[b][center][h3][color=seagreen]The Republic of Deltora
1902[/color][/h3][/center][/b][hr]
[b][center]The Hafas Issue[/center][/b]
On January 9th of the new year, a trade ship of Soroya sunk just of the Deltoran coast. 17 survivors were saved from the sea by the quick reaction of the TPS Storm and it's crew, while the other 134 sailors remain unaccounted for. The event saddens the people of Deltora at it's allies loss and actions are being taken to investigate what occurred for the trade ship to sink as it did. Several Deltoran ships have taken to the site of the wreck, in an attempt to retrieve the trade ship from the depths for further investigation to be carried out into this strange occurrence, hoping evidence remains within the hull of the sunken ship. Deltoran officials have also requested Soroyan officials to share information gathered from questioning the 17 survivors now within it's borders in order to find the truth. As of the moment, foul play is suspected. 

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[center][b]Tidings of War, and the Price of Peace[/b][/center]
Tidings of war in the south had reached the Deltoran Government, a state of war declared by the long sleeping Grand Empire of Survaek on the Second Republic of Honneria in an attempt conquer Honnerian Serranthia. The act in itself was unfounded, and required immediate reaction. In the interest of keeping world peace, and in the belief that Deltora would stand alone in restoring the status quo as the Sociatetem effectively threw Honneria to the wolves. The handling of the situation by the faction has created a divide between the two powers, with the Prime Minister Edouard Geiger making a counter statement to that of the Sociatetem on the Honnerian Crisis:

[i]"The Sociatetem's belief that a nation if unable to defend itself against a foreign power deserves to lose it's land, is preposterous and runs hypocritical of the aims the Sociatetem claim to believe. How can the freedom and liberty be kept, if it is quite willing to abandon those who are at risk of losing it? Throwing them instead to the circling wolves that would see those rights disappear! The Republic of Deltora will be taking steps to reverse this mischief and set right this wrong."[/i] 

Meanwhile, talks with Murenheidt had proved fruitful, in the face of increasing tensions with Survaek expansionism in Serranthia, as of March 15th the Republic of Deltora and Murenheidt have signed a defensive alliance pledging their forces in the defense of the other against hostile aggression.  

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[center][b]Latest Developments[/b][/center]
Entering into the new year, Deltora has seen and experienced a good number of industrial and technological advancements and achievements. The Grand Railway after years of work has finally been deemed ready. Yet another testimony to the prowess of Deltoran engineering, the Grand Railway connecting the entire coast of Deltora by rail features as the longest in the known world. Similarly, the Voix Hotel has been finished, the first hotel to cater exclusively to women and showing to all the advanced culture within Deltora. 

With world tensions rising, research into the advancement of the military has been deemed necessary. Theories put forth by General Damien Arceneaux have been widely adopted within the Deltoran Army, which would see a change to the use of artillery in it's entirety. No longer would artillery pieces have to take to the field for direct sight of their targets, but could be fired using measurements from afar and out of sight based on trajectory, expected of increasing the efficiency and required range of the A85 Auguste Field Gun currently in use. As new inventions for war came into being such as the Cruska Gun, the Deltorans have designed their own, so named the Hand Grenade. Handheld explosives to be carried and thrown by infantry to devastating effect. It could not be said that the Deltoran Army was not advancing with the new century.

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[b]SUMMARY:[/B]
- Investigation into the sudden sinking of the Soroyan trade ship "Hafas" taking place.
- Criticism of the Sociatetem.