EXPLOSION DESTROYS EUTOPIAN CENTRAL BANK - TRUCK BOMB SUSPECTED
A massive explosion rocked downtown New Lancaster City, as the facade of the Eutopian Central Bank was torn off the front of the building and almost the entire east wing of offices and conference rooms collapsed upon itself. Though the rest of the building was damaged, it maintained its structural integrity and the ECB released a statement declaring the country's gold and other financial reserves are still secure.
The blast leveled buildings across the street, shattered windows for miles, cut down pedestrians within 1000 meters, and tore apart nearby cars. Hospitals in the New Lancaster area are reportedly unable to all of the bombing victims and temporary emergency clinics have been established in public buildings. The New Lancaster Children’s Hospital built by former President Amric Al’Aeshir was unable to accept the overflow of patients and had to be evacuated itself after a ruptured gas line was discovered following the explosion.
Over 280 are confirmed dead due to the high pedestrian traffic outside the ECB, located in a popular portion of New Lancaster, known for its cafes and street shopping. However, the number of casualties is expected to rise dramatically as excavation efforts begin to recover bodies from the shattered buildings.
Though no organizations have come forward to claim responsibility for the bombing thus far, police believe that whoever is responsible is surprisingly organized and knew how to plan an attack for maximum impact. Police appear puzzled by this fact, since the MEOR is believed to have been destroyed and the CORE was wiped out in a bloody confrontation in the WET, and no other terrorist organizations have been at work in the United Provinces of Eutopia for some time.
While there are no surviving direct witnesses, security cameras suggest a Eutopian Parcel Service truck, perhaps laden with explosives, as the center of the blast. Time stamps on the security tapes put the blast at exactly 12:01pm.
The international community appears stunned by the explosion and have begun offers of aid.
THE HAMMER RE-ELECTED BY SLIM MARGIN - VOTER PARTICIPATION HITS RECORD LOW
“It wasn’t pretty, but any win is a win,” said a sober Senator Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, President of the Senate and ESA party member from Jacobia.
Early returns show no turnover in the Eutopian Senate. Voter turn-out was at an all-time low for the UPE, almost as low as the election than heralded the election of Unionist President Gall, which was held amid a massive hurricane. A make-shift coalition effort, uniting Federalists and the Commonality Party placed a surprising second place.
Encouraged by their disproportional electoral strength in an election where turnout barely cracked 30%, the coalition party has pledged to run a full slate in the future.
Williamson promised in his remarks, which preceded the news of the blast, that the Senate would be open for the people (as opposed to open for business) upon his return and that he looked forward to the debate on the VAT proposals being considered.
In local elections, there were few surprises, but it is worth noting that
several fringe nationalist parties won seats in the Franco-Eutopian provinces.
NEUWESTBADEN STOCK EXCHANGE REOPENS - FOURGERES FAMILY HOLDINGS IPO
At the stroke of midnight, the Neuwestbaden Stock Exchange reopened the trading floor. When asked about the unusual opening hour, Katarina Lumarche, the Director, noted that "we are a twenty-four hour exchange now. The simple cycle of the sun is not relevant."
The opening day of trading saw a heavy sell-off in the Moribund Gonzov, Inc. (GONZ), which plunged three ducats to 53.2 per share. Operations Security Inc. (OSI) sank two ducats to 6.4 per share, and is in danger of being delisted in the wake of a recent police raid.
Eutopia Parcel Service (EPS) and Lundgren Corp. (LUND) both were up for the day on the basis of new business potential.
Fourgéres Family Holdings, Inc. (FFHI), a real estate trust based out of New Lancaster, had a profitable initial public offering. The stock opened at 30, rose to 55, plateaued there for a time and, as the American markets opened, shot up to a high of 72.3 on the basis of heavy New York trading. Profit taking late in the day plunged the price back to 47.6 at the end of the day.
The NSEX closed early, however, in response to the news of the ECB bombing. Some financial observers this step likely prevented a panic sell on the newly re-opened exchange.
ST. ESPRITIAN MP ASSASSINATED AT SYMPHONY EVENT
St. Espritian Member of Parliament Georges Dumont was murdered at a concert this week put on by the National Orchestra of Saint-Esprit. He was widely seen as a defender of the notorious "day-workers" who commute into Eutopia to blue-collar jobs there.
As the orchestra built to a crescendo in the March to the Scaffold of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique, an unidentified stranger slipped into Dumont's box seating (which was otherwise empty). Although nobody saw the assassin, many nearby concertgoers thought they heard a "pop" in the movement. They wondered if it was an effect by Berlioz to heighten the drama, but couldn't find an instrument capable of the noise as they scanned the stage.
Dumont was found later by an usher with a bullet hole in the back of his head. It is believed that he never saw his attacker.
St. Esprit's President, Jacques Thibaud, mourned Dumont's murder in a nationally televised press conference. "He was a great fighter for the
common worker, for the common man. He was a great light of the Socialist Party, and while I disagreed ideologically with him I had the greatest respect for him as a man." Vice President Morgan Saint-Charles was heard to joke, "Nobody could kill me that way - I only listen to Vivaldi."
GOAT “BLOWED UP” - FAMILY MOURNS
Dale Stockhardt’s provincial fair award winning goat “Nanagale” was slain in a mysterious accident in the late night hours outside of Harton.
“We all heard a loud KABOOM and though it must have been thunder,” reported a visibly Per Stockhardt to the provincial authorities.
“When I went to investigate, I grabbed a light and began heading out toward the pen. That’s when I slipped. The ground was wet. I took another step and fell again, this time landing a nasty pool of something. It was Nanagale! She was done blowed up!”
Authorities confirm that many scattered pieces of what appear to be goat were found across the Stockhardts’, and their neighbors’, property. The cause of death is unknown. While there are no leads, a motorist reported being run off the road by a van bearing the insignia of a local agriculture supply cooperative
A massive explosion rocked downtown New Lancaster City, as the facade of the Eutopian Central Bank was torn off the front of the building and almost the entire east wing of offices and conference rooms collapsed upon itself. Though the rest of the building was damaged, it maintained its structural integrity and the ECB released a statement declaring the country's gold and other financial reserves are still secure.
The blast leveled buildings across the street, shattered windows for miles, cut down pedestrians within 1000 meters, and tore apart nearby cars. Hospitals in the New Lancaster area are reportedly unable to all of the bombing victims and temporary emergency clinics have been established in public buildings. The New Lancaster Children’s Hospital built by former President Amric Al’Aeshir was unable to accept the overflow of patients and had to be evacuated itself after a ruptured gas line was discovered following the explosion.
Over 280 are confirmed dead due to the high pedestrian traffic outside the ECB, located in a popular portion of New Lancaster, known for its cafes and street shopping. However, the number of casualties is expected to rise dramatically as excavation efforts begin to recover bodies from the shattered buildings.
Though no organizations have come forward to claim responsibility for the bombing thus far, police believe that whoever is responsible is surprisingly organized and knew how to plan an attack for maximum impact. Police appear puzzled by this fact, since the MEOR is believed to have been destroyed and the CORE was wiped out in a bloody confrontation in the WET, and no other terrorist organizations have been at work in the United Provinces of Eutopia for some time.
While there are no surviving direct witnesses, security cameras suggest a Eutopian Parcel Service truck, perhaps laden with explosives, as the center of the blast. Time stamps on the security tapes put the blast at exactly 12:01pm.
The international community appears stunned by the explosion and have begun offers of aid.
THE HAMMER RE-ELECTED BY SLIM MARGIN - VOTER PARTICIPATION HITS RECORD LOW
“It wasn’t pretty, but any win is a win,” said a sober Senator Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, President of the Senate and ESA party member from Jacobia.
Early returns show no turnover in the Eutopian Senate. Voter turn-out was at an all-time low for the UPE, almost as low as the election than heralded the election of Unionist President Gall, which was held amid a massive hurricane. A make-shift coalition effort, uniting Federalists and the Commonality Party placed a surprising second place.
Encouraged by their disproportional electoral strength in an election where turnout barely cracked 30%, the coalition party has pledged to run a full slate in the future.
Williamson promised in his remarks, which preceded the news of the blast, that the Senate would be open for the people (as opposed to open for business) upon his return and that he looked forward to the debate on the VAT proposals being considered.
In local elections, there were few surprises, but it is worth noting that
several fringe nationalist parties won seats in the Franco-Eutopian provinces.
NEUWESTBADEN STOCK EXCHANGE REOPENS - FOURGERES FAMILY HOLDINGS IPO
At the stroke of midnight, the Neuwestbaden Stock Exchange reopened the trading floor. When asked about the unusual opening hour, Katarina Lumarche, the Director, noted that "we are a twenty-four hour exchange now. The simple cycle of the sun is not relevant."
The opening day of trading saw a heavy sell-off in the Moribund Gonzov, Inc. (GONZ), which plunged three ducats to 53.2 per share. Operations Security Inc. (OSI) sank two ducats to 6.4 per share, and is in danger of being delisted in the wake of a recent police raid.
Eutopia Parcel Service (EPS) and Lundgren Corp. (LUND) both were up for the day on the basis of new business potential.
Fourgéres Family Holdings, Inc. (FFHI), a real estate trust based out of New Lancaster, had a profitable initial public offering. The stock opened at 30, rose to 55, plateaued there for a time and, as the American markets opened, shot up to a high of 72.3 on the basis of heavy New York trading. Profit taking late in the day plunged the price back to 47.6 at the end of the day.
The NSEX closed early, however, in response to the news of the ECB bombing. Some financial observers this step likely prevented a panic sell on the newly re-opened exchange.
ST. ESPRITIAN MP ASSASSINATED AT SYMPHONY EVENT
St. Espritian Member of Parliament Georges Dumont was murdered at a concert this week put on by the National Orchestra of Saint-Esprit. He was widely seen as a defender of the notorious "day-workers" who commute into Eutopia to blue-collar jobs there.
As the orchestra built to a crescendo in the March to the Scaffold of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique, an unidentified stranger slipped into Dumont's box seating (which was otherwise empty). Although nobody saw the assassin, many nearby concertgoers thought they heard a "pop" in the movement. They wondered if it was an effect by Berlioz to heighten the drama, but couldn't find an instrument capable of the noise as they scanned the stage.
Dumont was found later by an usher with a bullet hole in the back of his head. It is believed that he never saw his attacker.
St. Esprit's President, Jacques Thibaud, mourned Dumont's murder in a nationally televised press conference. "He was a great fighter for the
common worker, for the common man. He was a great light of the Socialist Party, and while I disagreed ideologically with him I had the greatest respect for him as a man." Vice President Morgan Saint-Charles was heard to joke, "Nobody could kill me that way - I only listen to Vivaldi."
GOAT “BLOWED UP” - FAMILY MOURNS
Dale Stockhardt’s provincial fair award winning goat “Nanagale” was slain in a mysterious accident in the late night hours outside of Harton.
“We all heard a loud KABOOM and though it must have been thunder,” reported a visibly Per Stockhardt to the provincial authorities.
“When I went to investigate, I grabbed a light and began heading out toward the pen. That’s when I slipped. The ground was wet. I took another step and fell again, this time landing a nasty pool of something. It was Nanagale! She was done blowed up!”
Authorities confirm that many scattered pieces of what appear to be goat were found across the Stockhardts’, and their neighbors’, property. The cause of death is unknown. While there are no leads, a motorist reported being run off the road by a van bearing the insignia of a local agriculture supply cooperative