Spurred on by his participation in the Congress of Rotterloo, on July 24 the Dope of Zimbabmei decided to flex his military muscle. He issued an ultimatum, along with what some say must be the Pharaoh's tacit approval, to New Weimar ordering the country to lay down its arms and join Zimbabmei or face military action.

However, the "ultimatum" came without a deadline and both New Weimar and Zimbabmei have remained silent on the issue. Some speculate that the ultimatum may be the result of an internal power struggle between the Dope (ruler of the Vaticonian faction) and the Pharaoh (ruler of the Meijingese faction). As a result, they claim that the war will amount to nothing. Others caution that history may repeat itself, as Zimbabmei proved to be the nexus of the disastrous War of 2K2.

Meanwhile, the Universalistic Dictator of New Dickens Peninsula continues his expansionist agenda albeit with less zeal. Just last week the Empire ordered a general conscription and over 140,000 able-bodied recruits joined the armed forces. The move coincided with a Neodickensian demand that Rattanjeetland, its arch-rival, hand over compensation for destruction in its last two attacks on the country - Operation Enduring Blubber and the recent Jeeto-Dickensian War.

Contrary to expectation, many doubt that New Dickens is getting ready to take on Rattanjeetland. Rather, they suspect that the new volleys in the ongoing Jeeto-Dickensian spat are nothing more than a smokescreen to divert the Mapp's attention from the Universalistic Dictator's next military target.