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Offline Abertone

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The Abertone Chronicle
« on: May 30, 2022, 10:33:43 PM »




EMPEROR AGREES TO CONCESSIONS

Several weeks ago Emperor Marco IX demanded $130 million for restoration work on the Royal Villa of Faidello that has long been an exclusive property of the Lupo family. Initially members of the Senate spoke out against this spending project stating that the Lupo family had more than enough money to fund the project themselves over the course of a number of years. The Emperor however was keen for all the work to be completed by the end of 2022 and insisted that the Imperial Treasury find the money. Several behind the scenes discussions took place between concerned Senators and the Emperor's cousin Consul Graziano Lupo. Today the Consul confirmed in his daily opening report to the Senate that "concessions on the funding have been reached. I have sat down with the Emperor and we have a list of jobs that are needed urgently and those that can be done at a later date. The Imperial Treasury will ensure the urgent works are carried out without delay, meanwhile those that are not time critical will come from the Lupo family account. In addition those tennant farmers who rent land on the Villa's estate will receive two years relief from rent payments and for a total of 180 days a year the Villa's East Wing and gardens will be accessable by the general public so long as they have tickets and these shall be free." This marks the first time in the Empire's history that the general public will be freely able to access a royal residence. The Villa sits in some beautifully landscaped gardens and contains several highly respected fresco paintings.

The Senate have also been busy with measures to put before the Emperor to extend free University education to those with military service. Currently anyone who voulenteers for a minimum of five years in the Armed Forces gains free University tuition, under measures put forward by Consul Graziano those serving three years would get a reduction  of 50% for the first two years of a three year degree. Currently with Republican groups undertaking terrorist attacks in the Eastern part of the Empire there has been a push to increase the number of volunteer soldiers to permit deeper training for anti-terror operations.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2022, 09:36:59 PM by Abertone »

Offline Abertone

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2022, 06:20:06 PM »




REPUBLICAN FRONT CLAIM SNIPER ATTACK

The terrorist organisation known as the Republican Front has today killed 8 people in Lafiagi in a sniper attack at a popular street market. Shortly after 10am gunshots began to ring out across La Serra Marketplace which is a popular place for locals to buy freshly caught fish and seasonal vegetables. A 48 year old lady shopping at a spice stall was shot in the head and moments later the stall owner was shot in the chest. As police began to attend the scene several others were shot including officer Philip Nandane who was the first on the scene. A military force from the nearby barracks attended including a group of Praetorian's who were in the city expecting to undertake a training exercise later in the day at the docks. The police and military worked to evacuate the marketplace with soldiers trying to determine the location of the shooters however sadly as more shots were fired five more people had died while another six had been wounded. Eventually a Praetorian marksman eliminated the shooter however an examination of the scene by Police in the aftermath lead to the conclusion that there had been two shooters and that one is still at large. Police currently have no leads as to the identity of the shooter and have begun a large scale investigation including the Military Police. In the aftermath of the shooting attendance at public spaces was noticeably down. The Emperor released a statement regarding the attack saying "My prayers go out to the victims of todays horrific act. These words can't bring back those who have been taken from us but I promise them we shall do all that is within our power to bring their killers to justice. The Republican Front show once again that they are cowards attacking the innocent while they shop." Attacks by the Republican Front have been greatly reduced over the last two years however this is now the third attack this year following a car bomb in Vago that killed the Chief of Police and the shooting of a judge in Porto.

A statement from the Republican Front was received by this publication an hour after the attack was brought to an end. "Empires and monarchs have no place in modern society. Wealth should be determined by work ethic, skills and abilities not which woman happened to give birth to you. The Lupo family are corrupt and will be brought down. Today we have that the Emperor can not keep his people safe, something he vowed to do on his coronation yet we know he keeps no oath he takes." The Republican Front began their reign of terror in 1993 and have so far been responsible for 207 deaths. They demand an end to the monarchy, a referendum for the Eastern part of the Empire for independence and a redistribution of Imperial wealth. Despite their being pro-Republican parties within the Imperial Senate they have never got more than 25% of the vote whereas the Liga Party, which is staunchly pro-Monarchy, has around 62 % of the vote. A recent poll in the Eastern Part of the empire has shown that 27% of the population would support some form of independence. The same poll also showed that Emperor Marco IX enjoys a 56% approval rating in the West as opposed to a 39% one in the East, his cousin however Consul Graziano enjoys 67% approval in the West and 53% in the East.

As a response to the attack today Consul Graziano has cancelled leave for military forces in the East and placed those in the west on high alert.

Offline Abertone

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2022, 01:39:38 PM »




EMPEROR ANNOUNCES ABRAHAMIC RIGHTS REFERENDUM

Following the recent signature of a Abrahmic Faith based document confirming human rights undertaken in Rayyu the Emperor has been consulting with the various Archbishops across the Empire. Yesterday Emperor Marco instructed his spokesperson to announce that the people of the Empire will given an oppurtunity to have their say. Speaking to the Chronicle we were told. "The Catholic faith dominates the Empire, at the last census just shy of 31million of the 48million or so Abertonians were Catholic, in addition a further 7.5million Protestants live here, the remaining numbers feature several different faiths ranging from Judaism, Islam and various religions such as that of the Cassiopeian Pantheon. With this in mind the Abrahmic faith and the rule associated with it are important in the Empire. As a nation with no formal version of a bill of rights or human rights legislation in existence this is seen as a potential safeguard. The referendum will take place on the 1st of July 2022 and will feature a simple question. "Should the Empire adopt the Abrahamic Declaration of Rights" with a simple yes or no response. For the Declaration to be adopted it must gain a majority of yes votes and in addition both the Eastern and Western parts must vote for a yes."

The news brought applause from the Archbishop of Abertone who said, "We encourage everyone to live as God intended and with love in their hearts. The Declaration enshrines in law for all people these rights. What I truly like though is that it also makes it clear that we as Gods creations have responsibilities about how we live and enjoy our world. I will be urging the people to vote for the Declaration and hope that it passes."

The Declaration though has some opposition. One of hose is the leader of the Green Liberal Alliance, Jonah Sandro, who said "We need to vote no for this. The Empire does need a Bill of Rights but this shouldn't be it. It should be something that is specific to our nation and our needs. This Declaration will see some elements of society gaining favour over others and will put incredible burdens on others."

The Imperial Consul Graziano Lupo however has refused to take a side in public. When asked for comment by this outlet he said simply. "The people of the Empire are in the best position to determine what will work best for them. My cousin is trying to ensure that the laws governing his subjects are fit for purpose and I support the idea of a referendum. Time will tell what the outcome will be but once it is known I will help ensure that it is applied."

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2022, 09:41:45 PM »




"DEVICE" FOUND AT GAMBERALE CATHEDRAL

Following a chance discovery by cleaning staff at Gamberale Cathedral what appears to be an improvised explosive device has been discovered. The Cathedral is the oldest in the eastern part of the Empire and dates back to the 1500's as a result it is viewed by many as the spiritual capital of the Eastern Empire. Police were first alerted to the device at 6am as custodian, Philippe De Nero, began ensuring the Cathedral was set up for Sunday services. Within minutes a cordon was erected around the Cathedral and a handful of nearby homes were evacuated. By 7am a convoy of black military tracks from the Imperial Carabinieri had taken over the scene and then moments later the Bomb Disposal unit had arrived. It was only after 9am that the situation was declared to have been restored to normal after experts from the Bomb Disposal unit had carried out a controlled explosion on the device. Major Baldina of the Imperial Military Engineers was responsible for overseeing the bomb disposal operation and spoke with the media following it and said, "The device was a relatively simple one but had it gone off mid service then we could have seen a significant number of casualties. We have sadly caused some slight damage to the Cathedral but while that is disappointing I'd much rather damage some stones and tiles than see people harmed." The Archbishop of Gamberale had moved morning mass to the beach and has since inspected the damage to his building. The Sunday evening mass took place within the Cathedral however.

Archbishop Salvatore Crusi said he was disappointed with the incident, "The Cathedral is a house of God and a place where the community comes together. Even the non-Christian community see's a benefit from the work of our Cathedral as we host youth events, cafe's, do charitable work and everyone is welcome to our celebrations. Violence achieves nothing and bringing death to the heart of the community is twisted." The Cathedral saw an increased presence from the Carabinieri throughout the day and teams swept other Churches in the city. While so far no one has been arrested for the incident there had been several raids across the city in the aftermath.

The foiled attack comes as the nation is just a week away from the referendum on signing the Abrahamic Declaration of Rights and some fear that the sizeable minority of non-Christians in the nation may be concerned about the result. Some fear that the religious leanings of the nation over such a document could lead to tension between the Catholic majority in the nation and those who follow more traditional folk faiths, particularly in the East.




CONSUL'S WIFE TAKES TV ROLE

Agatha Lupo, the wife of Consul Graziano Lupo, has today confirmed that she has accepted a role working for Channel 2 TV. The 39 year old mother of three is a graduate in Classical Art and is set to be part of a series of documentaries looking at the great works of art of Abertone. Channel 2 TV is a publically owned channel with the mission statement of "providing the people of the Empire with cultural, educational and sporting programming." The Channel is currently producing twenty new shows after being taken over by a new Director General in Mary Orino in May. The new programming being made includes a "Game of Thrones style telling of the creation of the Empire" and a "Beginners Guide to Opera". Agatha Lupo has previously worked as a consultant on several Channel 2 art based programmes however this is her first on screen appearence.

In a post on Instagram Agatha Lupo said, "I've an oppurtunity to talk about my greatest passions beyond my family. I'm excited to share with the people who tune in the stories behind some of the works of art that are landmarks in our history. I've spent most of my adult life acting as a consultant on art whether it be for a private auction house, the National Gallery of even the Lupo families own collections. I've seen many great art works the general public have not had a chance to enjoy but now I can change that." The programme is set to air in early August. In addition to this Agatha Lupo is expected to also make appearances on Channel 2's discussion panel show "In the Culture" which looks at the latest developments in film, art and music.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2022, 11:11:03 PM »




REFERENDUM RESULTS ARE IN

Today voters across the Empire visited polling booths to have their say in the future of the Empire's recognition of human rights. The Empire has no real codified equivalent of a Bill of Rights and the Emperor and his government have suggested that the Abrahamic Declaration take that role. The document was originally drafted by the Emir of Rayyu and several other nations who can trace the majority of their nations faith to the Abrahamic religions. Consul Graziano Lupo was one of the first to cast his vote however he refused to reveal how he voted instead preferring to say, "It is each individual to their own conscience in terms of how to vote. No one should be judged for their opinion and so I believe it is best to keep such thoughts to yourself, especially in my position. I believe having your say in how your future will be is important and pray that the people of the Empire get out and vote." The Consul got his wish as in the Western part of the Empire the turn out was around 80% while in the East it was significantly lower at around 65%. The polling stations in the East saw higher levels of security following several incidents connected to Republican terrorists over the previous week or so. Many experts have put the low turn out down to this concern about being targetted.

Lines at the polling stations were reasonably long but moved swiftly with no reports of problems or irregularaties. The voting stations closed at around 7pm after which local areas began to count their votes and report their numbers to the central government. Just after midnight the results for the Western Empire was known with 67% of the vote going in favour of signing the document. There were several hours to wait for the results from the East which would determine the future of human rights within the Empire as for the Declaration to be signed it required not just a majority but also to be accepted in both the East and West. When the results came in from the East it saw a much narrower approval with 54% voting in favour of the document. As a result it was announced in the small hours that the Emperor would be signing the Declaration in the coming days.

Consul Graziano Lupo commented on the result saying, "I am a little surprised that the charter was not as readily accepted in the East, I know they have some concerns about their relationship with the Emperors administration but I honestly believe that now we have a document such as this in place it will help rebuild a positive relationship between us all." The Emperor has yet to speak on the result however is expected to sign the document personally in the next 48 hours.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2022, 12:01:39 AM »




CONTROVERSEY OVER NEW MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENT

Today the Imperial Senate have for the first time in 100 years asked for the Emperor to officially reconsider a Ministerial appointment. The constitution of the Empire allows the Emperor to appoint a Minister and Junior Minister for several position however the Senate can pass a vote asking for the Emperor to dismiss or replace an appointee but the Emperor is under no obligation to accept the outcome of the vote. Yesterday the Emperor appointed 29 year old Aurora Napoli as Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs despite her having seemingly no relevant experience. While the monarch is not required to use Senators as Ministers the vast majority are. Miss Napoli however is fresh into politics. Currently Miss Napoli runs a business which provides "Luxury lifestyle oppurtunities" to selected hotels across Mundus. Last year her business turned over an estimated $26million with a profit declared of around $2.6million in after tax profits. "Napolilux" provides its members with a service that ensures they can get access to such things as top class sporting event tickets globally, luxury car hire, restaurant reservations and various other experiences. Miss Napoli was described by the Imperial Press Secretary during the announcement of her appointment as an "experienced business woman who has a wealth of real life experience navigating the business ecosystems of nations across Mundus. She speaks three languages, is a graduate with a Masters in Business and has a long involvement in Abertone's economy on both sides of the Dauntel Sea."

The Senate however are concerned that there are rumours of Miss Napoli having been seen on a number of occasions dining with the Emperor and as one senator who wishes to remain nameless reported, " We all know the Emperor's reputation but to date his lusts have been kept out of politics. We seemingly now have ministers being appointed by his loins rather than who is best qualified." In the Senate it was left to Prince Graziano, the Consul, to defend the appointment saying, "As we venture into global politics we need a vast amount of different qualifications and experiences. Sometimes a younger and less traditional approach can bring good results. I wish Minister Napoli well in her role and look forward to working with her." The vote in the Senate asking the Emperor to reconsider went through 72-4 in favour of asking to reconsider. Noticably the Consul did not vote explaining afterwards. "I walk an interesting line between being both part of the Imperial family by blood and a colleague of the Senators. When it comes to Ministerial appointments I have to work with whoever takes the role so I have always abstained in voting. Today is not unusual."

Miss Napoli has made no comment yet on the vote by the Senate but did say on her social media that she was "exceptionally honoured to be given a chance to focus my experiences on helping the Empire go from strength to strength. I will be learning the role as quickly as I can and I hope that the team of Ministers can be a valuable support to both Consul Graziano and Emperor Marco." While she has taken up the Ministerial post she has confirmed that her younger sister Natalia will take control of the company.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2022, 11:39:25 PM »




EMPEROR SIGNS FIRST DEAL

The Imperial Foreign Office have today released information that the Emperor has concluded the first deal with another nation since he came to the throne. The Emperor and a delegation from several departments travelled to East Moreland's Festival of Sail and meet with King David Ironside in what was described as a "productive informal meeting." The meeting between the two monarchs has set in place an arrangement that will see trade streamlined between the two nations. First tariffs will be reduced and at the same time allow products from both nations to be transfered easily between the two nations. The deal will also make it easier for businesses to showcase their good and make co-operative arrangements between themselves. The two nations also formally agree to recognise intellectual property rights between the two nations.  Finally it will make it easier for sports and entertainers to travel between the two nations.

Consul Graziano was also present at the talks and in an interview with national TV news said, "I am delighted that this deal has been signed. We as a nation are now going to push forward with more similar arrangements across Mundus. During the talks His Majesty King David gave us his word that he would seek to add the names of the three other CNN nations to this arrangement meaning Abertone would have a deal with the largest trading bloc on Mundus. This is a positive outcome and I firmly believe that the Morelanders would seek to build on this if we wished to. I think it important we now give things time to breath, we wait and see what happens between ourselves and East Moreland using the deal we've signed, we then see what the CNN reaction is and hopefully it is positive."

The Emperor has already indicated that he will seek to boost the deals chances of being accepted by the CNN as he will be travelling to meet the Queen of Lodja in the coming days. While in East Moreland the Emperor also signed the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation charter as was backed by several nations meaning the country is now part of the arrangement designed to promote and protect cultural heritages. The Emperor has also stated that the Empire will host a huge cultural festival in the coming months as they seek to promote relations with a wider range of nations.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2022, 10:43:32 PM »




EMPERORS CUP FINAL 1ST LEG ENDS IN CHAOS

The annual curtain raising tournament to crown the winners of the Emperors Cup saw the first leg of a two legged final abandoned after 71 minutes following a mass bench clearing brawl between players which spilled over in the stands. As a result police arrested 32 fans and 106 people were taken to hospital with a variety of injuries. Each year the winners of the Western Premiership and Western Cup play each other in a two legged match while the Eastern winners of the Premiership and Cup also play each other. The winner of those matches meet in a further two legs to determine the winners of the Emperors Cup. This year that match saw AS Capitale from the West play Kabchi Athletic Club from the East. With the first leg taking place at Kabchi Athletic Club a crowd of around 70,000 fans were ready to watch the action.

The game began rather competitively with five yellow cards given out in the first 15 minutes. The crowd though spilled onto the pitch when the home side scored a goal which was later disallowed after reviewing the video referee. This saw the referee take players off for five minutes as police and stewards cleared the pitch. Just ten minutes later AS Capitale scored a goal which was given by goal line technology and again this sent the Kabchi fans into a frenzy calling for the goal to be disallowed. The referee instructed messages about crowd behaviour be given over the stadiums public address system. At half time fans from AS Capitale complained that the stadiums refreshement vendors had run out of stock after just a few minutes and bathroom facilities were overflowing.

As the second half began both side had a player sent off in the 58th minute when Kabchi's goalkeeper was struck by a kick from AS Capitale's Marco Zanini after saving a free kick. Kabchi's Robert Kondana squared up to Zanini and punched him to which Zanini kicked him in the chest. The red card did little to calm the game down until in the 71st minute the referee awarded AS Capitale a penalty after a clear hand ball by Kabchi's centre back Ola Ressina who claimed he'd heard the referees whistle, as seemingly did several AS Capitale players who also seemed to stop. Before the penalty could be taken however Ressina had seemingly headbutted Massimo Fernani which caused a mass brawl on the pitch. With both sets of benches also brawling it was clear the referee had lost control and soon fans of both sides took to the pitch. Players were locked inside their changing rooms but it is understood that before reaching them Kabchi's assistant manager Kemba Rollef had attempted to kick down the oppositions door to get to one of the SA Capitale players. After 20 minutes police had just about regained control of the stadium however following medical evacuations and arrests the Chief of Police and the Football Association official agreed that it was not safe to continue and the match was abandoned.

Following consultation with all parties it was agreed that the game will continue tomorrow night behind closed doors at the 71st minute mark with the AS Capitale penalty. Both teams face hefty fines for the incident and the prospect of having points deducted from the league which starts in two weeks. It is yet to be determined whether the 2nd leg in the city of Abertone will also be played behind closed doors but the F.A Chairman said "In light of the fact that both fans behaviour was unacceptable I think it highly likely that the 2nd leg will be behind closed doors. It is vital fans act in a civilised manner." The F.A have been looking at unifying both Premier Leagues and Cups for the past few years but todays incident would seem to indicate that the heightened rivalry between the teams in the East and in the West could make scenes like those of the final more likely. Currently each half of the Empire maintains a separate league structure with the Emperors Cup crowning the team to be recorded as "National Champion" each year.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2022, 08:40:25 PM »




LEAKED TAPE SUGGESTED VISCOUNTESS AS PAWN

A tape was leaked onto the internet today which appeared to be of a meeting between Emperor Marco, several members of the Foreign Office and the Archbishop of the City of Abertone. While the vast majority of the meeting was focused on supporting overseas Catholic Churches and organising a "Grand Pilgrimage" part of the meeting discussed securing better relations with other Christian monarchies and suggested arranging a marriage between the Emperors illegitimate daughter, Viscountess Alda Rizzo and Prince Rupert of Hozland. This was seemingly brought up by Junior Foreign Minister Aurora Napoli who said, "Hozland is a nation that has an ethos similar to our own in its Christian heritage. The Prince is a future King who Alda can ensure is our greatest friend." The Viscountess is the daughter of Emperor Marco and  Livia Rizzo, the future Countess of Bergcastro. The pair had a two year on and off again relationship and while the Emperor initially did not recognise his daughter it was his cousin, Consul Graziano, who ensured she was well provided for. In recent years the Emperor and Viscountess have not become close and it is likely that she will become even more estranged following what appears to be a plot to use her as a negotiating tool.

The Chronicle contacted the 23 year old Viscountess for comment however she has yet to make any. She currently lives in Bergcastro where she works for Bontempi Studios, the nations largest record label. She was in an all girl pop-punk band that charted in 2017 but split up shortly after. She currently works as a writer and producer for the studio and has played bass guitar on many notable its within the nation. She has a small cult following among younger Abertonians some of whom have called for her to be recognised as the heir to the throne being the eldest of the Emperors three illegitimate children. This however has been called "impossible" by Consul Graziano who has in the past said, "Alda is family, she is my first cousin once removed but I see her more as a niece, I however do not think she could ever be Empress. She has not lived a life in preparation for such a role and furthermore the law is very clear that the monarch must come from a legitimate bloodline. As it stands Prince Peter is the rightful heir until Emperor Marco producers a legitimate child of his own." The Consul was asked about the leaked tape but said, "I was not in the meeting so have no idea of the tapes authenticity."



CONSUL PROPOSES CHANGE TO MILITARY POLICY

With the Imperial Lancer Regiment celebrating its 200th birthday the Emperor was on hand to present several awards for long service to current members. In addition each soldier was given a special commemorative medal to celebrate the 200 year anniversary. While the parade was more or less a routine Imperial event the day was notable because of the words of Consul Graziano. The Consul explained that he is pushing for a change in military policy. Currently the armed forces operates a "Dont' Ask Don't Tell" policy regarding homosexuality in the armed forces with anyone found to be homosexual being potentially given a dishonourable discharge, something that brings with it a  loss of pension and veteran benefits. The Consul today has said, "I think saying any serving soldier who has otherwise acted in accordance with Imperial Regulations has been dishonourable for simply being homosexual is an old fashioned concept. I am awaiting reports from various sources on whether removing Don't Ask Don't Tell is practical and desirable but I will not see any honourable soldier lose their hard earned pension and veteran rights. I will be asking the Emperor to support this policy that anyone found to be homosexual face, at worst, an honourable discharge with all the rights afforded anyone else who has served."

The news was welcomed by some LGBTQ Rights groups who said, "Today we have seen a baby step in the right direction of equality within the military. We still have a long way to go and we will be submitting our own report to the Consul urging him to ensure members of our community who choose to serve are able to do so and be afforded the same rights and privileges as anyone else." Others meanwhile said that it was not going far enough with one group saying, "This is a concept from 100 years ago. It must be changed and it must be changed now, we don't need a half way house." 

The final decision will be left to the Emperor who has yet to pass comment on the Consul's announcement.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2023, 10:57:40 PM »




LAFIAGI ROCKED BY BOMB BLAST

Lafiagi, the capital of the Eastern portion of the Empire, yesterday was targetted by a series of car bomb attacks. In total four bombs went off across the city all within fifteen minutes. The attacks have been claimed by the Republican Front and resulted in 103 deaths. The first of the attacks came at La Serra market, the largest agricultural produce market in the Eastern Empire, at 9:03am. The bomb had been concealed within barrels of farm produce stored on the back of a truck with evidence suggesting metallic fragments had been added to the barrels in order to inflict maximum casualties. The scene was attended by members of the emergency services and military forces. The market place is routinely patrolled by members of the armed forces after a series of incidents in the past few months. As the emergency services began to respond a second bomb went off on the opposite side of Lafiagi. This bomb was outside the post office where many senior citizens were lining up for their pensions. Many of these were ex-members of the armed forces who receive an extra stipend for their previous service. This bomb was contained in a Amazon delivery van which had been parked outside the post office leading many to assume that it was picking up items. With emergency services now rushing to two scenes the third bomb went off outside the bus station. Thankfully the grid lock caused by the first two bombs meant that many of the buses couldn't reach the station and therefore likely reduced the number of casualties there. The final blast took place at 9:12 am outside the cities largest fire station, likely to try and cause casualties among first responders. As well as the tragic deaths of 103 people a further 92 people are currently hospitalised with injuries. The Mayor of Lafiagi has confirmed that they sadly expect the number of casualties to increase in the coming days.

At 9:30 am the Republican Front claimed responsibility for the attacks saying. "We have once again demonstrated that those who support and utilise the trappings of a corrupt and immoral Emperor are not safe within our land. These supporting Emperor Marco must leave. Should the Imperial government still be here in 48 hours there shall be more attacks and we warn people to stay clear of anything connected to the Empire or the Lupin family. We believe they, and anyone who supports them are legitimate targets for war and will be treated in that manner. The Empire must die."

A spokesman for the Imperial Administration said, "The Republican Front are terrorists and will be dealt with accordingly. We will redouble efforts at making sure we keep our citizens safe and urge people to report any suspicious activity. We are of course saddened by the tragic deaths and the horrific injuries inflicted upon the innocent. The Emperor urges all citizens to keep those effected in their prayers and will be making sure that they are given the best possible support in their time of tragedy."

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2023, 12:22:14 PM »




GUIDING HAND "SUPPORT YACHT" COMPLETED

The De Angelis family are well known in the Empire as being among the super rich and their latest acquisition further cements this reputation. Ten years ago the now deceased Duke Luca De Angelis commissioned a private yacht called Carmela, named for his then 17 year old daughter. Today it is that same daughter, Duchess Carmela De Angelis that has taken delivery of Imperial Water Style (IWS) latest completed project. IWS make luxury and high end vessels ranging from canal boats to mega yachts and have gained a reputation for being the company of choice for Abertone's rich and famous. The latest launch took place at their HQ in Termini and saw a 66 meter long multihull ship designed as what IWS are calling a "Support Yacht". The vessel lacks the luxury of ships like Carmela and is designed more for transporting high end "Toys" that a traveller would want. The vessel was seen leaving dock after loading five smaller boats, ranging from a diving RHIB to a speed boat, in addition to three jet skis, quad bikes, dune buggies, a submarine and a helicopter. The vessel has a small number of cabins for guests and crew. The designer Egidio Lombardi explained his design saying, "The De Angelis family are well known for enjoying time at sea exploring the coasts of Mundus and they want to be able to do that in a thrill seeking way. This vessel is a 5 star hotel crossed with a military landing dock. Its more about getting the ability to enjoy any spot on Mundus from the depths to the skies in one handy package. While it is mainly designed to follow their yacht Carmella it can operate for extended periods if you don't want guests."

The Duchess said she is excited to use the ship and will be heading first to the Unified Iwi to kayak on the coast before making stop overs in Lijiang and Eskdale before ending up at Portworth, East Moreland for the Kingdoms annual Festival of Sail. "I'm excited to take this on a little tour and enjoy a wide variety of experiences." It was also confirmed that the De Angelis family have offered to make the vessel available to the Imperial Family if they are visiting the Festival of Sail too.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2023, 11:27:56 PM »




NZURI NAME NEW PRINCESS

The Nzuri Tribe is the most significant of the tribes that still exist in the Eastern part of the Empire. Since the assimilation of the area around the city of Lafiagi in the 1500's the various tribes have gradually assumed less significance with many of their old links falling into history. One tribe that however has managed to keep its identity alive in some manner is the Nzuri Tribe. This tribe have maintained their own language, Nzurian, maintained several significant cultural sites and a link to their old chiefs family links. In 1783 the then Emperor granted the Chief the title of Prince and reserved them a seat in the Imperial Senate. The title of Prince or Princess has then passed down the family through a direct bloodline ever since. In May 2023 Prince Mwadimu died and had outlived all his children, however he had one grand-daughter and following various tribal meetings and discussions between elders it was today confirmed that his grand-daughter, Kivuli. The 22 year old becomes the youngest leader of the tribe and her appointment was opposed by some on grounds of her age and also the belief that she was to "Westernised". It was well documented that her father, Kionjo, had her educated privately and from the age of 13 she attended school in the capital of the Empire, the city of Abertone. The new Princess even attended University in the West attending Pavagona University where she studied Development Economics gaining a 2:1 in May of last year. Since then Kivuli, who has often adopted the Abertonian language name Giulia, has worked for the Nzuri Land Development Fund, an organisation that has helped ensure land remains in the possession of the tribe and is developed for modern agricultural use. During a council of Nzuri elders meeting the Princess' position was confirmed with a vote of 30-28 in her favour. The majority of the 28 who voted against her favoured an election among the members of the tribe to pick from Prince Mwadimu's extended cousins to have a Prince of the tribe.

Speaking following the announcement Princess Kivuli has stated that she intends to follow a policy on two fronts. "I have two things I want to do in the short term while we consider longer term planning. The first is I want to expand our tribes holdings, we have a significant economic nest egg that I think should be put to work. Once upon a time our tribe held lands far in excess of what we have today however as cultures changed many of our tribe sold off their land and moved to the cities across the Empire. Industries such as maize farming, animal husbandry and the like are in our blood and form the foundation of which our tribe is built. The second thing I want to do is give our people access to better education. We have the ability to provide scholarships for many young people. If we can we need to invest in our future. While agriculture is what built our tribe it will be modern technology that ensures we can continue as a people." The Princess was also quick to distance herself from the small minority of the tribe who have been linked with anti-Imperial protests. "For the past 300 years or so we've integrated within the Empire of Abertone and as a result we've become a key part of the Empires Eastern policies. Our people can still flourish and we've outlasted many other tribes that continued the old tribal wars and fought the Empire. Emperor Marco has my loyalty and that of the majority of the Nzuri."

The Princess is due to be officially crowned on Wednesday. As tradition dictates she will travel to the city of Abertone taking with her a symbolic gift of a woolen cloak traditionally worn by tribal elders of the Nzuri. This will be presented to the Emperor who will then return to her the Crown of the Nzuri which was taken away by the Praetorians following the death of Prince Mwadimu. Following the presentation of the crown the Princess will be formally presented to the Imperial Senate where she will be entitled to take a seat or appoint an individual to do so on her behalf.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2023, 10:08:00 PM »




IMPERIAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT A "DRY RUN"

The Abertone Calcio Associazione (ACA) have today confirmed that they will be holding a four team youth tournament as a way of test running potential arrangements for the 2023 World Cup. The Chairman of the ACA, Thomas Schiovane, confirmed yesterday that the Empire has bid to host the tournament which if successful will mark the first time the tournament will have featured games on two continents. Speaking from ACA HQ in Abertone City the former international winger with 55 caps stated, "As a nation we love the game and are hopeful the quality of our bid will win through and we can enjoy the games in our own cities. We want this to be a great World Cup and so to let our voulenteers, staff and fans get a taste we are hosting the "Imperial Invitational Tournament" something we hope can become an annual event. This will be a mens Under 21 tournament of four games. Joining our future stars of Abertone will be the Aosta, Lodja and Cassiopeia national teams. The first game will see us play Cassiopeia in Empana at the Ruzzargi stadium. Meanwhile Lodja will play Aosta in Bulwa over in Albion. The two winning teams will contest a final in the Stadio Imperial in Abertone City while the 3rd and 4th playoff will take place in Lafaigi Arena in the East."

All games will be featured on free to air TV and made available to global audiences through the ACA's YouTube channel. In addition to ensure the stadiums are as crowded as possible tickets will be extremely attractive with every full price paying adult able to take a child for $1 and 25% of the capacity of each stadium being given directly to local schools. "The aim is not to make money but to ensure everything goes smoothly if and when we win the rights to host the world cup. If along the way we can give these future superstars a great platform to strut their stuff on then that is a bonus. Obviously we'll be hoping the Abertone team bring home the trophy but the learning experience for the organisers is a much better reward."

20 year old Julian Carbonari is currently the national teams U-21 captain having 33 caps at junior level. The AS Abertone centre-back is touted as having an outside chance of making the mens full team for the world cup and adding to his single full team cap. "Any time you get to play in a tournament for the country its important to do your best. I see this is an oppurtunity to show Gustavo Malderna (mens National Coach) what I can do in a big arena and hopefully have a chance to play at a World Cup final in my hometown." The youngster has played 12 games this season for AS Abertone, mainly from the bench but has looked commanding during the time on the field. Many pundits believe he needs more regular starts to cement a place in the national side and this has lead to speculation that he may go out on loan, with an Aostan club, Ovida AS, being in the leading contenders.




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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2023, 09:07:22 PM »




EMPEROR HOPEFUL OF WORLD CUP BID VICTORY

With the Mundus Football Association today opening the bidding of the World Cup hosting right Emperor Marco was attending today's AS Capitale match in the Western Premier League. Speaking at the game before kick off he said "The people of Abertone are already getting excited and we don't even have the rights to host the cup. We've the first games of our test tournament this weekend and already the visiting teams are preparing. Tomorrow night we play Cassiopeia and I will be at the game to witness what I hope will be a home victory. Those hear to watch the game from Cassiopeia will find a warm welcome just like those from around the world in a few short weeks if successful. We've a nation that would have already been prepared to host if told tomorrow we could host it, we're a nation that love the game and our facilities are great."

The AS Capitale match againt Leceffe ended 0-0 and the Emperor stated, "While Abertone may be a football mad nation we can not always guarantee entertainment, tonight the game was pretty dull and I'm disappointed in AS Capitale, we should have won at a canter, but thats the beauty of the game as on their day anyone can produce a good result against anyone. While this game tonight lacked entertainment the atmosphere in both the East and West parts of the Empire will be electric  and I'm confident that all visiting fans will get a great experience."

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2023, 08:20:47 PM »




WEEKEND FOOTBALL SETS UP LODJA-CASSIOPEIA FINAL

The first matches of the four game Imperial Invitational Tournament have taken place today. The game has been billed up as a test run for the World Cup should Abertone be successful in the bidding process and it has been declared a "great success" by oragnisers.

The opening game took place in the Ruzzargi stadium in Eastern part of the empire and saw Aosta and Lodja's Under 21's play in Empana. It pitched Abertone against Cassiopeia and saw a full house of some 57,000 fans in attendance. Tickets had been made very low cost and a significant number had been given to local clubs in order to ensure the stadium was completly full. The game was disappointing for the hosts however as Cassiopeia ran out winner 2-0. The visitors took the lead following a headed goal from a corner in the 33rd minute and with time running out the Abertone players pushed forward to try and force extra time. The team came close on many occasions however in the 88th minute the Cassiopians scored during a fluid counter attack that saw the home side lose all hope of gaining a result. The nations Under 21 coach, Alberto Stoca said "The result is disappointing. For many of the team this is the largest crowd they'd played in front of and I think despite the result we did well. Its unfortunate we won't now get to play in the final. We've chance to win a medal though so we need to now go again"

Meanwhile two hours later in the Eastern city Bulwa. There 67,000 fans watched as Lodja defeated Aosta after penalties. The game itself was rather dull and extra time saw no winner. The game finished 6-5 on penalties. The final will now take place on Wednesday at Lodja play Cassiopeia in Stadio Imperial which it is hoped will also host the World Cup Final. Meanwhile Abertone will face off with Aosta in the Lafaigi Arena to determine 3rd and 4th place.

Tournament organisers were pleased with the games with Thomas Schiovane, the Chairman of the ACA, saying "The stadiums had great atmosphere and the TV production went very smoothly. We had a few issues with fans getting to the grounds but plan on Wednesday to have more voulenteers out helping people find their way from the metro to the ground and then dotted around the cities to ensure things go well. We also plan on opening a second fan park in Lafiagi as we saw a huge turn out of fans wanting to be part of the atmosphere. We've shown the nation is ready and to any nation yet to cast their vote I'd invite them to see what we've pulled off for an Under-21's tournament."

Voting closes tomorrow and fans are hopeful of an Abertone victory.

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #15 on: October 24, 2023, 08:36:23 PM »




LODJA SECURE TROPHY. ABERTONE SECURE TOURNAMENT

Football was front and centre of attention in Abertone yesterday. The final round of matches of the Imperial Invitational Tournament took place and during the gap between matches it was confirmed that the Empire will host the 2023 World Cup.

The day began with the 3rd/4th playoff between Abertone and Aosta in a sold out Lafaigi Arena. The game was a heated affair with both sides earning a red card as the match finished 2-1 to Abertone. The first goal came just 4 minutes into the match as 17 year old Ciro Valenti curled a shot past the Aostan keeper from the edge of the box. This was cancelled out by Aosta just before half time however a hard tackle by the Aostan full back sparked a pushing match in the tunnel as teams went down for half time. After the break the game resumed with teams clearly more fired up. In the 58th minute Aosta's winger was sent off for a dangerous tackle and ten minutes later Roberto Luca put the hosts ahead with a headed goal from a corner. With 15 minutes left to play Walter Baldina was red carded for a deliberate professional foul that gave away a free kick on the edge of the box with Aosta failed to capitalise on. The crowd went home happy though as Abertone were able to see out the final part of the game with relative ease. Thomas Schiovane, the Chairman of the ACA, said after the final whistle "Its a shame that the game took a nasty turn. The tournament has, at least off the pitch, been friendly and good spirited. We know the world cup will bring many more global fans and the atmosphere is going to be amazing."

Just before the kick off of the final it was confirmed by the MFA that Abertone would indeed be hosting the tournament. the announcement was seen inside the Stadio Imperial when Emperor Marco announced it via the big screen. "I am proud to say we will soon have the duty of hosting the world cup. I expect each of us to do our bit to make sure this world cup is the best on record. We welcome the world and we are excited for the teams to arrive."

The Lodja and Cassiopeia final then took place with the Emperor now positioned in the royal box along with the ambassadors from Lodja and Cassiopeia. This game was a contrast to the playoff as teams sought to showcase their best football with both teams trying to play at a high tempo. Fans enjoyed the game and were treated to a world class goal from Lodja's winger who beat three players before scoring with a carefully placed side footed shot. The game was settled just after half time when a well worked Lodjain breakaway saw two Lodjains faced with the Cassiopeian keeper who in the end was well beaten. The game finished 2-0 but Cassiopeia continued chasing the game all the way to the final whistle. The Emperor presented the all the players in the final with medals before handing over the trophy to the Lodjain capitain with help from the ambassador from Lodja. The Emperor declared the tournament a success saying, "We're delighted with both the quality of the games and the way the tournament has been organised. I'm really excited now for the world cup and can't wait for it to start. I'm asking our governing body to do everything they can to expand this invitational tournament and it to become an annual event, if possible I'd like this to become the most respected youth football trophy on Mundus. Its vital young players experience the big stage and we've shown we can provide a massive one for them. I wish all teams in the upcoming world cup the best of luck but naturally I wish slighly more to Abertone."

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Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« Reply #16 on: October 27, 2023, 11:08:42 PM »




EMPEROR OFFERS TP PAY JUGLAND FINE

Following reports in the Juglander Review that priest George Ephraim Whittredge had been fined under the newly introduced "State Reform for Religious Freedom and Social Integration Act" for the crime of effectively preaching without a licence the Emperor today has offered to pay the priests $2,500 fine as well as offering support to Christian communities impacted by the law. The newly introduced law makes it illegal for "members of the clergy or preachers from non-native religious organizations or churches to perform their duties without an official or recognized formation or license." A move that the Emperor has criticised. Following a morning visit to St. Margarets Church in the town of Ruggi on the coast of the Western Empire the Emperor said. "Its been a month since the law was passed, it takes times for things like passes, licences and permits to go through, we see that with beaurocracy across Mundus. Father Whittredge is doing a valuable service for his community and he should not be punished for that. I think the law is a poor one that disrespects peoples freedoms but sadly I also believe wherever possible people need to walk tight ropes of laws in their nation and use their peaceful freedoms to protest and bring about change. While Father Whittredge may be a member of the Tytorian Christian church and we ourselves are Catholic we are still brothers in Christ and if I can help such a man I will."

The Emperor went on to offer support for other Christians likely impacted by the measures. "We will put forward a sum of money to help navigate gaining the licences required for any Christian denomination. We will also on Sunday allow our Chaplin to offer The Eucharist through the embassy railing should anyone request it.