Author Topic: Lodja Times  (Read 37837 times)

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Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #30 on: July 31, 2018, 08:59:56 PM »




LORD BESARIAN CONCERNED OVER BARNACLE

Following the arrival of Lodjain forces upon the disputed island of Barnacle it has been announced that around 180 Lodjains Marines may be in a difficult situation. The Marines landed at a damaged naval facility belonginning to the Himeyaman military but thought to have been abandoned following the Mhorish Tsunami that hit both Barnacle and the Himeyaman mainland. Upon landing the Marines were greeted by a group of Himeyaman soldiers who believing the Lodjains were working for Heyra were openly hostile. Once the situation where the Lodjains were part of a multi-national aid effort was explained the two nations began working together. This however changed once Rokkenjima, also a partner in the multi-national effort , announced that the islands were, in their view, property of Heyra. From this point on the Marines were placed under "Close Guard" meaning they are not permitted to leave the base.

Speaking following a briefing of the Conclave, the Lord of the Conclave Besarian Ivanov spoke to the media saying, "We are in constant touch with our Marines and no one has been injured. They had been working alongside the Himeyamans at the naval base, however once Rokkenjima make the announcement things change. To all intents and purposes Rokkenjima have made an announcement that will impact a multi-national operation without consulting anyone. There is not a single Rokkenjiman on the islands at present and the situation there is extremely confusing. To then come out and make such a sweeping statement Rokkenjima have now endangered our Marines. We had established a working relationship with them and things were going well, suddenly because the Himeyamans know we are part of the international effort alongside Rokkenjima we are a potential threat. I do not blame the Himeyamans for taking the actions they have and I am confident that they will not do anything rash, still it is a worrying time for our service men and women who went off to help those in need to now have been made a pawn in international politics."

The Marines have been permitted to contact the carrier Alohura and are in good health. Their commander, Captain Silimov has apparently also issued orders for those on the ground to continue helping the aid effort. Lord Besarian saying, "Captain Silimov has shown to be a calm and capable commander. While politically we may be dealing with a mess he is continuing in his mission. We must now do all we can to convince the Himeyamans that Rokkenjima does not speak for us. We have made it well known that we support the East Moreland plan to first complete the aid operation and then allow the people of the islands, some of whom clearly see themselves as Himeyaman to determine which nation they belong to, not having it forced upon them by foreign powers. We are pleased our Albion friends of Dartfordia have also adopted this approach and not recklessly followed their close friends on a path that has put our soldiers in harms way."


Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #31 on: August 14, 2018, 10:08:52 PM »




FIRST MILITARY TRIAL BEGINS

Disgraced Air Commodore Yuri Lagunov today went on trial charged with treason, fraud, embezzlement and theft. The former commander of the Air Force was found highly inadequete by a recent East Moreland review of the Lodjain military which found that the Air Force was missing significant pieces of equipment including two unmanned air vehicles known as drones, each costing around $5million. Lagunov is the first of the heads of the military to be placed on trial, Admiral Rafail Vasilev will go on trial in a weeks time while Field Marshall Givi Sokolov is still on the run.

The officer is on trial in front of three nobles as is custom for treason trials and will face a life sentence should he be found guilty. It is the first treason trial in the country for 20 years, the previous one being for a Air Force NCO who was found with Communist propaganda and had been taking bribes from Kaitaine in order to sew disharmony in the military. He was found guilty and sentenced to life however died in prison six years into a life sentence after committing suicide. The Queen is able to pardon or reduce life sentences however it is unlikely Queen Klara will having in the past saying, "Our military must improve if we are to be able to look after ourselves on the world stage. Nothing must stand in the way of that."





DESTROYER CATCHES FIRE

The Lodjain Navies destroyer "The Lady" today caught fire during a routine patrol in the Sea of Alucard. According to yet to be confirmed reports the ships electrical system suffered a malfunction and a fire followed. The ship had to be towed to harbour by a naval tug after receving emergency help from a nearby Bakkermayan naval vessel. Six of the crew were taken ashore for medical treatment believed to be caused by inhaling smoke.

A former able seaman onboard The Lady spoke to us saying, "When I was onboard six months ago the vessel was a mess, cleaning was not carried out the way it should and often maintainence that should have been carried out at set intervals was ignored or late. We often had issues with equipment not working. We had a potential chemical spill at one point and we had one set of protective gear between four of us. The state of the ship was a disgrace, we even had to buy our own sleeping bags instead of using the bedding given which was threadbare and I was sure it had fleas on it."

The revelations from the Able Seaman, who wished us not to reveal his name, is just the latest in a long list of issues highlighting problems within the military that Queen Klara has determined "must be made fit for purpose". It is expected that she will extend, if permitted, the agreement for East Moreland's Red Legion to establish new training protocols for the military.





FATBERG REMOVED

The giant fatberg that was discovered in Leubin has today been removed. The giant mass of cooking oils and other congelled waste was found blocking the cities sewers. The object was  820-foot-long and weighed as much as a Blue Whale. It took a team of ten workers using a mixture of spadework, high pressure hoses and chemicals to break the fatberg down. The last block was kept and is to be treated and placed on display in Leubin museum.

The rest of the fatberg was processed and has been used to create a large amount of biofuel which will be able to fuel 40 buses for a week. Speaking to the media the The Lord of the Conclave, Lord Besarian Ivanov who hails from the city said, "The fact the cities mayor allowed this to happen to the beautiful city is beyond belief. We have had discussions in the Conclave about replacing him and holding fresh elections and it was only the Queen that stopped this happening. She believes in her wisdom that as this problem has been building up over the last 100 years and the Mayor has only been in place for 18 months it would be unfair to place the blame soley on his shoulders. The Queen has however given him a formal written command to take better care of the city or face the consequences. With it being my home city you can rest assured that I will be keeping a watchful eye on the state of the city."

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #32 on: August 24, 2018, 08:40:57 PM »




HEYRAN'S LOSE ACCESS TO ISLE OF THE GODDESS

Following a breach of standard diplomatic protocol by Heyra when they released transcripts of various diplomatic talks with Rokkenjima the Lord of the Conclave announced that the Heyran's had lost access to the Isle of the Goddess. This is the first time a nation has been singled out for such treatment but Lord Besarian Ivanov said it was a "data secruity issue."

The Isle of the Goddess is home to the Queen of Lodja as well as the Conclave and other key positions. It has an atmosphere very unlike other government HQ's on Mundus as foreign nations are permitted to come and go as they please once they have been given security clearence. This free access means that foreign ambassadors can make contact almost any time of day or night with the Queen or relevant members of her staff leading to some outsiders to say the Isle has more of an atmosphere akin to a medieval royal court than a government HQ. This goes even further as nations with nobility are even given a room on the Isle for their ambassador. Sir James Gallacher the former East Moreland ambassador to Lodja was resident on the Isle for a year and explained, "The easiest way to get things done was just to go knock on someones door or catch them in the Grand Hall at meals or other social events. It was like never being off duty and meant you had access like I've never had in other nations."

The move therefore to suspend the Heyran access was explained by Lord Besarian who said, "People need to be able to speak freely on the Isle, almost everywhere you go you will find people chatting or exchanging ideas about the affairs of state in Lodja or wider afield. Having someone who comes from a nation that sees no issue with recording their conversations to play for a global audience means we can not be sure whether a Heyran official would be recording us for publication or not and therefore to maintain the positive atmosphere of our Isle they will not be permitted automatic access."

It was confirmed that should a Heyran wish to speak with the Queen they will now need to contact Lady in Waiting Anna Immich at least 72 hours before the requested meeting and should they wish to see a member of the Conclave they must contact that persons secretary 48 hours in advance. Lord Besarian explained, "This is a major blow to the way international diplomacy is done. I would be interested to see whether the Rokkenjimans knew they were being recorded. Business can not be conducted in such a manner."

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #33 on: August 30, 2018, 12:31:24 AM »




DAMAGED DESTORYER TO BE DECOMMISSIONED

Following a fire onboard the Destroyer "The Lady" it has been determined that the ship is beyond repair. The vessel caught fire following an electrical malfunction and then their was a failure in the automatic fire fighting systems. The incident which is the latest in a string of military mishapds saw a total of 72 sailors recieve medical treatment for conditions ranging from burns, smoke inhalation and falls during the evacuation. Luckily the fire took place close to homewaters, however it was a Bakkermayan ship that towed the vessel to dock. The ship was later inspected by several experts all of whom believe the ship is not economical to fix. The ship will now be towed to Gaia where it will be scrapped.

Minister of Defence Lubos Kubik spoke about the incident saying, "We need to get things sorted, we have obligations to both TUNA and the CNN which we shall struggle to be able to do if we don't get things quiet literally ship shape." The Ministry are thought to be considering purchasing non-domestically constructed vessels from either Ui Cenneslaig or Nya Aland although Minister Kubik doesn't think this is the overall solution. "Even if we purchase the most state of the art vessels the issue is that we need to make sure we continue to maintain them. The Lady should have had at least another decade of use but now lies as a twisted metal wreck reminding us of the flaws in our military system."




MORELAND MONARCH RECEIVES "FORMAL WARNING" FROM QUEEN OVER ROMANCE

Sources at the Isle of the Goddess today revealed that Queen Klara has issued the King of East Moreland a Notification of Undignified Conduct, what is considered by many on the Isle as a "Formal Warning" traditionally the Notifications are issued to those residing or regular visitors to the island in order to highlight where they are not acting in a manner "expected of those who are privledged to be in the Queen's magnificence on a regular basis" It was revealed by the source who wished to remain nameless that the Notification was issued after the relationship between King David and Lady in Waiting Stasya Pelagiya was revealed.

Business woman and former Lady in Waiting, Duchess Ekaterina Stasiuk explains why the King would have recieved such a thing, "The Ladies in Waiting are the closest companions of the Queen, between the four of them they spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the Queen. They carry out duties designed to allow her to focus totally on affairs of state without the worry of such things as managing correspondence. As such the Queen needs to be able to trust that the Ladies mind is fully on the task and her time is not taken by such things as a relationship. That is not to say a Lady in Waiting can not have a relationship, the position carries great prestige and those holding the role are usually picked at least in part for their beauty, obviously they therefore have many admirers and romance is not uncommon. What is uncommon however is for a relationship to become public knowledge without the Queen's formal consent. I remember my first husband Mykola was a Major in the Guards when we meet. We'd been seeing each other a month before he wanted to be serious about us and he had to ask Queen Sonya's permission. She grilled him for a good hour before consenting meaning we could officially become a couple. The Queen must know who her Ladies are being courted by as they reflect her and a bad decision by a Lady in Waiting reflects on her."

It is expected that should the King, who is currently entertaining Lady Stasya at the Festival of Sail, is to ask the Queen's permission it would be given as Duchess Ekatarina explains, "King David is a man who has helped Lodja greatly over the years, having a Lodjain on his arm helps the Queen's prestige. I understand King David is a man who enjoys ancient traditions and rituals so I suspect he will not take offence at this move by Queen Klara. Many people at court are seeing it actually as Queen Klara gently teasing a fellow monarch."


Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #34 on: September 15, 2018, 06:33:14 PM »




AIR COMMODORE FOUND GUILTY

Former Air Commodore Yuri Lagunov has today been found guilty of crimes relating to treason and has been sentenced to three life sentences. The former commander of the Air Force was found guilty of failing to fulfil his oath as an officer, illegally selling military equipment and illegally trading arms. Lagunov was also given a dishonourable discharge, his title of Duke of Mariban removed and his ancestoral land's seized, additionally his daughter who is currently training to be a Priestess of Sessifet has been removed from her position. It was proved in court that Lagunov had purposely ignored orders presented by the late Queen Viktoria surrounding the organisation and acquisition of equipment for the military, and had therefore left the Air Force ill prepared to carry out an adequete defence of the nation. The prosecution also proved that Lagunov has sold two military class drones to a company in Bakkermaya, a company which has since collapsed and its management disappeared, the whereabouts of the drones are still unknown. It was discovered Lagunov had been paid some $8million per drone, some funds shared among junior officers and NCO's who will now face seperate charges. Finally the prosecution where able to prove that Lagunov had sold some 45,000 rounds of ammunition, 200 rifles and a series of radio communications equipment to various sources, including units in the army expecting soon to be inspected and lacking resources.

The trial marks the first of three expected trials, with Admiral Rafail Vasilev to go on trial in a weeks time while Field Marshall Givi Sokolov is still on the run his whereabouts unknown.





QUEEN GIVES KING AND LADY STASYA APPROVAL

Following an official request from King David III of East Moreland the Queen has granted permission for him to continue his relationship with one of the Ladies in Waiting, Stasya Pelagiya. The 22 year old Lady in Waiting is the daughter of Duke Tobias Pelagiya who owns Pelagiya Industries which run a multi-billion dollar oil and gas enterprise, as well as several health clubs and spas. She is also heiress to the titles of Duke of Pelagiya as well as Sheriff of Iskor. Her father currently acts as the Lodjain envoy to Alba Karinya. The pair have been apparently dating, without the Queen's permission, for the last two months although rumours persist that the romance has been going on longer.

The news had other unexpected impacts as the Lodjain market saw Pelagiya Industries share prices take a slight climb, something one leading economist said shows a rather narrow world view by some investors. "In Lodja business is done not by what you know but who you know. Yes the Pelagiya family may now be tied to a strong nations monarchy but not every country works the way Lodja does, beside who is to say this romance will last." It was believed that many investors believe that the relationship will see the company gain a foothold in the East Moreland markets.





DUKE LEOPOLD HAMRIK REVEALS "ANCIENT" CONTRACT

Today it was revealed that during the time of the Queen's public audiences the 40 year old Duke of Noverak, Leopold Hamrik, has presented a contract signed in 1530 which he claims means he should be Queen Klara's husband. The current Queen of Lodja whose name by birth is Tatiana Kohut, is a descendent through the maternal line to Queen Milka Kovac whom in 1530 made an agreement with the Hamrik family that when Rustav Hamrik, who was two years old at the time, reached the age of 18 he would marry the Queen becoming her third husband. Queen Milka died however in 1540, there was however a clause in the contract which stated that should a Queen ever be elected from the Kovac family line then an unmarried Hamrik of Ducal rank would be permitted to marry her. Duke Leopold has been married before, his wife Theresa dying four years ago in a car accident, he has no children.

The Duke presented his papers and according to witnesses as the public audience the Queen looked "shocked and concerned" however it has been said that the Queen will "consider carefully this ancient contract and once assured of its status make an appropriate and informed decision."

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #35 on: September 29, 2018, 09:19:10 PM »




ADMIRAL RAFIAL VASILEV FOUND DEAD. MAJOR MILITARY CHANGE

Former Naval Commander Rafial Vasilev, who was scheduled to stand trial for several crimes relating to mismanagement of the Navy, was yesterday found dead in his cell. A spokesman for the courts said, "At just after 6pm during a routine cell check it was discovered that Mr.Vasilev had somehow managed to use a concealed piece of metal to slit his own wrist. Despite the best efforts of the prison officers the former Admiral was pronounced dead on the scene." He had been scheduled to appear in court at 10am today in what was, following the conviction of Air Commodore Yuri Lagunov was likely to be an open and shut case. During that hearing it was proven that the commanders of the military had established a network to sell equipment and weapons to other nations forces or private military contractors. It is estimated that in total around $20million was made by each of them over the course of five years. The commander of the Army is still currently at large having run from Police, meanwhile Lagunov has been sentenced to three life sentences.

The Queen has in the past spoken of her dismay at the state of the armed forces saying, "Once the Lodjain military was a noble vocation for those wishing to serve the Goddess or improve their families fortunes. It is through service in the ranks that many families have raised themselves from being Plebs to Patricians and more than a few familes have gone on to do exceptionally well form themselves. Now though it appears our military is becoming nothing more than a rich person's play thing. With immediate effect all officers with more than 25 years service are to begin their retirement. A panel of representatives choosen by the Conclave will meet to select new commanders of each branch of the service and their general staff. In the meantime Minister of Defence Lubos Kubik will take personal oversight of the Air Force, the husband of Ekatarina Stasiuk,  Mykola Bogdanov will take oversight of the army while Leopold Hamrik, a man who recently attempted to use an ancient contract to marry the Queen, will take oversight of the Navy. Minister Kubik served in the Army reaching the rank of Lt-Col in the Parachute Regiment and was one of those who brought military corruption to light. Mykola Bogdanov served in the Armoured Corps for 10 years before resigning his commission when he married his wife in order to help run the Stasiuk hotel chain. Finally Hamrik served with both the Royal Watchman Guard and as a Marine, most recently he caught public attention when presenting at court a contract from the 1500's which  stated that should a Queen ever be elected from the Kovac family line then an unmarried Hamrik of Ducal rank would be permitted to marry her. At present it is being examined by experts.

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #36 on: October 06, 2018, 10:05:59 PM »




PELAGIYA INDUSTRIES TO MANUFACTURE POWER KITE ENERGY

Pelagiya Industries have today announced that they have acquired permission from East Moreland based OsmanTech to manufacture the Power Kite. The kite based wind turbine was developed by a young Morelander in 2014 and a grant from OsmanTech allowed it to be developed further however it has never gone into major production. As a commitment by the mainly Oil and Gas producing company of Pelagiya Industries their CEO, Duke Tobias Pelagiya has promised to reinvest 10% of the companies profits into greener industries. This new kite is expected to be put out on the companies oil and gas platforms where possible as well as out on some of the islands that make up Lodja. The kites can produce up tp 50% more wind power annually than traditional turbines and use 90% less material in construction.

The basic premise is that rather than long blades and large scale components a simple cable and propeller driven kite can be used, the kite being winched up to an altitude where winds are blowing, the constant circular motion of the kites flight help drive propellers mounted on the kite that ensure that even in calm weather the kite can maintain its flight. The base can swing through 360degrees meaning it can always catch the wind. Pelagiya Industries hope to have 3000 of the systems installed by the end of the year and have sales throughout Mundus.

Duke Tobias said, "I'm aware my family have made a great deal of money from oil and gas, polluting our planet, but now we have to give back. This is our first major step. Its been brilliant being able to work with the Morelanders who made this product and my position as envoy to Alba Karinya has certain been beneficial. Its an excellent relationship between Power Kite and ourselves which I think will go from strength to strength." Many believe the families connection to the East Moreland royal family may well have played a role in the deal being done however the Duke played that down, "Stasya may be well connected with the Royals of East Moreland but she is not the kind of girl who has shown an interest in electricty beyond it powering her straighteners."

The Duke has also said that he hopes to make another major investment before the month ends.





VODOU TO BE BANNED FROM SACRIFICE

High Priestess Alla Kohut today has announced that following scrutiny of the Vodou faith she will not permit ritual sacrifice. The High Priestess is responsible for passing all laws governing the practice of religion in Lodja and may only be overruled by the Queen herself as she communes directly with the Goddess Sessifet. The news comes after the faith made headlines with a failed uprising in Bakkermaya. The faith is practiced by the majority of those in nearby Paracambi and it is known small pockets of Paracambians exist on Grand Alucard, thought to number just under 2,000 people. No reliable statistics exist about the exact numbers who worship Vodou.

The High Priestess explained, "Ritual Sacrifices I have seen involve some brutal scenes, seldom is the animal killed swiftly or cleanly as the job is not carried out by a professional. We do not wish to see one of Sessiftes beloved creatures put through the horrors I have seen needlessly. I believe that those in Lodja should be permitted to follow whatever faith they wish, so long as it does not bring them into conflict with the fact our Goddess rules our nation directly. If they can accept that and comply with the Goddesses will then I have no problem with Cultists , Christians or whatever. Sessifet though requires no sacrifices and wishes us to be as humane to animals as we can be. I therefore will not allow ritual sacrifice. Should those such as Muslims at Eid al-Adha or any other faith feel the need to sacrifice an animal it must be done in compliance with our nations animal rights laws, to now ask that those following Vodou do likewise is not discrimination."

The new ruling is the first regarding "non native faiths" given by the new High Priestess in her six months in charge of the faith. The High Priestess has also indicated that within the next week she will have secured the first overseas site for a Temple to Sessifet, many believing that it will be in Bakkermaya following an agreement reached between Queen Klara and the Bakkermayan Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles over a special agreement between the two nations regarding the various islands in the Alucard. Many Lodjian lived on Wellow in the Alucard until the 1400's however that number today has dwindled massively leaving a handful who follow Sessifet on the island. It is one of the few Sessifet enclaves anywhere outside the nation.




IMPORTS FROM TAMORA MAY BEGIN "LIMITED" SALES

Finance Minister Dragan Knežević has today announced that the nation will begin permitting imports from Tamora. The Minister spoke as he attended a meeting of business CEO's on Tyr Island where he said, "We wish to support our continental friends of Paracambi and share their view that slavery is evil. As such we will not permit profit from it. What is now clear however is that not all Tamorans support or use this practice and it is therefore not fair to tar them all with the same brush. I have therefore today gained permission from the Queen to begin allowing Tamoran products into the nation on a limited basis. We will use the Freestone Mark as a benchmark. Any product baring such a mark will be permitted to be sold in Lodja. I have further more been granted permission from the Queen to have Freestone Mark products treated in the same manner as Fair Trade Products." it has long been the case that any imported good baring a recognised Fair Trade mark receives a lower rate of applicable import duty for "ethical considerations", the Freestone Mark is to share this standing meaning those Tamoran products coming into the nation will enjoy lower import duties than they did before the boycott began.

The Finance Minister explained "The Freestone Mark gives Tamorans who wish to trade without slavery that chance and may hopefully encourage others to do likewise. We do not have any ill will against Tamorans even though their press often wish to make it appear otherwise, what we don't like is the idea of people being effectively made the property of others."

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #37 on: October 12, 2018, 08:16:51 PM »




NEW ARMY ENTRANCE TEST TO BEGIN

Lt.Col(Rt) Mykola Bogdanov has today announced a new army fitness test that will be used for all future recruits. The former Parachute Commando was named temporary commander of the Army following the arrest of all three heads of the military following the discovery of massive corruption. Previously military units were able to set their own entrance requirements and as such there was massive variance. The 2nd Valazov Rifles had for their fitness test a simple 1.5mile run while the Gruzan Howtizer Regiment had a 2mile run followed by a variety of gym based tests. It was noted by the East Moreland military report that fitness standards among the military were poor and Bogdanov hopes the new test would be able to set this straight. The new Combat Fitness Entrance Test will require recruits to complete six tests within 50 minutes. First a recruit will have to complete three 60kg deadlifts in order to simulate icking up and carrying a streatcher. Next they will be required to complete a standing power throw, which will see a weighted medicine ball thrown backwards over their head to simulate helping a colleague over an obstacle. Once having reached a set distance the recruits will be expected to do 30 press ups, a 250 meter sprint dragging a weighted sledge, 15 chin ups and then complete a 2mile run. The whole test must be completed in that order in 50minutes. Both males and females will have to pass the same standards.

It is hoped that the new test will see an improvement in the fighting fitness of the military and help ensure the future training methods of the army, which will be formed with advice from East Moreland, will be more beneficial. The first 30 recruits to try the new test will do so this coming Monday.




COURT APPROVE MARRIAGE CONTRACT

The Supreme Court today ruled that the contract held by the Duke of Noverak, Leopold Hamrik regarding a marriage to Queen Klara is valid. In 1530 Queen Milka Kovac an ancestor of Queen Klara signed an agreement to marry a member of the Hamrik family however she died before the young Duke reached the age of maturity. A sub-clause in the contract then said any future member of the Kovac family who became Queen would have to marry an unmarried member of the Hamrik family. Duke Leopold, who is currently overseeing the Navy, has been widowed for four years and has no children and according to the Court is perfectly able to ask for the contract to be fulfilled.

The Queen can of course overrule any decision of the Supreme Court however this has not been done in 40 years. It is also likely that the Queen would not make a decision without the approval of the Conclave who are due to meet in three days. Duke Leopold was present at court and said, "I am delighted the court is standing by tradition and I hope the Queen will stand by the decision of them. The Hamrik family are an old and distinguished one and I believe I would be able to lend great support to the Queen in her role. I was blessed once with a wonderful wife and would be doubly blessed by Sessifet if I was able to marry Queen Klara."

The Royal Court have yet to make an announcement.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #38 on: October 14, 2018, 03:34:10 PM »




QUEEN'S MARRIAGE APPROVED BY CONCLAVE

The Conclave this morning voted unanoumously to accept the ruling of the Supreme Court that Duke Leopold Hamrik should marry Queen Klara. The announcement was made by Lord Besarian Ivanov who said, "The Duke is a very respectable man from a highly distinguished family. While there were a fair few other candidates put forward in our meeting the existance of this contract menas that there could be little debate." The first husband of the Queen is traditionally selected by the Conclave and Lord Besarian believes this is no different."We would have had the ability to challenge the ruling if we felt that Leopold was not a suitable individual. We are happy to put him forward and hope that the Queen will honour tradition and accept our advice.

The Queen is yet to meet the Duke in an official capacity however Duke Leopold is due to attend a military meeting in te next few days and rumour at the Palace indicate that the Queen may have lunch with the Duke. There have however been some concerns raised by some nobles who believe the large age gap may make it an unsuitable marriage, one noble who wished to remain nameless stated, "The Queen is soon to turn 19 while Leopold is the wrong side of 40. He is old enough to be her father." However this was put aside by the High Priestess who said, "Technically the Queen is at least 6billion years old as she carried Sessifet within her. I think therefore the fact the Duke is over 40 is not a real concern. I think this will be a wonderful match and produce many future Princes and Princesses to support the work of the Goddess for years to come.




GOVERNMENT AGREE TO PURCHASE ALANDER SHIPS

The Navy is set to acquire three new Destroyers to replace the retiring "The Lady" class destroyers. The new purchase will be of the Alanders Dragonboat Destroyers at a cost of $900million per ship. The Minister of Defence, Lubos Kubik, explained, "We clearly are in need of greater reliability and a better standard of ship than what we have currently. As such we have determined the Dragonboat is an ideal platform and it also involves us working with an Albion neighbour. The new vessels will help keep our nation safe and show that we are committed to maintaining a better standard of our armed forces moving forward."

The purchase is likely to see the first of the new ships being names the Klara II after the new Queen while should her marriage go through one would likely be named after her husband.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #39 on: October 22, 2018, 12:07:10 AM »




ROYAL WEDDING SHOCK

The Queen's Press Office today released details of the Queen's meeting with the Conclave regarding her marriage and the news brought a few surprises. Queen Klara has agreed to not contest the marriage contract presented by Duke Leopold Hamrik meaning that he will become the Queen's first husband, a position of great influence in Lodjain culture. However in the same proclaimation it was announced that the Queen would have two weddings in two days, the first to Duke Leopold as the contract stipulates then the next day she will marry Lady In Waiting Roksana Pajari. Women in Lodja are permitted to take multiple spouses and Queen Klara II is to be the first Queen to take a husband and wife, many other Queen's are thought to have had female lovers however. The news has raised a few eyebrows but has been warmly accepted by the nations LGBT+ community.

The father of Lady Roksana, who has been a Lady in Waiting for 11 years, is Lord Silvan Pajari the Sheriff of Genzy. The 29 year old Roksana will once married be granted the title Princess while the 40 year old Duke Leopold will be granted the title of King only when Queen Klara has a child. Lord Silvan said of his daughters upcoming marriage, "Like any father I had hoped Roksana found someone who would be able to give her a great future, nothing can be better than marrying into the royal family and I am honoured Queen Klara thinks this highly of my daughter. I look forward to her wedding day." Friends of Lady Roksana have commented that they knew she was bisexual since her teenage years however were unaware she was in any relationship with the Queen. Meanwhile Duke Leopold is said to be "looking forward to marrying the greatest woman on Mundus and hoping to become a father soon."

The details of the wedding are still to be confirmed however it was announced that the Queen is to once again ask King David of East Moreland to act as one of the escorts to the Queen on the day. The Morelander monarch, and current partner of Lady in Waiting Stasya Pelagiya, acted as an escort to Queen Viktoriya on her wedding day. The Conclaves announcement said, "The King of East Moreland is a close friend of Lodja and has shown great support for our people and our Queens. It is therefore fitting as he helped guide Viktoria and Klara that he help guide Sessifet into her next marriage.". The other escort to Queen Viktoria was Prince Lennox of Ui Cenneslaig however he is not to be asked this time, instead Duke Tikhon Savva will be the second escort. "It is important a Lodjain whom the Queen trusts is included in the escort. Duke Thikon has become a good friend of Queen Klara and is honoured to be considered for the role." The only thing confirmed about the wedding that has been released is that it will take place in the new year and be on the Isle of the Goddess.





ENVOY TO THE ARDIANS URGES CAUTION

Former candidate to be Queen, Nataliya Kozel, has today urged the world caution in dealing with the Commonwealth of the Iwi's recent executions. The 19 year old was considered for the role of monarch when Queen Klara was selected and is the daughter of Sir Viktor Kozel, the nations ambassador to The Commonwealth. After Queen Klara's election Nataliya was named as Envoy to the Ardians, a largely symbolic role, mainly because she had spent many years in The Iwi with her father. She is currently studying Disaster Management at University in Hunter's Bay in the Iwi.

"The executions are brutal yes, they go too far in my view but I think those criticising are in a way blinkered. The Maori see the brutality as neccessary to restore order to their faith. If we say they may not do what they are doing we telling them that their loved ones can not be restored to their spiritual power. Do I believe this? No, I believe in Sessifet, but I too would be angry if someone told me that my Queen was not the Guardian of the Goddess. We must respect the religious belief of the Iwi and there are many faiths globally that do some things I disapprove of. The Vodou practice of animal sacrifice for example. I am however aware enough that people need this to keep their faith alive and that should we deny a faith its practices we set a soceity up for potential collapse. Its a delicate situation and then tie to this the global politics situation, we 've seen the Iwi willing to go to extreme measures to bring those responsible for their genocide to justice even going so far as attacking the Seleucid, which then resulted in a strike by the Seleucid on the Maori. Should nations deny the Iwi justice we risk all out war in the region, should the Iwi break international law in their pursuit of justice then we risk all out war in the region. Nations should not be picking sides, nations should be urging a way forward that provides the Seleucid with piece of mind for their innocent citizens while also showing the Iwi justice will be done. I therefore today propose that the international community start taking an active role in finding those Seleucid who committed genocide, a process the Seleucid need to take an active part in too. We need to find those murderers and ensure their crimes are brought to light. What we must also do is ensure this justice is fair and as humane as possible, I therefore suggest that the Iwi permit the nation of East Moreland to have oversight of court cases regarding the genocide. They are friends of the Iwi, they have a similar court system and know the horrors of genocide too. They would also be responsible for the executions of anyone found guilty, this would see a just sentance carried out in a swift and uniform manner. I believe this compromise would see the international community more likely to hand over the Seleucid under investigation as and when they are found."

The Envoy went on to say that she is making a personal donation of $100,000 to the The Otikoro Muhali Foundation which investigates crimes carried out under the Seleucid occupation of the Commonwealth and attempts to get those responsible arrested. "It is important to the world that those who believe they can escape justice of mass murder are proven wrong and the OMF do excellent investigative work that needs more global support."

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #40 on: October 23, 2018, 11:26:13 PM »




QUEEN SPEAKS WEDDING ON TV INTERVIEW

Last night the Queen appeared on a late night talk show which drew some 10million viewers. She spoke about a variety of issues including her upcoming double wedding.

If we may first thank Your Divine Majesty for coming on, we know you must be busy. If we may start by asking why the double marriage, it seems a little bizarre if you'll excuse the wording?

Not a problem, you see as Queen I'm torn between two things, duty and myself, between Tatiana and Klara, the human and Sessifet. If I'm going to be an effective Queen for the nation I need to balance the two it is only by doing that can I have a clear mind and clear conscience. I love Lodja and therefore the people wish their Queen to have a husband and produce children, while children may be a few years off yet we, me and the Conclave, determined the marriage should come quickly after all a competant husband like Duke Leopold will be an asset to the government and he does seem a genuinely nice guy. However I have grown close to Roksana since becoming Queen and I'm not going to deny my feelings for her and I am just happy she accepted my proposal.  I then just figured if we're going to do this why not just get things done quickly.

When will the happy day....days be?

That's something we're putting the finishing touches to. It is hoped that it will be early in the new year and the High Priestess is currently planning a few different dates as there are a number of things I wish to have in place so we may need to give a few options. As soon as I know I will of course let the people know.

What exactly are these things you want in place if we can ask?[/i]

First there are certain people I want involved in the ceremony, for example family friends who are committed to projects that may mean they struggle to get things to fit together so they can attend without it impacting their longer term plans. Then we have the fact that I see, just as Viktoria did, the need for this to be an international affair. We now have friends across the globe and I hope to share this day with them. I would like King David of East Moreland to act as an escort on the day. The relationship that Viktoria began to foster between our nations is a special one as he has helped guide us towards improving our standing internationally and I welcome his advice. Furthermore I know that we hope the rest of the CNN in particular can attend.

Speaking of the CNN what about the recent executions in The Iwi?

I think we have to deal with this on two fronts. First did Imran Gamal deserve to die for his crimes, I would say yes. The crimes he committed are some of the worst imaginable. Did he deserve to die that way, I'm less sure. I understand the Maori concept, we're lucky to have an Envoy to the Ardians who has grown up the last four years in The Iwi so we get a good insight, but essentially you are showing yourself to be no better than the mass murderer by seeking to replicate their methods.

Does that mean if a suspect of the war crimes was discovered in Lodja you'd extradite them?

I don't honestly know. I think that has to be a bridge we cross if and when it happens, I understand the Iwi are looking for thousands of potential criminals globally. Are their any in Lodja? Possibly. Will we arrest them if we find them? Of course, but then would we extradite them, that is tough. I think at the moment I would be inclined to only do so if I knew the method of execution prior to extraditing them, however we could be talking about something that is potentially years, maybe decades away from happening and by then the Iwi's stance may have changed considerably.

Speaking on a human rights issue what is the future of things regarding the Tamoran slave situation?

Slavery has no place in the 21st Century. To say a person is property is just not true. I know we have strict social structures here in Lodja but at the end of the day each person is free to enjoy his or her liberty. Yes in the past Lodja did have slavery but it was always something the Priesthood spoke against and I am glad that today it is just a horrible moment in our past. I believe as a young consumer myself that the choices I make are important. Before becoming Queen I always did things like refuse to wear fur, buy organic foods whenever possible and I always drank fairtrade coffee, yet my friends didn't see these as big issues. I think the Freestone Mark is an excellent way forward, it rewards those Tamorans willing to work within its framework and its existance allows informed choice. Government will look at polices that reward these ethical decisions and hopefully other nations will follow suit.

We understand you recently meet with the leadership of Cabbagelandiet, how did that go?

They are our continental neighbours therefore we believe we need and should have good relationships with them. Talks were productive, saw some trade deals concluded and some talks about joint naval issues something both nations could probably do with improving if we're honest. We also saw them join the Council of Albion. I'm pleased with the blossoming friendship and hope that we can build a strong partnership with them.

Finally our Mundus Games squad sit first in the medal table, have you any words for the team watching over in Kaitaine?

I'm exceptionally proud of what they've accomplished, so is the whole nation. I've been sat watching as much as I can but sadly I've not seen every medalist, and there have been quiet a lot I'm glad to say. I think sport is an excellent way of bringing our nation together. You see the team made up of Patricians and Plebleians all working hard towards their dream of representing the nation. Its a perfect metaphor for what I want to see in the Queendom and I can't wait to welcome them all back. There will be, regardless of where they finish in the medal table, a celebration of their success on the Isle of the Goddess and I am very excited to meet them all, fingers crossed the success continues for just a few more days and we can be even prouder of their magnificent achievements.


LADY STASYA LAUNCHES BUSINESS AT NIAMECK FASHION SHOW


One of the Queens Ladies in Waiting, Stasya Pelagiya, has today confirmed that she will be launching her own fashion range at Niameck Fashion Show in Neu Uburzis. The 22 year old who is currently romantically linked with the King of East Moreland will debut her Stagiya range of outfits. Lady Stasya has a following of around 10million on instagram which is mainly comprised of young Lodjain women keen to get insight on fashion and make up. It is expected that she will attend the fashion week in person and is taking with her friends Milana Vasylyshyn who runs Milana Fashion House, and Vasilisa Vasilev who owns the Double V brand.

Lady Stasya spoke briefly to the press saying, "I've been lucky enough the meet Princess Adelheid on several occasions and we've always got on very well. She, like me, is very interested in fashion and so when she arranged this event and invited me I knew I wanted to do something for it. I've always sketched clothing ideas but never done much beyond, now with a bit of business advice from my father and the support of Milana and Vasilisa I'm going to give things a go." Asked whether her partner King David III of East Moreland would be accompanying her she said, "David is a man who is always busy, I'm sure he'll be rooting for me but I don't think he'll attend. I know he may be among the best dressed men on Mundus but I also don't think he really has that much interest in fashion, those lazy weekend mornings when I've been at Northfort Palace the smart dapper suits are gone and the East Moreland rugby shirt and a pair of jogging bottoms are on, its a very different sight."

The range does include outfits for children and so Stasya was asked about whether we'd see Princess Rhiannon of East Moreland in any, "The range starts for young teens, Rhiannon is a long way off that. Add to that Rhiannon is a little bit of a tom boy who loves her swordplay, I don't think my range is combat ready."


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #41 on: October 28, 2018, 11:26:10 PM »




FIRST NEW SUBMARINES ARRIVES

The first Orca II submarine today was handed over to the Navy for assessment. The new submarine is first of ten which are replacing the aging Orca Class Submarines as part of the nations military improvements. The new ships are smaller than the outgoing class and are more silent thanks to largely all electrical propolsion systems. The first of the new boats is to be named "Galant" and cost $280million, $30million more than anticipated. Minister of Defence Lubos Kubik spoke about the overspend saying, "We noticed when the building began that some things were not quiet the way they needed to be, this meant some retooling was required but the ship is now completed, looks to be superbly done and there should be no problems with her nine sisters, those should come in on budget."

The new vessel will now go and spend a full week at sea patrolling the Alucard as a way of testing the effectiveness of the new vessel before returning to Lodja and officially being named in a ceremony due to be attended by the Queen. It marks the second military acquisition this week as several Land Portable Vertical Launch Systems were delivered for evaluation. Minister Kubik added, "Our military was in dire straits, we've seen improvement in the last few months thanks to retraining and now rearming means the skills the soldiers are acquiring is backed up with decent systems."

It is expected that further acquisitions will take place in the new year.





LADY STASYA SETS TONGUES WAGGING AHEAD OF FASHION WEEK

In a post on her social media Lady in Waiting Stasya Pelagiya was seen sporting a giant diamond ring on her engagement finger. The 22 year old who is due to debut her fashion company Stagiya at the Niameck Fashion Show has been in a relationship with the King of East Moreland for several months, however there are rumours that the pair have been an item for much longer. King David of East Moreland was seen leaving a high end jewellry store in Silverhills, a well known area for high class jewellry stores last week. Tongues began wagging that perhaps when the King attends the wedding of Queen Klara he will marry his Lodjain lover.

The Royal Court spokesman however pointed out that King David would fist need permission of Stasya's father, Duke Tobias Pelagiya as well as Queen Klara. So far this has not happened and so it is unlikely that the pair are marrying anytime soon. Duke Tobias, who is currently based in East Moreland said, "My daughter and the King do appear to be very much in love and I know His Majesty is a strong follower of tradition and I can confirm he has not approached me."

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #42 on: October 31, 2018, 07:58:03 PM »




HIGH PRIESTESS APPOINTS TWO "PRIESTESSES FOR YOUTH"

The High Priestess of Sessifet, Alla Kohut, has today announced that she has created the poisition of Priestess for Youth and has named two Priestesses to the new role. The 48 year old High Priestess made the decision because of "the threat the outside world is presenting to our young people's connection to the Goddess." The ceremony where the two ladies, Maria Shvets (Above) and Arina Maksimov (Below) were blessed by the Queen was witnessed by several hundred members of the Priesthood. Following it Kohut explained her decision in selecting the two people. "In Lodja it is a time where the young people will play a vital role, we have a young Queen once again and our young people have so many more oppurtunities than their parents and espeically their grandparents. This is of course a great thing, but with any positive there can also be negatives. We have seen since the death of Queen Sonya three years ago an increasing pressure on our culture from outside influence and those under the age of 30 are more likely to be swayed as it they who are more influenced by globalisation. Take for example the recent relationship of Oksana Stasiuk to the King of the Seleucid, becoming his 4th wife. This is totally against the teachings of the Goddess, now we believe that marriage is an important part in building a families prestige of course adding to the good deeds of ones ancestors by making wise marriages and thereby sharing the good deeds of others is important. What we saw in the Stasiuk marriage though was a mother throw away all her pride in her nation and her Goddess by sacrificing her daughters marriage hand. Then we look at Lady Stasya, someone so central in the Queen's life, fratinising with a foreign King. Now while the Goddess Sessifet used her own feminine charms to bring the lesser Gods to her side and under her spells for the powers of good we do not have the same hope with King David, the man is a gentleman and a honourable man for sure but could he ever truly follow Sessifet, no. Therefore Stasya is willing to corrupt herself for the prestige of a crown rather than the service of the Goddess."

The youngest of the two new Priestesses is Maria Shvets, a 25 year old Priestess based in Iskor. She is the 2nd daughter Lord Peter Shvets, a former member of The Conclave and Lord of the River Peksha. She graduated the National Theological College four years ago and has been working as a Priestess attached to several Naval units. Kohut explained her selection saying, "Our military is undergoing change and as such we are relying ever more on our young people, Maria has a lot of experience of preaching to, supporting and educating young people about Sessifet and their duties towards her. She is a perfect example of what a true Priestess should be a passionate speaker, exceptionally knowledgable and someone who can build excellent relationships with her congregations. I hope she can now take these skills and use them nationally, and then internationally."

The other of the new Priestesses is Arina Maksimov a 27 year old Priestess based on Grand Alucard. She is the 3rd daughter of Hartem Maksimov a Lord with land on the island and a former General in the Army. She is also a graduate of the National Theological College and graduated six years ago. Since then she has been the Priestess responsible for the  Queen's Military Academy, an institute that at the time was run by Lord of the Conclave Besarian Ivanov. Kohut explained her selection saying, "Arina has already a wealth of experience working with school children, they are the future of our nation and the faith and need to be well grounded in the love of Sessifet. She has already made extensive use of modern technology to support her congregation to access and enjoy their faith and she is someone I believe can make the faith relevant for the 21st Century."

The two new Priestesses will be granted a seat of the Holy Council which supports the Conclave. Shvets said following her blessing. "This is exciting, to work almost everyday on the Isle of the Goddess is my dream. I hope to be able to support our young people to walk the true path of honouring and loving Sessifet. She saved us all from the wars fought by the Gods and we can never repay her fully, only work each day to try and be worthy of her sacrifices." Meanwhile Maksimov said, "We need to begin to see our higher ups live as an example, Queen Klara in herself has done this as she is the personifcation of the Goddess, wise, beautiful and loving. The problem is however she does not neccessarily make those demands of those around her, Lady Stasya is a beautiful woman of great influence and is willingly in the service of the Queen, she should therefore have insisted Lady Stasya act as just as good an example as herself and not permitted her into King David's bed until he had publically proclaimed his love for the Goddess."



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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #43 on: November 04, 2018, 08:16:34 PM »




YOUTH PRIESTESS SHVETS TO LAUNCH "SESSIFET ONLINE"

One half of the new Youth Priestesses has today launched a new initaive that she is calling "Sessifet Online" in an attempt to reaffirm the prescence of the faith in everyday life. The initaive will see the Priesthood of Sessifet have its first social media account as Maria Shvets whose idea it was sent the first official tweet which read, "If Sessifet can reach anywhere that includes Twitter. #SessifetIsEverywhere." In the following hours a new account was set up by the Priesthood on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat meaning they are now active on all major social network platforms. Priestess Shvets explained her reasoning, "We're trying to get young people to engage with their faith, to stay loyal to our culture and our traditions. That is very hard when you've input from across the world sending out messages that at times may contridict our faith. Now we've joined the major channels of communication for young people and so we can hopefully appear more relevant to them." Social media is hugely popular in Lodja with practically 100% of Patricians aged 13-17 having at least two different accounts, meanwhile 92% of Plebleians of the same age have two or more accounts.

Shvets, who worked as a Priestess for the Navy, has a social media following of around 700,000 who view her short weekly sermons on YouTube as well as her "Thoughts for the Day" on Instagram where as well as having comments were people have asked her questions on scripture and faith people have also commented on her fashion sense. The Priestess explained the use of instagram, "Sessifet taught us to take pride in our appearence, the way we dress and present ourselves. We are a package she created and as such we should look after it well both inside and out. As a Priestess I'm clearly stood in front of the public a lot and it is important that I reflect the care we should take in our appearence. Fashion is a major point of discussion for young people in Lodja, if I can use that as a way of piggy backing discussions about faith then so be it."

Already within the first 24 hours the Priesthoods Twitter account has attracted some 150,000 followers, while its Instagram account has seen close to 400,000. Shvets also spoke about using the media outlets to show the world the work of the various Shrines and Temples. "Our buildings are fantastically beautiful to reflect Sessifets beauty. As such I'm sure the artwork will attract several fans. This means we can create an interest in the faith outside our nation and interest may lead to some conversions. You also see some outright misunderstanding about our faith around the world. Using social media means we can deal with these head on by using the internet. It is also my hope to feature key personalities of Lodja talking about their faith as a way of showing the world what the average Sessifetian is like. One such person is likely to be Lady Stasya Pelagiya who currently has close to 10 million followers on Instagram, just 500,000 behind the Queen of Lodja herself. "Young Lodjains like Stasya Pelagiya have shown the impact social media can have, I'll be talking to her in the coming days about building a following for sure."

Meanwhile the 2nd Priestess for Youth, Arina Maksimov, has today announced that she is attempting to convince the Conclave that every school in the nation should have their own shrine to Sessifet. The Conclave will meet to discuss a number of issues tommorrow and this is due to be ruled upon by the Queen during that meeting.


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #44 on: November 05, 2018, 11:23:54 PM »




MINISTERIAL FLIGHT MISSING

The military transport plane taking Minister of Social Affaris Anna Utkin has gone missing. The flight was transporting the Minister and her team between the Isle of Queens and the smallest of Lodja's island's Karak. The aircraft was around 20 minutes into the 90 minute flight when it suddenly disappeared from RADAR. Aircraft were scrambled from the Air Force bases at Uren and Zhary but no trace of the aircraft was found. The navy have also taken patrols into the area in the search for any wreckage or sign of the missing aircraft.

Lady Utkin was born a Plebleian and through her involvementwith various community projects meet Lord Samuel Utkin a major philanthropist. The two married despite it causing a social outcry at the time. Her husband was murdered in 2014 during a house robbery and since then she has continued to try and follow his work. She was appointed to the Conclave by Queen Viktoria and became both the first female and the first person to be born Plebleian to sit on the nations government. She has since that time carried out a great deal of efforts to try and improve conditions for Plebleians across Lodja such as introducing free school meals and more afterschool clubs.

The 32 year old had a rather tumulterious youth as she was involved in both a biker gang and has an arrest for possession of recreational drugs. She was not charged with any drug offences as the quantities carried where within limits for personal use. Speaking of her youth before her appointment to the conclave she said, "I was a young girl from a poor background who honestly believed the best Lodja had to offer me was being part of some kind of poorly scripted teenage drama. It was only through getting in trouble I was turned to the path of trying to help my community rather than wreck it. Thanks to my husband I was able to see there are great oppurtunities out there if you're willing to work hard and walk the right path, regardless of your birth." There had been several calls for Queen Klara to replace the Minister as according to some former members of the Conclave she did not have a "manner beffiting that required of the closest confidents to the Guardian of Sessifet"

It is expected that the search for the missing plane and clues to its dissapperance will continue. This is the latest incident however in a string of military related technical issues which saw one of the nations Destroyers catch fire due to poor maintainence.




RELIGIOUS "FAT-SHAMING" IS A "NON-ISSUE" SAYS YOUTH PRIESTESS MAKSIMOV

Within 24 hours of the Priesthood of Sessifet opening various social media accounts it has already become embattled in its first controversey. The two hastags "Sessifet Approves" and "Sessifet Does Not Approve" began appearing on various images of Lodjain profiles. Celebrities considered plus sized received the hashtag "Sessifet Does Not Approve" while those considered attractive recieved "Sessifet Approves" the majority of the first uses of the comment were traced back to accounts operated by members of the Priesthood. It was left to the new Youth Priestess, Arina Maksimov to respond which she did by saying. "This is a non-issue. Our faith tells us to look after our bodies both inside and out. All Lodjains should there seek to look after the wonderous gift that Sessifet has given us, packing it full of choclate cake is disrespectful to that gift and to Sessifet." Many said that the hashtag was the equivalent of fat shaming, a form of online abuse which makes fun of people considered overweight. This too was brushed off by Maksimov, "We're essentially doing these people a favour, the liberal world outside Lodja will tell people that they are all beautiful and should feel comfortable in their own skin. This is a downright lie, not everyone is beautiful, only those who take care of and pride in their appearence are. This is not fat shaming, this is giving people a dose of reality and saying put the cake down and pick up a dumbell."

The Youth Priestess went on to say, "It is important that young people in our nation are healthy, first it pleases Sessifet to see us that way and second it means less stress on the health service." Lodja has reasonably low rates of obesity compared to many nations. The Mundus[1] average rate of obesity in 19.8% of men and 18.3% for women. However this is based off nations returning data, most of whom appear to be the more affleuent nations of Mundus. Meanwhile in Lodja that average is 9.8% for men and 8.4% for women a statistic many put down to what some outsiders say is Lodja's "Shallow attitude towards physical beauty." One critic however said, "It is clear Lodja has some of the lowest obesity rates on Mundus and that is a positive, but we also have some of the highest rates of eating disorders, especially among girls, it is estimated that around 1% of the global population aged between 15-30 suffer from  anorexia nervosa whereas 8% of Lodjain women in the same category are thought to have the condition. One leading mental health charity said, "It is clear the pressure on young girls especially to look beautiful and slim is having a major impact on their health. We have seen the teen suicide rate increase year on year and little is being done to combat it. Words like those we have heard today from a Priestess do not help the matter."
 1. All stats based onReal life Earth figures

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #45 on: November 25, 2018, 07:16:28 PM »




COMMANDO BLUNDER KILLS SIX

Yesterday it was revealed that a series of explosion and gunfire in the city of Kirs was a raid by the Commando Regiment. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence explained, "The Commando's who have been looking at the Lady Utkin kidnap believed that they were acting on good intelligence that would have ended this situation. Sadly that was not the case and in the ensuing chaos six civilians were killed." It was later revealed that the six dead civilians were all under the age of 18 and had been using the old wool mill as a makeshift TV studio to broadcast and illegal teenage Plebian TV channel in contravention of national media laws. The families of the deceased have been informed and the Queen has sent them her condolences.

It was later revealed that the Commando's took action without any input from Red Legion of East Moreland in controvension of existing military practice. The Minister of Defence, Lubos Kubik, announced that the officer in charge of the operation will be court martialled as he disobeyed orders to not undertake any operation without Red Legion oversight. "Our Commando's have come on leaps and bounds but have yet to undertake any live operations. We can not magic up live experience and should take oppurtunities to take the advice of one of the worlds most elite forces."




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #46 on: November 26, 2018, 10:11:48 PM »




LORD PAJARI GIFTS QUEEN HIS ISKOR ESTATE

As tradition dictates the family of the person marrying the Queen is expected to make a series of gifts to the monarch. In keeping with that tradition the father of Lady in Waiting Roksana Pajari has today announced that he is giving the Queen his estate on the edge of the city of Iskor. The 54 year old is a large landowner and the Iskor estate one of six that he owns. The house features eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a library, a small ballroom and a banquet hall. Iskor is also one city in which the royal household does not posses a single property. Lord Silvan Pajari confirmed his gift saying. "The estate at Iskor was always Roksana's favourite, she had many happy times there and I remember at the age of 10 seeing her in the ballroom giving her first public cello performance. I always saw my little girl as becoming a famed member of our nations Royal Philomonic Orchestra or something and I would have been very happy with that. Now to know that she is to marry my Queen is rather mind blowing. I think it fitting that a place that saw her so happy becomes a gift to the woman who has apparently made her even happier." The Queen is said to have been "very grateful" for the gift and added that "I hope my new family will be as happy there as Roksana was in her youth."

It is likely over the next month that a series of gifts will be given by both Lady Roksana's family and that of Duke Lepold Henrik who has already confirmed that he is establishing a series of ballet scholarships in his future wifes name. Queen Klara, born as Tataina Kohut was a well respected young ballerina before becoming a student of Medicine at the Army Medicial University. Duke Leopold stated, "My wife loves to dance and I think it only fitting one of her legacies shall be helping others learn the joys it brings her."




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #47 on: January 01, 2019, 06:54:38 PM »




BARON ROMAN'S SIGNATURE ON ENVIRONMENT TREATY APPROVED

Several days ago Baron Roman Chowynk, the former husband of Queen Viktoria, signed the Environmental Treaty of Wellow on behalf of the Queen. The new treaty seeks to protect the environment and is the first attempt to forumulate a global strategy. As with all laws Queen Klara II must approve the treaty and this approval was given this morning. The Queen had made her support of environmental protection well known in the past, making the removal of all plastic one of her first edicts and this new treaty covers aspects including this as well as reduction of food waste, cleaner public transport and environmental education. The Queen made the announcement while visiting fashion designer Milana Vasylyshyn whom is designing one of her two wedding dress, "The Environment is a gift from the Goddess, we have no right to destroy what she has given us and in the past we have taken little care of it. This must change, there has to be work done to find sustainable and effective measures to bring our planet back to a safer and happier place. This treaty will do that, yes it doesn't outline how we will do it yet but I look forward to seeing our people work with other to bring about effective solutions."

The Queen also announced that from next month the Queen's private car will be run on biofuel and that two new forests will be planted. The Queen has announced that the first will be the Roksana Forest and will be located in the hills around Noginsk, the second will be the Hamrik Forest and will be located near Noverak. Both forests will be named after the future spouses of the Queen and it is thought each will viist thier namesake woodland to plant the first tree prior to the wedding beginning on Friday this week.




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #48 on: April 06, 2019, 10:17:27 PM »




LADY STASYA ENTERS DIPLOMATIC SERVICE

Following the Queen's recent double wedding it has been revealed that the Queen has lost a 2nd Lady in Waiting. Lady Stasya Pelagiya has been a Lady in Waiting for three years and has been removed from the Queen's household and made a Royal Envoy, a position that means she can be sent anywhere to act on behalf of the Queen but is usually based overseas. Lady Stasya was given the minor noble title of Baronetess of Iskor Islet, a small piece of land neighbouring her own father's Dukedom. The move means that as a noble woman in her own right she is of sufficent rank to serve the Queen as an envoy. It did not come as any surprise however that the new Envoy's first destination is East Moreland. The 22 year old is currently in a relationship with the King of East Moreland and many had assumed that the pair would announce their engagement at the Queen's recent wedding however that was not the case.

Baronetess Stasya's father, Duke Tobias currently serves as Ambassador for Alba Karinya and is based in Northfort at a parkland cottage close to the Palace of Northfort and many Lodjain gossip magazines are now speculating as to whether the Baronetess will move there, into the Palace with her lover, or establish her own home somewhere in East Moreland. Stasya however will find herself not the centre of her lovers attention for a while as King David's daughter, Princess Rhiannon, recovers from leukhemia. Speaking to the press briefly while out shopping in Gaia Stasya said. "I'm honoured to be given this role and responsibility and shall endeavour to, as always, serve my Queen to the best of my ability. I am excited to live in a foreign country, to be able to spend more time with His Majesty King David and help Princess Rhiannon's recovery in anyway that I can."

With many people calling this news a promotion it now appears that Queen Klara will need two new Ladies in Waiting, Tonya Bogdanovic, the 18 year old daughter of influential business man Lord Milan Bogdanovic, acted as a stand in for Crown Princess Roksana's wedding however it has not yet been confirmed that she will take up the position permanently. The Royal Chamberlain's office revealed that as always when a position comes up they have been inundated with petitions on behalf of noble women, the Chief Chamberlain announced that so far they have had some 1,200 petitions sent in however he was keen to point out that the process of selecting new Ladies in Waiting puts little if any weight on such petitions.




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #49 on: April 16, 2019, 11:04:19 PM »




QUEEN BEGINS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR NEW LADIES IN WAITING

In what is believed to be a historic first the Queen of Lodja is seeking two new Ladies in Waiting by opening up for applications. Across various social media platforms a link to an online application system enables potential applicants to upload a letter of application, their CV and a series of phots. The application must include a scan or photo of the families Patrician enrollment which surprised many as the more liberal Queen was expected to be recruiting the first Plebleian Lady in Waiting however it now appears that she has had second thoughts. The two new Laides in Waiting are needed to replace Crown Princess Roksana who recently married the Queen, and Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya who has been dispatched to East Moreland to be a royal envoy. It is understood that Barontess Stasya has already moved into Northfort Royal Palace with her lover King David III of East Moreland. Traditionally the Ladies in Waiting have been recruited by the existing Ladies in Waiting from among the daughters of the nobility and wealthier Patricians. They serve as the Queen's day to day companions and organise her daily life when visiting dignitries come to Lodja they are expected to handle hospitality for them ensuring a smooth and pleasant stay in the nation. It was during one such visit that the then Lady Stasya meet King David.

The successful candidate will be likely to be in her early 20's and will be expected to reside on the Isle of the Goddess in a private suite next to the Queen's chambers. They work in shifts but are needed to be avaliable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The wage for the job isn't among the highest in the country, with a Lady in Waiting thought to be paid $45,000 a year however with most day to day living costs assumed by the royal household. Most Ladies in Waiting go on to make very prestigious marriages as they generally retain the friendship of the Queen once they leave the role. Lady Anna Immich is the longest serving Lady in Waiting having assumed the role soon after her 18th birthday when selected by Queen Sonya, she went on to serve Queen Viktoriya and now serves Queen Klara having spent 16 years in the service of various Queen's, thus making her the longest serving Lady in Waiting in history.




YOUTH PRIESTESS CALLS FOR "HOLY BOOT CAMP"

The outspoken Youth Priestess Maria Shvets today called for what she is calling a series of "Holy Boot Camps". The move comes as Shvets spoke out about what she called the "Liberalisation of Sessifetian Values." The move comes following the Royal Weddings which Shvets described as "a marvellous mix of ancient tradition at a handful of times spoiled by complete deriliction of faith." The Priestess went on to explain. "Queen Klara on both occasions wrote a beautiful set of promises and these were in keeping with the beauty our faith expects in honour of the Goddess. She at times though acts like she is no Queen, as though the Goddess has deserted her and that is not acceptable. The people of this nation, particularly people of mine and my Queen's generation are paying only lip service to Sessifet. We must make the Goddess the centre of everything we do. In our homes we must give her idol a beautiful home, in our neighbourhood we must make sure the environment is cared for and beautified with natures gifts. Each person must do all they can to ensure they maintain the beauty of their physical form and yet I see more and more people using social media to post about being beautiful no matter how they look on the outside. This is not true, health is the most beautiful of conditions." This belief by the Priestess is seeing her establish her Boot Camps, these will be a series of activities in a 10 week programme which will see groups of the faith join together for exercise sessions as well as discussions lead by the Priesthood on spirtual matters. Shvets also indicated that she believed that a Priestess should maintain a duty to look after their own body and lead by example.

The move was both welcomed and criticised by the Queen who said. "I believe that a health mind and body are important for all people and this programme may just help promote those values and for that reason I encourage the Priestess. What Maria must remember though is that while she is learned about all things to do with the faith of Sessifet it is me who carries the Goddesses spirit within me, should Sessifet disapprove of my actions I am sure she has the power to take control of me, or if so disgusted as Maria believes then strike me down and find a new more acceptable host. The Priestess is free to make suggestions and promote the faith but she must walk a fine line to do so in my favour."


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #50 on: April 24, 2019, 09:30:57 PM »




REMNS BORG BECOMES HDMS MORELAND

Today the Royal East Moreland Naval Service warship REMNS Borg docked in Gaia where it will begin its eight year lease with the Lodjain Navy. The ship will become the most state of the art ship in the Lodjain Navy and will begin the process of naval improvements that the Queen ordered since the disasterous fire on a Lodjian destroyer earlier in the year. The ship is designated a "Drone Carrier" by East Moreland and is capable of launching a wide variety of air and sea drones as well as having the capability of launching a wide variety of missiles. The new King was on hand to welcome the ship into dock and confirmed that it will recieve a name change. "All ships in our Navy are prefixed with HDMS, Her Divine Majesties Ship and in this case we determined as a way of showing the origins of this ship to call it the Moreland. I look forward to having a tour of the vessel and seeing it in action in the coming days." It is expected that King Leopold will spend the next two days onboard observing the workings of the crew.

The agreement will see Lodja absorb all running costs for the vessel for the next eight years and for the first six months feature a crew made up of 25% Lodjains and 75% Morelanders before switching to the opposite for the next 6 months. The King commented on this partnership saying, "Our Navy would take a considerable amount of time to acquire ships such as this, we now get to acquire a top quality piece of equipment to ensure our nation is secure as well as our navy gaining valuable experience and insight into the workings of such a ship." One of the first operations for the ship will be to patrol the Central Alucard Island Chain to ensure the Water Nomads do not seek to move into the territory of Lodja as they have that of Bakkermaya and Paracambi. Lord of the Conclave Lord Besarian Ivanov, who also attended the hand over, said, "The Water Nomads need to be left in no doubt that we control the islands in our jurisdication, EEZ or Territorial waters. We will not tolerate anyone in anyway challenging our authority over them."



APPLICATIONS FOR LADY IN WAITING POUR IN

With two positions for Lady in Waiting being avaliable and for the first time ever the Queen opening the appointment up for formal applications the Royal Household have been flooded with applications. To date some 2,322 applications have been received however it is estimated that around 25% of them are ineligable. The process of picking the new Ladies in Waiting has been given to the most senior Lady in Waiting, Lady Anna Immich. The Royal Chamberlain is also responsible for collating the incoming post to the Isle of the Goddess and has said they have had to appoint a team of administrators to remove those applications that are not either genuine or don't fit the criteria. One of those is 24 year old Simon Yvetech who showed us a box full of rejected applications. "Those letters are from people who have failed the first hurdle. The reasons for failure range from the absurd to the rather sweet. We had one application from a 6 year old girl who wrote a letter explaining how she likes pretty dresses and can sew already, then we've had one even come from a 70 year old widower. We've also had some come from overseas, and while some are from Lodjians who have settled abroad we've even had one from an Alander. We have set out clear criteria and rejecting 25% from just the first glance may seem harsh but its the only way to do this."

Each eligible application is then given to a member of the senior administration who place it in one of three piles, strong candidates, maybe's and rejects. It is Ivan Retajakov who is overseeing this. "Some applications get rejected on the first page of their application, if they can't even spell the Queen's name correctly what chance do they have. Those who end up in the strong candidates pile put themselves across in the their application to be intelligent, loyal, hard working, beautiful and devout. The maybe's, well they fit most categories but may on paper seem lacking in one field or another. Once the deadline for applications is reached the Strong Candidates pile will be handed to Lady Anna Immich who will then narrow the field down before inviting some of the candidates to meet the Queen who will have the final say.

It is highly likely that one of the positions will be taken by Tonya Bogdanovic the 18 year old who stood in as a Lady in Waiting during the recent royal weddings. It was reported that the Queen was very pleased with her performance during the two ceremonies and the festivities afterwards thus making it likely that should the daughter of  Lord Milan Bogdanovic wish to become a Lady in Waiting she is likely to be given one of the roles.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #51 on: May 04, 2019, 09:25:40 PM »




PLEBLEIAN FORMER SOLDIER STARTS POLITICAL PARTY

Former Royal Lancer Sergeant Nikolai Isaev has today launched a new political party that aims to take seats in this years Plebleian Council. The Council is elected by the Plebs every five years and acts as an advisery council to the Queen as well as making certain decisions that effect only Plebs. They are also responsible for selecting the Tribune of the Plebs, an indivdual who gets to regularly meet with the Lord of the Conclave and the Queen. The new party, named the Lodjian People's Party, is according to Mr.Isaev focused on "ensuring that in the face of this wave of modernisation of Lodja our ancient ways and traditions remain." The 49 year old served 30 years in the armed forces both as a soldier and then an administrator and explained the reasons for forming the LPP. "We're a laughing stock. Our military is still the playground of the rich and pompous meaning we are open to relying on others. To have Morelander sailors patrolling our waters because our own navy can't leave dock without a disaster, it brings shame on our nation. Add to that the fact that we've essentially whored out a Lady in Waiting in return for the chance to modernise our military. The CNN is a great strength of our nations international standing and I have no issues with the Cenneg's, the Maori or the Morelanders as people but it is currently not an alliance of equals, the Cenneg and the Morelanders prop it up while lording it over us and the Maori. We need to make steps to improve our standing to ensure we move to the height of the Cenneg and Morelanders and not sink to the level of the Maori."

It is expected that the LPP will see reasonably strong support as it calls for better employment oppurtunities for Plebleians, makes prayer a central part of all schools and grant the Pleblian Council Members the right to approve marriages as well as remove Priestesses. Mr.Isaev attended the Temple of Sessifet following registering his party and offered flowers as an offering in return for blessings on the group. It is also understood that the new political leader has sent gifts to the Queen in hope of receiving blessings from the Palace. These traditions have existed for several hundred years yet very few modern parties have undertaken this in recent years. Members of the public seem hopeful of the new party doing well, one person we spoke to said, "We share the belief that our Queen needs to know that the Lodjain people love her but that we need her to do more to protect our traditions. I mean her weddings were wonderful but she denies the tradition of having children any time soon, its a bad omen. She's also too in bed with Morelanders, maybe literally like Viktoria was, we need to be more capable of standing on our own feet."

The current Tribune of the Plebs is Timon Rodzovic of the People's Voice Party and he has welcomed the new party. "Our nation does not have the traditional liberalist democracy, our nation is governed by a Goddess and so democracy in the form nations like Achkaerin have is uneccessary. I welcome competition in our Council, the more views we have the more confident I am that we reflect the needs and voice of the Plebleians. I look forward to testing the PVP against this new party."




QUEEN TO VISIT SELEUCID JEWEL FESTIVAL

The Palace today announced that Queen Klara and her husband King Leopold will visit the Jewel of the Desert Festival in Royal Seleucid. The announcement said that the visit served two purposes, "The Queen is keen to experience the festival that she has heard much about. She is also keen to see if relations between the two nations can be salvaged." The news comes following the shameful return to Lodja of Oksana Stasiuk, a former Queen of Royal Seleucid who was accused of having an affair with her husbands son. The former Queen of Royal Seleucid was exiled, along with her child, from Seleucid and has since been keeping a low profile in her mother's estate on the island of Grand Alucard. The 21 year old has yet to speak with the media however he mother Ekaterina Stasiuk has said "My daughter is a good honest girl who has done nothing wrong. She stood by her husband and bore him a child as was the duty of a wife. We will now raise this Seleucid Prince a Lodjain and he will know what it is to be loved."

The Palace of the Goddess also confirmed that the Queen would be seeking a face to face meeting with King Heydar as Lord of the Conclave Besrain Ivanov explained, "There are naturally vast differences in our cultures but we had been seeing the blossoming of a good relationship between ourselves and Royal Seleucid, that relationship had been begun by the Stasiuk family but it seems they have now dropped the ball. What is important is that the benefits both nations could have enjoyed are reviewed. The Lodjain people love fine jewellrey and we have a great market for it, the Queen is keen to add to the royal collection and the Festival gives her a chance to experience Seleucid craftsmanship first hand and hopefully return with our shaky relationship back on an even keel." It is also expected that the Queen will seek to find ways of restoring the trading rights of the Seleucid royals that were established by Ekaterina Stasiuk.




FIRST OF TWO NEW LADIES IN WAITING NAMED

In a decision that comes as no surprise Tonya Bogdanovic has been named a full Lady in Waiting. The 18 year old daughter of the Sheriff of Luzhny,Lord Milan Bogdanovic, was a stand in Lady in Waiting for the wedding of Queen Klara to both King Leopold and Crown Princess Roksana. While undertaking the role she was seen socialising with various foreign nobles including the royal family of Krimeon and is thought to have made a good impression. Tonya is the first of two new Ladies in Waiting needed following the posting of Stasya Pelagiya to East Moreland and Lady Roksana marrying the Queen. For the first time in history the Queen has invited applications for the role and the Palace is said to have been inundated with applications reaching five figures.

The new Lady in Waiting is expected to join the Queen on her trip to Royal Seleucid however this still means the Queen is missing one Lady in Waiting as tradition dictates that the Queen be served by four "Ladies of beauty and good standing". The newly appointed Lady Tonya said that she is "overjoyed at being able to serve the Queen and do my part in helping the Goddess."

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #52 on: May 15, 2019, 09:31:55 PM »




172 OFFICERS NOW IMPRISONED

Following the initial arrest of the heads of the Lodjain Armed Forces investigations continued into the conduct of military officers of all ranks. The investigations saw charges levelled against 233 officers across all branches of the military, 172 of these cases resulted in guilty verdicts for crimes ranging from financial irregularities to dereliction of duty. Those found guilty have been sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 2 years to 30 years furthermore a total of 13 nobleman have been stripped of their titles and lands have reverted to the crown. The most high profile of those found guilty was Jaced Herazov, a Lt-Col in the Northern Tank Regiment. Herazov was the Duke of Smeldov a small town on the isle of Great Alucard with a population of 21,000 people. He was found guilty of claiming wages for soldiers that didn't exist, as well as selling ammunition after claiming his men had used it on the ranges. It was estimated that over his 15 years in the military in a Regiment his father established he had embezzled some $1million into private funds. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and has forfitted his land. His 18 year old son Emile spoke to the media following his father's sentencing. "I am embarassed at what my father has done. I will now not inherit our ancestoral land and I am heartbroken. It will become my life's mission now to make amends and somehow I hope to gain the trust of the Queen and the Goddess so my family can regain our rightful position."

The military have been undergoing major retraining and have taken extreme measures to make up the short fall of officers following the arrests. This has seen the Ministry of Defence employ former East Moreland Red Legionnaires to be drill instructors for the extension of the programme of training. The military have also begun using two disused prisons as training bases to bring about greater capacity. The military have now also fully ended the practice of purchasing promotions and will be the end of 2020 have no more units run along old noble family lines instead each unit will be under the direct command of the government.




"WATER NOMADS A THREAT" SAYS LORD BESARIAN

Following calls from several nations to recognise the Water Nomads as a sovreign nation Lord of the Conclave Besarian Ivanov has made an official statement. Speaking to the assembled media as he arrived at the Isle of the Goddess he said, "The world are calling for the Water Nomads to be given sovreignty based on notions of well intended sentiments however they are a unwitting threat to the region. We are talking about a group that are already proven to be engaged in a highly damaging fishing practice, they've been caught helping traffic contraband goods and that's just the things we've found. For hundreds of years we've lived peacefully with them. They've been allowed to fish, allowed to forage and allowed to live their way of life. No pressure from us, no threats and no restrictions. The problem is our planet is now under threat and everyone has to do their bit. The Water Nomads should be the example for us all to follow in that regard, however that has not been the case they are polluting our coral reefs and their boats are now poorly maintained and leak oil everywhere. Why should we allow one group to get away living below the standards we set for everyone else. We approach the time of year that we begin to see the Water Nomads approaching our waters and we shall robustly ensure they comply with the rules of our EEZ in terms of environmental protection. We will not restrict their movement save to protect property."


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #53 on: May 19, 2019, 09:58:06 PM »




A-18 GOES MISSING AS MILITARY CURSE CONTINUES

One of the nations newest military assets, an A-18 light fighter, has gone missing. The aircraft was on routine patrol around the island of Tyr when it suddenly disappeared off RADAR. The aircraft was just 6 months and had less than 100 flying hours on the clock. The pilot who has yet to be named is said to have had six years experience in the military and well over 4000 flying hours. Royal Naval assets have rushed to the area and begun a search for both wreckage and the pilot however it is not known whether he ejected or whether it may have crash landed on a more remote part of the island. An Air Force spokesman said that the search was "going to continue until we find out what has happened and recover our pilot. It is vital we understand what has happened and how things have gone wrong, not just for the safety of our pilots but to bring this pilot back home."

The aircraft is one of the second batch of 25 fighters to be purchased and was a landmark moment as it signalled the first domestically built aircraft in over 30 years. It was hoped that around 120 of the aircraft would be built with sales of them hopefully going overseas. This latest debacle for the military however might jepodise the deal with the manufacturer, Symonov Holdings, suspending manufacture while a full safety check is carried out. The fleet of 50 is grounded until further notice as a precaution. The news comes amid a string of military issues which have seen a large number of officers imprisoned for various crimes as well as a naval Destroyer being irreperiably damaged. It is also understood that the East Moreland drone carrier, renamed as the HDMS Moreland, will delay switching the crew to majority Lodjain following its transfer to the Lodjain Navy in order to become part of the search for the missing pilot.




ZHENYA MARKOV BECOMES FINAL LADY IN WAITING

The 25 year old singing daughter of the Duke of Streva has been appointed as the forth Lady In Waiting to Queen Klara following the departure of Ladies Roksana and Stasya. Lady Zhenya was a member of the National Youth Choir where she featured as a soloist on many occasions. Her appointment was announced by Lady Anna Immich, the lead of the Ladies in Waiting who said. "We had a large number of applicants for this position and Zhenya stood out as a very strong one. She is talented, her family are very well respected and she is beautiful this makes her a fine asset to the Queen's court." It is expected that the first duty of both the new Ladies in Waiting will undertake is a visit to Royal Seleucid as part of the Jewell of the Desert Festival.

Lady Zhenya said she is "Thrilled to have a chance to work for the Goddess and be a part of court life. It's every little girls dream and even though I've visited the Isle of the Goddess on many occasions I've never been so close to the inner workings as I will now. I hope that I'll still have a chance to continue with my music as its something dear to my heart but I understand that the Queen is someone who loves music and dancing and so I am sure it won't be something absent from my life."





HAS BARONETESS STASYA JOINED THE SISTERHOOD OF HELUS

Following a recent East Moreland religious Festival it has been noted in several gossip magazines that Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya has been spending a lot of time visiting the Sisterhoods Temple in Northfort. The Sisterhood is an offshoot of the Cult of Helus which states that the God Helus is in fact female and not male. The news of the many visits has become a concern to Youth Priestess Maria Shvets who said. "The Pelagiya family is one that is an ancient stalwart of our homeland and our faith. To see the Barontess spending so much time in a religious place of a false religion is sending the wrong message. Stasya is a lady who many young girls in Lodja see as a role model. Well educated, well dressed, beautiful and a servant of the Goddess. If this story turns out to be true then she must be stripped of all her titles and her father forced to answer for the weakness of his daughter."

The move was also greeted with concern by some in East Moreland as people on media websites made comments about her being a heretic. The Sisterhood of Helus, which has just over 1million followers, is seen as being almost an outcast faith among many however it is thought to be growing. It's leader Jinny Denman has called for King David to marry a Cultist noble lady leading some to speculate that the Baronetess is perhaps investigating the faith in order to ensure she may marry King David. Some though speculate that the fact that the Sisterhood places dominance on female divinity that this branch of the faith appeals more to the Baronetess. The Pelagiya family have yet to comment and Stasya Pelagiyas own social media feed has made no reference of the rumour instead focusing on the excitement for the upcoming Festival of Greenflowers and her lovers birthday, both of which fall on the 23rd of May.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #54 on: May 22, 2019, 10:40:02 PM »




FIGHTER PLANE STILL MISSING

The search for the missing A-18 fighter plane entered its second day this morning as the search area was expanded and more assets were assigned to the search. The aircrafts last known location has so far yielded no clues and so far no oil or wreckage has been found. Among the assets assigned to the search was HDMS Moreland which was reported to have launched 12 of its UAV's simultaniously to aid in the search. This is the largest number of UAV's launched at sea for a single operation and was carried out by the largely Morelander crew with support from the 25% of the crew who are Lodjain. Sadly despite being able to cover such a large area of sea the sorties failed to find anything.

The pilots identity was revealed as Flt.Lt Mayakor who was onboard with his navigator Flt.Lt Smolkov, between them they have over 7,500 flying hours and are among the most experienced aircrews on the A-18 model. It was confirmed by the Ministry of Defence that their families had been informed and had been taken to the Squadrons home base in order to be kept up to date with the progress of the search.

Meanwhile the A-18 fleet remains grounded as the aircraft are checked for faults. The checks carried out by a combined Air-Force and Symonov Holdings team have however discovered some irregularities in terms of maintainence records however have yet to give details. This news comes at a time when the Lodjain military faces scrutiny once more over its operation and whether it is fit for purpose. The news of the missing aircraft, the grounding of the fleet and the maintainence issues has seen the share price of Symonov Holdings decrease by around 20% causing the CEO to make a statemenet saying, "The aircraft is a perfectly capabale platform and has been let down by human error of our Air Force. I have no doubts that in the hands of a capable operator the aicraft would perform wonderfully and relaibly. This is a tragedy that two airmen are missing and we will do all we can to assist in finding them and working out how this incident came to be. I am confident however that any investigation will fully exhonerate our company."




BARONETESS DENIES CONVERSION

Following speculation that Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya had coverted to the Sisterhood of Helus the 22 year old Royal Envoy who resides in East Moreland has taken steps to refute the rumours. Speaking on a morning radio station the lover of King David of East Moreland said, "Yes I have visited their temple and I have spoken with their Priestesses, including Miss Denman. I am an envoy of our Queen living in East Moreland where their faith is central to everyday life. I need to understand that faith if I am to become part of the community here, something all Envoys need to try and be able to do. The Sisterhood of Helus is growing and with over 1million followers it is finding new followers everyday, as such I would be a fool to not try and understand it. I have visited High Priestess Skye Maddix far more than I have Miss Denman yet people focus on the Sisterhood." Baronetess Stasya also explained that she see's similarities between the Sisterhood and Sessifet. "Our Goddess shows the strength females can have, the idea of a female Helus does likewise. We live in a world where at times females can be marginalised and I see no issue with two faiths that tell women they can achieve greatness working together."

The news was greeted with some skepticism by youth Preistess Maria Shvets who said, "Stasya was never as pious as I would have liked a Lady in Waiting to be, I therefore do not find myself convinced this is a fact-finding mission. I  hope to see more of her promoting her Sessifetian faith in the coming days to show her loyalty."

Baronetess Stasya is however expected to attend an East Moreland religious gathering tomorrow as she accompanies King David on his public duties for the East Moreland Festival of Greenflowers, the day also marks the King's birthday. The Baronetess said, "As the search for our missing plane shows East Moreland are a great ally of ours and as they celebrate their nations birthday I think it fitting their friends show their support. It will be an honour to celebrate their birthday with them. I am excited to see how the celebration goes having heard many great things about Northfort street parties. The fact it is also David's birthday makes it even more special and I can't wait to spend the day with him and his daughter Princess Rhiannon. I will naturally be expressing the best wishes of Queen Klara to the Morelanders as well as expressing our thanks for their support at this difficult time for our Air-Force."

The news comes as the Baronetess' father, Lord Tobias Pelagiya is reassigned. He had been the Ambassador to Alba Karinya however it is now expected that he will return to Lodja where many believe he will be given a role as Deputy Minister for the Armed Forces under General Lubos Kubik. The pair are close friends, share a military background and have both called for root and branch changes to the way the military is formed.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #55 on: May 26, 2019, 09:01:48 PM »




WRECKAGE FOUND IN SEARCH FOR LOST PLANE

Search teams today have discovered what they believe may be a wing piece of the missing A-18 fighter plane. The aircraft has now been missing for three days having vanished off RADAR and communication was lost. The piece of grey metal is so far the only clue as to where the aircraft went and having been spotted several Lodjain Navy vessels have headed to the area to begin underwater searches. The aircraft piece was discovered some 200km East of the island of Tyr which would mean it is around 300km from the location of the aircrafts last transmission. The whereabouts of the two airmen remains a mystery and the search for them will continue.

Minister of Defence Lubos Kubik explained, "We have now begun to find clues as to where the aircraft went down. I don't understand the science fully but our experts believe that now it should be possible to predict where the aicraft may have gone down as that now seems the most likely explanation. We are hopeful that the aircrew managed to eject before the aicraft ditched and that they are floating around somewhere in the Illumic. Our aircrews are all equipped with personal survival kits and life rafts. They have enough food and water in those kits for 4 days but they are also trained to ration themselves. The aircrew could also have ended up on any number of the small islands. We're not giving up on finding them."

Since the accident the A-18 fleet has ben grounded however to date nothing has been discovered that could potentially have caused this incident. The nations air accident investigators are currently undertaking their own checks in order to rule out a system wide problem.





MISS LODJA 2019 STRIPPED OF TITLE

Katerina Ignatiev the 22 year old winner of Miss Lodja 2019 has today been stripped of her title. The annual beauty pagent attracts lots of attention in Lodja as the winner is someone considered to be blessed by the Goddess Sessifet. The competition sees women from across the nation compete in heats in one of 32 regional competitions with the winner of each competing for the prestigious title. The competition is open to any unmarried woman from a Plebleian family who must "be of good moral standing.". It is this reason that has seen Ignatiev stripped of her title. The Iskor native has also been stripped of her title for Miss Iskor following the discovery that the former Business Management student worked in one of Gaia's Brothels for 2 years. Prostitition is legal in Lodja as long as it takes place in a licenced brothel and there are currently 502 such premises in the nation, the number increasing in the last two years. It is estimated that some 6,000 girls work in the industry.

The event organisers said, "Miss Ignatiev won the title recieving 7 of the 13 judges votes including that of the Priestess of Gaia. We routinely ask the competitors about their background and we point blank asked if any have worked in the adult industries. Miss Ignatiev said no, had she told the truth she would not been permitted to enter." Many believe that seeing as Prostitution is not illegal it should not be frowned upon by the event organisers. Sahsa Piprikovic who operates the Red Door chain of Brothels owns 21 across the nation and spent ten years in the industry herself, she called the move to take away the title, "Disgusting, the brotels are a healthy part of their communities. They provide employment for the women who work in them as well as the various associated tasks such as bar staff, cleaners and various other duties. This decision is essentially saying to these hard working people that there work is not acceptable yet if that were the case then surely it would be illegal." She then called upon the organisers to not strip Miss Ignatiev of her title saying, "She is a young girl who worked to better herself. Working while studying is difficult and it only goes to show that more must be done to help the poorest in soceity get education. She went out and using her own initaive funded her degree to not put a burden on her impovrished family. She's intelligent having got a first in her degree and this competition could have helped her start a career in modelling or something else, instead we're now casting her out."

Miss Ignatiev later posted a statement saying, "I am sorry I lied to the organisers. As a girl I saw these pagents and really wanted to be part of one, then when I just kept winning it was so hard to undo the lies. I never meant to hurt anyone and now I hope to be permitted to start a fresh career using my degree." The title will be reallocated once the new Miss Iskor is put in place.




SALAMA REBRANDED FOR NEW FORMULA MUNDUS SEASON

The nations Formula Mundus entry, Salama, have now been rebranded as preparations for the new season begin. The team was purchased by the Pelagiya family following Lord Tobias Pelagiya and his daughter Baronetess Stasya attending the race in East Moreland last season and then visiting both Rytol and EMAC HQ's on official visits in their respective roles. The new team will be called Pelagiya-EMAC and will be a sister team in many respects to the also soon to be rebranded Rytol-EMAC. The East Moreland Aircraft Company entered motorsports following a stream of speed records including the land speed record, the team claim Formula Mundus helps them develop better aircraft technology. Stasya Pelagiya attended the teams official launch in East Moreland where the teams new aerodynamics package was formally handed over to the Baronetess and driver Sergei Ruznetzov. The Baronetess was suitably attired in the teams new overalls and had the chance to try out a drivers simulator with guidance from Ruznetsov. The 22 year old Baronetess said, "I got really excited when David took me to the Northfort Grand Prix, its a buzz like very little else and straight away I loved everything about it. I'm very proud to now be a team owner in Formula Mundus and hope that Sergei and his fellow driver Robert can do us proud. To be able to partner with EMAC is something I think will help us be competative from the start."

At the same time in Gaia Duke Tobias Pelagiya and Robert Vilakiov, the teams lead driver, took delivery of the engine and a finished chassis. Vilakiov then drove the car around the Lodjan Coastal Grand Prix track for a few laps but was clearly not pushing things. Following his laps he said, "The Pelagiya family have always tried to help Lodjains achieve great things and are a lovely family to have associated with us. I hope we can repay their trust by making a real challenge." The contract the team have signed with EMAC means that the team will get access to data from last seasons Rytol cars as well as having drivers share certain components however as Viakiov explained, "In all I think that the cars will have around 40% shared components. We want to be able to stand on our own feet and I know EMAC have different techniques they think can lead to victory and will enjoy having two teams to experiment with." The season gets underway shortly and both drivers will meet with their East Moreland counterparts in the coming days for further publicity oppurtunities for EMAC as well as joint testing. Vilakiov explained, "Sam Halliday is a former world champion and I'd be a fool not to want to see how he does things. If he can even make me just 0.001 seconds faster it will be worth the trip."


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #56 on: May 30, 2019, 06:05:49 PM »




MISSING PLANE RECOVERED WITH DISTRUBING FINDING

Today the search for the missing A-18 has come to a distrubring end. The wreckage of the aircraft was found some 200km East of the Island of Grand Alucard. The aircraft seemingly impacted the sea hard as it was found in several pieces and while air accident investigators have yet to reach a conclusion they have stated that it appears it entered the water at "a steep attitude and at great speed." this caused the aircraft to break apart. The bodies of the aircrew have been recovered and will be repatriated to the mainland in the coming days. What has distrubed investigators however came when the port wing was recovered. "It would appear at first glance that the aircraft took a some fire as there are a series of small holes which from my opinion could only have been made by sustained and rapid gunfire." The pilot however did not radio in that they were being fired upon causing some kind of mystery.

The Queen made a statement regarding the incident. "Our thoughts and prayers go to the airmens family. Let us remember that today families have lost fathers, brothers, sons and people central to their lives. We must now work hard to discover what happened and take appropriate action to ensure such measures do not happen again." The AX-18 fleet is still grounded pending investigations into the aircraft itself however the most recent discovery would seem to indicate foul play rather than mechanical or software issues.

Meanwhile while some have speculated the East Moreland flagship King Robert was en route to help with the search this was refuted by the Ministry of Defence who said, "While Morelanders were involved in the search as part of the HMDS Morelander there were never requests for extra support. This operation was carried out by the Lodjain military."





EX-MISS LODJA TO EXPOSE "HIGH AND MIGHTY"


Following being stripped of the title Miss Lodja the former beauty pagent winner and prostitute Katerina Ignatiev has appeared on several media outlets and has been teasing that she is about to expose several high profile Lodjains. The 22 year old was disqualified by organisers and has admitted that she feels "betrayed" because while she has done nothing illegal she has been denied a chance to represent her country. She has been on a kind of vendetta since and claims to know intimate details of several important Lodjains which she claims "include people in positions of trust that if what I did was not of good moral standing then these people in positions of infinitaly more power than myself should be stripped of their titles and they are worth a lot more than a tiara and sash."

Ignatiev is expected to appear on the highly popular Friday in Gaia talk show which is watched by around 10million people each week. Many believe that she will reveal secrets about some of her former clients at the brothel where she worked. The host of the show Gavrillo Mumtenov explained, "Katerina is a hot commodity. We have an angry beautiful woman with a story to tell and as we all know sex literally sells, especially in this story. I have no idea what she will say when I interview her and thats half the fun of shows like this."




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #57 on: May 31, 2019, 10:25:44 PM »




MINISTER OF DEFENCE MAKES STATEMENT REGARDING DOWNED PLANE

Minister of Defence, Duke Lubos Kubik, today made a statement about the fate of the downed A-18 plane which was discovered crashed in the Illumic. Speaking at the Air Force base on Grand Alucard Duke Lubos said, "We have a preliminary finding and it is sadly rather disturbing. What appears to be a burst of .50cal machine gun fire has been discovered through the side of the cockpit. The aircraft is designed only to be a light fighter and therefore is not as well shielded as many conventional aircraft, beside at a range of some 1,500 meters a .50cal a considerable amount of damage could be done. It would appear both members of the flight crew would have been injured, possibly killed in this barrage of fire, with the aircraft in what seems to be a tight turn at the time and at low altitude there would be little anyone could do and the aircraft impacted the water." The aircrafts recording system is still being analysed and as the Minister explained, "We'll get print outs from the aircrafts RADAR and on board voice recorders in the coming days and this will perhaps reveal who fired upon the aircraft. At present we are using air assets from the HMDS Morelander to comb the area for potential threats but with a head start and as you can imagine thousands of ships transiting the Alucard it will be difficult to turn up any clues until the recorders have been fully utilised."

Regardless of who fired the shots the Lodjain Navy have begun increased patrols in the area to reassure shipping.




LIVE TV INTERVIEW OUTS THREE NOBLES

The much anticipated Live TV interview of disqualified Miss Lodja Katerina Ignatiev aired tonight and looks set to have pronounced impact on the nations nobility. Miss Ignatiev was disqualified from the beauty pagent when it was discovered that prior to her victory she had worked in one of the Red Door chain of Brothels in Gaia for two years stating, "I come from a poor Plebleian family with three younger siblings, I was lucky enough to get a place at Iskor University to study Business Management and while I recieved a grant it was only enough to cover the fees of he course. I naturally wanted to be able to live somewhere, eat, buy books and have some gas and electric and so I needed to do something as my parents will struggle to provide for all four of us. So I did what I thought was responsible, I looked for a job but the only things that would fit around my studies were things like bar work which I did for a bit or stripping, which I also did. It was there Red Door owner Sahsa Piprikovic gave me a card. I looked into how much I could earn there and it was much much more than anywhere else, it meant I could work less hours and focus more on my studies and even send some money back home. My parents were naturally against it but they understood why I did it and appreciated the fact I wasn't a burden anymore." She explained how it was only when her studies finished that she stopped working there and instead began entering beauty contests while she looked for full time work.

Having explained about how she fell into the profession, which is not illegal in Lodja, she began to name drop some of the clients. "I started off at the Red Door near the train station in Gaia. It was nice but most of our clients were Plebleians. I was in demand and so Sasha moved me to the one near the beach, the majority of the clients there were Patricians and it was a much nicer place to work, and of course they had more money to spend." The first name that she dropped was that of Mykola Bogdanov. The 49 year old husband of 26 year husband of business woman Ekaterina Stasiuk, whose daughter Oksana was briefly Queen of Royal Seleucid. "Mykola used to come in once every two weeks and stay for two hours. He paid extremely well and even used to buy me presents, silly things really like chocolates and flowers, things like that. He said he and his wife hadn't shared a bed for three years since she had taken a lover that he believed will become her third husband."

She next explained that Baron Roman Chownyk, former husband of Queen Viktoria had also been a frequent visitor but never selected her. "The Baron started coming in about a month after Queen Viktoria died, we were all shocked but also rather excited. He's one of the richest men in Lodja and you know that as well as paying you if you can become the rich guys favourites they tend to shower you with things. He picked a dark haired girl called Jessica and I was amazed one day she said he'd brought her a car, not just any car though it was one of these fancy sports things. Jessica however must have broken the rules of the brothel as soon she was panicing because she says the Baron got her pregnant and had paid her a lot of money to have an abortion, even though it would be against the law. I'm not sure what she spun to the doctor to get them to agree but his influence and his money that probably wouldn't be an issue. Soon though Jessica stopped working there but I've heard on the grape vine that she still has private sessions with the Baron." If this is true it would mean that potentially the former King of Lodja may have broken several laws however it is not yet known whether the police have taken any notice of the accusations.

Finally she claimed that Varlaam Kohut was among her clients. Varlaam is the father of Queen Klara and according to the interview, "He began to be a regular the day before his daughters coronation. He came in and a few of us recognised him but your told to say nothing. He sat at the bar, had a few cocktails and then requested to see two of us, he sat and spoke with us over a drink and then made arrangements to spend some time with me. From that point on I'd see him most Tuesday nights, some weeks Friday as well. He was a nice guy and tipped brilliantly. He would be accompanied by a security guy who would sit outside the door while we had our meeting, it was a bit weird. He used to tell me the gossip of the Palace while we lay in bed together. One night for example while we lay there he told me all about how his daughter thought Duke Leopold wasn't really a nice guy and hoped the courts found a way to cancel his marriage contract to her. A week later he told me she'd cried when the courts had said the contract was legal and therefore was left with little choice to marry the man unless she wanted to look like an oath breaker. He even invited me to the royal wedding on the Isle of the Goddess. I really enjoyed it, a chance to see these nobles without them really knowing who I was. I even had a little dance with Finance Minister Dragan Knežević, he asked for my phone number but never called."

The interview was watched by some 16million people, 6 million more than usually watch the Friday in Gaia talk show. Miss Ignatiev also revealed that she is to write a book of her experiences which she says will "reveal even more shocks". The Palace was contacted for statements regarding the accusations against the Queen's father and Baron Roman however they have declined to comment.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #58 on: June 01, 2019, 08:51:53 PM »




FATHER OF THE GUARDIAN BANNED FROM THE ISLE

Following yesterdays media appearence by former Miss Lodja Katerina Ignatiev the Father of Queen Klara has been removed from the Isle of the Goddess. Miss Ignatiev revealed several well known clients live on TV including Varlaam Kohut who is officially known as the Father of the Guardian. As such it is expected that he uphold the highest of moral standards and having now having been shown to fall below that standard has been made to leave the Queen's residence that is the Isle of the Goddess. The Queen's office refused to comment on the situation however Lord Besarian did respond saying, "The deicison was made while the Kohut family determine what action to talk against these stories. The Queen wishes it to be known that she expects all residents on the Isle of the Goddess to uphold the promises that they have made. A man when he marries promises to be loyal to his wife, clearly this appears at first glance to be a huge failing in that regard." Also named by the former beauty queen was one of the husbands of business woman Ekaterina Stasiuk and former King  Baron Roman Chownyk. Lady Ekaterina has yet to make any comments. Baron Roman however as a former King is still permitted rooms on the Isle of the Goddess and has not been denied access as he was seen visiting the island first thing this morning. Our royal correspondent explained, "Baron Roman was not married when he is alleged to have visited the Brothel, as such he broke no promise and broke no law. This is in contrast to Lord Varlaam who being a married man has made promises to the Goddess, effectively his own daughter, which he has failed to meet. It is therefore only to be expected that he be expelled from the island."

The owner of Red Door Brothel Ltd, Sahsa Piprikovic as also today appeared outside her beachfront brothel in Gaia to speak to the media who have over the last few days been gathered there. "I am asking the media to leave my business alone. We are a legitimate business that creates employment for thousands of people across the country. We ensure our staff are well looked after and our clients kept happy and safe. To now have the media descend on us trying to portray us as something dirty upsets me and is damaging our business. Take the example of Katerina, she is a young and highly intelligent young woman desperate to better herself and her family. She saw an oppurtunity in this industry to do both and now has a top degree and had until those stuck up beauty pagent judges punished her for doing a legal job. There is absolutley nothing wrong with two consenting adults sharing their bodies it is in some ways a celebration of the beauty of the human body Sessifet created." Later in the day Ms.Piprikovic had taken out an injunction baring the media coming within 100 meters of her property.

Another person potentially caught up in the scandal was Finance Minister Dragan Knežević who Miss Ignatiev claims she gave her phone number too. The former business guru has spoken to the media saying, "Yes I meet the lady and we danced. I didn't know who she was in terms of her being a Plebleian or a prostitute. I was under the impression everyone there was a Patrician invited by the Queen or the family of King Leopold. I saw a beautiful young woman with no one to dance with and did what any gentleman would do, I invited her to dance and I enjoyed her company. Yes I asked for her phone number but cabinet business prevented me from phoning her. Would I have done so? Probably. Would I if I'd known she was a prostitue? No."

Miss Ignatiev has claimed further scandals will come out in a book she is writing.





AX-18 TO GET REFIT

Following initial reports that the AX-18 lost in the Alucard was shot down by .50cal machine gun fire penetrating the cockpit it has been announced that the fleet will be modified. It's manufacture Symonov Holdings has confirmed that it will be adding a new style of armour around the pilot and navigators cabin on future models and will be retrofitting some currently in service. The aircraft was designed only for light combat or in secure airspaces however the recent downing of the aircraft surprised many and while the fleet has now been given the green light for flight again none have yet to be flown.

The culprits of the shooting are still unknown as in cockpit recorders and cameras are being reviewed in a process that Minister of Defence Lubos Kubik has confirmed could take weeks. In the meantime air patrols over the Alucard are being undertaken by UAV's off the HDMS Morelander which next Friday will become half crewed by Lodjains. The "Drone Carrier" is crewed by around 100 men and 20 technicans, at present 25% of the crew are Lodjain as they train on the new ship type. By the end of June the ship will be 100% crewed by Lodjains. So far those Lodjains who have served on the ship have been impressed with one saying, "I've spent eight years on Lodjain ships and this is like a different world. The Morelanders have worked me harder in a month than I have in all my time at sea."

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #59 on: June 14, 2019, 09:06:52 PM »




DEFENCE REVIEW GIVES SOME HOPE

The second annual review of the state of the Lodjain military has been completed by the East Moreland military headed by groups of elite Red Legionnaires. Last years review discovered a series of blunders that saw the then recently coronated Queen Klara sack all the heads of the Armed Forces and have them arrested. Two of the militaries three commanders are now serving jail sentences for a variety of crimes while Field Marshall Givi Sokolov remains a fugitive. The past twelve months have also seen two significant military disasters, a destroyer catching fire and the recent loss of a A-18 aircraft possibly due to Water Nomad fire.

The highlights of the review are printed below.

Quote from: Annual Military Review

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES NAVAL FORCES (DMNF)

* While naval assets have enough servicable rotary wing aircraft it was discovered that ships at sea lack the spare parts to conduct any sustained operations.

* Naval vessels had 78% of the munitions required, an improvement of 10% since last year.

* Marines at 75% strength on most ships.

* Three Frigates discovered to have RADAR systems at only 70% efficency.

* 5% of naval guns found to be fouled and below the standard of cleanliness required.

* 12% of helmsman had not recieved sufficent refresher training.

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES DEFENCE FORCE (HDMDF)

* Shortfall of 18,000 new recruits for the new initial training programme.

* Only 33% of combat units had a full quota of standard issue equipment.

* A total of 302 firearms were discovered to be missing.

* Tank units have still not begun moving towards operating a compatible compliment of vehicles

* Recruits only recieving 72% of shooting time required by basic training.

* 2,873 soldiers failed their annual basic fitness test.

* 12% of promotions still being sold despite the practice being outlawed.

* Three Armoured Personnel Carriers unaccounted for.

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES AIR FORCE (HDMAF)

* 62 Tornaado multi-role fighters found to be missing survivial equipment in ejector seat.

* 78% of pilots have not recieved their annual small arms refresher.

* Pilots only receive 62% of their scheduled flying time.

* 59 Aircraft maintainence logs missing or falsified.

* Two of the nations eight military airfields require resurfacing.

* Only 92% of Air Traffic Control coverage provided.

* Fire and Rescue Services at airfields discovered to be missing essential equipment.

* 1 Konn seaplane unaccounted for, possibly canibalised for spare parts.

RECOMMENDATIONS

* Scrapping of 4 types of Main Battle Tank. (Mainted from last year)

* All military personnel below the rank of Major but over the age of 40 to not have their service renewed.

* All bases to begin random searches of personnels accomodation for contraband and missing equipment.

* Secondment of East Moreland and Ui Cenneslaig instructors to oversee all branches basic training.

* Compulsary PT sessions for all ranks.

* Disbandment of all regiments seen as "Family" Regiments with those soldiers among them to be redistributed to newly formed Regiments.

* Institute a series of financial penalties for military personnel found to have dirty firearms, being parts of gun crews with dirty naval guns and being part of engineering teams in the Air Force where equipment is missing.

* Formation of the Military Standards Office to undertake spot checks of readiness. Individuals and units failing to be subject to disciplinary action.

It is expected that Queen Klara will make her statement on the subject in the coming hours.