September 4914
Malivia denounces Kalistan at World Congress
Mrs. Kamala Ghoshal, whose release Malivia is demanding
Foreign Minister Vishnu Satavelekar has delivered a stirring speech at the World Congress General Assembly, condemning Kalistan for its treatment of Kamala Ghoshal and its plans to encourage pirates to attack Malivian shipping.
Deltarians lose key court battle over asset seizures
Over the last year, the government has controversially used the Zamindari Reform Act to seize assets from several wealthy Deltarians resident in Malivia, following a deterioration in the relationship between Malivia and its traditional key ally. Yesterday, the Deltarians attempted to persuade a court in Modalin that the seizures were illegal, because seizures under the Zamindari Reform Act are only supposed to involve assets which were acquired as a historical consequence of the activities of the East Artania Company. However, the judge rejected this argument, claiming the Act could cover "all forms of colonialism and neo-colonialism" and that the Deltarian acquisitions "came about very much as a result of Deltaria's economic domination over the Malivian people".
Some of the Deltarians involved in this case are said to be considering launching an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Ministry of Cows tries to flog cow dung to Endralon
Minister for Cows Chatur Upadhyay has been in talks with the Endralonian government and various Endralonian corporations, trying frantically to persuade them to purchase the contents of Malivia's cow dung mountain in north-west Washebar, reputed to be the largest pile of cow dung in the world at the moment.
The Ministry of Cows has a long-standing policy of protecting and stabilising the price of cow dung in Maliva by intervening in the market to buy it up when prices look like they are going down, and then slowly releasing it back on the market when prices are high. However, this does mean that during more challenging economic times, such as at present, when international economic sanctions and boycotts (and now the potential threat of Kalistan privateers) have been denting the economy, the size of the cow dung mountain tends to expand exponentially.
The Ministry for Cows, facing a budget squeeze due to the economic situation, is desperate to make some rupees out of the cow dung, but would prefer to offload it somewhere abroad, so the price of cow dung in Malivia itself will not be too much affected.
Malisindu (OOC: Afro-Caribbean) campaigners are urging potential buyers not to hand over any money to the Ministry of Cows until the descendants of the victims of the Trysee tragedy have been awarded financial compensation for the terrible accident which occurred there back in 4778, when the cow dung mountain cascaded in to the local village.
Malivia applies to World Congress Green Department for biogas generator subsidies
Minister for Cows Chatur Upadhyay has applied to the World Congress Green Department, newly established under Security Council Resolution 117, for subsidies to develop Malivia's network of biogas electricity generators run on cow manure. "This technology is more advanced in Malivia than anywhere else in the world, and it is very promising with much potential, much potential indeed," he said, adding that "Holy Mother Cow is a gift to humanity that just keeps giving and giving and giving" and that "I have no words to express the depth of my gratitude to her".
Lower castes demand quotas
A growing campaign in the Raktavani (OOC: Indian) community is calling for public sector job quotas and public sector higher education quotas, which are currently only allotted to Untouchable and Adivasis (OOC: Indian tribals) to be extended to members of other disadvantaged Raktavani castes. 92 members of the Lok Sabya have signed a motion calling for the government to set up a commission to examine this issue.
Malisindu groups are arguing their community is at least as disadvantaged and discriminated against as the Untouchables and Adivasis, and are calling for quotas to be allotted to them as well. However, there appears to be scant sympathy for this position within the ruling Raktavani National Party.