The Astyrian Network

[British Hifax]

[Nikolia]

[Ord Caprica]

U.R deploys additional forces to Kamalbia

U.R TEUCOM spokesperson announces the deployment of the 36th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)
to the Federal Republic of Kamalbia, in support of ongoing EATO operations in the country.
Jame McManus (@JayMcManus)
18 February 2019 0730AM | Ulysses, C.D. , United Republic

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Marines of the 2JEU prepare for their upcoming deployment | UP Photo

_{S T O R Y H E A D L I N E S}

:· NEW: Nikolia criminalizes psychic practices

:· Maximilian marries Princess Letizia

:· Explosion at the Port of Lenderpool

:· Explosions on Paleisplein on New Year Eve

:· Princetown Fashion Week

:· 2019 Nidwalden Election results

Ulysses, C.D.(UP) Over 4,500 Sailors and Marines serving with the 2nd Joint Task Force and the 36th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be deploying to Camp Murphy, Kamalbia in support U.R Operation Southern Shield.

As crew and Marines from the 3rd Battalion (Reinforced), 6th Marine Regiment , friends and family exchanged heartfelt goodbyes and cries could be heard from across the pier.

A scheduled nine-month deployment is being conducted by The Navy-Marine Corps team in support of anti-terrorism, maritime security operations, crisis response and theater security cooperation, while a forward naval presence will be provided in Teudallum by the Naval Combat Component(NCC) of the 2nd Joint Task Force, URTEUCOM , the Navy announced.

For many supporting the 36th MEU, this will be their first deployment having recently completed a 3 month workup in preparation for extended operations in Kamalbia.

The 36th consists URS Daniel Webster(LHD 3), the amphibious transport dock ship URS Haynes(LPD 24), the dock landing ship URS Nathan Ross (LSD 43), Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams (FAST) 2 and FAST 8, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6, Tactical Air Control Squadron 2, components of Naval Beach Group 2 and the embarked staff of Amphibious Squadron 6.

[Ord Caprica]

BREAKING: President Kenway Shot

President Kenway was shot after a rally in Alexandria, North Yankton.
Suspect shot after shootout with Secret Service.
Jame McManus (@JayMcManus)
20 February 2019 0730AM | Ulysses, C.D. , United Republic

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Secret Service secure scene after gunshots | UP Photo

_{S T O R Y H E A D L I N E S}

:· NEW: Nikolia criminalizes psychic practices

:· Maximilian marries Princess Letizia

:· Explosion at the Port of Lenderpool

:· Explosions on Paleisplein on New Year Eve

:· Princetown Fashion Week

:· 2019 Nidwalden Election results

Ulysses, C.D.(UP) - Just hours ago, President Oliver Kenway was shot following a political rally in Alexandria, North Yankton this afternoon. While details are currently scarce, according to reports the President had just finished his speech to supporters in the packed auditorium and had stepped off the podium into the crowd, greeting guests when he was shot by a member of the crowd. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots go off before chaos ensued.

President Kenway was immediately rushed from the scene to the Alexandria Metropolitan Medical Center and is currently in surgery. Sources within the Kenway Administration say the President is currently in critical conditions and doctors are not optimistic regarding his chances of recovery.

Secret Service agents reported engaged the shooter as he attempted to flee the scene in a stolen black SUV. The suspect was killed during the shootout. Officials have announced that the identity of the shooter is currently unknown and the Criminal Investigative Division is currently on scene and looking into identifying the shooter and any potential accomplices.

Vice President James P. Chase, newly inaugurated Vice President of the United Republic was sworn into the Presidency as acting President of the U.R.

Chase recently came into prominence as Kenway's running mate for the 2018 Presidential election. Chase was born on June 6, 1970 in Newport,Waldorf, U.R to Frank and Elsa Chase. His father was a renown merchant marine Captain and his mother was a socialite and heiress to the Piermont shipping fortune. Chase attended elite private schools before receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Cyprus-Rhodes University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the United Republic Naval Academy. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United Republic Marine Corps in 1991, serving as an infantry officer until 2001.

After his military service, Chase took over daily operations in his grandfather's shipping firm until it's acquisition by Atlas International in 2008. He continued working for Atlas until 2010 when he announced his candidacy for the vacant senate seat in his home state of Waldorf, winning the election taking up positions on the Senate Committees for the Armed Services, Banking,Housing and Urban Affairs, and Commerce,Science, and Transportation as well the subcommittees on Air-land, Emerging Threats and Capabilities. While in the Senate, Chase made a name for himself as a leading figure in national security policy.

Chase's term in the Senate ended in 2016 and he assumed a number of influential posts in non-governmental think tanks and foreign policy institutes before being tapped by the Prosperity Party.

A spokesperson from VP Chase's office released a statement saying, '' Vice President Chase is fully prepared to do his duty to his country and will uphold the legacy and ideals of Caprican democracy. ''

We will update you on the story as it develops.

[Hindia Belanda]

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Briefings for Friday, 22 February 2019

Mailroom clerks at the Foreign Ministry in Weltevreden received suspicious parcels addressed to Brega Wardana, the Foreign Minister, prompting an immediate evacuation of the ministry and nearby government buildings this morning. Capital Territory Police placed the area on lockdown before declaring the incident a false alarm twenty minutes later. This morning, at a busy coffeeshop in Noordwijk, Jakarta, a barista served two cups of iced lavender caffè lattes to Thomas Dijkstra, former leader of the right-wing Orange Banner League, and Louis Wouters, the Finance Minister and Lord of the Coffer. The two sat together at a table by the window and shook hands, fuelling rumours that Mr Dijkstra may join the ruling National Indies Party and assume a seat on the Government frontbench as a junior Minister of the Crown. Antje Moeljani, the Prime Minister, travelled to Bandar Kunti for talks on Hindia Belandan startup economy with small business owners at the resort town. Hindia Belandans living in the south woke up to an uncharacteristically cold morning, as temperatures drop to as low as eight degree celsius in some parts of Java and Bali islands.

A Statistics Hindia Belanda report showed that the number of working Hindia Belandans continue to jump by five percent, with unemployment at three point five percent, a record low since the country’s independence in 1929. From April this year, 5G network will become a reality in the Commonwealth. OranjeHB announced that it would deploy this new generation of mobile network in 200 cities and towns across Hindia Belanda on 3 April. Louis Wouters, the Finance Minister and Lord of the Coffer, presented a white paper to the Dewan Deputi, the lower house of Parliament, detailing the Government’s plan to introduce chewing gum tax. Hindia Belandan fashion house Torna & Lavan reported a slight dip in profit as sales went down to two point six percent in the first quarter of this year.



Alissa Moerdiana Hakim, the Commissioner of the Capital Territory Police, said this morning that the Police would no longer employ face recognition technology in and around Weltevreden district after the High Court of Jakarta granted a request for injunction against the practice. The decision was seen as a victory for the privacy advocacy group Privasi Untuk Semua, whose high-profile campaigns garnered the support of top Hindia Belandan lawmakers and celebrities alike. Geert Parmelin resigned as the Shadow Foreign Minister after The Weltevreden Review accused him of misleading MPs about his knowledge of financial ties between former CEO of Halvestör Group Antara Soeparta, who was arrested for financial fraud last December, and Baroness Hartita, who led the government frontbench in the Dewan Bangsawan, the upper house of Parliament, during the premiership of Marcus Overstraten. The Commonwealth terrorism threat level was reduced from severe to moderate, meaning that the public should still exercise vigilance although an attack is less likely to happen. Governor-General Maryam Rahmadisoerja, her husband and representatives of the Hindia Belandan princely families left the Commonwealth yesterday for the wedding of Hifaxian Princess Letizia and Nidwaldester businessman Maximilian Leiningen.

Stories from across the sea
At a crowded political rally in Alexandria, Caprican President Oliver Kenway was shot by an unknown assailant as he greeted guests following his speech, United Press Network reported. Kenway was taken to the Alexandria Medical Centre where he underwent surgery and remains in critical conditions. His incapacitation led to the assumption of the presidency by Caprican Vice President James P. Chase, who was sworn into the office not long after the horrific incident. Mediums, psychics and clairvoyants grew restive in Nikolia as new legislation prohibiting their professions came into force. Heads of state, royals and celebrities from around the world descend into Hifax for the marriage of Hifaxian Princess Letizia and Nidwaldester businessman Maximilian Leiningen at Saint Paul's Cathedral today.

A Song For The End of Time opens tonight at the Malaccan Theatre in Noordwijk, Jakarta. In this surrealistic play directed by Yusuf Erskine, a woman by the name of Lisa receives a commandment from God to compose a theme song for the apocalypse which God plans to have the heavenly host sing as soon as it is finished, triggering the end of the world. Not wanting the world to end just yet, Lisa teams up with her flatmate Matthew to sabotage the project.

[Great Nortend]

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23 FEBRUARY MMXIV · PRINTED IN LENDERT · ONE PENNY

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  H. M. G. Swinork damaged in suspicious fire

  HIS MAJESTY's Gaol Swinork was two days ago in the evening of the 21st damaged by a fire which may have been deliberately lit. The 19th century bluestone gaol's dining hall was engulfed in flames, just after lockdown, necessitating the evacuation of over two hundred prisoners by a skeleton staff of only six gaolers. No men were seriously injured in the inferno, which consumed the entire dining hall as well as the adjoining kitchens and gaoler common room, however some were treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation. The Chief Inspector of the Swinork Borough Constabulary, Thomas Brones, said that “[the police] are investigating a number of possible causes of the fire and that no conclusions have been drawn yet.” However, there have been reports of an explosion heard from the dining hall before the fire was spotted by the cook, Mrs Hesworth, and there are rumous that the fire was been deliberately started using a timed incendiary explosive.

  The Warden of the Gaol, Sir Edwin Bainbridge, is now under increased pressure from the Government to improve safety and evacuation procedures after it was reported in the local press that the evacuation of the entire 235-cell gaol took over an hour and that it took over fifteen minutes after the blaze was identified for the fire brigade to be called. The local Scodelier burgess, Mr Carl Thomas, criticised the management of the gaol, saying that, “in the name of justice, it is the duty of the gaol system to at all times protect its prisoners. Though in this case we were lucky and no lives were lost, it is all too possible that owing to the lack of gaolers and a lack of adequate training, a similar incident may result in a far more tragic consequence.”

  Sir Edwin defended the training of the gaolers, saying that “[they] received over 240 hours of practical and theoretical training before they were qualified to work the night shift” and that “the ratio of prisoners to gaolers, being less than 20 to 1, was far below the maximum ratio [of 30 to 1] mandated by the Clerk's Department. A spokesman for the Clerk's Department yesterday issued a statement, saying that, “The report for the incident at H. M. Gaol Swinork on the 21st instant will be published by H. M. Inspectorate of Prisons and Gaols in due course. The King's Clerk would like to assure the public, however, that the guidelines for gaols and prisons across the country will be reviewed once the report and recommendations are made available to the the Department.”

  The 230 prisoners have been moved to H. M. G. Sulhampton and Market Hoseforth whilst the investigation and repair works are ongoing.
  
Hifaxian princess weds Nidwaldester estate agent-cum-lawyer

  HER SERENE HIGHNESS Princess Letizia of Hifax yesterday wed Nidwaldester member of high society, Maximilian Leiningen, in a ceremony attended by royalty and high society from across the region. Of the well-known personages attendant at the ceremony were the Queen of Nordenstate and Hindia Belanda, the Queen of Dungeyland and the Governor General of Hindia Belanda. The ceremony was conducted at Saint Paul's Cathedral, in Princetown, with a lavish reception following at the Villa Ephrussi of Casuarinas.

  The couple had been frequently seen together through 2018, however it is reported that their relationship goes back to their early childhoods, when the then Master Leiningen and Princess Letizia often holidayed in the other's respective country in winter and summer respectively. Now His Serene Highness Prince Consort Maximilian, Mr Leiningen has worked as a lawyer in a prestigious Nidwaldester firm, before joining the family real-estate business. The Regal Post wishes the royal couple a happy, long and blessed marriage together.

[Nildwalden]

[Jadid]

LOCAL | WORLD | POLITICS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | OPINION

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Minster of Development and Climate Announces New Standards for New Construction

After several weeks of rumors and anticipation the head of the Development and Climate Ministry Thidrik Mohammad al-Azad announced the agencies new building standards incorporating green power generation and more green and renewable materials. The announcement was made at a press conference attended by many construction and real estate industry leaders and has been met with a mixed reaction. Some construction industry leaders such as the owner of construction conglomerate JMD, Hamdi al-Sala, praised the announcement, saying it is an important step in modernizing Jadid's construction industry and making the country a leader in green technology. Others such as the leader of the National Housing Council on Housing Arwa el-Abdul were more skeptical saying in an official interview fallowing the announcement that while moving Jadid in a more green direction is important the new requirements will make housing more expensive to build and will make it harder for young people looking to buy their first home, among other unforessen economic consequences. Leader of the National Industries Association of Jadid or NIAJ Thorlak Jonsson also released an official statement on the announcement in support of the move although with the caveat that while the move will likely be a great assistance to local manufactures and help Jadid's small renewable energies sector grow, in the short term there simply isn't the capacity to produce allot of the necessary materials and products needed to meet the new standards.

The new building standards will effect all new construction which breaks ground after the first of the year 2021 and mandates all new residential construction to include enough green energy generation to provide at least 40% of projected power consumption based on the type of building and 30% for industrial and commercial buildings. Additionally all new single detached and semi detached dwellings will be required to incorporate some kind of gray water recycling. The full extent of the new requirements are expected to be released to the public later this week with the new updated national building code. Special exemptions have been given for traditional dwellings such those built buy the Jegaryl people of northern Jard Alsharqia State.

The announcement is part of the larger green development policy that the current national government has been implementing over its last two terms. This policy, while still broadly popular, has been met with increasing criticism by members of Jadid's hydrocarbon and mining industries and has not been without controversy. Government critics have pointed out that many of the industries most benefiting from the green development policy are dominated by companies owned by party loyalists. The government has countered by pointing out the necessity of climate action and by pointing to the transparent nature of government contracts, although these themselves have been questioned by critics. Additionally the governments inclusion of nuclear and hydro power in the new national energy strategy has drawn criticism from environmental groups.

Dan Mohammad Hognisson, 2019/03/04, Jadidia

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Jadid's Most Trusted News

[Albeinland]

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A new parliamentary year
The state opening of the parliament opens the national parliamentary activities as well as the first government acts

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Leonard Spencer (@leospencer)
Mar 06, 2019 | Castelby

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CASTELBY - Since 1665, in the first Monday of May, the state opening of the parliament happens in the Palace of Luffton - the seat of the Albish Parliament - marking the beginning of a new parliamentary year and, if there were elections in the previous year, it also marks the beginning of a new government. The security in Luffton has been strengthened this year due to terrorist attacks at Koninstad in December, with elite members of the Metropolitan Guard of Castelby working together with the Armed Forces in the palace and its surrounding areas, but it did not prevent the thousands of adherents of the Royal Family to seeing Queen Catherine's departure from the Betfield Castle accompanied by her son Alexander, Prince of Crawlsey and the Duke of Eidenburgh.

Catherine arrived via the royal state coach in Luffton at 10:15 am, with the Royal Cambrian Guard hoisting the royal ensign while playing the Albish National Anthem. After the flag was raised, the Queen went to the chamber of the House of Lords, where all the 159 members of the House of Commons and the 79 members of the House of Lords alongside Chancellor Vincent Lloyd, the Deputy Chancellor Elizabeth Smith, the Leader of the Opposition Thomas Corbyn and representatives of the Armed Forces were present. The ceremony officially began at eleven o'clock, with the Queen performing the traditional Queen's Speech. Although it is the monarch who speaks to the parliament and its members, the text is drafted by the Albish Government and Her Majesty's Privy Council with her consultation.

The speech lasted forty-five minutes and announced the main measures from the new government and its actions in the parliament. The Queen stated that the elections held in December last year are a 'clear example that democracy prevails in the Albish State', and remembered that the current Chancellor Vincent Lloyd is one of the youngest politicians to occupy the office since Lady Annelise Mayflower in 1952. Catherine also welcomed the MPs of the House of Commons who were elected or re-elected, affirming that there was a 'positive political renewal in our country'. Regarding government policies this year, it was announced austerity policies in the province of Saint Laurent - which has suffered a financial crisis since November 2017 - and the controversial Labour Act, which promises to replace the Labour Act of 2013 and is being criticized by members of the Social Democratic Party and trade unions.

Soon after the speech, the Queen and other members of the Royal Family returned to Betfield Castle and thus starting the parliamentary activities in 2019 as well as the government of Vincent Lloyd, who could do nothing than wait for this date. The entire cabinet is expected to meet Lloyd on this Tuesday to discuss another governmental politics for this year. The opposition also follows the same steps with Social Democratic Party Leader Thomas Corbyn announcing a meeting with another opposition parties and saying that he will make a 'tough opposition that respects labourist rights'. Now, the attention on the political sphere turns to the elections that will elect the Speaker and Lord Speaker for both houses next Monday.

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Other news:

• BREAKING: Caprican President Kenway shot in political rally (12,391)
• National Assembly of Nikolia criminalises psychic practices (5,407)
• The Hifaxian Royal Wedding (1,099)
• Horse rapes another horse in Anglea (1,233)

© 2019 The Daily Messenger Corporation

[Albeinland]

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The first governmental acts
The government of Vincent Lloyd begins his first acts while the elections for Speaker and Lord Speaker approaches

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Leonard Spencer (@leospencer)
Mar 09, 2019 | Castelby

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CASTELBY - With the end of the parliamentary recess and the start of activities in both of House of Commons and House of Lords last Monday, the government of the Chancellor Vincent Lloyd begins its first steps regarding the implementation of the first measures that will be issued in next months. During the last Tuesday's morning, the new cabinet assembled at 9 Loegria Street (the Chancellor's official residence) to discuss and formalise the most urgent policies that will be implemented this year, with economic policies to end the financial crisis in the province of Saint Laurent taking full priority. The First Lord Exchequer Paul Huxley also said after the cabinet meeting for the RBC that he will do a visit in the province later this month. Although it's not confirmed, the government is also expected to launch the first draft of the Labour Act of 2018 in April. The law, which is heavily opposed by the SDP, aims to replace the Labour Act of 2013 and promises the flexibilization of the current labour laws, allowing the worker to decide his own salary and timetable with the employer.

Regarding the elections that will take place next Monday to elect the Speaker and Lord Speaker for both houses in parliament, the Conservative Party issued a note last Thursday on its website stating the names of the two candidates for both offices: it was decided that the MP for Bunbourne Richard Barrow will be the party candidate for Speaker while Charles Durhan, Baron Durhan of Abbersmith will be the conservative candidate for Lord Speaker.

The Social Democratic Party, in turn, announced its two candidates today in the morning, having been chosen the MP for South Crawlsey Amelie Grahan as the candidate for Speaker and Adam Buffton, Baron Buffton as the candidate for Lord Speaker. It is expected that other opposition parties (the Green Party and the Federalist Union) will endorse the social democrats' candidates, as well as the Albish Nationalist League, will endorse the conservative candidates. The Liberal Party has decided that will not launch any candidate.

Richard Barrow was born in Bunbourne on 24 April 1963 and has been an active conservative member since 1986. He was elected MP in the same city in 2003 and was named as Master of Energy and Works in the Eric Chamberlain and Arthur Irves governments between the years of 2008 and 2011. He managed to be re-elected in both 2011 and 2018 elections. Barrow is a close ally of Vincent Lloyd despite his more moderate views economically and socially, which gives him greater chances of attracting the votes of liberals in the House of Commons. The Baron Durhan of Abbersmith has been a member of the House of Lords since he was awarded his nobility title in 2003, being an active member of the Chamberlain government and, since 2011, is a very close ally of Lloyd as well, is expected to win the Lord Speaker election without any problems. Meanwhile, the social democrat candidates Amelie Grahan and the Baron Buffton are little known in both houses, with many political analysts believing that a conservative victory is more likely.

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Other news:

• A new parliamentary year (4,891)
• Snow on Lochfield and Eidenburgh begins to intensify (3,507)
• Opinion: The conservatives will win again (2,099)
• Car accident kills three in Castelby (1,765)

© 2019 The Daily Messenger Corporation

[Hindia Belanda]

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Jan Cornelis | Art Correspondent
^{18 March 2019 | Jakarta, Hindia Belanda}

On a recent evening, at a hotel bar in Noordwijk, Jakarta, I sat down with Her Excellency Dewi Kartasoekarti, the glamorous octogenarian who was Governor-General of Hindia Belanda from 1998 until 2009. Still beautiful at eighty, Dewi sauntered into the room, carrying herself with the poise and elegance of the youthful aesthete-slash-socialite that she was a half-century ago. She was wearing a blue Paula del Pozo pencil dress, her signature pillbox hat belonging to a bygone age resting on her head. Her look did not seem out of place inside the art deco bar that had witnessed generations upon generations of Jakarta’s elite mingling within its lofty expanse and, for a moment, it seemed as though the entire scene was a chronological anomaly, a spectre of another time and place.

Born on 12 February 1939 to well-to-do parents, Dewi sailed through her Fine Arts course at the Royal University of Jakarta before reading law at the University of Cologne in Nidwalden. At a gala in Koninstad, she met her future husband Soemarna, the would-be fifth Prime Minister of Hindia Belanda who became associated with ideas of national unity in the wake of Hindia Belanda’s often ugly decolonisation business. Throughout her former husband’s premiership from the late fifties until the early seventies, a period known for rising distrust in the Commonwealth’s aristocracy, she campaigned for greater funding for the arts and did not hesitate to beseech nobles from the Vorstenlanden to chip in. Dewi exerted whatever influence her status brought as wife of the Prime Minister to bring the Hindia Belandan art scene into the limelight and for that, she has earned, in the eyes of so many emerging and seasoned Hindia Belandan artists, an exalted place in their pantheon of heroes.

She recalled, in a speech to students of the Royal University of Jakarta’s Faculteit der Kunsten, her alma mater, how a group of Hindia Belandan artists whose names immediately manifest in our minds at the thought of the word ‘conceptual’ thanked her for setting aside state funds to purchase a number of ateliers in both Jakarta and Koninstad, from where these artists eventually grew to become the household names that they are now.

Besides the arts, Dewi is famous for her proclivity for fashion. This fact did not go unnoticed when, merely two years into the premiership of her husband, she became embroiled in a dispute with Baroness Dihardja over who should receive the first delivery of a certain limited-edition luxury handbag with an astronomical price tag that they both had ordered at the same time. This incident, which to you and me sounds very puerile and stereotypical of the Hindia Belandan beau monde, was ironically the start of a life-long friendship between Dewi and the Baroness. It also served as a stepping stone for Dewi’s venture into the fashion world, where she now enjoys precedence over many other invitees at fashion shows in virtually all compass directions.

In 1998, at the recommendation of Prime Minister Muhammad Sjarifoedin and with the consent of the all-party Parliamentary committee responsible for the laborious task of sifting through viceregal candidates, the Queen appointed her Governor-General of Hindia Belanda, a position she held for a decade and one year. It was during her Viceroyalty that Dewi helped throttle the island country’s art world which had suffered from stagnancy, attributed to our nation’s lack of understanding and appreciation of the arts in general. This she also blamed on the inaccessibility of artworks for the common people. As Governor-General, she was known for hosting many a fundraiser for the Commonwealth Collection Trust, of which she is now Chief Curator responsible for overseeing nearly a million art items belonging to the Hindia Belandan people. Her days as Vicereine conjured images of glamorous dinners and chic vernissage where Dewi, always the fashion-conscious who wore haute couture whenever possible, enticed executives, heirs and heiresses of fortune into surrendering their chequebooks to the promotion of the arts. What is more impressive is that she achieved all of that without a penny of taxpayers’ money, a feat as yet unequalled by anyone meritorious enough to accede to the Viceregal throne.

On leaving Buitenzorg Palace in 2009, she was immediately appointed to the position of Chief Curator of the Commonwealth Collection Trust. Last week, Dewi was two years into her third consecutive term at The Collection when she announced her intention to step down, citing old age and a desire to live close by her family on Pulau Alba, the island of her birth.



JAN CORNELIS: When your tenure as Governor-General ended in 2009, you were offered the position of Chief Curator of the Commonwealth Collection Trust. What made you take it?

DEWI KARTASOEKARTI: When Mr Pieter Bosma (the Minister for Culture at the time) offered me the position, I thought it’d be insane to pass up the chance of seeing our country’s largest collection of artworks, so I accepted the offer on the spot. I said to him, “Mr Bosma, when do I start?”. Because, you know, so many of the artworks in The Collection have never seen the light of day, just hidden inside vaults underneath Jakarta and other cities throughout Hindia Belanda.

CORNELIS: These stupendous vaults house nearly a million objects. How did The Collection manage to amass such a tremendous amount of artworks?

DEWI: The Collection had a very humble beginning in the 1870s as a private collection of a noble Javanese man, who bequeathed his collection to the colonial government’s Instituut der Kunsten on his death bed. Then, shortly after our independence in 1929, The Collection began to receive all these bequests and gifts from private individuals, some of them foreigners. These gifts kept coming and coming and they started to skyrocket in the 1950s. The Collection was flooded with so much stuff that it had to sell some of them away eventually because, at the time, the warehouses that The Collection used to store these artworks lacked proper climate control. We live in a tropical country after all and humidity is something The Collection wage war against on a daily basis.

I think The Collection sold around five thousand items when it ran out of room. Mr Djadjasoekmadi, who was Chief Curator in the fifties, had this ambitious plan to construct underground, climate-controlled vaults where The Collection now keeps most of its artworks. He also repurposed a number of air raid shelters built during the Second Great Astyrian War into art vaults. He rang me one morning in 1959, saying “Dewi, I’ve got to get rid of some of this stuff. It’s piling up and we’ve nowhere to keep them”. I was legitimately scared because our collection included some of the rarest items out there and it was clear that foreign collectors already had their eyes on them when the rumour first spread. So I travelled to the Vorstenlanden to ask our princely houses for their donation, persuaded wealthy individuals to sign some cheques for The Collection. And I also asked my husband, who was Prime Minister, to pull some strings here and there. I was grateful that he was open to the idea because there was no way we could’ve gathered such tremendous amount of money for all these vaults without the help of the political establishment and the aristocracy.

CORNELIS: All this stuff in The Collection’s basement will probably never be shown to the public, for reasons ranging from fragility to lack of space. A recent report by the Charity Commission found that it’s extremely pricey to keep them preserved underground. What, then, is your strategy to reduce The Collection's growing expenses?

DEWI: We spent 58.3 million Roepiahs on expenses and only made 58.7 million Roepiahs in income last financial year. The Collection relies on ticket sales to all six Viceregal official residences and also museums that we run to fund our operations, but the reality is that visitor numbers fluctuate every year due to a number of factors. Flight price, perceived global threat of terrorism, the state of the global economy, people’s ever-changing interest. It didn’t help that there were terrorist attacks in Koninstad and elsewhere. So we find ourselves always having to innovate each year to keep the numbers high. We recently struck up a deal with private museums where they could loan our artworks, have them on view for an extended period and in turn pay for their upkeep. This will reduce some of our financial pressure, enough to gradually accumulate ‘cash cushion’, if you will, to ride out future bouts of financial instability. If we did the maths correctly, we’d chop at least ten million off of our expenditures.

CORNELIS: So the rumours that The Collection are selling the artworks aren’t true.

DEWI: It’s partly true. We’ve got about thirty thousand lower grade artworks that we think would find better use under the care of other museums because we’ve never put them on view due to space constraints, so the decision was made to deaccession them. We’re holding on to the rest of our collection, though.



CORNELIS: Is it safe to say that The Collection has stopped collecting altogether?

DEWI: In the meantime, yes. We’re now focused on exploring new ways to present what we already have to the public. We’re also in the process of digitising the entire collection, so that we can finally unveil artworks that would otherwise be out of the public’s view. It’s an arduous task, but a task worth doing nonetheless.

CORNELIS: Talk to me about Art On The Meadow, the colossal outdoor festival celebrating Hindia Belandan culture you helped make happen in 1967.

DEWI: The idea for Art On The Meadow came to me when I was accompanying my former husband on a visit to Pasembah Plains on the island of Senjani in 1965. It must’ve been a visit to one of those archaeological sites. When we arrived there, I took a careful look at the plains and could already imagine the entire festival unfolding on that expansive swath of green at the foot of Mount Senjani. So, upon returning to Jakarta, I pitched the idea to a group of museum directors who had connections with all these wealthy donors. The preparations took two years because we had to set up all these facilities for the artists and performers who wanted to show their art, and also for the attendees, most of whom camped on the plains. We had all these fantastic works of art brought there from all corners of the archipelago: towering sculptures, avant-garde performance art, poetry—you name it. The turnout was impressive too, 150,000 over a period of one week. Each night the entire plains would turn into a light installation and there were all sorts of musicians performing there. It was other-worldly but, at the same time, also very Hindia Belandan. It was one of the profoundest moments in our history, because we had all these people from different backgrounds coming together to celebrate who we are as a nation. I’m very proud of what we did there and hope that we could come up with something of that calibre again in the future.

CORNELIS: You took part in Maia Soerjodarmo’s performance art at that festival, where you both took turns dancing in circles whilst all these hooded singers chanted Ancient Senjanian canticles. Nobody saw that coming, given that you were still married to the Prime Minister.

DEWI: I was very invested in the performance art scene at the time and Maia was the leading figure in that field. She was very controversial. I’d met Maia a few years before that performance at a vernissage in Seminyak and soon after we’d run into each other at all these exhibitions. I was very impressed with her body of work that she exhibited at Noordwijk Festival Grounds in 1964, which included a performance where she sat on what seemed like a very puffy cloud, lamenting her own death. And there was that performance where she let other people throw charcoal biscuits at her. So when Maia told me she was looking for a dancer for that performance at Art On The Meadow I signed myself up immediately. Let’s just say that Nusantara Palace wasn’t very approving of my decision. [laughs]

CORNELIS: But your former husband was okay with it.

DEWI: He was very supportive of me. Taking part in that performance was very cathartic for me.

CORNELIS: Maia purposely injured herself in many of her performances and the Hindia Belandan art world wasn’t having any of it.

DEWI: I think it’s important to keep in mind that Maia’s performances were very critical of everything that was wrong in our society at the time. I didn’t always agree with how Maia performed as an artist, but it was her unique way of getting her point across that turned her into this icon of Hindia Belandan performance art.

CORNELIS: You devote most of your life to the art world. What was the most memorable art moment that intensely affected you?

DEWI: One morning in 1969, as I was visiting this small gallery by the sea in Bandar Kunti, I saw a sculpture of an oak tree the size of an end table and the colour of ivory whose leaves were shaped as skulls. I was completely entranced by it. I thought to myself that if I didn’t buy it right there and then I’d regret it for the rest of my life. So I bought that for practically nothing, I think it cost me about three hundred Roepiahs. It must’ve been thirty years later—I was Governor-General then—when I found myself talking with a group of artists who’d received that year’s Viceregal Prize for the Arts at Buitenzorg Palace that this same question you’ve just asked me came up. As I was describing the sculpture to those artists and how it had affected me in such a profound way since the day I bought it, I remember one of them began to sob. “I made that sculpture,” the one and only Carla Koesoemaningroem told me that evening. She was crying and so overcome with emotion. And I was so taken aback that I became deeply emotional as well. I remember the palace footmen were looking at me with so much worry from afar—God, I must’ve been in such a state—that they summoned the guards to check on me!

CORNELIS: I remember reading that incredible story in an issue of ARTchipelago magazine—I think it was an op-ed written by Carla herself—and thinking how you must’ve felt upon learning that it was her art all along. She had a huge replica of that same sculpture displayed at last year’s Hindia Belandan art retrospective in Princetown. What’s the story behind that?

DEWI: I was amazed to personally see that replica on view in Princetown last year. You know, Carla actually tried to seek my permission before making that replica.

CORNELIS: And you gave her your permission.

DEWI: But of course! I didn’t feel that she needed to seek my permission, to begin with. She was making a replica of her own art. I felt really bad about the whole thing that I even contemplated returning the sculpture to her because I'd bought it for nothing. I called her one morning to ask for an address I can send the sculpture to. Naturally, she refused and instead suggested that I have it loaned to museums. It’s now on permanent display at the Noordwijk Museum of Modern Art. Sometimes it travels to other museums around the world. I was very happy when I saw the replica at the Museum of Astyrian Art in Princetown last year, knowing other people can now experience the sculpture which still means a great deal to me.



CORNELIS: Let’s talk about The Beauty And The Mystery Is That We Exist, the retrospective that you helped set up in Princetown last year. A lot of contemporary artists from the fifties onwards displayed their works alongside all these legendary artists from the late 1800s.

DEWI: Our retrospective in Princetown was a great success and I’m very pleased that Hindia Belandan art are getting the exposure that they so deserve. I have my good friend Carlos Fortabat to thank for that, too, because he’s very well known in the Hifaxian art circles and has close connections with the cultural establishment there. Our creative industry had so much potential in the 1950s, it just didn’t have access to funding to really make it big at home and abroad. So, when my former husband became Prime Minister in ’58, one of the first things I did was assemble a group of art-minded, wealthy Hindia Belandans and try to convince them that their money was better off spent on local rather than foreign art. Since we already had an admirable collection of foreign art that we inherited from the colonial state on our independence in 1929, I encouraged them to start buying from local artists. I was buying too. You know, Hindia Belandan collectors at that time were much more interested in the works of the old masters, all those legends from Lorecia, and also great Hindia Belandan painters from the colonial era, such as Raden Saleh. They almost resented contemporary art, which actually formed a bulk of what our art industry was producing at the time. And it was such a great period for contemporary art. We had all these promising young artists experimenting with new media and challenging the definition of art itself. They took all sorts of unconventional approaches and look at where they are now. Our retrospective in Princetown was, in a way, a homage to these artists who’ve now made a name for themselves and I hope that it can inspire future generations of artists to be bold and true to their visions, regardless of what other people say.

CORNELIS: You mentioned your friend Carlos Fortabat, the Hifaxian collector. Didn’t he help you build the Commonwealth Collection Trust’s modern art assemblage which, amongst others, includes Notopandojo’s ’About The Sun That Never Rose And Other Oddities’?

DEWI: Yes, he did. In fact, Carlos was the one who alerted me that ‘About The Sun’ was on sale in the art market. It was 1973. I’d been eyeing that painting since I first read about it in an issue of ARTchipelago in the fifties and I was thinking that the painting should be returned to the Hindia Belandan people, because it epitomises so poignantly the degree of disappointment Hindia Belandans felt when the Noordenstaater Parliament rejected the Soetardjo Petition in 1919. The owner of the painting—who may have been Valkean, I’m not sure—wanted to put it to auction, so Carlos had one of his connections convince the owner to instead sell it through one of the big galleries in Princetown, because he knew just how much we wanted the painting and that’d mean we wouldn’t have to compete against all these moneyed collectors. I’d been staying in Casuarinas at the time when Carlos rang me, saying “Dewi, you need to get to the city quick. About The Sun will be on sale here”.

CORNELIS: So you bought it right there and then?

DEWI: My friends Martijn Blaauw, Baroness Dihardja and I clubbed together for the painting. It was our collective purchase. The owner wanted to sell it for fifteen million but I didn’t have that kind of money lying around, so that very morning I got in touch with Mme Khadija, the Chief Curator of The Collection at the time. I said “Khadija, this might be our last chance to get our hands on ‘About The Sun’, but the owner wouldn’t budge below twelve million.” To tell you the truth, I was ready to cover half the price, but then Khadija said “Dewi, buy me some time, will you? I’ll get nine million by 10 p.m your time.” And then—I remember it was almost midnight— one of the people from the Hindia Belandan embassy came round telling me that the money was ready. So we drove to Princetown and closed the deal at eleven million around midnight. We had the painting sent to the embassy and flown to Jakarta the next morning. It was stressful, to say the least. [laughs]

CORNELIS: That painting is in the Commonwealth Collection Trust, but who really owns it?

DEWI: It’s on permanent loan to The Collection. Martijn Blaauw, Baroness Dihardja and I still own it together. We agreed that it should stay with The Collection permanently and that it should be put on view throughout the year. We also agreed, on paper, that the painting will never be put on sale for whatever reason.

CORNELIS: Let’s talk a bit about politics. Our head of state and head of government are all women.

DEWI: Yes. We’re now living in very interesting times where both our head of State and head of Government are women. And I’m not talking about the Queen—she was always going to play that role from the moment she was born—I’m talking about Governor-General Maryam and Antje Moeljani, the Prime Minister. They achieved those positions not because of their gender but in spite of. Their merits took them to where they are now.

CORNELIS: How would you describe your relationship with Governor-General Maryam Rahmadisoerja?

DEWI: Friendly. Cordial. We’re very good friends. We’ve known each other even from before we became Governors-General.



CORNELIS: There were rumours of you being a republican who wanted to topple the monarchy when Governor-General Maryam Rahmadisoerja, an actual republican, acceded to her viceregal throne in 2017.

DEWI: It’s absurd, really, all this talk of republicanism. It bothers me. For one, the Queen wields no power at all in our country. She’s, quite literally, a mere figurehead, so tell me exactly why would we want to abolish something that’s practically not there, to begin with?

CORNELIS: But you were friends with the Governor-General when she was an outspoken republican.

DEWI: I was friends with everyone in the art scene and love for art was something Maryam and I had in common. I didn’t care about what others think of the monarchy, in my mind we were all together in our endeavour to support and promote Hindia Belandan art. Nothing else mattered to me, really.

CORNELIS: So do you think it still has a place in this modern age?

DEWI: The monarchy?

CORNELIS: Yes.

DEWI: I certainly see some merits in keeping the monarchy. You know, in a colourful country such as ours where we’ve got different ethnic groups, religions, languages and indeed cultures, the monarchy can be a unifying force. It’s above party politics, which means it can remain impartial. But, I suppose, the same could be said about parliamentary republics where the head of state is appointed in the same way we appoint our Governors-General. But why fix something that isn’t broken?

CORNELIS: But other Hindia Belandans wouldn’t agree with you. The idea of having a head of state who’s not a citizen of Hindia Belanda really puts some people off.

DEWI: But neither is the Queen a citizen of Noordenstaat, for that matter. She’s the fount of citizenship and the embodiment of both states. And funnily enough, she rarely ever comes up in our own national life. When I think of the monarchy, it’s not Anne Charlotte that comes to mind. It’s whoever is Governor-General. Because the office of Governor-General has such majestic grandeur and regality to it that, in all aspects except perhaps legal, our Governor-General may as well be our monarch. We bow and curtsy to Maryam and all her predecessors as a Noordenstaater would to Anne Charlotte.

CORNELIS: I did bow to you when you came in [laughs].

DEWI: [laughs] You did. But I prefer you didn’t do that, to be frank.

CORNELIS: So, would you call yourself a royalist?

DEWI: No. I dislike all these labels because what they’re doing is harmful to our unity. It puts people in boxes. It divides our nation into two camps that supposedly resent one another when the reality is anything but that. The truth is, people don’t really care about whether or not we abolish the monarchy. And all these politicians in Weltevreden throwing themselves behind the republican cause are just trying to score some political points. I even doubt Soediwarto’s intentions—and he is the most hardliner of all republicans out there.

CORNELIS: Antje Moeljani, the Prime Minister, has made it her government’s agenda to enable parliament to change the law of succession to the Hindia Belandan monarchy and to make future referendum on the monarchy lawful. A legislation is being drawn up for those purposes.

DEWI: It's a subtle way of saying that the people are ultimately the sovereign of this country. If they wanted to, which I doubt, they could dismiss the monarchy. But I think it's mostly a political statement.

CORNELIS: Hindia Belandan media weren’t very kind to you when you were Governor-General.

DEWI: No, they weren’t. [laughs] They didn’t like it that I was throwing all these glitzy fundraisers for the art world. But it was precisely because of those funders that we’re now seeing a boom in our art industry. They also helped fund underprivileged artists who’ve now become some of the talked-about names in the art world.

CORNELIS: How much has the Hindia Belandan art world changed since you first started collecting more than fifty years ago?

DEWI: Back then, the Hindia Belandan art world was a different place. If in the first four years of your career as an artist you hadn’t yet caught the attention of certain critics and curators, your career was over. The exclusivism repulsed me. Some of the artists who were having much success at the time came from a place of privilege, so it was easy for them to climb up to relevance; sadly, for many others who were equally good, not so much. My friends and I, some of whom are no longer with us, worked very hard to dismantle that elitist art establishment. We started promoting all these small artists who were very good at what they were doing with the help of Mr Djadjasoekmadi, then the Chief Curator of The Collection. I’m really proud of how much the Hindia Belandan art scene has changed for the better over the decades.



CORNELIS: You’ve always been considered at the helm of the Commonwealth Collection Trust, even before you became Chief Curator in 2009, because you were always so involved with it one way or another.

DEWI: I did as much as I could. So few people cared about our art back then and it was painful for me because our art industry had great potential and it would’ve been such a waste if nobody stepped in. I’m grateful that I have good friends who I was fighting alongside with for the sake of our art. Mr Djadjasoekmadi, the Chief Curator then, was the one with all the brilliant ideas that made The Collection the great institution that it is today.

CORNELIS: You’re retiring next month.

DEWI: I’m getting old. I’d like to live close by my family on Pulau Alba, where I was born. Being Chief Curator means you’ve got to be at so many places at once. You’re never in one place and it’s taking a toll on me.

CORNELIS: Some famous Hindia Belandan artists such as Ahmad Jonkheer and Sama Marinta have recently spoken in support of regulation of the art market. Does the art world need regulation?

DEWI: Yes, it does. Some degree of regulation is badly needed. As it happens, when I was still very active in the art scene some sixty years ago, I became aware of the reality that fraud and conflicts of interest were rife in the fledgeling Hindia Belandan art market. There were these experts who bought artworks that they themselves authenticated and appraised. And then there was that whole forgery scandal going on with big auction houses. Even The Collection was duped into buying some of those forgeries. They all looked so identical to the real thing.

CORNELIS: How many forgeries ended up in The Collection?

DEWI: Around fifty. The police caught three of the forgers; I believe they were part of a larger ring of forgers that specialised in faking paintings from the Mooi Indië era.

CORNELIS: What was the fate of these forgeries?

DEWI: We destroyed some of them and kept the other for research purposes.

CORNELIS: The way we consume art is changing. What is its place in our nation?

DEWI: It is. With the internet, art is now becoming even more accessible. You can now, quite literally, consume arts in your pajamas from the comfort of your bed. Of course, I’d rather people come physically to museums. The museum plays an important social role in Hindia Belandan society and other societies in general. It’s a locus of encounter between people and, I daresay, it promotes the development of empathy, which is an important quality in a nation. Because being in the museum, you’re surrounded with tangible works of art made by other people and thus confronted with their very reality. Moreover, these works of art have been seen by other people and have affected them in various ways. And you know that all these people have their own ways of seeing the world. Like you, they have hopes and dreams and fear and everything else that makes us human. If you contemplate it a little, it’s not difficult to realise that they’re just like you. This understanding, which may sound like a simple truth, is not something we were born with. It must be learnt and art is one of the many vehicles to achieve that understanding.

CORNELIS: Some final words on art.

DEWI: Art should be for everybody, not just the few. It’s either for everybody or nobody.

[Blackhelm Confederacy]

Diversity in Action! Meet the Maid Who is Basically 'Part of the Family'

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The Blackhelm Confederacy often gets a bad rep for perceived racial inequality, but when you hear about Nyasa you just might think differently!

People often think of the Seorsus policy and the stark black/white divide when they think of race relations on Hesperidesia, but most tend to forget that the drumbeat of progress marches forward every day all across the continent, and this story helps prove it: This Native Hesperidesian maid is basically part of a Pureblood family!

Every week Nyasa receives a handful of credits as a stipend while working for the Coldwells of Paradise City, but by all accounts the bond she shares with the family is much more valuable than money. She may not look like them on the outside, but Nyasa goes everywhere with the Coldwells - even on trips to the Highlands! To make it even better, the Coldwells also said that they once almost brought her along on a family trip to ViZion, but decided against it because someone needed to stay home and feed the cat.

Just because Nyasa is a Native Hesperidesian doesn’t make her any less a part of the family, patriarch Lucius Coldwell says. The kids even call her Auntie, and if a member of the family needs something, she’s always ready and willing to jump in and help out as needed between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., six days a week! That's right, she even has Sundays to herself, even though Mr. Coldwell does insist that she attend the local Native church for much of the day.

"It's great, having Nyasa around is like having a second mom all the time!" said little Marcellus, a bright smile cracking across his face as he spoke.

And Nyasa tells the Daily Confederate that being thousands of miles away from her village - and virtually everyone she's ever known - is no problem, as she stays busy tending to the needs of the Coldwell family. Her valiant dedication seems to be proof in action - black and white Confederates are coexisting in harmony within the Coldwell household!

The tale of Nyasa and the Coldwells is a truly inspiring story, and one that other Astyrians may do well to emulate. They may come from different backgrounds, but thanks to the Coldwell’s hard work and the brave decision to open up their hearts and their home to their maid, they’ve been able to build an incredible family together. Toleration and open-mindedness in its purest form - and that’s something we can all be happy about.

[Haguenau]

La Presse Nationale
International Edition

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Internet access restored to millions in Angoulême
After a prolongued outage in the capital, the SNT has begun restoring internet connectivity to customers.
^{4 April 2019 | Jean Dupont (@j_dupont)}

The Point d'échange Internet d'Angoulême, Angoulême. PHOTO: George Vaubien

Angoulême - What began as a routine upgrade to the Point d'échange Internet d'Angoulême (PEIA) turned into a PR disaster for the Société nationale des télécommunications (SNT) when a human error caused severe issues with Internet connectivity throughout Angoulême for a period of several days.

The PEIA is Haguenau's largest Internet exchange point and is operated by the SNT. It serves as the nexus for several smaller IXP's in Angoulême and routes much of the traffic between Angoulême and other cities and foreign nations.

"A mistake by a low-level technician during the upgrade progress caused a system-wide cascade of errors," SNT spokesperson Michael Bonnevitesse explained during a press conference.

Sources report that the upgrade was being conducted at the request of the Académie Fédérale to increase the bandwidth of its network to match its increasing needs.

"Backup systems were immediately activated to serve critical services and priority lines, but regretably most of the commercial and residential connections had to be cut to guarantee serviceability to these lines," Bonnevitesse added.

Millions of households across Angoulême and thousands of businesses found themselves confronted with major difficulties accessing the Internet for a number of days as SNT engineers scrambled to restore various SNT systems. His Majesty's Government reported that all essential government systems were unaffected by the outage.

"As of this moment the issues with the PEIA's systems are largely resolved, and regular service is being restored as we speak. On behalf of the Société nationale des télécommunications, I profoundly apologise for this outage. We acknowledge that a failure of such magnitude is unacceptable, and we have already begun an internal review to improve our systems' architecture and proceedures to ensure that such an event never occurs again," Bonnevitesse concluded.

A number of businesses with offices in Angoulême have threatened to file a lawsuit against the SNT for breach of contract and damages incurred, and many private individuals have expressed an intent to file a class-action lawsuit. As a crown corporation, the SNT is not listed on any stock exchanges, howerver several private IT firms listed in Haguenau have seen their stock drop by as much as -20% during this outage.

Technology analysts have expressed alarm that the PEIA could fail so catastrophically and cripple Haguenau's internet infrastructure to such an extent.

"The SNT clearly does not meet the bar," says George Hommenouveau, chairman of the Institut des ingénieurs électriciens et électroniciens (IIEE). "The Société was established by His Majesty's Government to provide reliable tax-funded infrastructure for the common good. That it could fail so dramatically is a definite sign that an external audit is necessary to evaluate its qualifications and make bring forth major changes. We cannot trust the current administration to solve the problem themselves after such a collosal failure."

© La Presse Nationale, 2019. All rights reserved.

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[Great Nortend]

2nd of April, MMXVIII   By these presents know that His Excellency Mr Vincent Lloyd, the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Albeinland, and his wife have accepted an invitation from His Majesty the King and will pay an official visit to the Kingdom of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria on Monday, the eighth day of April, during the 16th year of His Majesty's reign, to discuss matters concerning mutually beneficial arrangements relating to trade, tourism and domestic security for the two kingdoms.   Their Excellencies will stay at the Palace of St Michael'sgate during their four-day visit. The Lord High Treasurer intends to reciprocate this visit in the near future.

[Great Nortend]

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FRIDAY · 5 APRIL MMXVIII · PRINTED IN LENDERT · ONE PENNY

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  Official visit from Albish Chancellour

  THE schedule for the official visit of the Chancellor of Albeinland, The Lord Lloyd, The 4th Baron of Derbinghan, was released to-day by the King's Clerk. Mr Lloyd, as he is commonly called, is the leader of the ruling Conservative Party of Albeinland and spruiked the visit as an opportunity to develop greater economic, trade and security ties between Albeinland and Great Nortend.

  The Lord High Treasurer, The Duke of Limmes, was similarly positive about the visit, which will take place from the 8th to the 11th next week, saying that, “The official visit from the Chancellor of Albeinland, The Lord Lloyd, The 4th Baron of Derbinghan, will serve as a reminder that we are continually striving to maintain and improve upon the relationship of friendship, respect and goodwill between Great Nortend and Albeinland. I am pleased to welcome the Chancellour to Great Nortend and am confident that it will be a productive and positive official visit.” The King released a similar notice, stating that “We have the pleasure of welcoming The Lord Lloyd, Chancellor of Albeinland, to Our Kingdom, on an Official Visit, and pray that it will strenghten the relations which presently so happily subsist between Our two Kingdoms.”

  Mr Lloyd is scheduled to arrive in Great Nortend in the morning of the 8th of April, and will have an audience with His Majesty the King, before spending the afternoon in private talks with the Government and organisations on deepening trade, security and other matters. On Tuesday, he will travel to Limmes where he will tour the University of Limmes and the Navy Royal's new frigate, HMES William, before travelling by sleeper over-night to Rhise where on Wednesday, he will meet with councillours of the Curage to discuss trade opportunities in Hambria. He is then scheduled to return to Lendert overnight on the Lendert Express before spending Thursday morning inspecting the King's City Guard and discussing domestic security with the King's Clerk.

  There has been some controversy over Mr Lloyd's visit to Great Nortend in Albeinland, with some saying that Great Nortend is an authoritarian and regressive regime. The Albish Government has so far not formally responded to these comments; however, such claims have been rebutted firmly by both the Albish and Erbonian Governments on previous occasions. Great Nortend is classified by world authorities as a stable democracy and the Regal Post's requests for comment to prominent figures in the Albish anti-Erbonian wing have been without response.
  

[Albeinland]

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Vincent Lloyd will make an official visit to Great Nortend
The Chancellor will talk about new trade and security deals between the two countries

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Leonard Spencer (@leospencer)
Apr 06, 2019 | Castelby

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CASTELBY - The Royal Chancellery, alongside the Nortan Government, announced by a communiqué a state visit between Chancellor Vincent Lloyd and the Prime Minister of Great Nortend, The Duke of Limmes. Although a meeting has been on the cards since the election of Lloyd as Chancellor in November, the Nortan Government only sent the invitation yesterday, 5 April, to the Albish Government, which accepted the proposal the same day. Alongside Lloyd, a team composed of several diplomats, politicians and military officers including the First Lord of the Exchequer Paul Huxley and the First Lord of the Admiralty Alex Jones will attend too.

The schedule of the event was released by King's Clerk today, 6 April, containing the full list of ceremonies that will take place during the four-day visit. The schedule states that, on the morning of 8 April, the Chancellor will have an audience with Alexander II of Great Nortend followed by private economic talks alongside Paul Huxley with government ministers of both countries in the afternoon. On Tuesday, the Albish entourage will travel to the city of Limmes, where they will visit the University of Limmes and the new Nortan royal frigate, the HMES William. Lloyd will meet councillors on Wednesday to discuss trade deals in the province of Hambria and on Thursday morning the Chancellor will meet the King's Clerk to talk about domestic issues. It's expected that the Albish escort will come back to Castelby on Thursday too. Lloyd will be accompanied by his wife Sophie, with both being housed in the Palace of St. Michael'sgate.

Besides the high approval of the meeting by both Albish and Nortan politicians, some anti-Erbonian organisations protested as well as the leader of the Liberal Party Suzan Collins, who stated in a social media that "with this visit, Mr Lloyd supports an authoritarian state in Astyria." In response, the Chancellor declared that Erbonia "isn't an authoritarian state or a totalitarian dystopia, but a great country within our region who, under new trade treaties, offers good economic opportunities and more jobs for both of us."

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Other news:

• Opinion: Vincent Lloyd and the future of conservatism in Astyria (3,928)
• Internet access restored to millions in Angoulême (1,092)
• Fire kills two in Hunningpool (4,366)
• New bridge built in Bunbourne (918)

© 2019 The Daily Messenger Corporation

[Great Nortend]

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MONDAY · 8 APRIL MMXVIII · EVENING SHORT · PRINTED IN LENDERT · HALFPENNY

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  Albish Chancellour arrives for Official Visit

  THIS morning, the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Albeinland, The Lord Lloyd, and his wife, Sophie, and a small delegation of Albish officials arrived on a private aircraft around 6 a.m. on our soils, alighting at Royal St Christopher's Airport. There, Mr and Mrs Lloyd, as well as the First Lord of the Exchequer Paul Huxley, Esq., the First Lord of the Admiralty Alex Jones, Esq., and various military officers, politicians and diplomats were met by a small official party including the Master of Ceremonies, Sir Clemence Whitboard, the Albish Ambassadour to Great Nortend, His Excellency Mr Clarence Acton, as well as His Grace the Lord High Treasurer, The Duke of Limmes, and the Duchess of Limmes. The official party travelled to the nearby railway station in three state landau carriages, where they were greeted by the Station Master and ushered into the State Train.

  Upon arrival in Cadell circa 8 a.m. , the Chancellor held a brief conference with Erbonian and Albish journalists assembled in the terminus of Saint-le-Cross, before the official party made quickly to the Palace of St Michael'sgate where His Majesty the King welcomed the Chancellor and his wife with a parade, 19 gun salute, anthems and a speech, which were well received by the attendant guests and their Lordships. Thereafter, His Majesty held a private audience with the Chancellor. Mr Lloyd was not able to be pressed on what was discussed in the audience; however, he said to the Regal Post that it was a very pleasant tête-à-tête tête-à-tête.

  After a state luncheon hosted by the Lord Mayor of Lendert and Cadell, Sir Walter de Ferris, the Albish Chancellor and diplomatic delegation held private talks with Erbonian Cabinet ministers, which the Regal Post believes to be related mainly to efforts between the two countries to reduce the heavy tariffs which presently exist. The Board of Trade have been rumoured over the last few months to have been planning and discussing ways of bolstering Erbonian export trade to countries within the region, and especially capitalising on the increase in production in our world-reknowned 'organic' agricultural sector which is nowadays in very high demand.

  The Margrave of Bine, the Warden of the Droughers Party, declined to answer questions about whether he had asked to be included in discussions with the Albish delegation; however, it is believed that some of the delegation will be meeting with his Lordship over the next few days for discussions.

  Members of the Albish delegation will to-night attend a State Dinner hosted by His Majesty at the Palace, and will be staying at the Palace over-night, before travelling to Limmes to-morrow morning, and thence to Rhise.

  

[Great Nortend]

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WEDNESDAY · 10 APRIL MMXVIII · · PRINTED IN LENDERT · ONE PENNY

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  Chancellor visits Limmes; next, Rhise

  THE Albish delegation yester-day spent a day in Limmes, and were scheduled to depart aboard the night sleeper to Rhise late last night. Upon arrival at Limmes this morning just before noon, accompanied by the Lord High Treasurer and his wife in their capacities as The Duke and Duchess of Limmes, the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Albeinland and his wife, Lord and Lady Lloyd, commonly known as Mr and Mrs Lloyd, were greeted by the Lord Mayor of Limmes and the Archbishop of Limmes. They were accompanied the couple to a celebration of Sext at Limmes Cathedral where the King of Albeinland was honoured in the state prayers. Mrs Lloyd was reported to have remarked that it was 'very nice'.

  Afterwards, the official party travelled by carriage to Eshalby College, one of the seven colleges of the University of Limmes and the college whence The Duke of Limmes graduated from. The party were greeted by the Yeoman Bedel of the University, who led the party through the college gates to where the Master of the College, the Rev'd Dr Samuel Lake, received them. In recent years there has been a push by the Government to increase the number of international students at the three universities in Great Nortend, partly to bolster funding, but also to improve the international reputation of Great Nortend as a place of scholarship and academia. A luncheon with the regent masters and fellows of the college, as well as a number of undergraduates including gentlemen commoners, scholars and exhibitioners, was held in the Master's Dining Room where Mr and Mrs Lloyd discussed with the college's representatives life in the College, their education, and their future prospects.

  Mr Lloyd, in a speech at the luncheon, said that he “valued the important contribution the University of Limmes, and in particular this honoured College, has made to the international body of academic and scholarly community.” He further professed that “[he was] pleased to donate a sum of money, on behalf of the Albish Government, to Eshalby College, to contribute to [the university's] commitment towards [its] proven excellence in all fields, in particular its world-renowned Faculties of Arts and Divinity.” While there was no mention by Mr Lloyd of future sponsored international student arrangements between Albeinland and the University, it is understood by the Regal Post that this matter is being seriously considered by the College.

  Thereafter, the official party departed for Limmes Royal Dockyards where His Erbonian Majesty's Ship William was docked. The frigate was commissioned last year by His Majesty and named after Prince William, the Prince of Rhise, and represents the state of the art of shipbuilding and the latest applicable naval technologies. The sailor men of the frigate, dressed in the traditional sailor suit, manned the rails of the ship, with the ship's flags fluttering in the breeze, being dressed overall.

  The captain of HEMS William, Commander Edwin Luke, saluted the official party as they boarded the ship, Mr Lloyd conspicuously failing to doff his hat which was noted upon with some interest by the assembled crowd on the quayside. “I am honoured to have had the opportunity to shew their Graces and their Lordships HMES William. This visit provided the Chancellour an insight into the naval maritime capability of the Navy Royal, and I hope will serve to highlight the further importance of the alliance between the Kingdoms of Albeinland and Great Nortend,” Commander Luke said. “I was pleased to discuss with His Lordship the Chancellor of Albeinland a number of important issues facing Albeinland and Great Nortend alike, as well as on the topics of our regional security, bilateral defence arrangements, and humanitarian response capability.” William is presently at Limmes as part of a nation-wide tour as publicity for the Navy Royal, which has in recent decades seen drops in enlistment and national servicemen numbers.

  The Chancellor and his wife will to-day visit with Councillors of the Curage of Rhise, to discuss trade and industrial investment in Albeinland and Hambria.

[Nildwalden]

[Albeinland]

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Vincent Lloyd comes back to Castelby
The official visit lasted four days and it is viewed as "positive" by the majority of the population

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Leonard Spencer (@leospencer)
Apr 11, 2019 | Castelby

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CASTELBY - After four days of official visit in Nortend, the Chancellor Vincent Lloyd and his diplomatic team arrived in Westhan Airport in Castelby at 2:32 pm, being welcomed by journalists and supporters under a high-security system. Lloyd answered some superficial questions about the visit and proceed to his official residence, the 9 Loegria Street, where he and the most senior government ministers and diplomats will perform a press conference with more elaborate statements about new agreements between Albeinland and Erbonia, and what will be the next conditions of trade of the two countries.

The official visit started on Monday (8 April) morning, with Lloyd, his wife Sophie, and the Albish diplomatic escort being received at Royal St Christopher's Airport in Lendert-with-Cadell amongst the First Lord of the Exchequer Paul Huxley and the First Lord of the Admiralty Alex Jones for a brief press conference with Albish and Nortan journalists. Followed by the conference, Chancellor Lloyd proceeded to have a private audience with the Erbonian head of state, the King Alexander II of Nortend, Cardoby and Hambria. Almost nothing was said about this audience, with Lloyd only stating that it was "pretty beneficial." Later, a lunch promoted by the Mayor of Lendert and Cadell, Sir Walter de Ferris, begun, lasting around one hour. In the afternoon, more meetings were done between the entourage and the Nortan cabinet which mostly composed of members of the Boards of Tourism and Trade who lasted until the twilight, when the official activities ended. A 19 gun salute, national anthems, speeches and announcements were made to welcome the foreign delegation.

On Tuesday, the Chancellor alongside his wife visited the city of Limmes and its university, where both met scholars. Later, Lloyd and the First Lord of the Admiralty Jones saw the Erbonian Navy Royal's new frigate, the HMES William, being saluted by the Commander Edwin Luke. On Wednesday, the entourage discussed with councillors of the Curage about trade issues in Hambria before coming back to Lendert to met the King's Clerk and discuss domestic affairs. On Thursday, the escort met another cabinet members of the Erbonian Government before come back to Castelby this afternoon. Although not sanctioned, there have been indications that the Exchequers of both countries are actively pursuing a trade deal with relaxed tariffs from both sides, with journalists expecting more details coming next week.

The reactions from the Albish people and politicians about the official visit are considered positive. The leader of the Albish Nationalist League, Michel Neyers, said that the visit is "the start of better relations between the two nations under great politicians." Despite the positive opinions and statements, many Albish politicians stayed against the meeting, with the most notable case being the declaration of Suzan Collins, leader of the Liberal Party. Another example is from the Leader of the Opposition Thomas Corbyn (SDP), who said that "the Albish people have better things to care than an official visit to an extremely archaic nation."

The 9 Loegria Street will give more information soon.

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Other news:

• Vincent Lloyd meets Alexander II of Nortend (6,985)
• Lady Lloyd discuss with scholars of the University of Limmes (4,632)
• The new Albish-Erbonian trade agreement (2,907)
• Corbyn: "The Albish people have better things to care" (1,918)

© 2019 The Daily Messenger Corporation

[Great Nortend]

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MAUNDY THURSDAY · 18 APRIL MMXVIII · · PRINTED IN LENDERT · ONE PENNY

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  Nidwaldester newspaper accused of slur

  THE Nidwaldester news-paper, Nidwalden Wort, has been criticised by the Government for publishing what has been alleged to have been 'inaccurate' and 'offensive' slurs against Great Nortend. In a recent article, it claimed that Great Nortend was “considered an authoritarian state” in relation to the apparent political scandal in Albeinland behind the recent official visit by the Chancellor of Albeinland, The Lord Lloyd, and a diplomatic entourage. The King's Clerk released a note stating that: “His Majesty's Government stands firmly against the principles of authoritarian government, and commits itself to the maintenance and preservation of the democratic processes of law and Government.”

  The article quoted the leader of the Albish Liberal Party, Mrs Suzanne Collins, who had released a 'tweet' earlier condemning the visit by Mr Lloyd as “[supporting] an authoritarian state in Astyria.” The Chancellor quickly responded to rebut these outlandish claims by the socialist party leader, stating that “[Great Nortend is not] an authoritarian state or a totalitarian dystopia.” The article mentioned several “archaic” laws and regulations in an apparent attempt to justify the appellation, including the traditional Erbonian system of land tenure, the cultivation of patriotism, and the laws relating to homosexuals, abortion and proscribed cult.

  The article patently lacked any solid evidence to back up its irresponsible claims of authoritarianism which run completely contrary to the long history of subject freedoms in this realm, stemming as far back as the pivotal Cara Erboniæ Libertatum issued by King Edward in 1052. This was strengthened by the Statute of Limmes, 2 Alexander II, assented to in 2005. Indeed, the Erbonian regular law is firmly against authoritarian acts as perpetrated by tyrants and dictators.

  His Majesty the King yester-day reportedly summoned the Nidwaldester Ambassadour to Great Nortend, His Excellency Mr Friederich Schleiden, to explain the allegations made by the Nidwalden Wort, which has been urged to resile from its statements. The Foreign Office and the Nidwalden Wort had not responded to requests for comment made by the Regal Post at the time of printing.

[Vossem]

Vossian Economic Figures Show Growth

[hr] Max Heverlee (@mheverlee)
18 April, 2019[hr][hr]

VOORSTEDE - The Vossian Central Bank has released its yearly economic report this afternoon showing greater-than-expected growth in key sectors of the nation's economy pushing the growth rate up to 3.9% GDP growth, ahead of the expected the 3.2% GDP growth. Additionally, job figures show a reduction in unemployment, which is currently at record lows. Traders, investors and shareholders alike were excited by the report, however some analysts are worried that the sharp upturn in growth may lead to higher inflation. Overall, public confidence in the Vossian Stock Exchange (VossEx) is expected to bolster within the next few weeks as a result of the report.

Vossem's Finance Minister, Marisja Tegelen, was pleased with the report and praised the cabinet's recent laxing of regulations in part for the economic growth. "I'm not surprised that the economy grew quicker when government regulation was reduced. Lowering the bar for honest Vossians to open a business and streamlining their access to credit was for the best as it increases citizens' economic mobility and keeps money circulating in the economy instead of having it go through yet another level of government bureaucracy. While we expected a drop in [government] revenue, the hit will be lower than expected, and can be made up for elsewhere."

While this is being seen as a win for Prime Minister Janssen's Conservatieven (Conservative Party) cabinet, however opposition figures are warning against further deregulation. "While we see some growth here and there, we need to remember that it should be the government's job to care for its people, not to feed into the profits of the robber-barons at the top of society who already get away with low taxes and millions of crowns in profits at the expense of the average Vossian. In the long run, this will only hurt the working class, and we will not stand for it." said opposition leader Tjerk Jensemma (Socialist Party).

Both sides however, seem pleased at the low unemployment figures, even seen at the press conference laughing together saying "now there' nothing wrong with that".

[Andamonia]

Remembering Macatlan Taimetlatl
» The dynamic diplomat who reshaped Astyria

By Temalha Petlaxli, 24/04/'19

When the government of the Empire of Exponent directed the establishment of the Astyrian Peace Organization, in November 1960, few would have expected that its first president be anything other than a puppet. After all, this was Exponent: an old empire locked in an ideological battle with rivals half a region away, caught in the same contest for dominance it had been fighting for generations.

Exponent was an old hand at manipulating individuals, organisations and governments to take its side. Its successor states, especially the Blackhelm Confederacy, remain dogged by the same reputation for corruption and manipulation. Few outside Hesperidesia would dispute the veracity of that claim.

But one diplomat, back in 1960, refused to fit neatly into the bureaucratic mould and be controlled by any government or ideology.

Macatlan Taimetlatl had fought in the Trophy Wars, the gruelling conflict that claimed over a million lives in Andamonia and Trellin in 1931, 1932, 1933... all the way up to October 1938. The war seemed to go on forever, and Taimetlatl saw the worst of it. A commissioned officer, he was stationed in Cevrazu when Trellinese forces tried and failed to take Andamonia's largest city. The street-fighting lasted months, and even when that was abandoned the city remained under regular bombardment for weeks afterward. Taimetlatl was redeployed to Teraxi Yú following Cevrazu, and he saw no more conflict, but what he had experienced was enough.

"I vowed never to take another life," he recalled in 1980. "How can anyone take another's life, knowing how precious it is?"

Taimetlatl, then just 25, resigned his commission in August 1938. The war continued for another two months. He returned to his family in Qerikuah, near the Heidish border, and tried to overcome his trauma. But he remained filled with a sense of duty — including a newfound duty toward what he called "the most noble ideology": peace.

In February 1939, Taimetlatl joined the imperial foreign service. He received his first foreign posting on 16 May, the day before his twenty-sixth birthday. The budding young diplomat later recalled how he cried at the thought of leaving his family and his homeland, only to be deeply relieved when he saw where he was being sent: the Andamonian consulate in Langzen, just across the border. He could make day-trips home.

Taimetlatl threw himself into the work in Langzen, and he received praise from his superiors and many who visited the consulate. In his three-year stay in Langzen, he only went home twice, both times to celebrate major promotions. "There just wasn't the time," he recalled with a smile in an interview in 1973. His mother, however, visited him every season.

The years flew by for Taimetlatl. He found himself posted to embassies and consulates all over west Astyria, sometimes only for a month, other times for years. It was to be a long and illustrious career, though few nights were more colourful than one in 1954: "It was a dinner in Marianport, in Kelonna. I was there visiting our embassy on an embassy culture exchange thing... We were invited to a dinner with the king, Harold III — an absolutely charming man — and during the dinner he spilled his glass of wine all over my shirt! We laughed it off, of course. He sent me Christmas cards every year until he passed away [in 1982]."

But it was his posting to Caranad that set him up for his most famous role. In the late 1950s, Taimetlatl found himself a neighbour of the Exponential embassy in Cali at the height of the Caranad civil war. A number of foreign governments had agendas to push during that conflict, and although he was swimming against the current Taimetlatl wanted to bring the war to an end. As Andamonia's representative to Caranad, he went far beyond his duty and helped to mediate an end to the conflict.

"I had known for a long time that, if there was conflict, I had a duty to stop it," he told an interviewer in 1970. It was the war with Trellin, really, that taught me to abhor violence in all its forms, taught me that violence should never be used for political ends, any ends."

The Caranad war brought Taimetlatl to the attention of Exponential diplomats. Even before he retired, at the end of 1959, he was approached with an offer to collaborate in advancing Exponent's interests alongside Andamonia's. He refused, saying he would not compromise on his principles.

"Three days later, I found my car burned out in the road and a crate of files stolen from the back seat. I knew that I was swimming with some sharks, but I was not intimidated."

Taimetlatl retired from the foreign service that year, at the age of 46, but he remained active in diplomatic circles. He was present at a conference in Jandara, capital of Polarus, in November 1960. That conference saw the Astyrian Committee of Partisans for Peace transform into the Astyrian Peace Organization. Its first president? It had to be a Hesperidesian puppet, someone easily manipulated who would nevertheless look like an independent voice.

But it wasn't. It was Macatlan Taimetlatl, and he was no one's puppet.

Taimetlatl went into this new role with characteristic gusto and zeal, making the APO an organisation that would be taken seriously. Under his leadership, the organisation helped mediate in conflicts in Maqtajer, Caranad and many more. Taimetlatl conferred on the organisation a dignity and gravity that few could have brought to it. The APO under Taimetlatl's presidency was independent, passionate and potent, and it reshaped the world of Astyrian politics.

After twelve busy years, Taimetlatl was succeeded in the presidency by Aquitaynian pacifist Nicholas Kerns. Taimetlatl left the organisation quietly and without much pageantry, but that year he received the Astyrian Peace Prize: the very simple description on this very lofty accolade praised him "for his role as the first president of the Astyrian Peace Organization."

Even in his retirement, Taimetlatl was active in pursuing the goals he had proclaimed since his youth. He continued to tour Andamonia and give talks abroad regularly until confined first to a wheelchair and then to an assisted living facility in his hometown of Qerikuah. He received imperial honours in 1978, 1983 and 1987 and was a much-beloved citizen. He passed away quietly on the morning of 24 April 1992 and was buried with a small ceremony in a simple grave.

Today marks twenty-seven years since his death. Today we mark the transformative life of Macatlan Taimetlatl, the uncompromising idealist.

Related: Controversial Albish state visit to Erbonia concludes | The changing face of Nidwaldester politics | Andamonian consulate to open in Baxa | New-look passports from 2020

[Albeinland]

» Lloyd sends the first draft of the Labour Act to the Royal Assembly
» It's expected that the new law will be approved this month

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Leonard Spencer (@leospencer)
May 04, 2019 | Castelby

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Lloyd after sending his draft to the Royal Assembly.

CASTELBY - Today the Chancellor Vincent Lloyd, alongside the First Lord of the Exchequer Paul Huxley, officially sent the first draft of the polemical Labour Act of 2019 to the Royal Assembly, when it's expected to be already voted this month. Although the rumours that the Albish government would send the first draft soon, only high-scale ministers and the Speaker of the Assembly Richard Barrow knew the true date of departure, with today (Saturday) being chosen to avoid major protests by both opposition and situation. Lloyd, which was accompanied only by his closest allies, said few words to the press, avoiding questions despite stating that the "Labour Act is necessary to all Albish citizens." Huxley, who spent the last two weeks in Saint Lawrence to deal with a major economic crisis in the province, also said that the Labour Act is "necessary and urgent to us and our country." No further comments are given.

Now, it's expected that the draft is going to be sent to the Royal Assembly's Parliamentary Committee of Economy, Work and Business - which has a Conservative majority - where the draft could be changed but never rejected. If the committee approves the draft with or without alterations, the proposal is sent to a parliamentary vote and, if it's rejected, the text is sent back to the committee again for more discussions. In a parliament with the conservative-nationalist majority, it's presumed that the text is going to be approved very easily - many even argue that the act is going to be approved in this month - however, the biggest issue that Vincent Lloyd and his economic team need to resolve is about the parliamentary votes. Despite the conservative-nationalist coalition could approve the draft alone, this victory would be made under a very small margin, and the uncertainty inside the government talks reigns. One of the best options to solve this problem is with the support of the Liberal Party, but after declarations of the party leader Suzan Collins against Lloyd's visit to Great Nortend, this is viewed as impossible by many political analysts.

The Social Democratic Party and its coalition with the Green Alliance and the Radicals will make a strong opposition against the passage of the act, with the Leader of the Opposition Thomas Corbyn stating several times that the new Labour Act is a "threat to the worker's rights in our country", while both the Green Alliance and the Radicals stands against only for coalition purposes, with both party leaders doesn't expressing any significant opinions about the matter.

According to a survey conducted by the ABS (Albish Broadcasting Service), around 42% of the Albish population supports any type of change in labourist laws, while 37% stands in favour of the current status quo. It's supposed by the media that the government would invest in propaganda through radio and television in the next days, but this information isn't confirmed by any authority.

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Other news:

• Woman killed in a car accident in Castelby (6,008)
• Police arrests supposed killer in Hunningpool (3,552)
• First Lord of the Exchequer Paul Huxley visits Saint Lawrence (5,612)
• Macatlan Taimetlatl and his work in Albeinland (1,983)

© 2019 The Daily Messenger Corporation

[Great Nortend]

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MONDAY · 27 MAY MMXVIII · · PRINTED IN LENDERT · ONE PENNY

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  Day One of the Nynorsk Stinning Tour

  THE FIRST of the three international stinning matches was played to-day at the Royal Causildon Oval between the visitors from Nynorsk Ostlijord and the Nortan stinning team. It had been the highlight of a relatively dull point in the national sporting season, being between the traditional winter stinning season and the summer cricket season, and for the spectacle over 30 thousand spectators were present at the Oval, with a sizeable contingent making the trip from Nynorsk, where the game of stinning is still in its infancy.

  The first-class match began shortly after ten a.m. and ended finally at two p.m. after a gripping finale. Nynorsk’s star forwardman Gudmansson opened the match with an excellent port and three and by luncheon, Nynorsk was up 6 ports to 2. Nynorsk’s Anderson stopped amazingly a strike by Blaker by inches 10 feet up, but by tea, the margin had slimmed 9 to 8. In a gripping last third, twenty minutes until the whistle, Spenser-White (Capt’n) for Nortend striked the equalising port, the two sides tied at 14 to 14 ports. Nynorsk’s Hjartlund managed to sneak the midgreen and twell the back enough to punt a port but another full port by Blaker was struck, putting Nortend in the lead, 15 to 14½.

  Enwood striked extraordinarily before the back to put Nortend up 16 ports to 14½. Despite a valiant effort in the final minutes of the third, during which Gudmansson striked two half ports, the game ended with the whistle with a result of 16 to 15½ ports respectively, Nynorsk down. Mr Spenser-White congratulated the Nynorsk team for a thrilling game that truly came down to the whistle, and the captain for the visitors, Mr Thorrodsen, reciprocated congratulations for Nortend from the Nynorsk side. Nortend’s Enwood was hailed man of the match, striking six of Nortend’s 16 ports, with a three adding up to nine ports.

  The manager of the Nynorsk team, Mr Jonas Olafurson, presented Sir Edgar Wren, Chairman of the Royal Causildon Club, a bottle of brennivín, the signature spirit of Nynorsk to mark the match, the first international first-class stinning match between Nortend and Nynorsk. Sir Edgar presented Mr Olarfurson on behalf of the Club a first-edition copy of the Laws of Stinning from 1799.

  The Nynorsk team will be touring the country, playing long-length matches on Wednesday at Limmes Oval and in Rhise at Edvale on Saturday.