TBRE News

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:54 am

From the Evening Teddy, 8th November 2012

The Paddington Film Festival
Today was the day before the start of the Paddington Film Festival.
The festival, which showcases the latest in released films from both Teddy and international markets, and also holds a competition for the best films of that particular year, is being held in northern Paddington for the 29th time. Stars arrived early in order to prepare for the five day event.
The film Operation Endex, which was released in February, is set to win big, with several nominations for it in the Best Picture, Best Acting and Best Soundtrack categories. The film was widely acclaimed by critics, due to its moral questions raised about the TBRE's doomsday procedure. It stars HM President Palchensky in a minor role, as himself, although the film mainly focuses on a fictional Minister of War played by Markus Brenny.
The Paddington Film Festival is held annually by the four largest film companies - Baren Pictures Ltd, Studios Teddy, Devoren Production Ltd and Teddy Motion Pictures Company Ltd - together, with backing from the TBRE government. Organizers of the film say that although they will naturally keep with tradition, this year's film festival will have surprises along the way. All eyes are on the secret category - one that changes every year - as well as tomorrow's opening night, which will be broadcast live on all major broadcasters such as the Teddy Broadcasting Authority.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 7:42 am

From the Toyland Times, 9th November 2012

Start of the Paddington Film Festival
Today was the start of the Paddington Film Festival.
This morning featured the opening ceremony of the Paddington Film Festival, featuring various comedic and musical acts, as well as the classic presentation-with-a-prop by the director of the Festival, where they must introduce the Film Festival using a prop as a centerpiece, this year a pool noodle.
Today was mainly focused on showcasing up and coming films that were selected by the Film Festival, most of them being those that were considered good enough to be shown on an international stage yet had not received the publicity it deserved, as the Festival describes it. Later days will involve prize-giving for various categories, including an annual secret one that is due to be revealed on tomorrow on the second day of the five day Festival.
The opening event is believed to have been watched live by some 4 million viewers, nearly half of all households in the TBRE, with the show being broadcasters on all major broadcasters, and also streamed live on the internet directly onto the Festival's website. Most of the programs will be available on these, apart from showings of yet to be released films.
Security is tight at the event, with more local Paddington police on the beat over the next coming days especially after recent attacks by the Human First.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:16 am

From the Toyland Times, 10th November 2012

Start of Trial for Human First
The trial for the Human First suspects occurred today.
The trial occurred in Grenatia, since it was deemed too much of a security risk for it to occur in Refugia, where criminal courts exist. The presiding officer read out the charges determined by the prosecution, who then proceeded to state their case and present evidence and witnesses today.
The charges include attempted murder, acts of terrorism, and belonging to a criminal organization. It came as a surprise to some that "extreme hate speech and desire to act on such" was not raised up by the prosecution, as it covers potentially legally difficult ground over the limits of free speech.
State appointed lawyers for the suspects have stated that they have entered a plea bargain with the prosecution, but it was unlikely that the suspects would agree to such a deal, since they consider it an example of subversion to those they consider inferior to them, being a human supremacy group.
The Human First Party itself has yet to comment on the trial, but the Armed Forces are standing by for reprisals, with members of the Armed Forces guarding the courthouse for the duration of the trial, and increased security at where the suspects are being held day in and day out.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:14 am

From the Evening Teddy, 11th November

Pileup on Autobahn
There was a pileup on the Autobahn today.
At a ramp in Nordica, police believe that a car went up too quickly and forgot to look behind, and a second car coming up rammed into it, causing the initial crash. Due to a mixture of weather conditions and lack of braking, several other cars crashed into the two already there. Law enforcement and emergency services were notified and arrived on scene several minutes later.
There were no fatalities in the crash, but two people remain in critical in a nearby hospital, while others were slowly discharged with cuts and burns. Sections of the Autobahn has been closed to allow cleanup crews to operate in the area and repair the tarmac, something that is expected to slow down traffic.
This incident has raised questions on how safe the Autobahns really were, since they technically have no speed limit and instead only have an advised speed limit. However, proponents of the plan say that the incident occurred near a restricted area, where there is a speed limit, but others say that the cars were speeding along because previous sections did not have one. The maximum for a ramp area is 60 km/h.
The National Police Bureau has issued out a warning to people, advising them to slow down especially in light of the changing seasons, since the wet and icy conditions on the road make braking and steering difficult.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:15 am

From the Toyland Times, 12th November 2012

TTS's Upgrade
The Toyland Train System is set to upgrade its trains.
Over a period of several months, the board where station maps are shown will be upgraded for older phases of trains. They will now add on electronic systems into the back, showing which station the train has already past and where it is going, as well as which side the doors are opening on.
TTS has stated that these upgrades are fairly minor, and not expected to take too long nor delay trains or route schedules significantly, since most of the repairs would occur at night when the train system was not running. Electricians have already been briefed on how to carry out the upgrades in an efficient manner.
The TTS has said that the decision was made following a large number of comments made by both locals and tourists, most of whom did not know what station they were headed to until it pulled into it. "As part of our belief in good service, the decision was made to make our customer's lives easier."
This is not the first time TTS has upgraded its older stocks of trains, in the past, it has replaced its doors in order to minimize noise inside the carriage, as well as upgrade the bogies to quieter versions. It has also installed televisions into some of them showing the latest news headlines and some advertisements.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:06 am

From the Toyland Times, 13th November 2012

Nation 200
The Nation 200 conference is about to start.
Organized by the Ministry of the National Archives and History Keeping, as well as some other statistical bureaus and independent organizations, the Nation 200 conference selects more than 200 citizens in the TBRE to participate in a conference discussing national and international issues over a period of days.
However, such participants are not chosen randomly, instead, they represent nearly every possible factor affecting a citizen, including political ideology, gender, age, place of birth and where they grew up etc, with data collected by those who had volunteered it during the census. Although MINAHIK has admitted that the system is not perfect, they stated that it was a good indication of what the nation as a whole thought.
Issues to be discussed include the very sensitive topic of whether the economy should be liberalized, as the government has put forward, as well as how moderate the TBRE's foreign policy should be (if at all) and also general questions such as the role of government in people's lives.
The Office of HM President have released a statement stating that they look forward to looking over the results. In general, polls demonstrate that the views of these selected 200 citizens reflect those of the nation.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:09 am

From the Evening Teddy, 14th November 2012

Cold Spell Hits TBRE
A cold spell has hit the TBRE.
Temperatures dropped to below freezing in parts of the TBRE as the arrival of winter came unexpectedly early. The Ministry of the National Archives and History Keeping reported temperatures of only 10*C in the capital in early morning, which rose to a chilly 12*C by mid-afternoon.
People were seen out in long coats, with the First Presidential Guard on ceremonial public duties already in their winter, dark grey uniforms. Changes were also seen, with people wearing the winter version of the national dress, the Velkarstern, with fur around the edges of the thicker coat.
The Ministry of Welfare and Housing set up shelters in cities in case electricity failed in parts of the nation, allowing people to stay there in case of an outage due to the sudden increase in demand rather than remain cold while the system was fixed. Malls also started to turn off their air conditioning or start using their heaters, with government offices following suit.
Power companies such as Teddy Power and National Electric have stated that they will start to keep up with increased demand expected in winter seasons, stating that they will activate other generators in order to have at least an excess of supply by the beginning of December.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:10 am

From the Toyland Times, 15th November 2012

End of Nuclear Weapons?
Beige House has taken up the nuclear debate again.
Following a lull declared by the Speaker of House to prevent further bickering in the usual collegial legislature on the issue of the economy, Beige House has taken up yet another massive problem: whether the TBRE should reduce, or get rid of altogether, its nuclear program.
They say that nuclear deterrent is not working, since the USSR Natureland has shown in the past to be willing to sacrifice its population to achieve its aims, and also that the 49 000 nuclear devices that it has vastly outnumber the current 70 warheads in the TBRE's arsenal, making the whole lot defunct.
Many say that it is unreasonable that the TBRE, usually a relatively neutral nation that takes steps to avoid provoking its larger, antagonistic authoritarian neighbor the USSR Natureland, possess nuclear devices, and that it is also a symbol of war in a nation that has valued peace and security throughout its history.
However, proponents of the nuclear program state that the devices are useful as leverage against smaller states in the region with less than agreeable policies towards in the TBRE, including Trevallyland (which has nuclear devices on loan from Natureland) and, to an extent, Mountainland.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:13 am

CELEBRATING AN YEAR OF CONTINUOUS DAILY TBRE NEWS
Congratulations to Staff of Participating News Organizations

From the Evening Teddy, 16th November 2012

Waterspout Spotted
A waterspout was present in Nordwerbaren today.
Residents reported a waterspout in a large lake to local authorities early in the morning, believed to have been caused by the humidity due to the sudden arrival of winter. The weather station and the Ministry of the National Archives and History Keeping were alerted and arrived on scene to investigate.
They quickly alerted vessels in the area to avoid canals near the area, and low flying planes to remain alert as they approached Paddington Warco International Airport, worried that there may be in fact a family of waterspouts, potentially a transport risk to nautical vessels and airborne craft alike.
The waterspout dissipated by early afternoon, but warnings in the area remained for a few hours afterwards before the situation was declared over. MINAHIK released a statement telling people to continue to report waterspouts if they are spotted, although they pose no immediate danger and are rare, they are "still a threat."
This comes as a recent slew of bad weather hits the TBRE, with snowstorms in Nordica and rains causing floods in Grenatia either having occurred or being expected through the coming week.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:17 am

From the Toyland Times, 17th November 2012

Final Day for Trial
Today was the final day for the Human First trial.
Suspects from the Human First Party stand accused of planting bombs in the main airport of Refugia. Although there were no fatalities, those around the area when the bomb blew up were injured. One suspect was arrested following the bombing, and another two held out in a mini siege before SWAT units stormed in and arrested them.
There was a twist in the case today: the suspects plead not guilty to all charges, shocking both the prosecution and the defense who had an agreement for lower sentences in exchange for a plea bargain. It is widely believed that the suspects made their decision not to plead guilty so as to not dishonor themselves in front of their inferiors.
As a result, the judge ended up giving them the full 18 years that the sentence warrants for their host of crimes, including attempted murder, belonging to a criminal organization, and conspiracy to commit terrorism, unlawful possession of explosives and other hazardous items, among others.
Security was tight, and the suspects will serve their terms in a medium security facility in Grenatia, one of the few prisons in the TBRE. The Human First Party had no comment for today, and did not release a statement.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sun Nov 18, 2012 6:37 am

From the Evening Teddy, 18th November 2012

Green Party Buys Bus
The Green Party has bought a bus.
The bus, made by Trenault and powered by fuel cells, will tour around the TBRE as a campaign bus for the Green Party. However, the double-Decker is designed to be a permanent base for such operations, rather than being hired out for such purposes as most political parties usually do.
They hope that the initial investment for the bus will be paid out in the long term, allowing them a platform that they can operate and use by themselves without having to pay rental fees each time. They also state that they can ensure that the bus they have truly runs on environmental friendly engines, since some vehicles in the TBRE still use conventional petrol engines, and that they can save on fuels used since the bus does not have to be transported back and forth from its depot to the new location. They hope that the bus can start to begin operations next month.
The Green Party have stated that the cost for the bus will be absorbed into their budget for next year under transportation costs, with polls showing that most people had no qualms about the idea, although some believe that perhaps a bicycle would have sent a better message. Transit for Toyland, one of the nation's largest commuter bus operators and the largest bus operator of double-Deckers, had no comment today.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:26 am

From the Toyland Times, 19th November 2012

New Batch of Planes
The latest batch of T-88 planes are ready to go.
Following their creation and order by the Armed Forces in 2005, the second batch of the latest generation of planes in the TBRE's arsenal is ready to be delivered to its base in Poleemonland, with Toylando Central Military Base having received the first batch earlier this year for their use.
The Teddy Aviation Industry T-88 Multirole Jet Fighter is a 5th generation stealth fighter which is said to be highly agile and fast, and also have a reduced radar signature to that of a seabird. It will completely phase out the 4.5 generation jet fighters of T-64 by 2040, when they are expected to become more mainstream.
The latest batch flew over to their military base following final checks and preparations in their assembly line in Grenatia, before being re-checked by ground personnel in the military on base. The Armed Forces have stated that they have worked very closely with Teddy Aviation Industry, to ensure the "TBRE has the latest edge in technology when it comes to its jet fighters, something that is increasingly necessary when we reevaluate the role of the TBRE on a world stage."
Approval of the planes is high, although some questioned in the past whether it would be a waste of money, since the T-64 planes were brought in in early 2002, and whether it was too soon to replace them.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:36 am

From the Toyland Times, 20th November 2012

New Modular Systems for Roger Donald
Roger Donald has released more modules for their vehicles.
All Roger Donald vehicles are constructed in a modular fashion, allowing owners to constantly replace parts of their cars for upgraded and more technologically advanced and modern features while still being able to keep the original parts of the car, for economical or environmental reasons.
Roger Donald released a new line of modules in today's press conference, especially for its old but highly regarded line of Roger Donald Ria sedans, which includes such systems as extra storage space, improved and larger digital on-board television screens on the driver's panel, and a new electronic dashboard.
The modules were generally well-received among critics, although some complained that they seemed more geared towards the international market than the native market, something that Roger Donalds has consistently been seen to wanting to expand in, since most features are not particularly popular with Teddy citizens themselves. However, in general, most people were happy with the changes, and some 40% of those interviewed said that they would be interested in upgrading.
Modules are the primary source for Roger Donalds these days, since the car owernship rate in the TBRE is declining and more people are simply using older, family owned cars.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:37 am

From the Toyland Times, 21st November 2012

Conscription Questioned
The issue of conscription is now under scrutiny.
With today being the monthly Opposition Day, where the Opposition may set the agenda opposed to having to go through the Office of the Speaker and submit and application since the government is given priority over the day's agenda, the issue of conscription was brought up by the Workers' Party and some Social Democrats.
They have asked about the necessity of conscription, stating that since it is not really a conventional military service requiring no time within the active military itself and it is merely training and battalion formation, so having it is quite unnecessary. However, they are not sure whether to replace it completely or instead combine it with the normal school curriculum, perhaps as part of the Extended Activities section.
However, some National Liberals and the Baren Party have stated that there is no problem with conscription, and that it has worked well in the past and will continue to do so in the future. They have stated that any other system would be too costly or administratively complicated to handle.
Only one thing is clear in this debate, which extended until Eleven pm before the session ended without result: this issue is likely to keep cropping up for days and weeks to come.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:37 am

From the Toyland Times, 22nd November 2012

Transport Police Scale Back
The Transport Police is scaling back.
Part of either the National Police Bureau or their respective local police forces, various transport police agencies are cutting back on the quotas of volunteers needed as part of their auxiliary police program, due to an increasing lack of need - something that many people are pleased with.
The police have stated that the amount of crime on railroads and trains in the nation is steadily dropping to all time lows, although the police have not increased the amount of police nor done anything similar of the sort. For instance, violations of the honor system used commonly in subway trains have decreased threefold from an already very low number, since the TBRE prides itself as a relatively crime-free state.
The Ministry of Interior announced that this message does not mean that existing staff will be layed off, instead, the police budget and numerical requirements for auxiliary police officers will be scaled back so the force is made more efficient and that there is less bureaucracy.
There were no particular strong comments against the move, and the Transport Police will review its process and present it to the Ministry by next Thursday.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:38 am

From the Evening Teddy, 23rd November 2012

Laltofian Republic?
A group has raised up the possibility of a Laltofian Republic.
The TBRE, the Greater Empire of Bordoris and the Kingdom of Svaltestein are part of a common culture, heritage and ethnicity to a certain extent for humans in the region, known collectively as the Laltofian Group. They speak variants of the same central language, such as Tedofian (a secondary National Language and a Recognized Regional Language), and celebrate the same beliefs in the past, such as that of Laltofian Paganism.
The group, called United Laltofians, have proposed a united and stronger Laltofian Republic. Although it is unlikely such a proposal would be carried through, they have stated that with increasing globalization, the artificiality of borders and stronger powers on either side of the states, a united Republic would be a good idea.
The Kingdom of Svaltestein has been called the TBRE's closest ally, with the two sharing an economic agreement called the Barbergen Zone, allowing freer trade and relaxation of migration policies. Bordoris may be more of a problem, being a nationalistic authoritarian state, which has at times been at odds with the TBRE.
No national government from the three nations have yet to comment on the matter, although it appears to be an increasingly hot topic especially since the new Alliance of the Toy Islands are being formed.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:19 am

From the Toyland Times, 24th November 2012

Presidential Visit
The HM President is due to visit several nations.
Ahead of an important conference that will decide on a new charter for the Alliance of Toy Islands, the HM President, Mikhail Palchensky, will go on a trip to various regional allies in order to kickstart talks and ideas for the Charter, which is entering its final stages although some sections have yet to be smoothed out.
As a result, the Deputy President has been sworn in as acting-HM President, mostly for some minor executive duties, although the HM President - despite being abroad - will still retain head of state (since he is visiting and needs that capacity) and control of the Armed Forces since he is Commander in Chief.
The Office of HM President said that they were very excited about the trip, and hoped that it will go well. Other governments, such as that of the Kingdom of Svaltestein, expressed similar enthusiasm.
This visit happens to coincide with a proposal by United Laltofians, a group that wants to unite Laltofian nations of Bordoris, Svaltestein and the TBRE together, as part of an effort to unite people of the world together and dismantle so-called artificial borders. However, the government assured people that such a trip was not a result of the United Laltofians group, stating that it had been months in the making ever since the proposal for a renewal of the Charter.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sun Nov 25, 2012 6:16 am

From the Toyland Times, 25th November 2012

Military Exercises Scheduled
Armed Forces exercises are scheduled.
This comes as the Armed Forces perceive the USSR Natureland to be increasingly hostile towards the TBRE, due to its own military exercises, and procurement of missiles that currently have no known defense other than being destroyed at the source - something the military is concerned about.
As a result, a series of exercises are being scheduled to train up troops, and also send a message to the military of the USSR Natureland. It will also allow the military to test out some of its new technologies, and think up ways on how best to protect the TBRE and develop such in the future.
The Ministry of War have stated that such an exercise is routine, but pundits aren't particularly sure, confident that the timing with recent USSR Natureland weapons testing off its shores is no accident. Some have asked if this could pose problems to a potential regional charter being signed in the near future.
Surprisingly, other NATO allies, of which the TBRE is a member, have not been invited, possibly to avoid USSR Natureland aggression and prevent them from perceiving this as a proposed invasion. Additionally, US forces have entered USSR Natureland waters consistently in the past, something the TBRE is trying to prevent to avoid escalation.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:15 am

From the Evening Teddy, 26th November 2012

Legislature in Economic Summit
The legislature has decided to go into an economic meeting.
Representatives from all parties in Beige House decided that putting aside political allegiance was critical for the time being in order to get the economic debate over and done with, something that has infuriated the usually collegial legislature and entered a stalemate so bad the Speaker advised its postponement until next year.
They have thus decided to go into an extended meeting, led by the Senate Economic Committee, inside a board room where leaders of the legislature will discuss and pass messages to others waiting elsewhere. It is hoped that by setting aside other tasks and focusing their minds on this, they can at least have a plan on where to go.
Legislators have said that the reason behind this surprise emergency meeting is that they realized that they need to "live up to the people's assessment of what they have been elected for." Some joked that a major part of the state budget would be coffee, since going overnight beyond the Beige Houses' usual working hours is not unexpected.
The HM President, although away on a foreign trip, will remain in a communication link with the meeting while traveling on Teddy One to Bordoris for the final leg of his trip. The Office of HM President released a statement hoping that Beige House could iron out its differences and work together for a common goal.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:16 am

From the Evening Teddy, 27th November 2012

Icebreaker to Arrive
A new icebreaker will arrive in Nordica tomorrow.
Built by Yin and Yang Construction Limited, specifically their ship building branch, the new nuclear powered ship will be one of the few vessels in the TBRE's government civilian navy that uses such a propulsion system, and the largest that the TBRE will possess when it enters service.
Currently, it is sailing through the Vork Sea to Barentinvargen, where the icebreaker will be based in order to aid merchants travel through the usually icy passages when going past Nordica, a common entry point into the region. Additionally, it will help keep paths clear between Svaltestein and the TBRE, a passage that is constantly hampered by ice floes in the winter. It is believed that it will arrive in time to be of use this year.
Tomorrow is the ship's official service ceremony, with the mayor of Barentinvargen expected to attend, as well as members of the local shipping union, who have pushed the government to order this high-tech ship to improve and increase trade in the region, something that contributes significantly to the economy in this area.
The Ministry of Transportation will operate this ship, but will cooperate closely with local port authorities, the coast guard and the Navy Armed Forces.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:29 am

From the Toyland Times, 28th November 2012

Nation 200 Conference Finishes
The Nation 200 Conference will have its results released.
Despite having ended some 4 days ago, the Ministry of the National Archives and History Keeping has stated that they are encountering issues regarding vote counting, and thus will release details by tomorrow of the official results and analysis of this year's Nation 200 conference.
The Nation 200 conference is what MINAHIK hopes is an accurate representation of the TBRE, by selecting some 200 members representing the wide range of ethnic, social and political backgrounds to debate matters, and thus give an indication of where the TBRE as a whole wants to be on political issues.
Such issues ranged from classic international debates on the role of government, to more TBRE-centric issues on taxes and foreign policy, and finally real Beige House questions being discussed at the time of the conference, most notably that on the liberalization of the economy and nuclear policy.
In general, MINAHIK is quite pleased with the results, stating that once again staff did an excellent job of organizing and executing the Nation 200 conference, and that they believed that it went well in general. However, they have issued a statement apologizing for the late results, supposed to come out yesterday.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:36 am

From the Evening Teddy, 29th November 2012

Lightshows Planned in Nordica
There will be mountain lightshows in Nordica.
As part of a charitable drive by the largest TBRE charity, Altruistic Toyland, various authorities in Nordica have taken their traditional alpine lighting systems to create an art show of lights, using the mountainside as a canvas, a multi-day series of events that will occur starting tomorrow.
Although general viewing of the lights are free - after all, they are to be projected on a large mountainside, and thus ticket collection would be difficult for the entire area that could see the mountains - the best places have been identified by authorities and seating there will be charged, which will raise money for Altruistic Toyland.
Altruistic Toyland hopes to be able to use the funds as part of their winter drive, helping people both at home and abroad who have lost power or their homes and thus could suffer from the cold. The money will go to operating warm shelters, buying equipment like blankets, and food in general.
The respective local governments in Nordica have stated that they are "very excited to be part of this project," and hope that their mountain lighting systems can help go to a good cause. This is not the first time a projected art show has been displayed on the mountains, but is the first to be done for charity.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 7:06 am

From the Toyland Times, 30th November 2012

Christmas Lights Up
With the start of the Holidays nearing, lights are being set up.
The Toyland Tower One, the tallest building in the nation, has started the process of putting up their lights. This year's design was created by an independent artist group that specializes in the field, and was approved just last week by the Ministry of Welfare and Building for complying with safety regulations.
The design will be kept secret, although a spokesbear did say that it was very traditional, with an emphasis on unity of people within the TBRE, an overrunning theme of the Toyland Tower this fiscal year of 2012-2013. Rents and donations paid towards the creation and installment of the design.
For the next few days, the observation deck of the Toyland Tower will be closed off for several hours at the time in order to allow scalfolding to be put up and cranes to be lowered in order for maintenance workers to put up the lights, a process that will coincide with the delivery of the Christmas tree.
Employers inside the Toyland Tower have been warned of the arrangement, including a request not to open windows as some floors can do while the process is going on. Since the Tower authority has planned this several months in advance, no bookings to go to the observation deck are being affected.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 7:07 am

From the Evening Teddy, 1st December 2012

Lemonade Auction
There is an auction of lemonade occurring in Grenatia.
Widely considered the national drink of the TBRE for cultural and biological (it is necessary to sustain a bear's sapiency) reasons, there has definitely been a lot of social standing associated with the drink, with some even saying that lemonade to the TBRE is what wine is to the French.
Therefore, it was no surprise that there have been many auctions in the past selling off rare bottles of lemonade that have accumulated or aged over the years. However, this time is the largest auction of its kind, both in terms of money it is expected to raise for charity and the government, and the number of bottles involved, ranging all around the world instead of just from the nation, like other auctions have been, since there is an international theme to this auction.
Although the auction proper occurs tomorrow, a full list of bottles are available, including some of the most prestigious and expensive in the Tolar to litre ratio often used to calculate cost. Final preparations were carried out today, including the delivery of bottles in armored vehicles escorted by security personnel, and the final arrangements concerning the location of the auction in a former, aged courthouse being organized in preparation for this event. The government has arranged this auction with the help of private collectors, and will donate some to a conglomerate of charities.

by **Teddy Bear Republic** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 6:19 am

From the Evening Teddy, 2nd December 2012

Nuclear Weapons To Be Decided
Beige House has launched a referendum for nuclear policy.
Following a gridlocked house, with fierce and angry debates in both of the usually collegial chambers, Beige House has decided to ask the people how the matter should be resolved through a referendum, something that is usually reserved for large debates or changes to the Constitution.
The process of organizing the referendum is being decided by the Independent Commission, and will be spread over several days. The question posed will be "Do you believe the current 70 nuclear warheads possessed by the Teddy Bear Republic Empire Armed Forces should be a) raised, b) kept the same, c) reduced to an unspecified amount or d) reduced to nill?"
Beige House and the Independent Commission have stated that this may not necessarily be the final decision of the legislature concerning the debate, merely to "check the temperature of the nation." This is because the Armed Forces, which has so far kept to its vow of being apolitical, may choose to release a report regarding their professional views on the matter.
Polling will begin the day after next. There have been no comments on this referendum from the Office of HM President, or the government of the USSR Natureland, against which the TBRE's nuclear policy is traditionally aimed against, being our historical and largest enemy.

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