NationStates Jolt Archive

[OOC: This thread will provide news and information on the development of the IDF, internal politics, sports, and other matters, condensing all news-related matters for EOTED into one thread. All news stories relating to the Empire (and foreign policy) will, in future, be found here, and not in seperate threads. Each story will be seperated by '* * *', as usual. Some stories will be in full; others will merely be excerpts from the 'full' off-camera news stories.]

IDF General Command Council Gives OK To Gravitic Development Program

NENYA, SATURDAY - With the increasing proliferation of AG (anti-gravity) systems across Sol Sector and beyond, the IDF SN has long been found wanting in speed and efficiency as to rapid response scenarios. Inside a planetary magnetic field, the IDF SN has long enjoyed the advantage - but thanks to a source inside the SN, Nenya Today can today proclaim that the IDF General Command Council has given its permission for a multi-billion Relhame project to develop and bring into service a bleeding-edge gravitic drive system. This new phase of research inside the IDF promises to usher in a new era of dominance for the IDF SN in stellar space over lesser space-based forces...

~ Excerpted from the Nenya Today Meshsite publication

* * *

NENYA, SATURDAY - Her Imperial Majesty, the Supreme Commander of the IDF, Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II today announced on behalf of the IDF General Command Council a broad new set of aims and goals for the Imperial Defence Forces.

On behalf of the IDF in general, she today first announced the completion of the first six Aystaku-class I/CMF stellar defence ships - which, according to the Empress, are designed to "free up carrier units from Battlegroup duty, and allow the continued development of the smaller Stellar Squadrons as carrier groups". The Aystaku-class - designated an 'I/CMF' (that is, Interdiction/Countermeasure Frigate) - is designed to augment the defensive grids of a taskforce, and to act as a countermeasure deployment platform in fleet engagements, as well as a countermeasure to enemy ECM deployment. Little other information is available on the class as yet.

Also announced were the completion of the first four new surface ships for the IDF N, set to be assigned to the premier Vanguard Battlegroup, all of which belong to the new Núry Mohnya class. The Núry Mohnya is classified as a HSA destroyer - 'Heavy Stealth Assault'. The methodology behind the 'stealth' tag is currently a classified matter, although hypotheses from the defense community range from the simple (water-jet radar-evasion) to the extreme (static EM interference).

The bulk of her announcements, however, dealt with the proposed downsizing of the IDF GF, and the continued development of the IDF SN. The IDF SN has been provided with additional funding for a further six shipyards, to be completed over the next six months, alongside the recent addition of three new shipyards at unknown locations inside Ax-turath. "These new shipyards will provide the IDF SN with the ability to accelerate the current planned development to unprecedented levels," the Supreme Commander stated Saturday, "and with the addition of the soon-to-be-begun Vilya Elenoston Shipyard, a new era is on the horizon for the Empire of the Eternal Dawn's ventures in space." It is understood that the VES will be built by IsnCo (the Imperial Space Networking Co-operative).

Yet the downsizing of the IDF GF is, without shadow of a doubt, a controversial matter. Many persons doubt that the IDF GF can be downsized in anything approaching an efficient manner, and nor do they believe it can be done at a rapid pace; yet, nontheless, the Empress did state categorically that, "the downsizing of the IDF GF shall be swift, effective, and will not impact the overall efficiency of the IDF." That claim appears insubstantial at this time, but with more and more soldiers shunted from the IDF GF to the IDF RDD - thanks to the new (and expensive) IDF Retraining Scheme - with every passing month, there is increasing hope that the downsizing will not cause an upsurge in unemployment in the public sector due to the termination of employment of career officers in the IDF.

~ From Nenya Today's Meshsite publication

* * *

Row In Houses Over Tax

NENYA, SATURDAY - Yet more arguments have broken out in the national Imperial House divisions this week over the proposed Tax Returns Revision Bill put forward by House Representative Lady Illuri Dupante. HR Lord Dupante, a long-standing elected First-Tier House Representative, apparently drew up the bill along with leading Second-Tier House Representatives over the last two months - but did not build a large enough voting alliance to secure the transition of the Bill from the Ax-turath Imperial House to the Supra-National Imperial House. As a result, heated debate has continued over the last few weeks - and fears have arisen amongst her allies that the bill will not recieve the required super-majority vote before the three-month time limit is reached.

To complicate matters, it is rumoured that rival First-Tier House Representative Lord Eskara Menjda has been building a voting alliance designed to provide a supermajority negative vote against the Bill, and he, if rumours are to believed, hopes to smash any hopes of the Bill passing at the weekly Vote to Continue Debate Session the coming Sunday.

The Bill, controversial amongst the population, would allow the Imperial Economic Court (assuming a yes decision from the Imperial Economic Court) to increase the period of time that the Commission for Taxation may take to approve an appeal to the total tax return for a citizen...

~ Excerpted from the INN Solar Financial News Meshsite

The computers whirred and buzzed, as certain words ignited certain programs inside them.

Buried deep inside the wall banks, sentient Electronic Intelligences flew through the WorldNet, and as they encountered, they took.

Data was thus obtained.

Cortana smiled.

Citizens House Finally Gives 'OK' To Amendment

NENYA, TUESDAY - Citizens House (Supranational), and the Imperial Executive Council, gave their authorization Tuesday to an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill (1 D.E.) authorizing a reduction in penalty for the willful import of lethal arms and/or radioactive materials.

The the supermajority vote in Citizens House in favour of (76.417% in favour to 23.583% against) the Amendment For Fair And Open Due Judicial Process For Breach of Imperial Law No. 416 (2 D.E.) guarantees that, within the month, the high-security lethal interdiction systems at all fifty-three International Access Terminals in the Empire will be downgraded to non-lethal systems. This radical shift in government policy constitutes something of an opening of EOTED borders to foreigners, and is said to be "the first step towards completely free movement into the Empire by Outsiders". Previously, visitors from certain states - those tagged by IDFI analyses as 'hostile' or 'possessing potentially dangerous criminal elements' - have been denied entrance into the Empire on the suspicion that they are likely to carry illegal objects, particuarly those that were previously subject to the carrier facing summary and immediate execution under Imperial Law.

The shift in policy, although appearing radical and apparently met as thus in many quarters of the Civil Service, is not as radical, in fact, as it first appears. Recent - illegal - laxity at several key International Access Terminals has been reported; largely incidence of deportation instead of execution - and usually with regards to 'friendly' states. The Amendment was proposed to, as First Tier Citizens Minister Lord Ege Ifrell put it, "...introduce a fair and level playing field for all potential visitors to the Empire".

It is hoped that this relaxation of the Law will result in an increased level of tourism at many key tourist destinations across the Empire, most notably in Nenya, where security had been particuarly tight-

~ Excerpted from Nenya Today broadsheet

* * *

IDF SN Announces Launch of New Strike SSF

"Following up the announcement of the re-structuring of the IDF, the IDF SN announced Tuesday that the launch of its new 'strike space superiority fighter' is impending. It is understood that testing has been taking place at the Mount Tumnore Facility, but little other information is readily available. "A full announcement is imminent," Admiral Tetara Dejure stated Tuesday.

"More news when available..."

~Excerpted from the weekly INN Solar Military News broadcast

* * *

Prominent Civil Servant Leaks Information on Military Aid To Knootoss - Resignation Follows

TURATH, WEDNESDAY - Nenya Today can exclusively confirm that Third Echelon Advisor Gastari resigned after leaking a document to INN Solar involving an increase in military aid to the DDR of Knootoss. Further information is not available, as HMI Government has applied an immediate, temporary D-notice on the story.

Further information on this story will be included on this page when and if it becomes available.

~ Taken from the Nenya Today Meshsite

---BREAKING NEWS on INN Solar---

The symbol of the IDF SN - a gleaming warship silhoutted against a bright white star - is in the top-right, behind the newscaster. The woman looks a bit nervous; she speaks faster than usual:

"...and this just in: the Imperial Executive Council has just ordered the Imperial Defence Forces Space Navy to a full alert and state of mobilization. The 1 Stellar Battlegroup is said to be taking up defensive positions around the Earth Hub of the Earth-Mars Highway, and the 1 Stellar Squadron has been recalled to Earth. Heightened activity is reported at IDF AF bases throughout the Empire. Furthermore, civilian satelites have noticed a flurry of MISAT launches from the Mount Tumnore Facility; perhaps as many as fifty of the strategic warfare satelites have been launched in the last hour.

"No full official statement has yet surfaced, but Admiral Terek had this to say: 'We have been ordered to a full alert and mobilization level, although I stress that this incident is not linked to the Joccian Crisis.'

"We will bring more on this disturbing story if and when the information surfaces..."

EOTED Completely Opens Borders To Tourism

NENYA, TUESDAY - When it was reported last week that HMI Government was considering and deliberating over a potential amendment to Imperial Law to allow foreigners previously unparralled access to the Empire, many looked upon the venture with skepticism and disbelief. Indeed, most publications reported that the amendment was likely to fail.

It did not fail. In Nenya, Monday, the Imperial Supranational House passed the amendment; 24 hours later, the Supranational Citizens House in Nenya accepted the amendment. It is believed that, with this alteration to the Law, greater ramifications are sure to follow.

It is also rumoured that the Imperial Economic Court is finally preparing to rule on the matter of a partial lowering of economic barriers to foreign economic entities operating in the Empire of the Eternal Dawn; especially in Ma-Nenya. The final outcome of the ruling is unlikely to be in favour of the staunch CAPEB (Citizens Alliance for the Preservation of EOTED Business), anti-foreign economic involvement group, however, but it is believed that the ruling is also likely to be moderate, simple, and only a small step in whatever direction that the Imperial Economic Court feels is necessary.

The Executive Council has, as is its right, reserved the capability to overturn the decision within 6 months of its coming into effect, should the alteration have a negative effect on Imperial Executive Council foreign policy aims regarding trade.

~ Taken from Nenya Today's Meshsite

Tyelca Tuo-Mars Highway Planned

TYELCA TUO, WEDNESDAY - The IDF SN Commander-in-Chief, High Lord Commodore Aglad ux-Rihad announced Wednesday that the construction of the Tyelca Tuo Shipyard Facility is well under way, with the first of the mining installations in the vicinity of the Sol Orbital Colony of Tyelca Tuo already up and running. In order to exploit the potential profit of exporting the mineral gains to Mars, and through Mars, Earth, however, the High Lord Commodore and High Lady of Tyelca Tuo have applied for and received permission to grant a contract to the Imperial Space Networking Co-Operative (IsnCo) to immediately begin construction on a mass-transit system between Tyelca Tuo and Mars. Linking Tyelca Tuo to Mars has always been on the drawing board, but the amibtious Sol Transit System Project, started with the construction of the Earth-Mars Highway, was not foreseen at the time of the plan to link the primary EOTED Sol Orbital Colony with Mars. By linking Tyelca Tuo to Mars, and, via Mars, to Earth, it is hoped that not only will the Empire gain from the profits of exporting minerals from Tyelca Tuo to Martian states and Earth states, but will also provide a viable shortcut from the asteroid belt into the inner system.

Long-term goals are likely to include a further two routes - eventually linking Earth, Mars, Tyelca Tuo, Saturn, and Jupiter.

IsnCo has yet to announce the full scale of the contract it has been awarded to the stock market.

~ Taken from Nenya Today broadsheet, 25th Nénimë

* * *

IDF SN Begins 'Rapid Growth'

TURATH, THURSDAY - As many people in the Turath area are well aware, the recent low-level rumbling beneath our feet has been almost constant and, indeed, has been a constant irritation to many. Local government official Terell Rihad reports, "We've been receiving an awful number of complaints about the noise, but, really, there's nothing we can do."

It may come as a surprise to many to know that the rumbling beneath our feet is symbolic of the current extension of the Imperial Defence Forces Space Navy; the recent expansion of the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary IDF SN Shipyards to the north of Turath has resulted in a quadrupling of launch capacity - leading to far more rapid growth for the IDF SN.

IDF SN CinC High Lord Commodore Aglar ux-Rihad, speaking via MISAT link from Tyelca Tuo, stated that, "the IDF SN is expanding as rapidly as possible, with a view to completing the planned two additional Stellar Battlegroups and three additional Stellar Squadrons before the halfway-point for this year is reached."

And indeed, it appears that the IDF SN fully intends to deliver on this ambitious promise; thus far, three of the four new Stellar Battlegroups and Squadrons have been launched. The 1 Stellar Battlegroup has now relocated to Tyelca Tuo, vacating EOTED Space in favour of its new posting - the 1 and 2 Stellar Squadrons will take up the defense of EOTED Space in the stead of the 1 Stellar Battlegroup.

Furthermore, the 2 Stellar Battlegroup - completed just days ago, but the launch of which was only announced early Thursday morning - has begun taking up defensive positions along the line of the Earth-Mars Highway. The three warships previously assigned to defend the Highway have now been recalled for refit&repair operations.

Of the apparent success of the IDF SN, High King the High Lord Commodore Semir-randil I said, "It is indeed impressive that the IDF SN has achieved its targets with such grand efficiency and verve. We can only trust that the other departments of the Imperial Defense Forces can live up to the great reputation that the IDF SN and the IDF AF have set for our great Empire in the past year and a half."

~ Excerpted from Nenya Today broadsheet, 26th Nénimë Edition

EOTED Proposal for 'Replacement For United Nations', Alliance of Stability and Harmony, Receives Only Minor Attention - Yet Another Diplomatic Failure For the Executive Council?

NENYA, WEDNESDAY - With significant time already past since the Imperial Executive Council proposed the Treaty of the Alliance of Stability and Harmony to the International/Stellar Community, and with only one response - and that a guarded one - the question on the lips of many inside the Empire of the Eternal Dawn is: "How many more efforts to improve stellar stability will fail?"

With only silence from the SCOJAN Summit at Tumnorë, and the not-long-past early demise of the Commonwealth of the Nenya-Noldor Alliance (CENNA), the Citizenry and the Nobility of the Empire are surely wondering whether our great leaders are being ostracized in their quest to improve general stability in our Solar System.

Since the current Empress ascended to the Throne, and following The Purge - the removal of dissident inflammatory rebels amongst the Government that were making efforts to destabilize the Empire via disruption of foreign policy - the Empire has been largely silent in diplomatic circles, with very little progress on the stated goal of 'the pursuit of stability and harmony'.

And so, on this day, the Empire asks of its leaders - what measures next?

~ Excerpted from the Nenya Today broadsheet, 9th of Súlimë Edition

Excerpt|:- INN Solar; Transcript of The Debate, [10.05.02D.E./10.05.04C.E.]

The Panel: Lady Ima Dejure, political analyst; Sir Anyej Illun-Rihad, public image consultant; The Right Honourable Lord Halip ux-Rihad, First Echelon (elected) Speaker of Imperial House (Minister for the Interior)

CHAIR:- And with that, we move onto our main story. The joint announcement by all six branches of Her Majesty's Imperial Government has rocked the EOTED political scene in a manner not seen since the short-lived foreign-promoted Revolution of Infancy last year. With me in the studio are the Right Honourable Lord Halip ux-Rihad, Minister for the interior; Lady Ima Dejure, political analyst; and Sir Anyej Illun Rihad, a public image consultant for Virile, the Empire's leading image consultancy firm. - Lord Minister, as a major backer for this move by Her Majesties Imperial Government, could you please outline the basic aims behind the proposed 'constitutional congress'?

HALIP UX-RIHAD:- Certainly. The constitutional congress is the critical 'second phase' in the growth and change that was spoken of in Emperor Si Ling I's first Imperial Decree, in the Dawn Year. To summarize, the constitutional congress is exactly what it is stated to be: the gathering of individuals and entities to discuss and ratify a full constitution for the new Empire. The Empire may even be renamed by the constitutional congress; that would be the decision of the people selected and elected to represent the entities, peoples, and leadership of the Empire...

~ SOURCE: INN Solar

* * *

"And although some may feel that the Empire is already as effective and efficient as it could be, it surely is doomed to fail if those who believe such nonsense are those who dictate it's Path."

"Certainly this is true, but if those who believe eternal change will bring eternal peace are left to lead, then doom will just as surely follow." ~ Lord Imiri Rihad (Second Echelon, Ministry of Social Science, unelected) answering Lady Isim fer-Telemra (First Echelon, Culture Minister, elected) during the debates in Imperial House regarding the constitutional congress


"A blade in the back is worth one in each hand - which just goes to prove that logic is often useless. Use your head, man! Stability was essential; public opinion is, was, and looks likely to continue to be clearly behind the action." ~ High Lord Ambassador Dejure, speaking in response to claims that the Imperial Executive Council response to the recent political/terrorist insurrection attempt involving the late (executed) High Lord Aquinall, as well as the High King's equally-late brother, was excessively forceful and 'despotic'


"Is the constitutional congress necessary? Absolutely! Without it, the Government can have no true validity - either at home, or before the world community. How can we hope to promote peace, stability, and harmony on a stellar basis if we cannot even count on the truth of our own message? How can our potential friends trust us if this is so? I do not say that it is, but surely it is easy for it to appear to be so." ~ Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II, speaking on the necessity of the constitutional congress


"Everything is on the table. Including, thank the Stars, all the food we'll need. And how many times in history have we claimed that?" ~ High Lord Aglar ux-Rihad, confirming that 'everything is on the table'


"And the Empire said, let there be light; and there was light. - Or so the patriots would have us believe. Let the congress be the end to Imperial hypocrisy!" ~ Federal Political Association statement excerpt

~ SOURCE: 'The Day In Print', Nenya Today broadsheet

* * *

A PROVISIONAL LISTING OF ALL ENTITIES TO BE PRESENT; INCLUDING CITIZENRY, NOBILITY, HIGH NOBILITY PROVISIONAL REPRESENTATION QUOTAS

note:- to be debated by joint session of the Imperial Executive Council, the Imperial House, and Citizens House

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STATES

Ma-Nenya
Ma-tek
Ax-turath
Vilya Elenosto and Associated Colonies & Entities
The Wolf Ville Commission for Popular Opinion *

CITIES and REGIONS

Nenya
Turath
Tek
Shelbattanu
Rhea
Telnor
Shapa
Rei
Ria-shelhamn

POLITICAL ENTITIES

The Crown
The Imperial Executive Council
The Imperial House
The Citizens House
The Imperial Criminal Court
The Imperial Environmental Court
The Imperial Economic Court
The Civil Service
(also: various political pressure groups, inc. Federal Political Association, Nationalist Alliance, and Empire First)

THE HIGH NOBILITY

All High Nobility.

THE NOBILITY

At least 20 in each region, not including local/national/supra-national governement representatives.

THE CITIZENRY

At least 20 in each region, not including local government representatives.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* uncertain

EOTED Government Delivers Final Budget

NENYA, TUESDAY - The EOTED Imperial Executive Council today delivered the 'final budget' for the fiscal year beginning March, on the same day that the Imperial Bank raised interest rates by one quarter of a percent for the first time since its rebirth last year. The raise in rates was initially greeted with dismay from many quarters, with fears that the interest rate rise could damage the already flagging and tiny financial industry (banks, building societies, and insurance operations being the only allowed financial institutions in the Empire of the Eternal Dawn), but the new budget has caught many off-balance - to the delight of all.

The new budget delivers a massive increase in income per annum for the general population, with a massive tax cut to just 33% - representing a massive instant boost to the population. Tax returns were, as always, instant; all national citizen accounts have been reimbersed fully, with an average return of Rlh4,374.03 (US$10,497). This represents an increase in income per annum of approximately one third - to the new figure of Rlh18,957.37 (US$45,497).

The budget does involve cuts to social spending and investment, however, which is expected to strip the Imperial Trade Conglomerate of some Rlh500 billion in pre-tax profits; however, ITC projections make "this small loss quite insignificant in comparison to the general improvement in the standing of living in the Empire, which, all said and done, is... the main purpose of the Imperial Trade Conglomerate", Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II, Chairwoman of the ITC, said Tuesday.

The cuts delivered also involve a fairly largescale cutback to the IDF, and General Ian Eskera-Rihad believes that the cutbacks will hit the IDF GF hardest. On the subject, he said Tuesday, "It'll certainly hurt... the IDF GF most."

When General Eskera-Rihad was questioned on the ongoing downscaling of the IDF GF, he said only that "the Empire cannot pursue stability with a gargantuan ground-based armed force", and that he fully accepted that the Empire has to "lead the way in lethal disarmament... wherever and however that goal is possible".

~ Excerpted from the Nenya Today broadsheet

* * *

Empress Slams 'International Culture of Acceptance', Nationalism

NENYA, FRIDAY - With the Constitutional Congress underway, and work likely to continue for some time, one might be forgiven for believing that the political scene in the Empire of the Eternal Dawn would be somewhat pre-occupied and, as a result, quiet.

Empress Rialla ux-Rihad II dashed Friday the hopes of those who had thought it so, and diverted attention away from the Congress with her somewhat scathing remarks directed at "unnamed members of the international community."

The Empress accused these "unnamed individual and/or groups of states" of being "infected" with a culture of acceptance and "over-tolerance of their government's lacklustre performances, generally leading to a... destabilization of geopolitical affairs".

She also attacked those who "build alliances for their own profit", stating categorically that claims that EOTED had attempted to build the now-defunct Commonwealth for its own gains alone were utterly false - and were the result of the actions of others tainting the good intentions of the EOTED administration. "That's nonsense," the Empress stated of the refuted accusations, "and clearly displays the frequency with which such disgusting activities take place," moving on to speak of her distrust and disliking for those who seek power beyond peace.

The interview with the Empress - conducted by state-run news supply agency GovNewsCo, which ensures a fair and level playing field for all as far as access to Government official goes - is by far the most frank thus far in her tenure as Chairwoman of the Imperial Executive Council.

She also attacked the "radical" and "disturbingly nationalist" elements of the EOTED political scene, claiming that they "marginalize" the efforts of the Government to promote civil and political rights reforms.

"They misuse the power of self-government to the extreme," she claimed, moving on to state that, "even when exercising self-government, one has the obligation to the society, and not just the self."

Her comments appear a clear provocation to the nationalist political alliances, and, indeed, the Supranational Nationalist Alliance later issued a statement, which read:

"The Supranational Nationalist Alliance is not, will not, and never has been racist, and any who claim it to be otherwise is clearly short-sighted and lacking in moral fibre."

~ Excerpted from the INN Imperial News web/Meshsite

* * *

Shelbattanu Rovers Claim Title For Second Time

SHELBATTANU, EOTED - With the second Iluvauromeni Lárminya (First League) season facing a tight finish again this year, following a scintillating first season, Shelbattanu Rovers were far from favourites as they sat in third spot after a somewhat dismal few games. Having lead the league for much of the year, Shelbattanu seemed to have fallen at the last hurdle when they lost a twelve point lead and fell three points behind deadlocked second-placed Rhea City and top Turath Wanderers.

But today Shelbattanu Rovers lifted the Lárminya title for the second time in two years after defeating bitter rivals Shelbattanu County 3 - 0 at Christmas Park, while the surprising Tek United beat a stunned Turath Wanderers 4-1 away at the fortress that is Dwindle Road.

Deliriously happy Rovers fans mobbed the players as the referee blew the final whistle, and IPC officers on hand were powerless to prevent the activity - indeed, for safety reasons, they did not attempt to do so. But IFA spokesperson Delir Rihad said, "The reaction of the fans was utterly understandable, and we don't feel that the pitch invasion merits any response from the IFA at this time."

However, the incident does bring into sharp focus accusations from the Ministry of Sport that the IFA is "too soft" on safety issues; but whatever occurs off-the-pitch, Shelbattanu Rovers manager Scott Eldridge - a foreigner - is absolutely delighted with his teams performance this year.

"The boys went out and played their best all year long. We're thrilled with it, and the taste of victory tastes all the sweeter the second time around."

~ Official Lárminya web/Meshsite

* * *

EOTED Robot Factory Touches Down On AST-441'Romeo'

VILYA ELENOSTO, FRIDAY - The Imperial Space Administration Ministry for Colonial Development reported Friday that the robot factory ship VEFS1 touched down on newly-designated AST-441'Romeo' at 1241 Universal Standard Time. Romeo will be the site for six more such landings over the few months, as the asteroid is bored, spun, and hollowed out in preperation for its usage as the base of operations for the Vilya Elenoston Freedom Dockyards.

Giant psuedo-gravitational field units will be built on its exterior once the asteroid is hollowed, to provide simulated gravity inside the object - but the new PGF units are extremely weak, and, to counteract the difficulties involved, two large trains will be run around tracks to allow sleeping in either Terran or Martian g.

The Dockyards, including hollowing AST-441'Romeo' and renovating it, are costing an estimated two hundred fifty billion Relhames, but High Lord Commodore Aglar ux-Rihad believes the investment is worth the taxpayers money. "Ground construction capacity on the mainland is constantly stretched," he pointed out, "which makes this expansion into a spaceborne construction facility for civilian and military enterprises only natural."

The Freedom Dockyards are expected to be operational in late September, and will be fully operational by the late northern tropical Terran summer next year.

~ Excerpted from The Vilya Elenosto Times

Dog Bites Man, Man Sues; Dog Countersues?

METHELNU, SATURDAY - In a strange and twisted series of legal wranglings, the owners of Tyto, the pitbull terrier accused of biting 32-year old Simi Tel-Menjda (of the Human persuasion), have claimed that Tyto has the right to countersue Mr Tel-Menjda - rather than a direct case being made by the owners themselves.

"He's really a very smart dog," said 27 year-old Human co-owner of the dog, Maxiri Dej-Rihad.

This may all sound strange to our foreign readers, but the tri-sentient culture of the Empire does bring in a gread deal of confusion; the definition of 'Citizen' is madely strangely loose, as legal expert Tia Aquinall explains.

"The legal system was designed to ensure that not one, but three sentient species were guaranteed the same civil and legal rights under Imperial Law. The difficulty is, foreigners of other species sometimes also visit the Empire, further complicating the legal definition of 'sentient'; the dog isn't classified as sentient under Imperial Law directly, but the Sentient Rights Modification Act, 1 D.E. - intended to act as a catch-all net to protect the rights of all sentients - defines a sentient being as anyone who can make a claim in the judicial system.

"The law also clearly states that legal claims by proxy are considered valid - which means that if the owners make a claim for the dog, the dog is potentially a sentient under the law."

The case is expected to be heard in a preliminary hearing by the Imperial Criminal Court Thursday.

~ from the Daily Dawn (a subsidary of the EOTED News Group [ENG])

* * *

Turath Ag Lands To Expand After Contract Award

TURATH, SATURDAY - The Turath Ag Lands are set to expand into orbit following a Rlh27billion contract awarded to the Imperial Space Networking Co-operative. The contract awarded entails the construction and maintainence of a largescale hydroponics 'factory' in magnetosynchronous orbit inside EOTED Space. No further details have yet been released, but it seems likely that the food will be sold internally, with the ground-produced surplus being sold off to trading partners.

~ from the INN Solar web/Meshsite

* * *

ITC Reports After-Tax Profits of US$14TNENYA, SATURDAY - The Imperial Trade Conglomerate today delivered its late annual accounts report to the Economic Court, reporting record after-tax profits of US$14 trillion. That puts total public spending at 50% of the GNP, a new high in the Empire. Total income was near a staggering US$50 trillion; costs were relatively low for this year, with cash injections and profit margins for the ITC group from last year helping to keep annual costs low this year. Overall group efficiency - the rating that the ITC Commission for Economic Efficiency, based at Turath University, accords to the spending of the group - is still lower than hoped for, however.

"We're still a new setup," explained ITC spokesman Elura Rihad, "and until all the kinks of the microeconomy are removed, the overall efficiency of the group suffers."

The ITC was set up in the early days of the Empire to weave the economy into one unit, providing strength and resiliency to the socio-capitalist market. Control of the macroeconomy by the Economic Court and the ITC helps promote the correct level of economic growth, with metered investment and fixed prices furthering the cause. A whole host of checks and counter-balances aids the system, with economic assets taxed according to performance by both the ITC and the government. ITC coffers swell, but those funds are then available for the ailing companies, promoting overall growth and stability.

A total share dividend of US$1.1billion will be paid to shareholders; the Empress stands to gain some US$560million from her 51% stake in the Conglomerate.

~ from the Nenyan Economist broadsheet

* * *

EOTED Unveils New High Performance FighterNENYA, SATURDAY - Never has a military project been shielded so thoroughly from public eyes in the Empire - the eXon Project funding did not appear on any public release of IDF RDD accounts last year, and, surprisingly, the existance of the project was not leaked to the public shortly before the unveiling of the new fightercraft.

When the M# was launched, it was done so publically; not so the eXon MRSF (Multirole Superiority Fighter). It is indeed true that the last twelve months or more have seen unprecendented levels of UFO reports - attributed to testing of new role-specific versions of the X# and G# series of aircraft - but eXon has been kept from the masses with incredible vigilance.

But today, the Imperial Ministry for IDF Public Relations released video footage of the second-generation MI superiority aircraft.

The new aircraft incorporates all of the strengths of the first three first-generation MI aircraft with the nimbleness of the wingless structure of the X# (generally referred to as a G1.5 MI aircraft), with almost equivalent stealth capacity of that aircraft mass-for-mass due to RCS-limiting near-flawless smooth profiling of the skin of the bird. In addition, the perfluorocarbon cockpit system has been overhauled, delivering higher-g tolerance for the pilot and therefore greater reaction times at greater speed in combat scenarios.

The aircraft is larger than the M#, weighing in at nearly a ton, and is designed to operate solely in atmospheric combat theatres.

New software is also a big factor in the upgrades of the bird, with the old laser projection HUD systems now replaced with state-of-the-art liquid projection trimensional 'visors, giving full wrap-around vision to the pilot with an interactive display.

Targeting systems are also upgraded, with increased capacity for aircraft-to-orbit communications, allowing faster target acquisition and quicker intercept times during patrol-style engagements.

It is also believed that the aircraft is fitted with a small PGFG - psuedo-gravitational field generator - but these rumours have been neither confirmed nor denied by the Ministry or the IDF AF. PGFG is a relatively new development, designed as a stepping-stone to a true AG system - but that AG system is believed to be years away without outside aid.

So for now, PGFG is the Empire's only near-AG technology. Whether or not the eXon MRSF possesses the PGFG, one thing is clear: EOTED air superiority looks secure for some years to come.

~ Excerpted from Nenya Today

* * *

Nanakaland And TROUSRS Argue As Nanakaland Ejects TROUSRS Citizens

NANAKALAND, SATURDAY - Following alleged threats by the TROUSRS administration against Nanakaland, Nanakaland ordered all TROUSRS citizens to vacate the country immediately Saturday, and shifted its stance to a clearly hostile one in what appeared to be developing into a tense military/nuclear standoff.

Indeed, Nanakaland nuclear weapons were pointed at TROUSRS for some time before the situation appeared to be resolved - it is unclear whether the EOTED Diplomatic Corps intervention helped or hindered the situation at this time - with all parties slowly appearing to realise that the entire event had been something of a misunderstanding; indeed, the entire escapade appears to have turned into a major diplomatic victory for TROUSRS, with its complaints regarding Nanakaland's civil rights record falling upon listening and apparently attenttive ears.

More news to follow.

~ from the INN Solar Affairs web/Meshsite

Praetonia Completes Transition to Minor Global Nuclear Power

PRAETONIA, SATURDAY - In a not entirely clear turn of events - events still appear confused, considering the flurry of negotiations which appeared to take place - Praetonia, a state in the region of X, Saturday took delivery of and tested nuclear arms.

""Praetonia is a sovereign nation, and therefore we wish to protect that sovereignty from anyone who would wish to threaten us with complete destruction. We are starting this program as a way of ensuring Praetonia's neutrality in war, and a way of detering anyone from threating us with the use of such weapons. The weapons we construct are not intended to be high-yield, or to needlessly destroy human life. We are constructing these weapons to defend the Praetonian people, and to make declaring war on the Sovereign Nation of Praetonia a much harder choice that it has been," said the Praetonian government Saturday morning on the matter.

At 15:43 GMT on Friday 16 May 2004, two large explosions went off on small islands in the middle of the Vascian Gulf. The first was from a 100 kiloton fission bomb, the other from a smaller 1 kiloton fussion bomb. The testing phase of the Praetonian nuclear program is complete and work will now focus on improving the performance of our fussion bombs (which no one on the project really believed would work). We hope to have at least 20 submarine based 10 megaton ICBMs in 5 NS years time, with sufficient sophistication that at least on can be expected to penetrate most ABM systems.

Responses from the international community ranged from the usual congratulations to commiserations, with the EOTED Executive Council issuing a statement claiming that other more viable avenues have not been explored. The Five Civilized Nations stated that they were "disgusted with the joining of another nation to the vile and foul halls of the nuclear powers. We hope that Praetonia sees the wisdom of no nuclear weapons upon our sacred, hallowed, and beloved Earth and cancel its nuclear program."

~ Excerpted from the Nenya Today web/Meshsite

* * *

'Christian Extremists' Push Assington Government 'Over The Edge'

ASSINGTON, SATURDAY - The situation in Assington developed further overnight (Lodossian Central Starndard Time), with the government of Assington illegalizing religious group activities or gatherings of any kind in response to a spate of extremist terrorist attacks.

International reactions were, unsurprisingly, somewhat harsh - but the overall reaction of those who took an interest in events in Assington was largely overblown: threats of war, violence; barbarism appears to be on the increase. A breach of international law by both Thelas and Tremalkier was the most extreme of those reactions thus far; both Thelassian Tremalkiern forces have amassed in international waters off the coast of Assington in what is a clear military buildup.

In response, the EOTED Imperial Executive Council authorized the Imperial Diplomatic Corps to issue a statement condemning those actions, threatening to enact a military blockade to protect Assington from outside aggression.


Since the involvement of Metus nations, the EOTED involvement has been scaled back considerably, with EOTED simply offering to provide defensive support for non-combat units, should such support required. The situation continues to develop.

~ from the INN Solar Affairs web/Meshsite