March 4385Liberal Union dissolves amidst party splits and financial problemsThe Liberal Union has announced it is dissolving and will not be contesting seats at the next election. Although the announcement did not mention any specific reasons, the move is believed to be due to a mixture of splits within the party and a growing financial crisis within the party organisation. There were hints of trouble last month, when the party was forced to sell its large headquarters in Rechtenburg and move to a much smaller temporary office.
Both inside and outside parliament, the party has been split over its support for big government policies which have seen taxes and public spending increase significantly during the party's time in office. There was also a lot of division about the party leadership's support for diverting even more money to the Rechtenburg Olympics and for passing the Olympic Security Act, which many liberals felt was draconian and illiberal.
National Movement to contest next electionFrederick Manningham-Buller's controversial far-right National Movement has announced that for the first time, it will put up candidates for seats at the next election. The party is predicted to win a significant amount of votes and win seats, although it's extreme reputation means it is unlikely to take part in any ruling coalition. The anti-fascist organisation
HateWatch has urged the media to "report the National Movement carefully, and not fall into their bigoted agenda" and also urged voters to "vote tactically if that is needed to keep the National Movement out".
The decision to contest the election caused some division within the Movement, which has previously eschewed participation in electoral politics. Elizabeth Harding, a prominent member of the party's Executive Committee, published a pamphlet entitled "A Movement, not a Party", arguing the group would be more effective and wield more influence as an extra-parliamentary organisation, and that getting involved with elections and elected bodies would be "a distraction".
TERRA EXCLUSIVE: Baby dodos secure survival of speciesAfter much nail-biting anticipation, 5 baby dodos have been born at Medingsbury's Institute of Zoological Studies, which zoologists believe will "probably" ensure the survival of the species, "although we still have much to learn and progress still needs to be made". Doddle, who had been the only male dodo, was finally persuaded to mate with the females after the most persistent of the females, Mandy, was removed from the pen, and he was injected with a dose of Viagra-for-birds to "increase his drive".
The Institute say the next stage in their plan is to continue the Dodo breeding program, and then once there are enough dodos, open a new zoo called "Dodo World", which will be open to the public.
There is excitement about dodos all over Terra, and next week the dodos and the staff at the Institute will be participating in a reality television series which is expected to attract record viewing figures.