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(NIP - Not in Parliament)

28th of October
Prague Castle

"Can you stop scratching your legs? You will drop the candles and besides, it doesn't look appropriate for a Minister." Reiserová complained, as she and Karel Šín approached the cabinet meeting room in the Castle approximately fifteen minutes after midnight.

"Well I am sorry, but you know, I told you the material is not comfortable." Šín responded in a weak voice. He felt like he was forced to wear a lot of silly outfits, during his active acting career, especially for 'Jersey' where he was forced to sport battered polo-shirts and shorts of various colour. But no outfit he ever wore seemed to him as silly as the white and red tunic, red belt and white pants he had on right now, an exact copy of the clothes Slavomír wore, safe for Šín's expensive formal shoes. If it was up to him, he would never put such clothes on his body, but the President urged him, and he knew better than to try and resist her. Around his neck was also a necklace with a symbol of Veles, god of the underworld and music among other things. The neclace was gifted to the Minister by Reiserová as she claimed that Czech Slavia lost previous Eurovoice contests, due to lacking a blessing from Veles.

"Oh I am so exited Karel, do you think the rest of the Cabinet will be able to see the truth immediately? Imagine how silly they will feel for ignoring the human soul up to now! But I was guilty of that too. Until now." Reiserová chatted exitedly, her still bare feet hitting the ground, "I actually have to use the restroom, would you please enter the room first and set up the candles for me? Thank you!", she waited for Šín to confirm that he will do just that before she left for the restroom.

Šín made sure to put his sunglasses back on, before opening the door to the conference room. Usually, he wore them, because he thought it made him look cool, but in this very moment, he just wanted to hide his eyes to feel a bit less shame about his clothes. Of course as soon as he opened the door, all the eyes of the other members of the Cabinet were on him, as all talk in the room died. Finally, Minister of the Environment Natálie Imberová started speaking, "Were you practicing for a play and forgot to change Karel?" out of the entire Cabinet who usually looked down on Šín, Imberová was perhaps the friendliset to him, safe for the President herself.

Šín simply smirked, "I am afraid our Wise Leader has found faith, you will see." he simply responded as he started putting candles on the table and lighting them up.

"Oh this is horrible!" Minister of Foreign Affairs Jasmína Dlouhá exclaimed after few confused looks, to which Minister of Education Weisser nodded.

"We will have to make sure nobody learns of this." added Minister of Regional Development Lubomír Mejzlík.

"I hope she at least joined the Hussites, and not the Catholics." Minister of Finance Heřman Švestka chuckled.

"I am sure in few minutes, you will be wishing it was the Catholics Heřman." Šín remarked simply as he turned off the electric lights and sat down, to much complaining of the rest of the Cabinet, who did not know why they were summoned, and most of them thought of their comfortable beds, waiting for them.

Then the door opened and in walked Reiserová herself, with Ministers looking puzzled about her dress, which matched the one Šín was wearing. Before she even sat down, she made sure to remove Šín's sunglasses from his eyes, she always hated when he wore them indoors, but now she could not tolerate this accessory to corrupt the outfit of the Rodnovery.

"Comrade President, if I may." Minister of Industry and Trade Květoslav Musil took the floor as soon as Reiserová seated down, feeling that he knew what the meeting was to be about. "Indeed the numbers have been verified and both Škoda and Tatra vehicle manufacturers reported record sales in the third quarter of the year, with the number only expected to increase in the current quarter and in certain location their cars became a favorite affordable alternative to the bigger competitors." Minister of Agriculture Pavel Dohnal slightly sighted at Musil words, considering them an attack on the funding that was dedicated to fishing and agriculture each year in the budget.

"Oh, well, that is wonderful! Thank you Květoslav. But, you know, I did not come to talk about cars, I came to remind us of a more important topic, the human soul!" Excitement did not leave Reiserová's voice as she stood up from her chair, "Comrades, I have realized for how long our administration has ignored the development of people's spirituality, to understanding of the world and I could not be idle any longer, this has to change. I realized that we, as a nation, as Slavs, are the children of the gods and in order to become cosmic beings we have to rediscover the ancient wisdom of our ancestors, to, you know, achieve this, we must..." she could not finish the sentence as she was interrupted.

"Albína... are you feeling... well?" Minister Švestka whispered as the other members of the cabinet looked at their President with eyes wide opened in shock, safe for Karel Šín who was smirking and at least playing with his sunglasses.

"Comrade Minister! Do not interrupt me! The positive aura can not flourish if you keep emitting negative energy, which prevents the growth of the soul!" Reiserová raised her voice, before calming down, "I have had many enlightening talks with an important and knowledgeable person, and he helped me see the truth. I realized that our ancestors understood the world and human spirit better than current society does, due to their connection to the Gods, which was separated by the arrival of Christianity and I have decided to revive this connection with our Gods. Comrades I ask you to join the Rodnovery together with me." now the room was completely silent.

"Rodnovery? Aren't they mostly led by neofascists and antisemites?" the Minister of interion Bohumila Dvořáková finally asked, unsure if she heard the President properly.

"Well, you know, there have been some controversial figures associated with the movement... but those people aren't really interested in the uplifting of the spirit and our connection to the Gods..." Reiserová's voice got a bit more shaky, "But the truly faithful will cleanse the movement of all the snakes, which is why... you will redirect some of the StB agents from the anti-corruption campaign towards the Rodnovery movement to help cleanse it. Find, you know, dirt on these problematic individuals so they can be driven away from the movement so it can become fully focused on the worship of the Goddess." the President received no response.

"Furthermore," she cleared her throat, "Tomorrow apart from the celebration of our independence a festival of the goddess Mokosh will be held and I will have her statue erected in front of the Castle, I expect all of you to attend, I have had suiting outfits made for all of you." she paused for a second, "Except for you comrade Weisser, you are associated with the League of the Militant Godless, you are not Slavic and you will be resigning soon so it would not seem right. But you will inform the League that they have been disbanded. The Party will vote to disband them at around 10 AM today. And all the atheist propaganda will also be stopped from today"

"Disbanded? but Comrade President the League,.." Weisser could not believe his ears, but he got interrupted before he could finish.

"Has served its historic purpose in helping to get the nation from the sway of the foreign god. Now it has no purpose and it will be disbanded." the President for Life raised her voice again, before smiling at her Cabinet, "Comrades, will you join me in the Movement? Will you help me guide the nation towards the light of Dazhbog?"

"Of course Albína we are with you!" shouted Minister of Health Zuzana Saková, always seeking to appease her President. Soon she was joined with shouts of the other Ministers, swearing their loyalty to the Pantheon and thanking Reiserová for "finally allowing us to see the truth!"

Satisfied the President for Life nodded several times, "Excellent, I knew you would understand! Alright people I am a bit tired now, you will find your outfits just outside the door. See you all at 11 AM tomorrow in front of the Castle, I can't wait to see the festival!" with a wide smile, Reiseroáva turned around and finally left the room, leaving her Cabinet alone as she went ot her private room to get some sleep.

"She called us here at this time just to tell us this?" Saková asked once they were alone.

"I am afraid our Genius Leader has unfortunately lost touch with reality." Dohnal remarked.

"And we will all suffer for it, can you imagine us standing in public, dressed in these ridiculous clothes while we give offerings to a statue and dance in circles? Nobody will take us seriously but if we say that our Wise Leader is insane our government will end and counterrevolution will triumph." added Mejzlík.

"Why was she even chosen to be the candidate of the Party in the first place? Well I know that, but why was she entrusted with the Extraordinary Court before that? She always seemed a bit unwell..." asked Musil.

"I heard she was just kind of there, when Šedivý and Vicanová were dividing the country among themselves and they had to assign something to Albína, so they gave her the Court, as they only knew that she was a mother and therefore just. Then they both ended in front of the Court and suddenly Albína was the only eligible candidate for the President left. But I do know she used to be fairly organized in the trade union before all that." Dohnal, as a veteran establishemnt figure shrugged his shoulders, "Regardless, we will overcome."

"Comrades, do you realize what this means? By 11 AM we will need to fill the space before the Castle with people! If nobody shows up it would look really bad for the President and for us. I will quickly contact the heads of the regional Party branches to send some members, but of course we will also have to find the appropriate clothes for them..." Mejzlík reminded the rest as Šín chuckled at the scene, feeling a little less silly about himself now.

Naturally, none of this bothered Reiserová herself, as arrived in her private rooms, took a quick shower and laid her head on a comfortable pillow, full of excitement about the festival and happy thought about the, in her eyes, positive change she just made.

"It's time we understood the difference between illegal immigrants and refugees"

Reginald Green

The President in a press conference today commented on the harsh immigration policies brought about by the Lavoie Administration. On being asked about his harsh stance on immigration, he replied that it is about safety. "Our country's immigration system may seem harsh by European standards, but all we want to do is make sure the country is safe and does not degenerate. In many countries, thousands of illegal immigrants can waltz into their country without any legitimate documentation while claiming refugee status without legitimacy. It's really, it's a failure of the immigration system in those countries. We allow refugees into the country. We are not opposed to that in any shape or form. But we do not support illegal immigration, and that is a stance that will not change regardless of the administration. And it's not like we're opposed to immigration. This country is a nation of immigrants. But they have to come in legally."

Lavoie's speech has caused waves in the media and on the internet.

A study of the use of carrier birds as a means of communication in modern Sertia

from 'The World's Oddities Registry' by Deras Marlynn, 1958
The Kingdom of Sertia is not known well for the modernisation of its government infrastructure, which until quite recently has not seen extensive renovation since the early 1930s. The rather shameful neglect of its once brilliantly coloured ancient monuments, which to this day stand headstrong in the centres of its lively towns and cities, has experienced a steady volte-face in the direction of progress. This alternation is consistent with its changes in leadership, which are notoriously slow due to the government's reliance on the whims of its various guilds (known as Braetha, pl.).

However, a more modern visitor to the Kingdom of Sertia will notice this change of sentiment within the Braetha, especially when visiting the vast, sprawling metropolis of its capital in Hemberdale. What once was a centre for low-spirited, serious office workers and aristocrats has expanded to incorporate Hemberdale's historic and cultural significance as one of the major trade centres, alongside Osperfey, in the eastern part of the nation.

Were you to visit Hemberdale as a tourist anytime up until 1930, you would notice a spectacular sensory overload, owing to the contradicting blend of wondrous architecture and colour, combined with the unsavoury smells and characters about the streets. Should you have acquainted yourself with a resident of Hemberdale, you would notice no shortage of, first of all his family and personal business, and including this a curiously high number of birds flying in and out of his office window. The latter statement is the subject of this section, a vitality of Sertian identity, one of the only connections between modern, cosmopolitan Sertia and its curmudgeonly yet inspiring past.

Carrier birds are, in their most simple essence, birds trained extensively in the art of navigation. You may first think of pigeons before anything. Yet in Sertia, pigeons are hardly commonplace, which has forced the Internal Communications Order (ICO) to resort to the use of predatory birds. The decision to train these large flying animals was taken on the basis of their superior eyesight and intelligence, and their ability to, in their time off, keep away common disease-spreading pests. The ICO has recorded that carrier birds have been used since at least the founding of Gadalland and Aspern some 750 years ago, and ironically were responsible for multiple epidemics. Now, the ICO regulates the health and safety of these birds, and has increased focus on their individual well-being. Thus, one bid will not complete an entire cross-country journey to deliver post to a very rural area. Instead, the bird will deliver to an ICO outpost, where the post will be assigned to another bird who is based within that outpost. There, they are cleaned and fed, put up and treated for disease.

A recent vote by the Customary Logistics Council [now the Braetha] almost saw the birds out of fashion in Sertia, namely by the Councillor for Defence, who argued that this would increase the chance of internal failure during a time of war. However, he was ultimately defeated because of the sentimental nature of seeing these birds everyday. A local Sertian will be able to tell you the name of their carrier birds over the ages, the various affections they held for them, and will usually keep a record of the bird's visit. Nowadays, and undoubtedly in future this will contribute no less than seminally to the knowledge of Sertia's past.

I mentioned that the tradition of carrier birds is one of the sole connections to Sertia's past. This means that when you go to Sertia, look up and look out for the occasional swooping fowl, which croons and caws as it flies through the narrow mazes of temples, drying clothing, and into the sunset, as the chimes of Hemberdale's many bells signal the end of an idyllic Sertian day.

The Speaker: We now turn to Questions without Notice. I call upon the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Peña Nieto (CDP): The government will run a $55 billion deficit. Despite having extraordinarily high VAT, income tax, Medicare levy, NDIS tax, carbon tax etcetera, the economy is not growing at the promised and cost of living is high. Can we finally admit the government is failing Californians?

The Prime Minister: We understand that this turn of fiscal prudence is difficult but these programs need proper funding. These programs are important for disabled Californians, those who need a helping hand and people who need government support. But, of course, the CDP want to cut funding. If we're really concerned about debt and tax burden, why not ask the wealthy to shoulder more since they're able.

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Treaty of Tellum Ratification Resolution Passes National Congress after Intense Negotiations and Passing Stronger Electoral Reform for 2024

In a historic session held yesterday, both houses of the National Congress came together to pass two pivotal pieces of legislation, marking a significant milestone in the nation's political history. The Treaty of Telum Ratification Resolution and the Democracy & Stability Act were met with bipartisan support, signaling a renewed commitment to international cooperation and a more inclusive democratic process.

The Treaty of Telum, a landmark international agreement aimed at fostering peace, security, and cooperation among participating nations, has been under careful consideration by the National Congress for the past several months. After thorough deliberations and discussions, legislators reached a consensus, recognizing the mutual benefits of ratification. This monumental decision solidifies the nation's commitment to global stability and collaboration on key international issues, where the Commonwealth would be placing in a different political playing field where it would have a member of ECON in the north (Yosia) but Minister of Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini reassured members of the National Congress in both houses Foreign Affairs Committee in saying that the relations between Leagio and Yosia will not having any sudden deterioration in how the countries committed to trade and the Southern Europe Universal Rail that connects the two with Ethize and the Duxburian Union to transport freight and passengers. The treaty puts Leagio in a defensive alliance with Spain, Inquista, Duxburian Union, and North Diessen. The Treaty also provides benefits that involves Artabanos Canal, Suez Canal, and the Strait of Gibraltar which are waterways that Commonwealth trade depends upon for a majority of its overseas shipping.

Simultaneously, the passage of the Democracy and Stability Act marks a significant step towards modernizing the nation's electoral system. Inspired by successful models from around the world, the bill introduces a Proportional Representation (PR) District method for the House of Councilors, aligning with contemporary democratic practices where the size of the House of Councilors will be reduced to a base number of 500. This reform addresses long-standing concerns regarding the fairness and accuracy of representation in the House of Councilors, creating a more inclusive political landscape. By adopting the PR District method, the National Congress aims to better reflect the diverse perspectives and interests of the nation's citizens, ultimately strengthening the democratic foundation of the country and allowing more connectivity with the people that the Councilors represent. The number will also take effect for representation to be provided to the Project Wayside community that will be renamed to Oko City and be represented in the National Congress as a state of the Commonwealth separated from the State of Arlick. The action comes as the referendum that took place named Project Wayside as Oko City with a majority wanting statehood, which the Arlick state government decide to make approval of and got the approval of the National Congress. Oko City will officially run as a state with its own elected government after the 2024 National Election. In the results census completed last year, the new coming State of Oko City will have 6 seats in the House of Councilors which will increase the total new starting number of the House of Councilors to 506 for the 2024 Election.

The Democracy and Stability Act also included many different provisions of the method of Proportional Representation and elections for positions in the European Union. One of the important regulations created were on political alliances, where the act established that parties in alliances can decide if they want to distribute seat separately from alliances during the calculations. The national vote threshold was kept at 2% for individual parties and 6% for alliances, which will be calculated with the Modified Saint League Method. However, if a party that has 2% of the national vote does not receive a seat and is not in a alliance, then they will be qualified to receive subsides at the amount that is given to minority interest political parties until the next election unless they run into the same situation. In addition, the Leagio voter will be allowed to cast four different types of votes with minor differences. The First two relate to their first choice of party and person and then a second preference with the same types. The purpose of the second preference is if mainly the party that someone votes does not make the 2% threshold, which at that point will be redistributed to the voter’s second preference of both party and person. In addition, the act authorize funding grants to political parties and alliances that help elect independent affiliated candidates into the National Congress.

One of the key factors that led to the successful passage of the Electoral Reform Bill was a strategic political maneuver. Conservative members of Mouri-Kudo's party, recognizing the importance of the Treaty of Telum Ratification Resolution, entered into negotiations that resulted in a historic deal. As part of the agreement, they supported the electoral reform, paving the way for a more balanced representation in the House of Councilors. The successful passage of both the Treaty of Telum Ratification Resolution and the Electoral Reform Bill put into question the path of the Commonwealth and the stability of the Progressive Alliance Party as Mouri-Kudo had to make direct concessions to the conservative faction of her own party to achieve what she made as a campaign promise that she needed to fulfill before the Primary elections for both the office of President and Governor-General (which Mouri-Kudo’s party hopes to gain as it is a consider a vote in the Senate).

For matters relating to EU elections, the Democracy and Stability Act changes to where the the Foreign Affairs Commission is elected by the National Congress by Instant Run-off, the Premier Commissioner is elected by first-past-the-post in the order of placement, and the Internal Affairs Commissioner is elected in the order of placement as the Premier Commissioner.

Polls show that a majority of Leagioans approve of the Democracy and Stability Act and the passage of the Treaty of Tellum Ratification Resolution that was passed, but many criticize the hoops that had to be made by Mouri-Kudo in a political fight that should have to last for two whole months entirely since the presentation of the ratification bill back in the summer.

The caravan carrying the Spanish king and queen pulled up the Balmoral driveway. As the car opened, the Scottish Royal Dragoons started playing La Marcha Real. William and Katherine greeted them with great warmth.

"Bienvenidos a Balmoral! We figured the privacy here is more advantageous," William said to Felipe. "Plus, we are hoping you wouldaccompany us to Dublin Castle."

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Berchtesgaden Airfield, Berchtesgaden, Brickland
23rd August, 2023

A typical Briekish Midlands summer afternoon. Chilly, yet overshadowed by the bright sun that did nothing to pacify the cold. Despite it being 13:00. The village of Berchtesgaden, having less than 100 inhabitants, had been insignificant until the airfield was built, specially for Presidential visits. The moment for it to shine had come, for President Lavoie was to be flown from there for a summer escape to Spain. The Presidential Plane, a new model modified by the Royal Air Force themselves, arrived at the airfield, waiting for the President's arrival.

Spain, much to the President's liking, had a particularly hot climate at that moment. He also sometimes considered Spain as his second home, perhaps understandable considering his roots were slightly Spanish, and he had a lot of friends and relatives there. He thus made elaborate plans for the summit to contribute on Brickston's part.

The Presidential car finally arrived at the airfield, with the President looking quite exceptionally delighted. Marchel, the Foreign Minister, immediately stepped out of the car and headed to the seating area, where many of the ministers attending were. President Lavoie meanwhile, read the Briekish Times newspaper, where the front page was predominantly an optimistic view about the summit, for which the President was glad.

Marchel was busy wandering about with many prominent ministers of the Finance Department, was interrupted amid a conversation regarding the reduction of tariffs for Spanish imports, by the President.

"It's time to go," said the President, following which they were escorted to the Presidential Plane which was to reach Madrid by 15:00. Marchel struggled with his 5 suitcases, for all "just in case" situations.

As the plane began its ascent to the skies, the President turned on the in-flight entertainment and waited for his arrival. Marchel meanwhile, to keep the tension low, decided to speak with the crew about his favourite Spanish restaurant in Portovo. It was only a matter of time before they arrived...

Terrorist threat level set to Critical
We have in response to statements on twitter and social media by one Tarek Al-Wazir and evidence from intelligence set the terror level to critical. This means we consider there is a high risk of terrorism in the immediate future if we do not act. We are authorising police extra powers to deal with any threats and the authorisation to deploy armed police in all major areas of cities such as stations , airports , stadiums and major events. We will not cower to terrorists and will make sure events are safe. We are reviewing security arrangements for the families named in the tweets and the families of politicians who may be under threat. We will act against all forms of terror and not stand for this threat to all Duchians.

Voting has now concluded. With 6 votes FOR and none AGAINST, this motion has PASSED.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Voting has now concluded. With 2 votes FOR and 4 votes AGAINST, this bill has FAILED.

Donald Tusk
Council Speaker and Councillor for Spain

27 August 2023

The Queen Consort and I warmly invite HM Felipe and HM Leticia to Castle Balmoral in Scotland for an intimate gathering. We always enjoy hosting the Spanish Royal Family and wish for them to Dublin Castle in Ireland.

William V Rex

State Visit

The Spanish Royal Household is pleased to announce Their Majesties the King of Spain, Felipe VI; and the Queen of Spain, Leticia; will travel on Monday, 28th August 2023, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in a official state visit; celebrating the great existing relationship between both Kingdoms and their respective Royal Households. The King and the Queen will meet with King William V in Balmoral Castle.

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Conditions 1. If travel delayed over 3 hours 200 Dux Libra compensation must be payed out and food voucher provided if the delay is overnight accommodation must be offered if travel is delayed over 6 hours or flight cancelled compensation of 3 times the price of the flight leg must be provided 2. If a hotel or flight reservation is cancelled before or after departure an alternative of equivalent quality and service must be offered or a refund or account credit provided if this is not possible 3. If a holiday to a destination is cancelled due to safety issues or security issues alternative destinations must be offered and if requested by customer a refund provided 4. Luggage must be covered by a protection guarantee of up to 10,000 Euros in case of loss or theft of luggage if checked in or handed to staff to be stored. A receipt must be given. 5. All package holidays are required to be covered by this guaruntee 6. If any trips are cancelled on a holiday an alternative must be offered or a refund of the trips value offered if this is not possibly 7. Any package holiday provider operating in United Duchies must adhere to this guaruntee 8. All package holiday companies in United Duchies must put 5% of the holiday price into an insurance fund which will pay out in major events or if a company ceases operating 8. For the guaruntee to apply the 2 of the following three aspects must be provided , Accomodation, Trips and Travel to and from the destination and must be booked through the same company.

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Conditions 1. If travel delayed over 3 hours 200 Dux Libra compensation must be payed out and food voucher provided if the delay is overnight accomodation must be offered. Seats on the next available flights or a valid flight combination within any airline alliance must be offered if they are available. 2. If travel is delayed over 6 hours or flight cancelled a refund of 3 times the flight value must be provided 3. Luggage must be covered by a protection guarantee of up to 10,000 Euros in case of loss or theft of luggage if checked in or handed to staff to be stored. A receipt must be given. 4. All Duchian Airlines must abide by this guarantee 5. All Duchian Airlines must put 5% of the ticket price into an insurance fund which will pay out in major events or if a company ceases operating

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Conditions 1. If travel is delayed over 1 hours 100 Dux Libra compensation must be payed out and food voucher provided if the delay is overnight accomodation must be offered. If the trains are cancelled for 24 hours 3 times the ticket price in compensation must be provided. 2. Travel on the next valid train combination must be provided in event of a cancellation or if a later scheduled train arrives first . This may prioritise Train Alliance combinations first. 3. Luggage must be covered by a protection guarantee of up to 10,000 Euros in case of loss or theft of luggage if checked in or handed to staff to be stored. A receipt must be given. 4. All Duchian TOC's must abide by this guarantee 5. All Duchian TOC's must put 5% of the ticket price into an insurance fund which will pay out in major events or if a company ceases operating

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Conditions 1. If travel is delayed over 1 hours 100 Dux Libra compensation must be payed out and food voucher provided if the delay is overnight accomodation must be offered. If the coaches are cancelled for 24 hours 3 times the ticket price in compensation must be provided. 2. Travel on the next valid coach combination must be provided in event of a cancellation or if a later scheduled train arrives first . This may prioritise Train Alliance combinations first. 3. Luggage must be covered by a protection guarantee of up to 10,000 Euros in case of loss or theft of luggage if checked in or handed to staff to be stored. A receipt must be given. 4. All Duchian COC's must abide by this guarantee 4. All Duchian COC's must put 5% of the ticket price into an insurance fund which will pay out in major events or if a company ceases operating