Northfort News

[DaveIronside]

"A MUST WIN" SAYS BRIGADIER AS OSTLAKE GAMES LOOM

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Brigadier Jim Corey has today told the media he is expecting a "wealth of success" for Red Legion at the upcoming Ostlake Games that start on the 6th June. The Games are an annual spectacular that takes place in the city of Ostlake which sits on the lake of the same name and is home to the Kingdoms military headquarters. The Games began in the 1700's as a way of promoting military excellence and have today expanded to not just include traditional military events such as Drill but also more modern skills such as parachuting and also sporting events such as Rugby Sevens. With a majority of East Moreland sporting infastructure being closely connected to the military the Ostlake Games have produced a number of Mundus Games champions, most noticeably Daisy Greechan and Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside. Since the early 2010's the games have even expanded to include foreign teams with the CIS nations once making up the numbers while now that will go to the CNN with one "outsider" guest nation. This year that has been named as the Charterlands of Reenberg, most likely invited as East Moreland forces have been helping train soldiers from Semelberg which is one of the Charters that make up the rather unique nation. The team amassing the most points each year wins the King Robert Trophy, currently held by Hunters Legion.

This year Brigadier Jim Corey intends to take the trophy back to Aldcliffe, Red Legions HQ. "We're the smallest unit in the competition but I have my eyes set on upsetting the odds. We have some disadvantages, for example we find it hard to put women into events. No female has passed Red Legion selection and so as a result we rely on those who are part of our Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing to make up the numbers. We though think if we can sweep the wins in the military themed events and sneak a few in sports like boxing then we can be up there, especially as I would expect us to sweep podiums in events like the Combat Run as that is basically our bread and butter." The Combat Run sees competitors carry a 25kg Bergen rucksack 10km with shooting posts at several stops along the way. "For me the King Robert Trophy is a must win, we are supposed to be the elite and have to prove it. Other years we've seen our team struggle as we've been in the middle of live operations somewhere on the globe and we already have the smallest pool of people to select from. This year we've no commitments." The Brigadier has tasted his own success at the Games. When he was a 22 year old he represented Duke Legion in the Field Gun Obstacle Course that won gold, in the same year Duke Legion won the King Roberts Trophy.

The competition is though likely to be fierce with several Mundus Games starts confirming their participation. Mundus Games Weightlifting Gold Medalist, Eddie Halls, will be representing Pegasus Legion in the Tug of War meanwhile rugby player Rollo MacAllister will be representing Hunter's Legion in the Rugby Sevens. It is also believed that the Navy will have two Greechans on their squad and the Air Force will have the talents of Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside. This year there is also another twist to the games as for the first time the Legionnaire Legacy games will count towards the King Robert Trophy. The Legionnaire Legacy games were established after the Eugenics War as a part of the "Battle Back" initiative that supported the rehabilitation of injured veterans. By helping them access new sports and opportunities it was hoped their recovery would be speeded up. Any individual injured while part of the military and aided by the programme may compete and represent their former unit. While previously it has been a stand alone competition that takes place at the same time as the Ostlake Games it was determined by the Ostlake Sports and Social Committee who are responsible for the games that they should become an official part of the Ostlake Games. The Committee's President is King David who made the announcement saying, "I have been a competitor in both the Ostlake and Legionnaire Legacy Games, both take massive levels of commitment to be competitive. I've always said that just because you don't wake at reveille and don't put on the uniform every morning that doesn't stop you being a Legionnaire. We value our veterans and this is another way of honouring them. I will be, if selected, part of Pegasus Legions coxed eight rowing team again this year. I've heard Brigadier Corey talk about Red Legion winning it, I shall be keeping my eyes on them and who knows if they pull ahead then we may just need to beef up security somewhere in the world." Pegasus Legion have a long connection to the royal family. Princess Freya's Regiment of the 2nd Light Scouts is part of that Legion and the King's late sister, High Priestess Joanna Ironside, was at one time their Lead Priestess. The Kings father served in the Legion and his uncle Duke Fraser Kade served as the 2nd in Command of the Legion up to 1999.

Tickets for the events have been selling briskly with only a handful avaliable for each day of the week long event. EMTV will be hosting coverage of the event. For the first time the final night will also feature a music event in one of the parks in Ostlake with tickets being made avilable via lottery with 80% of tickets being given to Ostlake locals for free. The event will coincide with the Closing Ball. During this the King is expected to start the dancing at the Enlisted Troops Ball with a recently graduated cadet, he then takes a boat ride over the lake to join the Queen at the Officers Ball. In recent years the Queen's attire has caused controversy and already fashion magazines are trying to find out which designer she will be wearing. It is also understood that King Aldwin of Weißenwald has been invited to the final ball.

[DaveIronside]

ROCK TO THE RESCUE

OsmanTech have today announced that they are to begin distribution of basalt to East Moreland farmers for free. In the foothills of the East Moreland Alps the city of Keepton has had a long history of being associated with mining. Currently the OsmanTech company operates a large open cast mine outside the city which they utilise as a facility for extracting minerals, ores and various other materials required for their operations. Recently however Environmental Scientist at the site working with Professor Simon Morley have begun work on a project that they hope will help reduce carbon dioxide while also helping farmers crop yields. If the project is successful OsmanTech hope it can be rolled out across the globe.

Dr. Morley has for the past five years been exploring the phenominum by which exposed basalt slowly reacts with water in the form of rain and carbon dioxide. This reaction creates bicarbonate ions which cling to the rock. This process can take millions of years however Dr.Morley has plans to speed the process up to the point that it takes only a couple of months. "Here at the Keepton Quarry we come across basalt a lot, along with various similar rocks. Our plan is to reduce these into a fine powder which can then be spread onto farmers fields. The powder acts as a fertiliser to plants helping crop yields and also improves the quality of grazing land. The powder absorbs rain water and carbon dioxide creating carbonates that eventually find their way into rivers through natural run off and from there into the sea. Once they've reached the sea they mix with calcium ions to form calcium carbonate, a solid mineral that traps carbon dioxide for millions of years. By this process we can help remove and regulate a lot of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere."

Joanne Osman, the CEO of OsmanTech, has said that the companies projections are that the company could distribute 185,000 tonnes of basalt a year by 2025 and this would have removed a million tonnes of CO2 a year. It's still a drop in the ocean compared to emissions. In 2022 its thought the world discharged about 37 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Miss Osman explained, "If the project works here in East Moreland it is our hope that we can look at moving this world wide and ensure an even bigger impact."

OSTLAKE GAMES IN THE BALANCE

With the Ostlake Military Games about to enter their final day the competition is delicately poised. With only four events taking place on the final day there is just two points seperating the Royal East Moreland Naval Service (REMNS) and the Cenneg military. The final day sees the Ostlake Team Challenge, both men and womens versions, the final of the mens Rugby7's and the Drill Competition. The Team Challenge sees a team relay that sees a 2km open water swim in the lake followed by a 15km fell run, a series of 150meter target shooting and then concluded with a team 10km log carry. At the end of the Team Challenge all those who have taken part in the relay must complete a series of shooting drills. Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside is art of the Air Forces log carry team while the REMNS have Daisy Greechan as their swimmer.

The Rugby 7's is considered to have no impact on the final outcome of the competition for the King Robert Trophy as both the Navy and the Cenneg are not able to finish in the top five teams. It will be the Air Force and Duke Legion who will compete for the Rugby 7's final. Meanwhile in the Drill all eyes will be on Hunters Legion who won the Rifle Drill competition relatively easily and in the past 20 years the team winning the Rifle Drill competition has also won the showcase Drill competition.

Regardless of the final outcome the week long festival has featured some wonderful sporting action and a few shocks. In the Medieval MMA competition Mundus Games Champion and current World Heavyweight Champion Louis Blanche lost in the final to Sebastian Johnson who represented Red Legion. This is the first defeat Blanche has experienced in the last four years and has seen global fans of the sport clamour now for Johnson to be given a match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The final day will also feature the much anticipated Ball that as well as being attended by the East Moreland monarchy will feature visits by King Finley of Ui Cennesliag, who could witness his countryman lift the trophy for the first time, and by Queen Natalya of Lodja, who currently lie in 8th.

[DaveIronside]

NAVY WIN OSTLAKE GAMES AS QUEEN TURNS HEADS

Following the final day of the Ostlake Military Games the Royal East Moreand Naval Service (REMNS) have won the King Robert Trophy. This followed the REMNS dominating the Ostlake Team Challenge taking gold in both the mens and womens events. The Navy also came 3rd in the Drill competition while their closest competitors for the overall title, Ui Cenneslaig, came 6th in the competition. The day began with the swimmers setting off on their 2km open win where unsurprisingly the REMNS womens team took a strong lead thanks to Daisy Greechan who set a new record for the open water portion of the Ostlake Team Challenge. Petty Officer Jessica Madeley ran their fell running leg and scored highly on the shooting portions before a team completed the log run finishing 41 seconds ahead of Pegasus Legion. In the mens version of the event Royal Marine Commandos competed in every leg of the competition and finished just 17 seconds ahead of Red Legion. Admiral James Thompson then watched as his team drawn from Portworth Naval Station finished in the Drill competition which brought the curtain down on this years games. Despite not winning the Drill the team celebrated louder than the Maori team that did knowing they had won the overall competition. The Admiral accepted the Trophy and following the presentation said, "I am proud of the hard work and dedication of the boys and girls that make this possible. To have the trophy once more is a joy and I can't wait to get it in the trophy cabinet down at Portworth. The Ostlake Games have been magnificent again and demonstrates once again that our armed forces have incredible sporting stars and dedicated warriors in every branch of service. I'd like to thank the CNN partners and the Charterlands for attending this year and wish them safe sails home."

The games have once again provided a boost for the Ostlake economy with hotels, hostels and eateries all being fully booked over the week long games. William Crown is the  owner of Barker Row, a steak restaurant close the the lake side, said that he had been fully booked each dinner service and that he had been booked up weeks in advance. Meanwhile the Crown Lake Hotel reported bumper profits during the week. Over 100 private boats were also moored in the various lake marinas with several having been witnessed hosting large parties during the games.

As is tradition the Games finish with two formal balls. The Enlisted Ball at Ostlake North began at 6pm and King David began the dancing. This year his dance partner was Legionnaire Poppy Stapleton of the Alpine Cadre. The 19 year old switched to the Cadre part way through her national service having determined that she wanted to become a career soldier. She completed her Alpine Cadre final assessment the same day that King David completed the officer version in 2022 as a way of demonstrating his recovery from his back operation. Legionnaire Stapleton said "To serve in the Cadre knowing its the most beloved unit of the King is great, but to then know I share the experience of qualifying with him makes it sweeter. The King was a real gentleman and we chatted about our favourite parts of the Dovehole countryside. He then wished me a pleasant evening and made his way across the lake." Legionnaire Stapleton was also presented with a symbolic "Kings Shilling" as a memento of the evening. The King took a boat across the Lake where he meet Queen Stasya to make his entrance to the Officers Ball at Ostlake South. As usual photographers stood ready to capture the gown of Queen Stasya who appeared alongside the King in a revealing metallic effect gown. The dress was designed by students at the Queens own fashion label and paired with no jewellery. The ball was also attended by several other monarchs including King Finley of Ui Cenneslaig and Queen Natalya of Lodja. Queen Stasya was seen spending significant amounts of time with both visiting monarchs and aides say she was discussing an upcoming "CNN Pride" event that she is organising. King David was asked his opinion of his wife's fashion choice and said, "When it comes to fashion I know less than a quarter of what my wife does. I don't always see things the same way but tonight she looked beautiful."

Around 250 troops from the CNN partner nations are set to remain in Ostlake for a further fortnight as the guests of the East Moreland military. During their stay they will take part in training alongside their Morelander counter parts as well as take part in recreational events.

[DaveIronside]

EMAC SUPERSONIC SUB SOON?

EMAC have announced that at the opening day of the Festival of Sail they intend to showcase a "testbed model" that could become the worlds first supersonic submarine. Sir Alan Maybury, the CEO of EMAC explained the project saying. "We have already worked with Grayson Dockyards to help make torpedo's for the Navy, our current collaboration has seen speeds of around 200mph achievable. It is our belief however that we can, in true EMAC style, go much faster." The company have shared a concept image for what they are calling the Underwater Supercavitating Weapon System and Vehicle (USWSV) which appeared to show a rather unique shaped torpedo however as of yet no one has seen the prototype. Sir Alan explained the concept saying, "The USWSV would contain some kind of warhead and power source as a traditional torpedo would, what makes this capable of high speeds is the fact that it contains a tank of gas which is expelled through ports to make a kind of bubble, by travelling in this bubble they can travel at much higher speeds and in theory reach supersonic speeds. Once we master the idea with a torpedo we would be able to make this into a vehicle." Sir Alan points out that the vehicle would not be able to keep a high speed for sustained periods but could potentially be used for helping escape enemy forces or carry out hit and run attacks. By Sir Alan's own admission though the completion date for the project is some way of, potentially not until the 2040's. He did however say "We can not be put off trying to advance technology just because the completion dates are way off in the future, on every project we learn more and more and this helps us in other projects."

The test is scheduled to take place prior to the main parade of ships into Portworth. If successful Sir Alan has stated that he hopes to conduct a wide variety of tests over the coming months. It is believed that these could lead EMAC to be able to claim to have made the fastest underwater "Vehicle" to have ever existed.

DUKE OF WINTERHAVEN NAMED NEW CNN ENVOY

Matthew Howse, the Duke of Winterhaven, has today been named as the new CNN Envoy. The role has previously not been seen as a permanent position but has instead been held by a rotation of individuals dependent on the global situation ranging from Princess Freya to seasoned diplomat Sir Jacob Lange. The King today confirmed the Duke will take the position for "at least the next 12 months" and will relocate to Claith at the end of the Festival of Sail in under to carry out his duties. The role involves mainly acting as a conduit between the four allied nations however has also included leading East Moreland delegations during various discussions. The 30 year old Duke is new to leading roles in global politics however the King explained that he believes the Duke is well equipped for his role.

"Duke Matthew Howse of Winterhaven has accompanied Sir Jacob on several meetings overseas and has been a regular part of East Moreland's sporting communities overseas visits. He has held a seat on our Mundus Games Committee and I believe he will shine as one of the next generation of our diplomats. I am confident he will be an excellent asset for a long time to come and I thank him for taking up this significant role for our nation."

The Duke attended Keepton University to study Law but upon completing his course never took up a training contract and instead entered the military where he served as an officer for five years in the Royal Marine Commando. Since leaving the he became heavily involved in Winterhaven RUFC taking a 75% share of the club in 2018. It was through his involvement with rugby, both representing the Marines and then running Winterhaven he found himself part of the Mundus Games Committee for East Moreland. He is also a frequent analyst on EMTV for their rugby coverage.

[DaveIronside]

PRINCE LLEWLLYN'S FIRST SWORD PRESENTED

Today marked the opening of the Festival of Sail and during the traditional opening floatilla and sword presentation it was the 18 month old Prince Llewellyn who featured heavily. The son of King David and Queen Stasya made history by becoming the first member of East Moreland's royal family to be formally enrolled as a Patrician of Lodja, a necessity for many high status activities in the Queendom. One Lodjain expert said, "The move means that the Prince is seen as a Lodjain formally in the eyes of the people there. While nobles of all nations are always treated as Patricians there is always a sense that this isn't neccessarily seen as a good thing as some Lodjains question the manner of some nations nobility. Prince Llewellyn will, I hope, feel now he is a Lodjain too." The Prince was presented with a symbolic silver bracelet by Queen Natalya of Lodja who became the first monarch of another nation to take direct part in the opening ceremony rather than just witness it. The bracelet will not be worn on daily occasions as even Lodjains only wear it on formal and ceremonial occasions.

Following the bracelet presentation Royal Smith Maxwell Power presented the Prince's first sword. Tradition dictates that before the childs second birthday a sword is picked out so that when ready the child can begin training with a sword. It is the duty of an individual to look after the sword until such a time is deemed to have arrived. The Princess will take on the title "Protector of the Sword" until Llewellyn is deemed capable of looking after the blade himself. The Princess, who is considered a promising swordswoman, inspected the blade before declaring it "more than fitting for a Prince". Maxwell Power has been a smith, specialising in swords, for the Ironside family for forty years having served an apprenticeship under his father Stephen who held the title Royal Smith before his son inherited the title. Mr.Power said "I have now made swords for five Ironsides, Princess Freya, Joanna and then His Majesties children Caspian, Rhiannon and now Llewellyn. I believe I have one final sword in me, unless of course we're blessed to have a new Prince or Princess, and that will be Princess Rhiannon's adult blade. I'm privledged to have seen the Ironside Royal Family grow through the years and I am happy to have seen smithing take a position front and centre of todays events." The 60 year old is currently training his grandson and grand-daughter to be smiths while his own son, Captain Evan Power, is Captain of the Forge at Ostlake and responsible for overseeing the production of swords for the armed forces.

The Festival of Sail lasts a week and has seen hundreds of ships attend the ports, quaysides and marinas of Portworth.

OSMANTECH MAKE "GLASS MOUSE"

A new step in analysing cancer medicines had been taken today in Chamwick. A team of scientists working for OsmanTech have created a "Glass Mouse", a transparent deceased mouse, that allows greater scrutiny of tumours and the impact of medication. The method involves removing all the fats and pigments from the mouse's body, using a chemical process. The mouse is then scanned using a microscope and different coloured dyes can be introduced into organs and tissues to help create a contrast.  Once this has been done the entire mouse carcass can be 3D scanned allowing unparalleled analysis able to pick up minute details previously unseeable. The 3D images produced by the scanning method can be stored online, making it easier for researchers to share and collaborate on their findings. Scientists at Chamwick are excited by the achievement as they believe the method could be used to improve the testing of cancer drugs, as it can detect tumours that are too small to be seen with conventional scanning techniques. There is also cause to be hopeful as the method could also be used to study other diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The announcement was celebrated by OsmanTech's CEO Joanne Osman, daughter of the companies founder, Lord Lucas Osman. "The Glass Mouse is rather ground breaking. The concept will speed up the work of scientists striving to make new drugs to save lives. Not only will this help us defeat cancer but with some luck the work can also help those working to end Alzheimers and Parkinsons. I'm proud that we've been able to support these geniuses and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for what they can now achieve."

[DaveIronside]

"ASSEMBLY OF NATIONS A NON-STARTER FOR NOW" SAYS KING

While attending his weekly sessions of question and answer before the Representative Council the representative for Freestone, Tim Carpenter, asked the King what his views were of the recent Social Media post of the Empress of Rokkenjima. The King admitted he had not seen the tweet as he often regards social media as "Stasya's realm" however when furnished with a copy of the post did respond to the Councillor who was a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation.

"Mr.Carpenter is perhaps uniquely qualified among Morelanders as to the issues surrounding issues like an Assembly of Nations. Naturally over the course of the coming days we will watch what Her Imperial Majesty does with interest and respond appropriately, however it is my view that currently the Assembly of Nations is a non starter for now. Let me explain. We have seen over the majority of the last decade, two, maybe two and half versions of such a project and each time they have failed. With the most recent reincarnation of the concept, the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation the issue was transparently clear. It became a body that while designed to do good saw the same two nations time and time again left carrying the can and both ourselves and Achkarein buried far too many good people for that organisation while others sat back. There has been no significant change in the world that would lead me to think that a third such body would be any different. I also fundementally disagree with the perception that the Empress has of Mundus being some sort of Wild West. When crisis have reared their heads they have been solved even without such a body. Take the example of her homelands recent, thankfully brief, conflict with their neighbours Daito. It was Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles and the Ardian Assembly stepping in and handling the situation that brought it to a peaceful end, it is now members of Bakkermaya's military providing the backbone of peacekeeping forces. The Krimeon saw one small pirate incident and immediately the nations there organised and have in place an arrangement to secure that sea. There are countless other examples of where when required nations have found solutions that are peaceful and pro-active and they have done this without a Assembly of Nations. It would make me wonder that if the Rokkenjima and Daito conflict was played out on a global, and not regional level, would such a speedy and bloodless solution have been found? Nations across Mundus know that when needed East Moreland shows up, over the last decade, in particular the last half a decade, every humanitarian crisis that has faced Mundus has seen an East Moreland presence front of centre, sometimes alone and many times thankfully with Achkaerin. The disaster in the Union of Nordic Peoples, we showed up, the Cultist genocide in Royal Seleucid, we showed up, Safraen, we showed up twice, Mavrosia, we showed up alone, Yellow Tongue, we showed up. All of those were done without the CTO, in fact while the CTO was still discussing the Cultist genocide we had already evacuated hundreds of people. The Empress then should be well aware of why East Moreland would be so unconvinced of either the need for or desire for such an organization at this moment. I say these things not out of a lack of concern for Mundus' future, I would place my record and that of East Moreland's against any other nation in terms of the good we have done for others, and we shall continue to do so. Even recently we have begun working with The Eyrie to help promote better education, better understanding of each others cultures. We have offered aid to countless nations across the globe and shall continue to do so. I am proud to have sat in this very chamber people like Mr.Carpenter, who even when not embodied with political power of any type have sought to create a path to peaceful improvements through the world with his now globally recognised Freestone Mark. For now though should the Empress launch her project in a few days time we shall not be there, we shall sit back and watch, but despite not being in the tent, so to speak, mark my words we would not and will not sit ideally by in times of crisis."

Prime Minister Henrietta Quinn echoed the Kings sentiments saying "East Moreland has, I am proud to say, done a great deal to support the international community. One thing His Majesty did not say however is that there is a significant element that see the "establishment" so to speak as a threat to nation sovereignty and the S.U.N. embody that belief. In the past previous Rokkenjiman leaders have sounded rather hostile towards such people who do not share the view of the majority. This is not going to help create a global body designed to work together. In the past we even saw it lead to creating a counter organisation, the Cross Mundus Agency, which just as the C.T.O. did failed to achieve its aims. I have seen nothing so far that would lead me to imagine a third attempt would lead to different results. A simple fingers crossed and good intentions do not work."

The King later in the day said, "Should the situation change, should we see significant groundwork put in prior to any attempts then of course we shall consider the matter. I am at heart an historian and when the evidence changes so should our interpretation, at present though I see no reason to have changed my view from that of how I saw the C.T.O. I wish the Empress, as always, the best in her endeavors."

Public opinion in East Moreland seemed rather negative with one prominent TV channel running a poll asking "If the CTO was restarted tomorrow should East Moreland join" seeing 76% of Morelanders saying "No." 

[DaveIronside]

UNSEALED DOCUMENTS COULD CONTAIN UNIQUE RECORD

A series of documents relating to the East Moreland nuclear weapons programme have today been unclassified and scientists and engineers have found one package particularly interesting. In 1957 a nuclear test took place in the deep Alps where a deep shaft was drilled for a nuclear test explosion. This shaft was capped with a specially made 900kg metal cap some 1.2 meters in diameter. During the test cameras caught the cap, which many called the "Man-hole cover" blow off at high speed. Experts having monitored the explosion and seen the footage suspect that the manhole was at one point doing a speed of some 240,000 km/h; 150,000 mph, which if it could ever be confirmed is likely to make it the fastest ever man made object on Mundus. The manhole cover was doing five times escape velocity and this has lead some to believe that it could have actually made it into space having reached an altitude of 100km. If this was the case it would also have made it the first East Moreland object in space and among the first objects from anywhere on Mundus. East Moreland's first person on the moon, Rachel Dixon, was among those who have been discussing the document. "Its rather funny to think that as a nation relatively late to the space race we might have some rather accidental early success. I know the scientists will take a long time pouring over all this and number crunching but in the grand scheme its kind of irrelevant. Accidently putting a drain cover into orbit isn't great science, but it is amusing. We're a nation that has attempted to push some technological frontiers and this kind of shows that sometimes things go wrong but with interesting results. Its my belief the thing likely disintegrated long before getting above the 100km line and even if it did it'll have burned up, I don't think some Vaguzian sheep farmer needed to worry too much."

Meanwhile Sir Alan Maybury, CEO of EMAC, also weighed in on the news saying, "This only goes to show that speed is the very life blood of Morelanders, our grand-fathers knew that speed barriers are there to be broken. Despite EMAC loving a speed record I think this is one that we will be leaving well alone. If its true though I'm proud to say its another speed record for our great nation, I'm just sad that this one goes to somebody other than EMAC." Sir Alan ruled out recreating the feat saying, "I think in the post-nuclear weapon age blowing up nukes isn't a good idea for any reason."

Other documents declassified include various letters from King David II, the current Kings great-grandfather, including a series of letters written to his daughter the later Queen Philippa I. The letters reveal details of their relationship while she was at boarding school at the Northfort Girls Academy. This included words of encouragement after she had failed Morelandish yet even though encouraging it shows the change in Morelander culture prevalent in the early 20th Century as King David II says the language is "following the Dodo and the dinosaur". Historians have described the declassification as a "treasure trove" of early 20th Century social history. It is the aim of the National Archive that all the documents will be made digitally available by the end of 2024.

[DaveIronside]

"A SAD DAY" SAYS KING

King David today cut short a visit to Chamwick following news of various incidents across Mundus. The King had been visiting the city as part of a planned meeting to check on progress of various EMAC projects when he was whisked away by his security detail with no explanation. News then filtered through that Daito had been hit by a missile strike and then later that Mersch had been the scene of a targeted series of terrorist attacks.

The missile attack in Awara, Tochigi Province, Daitō was launched from the turbulent area of Kalasin and caused "thousands" of casualties. The government of Daitō have stated the nature of the attack leads them to believe there has been "direct involvement from the government in Pattani" or Kalasin separatists. The weapon used is believed to have also included a thermobaric warhead. Later in the day the King gave a statement on the attack saying, "I now my best wishes will be of no help to the people of Daitō. They shall have mine, and East Moreland's, prayer but that shall bring the bereved little comfort. East Moreland knows the horror of similar attacks having seen Freestone hit by two missiles during the early part of my reign. There we measured the dead in hundreds but it did not break us as a people and I am confident this shall not break the people of Daitō. We will stand ready to offer what support we can. We are active members of the Joint Emergency Team and through them we have always had ready to deploy specialist search dogs who can help find people trapped in rubble. These teams can and will deploy within hours of being given the go ahead from Daitō. In addition we can send water, food and various other supplies. While Daitō are a nation with a capable military we have assets designed for missile defence stored in The Commonwealth of the Iwi and we would consider, if required, loaning these. The perpatrators must be discovered and while I am a firm believer in people being free to determine their own future if this is separatists then I would urge them to cease these activities for fear of losing any international support they may have."

News then came of attacks closer to home when Mersch saw three of the leading candidates for the monarchy of Mersch assassinated within an extremely short time. Jasmin Volk, one of the daughters of a leading candidate is already in East Moreland following unsuccessful attempts on her fathers life however the King now offered refuge to others. "We were already working with the provisional government in Mersch to re-establish their monarchy, as was determined by a referendum. Now we have a major issue as in one swing of the sword terrorists have caused the plan there to collapse. We shall however help scoop those bricks up and re-set them. I gave my word that we would help support them as they restored their monarchy, and ensured the stability once loved there returns. We stand committed to this and any of the candidates for the crown shall find safety here. We will work with Prime Minister Dahl to make sure the timeline we were working on is reviewed and if required amended. It is still our hope to have the matter concluded before the end of 2023.

The King has moved East Moreland forces to a higher alert level and ships were already being deployed towards the Commonwealth of the Iwi for the annual CNN summer exercise. It is understood these ships may now be diverted to support humanitarian efforts. Meanwhile Princess Freya was due to meet with Prime Minister Dahl in Mersch shortly however the Palace will now not confirm or deny that the meeting will go ahead. 

[DaveIronside]

JEKARS SLING SENT TO THE IWI

King David has today announced that six units of the anti-missile defence system known as Jekars Sling, is due to be sent to the Commonwealth of the Iwi. The system has been utilised successfully as part of a multi tier system to protect East Moreland from missile and rocket attacks similar to those that struck Freestone almost a decade ago. The system was quickly constructed by EMRC based on prototypes they had working at the time and since then missiles supplied by EMAC and software upgrades from SmartWar have made the system highly effective. The system has previously been deployed in Royal Selecuid during the crisis with Slava and in Lodja during the civil war. With current crisis in the Matildas having already seen missile strikes on a hospital ship, Daito and a bomb in Rokkenjima it is hoped these systems will provide peace of mind to the Commonwealth. Explaining the decision Sir Harry Samuelson, the Minister of Defence said, "We take our obligations to our friends seriously, we have technology that may be able to protect many parts of their nation. I would like to think that anything to the west of the Matildas can have some protection. We can identify and bring down missiles some 300km away so hopefully that will mean we're essentially a check point of sorts. This is especially true as the Commonwealth shares a border with one of the parties." The system will be flown into the nation within the next 24 hours.

In addition East Moreland's Royal Logistical Corps have been placed on standby to respond to the dirty bomb in Rokkenjima. Sir Harry explained saying "The Royal Logistical Corps are our nations go to for dealing with NBC incidents, they've contingency plans in place should such a thing happen in East Moreland and I don't see why this can't be done in Rokkenjima. Should the Rokkenjimans request it the Royal Logistics Corps will head over and see what help they can be in cleaning up."

Meanwhile the East Moreland Armed Forces have seen their Bikini State, or alert level, increased to Black Alpha which is the highest before being in actual war. Black Alpha means "A known specified threat against East Moreland targets either at home or abroad is expected to be acted upon in the near future" Sir Harry told us "Morelanders are used to such warnings, we've spent lots of time worried about the Borlanders and as such everyone knows the procedures we expect people to follow. Rest assured we will remain vigilant." The general public are reminded that in case of suspect terrorist activity they should contact either the police or their local military outpost.

QUEENS FASHION UNVEILING

Queen Stasya has today released the first images of the East Moreland and Lodjain uniforms for the Mundus Games. The Queen of East Moreland, a Lodjian by birth, has long been involved in fashion design and has run her own not for profit fashion house called Pelafashion. The Queen was approached by both teams to design their uniforms for the opening ceremony and today fashion shows in Silverhills in East Moreland, and on the Lodjain island of Iskor showcased the designs. Queen Stasya attended the show in Silverhills, modelling one of the women's outfits herself. The show saw not just the opening ceremony uniforms but the full range of team kit being paraded. The official team shop went live just moments later with all the profits of sales of replica versions of the East Moreland parade uniform seeing all profit going to junior sports teams across the nation. One of those attending the show was Mundus Games legend Daisy Greechan who said, "personally I'd be wearing the red dress, I like the fact its elegant but a little flamboyant. In previous years we've kind of just worn plain blazers with the nations coat of arms on, now we've something that will truly make us stand out. I like it."

Meanwhile in Iskor the Lodjian showcase saw their uniforms announced with the intention that any profits from sales will be used to help fund junior sports coaching courses. Queen Stasya was seen later in the day sporting one of the Lodjain uniforms at the post show event in Silverhills and said, "Lodja are a nation that places a great pride in having healthy bodies, sport therefore should be important, we though have not always done great at competitive levels and I want to try and do my little bit to make my native land successful. I shall though during the games proudly be wearing my red and white. Myself and David will head over at some point during the games and cheer on the team. I wish everyone great success and can't wait to see our team wearing my designs."

[DaveIronside]

"ACHKAERIN TO ALDCLIFFE" FOR MED MMA HOPEFUL

Sergeant Demi Bennett is the current East Moreland Women's Heavyweight Medieval MMA Champion and heavily fancied to do well in the upcoming Mundus Games in Achkaerin. The 26 year old is now undefeated in sixteen bouts and enters the games on the back of a victory over Fran Merson to take the national championship in front of a crowd of 60,000 at King Robert Arena two weeks ago. Bennett serves in the Royal Engineers Regiment and has also represented Pegasus Legion in the recent Ostlake Games helping take the Women's Tug of War Championship as well as coming third in the gym challenge. Bennett however says the games will hopefully be her final moments in competition having confirmed that she is the second woman in the 21st Century to be accepted onto Red Legion selection. The first was Princess Freya who broke her ankle on one of the final selection tests and therefore was deemed to have failed, despite many saying the Princess had performed well throughout selection she has not attended for what would be her second and final attempt and has not confirmed whether she ever intends to. Bennett would if successful be the first female to enter the elite regiment in its history. Standing at just under 6ft and described by her Mundus Games team-mates as a "Gym Monster" the Rockhampton native is considered by many to stand a much better chance than the Princess. Sir Charles Townshend, who himself served in Red Legion and has been a guest coach at the Medieval MMA teams sessions has been asked about Bennett's chances, "From what I've seen she is a natural warrior, aggressive, intelligent and determined. She is however rather more muscle bound than the average Red, that can prove problems as she'll have to carry that muscle up and over some of the biggest hills in East Moreland and that's a challenge. Mentally I'd put her in the Legion tomorrow but the Legion doesn't work like that. For the media it makes so much better press talking of the first female Red but for now I want to concentrate on her winning the gold."

Bennett has served in the Seaforth's Eugenics War and Marseille and has been awarded two mentions in dispatches for clearing minefields under fire. The Red Legion selection process takes place twice a year, once in summer and once in winter, and has a success rate of less than 10%. Experts believe that both selection intakes bring unique challenges with one former Red Legionnaire instructor saying, "You turn up in summer and your facing the scorching sun as you hike through the countryside with packs weighing up to 80lbs on your back. Thats horrific especially as packs are weighed at the end and so taking water, which is a must in the summer, needs to be carefully balanced to make sure you don't end up with 79.9 lbs when you finish as that gets you sent back to your home unit. Winter is no easier as now you have to contend with the risks of frost bite and hyperthermia in the Alps foothills. Both are horrific but worth it if your successful."

The Games begin soon and Bennett is one of a huge number of military athletes competing.

[DaveIronside]

PRINCESS BEGINS MONTH OF LODJAIN SCHOOLING

With schools in East Moreland due to return from the summer holidays in mid September it was today confirmed that Princess Rhiannon has headed to the Isle of Iskor where she will spend a month attending Iskor Girls Junior School. The Princess is to be accompanied by her mother Matilda Osman who agreed to the move saying "My daughter is one day going to find herself having to work closely with the Lodjains so I know she needs to be prepared. I'm fortunate enough that I can join her and experience life on a beautiful island which gives me a chance to observe whales and dolphins with Oliver while she's at school. Its like a combination of a holiday and school." The Island is part of the Dukedom overseen by Queen Stasya's father Duke Tobias Pelagiya. It is understood that Princess Rhiannon has what the Queen has described as "more than passable Lodjain" and that she will access the full Lodjain curriculum during her time there.

Once the Princess returns to East Moreland she will begin her first year at the Northfort Academy for Girls, which takes students from ages 10-18 and has educated every female member of the Ironside family since 1750. While the Academy has boarding facilities she will not be a boarder as King David explained "We live just down the road and while I think boarding schools can give students a rich experience in life Rhiannon also has other forms of education she needs to tend to and that can't be done by the wonderful staff at the Academy. Beside there would be a significant greater disruption to the other girls educations and that is something I think is unfair." The Princess has been placed in Espada House, one of four in the Academy, the others being Sabre, Rapier and Long. Princess Freya was once head girl of Espada House and still holds the House record for Cross Country, with the schools record being held by Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside who was in Sabre House, which counted High Priestess Joanna Ironside among its alumni. It is said that Princess Rhiannon is a good student who excels in History and Painting.

EMAC TO DELIVER 5,000 MAN PORTABLE DRONES

The Ministry of Defence have today confirmed that EMAC have won a contract to provide 5,000 man portable micro drones over the next three years with an option to accelerate delivery if required. The WING (Weaponised Intelligence and Navigation Gadget) Munition is capable of being fired either from a device that looks like a slightly larger hand held flare or utilising the grenade launchers issued to some Legionnaires. Once launched WING can be controlled from a squad commanders communication device and can stay airborne for 35 minutes. During this time the weapon can transmit images up to 10km and can even be put into a autonomous mode where it will track a vehicle using visual sensors. It can also be programmed to follow a set route to relay images. There is a small payload capacity which allows it to be detonated alternatively it can simply land and be retrieved for reuse from a grenade launcher. Weighting in at just 250grams the device is thought capable of being carried easily in a tactical vest. 

Sir Alan Maybury of EMAC responded to questions saying, "The explosives won't take out tanks or anything with substantial armour but could certainly be used to take out infantry units or to help breach target houses. We're once again proud to have teamed with SmartWar for part of the project and as always we're honoured to do our part to support our armed forces." It is believed that the contract for the devices, training in use and control software will be in the region of £40million. 

[DaveIronside]

KING VISITS MUNDUS GAMES

King David has today made his way to Valtheim to watch the progress of East Moreland's athletes in the 2023 Mundus Games. East Moreland currently sit in a disappointing 10th position in the medal table with 16 gold medals, including both the mens and womens Gold medal in rugby sevens. The King has sent each of the gold medal winners a letter of congratulations and all medal winners will, as always, be invited to a post-games celebration event at Northfort Palace. The King is thought to be especially keen to watch the finals of the Medieval MMA tournament within the games with East Moreland athletes tipped to do well having already taken gold in the Fortress Battle, a team event within the discipline that is usually only seen at the Mundus Games and a handful of other events. There have been voices of concern within the sporting community over the nations position in the medal table. Leo Mather, a coach at the Ostlake Sports Institute, said "Sport is a big part of our national heritage. Our Cult of Helus promotes the idea of healthy body and healthy mind and many of the sports we excel at tend to have a background in the militaristic psyche. We have though relied too much on the use of Armed Forces sport as a breeding ground for success and that can leave us a little behind everyone else. We have seen in sports such as cycling we've been left behind. Our once traditional power in the pool and on the track has begun to wain and now we're relying on combat sports and rugby to help us out. We've been promised significant investment in sport and its come but my issue is where its been invested. We've built excellent facilities for rugby and Medieval MMA and even promoting the expansion of football, whats needed now though is basic stuff everyone can access."

This point was matched by the King who has promised a future programme that would promote better involvement in a wider range of sports. Speaking from the East Moreland accomodation in the athletes village the King said "Our service men and women enjoy facilities for sport that I would say are on par with those here in Valtheim. While that's positive it means many of our top sports people only have access to those facilities for one or two years and only when they hit 18. Thats going to change. One thing that will be happening is the creation of a kind of payment scheme where school students reaching significant standards in fitness will be given extra funding towards further education, likewise if they achieve certain success in school sports the same will happen. We've invested a lot of time and effort into supporting academic excellence in East Moreland and now we will do the same for sporting excellence."

The King has also indicated while in Achkaerin he intends to make time to visit the former Emperor of Achkaerin who is still "medically incapacitated".

"TEAR POWERED" SMART LENS PRODUCED

OsmanTech have today announced that they have produced what they believe is the worlds first smart contact lense that is powered by human tears. The potential of Smart Contact lenses is thought to be wide with applications ranging from the use as displaying information directly to the wearer and augmented reality to monitoring health conditions such as glaucoma and diabetes. Currently the smart lenses that have been prototyped have required charging using either the use of metal electrodes or induction charging both of which require the use of potentially harmful wires within the lense. The new design features a lense made with a coating of glucose oxidase. This  coating reacts with the sodium and chloride ions in the tears, generating a current within the contact lenses. Using a simulated human eye, the team demonstrated that the battery could produce a current of 45µA and a maximum power of 201µW, which would be sufficient to power a smart contact lens. Laboratory tests showed that the battery could be charged and discharged up to 200 times. There is also the possibility of leaving the lense in a solution overnight while asleep to extend the battery life.

Professor Michael Thames is leading the team for OsmanTech and has said. "The fact the battery is so simple to charge and also much safer should the lense get damaged  actually means there is a larger surface area that we can use for various other functions, be that monitoring health or displaying information. Wearable tech is, as Bakkermaya's ZDS have demonstrated, the future for many of us. The applications are vast and we're going to explore them all." OsmanTech confirmed that it working with EMAC to investigate the use of the smart lense to be used for people operating in the battlefield who may have to control remotely piloted drones. Human trials have now been approved and OsmanTech is searching for 100 volunteers with glaucoma to try them out.

[DaveIronside]

STOFFEL II GETS ANOTHER ROYAL CAMEO

With the annual Honeybadger Day celebrations just four days away one of the most eagerly awaited events for the day is the release of "Adventures of Stoffel Part 2-The Magic Music". The follow up to 2022's box office smash see's the nations favourite cartoon character return in an adventure taking him to a "far away Kingdom" inhabited exclusively by Bunnies. While EMTV's film division have released numerous trailers and clips they have only today released some details of the films cameos. Speaking to assembled press the shows creator Emilia Benson said, "After the success of the first film we actually had people contacting us asking to be in the next one, mainly people who had kids who loved the film. We were also able to take the opportunity to include some interesting appearances from others." Princess Rhiannon returns in her role as "Princess Bunny" who hears of a problem in a "far away Kingdom" a friend has told her about and Stoffel and his friends head off to investigate. The far away land is inhabited entirely by rabbits which coupled with the cameo from Neu Urburzis Prince Augustin as a kind wizard has lead many to believe it is a veiled reference to one of East Moreland's overseas friends. Stoffel discovers an evil doer has acquired a magical musical instrument that can stop children dreaming and through team work and adventure the worlds favourite Honeybadger must get it back for it to be destroyed forever. The evil character is voiced by actor Ben Gilmore who has previously played King Robert in EMTV's epic historical drama "Ironsides". The role is his first voice work, the 49 year old said, "It was a lot of fun and I'm amazed at how the animated characters take on some of the form of the actors, spend ten minutes with Princess Rhiannon and you can see Princess Bunny. My career has always seen me play heroic good guys and I guess I'm slightly type cast for that, no bad thing. It was though fun to be the bad guy for once." Other cameos include a dolphin that helps Stoffel who is voiced by Daisy Greechan, a eagle that helps the team when they get lost voiced by astronaut Rachel Dixon and a rabbit band performed by Mumford and Sons. The film is expected to be a box office smash with the world premier taking place in Northfort the evening before Honeybadger Day with the Royal Family due to attend. Emilia Benson has also confirmed that the TV show will be back in the spring for its tenth series and that already a third film is being worked on and is hopeful of being ready for 2024. She also confirmed that TV rights have now been sold to several countries and therefore we shouldn't rule out in universe mentions of new places for Stoffel to visit.

With Honeybadger Day approaching several other key events are taking place. On the day itself street parties will be held across the nation and a huge free concert will take place in People's Park with Mumford and Sons expecting to headline. The King has confirmed that he will be spending it in Northfort while this year marks the turn of his former wife Matilda Osman to take Princess Rhiannon who will be spending the day with her mothers family in Portworth. The King has also confirmed that the Kermah ambassador will be his guest of honour at a garden party with royal press secretary Malcolm Tucker explaining. "A long time ago the first Honeybadgers arrived on a boat from Kermah and now its become our symbol. The King thinks it important to mark this bond between our two very different nations and as such it is only right the people of Kermah are included in our celebration in some way as because without them this celebration wouldn't be taking place."

[DaveIronside]

NATION PARTIES

The 28th September has seen the Kingdom of East Moreland celebrate one of its major festivals of the year. Honeybadger Day marks the date on the time when the first Honeybadgers arrived in East Moreland, the creatures were brought from Kermah as King Sven the Grey had seen the animals there. During his stay the King believed that the animals had the characteristics of the perfect Morelander, bravery, intelligence, resilience and a love of family. The King purchased eight of the creatures from the Mombaka Tribe and brought them back to East Moreland where they were released on the royal estate in Rockhampton. Soon after several other nobles had imported the animals in order to be seen as fashionable and the animals soon became acustomed to the nation. Today the creatures are found in several of the forests of East Moreland and even have become a popular TV character.

Festivities across the nation have seen millions of people taking part in street parties and organised musical events. The King began the day at Northfort Palace following a visit to watch the world premier of "Adventures of Stoffel Two - The Magic Music" the night before. There he meet with the extended Ironside family for breakfast, one of the few occasions the whole Kade family have joined with the Ironsides in recent years as many of the family serve in overseas duties. The King then said goodbye to his daughter Princess Rhiannon who was travelling to Portworth to spend the festival with her mother, Lady Matilda Osman. King David then visited Temple and joined in celebrations at the Palace with guests invited by the family. Ambassador Ullah Teshiba from Kermah was the honoured guest at a large BBQ which is said to have featured six cows, four hogs, eight deer and a bear among the feast. The party also included several of the Mundus Games medal winners, while all those winning a medal were offered tickets some preferred to spend the festival with extended families back in their hometowns were many were guests of honour in parades through their neighbourhoods.

The evening was rounded off with a free concert in People's Park headlined by Mumford and Sons. Around 120,000 people are thought to have attended with large numbers also watching on TV. Globally embassies hosted their own events inviting their local community to join in. In Kermah the Embassy invited the descendants of the Mombaka chiefs who sold Honeybadger to a feast at the embassy while in Lodja a charity rugby game between the Embassy and staff from the Isle of the Goddess took place followed by a large cocktail party. The proceeds from the game went to the Global Childbirth Initiative.

Tomorrow King David and Queen Stasya are expected to depart, hangovers permitting, to visit Medusalin in the first visit by an East Moreland monarch for several generations. It is thought King David will observe the annual festival of the island nation.

[DaveIronside]

ARCHDUCHESS MAKES WORLD CUP "SQUAD"

With the East Moreland womens team making their squad for the upcoming world cup public eyes were raised with one name among the squad. Along with the 23 women who are part of the squad a list of extra backroom staff have been declared with Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside being listed as "Fitness and Conditioning Consultant". The 23 year old niece of King David is a serving member of the Royal East Moreland Air Force and has over the past few months been undertaking secondary training to be a Physical Training Instructor within the Air Force alongside her current role as a Force Protection K9 Officer. The Archduchess has been working on her portfolio of coaching in order to claim her instructors qualification and has been working with Roberton AFC's womens team for several months. The Archduchess is a world class athelete in her own right having been the first person to win medals at both the Summer and Winter Games, she is also the current national record holder in several distances for speed skating. Alongside Daisy Greechan she also rowed the Mhorish to raise funds for charity and has trekked to the North Pole. National team coach Sarah Whiteman said "Having someone of the calibre of Sophie to work with us is great. Unlike many teams in the tournament we don't have a professional league back home, often are facilities are not world class and most girls play just for the love of the game. Sophie is an athlete who has experienced pressure at the very top of the pyramid of sport and that experience, regardless of sport, can only help the girls as we move into this tournament. All the girls from Roberton have reported for training in tip top condition and we hope that means in the short time we have before the tournament begins we can get everyone to an even higher standard. We've seen at big tournaments the smaller teams often end up getting torn apart in later stages mainly as a lack of fitness kicks in against the professionals, we're seeking to make sure that doesn't happen."

The Archduchess has kept her involvement to now low profile saying "I'm proud to be involved in the team. The girls in the actual squad though are the ones who are going to make the difference. I can only support. They're the ones who for 90minutes have their fate in their hands. I'm just privledged to be along for the ride and if Sarah things I can be of any help beyond coaching then I'll do what I can."

Leanne Williams is the captain for the tournament and an AFC Roberton player, she is also a tattoo artist. "We all go into the world cup nervous. We're right down the list in terms of bookies favourites and we understand why. We go out though thinking we can get a result everygame. If we can get through the group stages then anything is possible in knockout football. We saw that in the first Mundus Champions League tournament when Northfort United, a team like ourselves full of post men, butchers and a bank manager, nearly got a result in the final. Lots of us have never played in big tournaments so having a Mundus Games champion alongside us will hopefully mean we've someone who can help us cope with the added pressure. I think we're all ready and excited to get to Abertone and try and get the job done."

Meanwhile a crisis has hit the mens team as star striker, Leo Jenkins, was seen being helped into an ambulance yesterday following an accidental clash of heads in training. The 22 year old has been red hot for AFC Roberton so far this season scoring six goals in eight games. Team manager Gary Northgate confirmed the hospital trip saying, "We think he'll be fine for the World Cup, maybe not the first few games. We'll have him assessed for concussion and obviously his safety and health is first in our thinking. If he needs a bit of extra time we can probably work around that. I've been frank with him though if the doctors timeline for his return mean he will miss two games then sadly he'll be staying in Roberton."

The blind football teams have already left for Abertone. The teams had been attempting to raise funds for their visit as the sport receives very little governing body funding. This saw a "Go Fund Me" set up to try and support their competition efforts. The teams exceeded their hoped for $50,000 when OsmanTech's CEO Joanna Osman stepped in and said the company would ensure the team were "well looked after." With the blind teams not playing together regularly at all the extra time in Abertone is being used to get match practice in with the teams playing several games against Abertone City's Universities teams. Joanna Osman said, "Its a shame that our government can't fund disability sport better. Quiet rightly when someone in the military gets permanent injuries the government throw money at oppurtunities for them to get active again and in no way do I dispute the fact they deserve it. Where East Moreland falls down though is supporting other disability sport with the same passion. If that means OsmanTech has to step in then so be it. We're proud now to say we sponser the Blind Football teams and this will not be a one off package, we're talking to the EMFA about a long term deal for a whole host of different ability teams."

EMAC AND PRD JOIN FORCES

The Royal East Moreland Naval Service today took delivery of the prototype of an joint East Moreland Aircraft Company (EMAC) and Portworth Royal Dockyards (PRD) project. Known at the moment simply as Project A-1 the partnership is the first of its kind between the two companies that have long all but monopolised the procurement process within East Moreland. The Project is advertised as an "air transportable hybrid-electric powered insertion vehicle capable of operating in three states." The vehicle is to be utilised by the Royal Marine Commando for the next few months to asses its full capabilities.

From details given to the media the vehicle is capable of being dropped from a cargo plane by parachute as its crew parachute seperately. Once in the water the vehicle can carry up to eight people and be fitted with a variety of remote controlled weapons systems. On the surface its acts like a traditional speed boat capable of reaching up to 30knots while capable of covering 150 nautical miles however it can sacrifice two of its seats for an additional fuel bag extending the range to 300 nautical miles. The vehicle  can then be put into "stealth" mode which makes it semi submerged, this however limits it to a 5knts. Finally if required hatches can be shut and using pre-installed breathing equipment the vessel can travel fully submerged at a speed of 4knts for up to 30nm, however again two crew spaces can be sacrificed for additional 30nm of range. In terms of weaponry two .50cal machine guns with the potential to be remotely operated can be fixed and the consortium believe in future heavier weaponry can also be utilised.

The Royal Marines are duo to head to Lodja soon for training and it is expected Project A-1 will go with them.

[DaveIronside]

QUEEN UNDERTAKES "RELIGIOUS RITE"

Yesterday morning Queen Stasya was seen leaving the Temple of the Sisterhood of Helus. The Queen later confirmed that she had spent the last two days there undergoing various religious "rites". The Queen's Head of Household, Alexander Samuel, said "Her Majesty has spent the last 48 hours at the Temple, praying, fasting and offering gifts to Helus in the hopes that she will bless her with another child. The King and Queen have been trying for some time to conceive and so far been unlucky. The Queen determined that asking the Goddess Helus for help was important." The ritual itself was not explained however other followers of the Sisterhood of Helus who have undertaken the ritual explained that the ritual begins with a fast of 24 hours at the end of it offerings of fresh meat, vegetables and flowers are laid on the alter and prayers said. The participant then smears blood from the meat on their face and eat a small meal made of the same items left as an offering. Once eaten the participant then begins a vigil for the final 24 hours during which they pray and must stay awake. It is believed that by showing such devotion to Helus that she will bless the participant with a child. Queen Stasya was guided through the ritual by High Priestess of the Sisterhood of Helus Jinny Denman.

Jinny Denman explained that she was now confident that the Queen would be pregnant soon. "Her Majesty has, since her fortunate conversion to Helus, been an incredibly pious woman. She attends prayers, has lead rituals, supported our social programmes such as establishing faith schools and acts as a fine example for others. Today she has again shown her devotion and with the bloodline of Unasson in the King the two will combine to make a child very soon I feel. We are fortunate that the King has seen fit to take a beautiful and healthy woman as his wife following the betrayal of his first wife. Young Prince Llewellyn is threiving and I am praying that the Queen will have a daughter too to help carry on the holy line." Originally Denman had been critical of the King's relationship with Queen Stasya believing that the King should wed a follower of Helus however once she converted away from Sessifet Denman embraced the relationship and has been very supportive of Queen Stasya since describing her once as " a great pillar of our blossoming faith" The Sisterhood of Helus is a relatively new religion having seen Jinny Denman split from the mainstream Cult of Helus about a decade ago. The religion now boasts around a million followers in East Moreland. Its main difference is that it views Helus as female not male and that the various Gods are more like avatars of Helus rather than seperate Gods.

Later that evening Queen Stasya attended a performance of the Royal Ballet in Silverhills at an event that she had sponsered. She was not joined by the King who was involved in "meetings in Northfort". The Queen posed for photos and answered a few questions from the media saying, "I've loved being a Mum to Llewellyn and would like him to have another sibling. He's very lucky to have Rhiannon but I think someone similar in age is important. I would love to have a daughter and now with Helus' blessing I'm certain it will come." The Queen also commented on her recent flirtation with foreign affairs having signed an agreement to make Semelberg, a part of the Charterlands the Pelagiya family have taken leadership of, a member of the newly formed Council of Small Nations. "It was not my decision. Prince Bartholomew believed it was a policy that would help the small Principality and so as a result I was delighted to sign the agreement for him. This has zero impact on East Moreland, it just gives Prince Bartholomew a chance to have his people's voice heard on a global scale." The King has declined to comment on the matter other than by saying he wishes the newly formed Council "all the best". Prince Bartholomew is set to visit Ostlake soon where it is believed he will view military equipment that his nation may be buying in the near future. 

[DaveIronside]

KING TO CHANGE CITIZENSHIP LAWS

Today King David arrived at the Representative Council to introduce his proposal to change East Moreland's citizenship rules. The Citizenship Act (2023) will, if the King signs it into law, change the current rules which require someone to either be born in East Moreland, have two Morelander parents, be granted Citizenship by the monarch or successfully applied for naturalisation having completed five years residency after which they complete national service. Under the new proposal an individual wanting to become a naturalised Morelander would no longer be expected to have completed national service however will be required to have resided in East Moreland for ten years and then successfully sat a citizenship exam which may only be taken in Morelandish. There will still be the option of completing national service once a person has resided in East Moreland for five years at which point they will be eligible for citizenship in seven years assuming they pass the citizenship exam. The King explained the reasons for the proposed changes. "East Moreland has a proud record of taking in refugees from across Mundus, when Seaforth fell we opened our doors, Mavrosia kicked the Cultist out and we offered every single one of them a place of safety here. Lakhzovia's strife saw more refugees air lifted to Hunters Vale. These people have, along with an increase in birth rate, seen over a decade our population reach its highest point of approaching 100million people. Some of those people are now reaching a point of being able to claim citizenship and while we welcome them we still have a large number who are seeking to return home rather than becoming fully Morelandish. We have in Northfort a very good Mavrosian school for example and they are doing a great job keeping their culture alive. My concern is though are they Morelanders? We have some wonderful success stories of people who have come here, embraced our culture and traditions and I'm thrilled to call them Morelanders. Take for example Rollo MacAllister. The young lad came over here during the Seaforthian wars, earned a degree and under Mundus Games rules brought in for the Seaforth situation represented East Moreland helping us win Mundus Games golds and World Cups, I was proud to be able to grant him citizenship and then since he's become a stalwart of our rugby landscape, a legend in the game. He served in the Royal Rifle Regiment and despite the odd appearence in a kilt he is as Morelander as anyone else. I want to make sure people like Rollo can still have a speedy route to citizenship, he would for example have only had to wait a year longer, meanwhile people not as intigrated will naturally take longer."

The move was welcomed by Mark Thompson who is the leader of the Conservative Party within the Council. "We've become concerned about our population growth for a while, its unsustainable I think and while our party believe traditional families are best we believe that being the refugee centre of Mundus is something that must end. I don't want us to shirk our responsibilities under the Code of Canley but we can support the refugee process in other parts of the world easily. If we are having people become Morelanders it needs to be beyond a paper exercise. We believe only Cultists, and by that I mean proper Cultists, should be able to become a Morelander as the love of Helus is ingrained into every fibre of a Morelander."

Chief Councillor  Lucas Blakeslee said that he plans to present several amendments to the proposal in the coming days of council. "Naturally I need to sit down and read the King's proposal in detail with my fellow NTP members. We obviously want to support the King and we trust that his actions always come out of a place of best inentions for his subjects. The King though at times can be a little removed from the thinking of the general public and that is where we come in. Over the next few days I'll be combing through the exact wording with our legal teams, fellow Councillors and the people we represent. Already I think we need to do more to ensure that the idea of Cultists having time removed from qualification needs to be solidified so that it goes beyond a box ticketing exercise. I also think we need to recognise service in other ways than the military. The King for example used Rollo MacAllister as an example of someone he granted citizenship to because of the way he represented his nation. I think formalising this as a route could be an important matter."

While the Representative Council is merely an advisory body King David has not signed into law any Act that has not had the approval of both the Representative and Executive Council.

Following the presentation to the Representative Council the King meet with several of the Councillors who have been campaigning to change the nature of East Moreland's Higher Eduction system. The group lead by Councillor Melissa Lusk of Freestone North, believes that the current system where students pick just three subjects is too narrow. The 26 year old Councillor explained to the media, "The 21st century is a changing employment landscape, A.I., automation, a more interconnected world and climate change are all going to change the way the world is in the next couple of years. Having 18 year olds entering the work place with such a narrow focus is going to massively limit their potential and we need to change with the times." Lusk described the meeting with the King as "Productive. The King is a man who values education and learning and he was very open to the points we made. He has asked us to draft a proposal for change and once done he will consider it before returning to the Council with his own proposal. I think we have a great oppurtunity to make our education system the envy of Mundus."

After leaving the Council building the King meet up with Queen Stasya, Princess Freya and Major Alex Redfern at the funeral of family friend Clinton Baptise the 82 year old high class tailor. Mr.Baptise owned the "Crowned Unicorn Tailoring Salon" which was established in 1961 on Mr.Baptise's 20th birthday. He had completed national services military requirement and then found himself sent to work in various museums where at Northfort National Gallery he found himself repairing clothing for displays after which he apprenticed as a tailor and joined the Seamstress & Tailors Guild in short order. In 1962 he was called on to make an "emergency suit" for young Prince Edward who at the age of six was refusing to wear any he owned to his grand-father, King David II, funeral just 24 hours later. Mr.Baptise's work was so well received that from that point on he practically became the royal tailor. King David III was a regular customer and estimated, as he spoke at the funeral, that he owned "a vast quantity of Clinton's work and each one was made with skill and love." Mr.Baptise has no living descendants and has left the company and its only store on Crown Plaza to Queen Stasya on condition that it becomes part of her company "Pelafashion". The Queen's company is a not for profit enterprise that helps young Morelanders and Lodjains get a start in the fashion industry and raises money for charities. The Queen said, "I've only ever worn one of Clinton's creations and I loved it, his blazar suit is still one of my favourite pieces and I love the way he made my husband always look very handsome and dapper. Its my aim to ensure that the business sticks to the ideals of Clinton and that the two young apprentices he'd been working with get into the Guild in the very near future and I'd like to think we can trust both of them to help lead the Salon into the 21st Century. I know I have a reputation for being a little extravagant and maybe a little flamboyant for Morelander tastes but the Salon will not be influenced by me, perhaps I'll just make David creative director." The Queen confirmed that should the two apprentices get enrolled in the guild that they would feature in Niameck Fashion Week in Neu Urburzis sometime in February.

[DaveIronside]

HUNTER VALE TO REACTIVE AMID EVAC OFFER

Following the discovery of what are being labelled "rape camps" in Kalasin the King has authorised REMNS King Robert to offer to help those found there. In a statement released from the Palace the King stated, "At the start of this conflict we placed assets close to the Iwi in order to help protect our friends in the Commonwealth. Our first instincts upon hearing of these camps and the horrors within was to order our assets to begin military action however I am very aware that forces from the former CSTO are already heavily occupied and it is my belief they have more than enough resources to get this done. The sudden appearence of these camps may provide a distraction to those operations in terms of caring for those impacted. As such we are offering our fleet, and will be urging the other CNN assets in the region to support, in order to remove those from danger. Utilising vessels such as REMNS King Robert and airfields in the Commonwealth we will re-open our refugee centre in Hunter's Vale. This facility has been used countless times for refugees from Mavroisa, the UNP, Lakhzovia and various other global flash points. The facilities there will allow us to offer complex medical care and if required emotional support and counselling. I also offer any support required to bring those responsible for this war crime to justice. Our formation of the historic war crimes treaty shows our commitment to go to considerable lengths to ensure justice is done. "

[DaveIronside]

FREESTONE F.C FACE EJECTION FROM LEAGUE

While the eyes of the international footballing community might be on the world cup in Abertone the East Moreland Premier League have today been rocked by a scandal which may see Freestone F.C ejected from the league. The club were part of a random drugs test on Monday and while no players tested positive for any banned substance the drugs testing teams, who also inspect the clubs medical records, found evidence of a systematic attempt to enhance player performance using Lugworm Haemoglobin. The substance is used in several medical forms, most notably in patients after transplants as the Haemoglobin has been noted to be a universal blood substitute that can transport 40 times more oxygen than human haemoglobin. The chemical also has an extremely short detection period of just a few hours. It has been determined that it is likely that Freestone F.C players had, on several occasions, been injected with the substance around 30 minutes before kick off as the impact is almost instant. It would have allowed them to work harder on the pitch than they normally could by allowing their blood to carry more oxygen to the muscles. The players would then play the game and should they be selected as the random player for drug testing the substance would have dissipated enough that there would be no trace of it in any test. However the substance is not routinely tested for in any case. The club deny any wrong doing however it is understood that viles of the chemical were recovered and as it is a prescribed item it was illegally held by the club, therefore Freestone Police have also become involved.

Many of the vials were from OsmanTech who released a statement saying. "We have no knowledge of how Freestone F.C would have acquired the items in question. We provide top quality extracts of this haemoglobin to health care providers but once delivered it is out of our control over how they distribute it. We would however withhold sales to any individual or company that circumvented the prescription process." Jessica Osman, who is the companies CEO, added "We have always tried to be ethical and we shall co-operate with any investigation by the national F.A or the Police. This product is not intended for any non-medical purpose and actually if a controlled blood doping programme has taken place they have denied supplies to legitimate medical outlets."

The club have so far declined to comment however the F.A have said that the clubs games will be allowed to continue until an investigation is completed however all members of the clubs medical staff have been suspended from "footballing activities" by the F.A. In addition a F.A obeserver will be present in the Freestone F.C squad to ensure no blood doping is taking place. Should the club be found to have carried out a systematic doping programme they are likely to have their licence to operate as a club withdrawn which will see them unable to complete the season. Alternatively if it is found to be more isolated then the club could face a two point deduction for each case discovered. Currently Freestone sit 2nd in the National Division which is the 2nd tier of East Moreland football. They have no players in the current world cup squad.

[DaveIronside]

QUEEN HOPES FOR "JOYOUS" 2024

Speaking today at the Temple of the Sisterhood of Helus in Northfort Queen Stasya spoke about the upcoming new year. The Queen was attending a ceremony to swear in the latest group of Priestesses to qualify. The Queen spoke with the media following the ceremony saying. "The year 2023 has been one that has been only OK for me. I've seen my faith come under attack by snipers, bombers and other terror attacks. I've seen our nation targetted by terrorists from Mersch and at times I've made decisions that have made my relationship with my husband a little tense, for example my families assistance to take control of Semelberg. While that has now been proven to be a positive for all parties it wasn't at first. I've seen my desire for a 2nd child go unfilled and that has also made my husband sad. We desperately want a little brother or sister for Llewellyn and Rhiannon." The Queen however has said she has strong hopes for 2024. "I'm confident the new year will be extra special. We are praying for a joyous 2024. We plan on expanding the missionary programme of the Sisterhood with at least three new schools, one in Bakkermaya, one in Semelberg and one in Lodja. Beyond that myself and David will be trying to get pregnant to ensure the Ironside dynasty becomes strong. I also have some big plans for my fashion business and I think we'll be able to make some big waves in the New Year."

The Queen later went to visit St.George's Church to take gift baskets for the Church to distribute as part of its Christmas Homelessness Project. Bishop Clyde Buckley said. "We are trying our best to make sure no Morelander, regardless of faith, is out in the cold. We may be a very very small minority here but that doesn't mean we can't play a big role. The Queen has always been supportive of social projects and to have her visit and bring us support is lovely to see, especially at this special time of year." The Queen delivered the baskets containing food, drinks, toiletries and sleeping bags before joining with some of the Church goers for mince pies and gingerbread coffee.

PRINCESS PICKS FREESTONE HEADLINE ACT

With the Freestone New Year Festival quickly approaching this year traditional four day party in the city of Freestone will feature a "Youth Stage" where all the acts are going to be picked by children under the age of 16. The Grand Marshall of that stage on the 31st December will be Crown Princess Rhiannon. The 11 year old Princess will be selecting the act that will help see in 2024 on the stage furthest to the East of the city. The Festival see's a total now of eight stages dotted around the city with acts ranging from classical orchestras to major rock bands. Announcing her choice of act the young royal has opted for a set from Avril Lavigne who she explained in her announcement was "my Spotify most played of 2023. I just love her and her music is so fun." The stage will also see performances from Lewis Capaldi, Zara Larsson and Jess Glynne. Other children who have selected artists to play include those who have won awards over the past twelve months for local acts of bravery such as 14 year old Mary Orson who selected Lewis Capaldi. The 14 year old had managed to rescue her elderly next door neighbour from a house fire and will be one of the guests of honour.

[DaveIronside]

PRINCESS "PROUD" OF THE "NORTHFORT ERA"

Today Princess Freya visited the studios were various Star Wars related media is filmed. The Princess is said to be a keen fan of the franchise and was snapped on set with several of the cast from leading shows. The Princess was also questioned about the recent address from the Empress of Rokkenjima who stated "The Northfort Experiment has failed miserably, leading to losses of life not seen since before the Covenant/Commonwealth era. Do we persist on this path or do we, collectively, decide that our pride is not worth this continued loss of life?"

The Princess spoke on the statement saying "In 2017 East Moreland and Achkaerin made a brave decision to leave the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation. It has become clear by then that the two nations were shouldering the weight of the organisation. As I trudged my way across Marseille I had been promised support from Rokkenjima and while my boots and uniform became caked in the mud of Marseille not a single Rokkenjiman got so much as a spec of dust on their uniform. Proudly the CTO forces succeeded in returning freedom to that nation and as a result also Acquitane. But lets not forget as we hiked across Albion with heavy packs on our backs Rokkenjima picked fights with Nya Aland almost prompting a second war on that continent. Since 2017 we saw conflict in Lakhzovia, a nation where the Utmen were being persecuted and once again the Moreland military entered the fray and established a massive air bridge back to East Moreland taking tens of thousands of refugees out of harms way. Add into this mix our actions to remove those facing religious persecution in Mavrosia and the subsequent aid operations around the world I find it hard to understand that we are somehow responsible for losses of life. Meanwhile we have seen Rokkenjima repeatedly provoke conflicts and conflicts with its friends and neighbours, ranging from destruction of former overseas bases causing environmental damage, a brief unfortunate war with their neighbours in Daito and constant falling outs over matters such as where to base organisations. My brother has created a diplomatic network for East Moreland that is clearly the envy of Mundus. When his time comes, many long years from now, Rhiannon will inherit a legacy that she will find extremely difficult to live up to. In the time as King of East Moreland David has created a foundation that has allowed us to co-operate with nations beyond the imagination of many. The More and Mundus Network established a school exchange programme open to all nations of the world that has seen thousands of young people form life long friendships around the world making our future one where our leaders of tommorrow will have an understanding of culture far in advance of many of their predecessors. The Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation has allowed sites around the world to be protected, advanced scholarship and returned valuable artefacts to rightful owners. The Uppsala Convention, what is now a cornerstone of international law has my brothers fingerprints heavily all over it. A network to protect and prevent trade in animal products in the guise of the Wild Mundus Organisation was pushed by him and his former wife. The Global Childbirth Initiative   has helped establish world class medical training for midwives across Mundus. The Joint Emergency Team was an idea formed by him and Peter Knutsson of the UNP and has worked in some of the most dangerous situations across Mundus. Even the Mundus Refugee Agency that was part of the CTO lives on in the guise of the East Moreland established International Refugee Support Agency (IRSA), whose work East Moreland has borne the brunt of. Anytime, anywhere that there has been a need to help those in danger, to help those in need there has been an East Moreland boot on the ground alongside East Moreland money. I believe firmly that without the so called Northfort Era there are people on Mundus who would never have been born. The Empress knows me well, she spent time on pilgrimage with me, she spent time with me at my home, she knows East Moreland is famed for two things, the first our remarkable punctuality, the second that when we say we'll do something we do it. The best example? There had been talk of removing nuclear weapons from existance and while everyone else talked East Moreland not only dismantled our own but then supported others to do the same."

The Princess was then asked why she believed the Empress would take a shot at East Moreland in her speech. "I have no idea" The Princess explained, "We have often seen in the past Rokkenjiman politicans and royals talking a good game but often one that places them as some kind of leader. While the Empress may talk of the need for an international forum I think the regional approaches have worked very well. One need only look at Grand Duke Hugo Lascelles solving several issues in Ardia using that approach. Rokkenjima seem to believe offers of vast sums of money are the way forward. While we in East Moreland have given overseas aid we have never had to dangle it as a carrot to be our friend or by jumping through hoops access it. If someone needs clean water an East Moreland plane carrying it will turn up and a Royal Engineer will dig a well if thats what is needed, or better still train someone from that nation to dig it. I am proud of what we have achieved and when the time comes that my brother stands before the Gods I firmly believe that they will welcome him to the afterlife with pride knowing that they created such a man. Is this something the last few rulers of Rokkenjima can say? I would urge the Empress to drop the combative and competative nature of her calls for diplomatic engagement and instead just turn up."

The Princess filmed several short clips with characters from the Star Wars Universe that will be used as part of charity campaigns in the new year. The Princess has also confirmed that when her commission comes up for renewal in February she will be moving onto the reserve list. The Princess said, "I've had a long enjoyable career in the forces. The long treks though across places like Seaforth, Marseille and Safraen have taken a toll on my knees and as such I think its time to bow out of full time active duty. My brother has always allowed me to come and go as a part of his government by placing the 2nd Light Scouts above my duties as an Ironside and I love him for that. Now though its time that I support him in what you could describe as the family business. That diplomatic success we've enjoyed could always use a second pair of hands and I'm keen to add a few stamps to my passport, only this time leaving the bergen and rifle behind." The Princess has confirmed that she will initially be focusing her attention on helping ensure the Mersch situation is resolved in "short order" and that she hopes to also spend some time working with the Semelberg Armed Forces.

King David has yet to formally respond to the comments from the Rokkenjiman Empress however his Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker stated, "His Majesty is aware of the comments and hopes the Empresses has not resorted to taking up the methods of the old Rokkenjima. King David would value the friendship of Rokkenjima and its people yet today that may well have taken a backwards step." King David is due for the final round of questions before the Representative Council of 2023 on Wednesday and it is likely questions on this topic could come up.

[DaveIronside]

KING FACES TRICKY COUNCIL APPEARENCE

Today the King made his scheduled visit to the Representative Council where, as long as diplomatic duties permit, each Wednesday he answers questions from Councillors for a minimum of 60 minutes. Today however the King was in the chamber for a total of 97 minutes as topics ranging from the recent bomb attacks in Nya Aland to the Empress of Rokkenjima's verbal attack on East Moreland. The King began as always by laying out his itinerary for the next week which included attending Princess Rhiannon's parents evening tomorrow. Questions began when the representative of Silverhills Central, Giles Mitchell, asked "Does the King intend to send military forces to Nya Aland following the recent attacks that have seen members of the East Moreland military targetted at Red Base."

The King responded saying "We send our best wishes to the people of Nya Aland who at this time have lost loved ones. We gave a commitment many years ago that the Alanders and Morelanders would be friends and I see no reason that should change. The Alanders face uncertain times but they can be certain that we shall support them if requested. At the moment Sir Harry Samuelson is in contact with their military and should the situation change so would our force dynamics."

Next was Chief Councillor Lucas Blakeslee who asked. "The recent report in Rokkenjima of their Empress calling some kind of Northfort Experiment into doubt what kind of response can we expect from our own diplomatic service."

The King answered by saying "There is no experiment going on in Northfort, at least not diplomatically. Whatever the Empress was refering to clearly relates to manner in which we do business and as far as I am concerned business in terms of our international relations and decision making is good. There are no plans from my side to change the way in which we interact with other nations."

Simon Mannix from Portworth asked if there was " a return to the days of anti-Moreland hate within the Rokkenjiman nation."

To this question King David replied, "We've seen no polls like we did in the past. The Empress has spent time in  East Moreland so while hopefully she may express issues with our administration then I would hope the respect for our nation still exists. The Empress has a long connection to our nation dating back to several incidents and I know she has spent time with my sister. It is these things that have therefore surprised me that we have been criticised."

Melissa Lusk, founder of International Refugee Support Agency (IRSA) and one of the Representatives for Freestone asked. "It would seem to those reading the Empresses address that there seems to be a move towards a new form of the CTO or similar. Do you believe such an organisation can be created and that it is sustainable?"

The King told the Assembly. "We took a decision to walk away from the CTO because it didn't work and our shoulders, along with Achkaerin, could not bear the load anymore. As such it worked out best for us to leave and walk away. I so far have seen nothing to make me walk back towards such a body. Nothing the Empress said would lead me to think otherwise. She has just spoken of her wishes and dreams of such a body but for dreams to become reality it takes hard work and dedication and I do not believe Rokkenjima are in a position to pull that off at the moment."

Next Sir Richard Ballen of Northfort Forest District asked "Do we put the Empresses words down to anything in particular or do we think her naivety on the world stage is showing?"

King David replied sternly saying "The Empress, like any royal, is in a position of privilege. While we may try to say young children deserve a normal childhood that is not going to happen for royal children. While I want Rhiannon to enjoy growing up, experience the fun of being a child, she is only too aware that one day she will be stood here before you. She is eleven years old and already being groomed for the crown. Rokkenjima should have, and probably did, prepare the Empress for the crown being on her head. The nature of royalty is that sadly the moment I go off to see Helus Rhiannon is in charge, while I pray that is in many many long years we also all know it could be tomorrow. While an eleven year old Queen of East Moreland would be unworkable I am confident that because of the support network around Rhiannon that on her 18th birthday she could run a nation. I am not going to disrespect Rokkenjima saying they have failed preparing the Empress for the throne but the situation there has been a complex mess for several years. I would also point out we have had leaders of similar ages who have been great leaders. Let us remember Queen Viktoriya of Lodja was 18 when she came to the throne and by 19 had helped redraft large sections of the MCUR, had helped forge the CNN and forged diplomatic links with a great number of nations and she was not born into a royal family. The Imperial Address is a key moment in Rokkenjima's annual calendar. The speech is written, drafted, practiced and revisited. While the Empress claims she spoke from the heart. It was a decision she made. She is in the business of making decisions and now must deal with what happens next."

Finally Sam Rushden from Keepton asked " What is the long term plan for East Moreland and Rokkenjima relations."

The King concluded saying, "I will borrow an often stated phrase from Rokkenjiman diplomacy. Our doors are open. We will not go cap in hand to Rokkenjima expecting them to solve this issue. We will continue our so called experiment by making deals throughout 2024 that benefit every Morelander, support those in need around the world and help bring peace and stability to people across Mundus. There are multiple ways of moving forward. Some have begun, others may happen in due course but I have more pressing and more important concerns than dealing once more with a spat from Rokkenjima. Much has changed from those examples in the past and we do not chase friends."

The King concluded his question and answer session by taking a question from Jack Robinson from Stoneton who asked whether the King supported "the ADSN call for independence for Troyes".

The King said. "I have always, and will always, support the idea that people should have the final say in how they are governed. Following the Regency Crisis here in East Moreland I put before the public the first constitution of this Kingdom. Within it is a mechanism for, if the people ever wish......and I hope they don't, making East Moreland a Republic. If the people of Troyes truly wish to be independent we must establish a way of fairly and openly gauge that. If the people truly then support rejoining Marseille and the removal of Seaforth forces then I'll support that. I always find it strange people travel around Mundus claiming territory and the Seaforth involvement in Troyes is yet another puzzling moment."

[DaveIronside]

NEW YEARS CONCERTS RAISE £6million

The annual Freestone New Years Eve street festival has confirmed that this year it has raised EM£6million. The annual event see's the city close its roads and set up a series of themed stages around the city to see in the New Year. This year most eyes were drawn to the newest stage which represented young people. The stage was located just inside the old city walls and saw six acts play throughout the day, all selected by young people from within the Kingdom aged under 14. The headline act was selected by Princess Rhiannon who had selected one of her favourite artists, Avirl Lavigne, to headline. The Princess also introduced the act saying that all monies collected during the performance would be donated to charities dealing with childhood lukemia and bone marrow donations both in East Moreland and Neu Urburzis. While he was not seen on stage Princess Rhiannon had invited Prince Augustin of Neu Urburzis to join her on stage however the youngster was apparently stage shy. The Princess said she was happy to introduce Lavigne as it meant she could "stay up past my bed time and listen to music really really loud." It was estimated that around £250,000 was collected during the hour long set. Following the performance Lavigne said "I loved performing. I've attended Freestone as a spectator several times but never performed. Now I get to headline. I'm thrilled it was also raising funds for such a good cause I just hope the Princess and her friends enjoyed the show."

On other stages acts such as 2Cellos, The Who and Freestone's own Billy Bragg were part of the perfomances. The King was in attendance as was Queen Stasya and several friends from Lodja. The Queen also hosted a small after party to raise funds for the Global Childbirth Initiative.

KING RESPONDS TO PRESS RELEASE

With the Empress of Rokkenjima releasing a statement effectively saying she had been coerced into making anti-East Moreland statements it was today the turn of the King of East Moreland to respond. The King was visiting the Temple of Jekar in Ostlake when approached by the media. The King said, "I appreciate the Empresses honesty and bravery. The statement though will on its own change little. If there are voices in Rokkenjima preaching anti-Morelander sentiments and that is against the Empresses own stance then I would suggest a line up change. Its like rowing a boat and the Empress must be coxon, if you've someone pushing their oar when they should be pulling you just go round in circles and make no progress. Just like a functioning government. As always East Moreland is committed to working co-operatively with any nation that shares our goals and ambitions. We will await further communication from the Empress once matters have been sorted."

The King has said that in the coming days he will be visiting Gusano in hopes of finalising some CETO business before hopefully hosting Eboricum.

[DaveIronside]

FIRST TIDAL KITE INSTALLED

In what may be a world first the company SFR have successfully generated energy using a system known as a tidal kite. The company believe that they have successfully adapted a small scale wind turbine utilising a kite to work underwater. The device they have installed is located in a channel between rocks and the coast just to the east of Seabrooke. A mechanism weighing 28 tons and with a kite wingspan of around 12 meters has been installed onto the seabed. When the current running through the channel is correct the kite is released and using an automated steering pattern it goes into a figure of eight pattern turning a turbine and thus creating electricity. The company released the system just after 9am this morning and by 11am had reported that it was up to speed and generating around 1.2 megawatts, enough to power around a 1,000 homes. The project manager, Clare Laughton, explained that the device is likely to be rolled out in other areas in the near future. "Here at SFR we've been looking for innovative power solutions for a decade now. We've managed to input several hundreds of megawatts a day into the East Moreland grid utilising a range of green technologies including wind, solar and various other methods. Today we're adding to that offering. Its our hope sites can be found that ensure the safety of the maritime related industries while also giving cheap and green energy. The beauty of this tidal system is that the sea currents are much much more predictable than things such as the wind and sun and as a result we can ensure this system gives a regular input to our grid. We have a system of acoustic deterrants on the kite itself to mean that to marine life in the area its likely to be considered another big fish in a large ocean."

The system will now be monitored for six months and if successful other sites around the nation will be looked at. SFR have also recently won a contract to ensure that Northfort Palace is entirely energy independent and fully renewable by 2030.

QUEEN TO WALK AT FASHION WEEK

With Niameck Fashion week starting soon in Neu Urburzis it has been confirmed that the Queen's not for profit fashion label Pelafashion is to feature and in addition the Queen will be one of the featured models. The event is the highlight of the fashion calendar on Mundus and as such the Queen has been an attendee for many years. In a statement released by the Queen's Head of Household Alexandra Samual the Queen has said "From the age of about 12 I remember flicking through glossy fashion magazines to see what people where wearing at Niameck and trying to get my hands on the cool stuff. I first did a small show there when me and some friends at University did a small boutique and the same year I walked on a runway for the first time. I'm excited to use the fashion show as an opportunity to let Morelanders best young creatives flourish." It is expected that the Queen will showcase Pelafashions leading collection, "QS1" in a major show while several smaller shows will also take place for young up and coming designers. The Queen's statement said, "Every year we take some 14 students out of University who have come from disadvantaged backgrounds and give them two years of work experience before offering them support setting up their own fashion collections, brands or boutiques. We've decieded this year that the best of those students will get the opportunity to dress the Queen and hopefully some other VIPs." It is understood that Princess Adelheid, who is the patron of the shows, has also been invited to walk the show.

Pelafashion became a "Not for profit" in 2021 and has since used all its profits to fund projects that support charities such as the Global Childbirth Initiative while also supporting the next generation of creative people. One of those who has benefitted is Sarah Forsyth a 23 year old who last year opened her own small boutique in Silverhills. "I struggled to get through University as I came from a single parents family and Dad worked as a security guard so money was always tight. In my final year Pelafashion approached me after one of their team saw my work at a student fashion show. I was offered an apprenticeship with them, a scholarship to finish my studies and then two years later they believed in me so much that they gave me an investment to open Forsyight a small store where I sell my own designs and those of a few other local people. We do commissions too. We just finished our first 12 months and while we're not making enough to retire on I was pleased that I managed to finish year one in the black. Without the support of Pelafashion I'd have never been in the position I am."

Agnizka Tarak is the Lead Operating Officer of Pelafashion and a childhood friend of Queen Stasya and she said, "We're thrilled to help people like Sarah. We want to create a vibrant and creatively challenging community in the fashion world so the more success the better. We know Sarah has three members of staff helping her run her boutique and so we help create jobs in the industry beyond what we do here ourselves. It allows us to generate income that allows the Queen to do good works globally." The conditions of investment into stat ups is that the Pelafashion company get 5% of the businesses shares for the first three years or until the initial funding is paid back, whichever comes first. The Queen has also announced that in the coming days she is looking at making "significant updates" to her attendance to the fashion wek.

RHIANNON HAS "MEME" IN NOTEBOOK

Today King David responded to reports about his daughter, Princess Rhiannon, being caught up in some viral social media joke in Neu Urburzis. With reports of an image portraying her as a Viking screaming the words "Holmgang" being seen many had become concerned about the message it put out. The King when asked by the media said that the Princess was aware of the image and while "Not fully aware of what Holmgang means thinks the picture is great." The King went on to explain, "Rhiannon is someone who has found a deep interest in our nations martial culture of swordsmanship and in her younger days at the Festival of Sail was taken by the appearance of the Alander Vikings. She's read up on many aspects of Alander Viking culture and I have encouraged her to appreciate cultures from across Mundus. She has a deep respect for diverse faiths and finds the Odinic faith, like I do, one that has many similarities with the Cult of Helus." The King then announced that his daughter had printed a copy of the picture out and glued it to the inside front cover of her school notebook.

The King then spoke seriously about the situation in Nya Aland. "We are watching the situation with great interest. I've been in touch with our friends there and if required we will offer support. I can confirm Morelanders there have come under fire and responded in kind but with more success. We will not be withdrawing our forces and if required we will send more manpower if requested. Statements from the Gungnir for ritualistic combat is no way to run a nation and shows just how out of touch with reality they are. I'll be speaking with my daughter about the meaning of the word Holmgang and how it is a misuse of the skills that we teach her in swordsmanship lessons with Sir Charles Townshend. We believe firmly that these skills are for defending the weak not for giving yourself power as this Magnus Odinsson seems to want to."

The King then proudly confirmed that his daughter had been selected to compete for the Y8 Girls Swordsmanship Team in the City of Northfort Championships. "My daughter has started Y7 this year and is settling into her new school well. When the school coaches asked if I'd sign to let her compete against girls a year older than her I had no hesitation in saying yes. If she is successful its a great experience however if she loses then the lessons she'll have learned from fighting better competition will make her more determined. I don't want her having an easy path , I want her challeneged."

[DaveIronside]

OSMANTECH MAKE "MEATY" RICE

OsmanTech have today unveiled what they hope will be a new addition to "a toolkit that will allow us to tackle malnutrition globally in an innovative way." Dr. James Durham who has been leading the project began to explain the development to the media by describing the rice as "a potentially eco-friendly way of boosting protein intake at an affordable price. The rice is grown in special vats after going through a process where the grains are coated in fish gelatin and then exposed to beef cow cells. The rice then grows with a combination of rice and beef proteins growing in the grain. Once grown the rice can then be used in exactly the same way as traditional rice. "We believe that perhaps this rice can be grown and then stored for situations such as disaster relief or famine. In the right conditions the rice can be stored for around five years so we could seriously stockpile the stuff. We are still perfecting the process but so far research shows that the rice contains around 8-10% more protein than traditional rice and slightly lower increases in fat content. This could be important in helping people get a more balanced diet in times of hardship." The rice was tested by the assembled media teams and was said to taste more nutty and a little sweet compared to traditional white rice. The rice also had a kind of pink tinge to it which was unusual.

OsmanTech have plans to improve the process involved and the rice is added to their "Golden Rice" which has been shown to improve the amount of Vitamen A in diets. The company are hopeful that the new rice will also help in terms of environmental concerns. "Protein is something that we all need to grow" Dr.Durham explains. "Those of us who enjoy eating meat know that this can often draw criticism from environmentalists for being damaging in terms of its carbon footprint. Traditional beef farming produces 49.89kg of carbon dioxide to make 100g of protein. Our estimates are that this new process will take just 6.7kg of carbon dioxide to produce the same amount of protein. We're a greener alternative." The company hope that they can begin mass production of the new rice by the end of the year.

[DaveIronside]

KING AWARDS HIGHEST MEDAL TO LEGIONNAIRES IN HIT SQUAD

The Palace have confirmed that today King David has meet, in person, with the members of Red Legion who were responsible for the operation that killed terrorist Kyle Barren. The King meet the men of Red Legion at their units HQ in Aldfield and presented each of them with the nations highest military honour, the Kings Medal. The awarding of these four medals now mean that the King has awarded five King's Medals during his lifetime, all of them to anonymous members of Red Legion. It was also confirmed that several members of the National Intelligence Agency who had sourced the information which allowed the strike to take place have been awarded the Moreland Cross which is avaliable only the civilians who have done things considered "inspirational to Morelanders". In a statement released following the King's visit to Red Legion HQ the monarch said, "I am exceptionally proud of the Legionnaires who undertook this operation. They have demonstrated exceptional skills and courage and are an example to every member of the armed forces in terms of what a well trained and dedicated Morelander can achieve. They however are only as good as the intelligence they are given and our hats must be raised to those members of the Intelligence Agency who were able to put these men in a position to carry out their mission. This nation, and the rest of Mundus, owes everyone involved a debt of thanks."

The Palace have also confirmed that the body of Kyle Barren, the self proclaimed "King of the Borlanders", has been dropped from a naval maritime patrol aircraft into "the deep ocean" however say they will not confirm the exact location nor even the body of water. The bodies of the other Borlanders killed during the attack, another six individuals, have been similarly disposed of in unconfirmed locations. A spokesman for the High Priestess of the Cult of Helus stated, "The Cult of Helus is very clear that the deeds we do in life shall determine our place in the afterlife. I am firmly convinced that Barren and all those that follow him will have no afterlife of worth, just that they shall now know the eternal pain and torment that they have caused."

[DaveIronside]

KING HONOURS NAVIES LONGEST SERVING MEMBER

King David and his sister Princess Freya have today travelled to Ostlake to honour the nations longest serving member of the Royal East Moreland Naval Service. Petty Officer Bryan Charles joined the navy  as an 18 year old in 1976 as an engineer and served aboard ships until 1996 at which point he became part of the training establishment at Ostlake training the next generation of naval recruits. In 2003 he became the leading rating for the Maritime Engineering School at Ostlake and was often seconded to Portworth Royal Dockyards to consult on naval projects. In 2015 he was due to retire however the honourary post of Chief Post Master of the Navy became available and with almost unanimous backing from the leading ratings aboard each of the navies ships he was offered the role. The honourary position sees the now 66 year old welcome each ship returning to homebase with its mail as historically the holder was responsible for ensuring all postal communication was accounted for. Now the role is generally held by a member of the Navy "held in high regard by their fellow ship-mates and who serves as a first class example of naval discipline and order.". While the role is mainly symbolic the holder is given a small cottage at Ostlake and paid a small pension in addition to any other income they may have. Petty Officer Charles today celebrated the beginning of his 48th year in the Navy, setting a new record for a rating. The two royals attended a parade at Ostlake East where the crew of REMNS King David I, Bryan Charles' former ship, paraded alongside this years engineering recruits. The King and Princess presented the new recruits with their certificates of proficency meaning they have completed this section of their training before presenting the guest of honour with a model of the REMNS King David I along with the Queen's Medal which is awarded for "services to the monarchy above and beyond that expected of a Morelander." In addition the Mess Hall of the Ratings Mess in the Engineering School will now be known as the Petty Officer Charles Mess. Speaking at the ceremony the King stated, "I'm exceptionally proud to be here and present Bryan with this. He is a wonderful example of service and dedication. I have been coming to Ostlake for almost forty years and Bryan has been a fixture of those times, it is wonderful to see someone like him who clearly loves the Navy and his nation."

Following the award Petty Officer Charles said, "I have never wanted a career outside the Navy and even though my role may be symbolic I take great pride in it. To get a chance to welcome back home everyone who has gone to sea and been willing to sacrifice time with their family in service of our homeland is a great feeling. I've done hundreds of welcome home ceremonies and I've loved everyone of them. My hope is they let me carry on for a good few years yet." The 66 year old is quiet often seen rowing out to meet vessels as they return to Ostlake and the King and Petty Officer Charles later went for a row out to REMNS Portworth which is preparing to head to Bakkermaya.

Princess Freya presented Petty Officer Charles with a replica of the ships bell from REMNS King David I and added, "People like the Chief Petty Officer are the backbone of our wonderful armed forces. I'm honoured to have served in the same military as someone willing to give close to their entire life to serve their nation. As far as I am concerned Bryan should be permitted to stay in the Navy until he chooses to retire and when he finally does I for one will be pushing for a ship to be named after him. I'd like to place on record my thanks and that of East Moreland." Petty Officer Charles was also honoured by his favourite rugby team, Ostlake RUFC, who will make him their guest of honour at tomorrows league game against Keepton.

[DaveIronside]

PRINCESS DEMANDS "CHIP ACT" KING KIND OF AGREES

A trip to a fast food restaurant is used by many parents as a reward for school success, good behaviour or a whole host of different reasons. The royal family is no different and with Princess Rhiannon recently scoring 100% in a school History test a trip to KFC was planned by her father. The trip however has sparked calls from the Princess for a change in legislation. The 11 year old Princess took a photo of her chips and posted it, with her father's permission, to Twitter with the caption "I work hard to get 100% but get 25% of the chips. Not fair. Dad needs to pass a law demanding better chip ratio" KFC later posted that the Princess was correct and that there should be more chips in a serving and would "remind our outlets of our standards." The incident was also referenced by the King himself when he visited the People's Council for an introduction of a proposed new law. The King spoke on what will be known as the "Microchip Security Act 2024" saying. "When I came here today I was under a great deal of pressure to put before you a very different chip act and while my daughter may be interested in the potato based ones I am much more concerned about the silicone ones but we both agree there needs to be more of them." The King went on to explain. "We've been amazed to see over the last decade that our nation has established ourselves as a leading high tech manufacturer and that requires microchips and other components. It is my intention that we will look to ensure that we have a reliable and secure supply of the required components. It is my intention that this law will make it a requirement that the Royal East Moreland Mineral Company (REMMC) be maintained in order to acquire the raw materials to manufacturer the components that we need , be that extracting them directly or by acquiring things such as mines or mining licences overseas. The nation will then maintain a set stockpile as a failsafe in case the need requires. So much of national security is now about cyber space and online that we must be as diligent securing it as we are the rest of our lands."

The People's Council seemed responsive to the proposal with Lucas Blakeslee, the Chief Councillor, saying "The act seems sensible and will promote our nations security, interests and economy. It will have my support in principle but naturally this is the first introduction of the proposal and we know that there will be many debates, discussions and meeting before any formal proposal is put before us for our advice." The Chief Councillor also spoke out on the Princess' proposal saying, "I would vote in favour of Princess Rhiannons proposal of course. I would also suggest that a trip to Annie's Burger Shack gives a much better chip to burger ratio."

Princess Rhiannon is due to head to Portworth for a week during the school holiday which begins on Friday. She is due to spend time with her mother Matilda Osman and has spoken of her excitement about learning to kite-surf. Restaurants across the Portworth region are keeping extra chips on standby.