Tilapian Carriers Withdraw
Aerial Bombardment of New Bengal Ceases
Three days into the month-long unilateral local cease fire declared by New Bengali separatists on the Tilapian mainland, Buen Puerto appears to have responded positively to the conditions laid out for its continuation. The aircraft carriers Reina Francesca I and Isabella appear to have withdrawn from the New Bengal theater and returned to base in Buen Puerto. Although official word from the Tilapian government was slow in coming, the yacht Absolution, operated from international waters near the island by Amnesty Worldwide, reported that they had radar confirmation of both the ships and their air wings leaving the area.
Shortly after both ships arrived in Buen Puerto, the government officially announced that it had ceased fixed-wing air operations over the island of New Bengal, and was giving the sailors of the two carriers a month of "R and R". In a rare statement to the press, Queen Francesca herself said that "the sovereign nation of Tilapia is committed to the pursuit of peace and the satisfactory resolution of this conflict. As long as the individuals on the other side of this conflict continue to abstain from criminal activity, I have hope that we can come to some manner of agreement."
The Queen also fielded questions related to President Gonzov's proposed London summit, saying that she was "eager to meet" with separatist leadership, and praised Gonzov's continued commitment to resolving the conflict through diplomacy. "President Gonzov has stepped forward as a true champion of peace, while Eutopia's opposition parties, all three of them, have shown their true colors. It is disappointing, but not surprising, to know that such aggression is harbored in the hearts of some of our neighbors. I would not expect them to remain pliant and silent if we were rattling our saber at them, and for them to react in such a vitriolic way to our request that they cease doing so themselves...shows a lot about their character."
The Queen was, however, full of praise for not only Gonzov, but his partymate Reverend Woodrow Park, who she called "the architect of the cease fire". "While others have claimed peace on New Bengal to be 'their highest priority' or paid public lip service to the idea, Reverend Park was on the ground, laboring diligently in the pursuit of that ideal, accomplishing what others could not, or would not, do. He is an asset to his faith, to the United Provinces of Eutopia, and to that portion of humanity that constantly seeks to improve the lot of their fellows. I very much hope that he will attend and in fact moderate the summit to be held in London by President Gonzov."
In her remarks, the Queen made clear that while the Tilapian government was interested in reaching a peace, there was still a long way to go before it could be achieved. Even though the Tilapians have agreed to cease their fixed-wing operations over New Bengal, fighting continues on the ground in and around Nueva Cordoba. Additionally, while Francesca stated that she was "open to the idea" of allowing humanitarian organizations on the island, the separatists would have to make some sort of concession in return before it could be done. "From here on out, it's tit for tat. This has to go both ways" the Queen stated.
Aside from actually stopping the fighting on the island, several sticky issues springing from the crisis have yet to be resolved: disarming the populace; amnesty for those involved in the fighting; and the political future of the island itself, including the question of who would defend the island militarily if it were granted autonomy but remained within the Tilapian state. A high-ranking member of the Tilapian government, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that while independence for New Bengal was absolutely off the table from the Queen's point of view, an accomodation could probably be reached on most other issues in an even exchange.
English Prime Minister Terry Black said that his government, while pleased to be hosting the summit, would not be participating. "This is a matter for the peoples of Tilapia and New Bengal to sort out. We do not feel we can contribute anything by joining the discussion, but are always happy to provide a safe and neutral venue for those interested in furthering the cause of peace to meet and sort out their differences."
A snap poll taken of online readers of NewsLink indicated that President Gonzov's approval ratings were experiencing a slight boost following the announcements by both countries.
Obituary: Franz von Hapsburg
Former Politician Killed in Bizarre Traffic Accident
Franz von Hapsburg, the politician who recently rose to infamy among conservatives with his, as one ENP backbencher put it, "counter-productive" election campaign, was killed yesterday in a busy Eutopia City street. Witnesses report that the former MGA was screaming something about "communist radicals" before dashing out into the street and attempting to tackle a red motorcycle.
"He was yelling about socialism, then suddenly jumped into the street, got down into a three-point stance, and threw himself at that motorcyclist. It was horrible" said one bystander. "His form was pretty darn good though."
The autopsy revealed that von Hapsburg, reviled in conservative circles for destroying the Eutopian Nationalist Party's electoral hopes with his strange campaign, was suffering from a hereditary blood disease known as Porphyria. While the medical examiner described the condition as "that disease that turned every monarch in Europe into an absolute nutter", members of the ENP were only minimally placated by the revelation. "Great" said one "but we already knew he was bonkers".
Aerial Bombardment of New Bengal Ceases
Three days into the month-long unilateral local cease fire declared by New Bengali separatists on the Tilapian mainland, Buen Puerto appears to have responded positively to the conditions laid out for its continuation. The aircraft carriers Reina Francesca I and Isabella appear to have withdrawn from the New Bengal theater and returned to base in Buen Puerto. Although official word from the Tilapian government was slow in coming, the yacht Absolution, operated from international waters near the island by Amnesty Worldwide, reported that they had radar confirmation of both the ships and their air wings leaving the area.
Shortly after both ships arrived in Buen Puerto, the government officially announced that it had ceased fixed-wing air operations over the island of New Bengal, and was giving the sailors of the two carriers a month of "R and R". In a rare statement to the press, Queen Francesca herself said that "the sovereign nation of Tilapia is committed to the pursuit of peace and the satisfactory resolution of this conflict. As long as the individuals on the other side of this conflict continue to abstain from criminal activity, I have hope that we can come to some manner of agreement."
The Queen also fielded questions related to President Gonzov's proposed London summit, saying that she was "eager to meet" with separatist leadership, and praised Gonzov's continued commitment to resolving the conflict through diplomacy. "President Gonzov has stepped forward as a true champion of peace, while Eutopia's opposition parties, all three of them, have shown their true colors. It is disappointing, but not surprising, to know that such aggression is harbored in the hearts of some of our neighbors. I would not expect them to remain pliant and silent if we were rattling our saber at them, and for them to react in such a vitriolic way to our request that they cease doing so themselves...shows a lot about their character."
The Queen was, however, full of praise for not only Gonzov, but his partymate Reverend Woodrow Park, who she called "the architect of the cease fire". "While others have claimed peace on New Bengal to be 'their highest priority' or paid public lip service to the idea, Reverend Park was on the ground, laboring diligently in the pursuit of that ideal, accomplishing what others could not, or would not, do. He is an asset to his faith, to the United Provinces of Eutopia, and to that portion of humanity that constantly seeks to improve the lot of their fellows. I very much hope that he will attend and in fact moderate the summit to be held in London by President Gonzov."
In her remarks, the Queen made clear that while the Tilapian government was interested in reaching a peace, there was still a long way to go before it could be achieved. Even though the Tilapians have agreed to cease their fixed-wing operations over New Bengal, fighting continues on the ground in and around Nueva Cordoba. Additionally, while Francesca stated that she was "open to the idea" of allowing humanitarian organizations on the island, the separatists would have to make some sort of concession in return before it could be done. "From here on out, it's tit for tat. This has to go both ways" the Queen stated.
Aside from actually stopping the fighting on the island, several sticky issues springing from the crisis have yet to be resolved: disarming the populace; amnesty for those involved in the fighting; and the political future of the island itself, including the question of who would defend the island militarily if it were granted autonomy but remained within the Tilapian state. A high-ranking member of the Tilapian government, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that while independence for New Bengal was absolutely off the table from the Queen's point of view, an accomodation could probably be reached on most other issues in an even exchange.
English Prime Minister Terry Black said that his government, while pleased to be hosting the summit, would not be participating. "This is a matter for the peoples of Tilapia and New Bengal to sort out. We do not feel we can contribute anything by joining the discussion, but are always happy to provide a safe and neutral venue for those interested in furthering the cause of peace to meet and sort out their differences."
A snap poll taken of online readers of NewsLink indicated that President Gonzov's approval ratings were experiencing a slight boost following the announcements by both countries.
Obituary: Franz von Hapsburg
Former Politician Killed in Bizarre Traffic Accident
Franz von Hapsburg, the politician who recently rose to infamy among conservatives with his, as one ENP backbencher put it, "counter-productive" election campaign, was killed yesterday in a busy Eutopia City street. Witnesses report that the former MGA was screaming something about "communist radicals" before dashing out into the street and attempting to tackle a red motorcycle.
"He was yelling about socialism, then suddenly jumped into the street, got down into a three-point stance, and threw himself at that motorcyclist. It was horrible" said one bystander. "His form was pretty darn good though."
The autopsy revealed that von Hapsburg, reviled in conservative circles for destroying the Eutopian Nationalist Party's electoral hopes with his strange campaign, was suffering from a hereditary blood disease known as Porphyria. While the medical examiner described the condition as "that disease that turned every monarch in Europe into an absolute nutter", members of the ENP were only minimally placated by the revelation. "Great" said one "but we already knew he was bonkers".