SENATE GEARING UP FOR "REVIEW WEEK"
By David Woods: Political Correspondent
The Senate's annual "Review Week" is only days away, the week long programme sees each Minister of the Government give a statement to the Senate followed by debate and any votes that are laid by the Senate as part of the programme, the Cabinet statements dominate the Monday to Thursday agenda with a statement from the Royal Liaison Officer inviting the debate on the Friday where Senators will be able to put concerns on the Emperor's desk as it were. As always there are rumours flying around about what the Senate may want to amend, what votes they may want to push for and what they may recommend to the Emperor, with many expecting surprises to come when the Minister of Foreign Affairs addresses the Chamber. However perhaps the most anticipated statement will be that of the Minister for Agriculture and the Environment Siobhan Williams (pictured above) who will this year bring the fifth statement on the Government's progress in light of the Green Energy Transition Act 2014 - with set legislative goals for 2020 it is seen as the first major indicator of whether the Government can meet the timetable it laid out five years ago. It is not clear how much overlap there will be with the Energy Minister's statement but what Mrs Williams says will for the first time have to account for the Treaty of Wellow, when asked about the upcoming week's business Mrs Williams said "It's always an interesting week because we mandate under the Senate's Standing Order's that every Minister in the Cabinet must make a statement to the Senate on their departments progress over the last year, informing the Senate of their present and immediate future priorities and then following any required votes submission of recommendations, reports etc to the Emperor. This is actually where the Covenant Address that the Emperor will deliver in June begins to take shape."RESONANCE IN FINAL TESTING
By Penny Noble: Defence Corrsepondent
Riviere Corporation's latest addition to its underwater drone family, the Resonance, has entered final testing. The Resonance builds upon the Mermaid and Dolphin platforms of previous years and takes it in the words of Clark Franklin the Corporations Robotics lead "To the next level" the Resonance is a long range autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle with a payload capacity exceeding previous models, obstacle avoidance system, the capability of carrying mutiple different missions from a variety of different depths. The testing period is expected to run through the next two weeks with the Navy believed to be paying close attention to the process with a view to putting the Resonance into service with the Navy within the next few months.OZZIES ROUND UP
By Zoe Tate: Entertainment Correspondent
The Ostlake Film Awards, otherwise known as the Ozzie's have provided the Achkaerinese film industry with a strong night, producing three winners. First up Best International Song was won by the One Voice Children's Choir (pictured above just before the ceremony) with their rendition of This is Me, from a film starring the members of the choir Caught in Rhythm which lost out in the Best International Film category to the Tamoran entry Silence. The Choir is directed by Duchess Renee Azurewind, who follows up her win in the same category last year with one as the musical coach this year. Speaking afterwards the Duchess said "Winning last year was brilliant, but this year is even better in some respects because they're a group of kids I coach. It's a special night and it belongs to them and we're looking forward to getting down to business on the next in the Rhythm series."The Best International Short Film Ozzie went to Lego Camping, a stop motion animated lego film featuring a skunk creating mischief for a couple on holiday. The film the result of a group of fourth year students from Lady Brianna High School in Freshwater, was picked up by Jemma Fox (pictured above) on behalf of the students who said when accepting the award: "This is a complete shock, we're just a group of five students with a camera, a bunch of lego bricks and a computer who won a national competition and tonight we were up against films that were made by professionals who've been in this industry a long time. So to win is just that message that anything is possible."
In response to this particular award win Minister of Education Tim Ward said "We introduced the national animation competition to try and inspire the next generation of film makers, cameramen, animators and all that. We gave the national winner the chance to compete at the Ozzie's so for them to win is something truly special and will hopefully inspire next years national competition."
Achkaerin's successful night at the Ozzie's was concluded with Be Yourself picking up the award for Best International Documentary.FOX'S WIN AGAINST AQUITAINE
By Nick Watson: Sports Correspondent
Achkaerin's footballers have won their second group game of the World Cup, brushing Aquitaine aside with a resounding 5-0 victory. The team picked up where they left off against Phuebra and had the lead at the eight minute mark as Dani Leonidas volleyed them in front after a series of quick passes, the second goal came on the half hour mark from Captain Robert Kinnay (pictured above) as he put away a penalty following a handball from an Aquitaine defender. The second half produced three more goals, a second for the Captain from a free kick, Defender Lucas Williams headed from a corner with ten minutes to go before the rout was completed by Tom Oakleigh's tidy and composed finish. With two wins under their belts the Fox's now turn their attention to their third group game against Nemerie, a game they will be expected to win. But so far so good in terms of their hunt for a third World Cup win.IS MARIA CAIRNS THE NEXT SAMMY LAWSON?
By Felicity Stewart: Sports Correspondent
Arguably the biggest sporting name in Achkaerin is Sammy Lawson, the seventeen times Mundus Games medalist in cycling, the most decorated Mundus Games medalist in history and according to some, though she herself denies it, the Greatest Of All Time in terms of Mundus Games competitors. However winning races is one thing, inspiring others to come after you is something else. Sammy's likely got a good few more years of competition at the highest level in her but that hasn't stopped her from becoming the symbol of Achkaerinese cycling and now there's a new young gun on the book who many believe could one day be Sammy's successor. Maira Cairns is just a fifteen year old girl from Midvale but she's also the new double junior Achkaerin road race cycling champion, winning the title in a manner not seen since the days Sammy Lawson herself contested the event. Many are now wondering whether Maria will get a spot on the Mundus Games team later in the year but that is of course a decision that will be made after the national trials.