The latest data in from the Imperial government has confirmed what many Tamorans were expecting, the economy of the Empire contracted by 1% in 2018. The Imperial Statistics Office has also explained that while the first two quarters of 2018 the economy saw the usual modest growth the Empire has been experiencing  for decades, the last two quarters have seen the economy contracted and the year average is a decrease in GDP of 1%. This marks the first time in 20 years the Empire has seen a recession.

Financial experts have said that international sanctions are the main contributing factor for the recent downturn of the economy. The Empire’s economy has been hammered by sanctions on a constant basis in the last 6-9 months with almost half of Mundus nations sanctioning the Empire in one form or another. The other causes for the recession are the massive Borlander terrorist attacks that have disrupted trade in Mundus last year as well as the rising tensions with Slava Lavosk. Financial analysts are mixed on whether Tamora’s economy will manage to resume growth or if the current recession will deepen this year. 2019 has already seen the Rokkenjima, the second largest economy in Mundus,  break all economic relations will Tamora further hurting the Empire’s economy. They were followed by further sanctions from East Moreland, Seaforth, Xaeth, Krimeon and New Derusmia among others. To make matters worse, Tamora is now only one step away from war with Slava Lavosk, has broken all ties with the rebel government of Kaitaine and new international sanctions are expected as the Achkaerin Senate is debating it. The only bright spots on the horizon are Zimalia opening its economy to Tamorans goods through lowering its tariffs and the massive increase in exports to Royal Seleucid we have seen in the last 9 months.

The recession has affected the population by increasing unemployment, which made things even worse in 2019 when food prices skyrocketed as a result of the locust swarm hitting our Eastern neighbor, Royal Seleucid. Enslavement as a result of bankruptcy skyrocketed with 120 thousand people being enslaved last year as a result. Creditors are now quick to seek bankruptcy of their debtors in an effort to protect their capital as there is little prospect the debtors will be able to recover. Families with four or more children were most affected by debt enslavement as they often hard only one bead earner in the family. In the first two months of 2019, the courts have already sentenced to slavery 30 thousand individuals, with economic analysts expecting the number to reach 240 thousand by the end of the year if the current recession continues.

Tamoran businesses have each sought to weather the storm by taking various measures including but not limited to: cutting wages, reducing the labor force, cutting prices, attempting to use crypto currencies to ease the effects of the sanctions or switching to other markets like Royal Seleucid. For businesses that used no slave labor adopting the Freestone mark was vital if they relied on exports otherwise they risked going belly up even if they didn’t use slave labor at all. There is no official estimate but reports have said that around 10 thousand businesses got the Freestone mark certification so far with another 5 thousand pending; almost all of them got the bronze level. The notable exceptions were some of banks and IT companies based in the federated kingdom of Attica that have applied and got the gold level. While most of the businesses that applied for the Freestone mark were already not using slave labor, there have been some businesses that opted to sell their slave labor in order to become compliant with the requirements, with a few businesses even opting to free their slaves in order to gain the gold level Freesome Mark and earn publicity for international clients. The few cases that happened were of businesses that resided in the federated kingdoms of Attica and Vojvodina.
 
On the other hand, in the Imperial Enclave the public backlash against the Freestone mark and the hate group behind it has been so severe that eventually all business which applied for the Freestone mark dropped their application and publicly apologized for choosing profits over principles. In fact the Imperial Enclave remains the only federated kingdom that has no registered businesses applying or having the Freestone mark. On this front, unfortunately yet again the federated kingdom of Attica disappoints with almost 6000 businesses there having the Freestone mark, followed the federated kingdom of Vojvodina with 2000, West Seleucid and Akkar with almost one thousand each and Altai will less than a hundred. The federated kingdom of Attica remains a special case, not only have businesses there flocked to please foreigners but there have been reports that local businesses are bullied by the Queen of the federated kingdom into adopting the Freestone mark. So far the Emperor has yet to take action or launch an imperial investigation over these allegations. If Freestone group reports are to be believed, in 2018 alone almost ten thousand individuals have been released from slavery as a result of applying for the Freestone mark. TINS has been unable to get info regarding 2019 but experts on the matter say the trend is increasing in line with the applications for the mark.   
   
The finances of the government were also affected by the downturn as they saw their tax income dwindle. Each federated kingdom had its own approach to deal with the loss of revenues. The Imperial government and the Imperial Enclave were quick to cut spending across the board which included layoffs, reduction in wages, cuts in acquisitions and investments in infrastructure. Defense spending however saw an increase with the Imperial government confirming last year that military equipment acquisitions like the SU-57 air superiority fighter (among others) will continue as planned. The cuts in spending saw the imperial budget ending the year with a negligible surplus but the federated kingdoms have each approached their budgets differently with some opting to freeze hiring and spending and go on deficit with the hope that the recession would not last long. However, 2019 was worse so far for government finances as the governments had to suspend sales tax and import tariffs on food products in an effort to stop the rising food prices. Even analysts that are optimistic about the outlook of the economy do not expect the tax revenue to be matching that of last year, so all levels of government will have to find ways to cut spending or risk using more of their reserves. To make matters worse, the looming war with Slava will likely mean war spending will increase by a great amount putting further stress on government finances.





Pyrena Castle has issued a statement saying there are no plans to arrest, Fairuza Kuto, the Zimalian born naturalized Tamoran citizen that was the first Tamoran to go into space. We here at TINS have informed the public of the looming danger that the Rokkenjiman government will seek to retaliate against Fairuza Kuto for her allegiance to Tamora. It remains to be seen how solid the assurances of the Rokkenjiman government and its Empress are considering their reputation of changing “their mind”. Ayatollah Azad Arak, the world renowned foreign policy expert, has assured that Fairuza Kuto  will be back to Tamora as scheduled by the end of the week saying that it usually takes over a month before Rokkenjimans change their minds, “if Fairuza Kuto were to be returning by late April, I would be very worried but I see no possibility for the Empress to change her mind by Friday when our dear Fairuza Kuto is set to return”.




Following the latest campaign initiated by MIACHD, over 10 thousand Tamorans have sent letters to the Rokkenjiman government explaining the health risks associated with exposure to Endosulfan. MIACHD encourages citizens all Mundus countries to join the heath aware campaign.

Iman Ali Montazeri, the founder of MIACHD, explained for TINS how he and MIACHD got involved in an issue that concerns the Bene Gesserit rather than Tamorans.

“I watched in horror as the “government” of Kaitaine casually announced that it was using chemicals to get rid of the people in Setch and I naturally expected the international community to be outraged. Instead, with few notable exceptions, we haven’t seen much. Worse still we have seen support for the chemical attack with Empress Beatrice leading the way in praising the “government” of Kaitaine. I immediately realized that something isn’t right and decided to do something about. I am glad to say that many in MIACHD were also of the same opinion and this is how the campaign started. “

He also added that:” The way the Bene Gesserit population is treated by the “government” of Kaitaine is very similar to the way Tamorans living in Slava are treated by the Slavan government. They are being exterminated. I still member how I felt when many in the international community stood by and did nothing and we couldn’t be like them when the same thing happens to the Bene Gesserit.”

He said that he’s confident that Rokkenjima will evolve on the issue because it has done so in the past. “I remember when Rokkejima recognized what the government was doing as genocide. So I strongly believe there is a good chance their government will listen to reason on this issue. After all they don’t have to agree with our position if they don’t like it, they can agree with their own position they themselves had on the issue just a couple of years ago before they switched. “

Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

Good news for the Haghighi Dam project, shortly after the mega project was announced to the public, it had already raised 30% of its financing requirement from foreign investors. Combined with the 30% contributed by the initial Tamoran investors, it puts the project at a comfortable 60%. Thanasis Polakis, the CEO and owner of Poliki Enenrgy, the company in charge of the project, had this to say:

“We are very pleased with the reactions and interest we got from investors. People are interested in sustainable development for Zimalia. In my opinion, one of the reasons why this project is proving successful is that it approaches Zimalia like a great opportunity and not like a country that needs help. In the end I think that’s the right approach”.

Mr. Thanasis Polakis has also said the project will now begin since the funding is adequate. One of the issues that will have to be handled is the approx. 3 thousand Afolayan tribesmen that will have to be moved in order to make room for the dam and its reservoir. Mr. Polakis has said that compensation will be given to the affected parties and that it will be according to the market value of the land. Furthermore, Polakis Energy has begun hiring construction workers and engineers in preparation of starting the construction site.     

The Zimalian businessmen we have interviewed had positive things to say about the project and most expect the 5 bln dinars (USD) investment to have a noticeable impact on the economy of the region the dam is constructed.

Until next time: God bless the Eternal President! God bless Tamora!

The Haghighi Dam is a planned 550 ft. (approx. 170 m) concrete gravity dam which will be built in the Tribal Union of Zimalia. The purpose of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power and to provide irrigation water. The project is led by a Tamoran consortium made of various Tamoran banks, as well as major Tamoran businesses.

The project at a glance:

Estimated cost: 5bln dinars ( USD)
Height:  550 ft. (approx. 170 m) 
Installed capacity: 6,800 MW
Estimated construction time: 5 years.
Estimated irrigation: 650,000 acres (2600 sq km).
 
When completed, the dam will be a major source of prosperity for Zimalia and will be providing clean, cheap and renewable energy combined with irrigation water that will help Zimalia’s struggling agricultural sector.


Investment opportunity:

The huge cost of the project makes it hard to be financed by just one party. This is why the Polakis Energy, who is leading the Tamoran conglomerate that is in charge of the project, is looking for foreign investors in the project. The company owning the project will issue non-voting stock for those interesting in taking part in one of the largest construction projects taking place in Mundus.  Potential investors in the project can expect an average return of 4% (but are not guaranteed) on their investment after the project is completed.


Shareholders so far:

25 % voting shares: Tamoran conglomerate ( Polakis Energy, Jalal Deer Agricultural Conglomerate, various mining companies operating in Zimalia, several oil and gas companies, over two dozen banks, various other private investors).

5% non-voting shares: reserved for Zimalian investors: Zimalian Union of Labour, various NGOs and individuals. These shares will be allocated (free of charge) to Zimalians who have already contributed much to the project but though non-financial means.

10% non-voting shares: King Akakois Foundation

20% non-voting shares: Muslim Association of Krimeon - legal representative: Ğäbdelxaliq Nigmatullin (Grand Mufti of Krimeon)

20% non-voting shares: Pramoria State Oil Company

5% non-voting shares: Clysperi Oil Corporation

5% non-voting shares: Clysperi Refining Group

10% Republic of Fleur

Remaining shares: 0%

How to submit an investment application:

Just write a letter of intent saying who you are and what party you represent, the country you are registered in, a short description regarding the commercial activity you are engaged in (if a company and not an individual investor), the amount you want to invest and any other info you think it’s relevant.







OOC: I know nothing of dams. I took the data from this one. Figured that if they could build it in the 30s, we could build it in the 2020s.

While rich Mundus nations are sanctioning Tamora left and right, the government of Zimalia proves it has a better understanding of how the world works and proceeds to cut tariffs and increase quotas for Tamoran imports by a substantial amount. Furthermore, the Zimalian government has affirmed its commitment to further cuts if economic indicators confirm the move is beneficial for the Zimalian economy. In the last year Tamoran-Zimalian relations have gotten better than ever with Tamoran mining companies winning mining licenses in Zimalia and making substantial investments there. Also, Tamoran agricultural companies are expanding their businesses in Zimalia and have even started acquiring agricultural land, some of which they have sold to the recently founded Manist Association of Zimalia (MAZ).

On the Tamoran side, the Foreign Office has upgraded Zimalia’s rating to Safe which means that Tamoran businesses are not expected to encounter arbitrary seizures or other types of sanctions in Zimalia. The move is expected to see an increase in Tamoran investment in Zimalia in all sectors of the economy and not just the mining and agricultural ones as it has been the case until now.

Economic analysts have welcomed the news saying that opening a market of 180 million people to Tamoran goods is expected to have a significant impact on the Tamoran economy and will hopefully offset the losses occurred by losing trade with other nations.




As a sign of gratitude for Tamora’s support during the food crisis, King Heydar has given Emperor Abbas the title of Shiekh of Deh Kord. The Imperial palace has confirmed that the Emperor Abbas has accepted the title. It is the first foreign title Emperor Abbas holds. Furthermore, in a rare event, the Imperial Palace has issued a statement signed by the Emperor himself:

“The calamity that hit Royal Seleucid was an act of God that was outside of human control. What was within our control is how we reacted afterwards. It is the aftermath of such a calamity you see who your friends are, who you can rely and depend on. The Empire of Tamora and the Emirate of Royal Seleucid share bounds of history, culture, religion and heritage that no other Mundus nation can understand. The Empire of Tamora will remain a faithful friend and ally of the Emirate for generations to come.”     

Furthermore, sources from the Imperial palace have stated that Emperor Abbas will be attending the upcoming Jewell of the Desert festival in Royal Seleucid.




The Royal Place of RS has announced that the Lodjan Oksana has given birth to a baby that is no way related the Seleucid royal family. King Heydar was gracious and did not choose to put her on trial and instead opted to exile her. The Lodjan Oksana also had her marriage annulled and her citizenship revoked. Furthermore, the assets of her family in RS were nationalized. The incident although shocking for the people of RS and the whole Midaranye region in general should come as no surprise since Lodjan women are notorious for having multiple partners and lack any sort of modesty or chastity. While the late King Akakios was a great leader, he was nevertheless too willing to overlooking serious character faults of foreigners. Fortunately, the Lodjan concubine was stopped before she could do more harm to the kingdom.




High Priestess of Helus has gone on public record sketching the first phase of the Helusian Empire:

“I would if I was King David unify with Seaforth through marriage, I believe Harper Rhodes is unmarried and she would make an excellent Queen, then West Moreland should be annexed, at the point of a sword if neccessary. Finally Bakkermaya I believe could easily be brought under the Imperial banner through simple negotiation.”

As if it wasn’t clear enough that the Helusian Cultists would not stop there, she went on to note that:

“This would be a glorious start” alluding to the idea that the Helusian Empire would know no borders.

The High Priestess however felt short of acknowledging that the plan is already in place and is actively being pursed calling it just a “marvellous idea” and suggesting she got it from watching foreign media channels.
She has also criticized the Morelander king for being in a relationship with a Lodjan of a different faith and considering marrying her. Should the High Priestess opposition to the marriage make the Morelander king to change his mind, it would be a another devastating blow to Lodjan behind doors “diplomacy” after the one already experienced after King Heydar of RS exiled the Lodjan ex-wife of the late king Akakios. 




Following the chemical attack by the communist rebel government of Kaitaine against the population of Seitch, more Mundus nations have begun to publicly express their concerns and in the case of the Empire of Achkaerin have joined the Foreign Office in asking the Empire of Rokkenjima to suspend their announced 2 bln dinars (USD) of military aid to the communists rebels. So far the First Empire has yet to respond to the request or issue any statements which have led some to speculate they are now dealing in secret with the communist rebels in order to avoid a public backlash.

The Foreign Office has maintained its opinion that the act of the rebel government is a chemical attack and that further attacks such as these would force the Empire to explore other options of pressuring the rebel government of Kaitaine. The Foreign office would not go into details about what measures could be considered and has instead stated that it is confident that the rebel government would not persist in using these types of attacks.




In the coming days, the First Wife, Alya Safavid is scheduled to go on a working visit to Zimalia to discuss with the Tamoran business community there and the local officials. Sources close the Foreign Office have said that the visit is related not just to the recent drop in tariffs by Zimalia but also that an important announcement will be made during the trip.




The Prince Regent of Neu Uburzis of Neu Uburzis has announced his intention to meet Emperor Abbas. The Prince Regent is going on a tour in Midaranye and has also expressed interest in meeting with the HoS of Slava Lavosk and Royal Seleucid. The Foreign Office has not yet confirmed the visit saying there are still details to be agreed by both sides but that substantial progress has been made. The fact that Neu Uburzis has little to no trade with Tamora and that the Prince Regent also intends to visit Slava on the same tour are among the reasons that the Foreign Office has not been very enthusiastic about the visit.

Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

While 2018 was a year filled with political turmoil and crises it was nevertheless a good year for the book industry. Overall book sales registered a 4% increase in sales which considering the economic climate of the country is a very good number. The bestselling books were as follows:

TOP 10 non-religious books:

1.   The rise and inevitable fall of the Helusian Empire by Ayatollah Azad Arak - needs no further presentation.
2.   Why do they hate us? – the book tries to explain the main causes of Manistophobia and general hatred of Tamorans throughout Mundus.
3.   Looking North –An alternative history novel. The premise of the book is that in XI century Tamora never manages to conquer the Muslim kingdom of Altai and is instead content to accept an uneasy peace. That forces Tamora to expand North into present day Vanora and Safraen. The novel intrigues the reader by showing how Midaranye would have looked had Tamora expanded North and kingdoms of Altai, Akkar, West Seleucid, Vojvodina and Attica never became part of the Empire. The books also imagines how Tamora would have changed had it eventually reached the Gulf of Safraen and not the sea of Kyne.
4.   The Fall of Djerb -  A Sci-Fi novel set in the XXVth century. After centuries of conflict and decades of being besieged, Djerb falls to the combined forces of the Helusian Empire but not before it managed to send a colony ship into space in a desperate attempt to save at least part of Tamora. The novel focuses on the colonization of a new planet by the Tamoran survivors and the challenges they face in attempting to recreate the Tamora they left behind when they only have a fraction of the population and are now on an alien planet.
5.   The ten best recipes in the Empire – cooking recipes
6.   What I left behind – based on RL events, the fiction novel describes the life of a godless Tamoran that lives a reckless life and abuses his mind and body. He eventually does the unthinkable and ends in slavery. If the book ended here and it would still have been a good novel and a good lesson. However, the novel goes further and tells the story of how the man found God while in slavery and how the book of Mani changed him. His master dies and the man is freed by the wish expressed in the master’s will. The main protagonist, now a changed man, starts seeing Tamora for what it really is: a land of opportunity and the natural home of all who follow the Prophet. He eventually manages to make millions of dinars by starting his own business and ends up having three wives, ten children and over one hundred slaves.   
7.   Why gardening is right for you – gardening tips.
8.   Explaining how the world works – parenting book.
9.   Why Tamorans pray, Slavans hate and Seleucid prosper – collection of jokes.
10.   Always fashionable: pious and modest – book about women’s fashion.

TOP religious books:

1. The Book of Mani – needs no further explanation.
2. The Pentamerous (ooc: Anahitaism's holy book)
3. The Quran
4. The writings of Alya
5. The Bible
6. Why we pray
7. What’s right and what’s wrong
8. Sin, sinful and Hell
9. The road to martyrdom
10. Scrolls of Moses

Nobody in Tamora is surprised that this year, like in previous years, the Book of Mani tops the list. Those of us who are Manists know that one copy is not enough. We take great pleasure in receiving a signed copy from our grandparents and giving it as a gift to newlyweds. It’s hard to find an important occasion in one’s life when either receiving or giving the book of Mani is not appropriate or desirable. Furthermore, last year saw the first time that the Manist Association of Attica (MAA) named a Grand Ayatollah and that meant that for the first time copies of the Book of Mani printed by MAA had the signature of the Grand Ayatollah. It is for this reason that many collectors sought to buy at least one copy printed by MAA to add their collections.

In the end we would also like to mention some interesting changes in reading behaviors that are not apparent when looking at the top. While none made in the top 100, books about the Bene Gesserit were in high demand as we previously reported. Furthermore, books about King Lapu of Quintelia were also in high demand following his visit in Tamora and the freeing of 20 thousand slaves.



Islamic Archaeological Institute of Altai(IAIA) has said it has taken an interest in the recent archaeological finds in Xaeth has and has petitioned the Xaeth authorities to be allowed to work on the site alongside the local crews. IAIA has said the findings in Xaeth might provide crucial clues about the expansion of Islam outside of Midaranye in the first centuries after the Prophet Mohamed’s death.

Krimeon adopts protectionist measures under the guise of opposing slavery. The Krimeon Empire has long tried to compete with our products and after seeing that Tamoran manufactured goods are simply more affordable have resorted to this tricks to protect their domestic industry by “adopting Freestone Mark as national trade initiative”, explained economic analysts.

The series of tragedies that hit Royal Seleucid seem to have no end. Prince Hadi who had recently abdicated the throne was found dead together with his wives and children. As of yet there are no clues as to the possible suspects of the murders but authorities have said they do not rule out a possible suicide.

 
Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

Some goods news came from the East Moreland for a change. Few were expecting that the Tamoran Silence movie would win the Ozzie for Best International Movie but it happened much to the surprise of audience. Samira Hanifnejad went on stage, received the award and gave a short acceptance speech for the Tamorans watching back home:

“Let me start by thanking God without whom nothing would be possible, to my country because it has made me who I am today and to my family for giving me life and a purpose in this world. However, this award while important is no reason to celebrate because it is given to a movie about the suffering of my people. I will admit that I imagined the possibility of winning it when I made the movie and thought that I could be here to say “Free Dilara” to all of you. My secret hope was even that Dilara would be here with me at the ceremony and thus the movie would have made a small contribution towards freeing her. In that I have failed. I now look towards the sky, where I know for sure Dilara now is, and will say to her, to my people back home and to Slavans: Jihad! We will not rest until we will avenge you, Dilara.”   
 
And with that, Samira left the stage leaving behind a shocked audience.

TINS was of course in East Moreland to cover the event. After the ceremony was over and things calmed down, Samira was kind enough to give us a short interview, here are the main highlights:

-   How does it feel to be here in EM, the country whose King has gone live on TV saying he’s okay to leave millions of Tamorans to die by nuclear arms just because he disagrees with the Tamoran government’s foreign policy?
-   As one would expect to be: anxious and eager to get back home.

-   Why do you think Silence won the Ozzie for best international movie?
-   I think the movie has awoken some basic feelings in all who watched it. Most foreigners are under constant propaganda telling them how evil and cruel Tamorans are. So when they saw the movie and how helpless the Tamorans in Slava Lavosk are they couldn’t help but resonate with their plight. If it weren’t for their governments preaching hate against us, a lot of foreigners would not be so prejudiced against us. 

-   What does this award mean for Tamora and Tamorans in general? 
-   Well, I have always said that Tamora has long been at war. The war didn’t start when foreign nations began waging economic war against by trying to cripple our livelihoods but decades ago when they started a cultural war against us. Almost 60% of the gross income from cinema tickets sales goes to foreign productions. 60%! Those are movies that have nothing in common with our culture and that dilute it. I think this award is a sign that we who work in the domestic film industry are turning things around. We have a long way to go but I think there will come a time when Djerb will be hosting international film festivals that will outclass the Ostlake Movie Awards and any other foreign film festival for that matter.

-   May God bless you for your extraordinary work!
-   God bless Tamora!




For the viewers who are wondering, Samira and her husband have safely returned home without much trouble from the Morelanders. May God bless Samira Hanifnejad for giving us one more reason to be proud that we are Tamorans.

Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

Tsar Viktor Gough-Petrov together with his son, Prince Andrew and His Holiness Patriarch Kiril visited our kingdom for a cultural and religious exchange as both kingdoms share the same religion.  Tsar Gough-Petrov met with Her Majesty Queen Arpine Saroyan at the royal palace were the two royals talked about a whole range of issues relating to improving cooperation between the two kingdoms. Sources say that in the next couple of weeks, the Queen will issue a series of decrees as a result of this meeting.

During the visit, the foreign delegation attended a special service at the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in the capital which featured among others singing a Psalm in Aramaic. The two Patriarchs had a private meeting afterwards discussing matters of faith and a search for common ground between the two Christian faiths. Orthodox- Catholic dialogue is now more important than ever for Christians in Midranye as tensions are high with neighboring Slava Lavosk which shares the same Orthodox faith as the Tsardom of Krimeon.   

It remains to be seen in the coming weeks if the visit of the Tsar will have an effect on the politics and life of the kingdom and perhaps even beyond its borders. 




Rosary for Peace: the Catholic Church of Attica invites the faitful to pray for peace in an effort to avert a potential war with Slava Lavosk. Christian orthodox churches in the kingdom have made similar appeals.

Attica’s border[1] with the federated Kingdom of West Seleucid closes in an effort to stop the Seleucid refugees from crossing into Attica. The Attican authorities justified the temporary closure of the border as a necessity under the current conditions. The restrictions do not affect the movement of goods or travel by air.

The leaders of all major religions in Attica have invited the faithful to donate what they can spare to help the Seleucid refugees coming into Tamora. Contact your local priest, imam or priestess for more information.

That will be all for today, dear viewers.  Good night and God bless!

1.	It’s the internal border between two provinces of Tamora, not Tamora’s border with RS

As-salamu alaykum! My name is Widad Akrawi, I work for TINS news network based in Djerb in the Tamoran Empire. My question for the PM would be regarding the future of Phuebra. It has been recently announced that an interim agreement has been reached after a series of consultations which included Vaguzia among other foreign countries. Will the people of Phuebra be allowed to vote on this Interim agreement in a referendum?  Thank you and peace be upon you!

“You are absolutely right Your Grace when you say that traffic at the embassy will likely not be overwhelming. And I believe it’s not just because of the reasons you have mentioned but also because Tamora is not a major destination for foreigners. It is my hope that today we might find some common ground and set the stage for what can lead to a flourishing relationship between our nations, one that will also lead to more travel between our countries. But we will get to that later” said Alya.

After Alya took the brown envelope from Masie, she resumed: “Thank you for your cooperation on the matter. Our intelligence service is convinced that the KGB will attempt to disrupt the activity of the embassy here wishing to make it an example. Of course you are much more familiar with how the KGB operates so I won’t linger on that but be sure on our side is fully engaged in protecting the embassy and its staff as it our duty as host country. “

Alya then continued:” In regard to your question, Ms. Riley. Tamora is a very open to guns. I think you will find it hard to believe just how open it is but as a rule, our men do not open carry their guns. Obviously we do not allow for non-citizens to carry guns but considering the security threats your staff is facing,  all the individuals in the folder you provided will be given permission to carry them. We do however ask that you keep them concealed. In this part of Tamora we call the Imperial Enclave (ooc: one of the six kingdoms of Tamora), women are not allowed to own guns so carrying them in public will draw attention from the local police.”
Musaevna was quick to add: ”We believe that protecting the family and country is matter for men hence the restriction. The federated kingdoms in Tamora each have different traditions “. She hoped that by adding that would avoid a sensitive issue as Truthsayers were all women. “So carrying a knife in public though perhaps unusual would not be an issue and certainly not be against the law.”
“Oh yes, of course” confirmed Alya realizing that  Masie’s question was about knifes and not guns. “After all, if I understand correctly from Musaevna, the knives also carry a religious meaning so that means carrying them openly is a public display of your religion. As a freeman you should display your religious symbols in public with pride.”     
 
“Disappointing ? “said Alya referring to the information regarding the Tamoran embassy in Seitch. “Not at all, this is the reality of war and the current situation on the ground. We wouldn’t want to get in the way and cause an incident. We will explore other alternatives including the one you so generously suggested.”

She then addressed Abigail: ”We would be delighted to have the library. As for guidance on the local laws and customs, I think you need to approach things differently. As a freeman you can do whatever you want without asking for permission. That should be starting point on how see things. If the authorities have any problems, it’s their job to come and voice their concerns to you. You don’t ask for permission first. So when the local police will arrive and inquire about that the establishment is about, they will do just that: check to see if everything is okay. They aren’t there to intimidate you. Now as guests and not citizens, there are of course further limitations. The first is to not engage in commercial activity of any kind. While asking for donations is fine, opening a business of any kind is not. The second is to not engage in any security related issues like purchasing fire arms etc. Having those covered you should do just fine. “

Musaevna continued: “Opening a library and spreading knowledge is fine, feel free to try and spread your faith as you fish including proselytizing in public. People expect it and will engage. On the other hand even if you don’t proselytize expect people here to try to approach you and engage on the topic. Some foreigners are bothered by this and by other aspects like our prevalent gun culture. While inside your spaces like your library you can set whatever rules you like, in the street people are free to engage you.”
“Oh, one more thing Your Grace” continued Musaevna addressing the ambassador “In Djerb and the Imperial Enclave in general a good deal of the public amnesties are segregated. Most of those that are segregated are women-only but some are exclusive for men. Since your security seems to be mostly female it’s best to check before going to certain stores and restaurants so to avoid an uncomfortable situation.”

After giving the guests the opportunity to reply, Alya resumed:

“With your permission, we would like to discuss if we can explore the possibilities of economic cooperation between our two countries. Before you object, I understand that that the Theocracy while achieving an increasing number of successes against the rebels in the East it is still far from winning and that economic opportunities in the Theocracy are limited, to put it mildly,  considering that we cannot even send an ambassador there. However, we Tamorans like to believe we think and act with long term objectives in mind. We firmly believe that the Theocracy is not just the rightful ruler of Kaitaine but it will also regain its territory. So with that in mind we would to know if the Theocracy is interested in discussing business opportunities regarding the territories in the East that are currently under the control of the rebels. We or better said Tamoran businesses are always interesting in acquiring agricultural land and mining rights in foreign countries but are willing to hear any other opportunities you might offer. With that in mind, we would also be interested in singing a trade deal that would allow Tamoran manufactured goods and products to be sold without tariffs or quotas in the Theocracy. While we cannot offer the same conditions in return because Tamora remains a closed country for foreign investment and imports we are willing to negotiate and offer you something else. I understand from Musaevna that although the Bene Gesserit does not exactly swim in money, you have adequate funding thanks to you admirable solidarity. That is why we have not offered money as compensation for signing such deals and instead wish to know if there is something else we can provide you that is perhaps more useful to you than money.”
       

	Azad Arak (RL: ?)
Roles	Professor at Djerb Manist University Ayatollah (honorary title meaning expert on Manist studies) 2015- present
Religion	Manist  (orthodox branch)
Net family assets	400 thousand dinars(USD)
Ethnicity	Parthian (RL : Persian)
Year and place of Birth	10/November/1975, Imperial Enclave, Empire of Tamora
Positions Held	none
Education	Manist Faculty of Theology at Djeb Imperial University He speaks multiple foreign languages and is familiar with Tamora's other major religions.
Family	1 wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters
Links to Important events?

He is a regular guests at TINS news network where he comments of international events

Biography

Azad is one of Tamora’s most respected foreign policy experts appearing regularly at TINS news network and providing the Tamoran people and international viewers with a Manist perspective on foreign political events. He has written several books on foreign policy and is a critic of Tamora’s current involvements aboard advocating for a return to isolationism.

Tracing its roots in the Xth century AD when the founder of Church first preached, the organization has grown to over 133 million members and spans several continents. However, despite its international presence, almost 90% of its adherents are located within the Empire of Tamora. It is also in the Tamoran Empire where the organization exerts considerable influence over the cultural, political and social life of the country. Known internationally for sanctioning chattel slavery since its foundation till the present day, the organization also has ultra conservative stances over a range of social issues ranging from women’s rights to how a society should function.

The organization as a whole is comprised of around 40 thousand parishes, each lead by an imam. These parishes function independently and associate themselves in various local and regional associations. The most important associations are the national ones which include among other: one of each kingdom of Tamora (six in total), Zimalia (MAZ), Royal Seleucid (MARS), Quintelia (MAQ), Slava Lavosk (MAS), Socram, (MASS) and Pardclinnia (MAP). Each of these organizations is led by a Major Ayatollah which is elected by the Ayatollahs that are part of the national association. The Major Ayatollah elected by the first kingdom of Tamora (aka Imperial Enclave) carries the title of Supreme Ayatollah and is the leader of the Church, the Major Ayatollahs of the other Tamoran kingdoms are known as Grand Ayatollahs. All six for, the Supreme Council of Djerb, the ruling council of the Church.

When taken as a whole, the Church is by far the richest organization in the Empire of Tamora owning among other: approx. 15% of the arable land in the country, 10% of the oil and gas reserves, hundreds of thousands of buildings (with many of them being historical landmarks), ten million slaves (more than a quarter of the entire slave population in Tamora) . The organization mandates that its adherents contribute 10% of their income to their local parish and that is a major source of income for the Church. Furthermore, large donations by rich individuals are also common and add to the income and assets of the church.  The organization also exerts considerable influence in Tamora through its thousands of fully owned and operated schools, universities, clinics, hospitals and media trusts.    

The Manist Association of Zimalia (MAZ) together with the Tamoran embassy issued a joint press statement announcing the that the Tamoran Cultural Center will open a branch in Zimalia. Many in the small Tamoran community in Zimalia have felt the need for the center to begin its activity here in an effort to promote Tamoran values. At first TCC will have an office only in the capital but depending on how things evolve there are plans to open one more regional office in another major Zimalian city. The press statement has also announced that the Honorific President of TCC will be none other than Fairuza Kuto, the Zimalian born Tamoran citizen that has made headlines in Tamora and Zimalia by being the first Zimalian/Tamoran to go into space. Ms. Kuto is currently aboard the Rokkenjiman space station and there are rumors that the Rokojiman authorities are planning to take her hostage in an effort to punish Tamora for not following Rokkenjima’s foreign policy dictates.

TCC will host a series of cultural events from movie screenings, to art galleries and religious expositions but will also provide scholarships to  Zimalians that want to study aboard in Tamora. Ayatollah Ramin Rafsanjani, the Tamoran ambassador, gave us a short interview where we talked about the necessary of TCC to operate in Zimalia:

-   TCC opening a branch here shows not only Tamora’s commitment to Zimalia but it’s also a much needed tool to combat the constant anti Tamoran propaganda and hate that is coming from some nations on this continent and on the other side of the Illumic Channel. While others preach hate, we help people learn and enrich themselves.

-   How would you describe Tamora’s relation with Zimalia?

-   If I would have to use one word, I would say: excellent. There is a lot of understand and cooperation between our countries. While initially maybe economic reasons where the main driver of the relation between our two countries, now it has clearly evolved to more than that. There is a small and growing Manist community here with some estimating the number at around ten thousand. We have seen temples being built in rural Zimalia. And I would argue that where Tamorans have got involved in rural Zimalia it shows from a mile away.

-   What is the next step for the Zimalian-Tamoran relations?

-   I don’t know if you are aware, but our staff here has been very involved in promoting the idea to the authorities that lifting all trade restrictions like tariffs or quotas for Tamoran products will bring a huge benefit to Zimalia. We have seen some positive responses so far but the government has yet to reach a decision. If we reach this milestone, we would enter the next stage of cooperation between our countries.

-   Can we see the TCC opening braches in other countries?

-   I am ambassador to Zimalia so I do not have all the information about the TCC’s plans in other countries. I certainly hope so. As far as I know there are plans to open branches in Socram, Noobia and Phuebra.

-   Thank you so much for your time.


Until next time: God bless the Eternal President! God bless Tamora!

The last few days the international stage has seen many leaders address the crisis we are having with the “neighbor” in the East. To make sense of it all we have invited Ayatollah Azad Araki, he’s a renowned theologian in Manist teachings and an expert on foreign policy.

-   Your Holiness, let’s start by talking about the latest statement from King Dave of East Moreland. He has announced that we will not provide the missile shield to help protect us against a nuclear attack.
-   Yes, we have seen the Morelanders “offer” to help only to have it withdrawn the moment we accepted. I think the government was right to call their bluff and expose their true intentions. I particularly enjoyed seeing how King David first faked concerned about the prospect of millions of Tamoran dying because of nuclear weapons only to deny the means to prevent such a thing from happening when asked to help.

-   So the Morelanders never intended to send the missiles systems to Tamora.
-   Of course not. It’s against their religion and their expansionist policies. Their religion often references a certain code of Canley and they quote it publicly from time to time. In the usual deceptive manner that the Cultists operate they forget to tell non Cultists that the code applies only to Cultists.

-   But the East Moreland often claims it help other nations.
-   And this brings us to the expansionist policies I was talking about. The Cultists aim to expand their influence all over Mundus. They are willing to “help” if you are willing to become a vassal of theirs. Look at Academica, because I tech foreign policy I unfortunately had to watch the elections there. It was a dreadful display of meekness and constant praising of East Morelander and its leaders. They had one “candidate” for monarch who said that without East Moreland they couldn’t have defended themselves. It is people like these that Morelanders like to “help”.

-   What about Seaforth? They went further than King David in sanctioning us.
-   Yes, you can’t help but notice how religious festivals of Cultists are good opportunities to launch economic war against other nations. That tells you all you need to know about their values. That and the fact then when they heard Tamora was threatened by nuclear destruction they found it a good opportunity to try and weaken us economically.

-   Why did they do that to us?
-   Because they want to see us down on our knees and are taking every opportunity to weaken us. A strong, proud and powerful Tamora is their worst nightmare. You have to understand they are used to dealing with Academia, Vaguzia, Lodjans etc. They do not like it when foreigners display independence. You need to only look at how jealous Cultists guard their Illumic channel, asking nations that are not part of that region to stay out yet they come near our shores with warships for any pretext. They use the same duplicity when dealing with Tamora, they say they want to help Mundus and talk about all these international organizations that provide aid but in the end their nations that are three to even five times richer than Tamora resort to wagging economic war on us increasingly poverty here. And for what? Because they don’t like our domestic policies? Of course not, that’s just an excuse. They see Tamora as a threat to their domination. 

-   What do they want? What do they hope to achieve by coming here?
-   They want our oil and gas and they hope to expand their influence in Midranye using the Cultist minority in Royal Seleucid as an excuse.

-   We can’t hope but notice that king Andrew is spearheading the sanctions against Tamora, always taking them further than anyone else. They are now sanctioning people who trade with Tamora.
-   The absurdity of King Andrew’s actions has reached epic proportions which can be best explained by his personal problems. He comes from a family and indeed a country that used to be Catholic. They have left their faith and have joined the Cult of Helus. He now seeks to show the world that he is more Cultist than the Cultists of East Moreland.

-   But still where does his hate for Tamora come from?
-   After his family has been put back on the throne by foreign forces that defeated the Seaforth Catholic Church, he and his family have been bent on erasing all trace of his Church from Seaforth. A country that used to me majority Catholic is now Cultist after a very short time. Something like this cannot be achieved unless you use persecution and propaganda. So when he sees us and our deep respect for our ancestors, how we stay true to our faith, unapologetic and not bending over backwards to appease foreigners and their sentiments about slavery, he starts raging. He sees that he has lost his connection with his ancestors, he starts to realize how Seaforthians have been uprooted from their heritage, how they have abandoned their faith so he projects his hate of the Seaforth Catholic Church on us. It’s truly tragic, I pity him.

-   What about the recent announcement that the Holy Empire will be sending a special envoy for Midaranye?
-   Rarely have I seen such an insult. The “Holy” Empire… can we please not use the term holy? There’s nothing holy about it! The Empire of Achkaerin has sent a woman who is in her thirties yet has managed to not be married and not bare any children. And to add insult to injury, her only qualification is that she was a concubine of the Achkaerinian Emperor. That woman which has no connection with Midranaye and displays the morals of a Slavan is to presumably advise us and meet with us. I am willing to bet my career that no Tamoran official will ever meet with her. Not that she was ever expected to actually do something. It’s just a position she’s been given for her service to her Emperor.

-   But can another envoy help find a solution for the troubles we have with Slava?
-   No. And we already have a solution. What did we do when we were having troubles with Altai, Akkar, Vojvodina, Attica? We conquered them. The Jihad is the solution for our problems with Slava. We don’t need foreigners to tell us how to handle our affairs.

-   Earlier today, the Seleucid press has present breaking news about a cultist temple hoarding food. What do you make of this and how should the authorities respond?
-   Does a cat eat mice? How can it be breaking news something that everyone in Midaranye and beyond knows? Cultists store food in their temples. There is nothing newsworthy here. And as far as the authorities are concerned, they handled the matter poorly. The Cultists have done nothing morally wrong by hoarding food to offer it to their pagan gods. It’s their food. The authorities now should be focusing on proving food to their own people. Don’t get me wrong, I am a critic of Cultits and their quest for a global Helusian Empire but I am also guided by the book of Mani and according to the book, they have the right to worship as they please. As selfish as it may be to worship by hoarding food that’s their way. That’s how they see things; they don’t care if people die of starvation outside their temples just as they couldn’t care less if Djerb would be nuked. The solution is not to arrest them for hoarding food but to expose the egoism of their cult for all to see and to proselytize and convince its members to abandon the cult. That’s the solution, nothing else will work.

-   Lastly, if you could give us an insight about the future Phuerbran elections.
-   First of all let me say that Phuebra is the textbook example of what foreigners would do to Tamora if they had their way: under military occupation, with a foreign governor assigned by a foreign power and the said governor intending to sign various international treaties and join a series of international organizations meant to irreversibly change Phuerba. This is the sad state of affairs in the country. As far as the candidates are concerned, there hasn’t been much information available. However, in my opinion Mr. Saleet el-Sadri is the only running candidate with a backbone and is not intent on only placating the occupiers. He seems a man of faith, and in my opinion that gives him the strength to resist the myriad of attacks the occupiers will throw at him.

-   Thank you so much for your insight. Until next time: God bless the Emperor! God bless Tamora!

The servants brought harissa soup and ghapama meal at the same time and thus allowing the two nobles to skip a dish if it wasn’t to their tastes.

“Andrew, I like your enthusiasm but it’s not as easy as you make it out to be. I am now part of what can be loosely described as the Tamoran government. That makes traveling abroad a potentially risky adventure. I don’t mean to say there are security concerns but diplomatic ones. Depending on the country I could be detained because the host country has issued sanctions or because another country has asked the host country to detain me. Even if a foreign court will overrule the government, which I doubt, I would still waste a lot of time under arrest. Any destination I choose would have to be carefully scrutinized. Not to mentioned there are a multitude of issues that need my attention here. Tamora is getting ready to go to war and should that happen nobody knows how long that would last and whether other nations will get involved. There is always something happing in Midaranye to keep you busy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t come visit me.” She said the last part with a smile.

As Arpine started eating she asked the prince:

“Is the food satisfactory? If I had known you have such an interest in cuisine I would have asked the cook to prepare something more special. We are also having kanafeh and baklava for desert in case you’re interested.”

“Tell me Andrew, would you have really issued fake certification attesting that goods manufactured did not use slave labor if you were in my place?” she didn’t sound angry when asking the question.