MicroWorld Newsbites – March 2017

ARBOREA

• Over 18-19 March, Tsar William I announced a travel ban for Arborea based on bad grammar. People unable to differentiate between “your” and “you’re”, “there” and “their”, and other similar words will be refused entry to the nation.

DELVERA

• On 6 March, military reforms were approved aimed at culling expenses and streamlining the chain of command. All military branches have been consolidated into a single command, uniform regulations have been changed, and an aptitude test established for all troops.

FLANDRENSIS

• On 18 March, Grand Duke Niels announced that the country’s demonym in English would be changed from “Flandrensisian” back into the original “Flandrensian” due to popular demand from citizens.

GRAND UNIFIED MICRONATIONAL

• On 28 March, Adam I, elected Chairman in December, resigned from the role due to an inability to spend sufficient time fulfilling the office’s duties. Vice Chairman Henry Clement has become Acting Chair, and will serve as such until the next elections in June.

MERCIA

• On 29 March, Mercia decreed the formation of an Emergency Government after five months of government inactivity. Politicians from across the political spectrum have been appointed to the cabinet, which will be seeking to simplify and revive the nation’s legislative process.

MOLOSSIA

• On 12 March, Molossia announced the creation of the Molossia Salt Mine, more properly known as the Merry Molossia Re-education and Rehabilitation Facility. The mine will ostensibly be worked by criminals sentenced to forced labour, but Molossia has a crime rate so low that this seems unfeasible. Nevertheless, salt from the mine is now on sale through the Molossian official website.

ÜBERSTADT

• On 23 March, King Adam I spoke in the United Nations General Assembly Hall on Überstadt’s place in the world, having been invited to the venue as part of the United States’ Model UN conference

Film maker visits Wrythe

HIM Emperor Jonathan I with Tim Mercier in Parliament Hall.

Earlier today Wrythe was host to Tim Mercier, a film maker and director.

Mr Mercier visited Wrythe, the Empire’s capital, to learn more about Austenasia and to assess the possibility of creating a documentary featuring the Empire.

He was received by Emperor Jonathan I, who spoke to him about Austenasia’s history, government, and Imperial Family.

Mr Mercier also met Emperor Father Terry, Mayor of Wrythe, and the Imperial Family’s two pets. He signed the Imperial Residence’s guestbook, and was given a postcard as a souvenir of the visit.

Should the documentary go ahead, it is likely to be about twenty minutes long and shown at various film festivals.

Mr Mercier has previously worked for the BBC, and has directed episodes of EastEnders and Holby City.

Anti-bribery law passed

It is now a criminal offence to take a bribe as well as to give one.

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I this morning gave Imperial Consent to the Bribery Act 2017, which “makes new provision for the definition and prohibition of bribery”.

The Act of Parliament, which can be read here, gained the required five out of nine votes yesterday afternoon, and was passed by the Speaker on to the Monarch earlier this morning.

Prior to the passing of this Act, the crime of bribery was illegal only under a short subsection of a six year old Imperial Decree of the Emperor’s predecessor, Declan I.

The Bribery Act 2017 sets out a far more detailed definition of the crime, and also makes it a criminal offence to accept or request a bribe; it had previously been illegal only to offer or give one.

The Act was authored by the Emperor himself, who has an A-level qualification in Law. Its passage sees a return to the writing of detailed, comprehensive criminal law by Jonathan I, with the Emperor having authored several lengthy Acts of this type since his ascension to the Throne in 2013.

Fortunately, this new Act may never be needed; in Austenasia’s eight and a half year history, nobody has ever been charged with committing bribery.