LOST HYUN-MI AIRLINER IDENTIFIED
The sunken remains of an Alvaro 414 commercial aircraft discovered on Tuesday in the northern Medic Ocean have been positively identified as those of Hyun-mi Airlines Flight MHU-473, which vanished 5 years ago over the same general area.
Flight MHU-473 took off from Jaechul International Airport on January 3, 2011, carrying 139 passengers and 8 crew on its intended journey to Leonidrie, and had been flying over the Medic Ocean some 390 miles from the Rusien mainland when it abruptly stopped responding to communications and disappeared off the radar. A search-and-rescue effort led by Chunmeian authorities with the assistance of international police and military forces recovered scattered parts of the downed airliner, including a chunk of the left wing that appeared to have been sheared off during descent. However, until earlier this week, the aircraft itself never turned up.
Attention was brought back to the incident in February this year after another waterlogged portion of the plane was discovered just away from a beach on the eastern coast of North Aurelia, having become lodged there some time ago. Immediately afterwards, an independent search effort commenced in the north Medic Ocean, where the plane's remains were eventually found at a low depth approximately 53 miles from its last recorded location.
The wreckage was barely recognizable upon discovery, with the only "intact" part of the plane being the cockpit section, which was buried among a sand-strewn rock formation several meters from what initial observers described as a "scrap heap" of mangled parts. The cause of the crash is yet unknown, as efforts to recover the flight recording equipment have been unsuccessful.
ARGONTINA SANCTIONS TO INTENSIFY
In other news, the recent sanctions placed on the rogue nation of Argontina are expected to be increased as the South Aurelian state continues to refuse demands to withdraw its illegal military force from Falconia. The recent establishment of an oil platform at the island, internationally recognized as part of the Antarcturus Protected Zone, has only served to worsen relations between the Argontinian government and their Chunmeian counterparts.
"The junta in Argontina again flaunts their self-proclaimed 'sovereign rights' over a protected zone with their recent opening of an oil platform on Falconia, no doubt intended to step all over international regulations in an attempt to exploit whatever resources it can get its sticky fingers on. This government, as a staunch supporter of all resolutions concerning the protected status of Antarcturus, will dial up the sanctions against Argontina and is now considering joint military action with friendly nations in order to make our stance very clear to the deluded jingoists running that excuse for a country."
These were the words of the prime minister as she once again expressed her vehement disapproval for the recent actions of Argontina's government on the island of Falconia, which they claim as part of their sovereign territory despite a recent ruling forbidding any recognition of claims on Antarcturus. The actions implemented by Song-min's government went to a vote which passed by 385-26, with 5 abstentions.