October 4927
Satavelekar reaches out to Deltaria
Foreign Minister Vishnu Satavelekar has contacted his Deltarian counterpart, expressing the Malivian government's desire to "put past differences behind us" and "re-forge the strong relationship which has traditionally existed between our two countries". With the fall of the communist regime in Deltaria, hopes are rising that Malivia might enjoy a better relationship with the new government. However, Deltaria's long-standing rivalry with Vascania, Malivia's great ally, could again potentially prove a sticking point.
Vascania-funded bridge "bastion of caste privilege" complains Democratic Alliance
Dhuleep Haradas's opposition Democratic Alliance has written to the government of Vascania, complaining that the bridge they funded in Patauchhari Town about 11 years ago has become a "bastion of caste privilege", because Untouchables, Adivasis (OOC: Indian tribals) and Malisindus (OOC: Afro-Caribbeans) are scared of using it, because caste Gerajans (OOC: Hindus) see it as their exclusive terrain, and do not want the "purity" of the bridge to be "dirtied" by it being used by persons lower down in the social order.
Last weekend, Haradas tried to challenge this prejudice by leading a large assembly of minority people across the bridge. The police refused to allow them to cross, alleging the bridge would be unable to cope with so many people trying to cross it at one time. However, Baibhav Limbu, the chief engineer in the construction project that built the bridge, has dismissed these assertions as "nonsense on stilts", and stated "the Patauchhari Bridge is a very good bridge, better than most bridges in Malivia and as good as any bridge of its type that you could find in Vascania - the idea that the bridge could collapse as a result of people walking across it is quite ludicrous".
MaliCube rips off BorosCube
An upstart Malivian toy manufacturer called MaliCube has stolen BorosCube's (OOC: Lego's) concept and begun producing and selling a new range of products for the Malivian market.
It remains to be seen how BorosCube will react to this. Some industry insiders predict a court battle, although others say it is more likely the two companies will come to some kind of mutually acceptable financial settlement.
Malivian press savages Luthori "parrot eaters"
The Malivian press is in uproar over reports that Luthoris are eating Malivian Parrots, mis-sold as chickens. This follows reports that sparrow has been substituted for chicken in the Luthori food industry.
The Malivian Parrot is considered a sacred animal by Gerajans (OOC: Hindus).
Malivia bans Alorian sheep
Following Aloria's ban on Malivian meat, Agriculture Minister Madri Panja has announced Malivia is banning the import of Alorian sheep and sheep meat, on the grounds "we have grounds to believe the Alorians are doing things with their sheep which we do not believe they should be doing".
She also claimed the disease being referred to by Alorian officials is "caused exclusively by the consumption of beef" and urged Aloria "to learn to respect Holy Mother Cow".