Zeitgeist Magazine, 25 June 301 AP

Zeitgeist Magazine's Utania This Week
June 25th, 301 AP

Election hots up

The Utanian federal election is looking more and more like an actual election, with both sides of the Parliament deciding that, under the all-parties agreement not to compaign, though their MPs could not campaign their party members were free to do so. A flood of campaign leaflets and TV advertisements has been unleashed.

Treasury chiefs, without the benefit of a firm-and-known tax take, have estimated the federal budget to be of the order of Û30 billion, a significant shortfall on the expenditure promises of President Okarvits who has committed almost that amount to national defence alone. Taxes are currently administered by state treasuries, and the top tax bracket currently sits at 25%, beginning on income over Û200,000. Average federal taxes are about 10%. While the Conservative opposition is happy with this, it is an amount almost guaranteed to rise under a Peoples-USP government.

A frail old man has lodged in the County Court in Shecker a writ calling on the government to surrender some Û2 billion in shares in the multi-billion pund Savant Motors Corporation. Atosu Savante says he was cheated out of the one-quarter holding in the company 37 years ago.

No word after invasion

While the national security agency, UPIA, maintains a comprehensive closed-lip approach to its understanding of the "invasion" of three weeks ago, a Charleston newspaper has revealled that the paramilitary group responsible was acting against what it called "Ramal-Utani rebels" in South Bay who are using Utania as a "safe haven" from which to launch further attacks. An estimated 1.4 million Ramal-Utani live in South Bay, and the rebel force was estimated to be 26,000 strong. Ramal leaders have denied the claim.

After pleas from long-term, non-Utani residents of Utania who are denied citizenship by the government, the government conceded that "perhaps" residents of more than fifteen years continuous residency and "a proven commitment" to the country could be granted citizenship, though not called "Uta-Decashi". The vote-seeking opposition claims it has long held citizenship as a "right" by "anyone who seeks it". Utani politicians strongly disagree.

Football

Luka Central crushed 2-0 Vela Luka FC on Wednesday night, maintaining their 5 pt lead ahead of Utan Krysaror in second place, and 9 pts ahead of third-place Charleston CFC after 11 games. Meanwhile, all three teams on the bottom, Shecker, Vela Luka and Ujam continue their dismal performance, having won only a match each.

In the second division, TFA Agraam drew with the Tuama FA Warriors and dropped, for the first time, out of the top 3, while Luka Heights FC moved in for the first time this year.

The reformers in the Utanian Football Association (UFA) are looking to introduce eight teams to the premier and second divisions, bringing each to sixteen teams, rather than create a third division of twelve teams. It will extend the playing calendar and provide increased competition, says the UFA. The eight new teams will have play-offs later this year with the bottom three teams in the premier division and three top of the second division to determine which teams stay or go in which divisions.

Meanwhile, the former chairman of the UFA is facing court next week on corruption charges and he looks set to receive a minimum of eighteen months prison for his part in the "misuse" of several million pund granted by the federal government earlier this year. His lawyers are claiming it was entrapment by President Okarvits who has clashed with former UFA management before.