Lungsod as well as the Red Light District of Ayala City, among other drug hotspots. Drug tourism alone contributes a yearly revenue of more than $9 billion to the Quintelian economy, and the local recreational drug trade has provided $32 billion in tax revenue last year alone. In addition, the Quintelian drug trade currently employs an estimated 1.7 million people as farmers, manufacturers, and distributors. Dizon Pharms, a pharmaceutical subsidiary of Dizon Farms, and Wildflower, one of the largest narco-agricultural companies, spend a considerable amount in researching cannabis, coca leaves and other crop drugs as an alternative remedy. All of this, however, comes at a moral cost.

Recent census shows that between 20 to 33% of all Quintelians consume drugs that are neither alcohol nor tobacco based. International drug smuggling, as per the intelligence agencies of most countries, are mostly attributed to cartel groups shipping Quintelian-made drugs to other countries. Yearly, around 25,000 Quintelians overdose on opioids, ketamine, and other narcotics while an additional 6,000 Quintelians die due to accidents caused by impaired senses and 1,000 suicides were attributed with drug abuse. On top of this, 100,000 Quintelians enter rehabilitation centers yearly costing the healthcare system an additional $1.2 billion in annual cost. Furthermore, drug abuse cost the nation between $19 - $70 billion in lost productivity.

In this four-part mini-series by the 24 Hours News Network, we will explore the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of the Quintelian drug argument, and in doing so, answer the question Quintelians have been asking for the past century: Are our legal drugs a curse, or a blessing?

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24 HOURS NEWS SERVICE

QUINTELIAN CASUALTY IN SICR WAR

SICR EMBASSY, NUEVA LUNGSOD - Earlier this year, the Quintelian Military sent ground, naval, and aerial reinforcements to support the SICR’s effort against anti-government forces. The Quintielian Armed Forces deployed a total of 5,700 infantry troops as well as 23 tank crews. The Quintelian Navy deployed the Helicopter Dock QRB Pagong and destroyers QRB Taga-Sira and QRB Siga to the coasts of Wangdu-Essen. The Quintelian Air Force meanwhile deployed 20 fighter squads and 1 bomber squad as well as 40 reconnaissance planes. Non-combatant personnel were also deployed—650 medical personnel, 250 logistics personnel, and 21 technical specialists.

As of Christmas Day, the SICR and Quintelian military confirmed 31 military personnel and 2 non-combatants were killed, with 2 soldiers still missing. The families of those killed-in-action were informed and given proper compensation prior to today’s release.

RAILROADS REGAIN RECOGNITION

2016 Inter-City Electro-Diesel Train(left) and 1985 Regional Diesel Train(right)

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, LUNGSOD - Rail transport was the main mode of transportation for Quintelians travelling between cities provinces with an annual pre-Mutiny ridership of 50 million people. The Mutiny however damaged most of the rural railroads and has since been neglected, lowering the annual ridership to just 10 million people. A small modernization initiative was done in 2016 which saw the purchase of some rolling stock however the industry is still largely neglected. On average, inter-city passenger trains run 30 minutes behind schedule, provincial passenger trains around 2 hours behind, and freight trains a staggering 4 hours and 15 minutes behind. With unmaintained rolling stock, shrinking manpower, and an aging rail network, the future for the Quintelian rail industry was sure to decay and have millions be left almost disconnected from the rest of the country

This was until last year when Quintelia signed an agreement with Ui Cenneslaig, Cantabria, SICR, and New Derusmia to build a “Southern Line” which will link southern Ardian nations through High Speed Rails (HSR). The project currently spans six countries and is speculated by geopolitical experts to include a line connecting to northern Ardian Nations. This agreement saw an increase in both public interest for the revitalization of the rail network and private investments to rail companies. Earlier this year, construction began in major cities such as Lungsod and Maasin where tracks were refurbished to be able to support high speed rolling stock.The Main Line will run from east to west from the borders of SICR near Nueva Lungsod to Lungsod and from north to south from the borders of New Derusmia to the borders of Kodumaa. The Quintelian High Speed Rail Network will connect major cities and industrial centers to the Southern Line.

Official map of the ongoing QHSRN project connecting to the Southern Line

“The Main Line will be the focus of the project, with its construction costing up to $135 billion.” Minister of Transportation, Lucio Tan Ochoa, said in a press conference. “This would include more than 5,000 kilometers of rail being either rebuilt or constructed from scratch, 90 stations would be built of which 17 would be commuter hubs, and 4 southern line hubs where international routes would stop. This project would need 2,430,000 workers including 180 engineers and the logistics would be difficult to handle in the more remote parts, but it won’t be impossible. The biggest hurdle we currently have with the Main Line would be the mountain ranges bordering Quintelia and SICR.”