Headline News - June 2005

Nalhom captured! OATO declares victory!
Posted By: Squadron Article: JUNE05-1 Reported To: INN Reported On: Nalhom Reported At: Mon Jun 06 23:22:42 3005

Space around Nalhom --Earlier tonight, the free beings of the galaxy united as one military force and struck at the heart of the Parallax Empire, the planet of Nalhom. Led by Fleet Admiral Jason Carringer, a veteran of many conflicts including the defense of Sivad at the outbreak of the Parallax Aggression, the task force sought to bring the war to a speedy conclusion by seizing the Nall homeworld and thus destroying the leadership. After a lengthy battle between Allied forces and the Parallax Empire, including the destruction of another Clawed Fist Fleet battleship, victory was achieved. As word reached the occupation fleets stationed around the worlds of Odari, Quaquan, and Antimone, the Nall forces all pulled back from the worlds they had conquered, retreating to parts unknown. Shortly thereafter, victory was declared by OATO.All major religions are calling for a full day of reflection for the sacrifices made by all sides during this long and painful conflict. The war is over, and a new era has been ushered in tonight. The era of the Nall threat is over.--INN

King Declares Day of Celebration
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-2 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Jun 11 20:20:24 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The entire Kingdom of Sivad will stop for a day of thanksgiving and celebration on June 25, in honor of the recent victory over the Parallax Empire.The special holiday was announced a royal proclamation signed by King Richard today. Events will begin on Saturday, June 25, and are expected to continue through the long weekend and the Coronation Day bank holiday on Monday, June 27, when The King begins the fourth year of his reign.A military ball will be the centerpiece event of the weekend, and will be held the evening of the June 25. The white tie event, which will be held in the courtyard of Isherwood House, will have a guest list including many officers from the Royal Naval Service and allied forces. Sources inside the royal household report that invitations have even been sent to ranking members of the Vanguard and the Solar Republic government.Other events will be announced as the Royal Household's Protocol Office makes them available to SBS./Neville McNamara, SBS/

'Nall Still Danger' - Expert
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-3 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Jun 11 20:28:43 3005

/Ynos, Sivad/ The Parallax are still a threat, despite the recent victory over Nalhom, according to an expert at the Orion Arm Treat Organization's Military Affairs Staff.The high-ranking staffer, a member of the Royal Naval Service, reports that the OATO and Royal Naval Service Intelligence have no true idea of the size and power of the Parallax. "We know they start at the Line of Pain. We don't know where they go from there." he said.Professor James McLawhorn at the Royal Naval Academy agrees, "The Nall are still an unknown quantity. They are not a single planet polity, and cannot be compared to Sivad, or the Solar Republic, where the loss of Sivad or Mars would lead to immediate surrender." Indeed, no surrender has been recieved from the Clawed Fist Fleet, and some within OATO are refusing to consider the war over.The Royal Naval Service has begun to withdraw its forces from front areas to pick up its pre-war duties of anti-piracy patrols and convoy escort. The bulk of the fleet, however, still orbits embattled Nalhom, which, according to Professor McLawhorn, "leads to the larger question of what do we do with it." Though staff at the Admiralty and the OATO Secretariat hotly deny that they would deploy a Nall coreseeker against the world, in violation of Sivad's Sol Station Treaty obligations, the majority of sources agree, "there won't be much left of the planet when the RNS and the Vannies are done with it."/Neville McNamara, SBS/

Nationalist Councillor Calls for Investigation
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-4 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Mon Jun 20 20:49:28 3005

/New Berlin, Waldheim/ A Nationalist Councillor is calling on the Sivadian government to send a SHIELD investigation team to Waldheim after a patient was abducted and a security guard killed at a hospital there Saturday.Geoffrey Cruyer (N-Aniger-on-Nova) says that bureaucratic squabbles over jurisdiction threaten the investigation. The abudcted patient is still missing. Two suspects -- one Timonae male and another tall man with silver hair who may be a Mystic -- are also still at large and are considered dangerous.The abduction took place at Eichenhain Hospital Saturday. A Timonae male -- described as having only one arm -- entered the hospital, apparently alone, and took a nurse hostage. He then knocked out one security guard and killed another before taking the missing patient hostage. He released the nurse and left the hospital with the patient, where he was joined by the second suspect.The dead security guard has been identified as Andrew Patterson, 34. The identity of the abducted patient is not being released."The Home Office should immediately dispatch a SHIELD investigation team to find the victims before it is too late," Cruyer said. "Local law enforcement officials are making a fine effort, but I am certain that they would welcome the coordination and forensic expertise a SHIELD contingent could offer."Cruyer is a former Nationalist cabinet minister, but he does not have a portfolio in Sivad's coalition Conservative-Nationalist government. He says he was visiting Waldheim on a factfinding mission to explore possibilities for economic development on the Sivadian colony world.

Chancellor Promises Reconstruction of Council Building
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-5 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Thu Jun 23 14:34:09 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Chancellor Fredrick Chamberlain has pledged that he Council Building, traditional meeting place of the Sivadian Parliament, which has lain in ruins since the Moncrief revolt, will be rebuilt as a "monument to Sivadian democracy".Estimated to cost several hundred-thousand yojj, Chamberlain said in a statement today that he would find the money in the budget - "or commit it personally" in order to see the building rebuilt. "The stains of the Moncrief government continue to dot our landscape. With victory over the Nall, it is time to restore Sivad to a glory befitting a new golden age."The Council Building, located on the northernmost end of Montevedo Street, was built in 2902, during the reign of Paulette I. It is known for it's baroque architectural style, and is the home of the meeting chambers for both the Council of Peers and the Council of Equals. It also houses the formal offices of the First Councillor, though most of his work is accomplished at 10 Dorling Street./Neville McNamara, SBS/

Queen Pregnant with Sivadian Heir
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-6 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Jun 25 21:10:54 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Queen Ashley, wife of the King of Sivad, is pregnant with an heir to the throne, according to an announcement made by the King at tonight's military ball.Calling it "important news on the future of the Kingdom," King Richard announced to the partisan crowd of military officers and other Sivadian dignitaries that the Queen was with child, though no announcement was made as to a due date or the expected sex of he child, who will be Prince(ess) of Enaj, the historical title of the heir to the throne. Before the Act of Settlement, passed two months ago by the Council, the firstborn will be heir, under what is called cogniatic primogeniture. Previously, a princess could be displaced by the later birth of a male heir.The King also announced that Isherwood House will be rebuilt, at the same time as the Council Building, despite the efforts of those who would sabotage Sivadian institutions. Cries from the crowd indicated this was taken as a reference to former First Councillor Paul Moncrief, who remains in Sivadian custody facing capital charges./Neville McNamara, SBS/

Unrest on Waldheim
Posted By: Brody Article: JUNE05-7 Reported To: INN Reported On: Waldheim Reported At: Sat Jun 25 21:18:42 3005

WALDHEIM - Student riots in New Berlin have increased tenfold this week pending new legislation. Parliament chairman John Metternich's proposal to change the freedom of speech has received overwhelming parliamentay support.As of yesterday, riot police had broken up two violent outbursts and made thirteen arrests, comprised primarily of students from the local universities and academies. No word as of yet as to charges in the case.New Berlin police commissioner has called upon the government for aid, citing that the police forces do not have the manpower to cover all of the riot-stricken areas of the city.Parliament is currently in emergency sessions. More updates will come as news breaks.

Ikeopo Trading Announces Restructuring
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-8 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Sat Jun 25 23:00:26 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Sivad-based Ikeopo Trading Corporation will be undergoing major changes in the coming weeks, spokesman Johnson Sweetman told SNN.Wholly owned by Sivadian politician and businessman Brian DelMarenno, Ikeopo Trading does not need to release the same kind of detailed financial information as publicly-traded companies, but analysts speculate that the weeks of non-operation from ITC's flagship, the SVD Hyperion, after it was stolen by pirates - and the unheard-of 200,000 credit-a-head bounty placed on the thieves to get it back - may have bankrupted the company, and DelMarenno along with it.Mr. Sweetman denied that Ikeopo Trading was in dire financial straits, but admitted that recent events have put significant strain on the company."Ikeopo Trading will be re-organized from the bottom up to overcome its recent misfortunes and thrive in a post-war economy," Sweetman said. "We will be shifting into new industries in anticipation of shifts in galactic production and consumption trends." Sources within Ikeopo Trading told SBS that the company is in worse shape than its management will let on, and is liquidating assets at an alarming rate."DelMarenno is up to something," one source said, citing a leaked memo hinting at something in the "entertainment sector." "Probably because he's looking for a last-ditch effort to save [himself]."Sweetman declined further comment when presented with these rumors, saying only that DelMarenno himself would announce the company's new direction next week./SBS Staff/

Penumbra Carnival coming!
Posted By: Brody Article: JUNE05-9 Reported To: INN Reported On: Deserata Reported At: Tue Jun 28 10:48:45 3005

DESERATA - Penumbra's Roaming Cavalcade of Mysteries, an interstellar traveling carnival, begins roaming the galaxy on Friday.Based on a barge known as the Orphic, the carnival is run by a Martian native named Ian Penumbra. It features exotic wildlife from many worlds, as well as curiosities such as a two-headed Zangali, a bearded Timonae, the galaxy's tallest Nemoni, and other mysteries of the cosmos.Penumbra's Roaming Cavalcade starts its journey in orbit of Deserata. Admission is free, although tips are appreciated.

Tensions heighten on Waldheim
Posted By: Brody Article: JUNE05-10 Reported To: INN Reported On: Waldheim Reported At: Tue Jun 28 12:17:07 3005

NEW BERLIN, WALDHEIM - Open clashes between lightly armed insurgents and police forces heightened today in violent protests from several groups. The New Berlin university closed today amid violence merely one block from the campus. Eight students and four policemen are dead in the conflict.In an unusual turn of events, the local government has refused to provide military and reserve aid to the New Berlin police department.A press release on Friday evening requested that the "insurgents lay down their violence and respect the democratic process that Waldheim prides itself upon". Critics believe that the press release will have little effect, as similar groups have begun springing up in cities such as New Munich and New Hanover."One thing is for certain," commented Alan Forn, political editor of Sol Monthly. "A nationalistic fervor is spreading across Waldheim. It's hard to tell what will happen, or if Sivadian intervention will occur."As always, more updates will be brought as they come.

Council of Equals to Meet About Waldheim
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-11 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Tue Jun 28 21:47:26 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ The Council of Equals will meet in a special session tommorow night to discuss the growing tensions on Waldheim, according to a release from the Foreign and Colonies Office today.Foreign Secretary Amanda Ramlan issued a brief statement from her office this morning concerning the tensions on Waldheim. "The situation on Waldheim is no less than a crisis on a world under the protection of our Kingdom. We must decide what action to take and we must decide swiftly I ask the members of the Council of Equals to come together immediately for an emergency session."The Council will continue to convene at the Enaj Convention Centre until the Council Building can be reconstructed. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 Enaj Time. "This is not the time for lengthy debate," Ramlan said, "Lives are at stake."/Neville McNamara, SBS/

Ikeopo Trading Becomes Racing League
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-12 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Wed Jun 29 09:46:22 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Ikeopo Trading Corporation CEO Brian DelMarenno today announced the launch of a new enterprise, a racing concern called the Interstellar Vroomhopper Racing League.What he did not release was that IVRL now accounts for 100 percent of his trading corporation's operation, and that he in fact wholly liquidated Ikeopo Trading - and, analysts speculate, the majority if not entirety of his personal holdings - to fund the move.The result is, in DelMarenno's words, "A new, galaxywide competition for a new era." Previously, sources close to his corporation called it "a last-ditch effort." In either case, it will be the biggest attempt at jumpstarting a regular space-racing league in recent memory: A twelve-race tournament with an entry fee to be determined, beginning with time trials on July 20th for a race over Sivad that weekend. The races will be confined to Vroomhoppers only, with mass restrictions to be released later this week. Cash prizes will be awarded for each race and for the tournament winner.DelMarenno's insistence on buying back the Hyperion was also finally explained: the largest civilian ship currently operating is being converted to a full-size pit lane and tour bus for the operation, and will be expected to house every team, their ships, and their 'hoppers.DelMarenno indicated that potential competitors should get their teams together and contact the League in the days prior to the race in order to get picked up in time for race day./SBS Staff/

Tory's Restive in First Councillor's Absence
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-13 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Wed Jun 29 11:25:21 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ Increasingly agitated Conservative backbenchers may prove to be the undoing of the Arndale government, according to a high ranking member of the Party Committee, who attributed the backbench restiveness to Arndale's frequent absence from the Capital.Though the Council has been meeting in extraordinary or emergency sessions rather frequently, since it was last prorogued, constant scheduling delays have hampered the ability to begin a new session, and to rapidly deal with emergencies. "This is a failure of leadership." says Professor Orrin Neville-Smythe, Kuda Energy Chair and Professor of Political Science at the University of Enaj's prestigious Dorling School of Government. "The party whips and the Deputies can keep things running for a time, the grind of bureacracy, but when there are important decisions to be made, the First Councillor must be there to make them.Party members are increasingly turning to two-time former First Councillor Sir Fredrick Chamberlain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. "If he's recovered, I don't see any reason why he couldn't serve again." Neville-Smythe said, of Chamberlain, who would be the first three-time First Councillor in Sivadian history.There are, however, other candidates. Brian DelMarenno, shipping magnate and member for Grand Enaj, who holds the defence portfolio in Arndale's government, is a young and potentially enthusiastic leader, in contrast to the staid and aristocratic Chamberlain. Dame Amanda Ramlan, another former First Councillor, is also a potential choice, if she could manage to find sufficient bipartisan support. "Though, her relationship with His Majesty is notably rocky." said the Professor. It is even possible that a social democrat could be chosen, though with the sabbatical taken by leader Geoffrey Sedgemore, "they are poorly positioned for the leadership."Experts do agree that Sivad needs to find stable leadership. Of the twenty-six First Councillors since 2902, there have been ten in the last five years alone, since the 3000 resignation of First Councillor Athena Tralis-Andrews. Arndale, Chamberlain, and Ramlan all remain on the Council, but two First Councillors have committed high treason (Paul Moncreif and Wallace Marbury), two have become insane (Murray Sloan and Paul Truffaut), and two have died in office (Constantine Isherwood and Paul Truffaut again). Chamberlain and the man he first replaced, Paul Truffaut, have the longest recent premierships, at over a year."This is a scathing indictment of our form of Government." said Doctor Harold Harris of the University of Ynos. "We can't seem to keep a government in power. And it's putting power squarely in the hands of King Richard to act without ministerial advice." All Sivad must then wait to find out if there will be a twenty-seventh First Councillor within the next few weeks./Neville McNamara, SBS/

Racers Respond to DelMarenno
Posted By: Asini Article: JUNE05-14 Reported To: INN Reported On: Ungstir Reported At: Wed Jun 29 18:07:29 3005

RESILIENCE, UNGSTIR: The launch of Ikeopo Trading Corporation's new endeavor, the Interstellar Vroomhopper Racing League, has caused a stir in the world of Vroomhopper racing.Competitors within the Perseverance Racing Association have met the announcement with scorn, questioning what experience CEO Brian DelMarenno has with the sport and mocking what they perceive as arrogant claims from a "tea-tipping tourist" that the IVRL is anything but a desperate attempt to save his wounded empire."Comparing this 'IVRL' to the PRA will be akin to comparing the minor and pro leagues in clawball," said Deadeye Shadowhunter, one of the PRA's headlining racers. "Does one wish to play games with the kits, or truly test himself among the best the sport has to offer?"The PRA is a Resilience-based enterprise that sponsors over 150 teams from 11 worlds and is home to many of the sport's biggest names. Its lax policies regarding 'hopper modification, approval of shipmount weapons, use of isolated tracks, and high mortality rate among its racers have earned it the nickname "Rat Race" among enthusiasts. It has been the focus of six criminal investigations in recent years and the subject of much controversy and scandal."This is Ungstir. We play rough," said Shadowhunter. "Those that prove they can handle the heat find themselves touching tails with the best of the best. Those that do not? May they rest in peace."She went on to express doubts that a Sivadian league could ever match the fast pace of the PRA's top teams, "but they are welcome to try."Katarin Kechov, INN

Arrest Warrant for Absent Councillor
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-15 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Wed Jun 29 20:47:14 3005

/Grand Enaj, Sivad/ In a rare parliamentary move, the Council of Equals has issued a warrant for the arrest of Geoffrey Cruyer, nationalist member for Angier-on-Nova and former Chancellor of the Exchequer.Cruyer was scheduled to ask the question which would begin the Council of Equals debate on the current situation on Waldheim. When he did not answer the speakers call, the government made a motion for the "call of the house." Under this procedure, usually used to cure the absence of a quorum, the speaker signs arrest warrants and sends the Serjeant-at-Arms to bring the members forthwith to the House.So far, the Parliamentary Authorities have been to both Cruyer's Enaj and Constituency offices, his home in Angier-on-Nova, and his flat in Enaj. The Councillor was reported to have traveled to Ungstir and not returned. His whereabouts remain unknown./Neville McNamara, SBS/

Council Votes to Send RNS to Waldheim
Posted By: Aeolus Article: JUNE05-16 Reported To: SBS Reported On: Sivad Reported At: Thu Jun 30 10:13:27 3005

/Sanjuni, Sivad/ A deeply divided Council of Equals voted last night to despatch the Royal Naval Service and a delegation from the Foreign Office to Waldheim to look into the unrest there and attempt to stop the bloodshed.The vote was divided along party lines, with the Conservatives backing the government in voting for the action. Suprisingly, in a blow to Dame Amanda Ramlan's party leadership, as well as the coalition government, the nationalists voted largely against the measure, supporting freshman Councillor Zachary Mann, who voiced opposition to RNS deployment to the embattled Crown Colony.It is expected that the Indefatigable Fleet will be sent to Waldheim after they have finished reprovisioning from the assault on Nalhom. The Admiralty declined to comment on what it called a "fluid military situation."/Neville McNamara, SBS/