Zeitgeist Magazine, 17 December 301 AP

Zeitgeist Magazine's Utania This Week
December 17th, 301 AP

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Utania This Week is over a year old, and last week celebrated our 50th edition.
All our previous editions can be found online at:
http://www.jaggedblue.com/zgnews/

There is only two more editions of UTW this year.

INFLATION RELIEF

In response to inflation of 20% being fueled by food price increases, President Okarvits this week said he would introduce retrospective legislation to "near-" freeze food prices, and create the long-awaited "Utanian Food Board" which would act like Belson, buying locally made produce but selling it exclusively on the local market. The opposition say the government would "solve all its problems" by floating the currency.

Guadacoa is continuing to provide international problems. While the UNV vote affirmed the Christianan-lead Task Force's right to stand in the path of the Allacoan ships, continued objections from various General Assembly representatives caused the Christianans to withdraw their leadership and participation in the task force. It is not yet known what the Altlandic naval force will do. However, this was countered by a Estontetsan and GBR move to demonstrate that the Allacoans would be guilty of breaching an agreement they signed when they took control of the territory, in which they pledged to "rigorously protect the environment of Glaciaria". Lawyers are now trying to prove that drilling in the continent would violate this pledge.
*LATEST* Feniz has withdrawn her oil-exploration catamaran from the Allocoan- sponsored exploration work, removing one party from the situation.

Federal Parliament comes to a close this week, with the government hoping the squeeze in its third attempt at the cooperatives legislation before the year ends. The revised bill takes care of previous legislative faux pas and will enshrine cooperatives into law.

COUP D'ETAT

Utanians were shattered on Saturday evening, watching their beloved Crusaders get pummelled 2-0 by world-stage newcomers, Vingarmark in the Draconian Vex Cup 301. To further devastate the team, country and UFA, they lost 2-0 to Eastern Delgamia on the Wednesday. Not only did the shock loss cost Coach George Newton his job, but several other "old guard" officials in the UFA. Executive Managing Director Roger Beyose will take over direct operational control as voted by the Board on Sunday evening, in the most sweeping changing of the guard in the organisation's history. The UFA Chairman said that the "organisation could tolerate poor performance no longer".

With the Parliament about to close down, the Opposition are using the end of year occasion to "recount the failures of the Okarvits regime", including a lack of reform in labour relations, no tax restructure, no changes to energy policy such as new power stations, no promised rail system investment, no badly needed restructuring of the economy to boost the plight of the poor, and no promised new Defence strategy. "All things considered", boasted Opposition leader Thomas Kemp, "this administration and this government has been a monumental failure for the people of Utania!"

As we approach the end of the year, we will review one news item from a year ago, and this week it was the news that a new nation would be set loose in the SEOC region: Rovens. Also that Zeitgeist Corporation was expecting to have a website and satellite television station up and broadcasting by the middle of the year. Jaggedblue.com and Zeitgeist News on Starlight Satellite TV are the fruit of that vision.

MUSICAL GEM

Utania's music industry has produced a little gem, a soothing blend of soul and more contemporary dance music in one young singer, Amarea Keys, whose latest single "Mr Man" has reached the top of the charts in all Utanian states. Keys, part-Nystos Utani, part-black Kalesthesian, is a talented pianist and songwriter, and already stormed the charts with the single "Fallin'". She has lived eight years in Westria with her father, her mother still living in Isaston where Keys has her home.

Liberal Nationalist leader, Kyle Langley, toured the coal fields of Lasanne state over a year since the coal fields disaster at Hamilton, attempting to bolster support for his party, spreading the word that an economic system of cooperation between workers, employers and government was "the only sensible way forward". Only government, he told them, had the power to make jobs happen.

Ayante motorcycles have been negotiating with Dyson Motors on the sale of the latter's loss-making motorcycle division, and are said to be close to a deal. Dyson are the country's #2 car maker, but are overshadowed by the monolithic Savant Motors.

The Kingdom of Elafites and Zufites, under anarchy for the past few months, may be close to resurrection in coming weeks, with a new government of national unity creaking into action.