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Hello, this is Weizhu Sh'roeder, and this is Newslog, Stardate 74040 [January 15 2379]. Today's stories:
- The Bell City Voles win the Universal Cup in racketball for the first time in 4 decades
- 3 break ins logged on Andor in the last calendar year: sign of an impending crime wave?
- Save the Targs scores major victory as the Klingon high council bans dishonorable Targ hunts
But first, our lead story, out of Bajor.
The Bajoran National Heritage Society has announced the discovery of a Classical Bajoran settlement on Cardassia IV. Fe Ch'ati, director of the Society, had this to say: "Vedekic tradition has long held that Classical Bajorans were not only explorers but settlers. Now, we have secular proof. Independent reviewers from the Daystrom Institute have confirmed via both analysis of records recovered from the site and isotopic analysis that the settlement lasted 58 years and predates any Cardassian presence on the world."
For analysis of the legal and political ramifications, let's go to our legal analyst, Dr Corey. Corey, what do you make of this?
Well Weizhu, this is probably the most impactful archaeological find in history. The Treaty of Coachella signed 8 months ago explicitly states that any planet with at least 50 years of pre Cardassian occupation is deemed a Settler Colonized Planet and must be returned to the Indigenous Occupants, in this case the Bajorans.
But surely there's no way this actually is enforced right? The current population of Cardassia IV is 1.2 billion people, with an estimated 500 million expelled Cardassian settlers to be resettled there.
Unfortunately for them, it does appear the Bajoran Ministry of Alien Affairs, headed by the notoriously nationalist Vedek Larani, has officially lodged a claim under the treaty. I have no doubt that Detapa will appeal but the 8 Inyo appointees on the SCOF are all fairly strict textualists, so I think they're looking at a 8-7 ruling at best, probably 10-4-1 in practice.
What does the Federation council have to say about all this? Where is Inyo?
Inyo has responded with a short statement praying for peace. Probably not going to help him in the "General Usefulness" approval category he's been struggling in, though frankly I think that might be baked in at this point.
And the Council? Surely the Coalition for Stability has something to say about this?
Coalition members Luxwana Troi (Liberal-Betazed) and Sation (Kirsharist-Vulcan) have put out a statement announcing a bill to officially withdraw from the Treaty of Coachella, but this is expected to fail. A treaty withdrawal would require 75% to pass, and you can expect the Opposition to whip against due to the central role of the maquish parties. The leader of the opposition, Ralph Emerson (Free Peoples-Cuellar) has released a statement mocking what he sees as misplaced concern for Cardassia and vowing to uphold "full Coachella."
What does the new provisional government on Cardassia have to say?
Well, Archlegate Garak is understandably furious, calling this an attempt to kneecap attempts at Cardassian reconstruction. Unfortunately, as the Exarchate is directly under Federation and Bajoran joint control, there's not much that can be done.
Well, I think that's about time! Thanks for joining us, Corey!
Thanks, Weizhu! Hope next time we meet under better circumstances.
Now onto lighter news, we turn to a video of a baby catian falling…
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