Attack on Central Bank Files Defeated

25/05/2011--FIRST CITY--The Government of Kemetia has today revealed that in the early hours of 17th May, intruders managed to bypass the security system of the Kemetian Web Portal and upload illegal materials onto the server containing the operating system and data of the Central Bank. No bank accounts were compromised, and all information has been kept confidential and sound, according to security personnel now assigned to the Central Bank.

His Sovereign Majesty is said to be extremely perturbed by his own late notification of the security breach, telling his associates that he was only informed this morning by an independent security firm connected with the government's web hosting service.

In a letter forwarded to the Tribune by the Office of His Sovereign Majesty King Adam I, the security firm detailed how they detected the upload of files in the "illegal spectrum" on 17th May at 00:20:09 GMT, and "removed the illegal content", blocking those responsible by changing the ciphers of the Web Portal. However, the letter did not specify when the breach was detected, leaving open the possibility that intruders had access to sensitive information for up to seven days, with illegal information being uploaded during that time. While it is unclear what this information was, investigators suspect that it may have been related to financial crime, judging by its storage location on the server.

When we spoke with the King, he was audibly upset at such an unacceptable security breach. "It seems unconscionable that felons would have had complete access to the Central Bank for such a long time without it being detected by the contracted security services. I feel this is a complete and utter failure on their part, and begs the question as to whether we should be contracting our web security out to such amateurs." His Sovereign Majesty went on to explain that he would like to see new legislation put in place to reinforce informational security, once Parliament is convened. "I will be issuing a temporary Decree in the coming days, to the effect that ciphers for sensitive materials must be changed regularly, and security should be handled by professional Kemetian security services, rather than foreign agents. I shall also be establishing a Commission to investigate this grievous breach in security" This legislation would be the first on information security in Kemetian history, as is expected to constitute a Ministry for its handling.

The Tribune is currently waiting for a response from the independent security firm and hosting company on this matter, and shall report on our findings as soon as we receive a response.

UPDATE:

A response has been received from the security firm and hosting company. No details have been given about when the breach was detected, nor as to who the perpetrators were. It is clear, however, that "malicious scripts" were uploaded to the server of the Central Bank of Kemetia.

Lack of International Response to South Sudan Invasion a "farce"

23/05/2011--CHICAGO--In comments made to the Kemetia Tribune within the last few hours, His Sovereign Majesty King Adam I of Kemetia has called the international response to the Sudanese armed incursion and take-over of the town of Abyei "a complete and utter farce" and that words and condemnations did not go far enough to reproach the Sudanese forces for their act of aggression against South Sudan.

While Sudan claims that the incursion and subsequent takeover was a defensive response to a raid conducted by South Sudanese troops on Thursday, which the King strongly condemned as an obstacle to peace, His Sovereign Majesty explained that "the government of the North is clearly using one terrible incident to justify a disproportionate and crushing response."

The Kemetian Government has been engaged in communications with the Government of South Sudan since early 2011, although bilateral relations have not been established, and nor did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seem optimistic about establishing relations when asked by the Tribune earlier today. "We are not being received warmly by the new Sudan", said a Ministry official, who declined to be named. The King did not comment extensively on relations, saying only that the untimely receiving of messages had been a problem when dealing with South Sudan.

Nevertheless, His Sovereign Majesty reiterated his commitment to preserving peace in the region, and allowing for the democratic self-determination of the South Sudanese. "It is absolutely imperative that this atrocious action not be allowed to derail the referendum and scheduled independence of South Sudan. All nations should oppose the North Sudanese invasion strongly, and with further punitive measures, if necessary," said King Adam I.

During his talk with the Tribune, His Sovereign Majesty was also pushed for answers as to why the Government had not conducted parliamentary elections yet, a problem which has become a rather serious issue for the King and the Lloyd-Davies Administration. "It is not for me to direct the electoral process of the nation," he explained, saying that it was "up to the elected government of the day and the Electoral Commission to come to an agreement about the timing for our first parliamentary elections under the 2010 Constitution." The Electoral Commission had previously stated that elections were to be held on 14th May, but has since delayed them until mid-June. The Tribune was not able to reach the Commission for comment.

Government Condemns Actions of Syria

01/05/2011--FIRST CITY--Members of the Government of His Sovereign Majesty King Adam I of Kemetia condemned the activities of the Syrian Government today, in a letter signed by the Government given to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations. The OHCHR has declined to comment on the letter, but has acknowledged its receipt.

The contents of the letter are published below for the benefit of the public and nation.

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Dear Sir/Madam,

It is the considered opinion of the His Sovereign Majesty’s Government of the Sovereign Kingdom of Kemetia that the current activities of the Syrian Government against legitimate opposition are unacceptable, and should swiftly be dealt with in a meaningful manner by the international community and the respective bodies of the United Nations.

We welcome the OHCHR efforts to voice the outrage of the international community, but we believe that a concerted effort must be made to compel the Syrian Government to allow for peaceful protest, and uphold the conventions that they are legally party to. The United Nations must stand for more than simply its constituent countries; it must stand for humanity itself, and the all-encompassing spirit of personhood, which transcends national boundaries and petty borders. Thus, it is imperative that all Syrian Government officials know the pain of transgressing upon the rights of Humankind, as it is only just that the suffering of the Syrian People rebound upon the Perpetrators of this madness.

We implore your organization to outright condemn the actions of the Syrian Government and uphold the principles for which your organization was founded. There is nothing incorrect about interfering in what appear to be internal affairs of nations that have actively opted to become part of the international community. Syria is a member of the United Nations, and as such, should be forced to be bound by the constraints of the organization.

We trust that you will reply forthwith with your opinions and actions on this matter.

Until such a time, we remain sincerely,

His Sovereign Majesty King Adam I of Kemetia

His Excellency Prime Minister Sir Jolyon Lloyd-Davies, OS

Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court Sir Nicholas Kelly