Author Topic: Lodja Times  (Read 37884 times)

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Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #60 on: June 15, 2019, 08:53:59 PM »




QUEEN REACTS TO MILITARY REVIEW

Queen Klara has today issued several decrees relating to the recent review of the military by the East Moreland Armed Forces. In the first of her actions designed to make the military more effective she announced that General Lubos Kubik, the nations Minister of Defence would be now working alongside King Leopold who will now be assuming personal responsibility for the management of the armed forces. The Queen stated, "Duke Lubos has done a good job trying to bring in changes in the military, the problem is many of the leading figures in the military seem to believe that they are above Ministers and as such at times he has seemingly lacked the power to ensure complete change. Therefore by having him work alongside the King means direct royal involvement on a day to day basis." King Leopold served in the Army for eight years after winning ownership of the Royal Watchman Guard Regiment in a card game. He then proceeded to make himself a Brigadier at the age of 22 years of age. He handed over control of the Regiment in 2018 immediately following the original East Moreland military review.

The Queen has also today initiated the formation of a new Corps within the military. It shall be known as the Royal Instruction and Standards Corps and its purpose shall be to carry out spot checks of both the standard of training and operational readiness of military units. In a move that may anger some members of the military it will only recruit from veteran members of the armed forces who first pass a rigiourous screening test or NCO's from what the Queen has described as "competant and proven nations." Her Divine Majesty explained the move stating, "We have been caught out time and time again and units know when the review inspections are likely to take place. We need to be more prepared all the time. I will therefore seek to add battle hardened individuals to a unit that will not be a front line unit. They shall be tasked with casting their experienced eyes over what goes on day to day and make sure people remain on their toes. We're close friends with three nations that have proud military heritages, East Moreland, Ui Cenneslaig and the Maori of the Iwi, they all have veterans who know their way round a battlefield." Queen Klara went on to announce that the unit would also be given powers to make arrests when they find issues arrising from their inspections.

In order to try and encourage more youngsters to join the military the Queen has also announced she will be changing the rules regarding families becoming Patricians. Currently the law states that should five generations of a family complete satisfactory military service the family may be able to apply to become a Patrician family. This route has seen a fair number of families move up the nations strict social structure in the past. The Queen announced that from 2020 any family that provides members to the military for four generations and where each serving member serves a minimum of eight years while receiving an honourable discharge will be permitted to apply to become Patricians. It is hoped that this will encourage more people to enter military service for the benefit of their family. It is estimated that a shortfall of around 18,000 recruits needs to be made up in order for the military to be at full strength. This move was supported by Priestess for Youth Maria Shvets who said, "Service to the Goddess comes in many forms and protecting the nation of the Goddess home is one of the noblest. I think it perfectly fitting that the Queen lower the qualification for those brave enough to serve in the military." It was also revealed that the Queen had considered bringing in national service however was persuaded not to.

In regards to large numbers of soldiers failing basic fitness tests the Queen stated, "Fitness is a habit and Sessifet teaches us to take care of our bodies so that they are beautiful and perfect as she designed them. As such it is our responsibility to ensure that we take steps to ensure this happens. As such at ages 16 and 18 students will be expected to take a basic fitness test. Those reaching above a set standard will recieve extra credits towards their High School Diploma. It is my hope this will see young people place a better emphasis on their health and fitness and as a result get into good habits that will stick with them for the rest of their lives" The Queen has also said it is important to set an example and as such she will be expecting the Royal Household to be able to prove that they have completed 30 minutes of physical exercise per day. "I have witnessed some of the Red Legionnaire run training sessions for our military and they tell our potential leaders that they should not ask a man under their command to do something they are not willing to do themselves. With that in mind every Lodjain living on the Isle of the Goddess, be it the myself or a pot washer in the kitchens will be expected to lead a life including physical activity." It was confirmed all members of the Royal Household will be given fitness trackers which will be monitored by the Queen's staff.

It was also announced that those youngsters expressing an interest in a career in the military, of both Patrician and Plebleian descent, will be considered for scholarships at schools run along military lines in other countries. Queen Klara stated, "Military excellence starts young in many places around the world, East Moreland has a fine tradtion of disciplined uniformed youth organisations, Neu Urburzis has some unique military style activities at camps, we should look to take advantage of these." It was announced that one of the first to be considered for one of these roles would be 17 year old Henrik Pelagiya, brother of Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya who is the lover of King David of East Moreland. It is believed that Henrik will be taking up some kind of placement at a Rokkenjiman naval academy in the coming months.

The Queen has stated also that the military will recieve a financial shot in the arm. "We currently spend around 3% of the nations budget on the military, that will increase by 1% for at least the next 24 months with the bulk of the new money being put towards procurement. Coupled that with better spending scrutiny it should see a sizeable boost to the nations military capabilities."

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #61 on: July 02, 2019, 08:18:34 PM »




EMBASSY PROTEST BY MILITARY

Members of the Queen's Warriors of Gaia were today called in to deal with a protest outside the East Moreland embassy by retiring members of the armed forces. A group of around 40-50 Non-Commissioned Officers aged over 40 years of age. At one point they threw smoke bombs over the gate and there was an immediate increase in the prescence of armed East Moreland guards inside the embassy building. The leader of the protesting soldiers was Warrant Officer Konstantine Metzgovich who has served 22 years as a member of the Light Foot Regiment of the Line. WO Metzgovich said "We have come here today because we are all about to lose our jobs, we will be unemployed in the next 6 months and our jobs will be given to foreign soldiers, mercenaries with no loyalty to our homeland. Our crime? We served corrupt officers, I know it, you know it. The Patrician officers were the ones stealing money, selling weapons, conveniantly forgetting where they sent equipment. It was not people like me and my fellow soldiers. We followed orders and did as instructed. These East Moreland reports have consigned us to the rubbish dump and we have very little prospect of getting another job."

At one point a pair of protested seemed like they were about to climb the fence but the appearence of an East Moreland soldier with levelled rifle made them rethink and warnings were given about "anti-personnel devices" being utilised if the crowd did not retreat. It was then that the Queen's own personnel guardsman appeared to push the crowd back. Their commander Lt-Col Ulvis Ambrekiski said "These anti personnel devices are essentially claymore's but instead of metal ball bearings they contain small rubber balls. We got a demonstration of the devices when installed in the East Moreland embassy and they are non-lethal but not comfortable. They will leave you with a ringing head and a body covered in bruises." It is understood such devices are routinely installed on East Moreland embassies due to that nations heightened security risk. Lt-Col Ambrekiski stopped his men once they had created a 10 meter zone around the embassy gate area stating, "We have no intention to stop sensible and peaceful protests. Climbing the fence of an embassy belonging to a nation paranoid about security though is asking for trouble. Emotions run high and we are here to ensure they do not spill over."

The recent East Moreland military review found the Lodjain military were still plagued by a host of problems including corruption, financial mismanagement and dereliction of duty. It is believed that around $70million was wasted last year by the Army for poor equipment storage, maintainence and mismanagement. Meanwhile one of the nations "Missing" Armoured Personnel Carriers has been recovered. It was found on the estate of Sheriff Ruben Miksamov near Leublin. The vehicle had been part of an armoured unit where Sheriff Maksamov had been adjutent and when the vehicle was discovered it was revealed he had taken it home in order to allow his 18 year old son to drive it around the estate with friends. The Sheriff will now be made to go before a court of his peers and is likely to get his title stripped from him and Queen Klara has already confirmed that if that is the case she will strip him of all his lands. Two APC's still remain missing, along with a seaplane and 302 firearms.




Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #62 on: July 16, 2019, 09:34:26 PM »




QUEEN TO END "SELF APPOINTED" MARRIAGES

Today Queen Klara has passed the Marriage Reform Act which effectively halts what have been called Self Appointed marriages. Under Lodjain law all marriages involving Plebs must gain the approval of a Patrician, however over the last few decades there have been increases in cases where rich Patrician men, often widowers, take young Pleblian brides and approve the marriage themselves. This process in effect allows rich men to often effectively purchase their bride. It is now not uncommon to see wealthy widowers in their 60's and 70's approaching the father of a Plebleian girl in her late teens or 20's and essentially giving the families patriach a large sum of money to have them agree to have their daughter marry the Patrician. One such example of this is 57 year old chemical company boss Varlaam Mikhailov who last year married 20 year old Pleblian Yuliya Sobol whom was a waitress at his favourite restaurant. Having meet at the restaurant Varlaam offered Yuliya's father $250,000 dollars in exchange for his daughters hand in marriage. With Yuliya's family being rather poor they accepted and a week later Varlaam signed a confirmation that he had permitted Yuliya to marry, in this case himself.

The new law will mean that any Patrician-Plebleian marriages must now be approved by someone unrelated to either party. It is however not expected to stop the practice of young Plebs marrying older Patricians. Varlaam Mikhailov spoke about the new law saying, "I don't see the point of it. I did not place a gun to Yuliya's head. She is a beautiful woman and I am a lonely widower, my wife died four years ago. It is natural that people wish to be in a happy relationship and I am certainly happy. It is only natural that a son-in-law wishes to help his new family and thankfully I was in a position to do that. I am happy and Yuliya is happy." Having now been married 18 months Yuliya's social media feed has shown a stark contrast in her own fortunes. 2 years ago it showed her in a small community college hanging out with friends of a similar age while now she is often seen attending major business functions and even attended Queen Klara's wedding to King Leopold. One post on her social media showed she had a boyfriend known simply as Timotov_87. We made contact with him through social media but he asked we not reveal his real name. He said, "Me and Yuliya had been dating two years, we had plans to move in together once we finished college. All of a sudden she phones me and tells me her father had agreed a marriage for her. When I found out who too I was shoked. How can I compete with a multi-millionare."

Some Plebleian Rights groups such as "Better Future For All" have called for the idea of arranged marriages to be scrapped altogether. One member of BFA is  Milana Naoumov who said, "The new law isn't a change at all. The rich nobles will stick together and just approve each others marriages forcing these young girls to essentially be their exclusive prostitute. It is unfair that the rich can essentially pick and choose who keeps their bed warm. The Queen may think this will stop the practice but its a weak law. No marriage contracts should be permitted to be entered into without the brides approval and until she has reached the age of 21." Critics of BFA include High Priestess Alla Kohul who said, "Plebleians are families who have yet to prove themselves to the Goddess. To have one of their daughters elevated to become a Patrician is something they should long for. The girls this happens to are beautiful young ladies, a gift from Sessifet, and so it is only right they become Patricians and as a by-product speed up the ascendency of their own family. Lets not forget there is nothing to stop people such as Yuliya taking another husband, she could as a Patrican herself now marry her former boyfriend and approve that wedding herself. Would people be against stopping love? Personally I think this is a law the Queen should leave well alone." BFA responded to the High Priestess by pointing out most of these Self Appointed marriages include a pre-nuptial agreement which forbids the woman from taking a second husband and therefore means she can not Self Approve further marriages for herself.


Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #63 on: July 28, 2019, 09:38:52 PM »




FIRST INTERNATIONAL ROYAL BALL TO TAKE PLACE IN HARBY

Every summer the nation of Lodja celebrates the coming of age of its noble sons and daughters. Across Lodja those turning 17 hailing from noble families attend a series of balls designed to allow young people to meet and families to potentially arrange future marriages. Traditionally the opening ball of the season has taken place at the Palace of the Goddess with the Queen in attendance. While this will still take place the second of the series of balls will be taking place in Bakkermaya on the island of Harby, with a ball happening simulteniously in Gaia's Grand Ballroom. The Ball being hosted in Harby is to be sponsered by Duchess Rhiannon Farmer who is the noble in charge of that island. The decision to allow the ball to take place came about because of her request to do something for the Sessifet worshipping community on the island. The idea of arranging marriages between noble families at a young age is important and the balls are an important part of that process. The Royal Office has granted permission for any Lodjain or Bakkermayan noble to attend the event and has even committed to Crown Princess Roksana attending so as to give it a seal of approval. The Crown Princess stated, "I've not been to Harby before but have heard its a beautiful island. My wife and the Bakkermayans have worked to begin making a strong relationship and I know Harby is an island of mixed cultures. I look forward to meeting my fellow devotees of Sessifet."

The final ball of the season will take place in early September and coincide with the Queen's Invitational Polo Match.





QUEEN SIGNS MAEA

With the formation of the Mundus Atomic Energy Agency Queen Klara has given her approval of the document. The treaty will put in place rules regarding the sale and transfer of nuclear material for both civilian and military use ensuring both its safety and security. The treaty is hopefully a prelude to a second treaty effectively making Nuclear weapons a thing of the past. The treaty was deemed a neccessity by Queen Klara according to a spokesman who explained, "Lodja needs to ensure we have access to nuclear material for a whole range of uses, military propulsion, we now have a fledgling space programme with our fellow CNN nations and of course for civilian power. We have seen how unsavoury characters out there have attempted to utilise nuclear material for neferious ends and this treaty will hopefully go some way to ensuring the long term security of the world."

The treaty will contain provisions for nuclear inspections of various materials including two of the three submarine classes in service with the Navy.




ELEVANT CRASH POSTPONES DAY ONE OF CNN EXERCISE

A Lodjain Elevant transport aircraft crashed on take off injuring three Lodjains, two Morelanders and a Maori on the first day of a major joint CNN exercise. The incident which took place on Greater Alucard saw the transport airplane have an engine fire just after take off and the pilot ditched the fully loaded aircraft into a field. The decision was taken to postpone the exercise for the day to ensure all air assets being used were safe.

The incident comes as the latest of a string of failings for the military caused mainly by a long period of corruption among the now replaced senior leadership. The CNN exercise will recommence tomorrow with a dummy amphibious landing on Lesser Alucard as Cenneg and Maori forces attempt to take control of a beach there.

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #64 on: August 05, 2019, 09:10:46 PM »




ISLE OF THE GODDESS TO CONSIDER NEW TRANSPORT LINKS

The Isle of the Goddess, home of the Queen of Lodja and her royal court is set for a transport update. Currently the only way to access the island is by using a tidal causeway or by boat to a small quayside. Over the years there have been many attempts to increase the size of the quayside or improve the causeway to allow greater and easier access for a whole range of uses such as resupplying the island or delivering goods to the Isle's staff who live at the foot of the island. One of those is Sylvia Grezney who has worked in the kitchen of the Palace for twenty years. "The Isle is an amazing place to live and work, to be in the direct service of the Goddess is all I ever wanted to do. Life on the island though does have a hardship, only small boats can reach the quayside so it becomes difficult to get larger things ashore. When we tried buying a lovely new sofa it was hard to manouver over the side of a ship and nearly ended up in the sea. Being able to bring in boats designed for cargo would be much better."

The Queen is apparently considering three new proposals. The first would see a wider roadway put in alongside a turning circle to allow lorries to offload good directly onto the island. Currently lorries have to drop cargo at the shoreline for them to be taken across in small vans when the tide is out. The second opion is a new bridge from the mainland out into the bay. This would give 24 hour access to the island for foot and light road traffic. The final option is that an underwater tunnel be constructed. Each of the options are being considered however there is opposition to the change with many believing it would potentially damage the island.





EX-MISS LODJA CALL GIRL BUYS FORMER ROYAL PALACE

The recently disqualified Miss Lodja, 22 year old Katerina Ignatiev has announced today that she has purchased Kirakin Palace. The Palace is in reality nothing more than an ornate hunting lodge used by a King of Lodja in the 18th Century but was granted the title of a Palace along with the exclusive hunting rights for 20km square around it. Miss Ignatiev was stripped of her title of Miss Lodja when it was revealed that she had worked as a prostitute in a brothel during her time as a student. In the aftermath of the revelation and her subsueqnet disqualification she wrote a kiss and tell book of her experiences as well as doing the rounds of various talk shows, she was even in demand as a fashion model. Miss Ignatiev posted several images of her new property which  was purchased from the Knežević family who have held it for close to 200 years for $4million. She later went on to say that in the coming weeks she plans to open her first brotel called Igna in Gaia's red light district.

The Palace owners have traditionally held the title of Sheriff of the Hunt however as a Plebleian she is not able to inherit that title herself so it is still not determined who shall now own that title or whether it will be disbanded. 

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #65 on: August 10, 2019, 09:31:27 PM »




"LACK OF TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS IS A NATIONAL EMBARASSMENT" SAYS LORD IVANOV

Following an announcement of a further joint CNN Space Project the Lord of the Conclave Besarian Ivanov has called the lack of any Lodjain involvement in the manufacturing process an embarassment. During a visit to a agricultural processing business in Gaia the Queen's lead councillor said. "I am naturally excited about the upcoming launch. I find however the fact that we are the only nation in the CNN that has not contributed some manufacturing to this project shamful. Our lack of technological skills is a national embarassment. The Cenneg are building mighty telescopes across Mundus, the Morelanders are renowned for aerospace excellence, now the Maori are producing space probes having been a nation less than fifty years. Lodja meanwhile has existed for centuries and we struggle to build vehicles that are essentially on water that don't catch fire. There has been a systematic failing in our education systems when it comes to core subjects like Science and Technology. Our nation places great emphasis on our arts, our music, literature and I would stand that quality against any on Mundus happily. Yet I truggle to remember the last great scientific achievement from our nation."

The nation see's all students have to study biology, physics, chemistry and maths alongside various technological based subjects until the age of 15 at which point students are free to narrow their study based on their interests and future plans. Figures show that just 30% of students pick any of these subjects and that there is a shortfall in University students choosing a science or technology pathway. This is much lower than the international average and goes someway to explain some of the nations recent failings when it comes to the use and production of technologically advanced products.

So far the Palace has yet to announce any new policies to remedy the situation however with the Conclave set to meet tomorrow it is highly likely that Lord Besarian will be putting the matter as a high priority.


Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #66 on: August 17, 2019, 11:28:21 PM »




HDMS MORELANDER TO HEAD AID OPERATIONS

Queen Klara has today begun a mobilisation of the Lodjain military in order to be on standby to provide aid to Noobia who have suffered a natural disaster that has reportedly claimed thousands of lives. The ship is on loan from the East Moreland military for the next four years and recently became 100% crewed by Lodjian sailors. The Queen has requested through the CNN for assets to be able to use facilities in Ui Cenneslaig which neighbours Noobia from the South however it is likely that the Morelander will head to the coast on the Mhorish Sea. The ships depolyment is the first since it was leased to the Lodjain Navy almost six months ago. It is the second time that a CNN operation to provide humanitarian aid has been carried out following the organisations efforts in Nya Aland almost two years ago. The Air Force are also likely to be involved in the operation providing an air lift capability for operations. The exact number of soldiers assigned to the suggested aid effort have yet to be confirmed.

The Minister of Defence, Lubos Kubik, explained the mobilisation. "The military need to practice their skills in a wide range of different operations. We've recently had a major CNN exercise and now they have to change mind set to being medics, structural engineers and various other professions. It is my hope that just as they did in Krokom and Uppsala or forces can be a force for positive good."




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #67 on: August 30, 2019, 09:44:48 PM »




NATION CELEBRATES PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

It was announced from the Isle of the Goddess today that Queen Klara is expecting her first child. The 20 year old Queen is reportedly three months pregnant and is expected to give birth in February of 2020. The news was greeted with great celebration across the country as the birth of any Royal child is seen as a child of Sessifet. While the Lodjain throne is not heriditary like many nations the offspring of the Queen are considered to be descendents of the Goddess and for the next three generation may use royal titles. The child will also be the first for King Leopold whose first wife died in 2008. The King is said to be "excited" at the prospect of being a father. The child will also be the first to be born to a Queen of Lodja since 1948 when Queen Sonja gave birth to Princess Annabelle. Queen Viktoria was expecting a child but was assassinated before it could be born. The news therefore of a new royal child has excited the nation. One member of the public who we spoke to said, "We were worried that perhaps Sessifet had picked an awkward vessel for herself, the Queen is a little quirky and made some decisions that have gone against tradition. This shows though the Goddess is blessing us."

The Queen's wife, Crown Princess Roksana is also said to be "looking forward to help raise the child" and the 28 year old former Lady in Waiting was already presented with gifts for the new child while she visited a music school in Zhenya. The Conclave have also begun preparations for a nationwide celebration the moment the news of the birth is announced.





NUMBER OF ARRANGED MARRIAGES INCREASES AT BALLS

It has been reported that as the summer ball seasons reaches its final few weeks the number of arranged marriages agreed from them has increased. During the ball season young men and women aged between 17-24 attend a huge number of formal balls which allow them to socialise and families then often enter talks between each other to agree a marriage. Generally most balls begin with an announcement of marriages arranged since the last one. In the summer of 2018 a total of 243 marriages were announced however with two weeks of balls still to come 318 have already been announced. The increase has been put down to a number of reasons as Radmilla Bulekainov, a 46 year old professional ball organiser explains. "Youngsters now have thier own dedicated Priestesses in Arina Maksimov and Maria Shvets. These pair have captured the imagination of many youngsters and rekindled an enjoyment in their following the faith. Marriage is a duty to the Goddess and so people are trying to do their bit. The second reason is the example of the Queen, whoever has the crown is a role model and it is obvious Queen Klara believes marriage is important having two marriages so close together."

One of those with an arranged marriage is 17 year old Adriana Timovic from Gaia who is now engaged to 22 year old Maximov Berkhov. The pair meet at a ball on the Isle of Greater Alucard as Maximov explained, "When you arrive the girls each have dance cards and the guys see which girls have tickets for the ball by looking at a board at the Male Entrance. When you enter the hall the girls are sat around the edge of the room and you sometimes make a point to go speak with a certain girl and try and arrange a dance. For example Princess Alana was at many of them and straight away had flocks of men asking for dances. Others like me prefer to just take a look at the girls and when I saw Adriana I just had to ask. I wasn't surprised that she already had a busy dance card but she wrote me down for some and we just enjoyed each others company. At the next ball we had dances arranged before we even arrived and after that I asked my parents to see if they could arrange a marriage and now in six months on Adriana's 18th birthday we'll be married."

Adriana explained that despite having agreed a marriage she is still attending other balls. "Queen Klara has two spouses and as a woman I am allowed to marry more than one person. Max is a lovely man and I can't wait to marry but if there are other men who would also make good husbands then I'd be a fool not to consider them." Usually however families are reluctant to negotiate for their son to become a "2nd husband" until the girls marriage has been conducted and even then usually only once they have exhausted all other avenues.

Maximov's father explains. "You want your son's children to stand a good chance of inheriting the titles and lands within the family and by being the first husband thats a much better chance. It also gives your son more authority within the family should his wife take on other husbands and therefore more prestige. Its nice too to have a wife to yourself for some time."

All marriages must be approved by a Patrician of higher rank than those involved in the agreement and as a result Queen Klara has personally approved 22 marriages so far. There were rumours that 22 year old former Lady in Waiting Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya had asked for a wedding to King David to be approved however both the Pelagiya family and the Palace of the Goddess have denied this with Duke Tobias Pelagiya, Stasya's father, saying, "With a foreign King being involved the normal process isn't really appropriate. Stasya has attended one ball but mainly as a networking event but she did enjoy it. I can confirm however her dance card was almost exclusively made up of the East Moreland ambassador."

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #68 on: September 22, 2019, 07:35:36 PM »




KING DEMANDS "LOCKDOWN" UPDATE

Following reports of the Paracambian island of Castries going into "Lockdown" the King has called for the Emperor of Paracambi to update the government on the actual situation there. The island was cut off from the outside world three days ago and no information has been permited off the island however there have emerged today rumours of an outbreak of smallpox. The island is the Northern most of the Paracambian islands however since the formation of the Treaty of Unity for Alucard Nations (TUNA) the island has been visited by many Lodjains and it is currently believed that around 20 families of Lodjains were on the island when a lockdown was instigated.

The King has asked for a formal report from the Paracambians saying, "Our citizens health and safety is a primary concern. Families headed to what should have been a tropical paradise for vaccation and now we have no idea what is happening to them. Naturally we have trust in our TUNA partners however that can only go so far. It has now been three days and the reports of boats being shot at and now photos of children with smallpox do set alarm bells ringing. Should this be a humanitarian situation then my wife will naturally do all we can to support the situation however communication is important."

The Queen, who announced her pregnancy nearly a month ago has missed Conclave meetings for the last two weeks suffering with what Doctors have described as "severe morning sickness that has confined her to bed." In her stead King Leopold and Crown Princess Roksana have been attending the meetings to represent the monarch. King Leopold said, "It is unfortunate Klara is sick as she is someone who is committed to doing her duty. She is however doing better each day and hopeful it shall soon pass. In the meantime myself and Roksana will be ensuring she is kept comfortable and up to speed on the situation." When pressed King Leopold did not rule out requesting a CNN Micro-satellite overflight of the island to gauge the situation.



STASIUK RESORTS TO SPREAD TO HASSFURT

Duchess Ekaterina Stasiuk has today announced that she has secured a former fortification in Hassfurt that she intends to convert into a luxury spa resort. The 18th Century fortification, or "Star Fort" as it is known was built just half a kilometer from Peniche Bay and was designed to control a main road. The luxury resort developers acquisition marks her first project since having her assets in Royal Seleucid seized following her daughters alleged affair. The 49 year old former Lady in Waiting who now owns a whole host of luxury hotels, spa's and restaurants has not yet ruled out seeking compensation through courts however has admitted that it is very unlikely she will ever recoup some of the $300million her company invested. She explained, "We have had to sell one or two properties, examine some financial matters and dig into some of our reserves to ensure that the timeline of projects we had planned can continue. We're delighted to be able to expand our organisation into Hassfurt as its an untapped market for us so far. I am yet to visit Hassfurt but I look forward to in the near future."

Since being exiled from Royal Seleucid the former Queen, Oksana Stasiuk and her son by King Akakois have returned to Lodja where Oksana has taken up duties with the family business as an events manager.



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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #69 on: September 26, 2019, 09:36:15 PM »




KING FINLEY TO VISIT IN NEXT WEEK

It was announced today that King Finley of Ui Cenneslaig is to visit Lodja on an official state visit. The Cenneg King has not visited Lodja before however his younger brother Prince Lennox is almost a permanent resident of the Queendom having been appointed as his nations official Envoy for Albion. The King is expected to undertake a four day visit starting with a banquet in his honour on the Isle of the Goddess before spending some time on Greater Alucard with the Royal Family. It is expected the King will also lay memorial wreaths on the beach opposite the Isle of the Goddess to honour his deceased sister-in-law who fell from a balcony on the Island while inebreated. King Leopold has also spoke of his intention to take the King to a family distillery to "convert him to Vodka". The visit is seen as significant as it is the first face to face meeting of Queen Klara and King Finley without other CNN leaders present. It is expected that the Queen will bring up issues concerning military acqusitions as in the past Lodja have purchased surplus Cenneg naval vessels. Additionally the nation recently faced embarassment when the CNN Micro-Satellites featured no significant Lodjain input. It is thought possible that the Queen will be asking for deeper Lodjain involvement with the Cenneg space programme which is highly respected.

The visit is set to be the first of many state visits over the next two months as the Queen is keen to "Tie down relationships with our old friends, neighbours and those with common interests before I get too pregnant." The Queen finally returned to duties with the Conclave today following missing two weeks with severe morning sickness.



"QUEEN" OKSANA OPENS UP TO MEDIA

For just under a year Oksana Stasiuk was the forth wife of King Akakois of Royal Seleucid until her life was turned upside down following her husbands sudden death and then the accusation of adultery and her newborn child not being her husbands. Following King Akakois death of a heart attack his son Hadi inherited the throne, however soon after was replaced by his younger brother Heydar following apparent admissions of seducing Oksana and fathering her child. These are claims the now Department Manager of Stasiuk Enterpresises refutes. "I was never unfaithful to Akakois. My son is his son and a rightful Prince of Royal Seleucid, just as I am entitled to use the title Wilhom Queen. Me and my son have been exiled from his homeland and he looks likely to never know his brothers and sisters. King Heydar is a man who has pulled the wool over the eyes of the world and now denies his own brother a place in the royal court."

The self titled "Wilhom Queen" is now back living in Gaia with her five month old son. "My son is now my whole world. I was never fully in love with Akakois. I respected him, he was kind to me but it was a marriage of duty, at least on my side of the relationship. It was hard to turn my back on my own culture but I was duty bound to marry who my mother selected and what young girl doesn't dream of being a Queen. Akakois would share my bed twice a week and he was thrilled when I became pregnant. His other wives also were very kind to me at the time I was pregnant and I felt like I was destined to lead a life as a core part of a loving family. We discovered Akakois had died when Katerina yelled from their bedroom. Panic soon set in and over the next 12 hours chaos enveloped the Palace. The next thing I know I was arrested and Heydar had seized power accusing me and Hadi of being lovers and my son of being his too. It is a lie. I never once slept with Hadi and I think I was only ever alone with him once during all the time I knew him. You could tell he loved his father deeply and I think even if myself and Hadi had been attracted to each other there would never have been anything between us because we both cared for Akakois in our own ways. I've already demanded a DNA test on my son but the Seleucid government have repeatedly denied me that right. I am just fortunate that my own family are so supportive and we have an oppurtunity to give my boy an exceptional life."

When asked what she will tell her child of it's father Oksana said. "I'll naturally tell him he is a Prince, whether he chooses to persue his birthrite will be his choice. I will do my best to make him a son of two nations, Lodja and Royal Seleucid, he deserves to know of the people he is from but also he must be aware of the people he will likely grow up to live alongside. I pray that Heydar will see what he has done with his wild accusations are wrong and that he will recognise my son as his brother. I know that the relationship between myself and the Soter family can never be fully repaired but my son could still have a relationship if Heydar accepted the truth."

The 23 year old is currently single however has had no shortage of suitors. "My mother insisted I attend some of the balls this summer. I'm at the upper age for women who attend and frankly it felt awkward. I did have several young nobles ask for me to see them again but for now my son is my proirity. There will be time for me to find true love and I am in no hurry." She finished her first interview by saying, "I would like to thank the Seleucid people for being so welcoming of me when I became their Queen. I wish the people well and hope that one day they accept the truth about me and that I can once more enjoy their beautiful nation."

The Royal Seleucid ambassador to Lodja was asked for comments and stated simply, "Illigitimate children of whores and traitors get nothing in Seleucid."

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #70 on: October 24, 2019, 11:05:12 PM »




QUEEN SPEAKS ON RADIO

Queen Klara today appeared on national radio, her first interview since confirming that she is pregnant with King Leopold's child. The 19 year old Queen had been "out of action" with severe morning sickness effectively handing the day to day running of the Queendom over to the Conclave. She also answered a range of questions on a variety of topics ranging from the recent issues with Paracambi to the prescence of a young Achkaerin royal in the country.

ON BEING PREGNANT

"I'm excited and nervous in equal measure. As a young girl I imagined being older when I had my first child but I'm happily married, I have a large supportive extended family and so the time is right. Traditionally Queen's marry within a year of becoming Queen and then a year later get pregnant, I'm kind of ahead of the game a little, I took a little longer to get married but the pregnancy has come well within that year. The morning sickness has been a nightmare, I'm just thankful that I've had Roksana there to help me and of course my Ladies in Waiting. The Doctors are pretty confident that the worse is now behind me and I hope the Goddess will ensure things go smoothly over the next few months. Ideally I would love to have a little daughter but that is up to the Goddess to survive as she sees fit.

ON MILITARY FAILINGS

"Recently we've seen some issues, an airplane crash on the first day of a military exercise, a submarine running aground. We should now be in a situation where things are getting better. Our army is now much better than it was and reports I have heard from the recent CNN exercise reassure me that we have turned a corner. What we need to do now is sort out the Air Force and the Navy. We have put in place a system of upgrades we wish to make within the next 12 months or so. We must look at the level of training there not just equipment. King Leopold and Minister Lubos Kubik are putting in place such things and should have an announcement soon. It will be many years until our military is up there among the greatest on Mundus but we can get there.

ON THE CASTRIES SITUATION


"The whole thing is a mess. I have meet Emperor Benson on a number of occasions and he's a man I think our nation can do many great things with. My concern is that I'm not entirely convinced that you can have a secret biological warfare lab and as leader of your nation not know about it. The fact that rather than seek the help of neighbours he just shut down the island also concern me. If it had been a Lodjain island I don't think I could have lived with myself leaving the people there to their fate. I understand now the facility is closed down but the fact it may have been responsible for the plague outbreak last year needed investigating. Something just doesn't sit right and I hope that we can fathom out what has been going on. I had great hopes for TUNA but this is now denting that hope.

ON SELEUCID -IWI SITUATION

"I'm worried that this is heading in a bad direction. I won't sugar coat my words, the Seleucid occupation of the Commonwealth of the Iwi is in my eyes perhaps the greatest crime against humanity that has ever been committed and nothing has been done to address this by anyone other than the Maori. How can we permit a nation that has killed millions in medical experiments utilising chemical and biological weapons to face no action. We have recently seen Slava Lavosk test a single nuclear weapon, and to my knowledge not kill a single sole. Yet for decades we had an occupation force systematically using the Maori as Guinea Pigs for chemical weapons. I am therefore not surpised the Iwi see the Seleucid as evil. This however does not give them the right to attack the Seleucid, this whole issue comes from the Bubonic Plague outbreak. We need to investigate that Paracambian connection and then see what that means for Maori-Seleucid relations. I would have hoped King Heydar would not have inflammed the situation with his ridicoulous compensation claim but that has now happened and we can't turn back time. I'd like to see nations not taking sides, even the CNN have refused to do so and we like the Maori. I think more nations need to join the Paracambian backed convoy system. Its a way of ensuring the continued trade routes which everyone wanted while at the same time not directly threatening either side.

ON RUMOURS OF PRINCE JACK AND DUCHESS KATYUSHA

"I know Katya well. We spent time together when the Priesthood talked about who should be Queen. To this day I still struggle to think of why they thought I was more worthy. She is a beautiful young woman and naturally I can imagine why Prince Jack is attracted to her. I would urge however the young Prince think on the situation of King David and Lady Stasya. Tradition in Lodja dictates that any man wishing to court a  member of my household must get my permission before doing so. Now as far as I am aware they have attended the balls together, that is fine but I was forced to issue a formal warning to King David for his romance with Lady Stasya without permission. It may seem an odd thing but traditions have kept Lodja stable for centuries. Jack should learn the lessons of King David's mistakes. Katya is one of my Literature Circle and I'll address the situation with her when we next meet."

 

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #71 on: October 29, 2019, 09:38:04 PM »




QUEEN HOSPITALISED. CREATES TRIUMPHERATE

Queen Klara has today been admitted into hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum, a form of extreme morning sickness. The Queen had suffered with morning sickness several weeks ago and was thought to be over it however following what the Palace have described as a "painful and draining" weekend the royal physician made the decision to admit the Queen to the hospital in order to monitor the situation. The Palace have stated that "the Queen is in constant need of monitoring to make sure she is not dehydrated or that her blood sugar levels do not become dangerously low. We will be keeping a constant eye on her to make sure the baby she is carrying is healthy." King Leopold visited the Queen shortly after she was admitted and left saying, "There is nothing to worry about except allowing Klara to have a long rest and be monitored."

The Queen confirmed that while she is in hospital she has appointed a three person committee to run the nation. This will be made up of her husband King Leopold who has been busy overseeing the military developments. He will be joined in the committee by Lord Besarian Ivanov who has been the leader of the Conclave for the last four years and ran the nation for a short period following the death of Queen Viktoria. The final member of the new commitee shall be Alla Kohul the High Priestess who has been appointed as the voice of Sessifet on the committee. The trio will hold the Queen's authority by utilising a vote between the three of them. The High Priestess stated, "The Queen has consulted the Goddess on a way forward. The Goddess is clearly blessing the child with such spiritul power it is a struggle for the Queen to contain.For the time being we have been entrusted with the powers granted to the Queen. Do not expect any major decisions during this time but we shall ensure the smooth running of the nation."




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #72 on: December 17, 2019, 09:56:27 PM »




WATER NOMAD "SETTLEMENT" APPEARS NEAR ISLE OF TYR

Following a routine maritime patrol by a Lodjain Air Force plane a settlement belonging to the Water Nomads was located just some 45km away from the Isle of Tyr, the eastern most island in the Queendom of Lodja. The settlement is thought to be home of around 100 people and is made up of several hastily constructed stilt houses and a floating platform made from lashing together boats. The group are presently engaged in what appears to be fishing and experts on the nomadic sea farers believe that they are settling down ready for the winter. The group have been making their way up and down the Central Alucard Island range and have been involved in several issues with authorities in Bakkermaya where a group of Water Nomads were involved in kidnapping the Sister of Kaitaine's vice president Vadik Pasternak. So far the group have not been considered a threat to the nations security. In other areas the Water Nomads have been moved as they have been accused of damaging the environment as well as polluting the ocean due to poor boat maintainence.

Minister of Defence, Lubos Kubik, announced that the Lodjain Navy would, "double patrols in the area and make sure that all regulations pertinent to our EEZ will be adhered to. As long as the Water Nomads boats are well maintained and they are not operating outside our nations legislation. We shall have a naval vessel in the region ready to respond should such violations occur." The Water Nomads have in other areas been caught fishing in restricted areas as well as taking part in a practice called "Cyanide Fishing". This is a practice where divers using snorkels swim around coral reefs where tropical fish are located and spray liquid cyanide into the crevices. The fish swim out to find oxygen and are stunned and so the divers grab them and place them in plastic bags. The fish are sold within a 48 hour period and then usually die within a week because of the damage to their lungs. The practice is damaging certain fish stocks as well as destroying coral reefs. "Should we find the Water Nomads are violating our rules regarding our EEZ they will be moved on and if neccessary prosecuted under the Queen's Law."





QUEEN RETURNS TO ROYAL DUTIES

Following a stay in hospital to ensure a safe pregnancy Queen Klara has today resumed royal duties. Queen Klara is four months pregnant with King Leopold's child but has suffered terrible morning sickness and was confined to bed for a two week spell with the pain it caused. She needed to be closely observed to ensure that she was not dehydrated and had sufficent nutrients to ensure he baby grew appropriately. During the Queen's hospitalisation the Queendom was overseen by King Leopold, High Preistess Alla Kohul and Lord Besarian Ivanov.

The Queen marked her return to royal duties by spending the morning hearing the tradition series of weekly petitions alongside her husband before attending an inspection of the latest gradutes from the Air Force Officer College. The latest recruits have just undergone 27 weeks basic officer training which is 10 weeks longer than previous counterparts. The new training syllabus has been modelled on the East Moreland model and is designed to try and break 30 years worth of neglect within the Air Force. The Queen presented Pilot Officer Vasili Rolands with a ceremonial sword to mark out the fact that he graduated with the highest score among his peers. Following his graduation the newly commissioned officer said. "I wanted to follow in my older brothers footsteps as he's a pilot in our Air Force. I'm hoping to become a Fighter Control Officer once I finish my trade training. It was interesting that the advice he gave me about what to expect from training was all wrong. Its clear that the new system is very very different. I'm pleased though as I feel very prepared for the next stage of my training and I think our Armed Forces are turing a corner in leaving the past corruption and problems behind."

Like all branches of the Lodjain military the last East Moreland review was embarassing for the Air Force. It identified that a significant number of aircraft were ill maintained and others had been canabilised for parts. The report even found that a UAV was missing. An improvement in the training of officers was highlighted as an important goal in the improvement of the armed forces and this now seems to be blossoming.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #73 on: December 31, 2019, 07:42:18 PM »




QUEEN TO INTRODUCE NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW FOR NOMADS

Following reports that the Water Nomads are wintering in a large group near the Island of Tyr Queen Klara has began the process of introducing a new citizenship law specificially for the Water Nomads. Currently only Water Nomads born on land within Lodja are permitted to claim citizenship however only a handful qualify under this arrangement. The new law would see any Water Nomad who can prove they have resided in Lodja's exclusive economic zone for 12 months continiously become eligible for citizenship. Those claiming citizenship will enter the Plebleian class and will be entitled to access Lodjain health care and education. Currently there have been many stand offs between the Water Nomads and various nations governments over some of the practices of the nomadic seafarers. It is not yet known how many Water Nomads would accept the citizenship on offer however some believe that resources will be wasted on providing means of the Water Nomads proving consistent residency within the EEZ, additionally people have voiced concern over how the nation will provide the health care and education facilities required under law.

It is also understood that Lodja will seek to make the issue of the Water Nomads part of the TUNA Organisations charter in an effort to end issues surrounding the groups legal status.





NAVY WANT TO KEEP DRONE CARRIER

Following around six months of service in the Lodjain Navy the rechristened HMDS Morelander has been deemed a major asset. The ship, which combines some of the abilities of an aircraft carrier with those of a Frigate has now been crewed by Lodjain naval staff for the last three months and has been on operations around the Alucard. It has been deemed by Admiral Joszef Kumevets "a major asset in advancing our naval capabilities and the time spent with the Morelander navy on board allowed us to develop our skills. Now we are just as capable as them but we lack the innovation." With the Ministry of Defence having made it clear that investment in the Navy is expected there is every possibility that they will seek to mae the lease on the vessel permenant, it is not however known whether an option to buy is included in the agreement.

Some however question the purchases saying that instead some of the civilian ship builders should be given an oppurtunity to construct new vessels for the Navy. The CEO of Iskar Dockyards, which have been experimenting with automated cargo ships for the last few years has said. "Historically speaking the old Royal Dockyards have failed us, one need only look at the quality of what is being used by our forces at the moment. The quality of our civilian shipping however is superb and it would not take much for us to turn our craft from container ships to Destroyers." There are plans a foot to add to the navies stock of ships in the coming year.




NATION USHER IN NEW YEAR

Across the nation parties and celebrations have taken place to welcome in the New Year. A giant firework display in Gaia signalled the beginning of a new decade and was watched by the Queen and King from the Palace of the Goddess. The Queen usually hosts a giant party on the island however this year it was rather low key as the Queen has just recently been released from hospital. It is expected in the first few days of the New Year a series of new policies will be announced.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #74 on: January 08, 2020, 09:43:21 PM »




QUEEN CHANGES RULES FOR PLEBS

Today Queen Klara has announced that laws regarding the conversion of citizens from the status of Plebleian to Patrician will be changing with immediate effect. Currently there are three routes for a Plebleian to become a Patrician, via marriage, via royal patronage or by military service. A Plebelian woman may gain Patricain status six months after marrying a Patrician this has seen many marriages where older noble men have been accused of "buying" young attractive Pleb women keen to get their family promoted to the ranks of Patricians. Any family may be granted the rank of Patrician following presentation of patant of patronage by the Queen. This has been an extremely rare honour in the last five years and Queen Sonia who ruled for around 90 years issued only 50 of the documents. The most common way for a family to gain Patrician rank is through four generations worth of military service. It is this final method that the Queen has changed and was announced while the Queen was meeting weekly petitioners. "From this point forward the number of generations required will be reduced to three. Any soldier who is currently the third generation of their family to serve will be granted their rights of a Patrician. They will however still be required to first complete their term of agreed service before the status is legally recognised."

The exact number of people being granted this status is yet to be confirmed however some have argued that the move may now reduce the incentive for people to join the armed forces. Others have also commented that the increased numbers of Patricians may upset many centuries old family arrangements. The Queen has explained her decision saying, "The move is part of our ongoing military reforms. We need to attract high standards of recruits and giving them a reasonable chance of seeing the benefit of their service is hopefully an incentive."




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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #75 on: February 08, 2020, 10:02:53 PM »




LORD KUBIK SPEAKS OF TUNA SUCCESS

Lord Lubos Kubik, the nations Minister of Defence has spoken in a recent public appearence of his views on the growth of TUNA along with several other key matters. "I am delighted we've now got the whole of the Alucard more or less as part of this organisation that started from such a positive foundation. What started off as neighbours giving their neighbourhood a good spring clean has flourished into an organisation full of co-operation, we now have a chance to follow in what the MICA nations have in terms of having a whole ocean with a unified and co-operative security arrangement. While we may be many years off putting that into practice in the Alucard we have made a further step towards better security and better conditions for everyone." One of the main points of questions revolved around the Water Nomad situation, the latest TUNA agreement will establish a route to citizenship of a recognised nation should they wish it. Any not wishing it will have their rights clearly protected within a legal framework. Its a win win situation for a group in a very unique situation." The route to citizenship though could see some rejected a right to remain in Lodja, or any other TUNA island nation. Those rejected would be removed to an island based centre. "We are working with the other members, mainly Paracambi and Bakkermaya, to identify an island suitable for constructing a centre for those rejected from permanent residency. It shouldn't take us long to identify the island and then we can begin putting together a centre to house people in acceptable conditions. The centre could also be used in times of refugee crisis and will be a useful asset for TUNA."

The Minister was also asked to comment on the recent assault on Sea-Towers by East Moreland and said, "We have witnessed how the Borlanders do not discriminate between military, civilian, Morelander or anyone else. Sea-Towers was a potential thorn in the side of Sea-Towers and should have in my view been removed a long time ago. The fact this platform is now empty of the terrorists is a time for celebration not for accusations. Need I remind people of the fact Borlanders tried dosing us all with LSD not too long ago?" The Minister also suggested that now with the platform empty it would be a good time to remove it. "As far as I know the Platform is a relic of a bygone age, its not been used for anything in a long time and as such will not just be something the Borlanders can claim was taken from them. By removing it from the face of Mundus we can ensure they can never take it back."

The Minister finished his appearence by confirming that Queen Klara will be attending the upcoming wedding of King David and Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya, "While the Queen is 6 months pregnant she still enjoys dancing. I am confident that as long as she feels well she will be attending and wishing two of her friends well."


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #76 on: February 29, 2020, 09:03:23 PM »




MINISTER CALLS "PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGECNY"

Yesterday the Minister for Social Affairs declared the nation has a public health emergency. Duchess Anna Utkin has spent the last few weeks in discussion with various health care professionals and has released a report which she says, "gives me serious cause for concern." The report looked at a whole range of different issues however the one Duchess Anna focuses on in her statement is STD's. "Some of the statistics are frightening. The rate of infection of Chlamidiya per 100,000 people sits at around 600, that is an increase of around 30 in the last 5 years. It's like we are going backwards. Syphallis sits at around 75 cases per 100,000 and HIV at slightly lower but not less worrying at 62. These are all increases and this shouldn't be happening in the 21st Century. We also have a high teenage pregnancy rate, 22.8 out of 1,000 girls aged between 13-19 will have children. These statistics are for the nation as a whole but are totally skewed, the rate of Syphallis for example is much much higher among the Plebleian community than the Patrician, the rate of teenage pregnancy in the Patrician community is only around 7.8 per 1,000. These are rates that are sneaking up and as such we must act now to halt the slide." The Duchess was born a Plebleian and through a youth charity meet and then later married her deceased husband who was the Duke Bernard Utkin and as such feels she has a unique understanding compared to other Ministers. "In the Conclave there has been recognition that these matters are a potential problem however have been glacially slow to do anything. It is therefore up to me to ensure measures are going to be put in place to try and solve these issues quickly."

Duchess Anna further announced that the Queen is reviewing a proposal to put measures in place. "Should Her Divine Majesty approve my proposal we will see first the removal of fees for STD testing. Currently these are not covered under the term "emergency" health care and so is not a free service. Additionally we will be implementing schemes were people can home test for certain STD's such as a kit for Chlymedia. It is our hope this will remove the stigma of having to go into a clinic and thus make people more aware of their Sexual Health status. Starting from next term all schools must include lessons on STD's and related matters as part of the curriculum. By better educating people we hope they will be more likely to take things seriously. Finally we will make it a law that all brothels must have regular STD tests. At the moment the law only states that a worker must have a clear STD test before commencing work, however there is no commitment to maintain testing once they begin employment." It is likely that Queen Klara II will approve the law with minimal amendments. The measures have also been supported by the Trade Union dedicated to brothel workers whose spokesperson said, "Presently about 70% of licenced Brothels do carry out regular testing of their staff, this however tends to be the larger chain establishments. In order to try and save money some smaller establishments put the emphasis on the girls and with them having to pay for their own tests this is not always possible. The change in the law will make it free for girls to get tested and place a duty on those employing them to keep a record."

It was left to Dr. Miriam Volkoff to explain the disturbing statistics. "It is well known that Lodja is rather liberal compared to many other nations. We are taught that beauty, whether it is a person, in nature, music or in any guise is a gift from the Goddess and must be praised. This leads to a mind set that sexual activity is way of praising that beauty. While I am no theologan it is clear this mind set is damaging to the health of the nation. It however does not need to be the case, with better education, more awareness and making protections such as condoms more avaliable this public health emergency should be a short lived on."




KING PROMISES "MASSIVE" DAY OF UNITY CELEBRATION

With the Day of Unity looming on the 5th of March King Leopold had declared that this year the celebration would be "Massive, the largest in my memory and hopefully anyone elses." The Day of Unity celebrates the day on which it is told that the Goddess Sessifet was declared the leader of all Gods on the side of humanity in their war against those Gods who wished to wipe out mankind. The day usually sees huge parades through the streets where people wear fancy dress and push floats showing stories from the stories of Sessifet or promoting the virtues of the Goddess. While people will dress up as characters from the story no-one is supposed to dress as the Goddess. "This year we will be issuing double the number of permits for floats in the city, we will be extending the opening times for bars and restaurants and I have given permission for the Royal Square in Gaia to be turned into a music venue. This is the final Day of Unity before my child is born and I hope the Goddess will see just how much we love her and in return will protect my wife and child when the time comes for her to go into labour."

The King has also indicated that he has delegated to Crown-Princess Roksana the duty of arranging a Royal Ball but has insisted that foreign ambassadors are included as well as 50 Plebleian families. "The Day of Unity allowed us to live the way our lives are today, in a well ordered, well organised society. It is important that we show the Goddess we value what she has shown us as the right way of doing things and that means living in harmony as Patrician and Plebleian, we therefore should worship with our bretherin of all social classes and nationalities."


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #77 on: March 15, 2020, 08:34:20 PM »




NATION SET TO WELCOME A NEW PRINCE IN APRIL

The Palace of the Goddess has today announced that Queen Klara is to give birth to a son. It has been widely reported that the Queen is expecting her first child with King Leopold in just over a months time. This will be the first child born to a Queen in almost 80 years since Queen Sonja had her 2nd daughter. The Palace have announced the gender of the child after rumours began to circulate after what appeared to be a message between King Leopold and his cousin were seemingly leaked to thee media. The Head Lady in Waiting, Anna Immich, made the announcement saying, "We are thrilled that the royal family will soon be welcoming a new addition in the form of a little Prince. The King and Queen are yet to pick a name however the Queen has indicated that she fully intends to give birth on the Isle of the Goddess."

The Queen has no has a smooth pregnancy with severe morning sickness confining her to hospital and medical experts have speculated that the Queen is likely to give birth by cesaerian section, something that will be a first for a Queen of Lodja. The new child will be given the title Prince however as Lodjain monarchy is not hereditary they will not be inheriting the throne however three generations of the family will be entitled to use royal titles and be granted royal privledges. The Queen has just recently returned from East Moreland where she attended the wedding ceremony of King David and Baronetess Stasya Pelagiya, thus making King David now an official member of Lodjain nobility becoming the Baronet of Iskor Islet. It is hoped that the new nobleman will visit his lands in the coming weeks.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #78 on: March 29, 2020, 10:27:03 PM »




LORD LOSES ARM TO TIGERS.
Police Report Problems with Private Zoo's

It was reported today that the Duke of Kőveri has had his right arm ripped off in a freak accident on his estate. Paramedics were called to the estate and discovered that the 47 year old Duke's arm had been ripped off by one of two pet Tigers he had on his estate in cages. Paramedics were unable to save the arm and according to reports were only narrowly able to save the life of the Duke. The two tigers were taken into the custody of Kőveri Animal Park which specialises in big cat care. The administrator of the park is Nastasya Krupin who believes this is not likely to be the final incident of this nature. "There is sadly a culture in our society of having to try and possess something others don't, or surrounding yourself with high status objects and sadly this extends to wildlife. We believe that there are around 200 Tigers in the hands of private collectors and most of those begin as cubs. We've even had reports of some nobles buying them as playthings for young children and then when they become giant cats they simply lock them in a cage and leave them there fro the rest of their lives. It's a scandal  that no one is doing anything about."

This is the latest in a series of wildlife scandals that has hit our nation as previously a "Whale Farm" in Nya Aland had several Belugae Whales ear-marked for sale in Lodja to as of yet unnamed nobles. Krupin explains how the process is done, "The Patricians have very little to worry about in terms of checks. Customs generally see the name of the rich noble on import manifests and things are waved though with very little done to consider whether the thing being brought in is compliament with relevent checks such as those we signed up to as part of the Wild Mundus Organisation. This is something that we must stop as it is no longer acceptable that living creatures are status symbols." Last year Police managed to seize from private collections a vast number of animals including three Lions, a Lyger, four Dolphins and a pair of Honeybadgers. Krupin urged the Queen to begin making laws to halt the problem. "What we need is strict measures in place to ensure that no animal becomes like a royal title or a symbol of someone's wealth. There are many more ways of someone demonstrating their status in soceity, fancy homes, fancy cars, jewellrey, elaborate parties. These are all things that would allow that expression. A moth eaten tiger stuck in a cage is not a way of doing it."

It is understood the Duke of Kőveri will undergo several surgeries over the next few days to carry out work doctors have described as "tidying up what remains of the limb to give the best chance of a successful use of prosthetics." The Duke's wife declined to comment.




LODJAIN HOTEL GURU TO BUILD WATER NOMAD CENTRE

Duchess Ekaterina Stasiuk has today announced that she has won the TUNA contract to construct a specialist centre for the Water Nomads. Following the last meeting of the Treaty of Unity for Nations of the Alucard measures were put in place to give the Water Nomads a route to citizenship of many of the island nations of the Alucard. Part of this gives the Nomads the right to take up residency for a set period of time in a TUNA nation before applying for full citizenship, any of those wishing to leave their traditional way of life but refused citizenship will be moved to this new centre until their application for residency in another nation is approved. The centre will be built on a as yet un-named volcanic island just some 17km2 in area and uninhabited by humans. The Duchess has been responsible for a range of luxury hotel projects across Mundus including the Palm Project in Royal Seleucid which was seized by the government there when the Duchesses daughter, Anoushka was acccused of adultary while married to the late King Akakois of Royal Seleucid. The Palm has gone on to be completed inline with the Stasiuk plans and is considered one of the most luxurious hotel complexes on Mundus.

The 50 year old noble-woman said, "This is a slightly different idea to what we have done before. Clearly we're looking at building more of a large village rather than a hotel complex or resort but the planning and skills we've acquired make us the perfect contractors to get things set up. Our company took a hit losing the Palm, although we had not ploughed any siginificant sums into construction when we lost the land the plans we have put in place show the quality we can produce. We are still involved in the project there with the family business owning some of the houses and lesuire facility providers but we need another project to keep ourselves moving forward and the Water Nomad Centre is a chance to do something meaningful and unique." It was announced that originally the centre will include housing for up to 500 people and include a small school and health care centre. Duchess Ekaterina stated, "The centre is funded jointly the the island TUNA nations and we hope to build something that the Water Nomads can call home during a difficult situation. I understand talk is to also use it as a refugee centre at times and so perhaps the original provision for 500 people may be increased." The Duchess confirmed that work will begin early next month and is likely to take around a year to complete. 

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #79 on: April 04, 2020, 12:10:19 PM »




NEW PLEBLEIAN PARTY CALLS FOR "MORAL CRUSADE"

Two days ago in Iskhar the National Conservative Assembly was formed by Marina Vasilev, a 53 year old wife of a local Rabbi. It marks the first political party established by people of a non-majority faith in Lodja and despite its youth as a party it already possesses one seat in the Plebleian Council as Jewish councilman Kostyantyn Holub switched to the new party from the long established Plebleian Alliance Party (PAP). Councilman Holub made the switch to become Deputy Party Leader because "while I loved the idea of PAP it was really only a party for those whose views are not represented by any of the major parties. There was no party in existance that my personal views, and those of my constiuency, agreed with so to ensure the best amplification of my voice PAP was the perfect tool. The new NCA party is one that I believe firmly fits with my ideals and so joining was a no-brainer." The new party however is unlikely to cause the leading Divinity Party any concerns as the NCA are likely to only appeal to the religious minorities of the nation. Councilman Holub for example represents the area of Zhenya Coastal which see's a sizeable Christian population thanks to an old fishing community established by a missionary in the 17th Century. It is unlikely that any area of Lodja will be able to see a member of the NCA elected any time soon.

At a meeting in Zhenya Marina Vasilev unveiled the parties first policy aims saying, " We have seen a series of issues brought about by the relaxed liberal attitude of our nation. We have a raising amount of STD's, young girls are essentially being brought as wives in the Plebleian community, corruption runs rampant in many aspects of daily life and we see a sense of selfishness among most people. These are not values a nation should have and we must change it. If we are elected we shall campaign to end prostitution, we will extend free education to Plebs to be identical to the Patricians, we shall end the idea of arranged marriages and push for marriage to become the sacred connection it is, between one man and one woman forever faithful to each other." When questioned whether she therefore believed the Queen was damaging Lodja she said, "Sadly yes. I believe Tatiana Kohut[1] is an awful Queen through no fault of her own. She is too young and niave to be a world leader and I think this has lead to her in many ways being morally bankrupt. She cavorts with a woman in her bed, has two spouses and has encouraged her Ladies to be promiscious beyond belief. I don't blame her, for she is still in many ways a girl, kept that way by the sicophants that the government surround her with. I feel sorry for her soon to be born son as he will be brought up within the same system that has created his well meaning but misguided mother." The party will get its first chance at facing public opinion in two weeks time when the seat of Novisan comes up for election following the resignation on health grounds of its current Councilman.

Arina Maksimov who is one of the two Priestess for Youth, tasked with helping engage the young people of Lodja with the Sessifetian faith, has already condemed the new party. "The NCA are traitors. Queen Klara is someone deserving of respect, she is the physical embodymend of the Goddess, she is in a perfect symboitic relationship with the Goddess. Her words are indisinguishable from those of the Goddess. To thereby ignore her Royal Name is a slap in the face of every person of our faith in this nation. We do not demand everyone in Lodja follow our faith but they must respect it. The social issues she discusses we too have addressed but she is the niave one if she thinks these are issues you simply click your fingers and are fixed. That would be impossible. I believe she will just be wasting her time and everyone elses by contesting elections, outside one or two seats this is a nation that loves the Goddess and will remain loyal."
 1. Queen Klara's birthname, she elected for symbolic reasons to use Klara II as her royal title

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #80 on: April 13, 2020, 10:44:36 PM »




FIREWORKS WELCOME PRINCE ISAAK

At 7:04pm the city of Gaia was illuminated by a massive firework display just moments after the official announcement of the birth of Prince Isaak. The nation began listening for news of the birth when it was announced at 3am that the Queen had gone into labour, a week before her official due date. In accordance with the Queen's birthing plan the child was born on the Isle of the Goddess making him the first child born there in over 100 years. The Palace confirmed that King Leopold was present at the birth. The news was relayed to the nation and an official proclamation of the birth announced from the quayside used by those travelling to the Isle of the Goddess, no sooner had the announcement ended than a massive firework display began, something the population of the city had been warned about. For 15 minutes it erupted across the nights sky and the nation celebrated the prestigious event. Once the fireworks had ended King Leopold made a brief statement on TV saying, "I'd like to thank the medical staff who have helped bring Isaak into the world. He is healthy and his mother is recovering well. We are delighted that after what seems like a very long wait we have our son here with us. We all thank the people of Lodja who have been so supportive and caring during this time."

It is expected that the Prince will be introduced to the public in a weeks time when tradition dictates any royal child must spend an evening in the Temple of the Goddess alongside it's father to give thanks for the life. Prior to that ceremony it is usual for the child and its parents to take part in a parade through the city. The newborn has also already been given its first official honour with the military Regiment known as the Royal Watchman Guard which was previously the property of King Leopold prior to him becoming King and then the changes in the military organisation. The Regiment have already renamed one of its Battalions the Prince Isaak Battalion. In response the King has granted them the right to be the escort for the Prince during the upcoming ceremony. Prince Isaak will also at the age of 18 assume the ceremonial rank of Major-General in the regiment. It's current commander stated, "We are exceptionally proud to have King Leopold as a former member and have been his Regiment. Currently like many old family regiments our Battalions are just letters or numbers however like most we seek to connect with our heritage and currently we already have the King Leopold Battalion. With two more requiring names we will hopefully be able to name them after his future sons."

On behalf of the staff and readers of the Lodja Times we extend our best wishes to the Royal Family and wish Prince Isaak well.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #81 on: May 19, 2020, 11:50:29 PM »




BALL SEASON BEGINS ONCE MORE BUT BIGGER

The period of 1st of May until the 31st August every year marks what is called in high society as "Ball Season". The period marks the time when young unmarried girls are introduced formally to society as being of maturity to marriage. The age of the girls varies from family to family but generally most are aged between 16 and 19. The tradition see's the young girls invited to a vast number of balls arranged by the Patrician families of Lodja during these they are expected to mingle with the host family and their contacts as well as having chance to mix with eligible bachelors. It was during this time period that in times gone by families would make their arrangements for future marriages and while tthis still takes place today it is more a secondary function compared to families flaunting their connections and wealth. The highlight of the season however is the Queen's Ball which takes place in early June and the Goddess' Ball which is on the 31st of August. These are the only two that take place in the Palace of the Goddess and invitations for the event are hard to come by.  The balls have a large number of rules that have been shaped over a long period of time. Only girls who are experiencing their first ball season are permitted to wear white and while dresses are of many varied designs they must be floor length. Girls also have a dance card that features slots like appointments that can be "Booked" in advance, it is quiet common therefore that a girl from an influential family may see her father being contacted by several other families to get their son time dancing with the young girl. It is expected that the girls fulfil the obligation for their dance cards meaning that popular girls from influential families can often spending around 4 hours dancing non stop.

This year though the Ball Season is likely to be even bigger than ever with an official Ball being held in Silverhills, East Moreland. Last year Stasya Pelagiya held a ball based on Lodjain traditions for Morelanders however this year the former Lady in Waiting has become Queen of East Moreland and a Baronetess of Lodja. This entitles her to host a ball in an official capacity and around 800 invites have been sent out across Lodja. The new Morelander Queen explained, "I still love Lodja, I always will. The Ball Season was the most exciting time of the year for me and I will miss it. I used to attend a ball most evenings before meeting my now husband. Now I'll maybe attend the Goddess' Ball and that will be it. Hosting my own will give me a connection back home and a chance to meet the young ladies making their way into Lodjian society." The Queen of East Moreland has apparently also invited 200 Morelanders mainly from her fellow members of the Sisterhood of Helus.

There is however a second reason for why this years Ball Season will be even bigger than previous ones and that is the growing number of "Pleb Balls" that are taking place. The licenced balls are only able to be attended by Patricians however with a growing number of more well off Pleblians emerging thanks to the nations improving economy and overseas economic connections it is more common to see young Plebleians seeking to emmulate the styles and actions of their Patrician counter parts. One such Plebleian Ball is being hosted by  Lady Anna Utkin who while being a Pleb by birth was married to a Patrician prior to his death thus meaning in her own words she "straddles" the two groups. "I grew up in Gaia watching young ladies parading through the neighbourhood in fancy open top cars or horse and carriage on their way to the Balls. I was never really a girly girl but I was jealous. It seemed so glamourous. I know I was lucky enough to meet a man who didn't see Lodja as Pleb and Patrician and thanks to him falling in love with me I ended up with a foot straddling both worlds. I understand many youngsters admire the Patrician balls and while the reasons behind them are not possible for a Pleb the enjoyment, the interactions and the music are enjoyable." Lady Anna will be hosting 600 Pleb youngsters at her home in Gaia before hosting a similar number of Patricians the following night for a licenced ball. When asked is she ever believed that the two groups will attend balls together the Royal Representative of the Plebs said, "I doubt it anytime soon. As a nation we are changing for the better. We are making improvements to getting rid of corruption, we are taking better care of public health and Plebs are becoming richer which will open up avenues for them becoming Patricians. Traditions though are very important and should be retained."


Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #82 on: May 27, 2020, 01:09:45 PM »




ALUCARD MONITORING SATELLITE IN THE PIPELINE

Queen Klara is set to give the go ahead for Lodjain delegates at Treaty of Unity for Nations of the Alucard (TUNA) HQ to request the organisation puts into orbit a satellite designed to help monitor the environment of the region. It was confirmed that the matter was first brought before members of the CNN in the recent conference however it was thought best to proceed via TUNA because of the satellites task. It is hoped however that the satellite will be constructed utilising support from both the Cenneg and Morelander space programme. Lord Besarian Ivanov explained the need for the satellite saying, "We've invested as part of TUNA in huge amount in protecting the Alucard, both in removing plastic and also in various other manners. We are making great progress in these matters however the area we are dealing with is vast. A satellite to monitor the environment is something that will be of great help and we hope that the other Alucard nations will support us."

The project to clear up the Alucard of plastic is currently 18 months old and has made significant progress. The TUNA nations are also exploring ways to combat other damaging practices including cyanide fishing on coral reefs. Having heard how Paracambi are experimenting with "farming" coral in order to help the reefs regrow the Environmental Agency has explained that they intend to create three artificial reefs by the end of 2020 with one for each island of Tar, Grand Alucard and Minor Alucard. The exact manner of the reef creation has not been confirmed yet but it is likely to combine several means including ustilising old ships and growing coral arteficially.


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #83 on: June 05, 2020, 12:03:32 AM »




FLEET HEADS TO WEST ALBION

The Queen has today issued orders for the nations aircraft carrier and an escort fleet to head to the West of Albion in order to partake in operations under the banner of the Council of Albion. The Council has put in place measures to begin talks between the various factions in Merina and this arrangement has included a ceasefire that shall exist for the duration of talks. The situation has however been put at risk as both Fleur and Solemani have announced an intention to send military aid to one of the warring factions. The Queen has sent the fleet to help try and ensure that no further foreign weapons make their way into the warzone. The Lodjain fleet are likely to be joined by vessels from Tytor and Paracambi who have also declared that they are sending ships. So far Nya Aland and Bakkermaya have yet to mobilise vessels however as active members of the Council of Albion they are expected to in the coming days.

Minister of Defence, Lubos Kubik, stated, "The Lodjain ambassador to he Council of Albion has worked with their colleagues to get five different factions around a negotiating table. That's a tough thing to do. This has been done in the backdrop of a long standing civil war. For the first time there is a geniune chance at some peace coming to Merina. That peace is now at risk because two nations seem to think now is a chance to play out whatever their agenda is. We have no desire to see military action, the problem is not every nation feels the same." The announcement of the deployment comes just 48 hours before the annual, and final East Moreland review of the Queendoms military. It is hoped by Kubik that a significant improvement will be made. "This is the forth year we will have had East Moreland's Red Legion come and effectively scrutinise every aspect of our armed forces. We've made huge changes, changed high command, altered training and routines. I'm confident this year we will see a favourable review. We are not yet where we want to be but I believe another 12 months we certainly will be."








KOLVA BALL TURNS VIOLENT

12 arrests were made yesterday at the ball held in the city of Kolva. Police were called to reports of fighting at the residence of the Duke of Kolva who was hosting a ball in his estate at the edge of the town. Witnesses say that at around 7pm a group of young men began throwing glass bottles at other attendees and that these were confronted by one of the fathers of a young debutant girl who was struck by a bottle. It then transpires that the young men surronded the father and began intimidating him, several other people then came to the fathers aide and a brawl began. In addition to the 12 arrests there were four people in need of hospital treatment mainly from cuts caused by broken glass. One young woman at the ball said that she didn't see what started it but saw about 30 people pushing and shoving before beginning to throw furniture. "I was on the outdoor dance floor when I heard a loud scream from behind me. People were trying to get out of the way as a mob pushed and shoved. Then I saw glass flying and people just knocking bystanders flying. The boy I was with took me inside out of the way so I didn't see how it ended."

Police charged 10 people with various crimes while 2 were released without charge. The cities Chief of Police explained "The violence was unacceptable. It transpires it began when some Plebleian boys had somehow sneaked into the Duke's ball and became annoyed when a group of girls refused their advances. This set them off abusing the young ladies and naturally their families stepped in. It is important that people remember these balls are private functions and whatever admission policy the host enacts must be respected. These young men did not and that is unacceptable. What should have been a momentous day in the lives of many young girls from the city have been ruined."

One of those in attendance was former husband of Queen Viktoriya, Baron Roman Chownyk who was removed from the scene by royal security agents whom he is still entitled to. In a statement following the ball the Baron, who is friends with the Duke of Kolva, said "I hope everyone is safe and well. The occasion was great until some idiotic Plebs ruined it through a lack of manners and respect. I am confident the police will prosecute them to the full extent of the law." Tomorrow the Baron hosts his own ball at Chownyk Castle and he has confirmed that security will be tighter.



Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #84 on: July 07, 2020, 09:36:59 PM »




2020 MILITARY REVIEW

Following the coronation of Queen Viktoria the Lodjain military had been a large focus of concern. The young Queen began a friendship with East Moreland which has seen an agreement that the Morelanders help reform the practices of the Lodjain military that were "historically flawed." Today Queen Klara has accepted the 2020 version and has, despite the initial arrangement coming to an end asked for it to be extended until 2022. Queen Klara stated, "The Lodjain military was a 18th Century military armed with 1970's equipment. The military was historically flawed, it was a system that saw the military enjoy great presige and service in it worthy of high status. Something I agree with. Anyone willing to dedicate their life to serving their military is someone worthy of great respect. Therefore we needed to end the process of the wealthy buying high ranks within the military while those of less means struggled to be promoted to the ranks they deserved. We needed a more centralised approach as this almost independent running of the military was holding us back and allowing corruption to run rampant. Now we have a central administration, standardisation across the board and things are improving."

The 2020 report is summarised below.

Quote from: 2020 Military Review

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES NAVAL FORCES (DMNF)

* The Navy had a 7% shortage in spare parts for ships in service. This was reduced from 26% last year. The short-fall was discovered in older Kuznetsov CLass Frigates and Pavlov Class Destroyers. These ships are nearing the end of their service life and parts are therefore becoming less freely avaliable.

* All naval vessels had sufficent ammunition for operations with the exception of the HMDS Morelander which lacked several types of missile, this is however down to the lack of procurement since acquring the ship.

* All ships with Marine contingents remain understrength at 77%, only a 2% increase from last years review.

* Naval RADAR operations showed a 89% accuracy rating.

* Naval guns in port were discovered to be clean in 99% of cases. Those at sea however were clean in 78% of cases.

* 6 ships lacked sufficent firefighting protective equipment

* 3 ships lacked clear maintainence reviews

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES DEFENCE FORCE (HDMDF)

* There is currently a 9,800 shortfall in manpower.

* There were no shortages of equipment for front line combat units. 18% of non-front line units had shortages of equipment

* While no firearms were found to be missing a total of 198 were found to be unservicable and should have been decommissioned highlighting a lack of regular inspection and maintainence.

* For the third year running there has not been any progress about streamlining the wide variety of armour deployed by the army. This can at times lead to maintainence and supply problems.

* 1,763 soldiers took two or more attempts at passing their basic fitness test.

* Only 3 promotions were found to have been "purchased"

* Random spot checks of the barracks of based units indicated that soldiers going AWOL is a concern.

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES AIR FORCE (HDMAF)

* All AX-17 aircraft now on service.

* All fighter aircraft passed inspection of ejector seats. 12% of questioned pilots lacked sufficent training in survival.

* 26% of pilots had not requalified on small arms.

* 28 aircraft had missing maintainence logs.

* A failure in supply lines meant a 8% shortage of spare parts.
 
RECOMMENDATIONS

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

* All service personnel assigned to base to have to use ID cards to sign in and out of base.

* Older naval vessels to be replaced with existing new models when possible.

* Regular at sea inspections to be carried out by all ship captains.

* All service personnel to have two manditory PT sessions per week. Only one re-test for failing fitness tests should be permitted. Failing a 2nd time without medical reason should result in suspension without pay until fitness test is passed or dismissal from service.

* Base commanders to perform regular spot inspections of all firearms and security drills to be conducted.

* Establishment of a "Prone to Capture Escape and Evasion" course to be established. Initially this would be run by Red Legion while training local operators on how to run the course.

* A systematic approach to recruiting and retaining service members.

Spoiler: 2019 Review • show


HER DIVINE MAJESTIES NAVAL FORCES (DMNF)

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

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

* Marines at 75% strength on most ships.

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

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

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

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES DEFENCE FORCE (HDMDF)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Three Armoured Personnel Carriers unaccounted for.

HER DIVINE MAJESTIES AIR FORCE (HDMAF)

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

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

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

* 59 Aircraft maintainence logs missing or falsified.

* Two of the nations eight military airfields require resurfacing.

* Only 92% of Air Traffic Control coverage provided.

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

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

RECOMMENDATIONS

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

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

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

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

* Compulsary PT sessions for all ranks.

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

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

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




While the review showed significant improvements from previous years it shows that some areas are still significantly lacking. The Queen has confirmed that she will be accepting the recommendations "without exception" and that measures to make them possible will be announced in the coming days once "the Queendom and Conclave have been able to sit down and digest what we have been shown."





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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #85 on: July 22, 2020, 09:15:21 PM »




SUMMER BALL SEASON REACHES MID POINT

The annual Patricians Ball Season has reached the midway point and has seen already seen an increase in the number of marriage requests sent to the Palace. Law in Lodja dictates that any marriage must have the approval of a higher ranking member of society however many patricians will always seek the approval of the Queen regardless of their own status in order to say they have had the direct blessing of Sessifet on their marriage. The Royal Mail Office has this year reported an increase in the number of requests with Gleb Aleksandrov, the Chief Mail Officer, reporting that last year at this point they had 122 requests for marriage permission while this year they have 176. "The office has always been busy during the summer with various requests for the Queen to attend functions, requests for marriages, blessings for newborns, various other ideas. This summer though has been many times busier, one reason is the birth of Prince Isaak and then we hit the ball season. We've about another five weeks to get through and then things slow down." The Royal Mail Office deals with all correspondence addressed to members of the Royal Family and determines how best to direct it. In the case of marriage permission requests the office first ascertains whether the marriage is legal. This means first checking the ages of those involved and if neccessary checking that parents have given permission. Once this has been determined the Office check that the marriage does not see a man committing polygomy and once this has been checked the proposed marriage is added to a list that is given to the Queen who will either approve the marriage or request further information. It is extremely rare for a marriage request to be denied.

One such marriage permission request came from 18 year old  Galina Fedorov  and her fiance 22 year old  Artem Sokolovsky. The pair met at the 2nd ball of the Season in Gaia hosted by the nations Air Force. Artem is a recent qualified fighter pilot and was introduced to Galina by his uncle. "My uncle said that Galina was someone that I should meet, that she was beautiful and smart. My uncle is a member of the same Polo Club as my soon to be father-in-law and so could make the arrangements for me to have several dances with Galina. We immediatly hit it off and I couldn't wait to see her again. I spoke to my father that evening and the next day him and Lord Fedorov were discussing the marriage. Thankfully they agreed and co-worte to the Queen to gain permission." His soon to be wife, Galina explained why she wanted the approval of Queen Klara, "Marriages are a gift from Sessifet. To find someone with great beauty that you can dedicate yourself to making happy is wonderous. I've been lucky to find Artem so early in my life and knowing that Sessifet has confirmed that she has sent him to be mine makes things so much better for us." The pair recieved confirmation that the Queen had granted permission for them to marry just last week with Galina explaining, "It took longer than we thought it would. My parents told me my older sister who got married six years ago got confirmation within a week, we had to wait three because there is a backlog, it was worth the wait though."

The increase in marriages resulting from these balls has been in part put down to the idea that there have been significant efforts by the Priesthood of Sessifet to connect with younger audiences particularly through the work of Maria Shvets one of a pair of young Priestesses appointed by Queen Viktoria to promote the faith to those under 30. This has seen weekly Podcasts, an emphasis on modern music in religious activities, commissioning TV shows where the faith features prominently and even having a reimagining of various youth groups run by the faith. Shvets said she was delighted with the news of more marriages coming from the balls saying. "Marriage is a great corner stone of society. It allows us to recreate the devotion Sessifet achieved from the other lesser Gods. It allows us to respect and cherish the beauty the Goddess created and allows us to bring children up in the love of Sessifet. People love weddings anyway and the more we have the better."

One of the stranger requests this year however comes from the family of 18 year old  Milena Maksimov the grand-daughter of Lord Thomas Redaka who once Lord of the Conclave and is a descendant of Queen Sonya who died in 2014. Milena and her father have agreed in principle to three different marriages, something Lodjan polygomy laws permit. Lord Thomas explained, "Milena is a catch for any young man, she is the descendent of a Guardian of Sessifet, she is the descedent of a Lord of the Conclave and our family is extremely well connected. She could have her pick of almost any man. As such we as a family turned down many many proposals for Milena and allowed her to take her pick of those that are left. The three young men will, if we get the Queen's permission, find that they have a fantastic future for them and their families and of course a beautiful wife. A large and solid family helps everyone involved."

There are however several eligible Lodjain members of the Conclave who have yet to marry and speculation is rife that the Queen will be seeking matches for them in due course. Lord of the Conclave Besarian Ivanov is still unmarried despite being connected to several high profile women and having just turned 40. Finance Minister Dragan Knežević is also unmarried at the age of 36 and is as the 2nd son of the owner of Knežević Enterprises is likely to have a pick of brides if the Queen agrees.

Offline Libby

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #86 on: August 09, 2020, 08:33:08 PM »




NAVY DEPART FOR ALUCARD EXERCISE

A fleet of 10 Lodjain vessels today departed from Gaia to take part in a series of exercises with the Cenneg Navy before joining a much larger exercise with Bakkermaya and Paracambi. The deployment marks the largest contribution to a military naval exercise in the Queendom's modern era. The QNS Alohura, the nations aircraft carrier, will lead the deployment that also features three destroyers (Bibulous, Libertina, Vometia), two submarines (Ikebana and Sek), two Frigates (Errata and Patina) and two Minelayers (Fate & Pedestriana). The ships are scheduled to take part in a vareity of different scenarios before staging some form of simulated war games near the Isle of Tar.

The Minister of Defence, Lubos Kubik, stated, "The exercise is an important step in the continuing development of the Lodjain Armed Forces. There have been a great many advances made over the last 12 months. This however is a great chance to test what has been learnt against people that haven't been through our own system. We're lucky that the East Moreland representatives who have been observing and advising our military will be on hand to give us feedback and hopefully be able to see even more progress than with the annual review."

The QNS Morelander was scheduled to be part of the exercise but was pulled out last minute after it was discovered to have a slight fault with its launch catapult. Mr.Kubik explained, "Its a few days to set it right however with any repair job you don't know what may happen during the job. We didn't want to potentially hold up proceedings."




LORD BESARIAN SET TO WED

Lord Besarian Ivanov is set to marry Isidora Smirnov, the daughter of former military General  Lord Pankrati Smirnov. Lord Besarian is the current Head of the Conclave and at 40 years of age is rather surprisingly unmarried. It is understood that Queen Klara arranged the marriage feeling that it is now the time that what many percieve as the most powerful man in the Queendom to settle down. Rather uniquely among Lodjian nobles, particularly unmarried members of the Conclave, Lord Besarian has not been the subject of rumours regarding his romantic life.

Isidora Smirnov is set to become the Lady of the Conclave, a title that carries no political weight however is expected to organise the Lord's social calender and represent him at several important functions. Miss Smirnov however is not a stranger to the Isle of the Goddess having resided there since 2019. The 21 year old is currently living on the island as part of the artistic community. It is understood the Queen paired the duo up at a recent Summer Ball. The arrangements for the wedding are yet to be announced.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #87 on: August 22, 2020, 09:25:38 PM »




MARINES CAPTURE KOZLOV

A group of Marines from HDMS Swevoo were yesterday deployed at short notice to conduct an arrest warrant at a location on the North of the Isle of Tar. The suspect was none other than former General Ignat Kozlov who was wanted on several counts of corruption, theft and treason in relation to mismanagement of the armed forces during his spell as Commander of the Army. At the time he was meant to be arrested along with the heads of the Air Force and Navy however Kozlov evaded capture and has since been in hiding. Meanwhile the nations former Air Marshall and Admiral are serving time in prison having already been found guilty.

Minister of Defence Lubos Kubik made the announcement early this morning saying. "At short notice we diverted a team of Marines from the ongoing exercise in the Alucard known as Operation Tartan Green. They were given the task of arresting Ignat Kozlov and bringing him back to Gaia in order to stand trial. The operation comes after a lengthy intelligence gathering operation tracked him down to a remote estate on the north of the Isle of Tar." While the Isle of Tar is well known for being home of many large estates and tourist resorts it is understood that this particular one was in the vicinity of the former Gas Works Airfield and belonged to a holding company who rented it to an events hosting company which is now believed to be a front for the former military commander. Alongside the General 11 others were arrested at the estate most being people working as part of his household staff. The Minister of Defence explained, "We will need to now investigate these people are their knowledge of who they thought they were working for. If it transpires they were part of conspiracy to defraud the people of Lodja or knowingly worked for Kozlov then they too have committed a crime and will face an appropriate penalty."

It is believed that Kozlov is now back in Gaia under heavy guard however no one at the Ministry of Justice would confirm whether he was being held at the cities civilian prison or in a military complex.


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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #88 on: August 26, 2020, 11:01:55 PM »




CHAOS ON ISLE OF THE GODDESS

Following a leak of a vast number of documents relating to various matters connected to the government of Lodja there has been a day of comings and goings on the Isle of the Goddess with some sources describing the day as "chaos". A member of the household staff on the island told us of how the day saw a vast number of meetings taking place between Ministers, the Conclave, the royals, the royal household and military matters. The source also reported that a large number number of the Queen's personal ceremonial guard the Warriors of Gaia were also present.

Among the allegations that have surfaced in the leak, which many believe has been triggered by the arrest of General Ignat Kozlov are those of bribary, corruption and extra-marital affairs. The leaks also implicated several other nations being involved in various matters. Chief among the allegations is that several members of the government have been involved in taking steps to give the annual East Moreland review of the Lodjain military a false impression. Among those is the son of the Minister of Defence who is alleged to have tipped off bases of inspections that were due to take place thus allowing the redistribution of equipment which means several more pieces of military equipment could be missing than were reported. Other matters of concern from within the military include the apparent sale of Lodjain military firearms to the Bene Gesserit Truthsayers who are labelled as terrorists by many nations across Mundus. This has long been suspected in some quarters as Soviet Kaitaine forces have intercepted smugglers with such weapons in the past. Finally a large concern was that a sum of some $30,000 a month from military budgets was being paid to the chain of brothels run by Red Door. Representatives of this company have refused to comment on the payments so far. With many of the allegations dating back a number of years and the complete replacement of the commanders of each branch of service last year it is suspected that no senior officers will be forced to quit however fingers are currently being pointed at the Ministry of Defence despite Lubos Kubik having done a great deal to help reform the military over the last three years. The Minister son was one of those implicated in the leak and sources on the Isle say the former General spent "well over an hour" in talks with the Queen.

There were also concerns about the security detail of the Queen with one, a Plebleian agent, by the name of  Angelina Evanov being accused of passing information overheard while guarding Queen Viktoria and then Queen Klara onto outsiders. It is understood from the source on the Isle that the Security Agency that provides day to day close security for the royal family have largely been replaced by the members of Warriors of Gaia who while traditionally seen as ceremonial troops are also trained in specialist techniques. It is not understood what has happened to Evanov at present. One note passed by Evanov alleges that the now Queen of East Moreland Stasya Pelagiya concluded a "under the table" arrangement to use her influence with her future husband to encourage better relations with Rokkenjima in turn for support for her brothers military career. It is understood that while in her final weeks as a Lady in Waiting to Queen Klara the Empress Beatrice visited Lodja and had private talks with the former Empress.

There are also a lot of what are being described as "moral impropriaties" that have taken place on the island including extra-martial affairs between the Prince of Ui Cenneslaig and Lady in Waiting Jasmina Danilov and the father-in-law of the King of East Moreland meeting with prostitues in his rooms on the Isle. In Lodja it is illegal for prostitues to operate outside of a licenced brothel and to acquire the services of a prostitute outside of a brothel. It is understood that it is likely these allegations will be looked into by the Police.

The tsunami of allegations has seen political leader of the Plebleian majority Lodjain People's Party, Nikolai Isaev, speak out saying. "This dirty dossier highlights the problem we have in Lodja. We have a ruling class that are still caught up in the ways of a time such as the 15th century where family units ran the nation for their benefit rather than for the peoples. I think Queen Klara has taken many steps towards trying to get rid of these systems and we have seen improvements for those of us who are Plebleians. It is clear though the Conclave she inherited from Queen Viktoria is trash. At least 50% of them have been mentioned in the dossier and these must go. The time has come for the Conclave to be reformed. We have an elected council beneath them which only has a voice to the Queen on days when petitions and requests are allowed to be presented in the throne room. The Conclave should have at least 25% of its members drawn from the elected council. We also need to have these Ministers give reports to the people as well as to the Queen behind closed doors. Queen Klara may be young but I think she is a young woman who is committed to her people and I trust her to do what is right. Rest assured my party will stand squarely behind her."

One of the primary concerns that needs to be addressed however is an apparent loss of several samples of a unidentified virus from a lab in Lodja in February 2014. It is understood that a lot of the symptoms of this virus are connected to the virus outbreak that ravaged Safraen later that year and in which experts have struggled to work out whether the outbreak started by some kind of "artificial release" or naturally. The case will now lend more weight to conspiracy theorists who believe the virus outbreak was a plot to destroy Safraen. The company that owned the lab, Hugvonic, have since ceased trading in 2016 and produced a range of different medical treatments. There CEO at the time was Bogdan Milovenik who has since relocated to Vanora but has not been heard of for the last few years.

It is expected that the Queen will address the nation on Saturday evening from the Isle of the Goddess.

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Re: Lodja Times
« Reply #89 on: August 29, 2020, 11:24:34 AM »




QUEEN TO ADDRESS THE NATION TONIGHT

Following the various leaks about matters within the government Queen Klara will tonight address the nation. Over the last few days there have been a large number of behind the scenes meetings and the media have seen many comings and goings by senior officials. It is also understood that over the last few days the Queen's Press Office have been accepting questions for the post statement press conference from both journalists and members of the public. This is one of the first times the Queen has done such a question session.