Imperial Marriage Postponed

In a follow up to yesterday's announcement, the marriage of Emperor Hengist to his childhood sweetheart, Florence Lavigny, has now been postponed indefinitely. The news marks the first time in over five hundred years that an Imperial wedding has had to have been delayed for any reason.

As well as costing the Imperial Treasury a small fortune, the delay comes as a serious blow to Arissa Lavigny's claim to the throne. Experienced commentators have noted that whilst Arissa currently enjoys the support of Chancellor Blaine, a well respected and staunch supporter of traditional Imperial values, he has previously stated that the next Emperor should follow the Duval line.

Patreus Announces Generous Settlement of Dispute in Durius

Senator Patreus today announced an end to hostilities in the Durius system. The conflict in Durius began after the ruling authorities defaulted on a large debt that they'd inherited from the previous government. The Senator's civic management teams are now in the process of taking over control of the system's government in preparation for its new status as an Imperial world.

As well as declaring the aforementioned changes, Senator Patreus offered a great deal of praise in response to the overwhelming number of independent pilots who travelled to Durius in order to join his cause:

"In this modern age of new drive technology and rapid interstellar travel we find ourselves becoming ever more reliant on the outstanding work carried out by our honoured allies of the Pilot's Federation. Without their timely assistance many more causalities would have befallen both sides of the conflict. Not just myself, but the people of Durius owe those brave independent pilots a debt of gratitude for helping to end this war before it got truly out of hand."

Embattled Federal President Asks Us to "Hold Firm"

In a Presidential address last night, President Jasmina Halsey gave a length speech outlining the various successes she claims her government has made over the course of their current term. However, when pressed to answer questions regarding the recent wave of systems scrambling to leave the Federal fold, President Halsey simply said:

"We are facing troubled times. While it is easy for some to declare that the military are the solution, we must look further ahead. Our society fails those who need our help the most and it is by lifting those at the bottom that we will restore Federal society to what it should be."

Political pundits were quick to point out that her speech contained very little substance, with many complaining that the President had failed to address any of the actual threats that face the Federation today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that her mishandling of the current socioeconomic climate has left the Federation weaker than it has ever been before, pointing to the recent slide of Banki and BD+03 2338 into states of lawless anarchy as prime examples of the President's continued failures.

Rumours of Imperial Wedding Delay Confirmed

After days of widely circulating rumours that ships belonging to major dignitaries had not yet departed for tomorrow's wedding, the palace this morning confirmed that there will be a delay to the start of festivities. Chancellor Anders Blaine made an announcement on the steps of the Imperial Palace saying:

"It is with deep regret I have to announce that his Grace, the Emperor Hengist Duval, remains too unwell to participate in the wedding ceremony tomorrow. As such, it is with great sadness that I must declare a temporary postponement of the intended revelries. Hopefully this will be a delay of just a few days. I will make announcements each day once we know more."

The Chancellor refused to take questions, and returned inside the palace moments after his announcement.

Although there is anger amongst some lesser dignitaries that they weren't told in advance, the markets did not notably change in reaction to this news, suggesting that the true state of the Emperor's health has come as no surprise to those in power.

Dulos System Sees Massive Swing for Independence

Commentators from the Dulos system are reporting a massive swing in the popularity of the Dulos Defence Party who recently announced that they would seek to withdraw the system from the Federation. A spokesman for the party said:

"Following on from our success with the economy for the markets under our control, this additional boost just reinforces that our vision for the future of our system is the correct one."

An official statement from President Halsey's office has not been forthcoming and this news can only increase the political turmoil her presidency has become embroiled in.

Aisling Duval Reaffirms Her Objection to Emperor's Marriage

Aisling Duval, once thought to be second in line to the throne, has objected to the finding of the Marriage Council that her objection had no merit. She has said on a leaked private chat:

"The rotten marriage council is made up of my grandfather's cronies. How can they block my objection now that it is clear he is in a coma? Marriage is about love!"

The ruling of the Marriage Council was apparently made before the announcement of the coma, and under Imperial rules, an objection cannot be lodged more than once by the same person.

The Menace of Illegal Racing

Traders operating in several systems have called on the authorities to clamp down on increasing levels of illegal racing. A representative declared:

"These speeding ships are a menace! They perform dangerous manoeuvres at ridiculous speeds and that puts honest traders like us in danger."

Official comment has not been forthcoming and one such racer posted anonymously on social media stating:

"The Buckyball Race is the best thing ever and I'd like to see one of the system authority Vipers try and keep up with us!"