V6 Planetquakes Destroy City: Dateline 3202.119 V6 Quadrant 7
Xyonist seismologists on V6 were taken completely by surprise by a sudden, and unprecedented planetquake surge under the Northwest Continent. The epicentre was near the city of Toyoda, and virtually every building in the city was destroyed by the 'quake. Losses are less than feared at first, but there are over 90 killed, and 30,000 made homeless. Local planetary emergency serives are having some trouble getting to the affected region - but the situation is mostly under control. The Quadrant Shaliach has send aid to the stricken colony, and it is hoped that the people will all be rehoused before the onset of winter in a few weeks time.

Reactor Leak Kills 231. Dateline Scott Q5, 3202.119
A catastrophic containment field breach resulted in the devastation of a large section of the suburbs of SixDay City, on Scott (Q5). A spokesperson for the Scott Power Corporation said "this is a multi-million to one occurence. We are naturally very sorry for the loss of so many people - most of whom were our loyal employees. Any suggestion of negligence or fault by the Corporation in your news reports and we'll sue you're assess offf - no don't put that in..."

231 people died, most of whom were power plant employees, but the number includes 32 people from the nearby residential zone. The Governor of Scott has declared a day of mourning for the dead, and has pledged that "This may have been a tragic accident - but if there is anyone at fault, those responsible will pay"

President Potato 'Escapes' from Castle Wolf359-3D - Dateline Wolf 359 Q0 3202.160.

SCOOP! : See here for an unexpurgated extract from the President's private diary of the visit.

'The Master' Captured in Hookum Dateline 3202.126 Hookum Q1
The ganglord and criminal mastermind, Hans Van Creveld, wanted by the police departments of 36 worlds and 3 polities was apprehended in Hollyoak City on Hookum by local police, acting on a tipoff. 'The Master' as he was known to the press and his subordinates, is wanted for murder, robbery, extortion, terrorism, piracy, conspiracy, heresy and shoplifting.
Previous attempts to arrest him have proved unsuccessful, his network of supporters, his cunning and his great personal wealth have made him very difficult to catch and hold. However, the Hookum authorites have arrested him on charges relating to Tax irregularities. It is believed that a special Imperial Audit Office investigation has been launched into his affairs.
Chief of Hookum COPs said "This is a great day for us - we simpy didn't dream we would be the ones to take down the famous, so-called 'Master'. Of course, it was a team effort, and I would like to stress the hard work done by our criminal intelligence branch, the SWAT team, and the IAO in bringing this scumbag ...er...I mean the accused, to justice"

News Lockdown on Evangelou. Dateline 3202.180 Evalngelou Q0
The Wolfer authorities have instituted a news blackout around some previously unremarked high energy research lab out in the desert, at a place called Butte Noir. The place is of no significance, except that it was home for a few egg-heads doing some poiintless esoteric research. Why the government should suddenly take an interest remains a mystery. There are reports of some sort of explosion, of alien invasion, of a captured alien spacecraft, of a forerunner find and even of the return of the Forerunners. The government claims that this is a safety issue, and that journalists must stay away for their own safety. It is this reporter's view that the Wolf Government has been testing some new weapon system and it all went horribly wrong. At least one leak suggests that there is a huge crater where the lab once stood - could this be the result of the fabled 'total annihilation bomb' or something like that?

Spectacular Armed Robbery on King's World Dateline 3202.145 Kings World Q8
COPs and military have started to expand their search off world for the daring gang that robbed the Imperial Government Treasury Offices, allegedly getting away with a haul estimated to be over a billion credits in negotiable cashchips.

Large numbers of cashchips are not normally stored in a single location, but a fresh delivery to the quadrant had only just been made - pending distribution. Security is always tight in these situations and the storage facility carried a high number of security systems. The gang seems to have been able to either bypass or deactiviate most of these systems, overwhelm the robotoic and human guards and get away before the COPs could intervene.

The Director of the Imperial Colonial Office of Police said "This was a daring crime, but a crime nevertheless. We are pursuing a number of leads, and rest assured we will get them". King's World Station was locked down for 48 hours following the crime, and all vessels leaving the system are being searched by marines and starguard. However, the authoritiesprivately admit that there is some small chance that the criminals might have fled the system, and they have posted information to all systems in Q8 to keep on the lookout for suspicious characters with a lot of cash.

Venerian Admiral Branded As Pirate: Dateline 3202.140 Quadrant 4
The top Venerian Admiral in Q4, Adm Britany Hevanski, faces severe disciplinary consequences (even death) as she returns to New Venus accused of complicity in organised piracy in Q4. Details of her alleged crimes are sketchy - the arrests came as the culmination of long covert investigation in Q4 into corruption.

This comes as a major surprise in the Quadrant - the Governor said "I am naturally saddened by the betrayal by someone so senior. But the good news is that our security services are on the ball - let no-one think they can get away with anything bad in the Republic". Sources in the Quadrant government have indicated that there was also suspicion of complicity with Foreign Powers.

The Admiral is being temporarily replaced by Adm Isaac Putin, formerly Director of the Quadrant's Logistics Headquarters. Adm Putin is regarded by official circles as a 'safe pair of hands' - certainly pending the return of the bulk of the Q4 VN fleet - currently 'on manoevers' on some secret out-of-quadrant exercise somewhere.

Composite image of what Adm Hevanski might look
like as a pirate (probably).

Biological Disaster in SL Station : Dateline 3202.127 Savage Land Q2

Reports are coming in of a major disaster on Savage Land Station in Q2 in which nearly 10,000 people have died. An unidentified virus appears to have been released into the station's life support systems, and before anyone realised what was happening over 87.4% of the station's inhabitants were dead as a result of massive bodily transformations. The authorities managed to shut down the station and contain the outbreak to orbit, but the mutagenetic virus appears to have already done its work. 90% of the surviviors have been horribly disfigured, each in uniquely disgusting ways - growing extra limbs, bleeding endlessly from suppurating wounds, bones turned to jelly, loss of all immune system and many more too awful to describe, and certainly too horrid to show pictures of. Around 10% of the survivors appear to have few ill effects, or have had changes so small as to be almost unnoticable (purple eyebrows, for example). Humanitarian and technical assistance is being provided by local Sirian, Martian and Venerian medical teams, who are rushing to the scene. Speculation is rife here, as the symptoms and effects are strikingly similar to the 3174 Wild Card Virus outbreak in Quadrant 4. However, unlike that incident, there were no associated blackmail demands or threats. In fact no group has claimed responsibility and no perpetrators have yet been found. Invesigations continue.

One of the horribly transformed inhabitants of SL Station.
This victim died of starvation after just a few days.

Avalon (T22) to Join Venerian Republic - Dateline 3202.126 Avalon(T22) Q1
Following the collapse of the ruling council and widespread popular unrest at the handling of the economy, a new ruling council has swept to power on the back of a popular mood to join the Venerian Republic. The surprise election gave the new Shining Path Party such a big majority that it's first action has been to open negotiations for associate membership - on the basis that the elections were, in effect, a referendum on membership. The venerians are reports to be 'delighted' at this prospect of this new member of the Republican family. At the same time, general agreement was reached on the name change of T22 to 'Avalon'. On an unrelated topic - unconfirmed reports have been coming in of an unusually high number of shuttle accidents and reactor leaks in the system during the recent Four Power Manoevers in the system a few months ago. Nobody was available to comment on this.

Ancongo Captured! Dateline Binni Q0 3202.151

Following a tip off from forces loyal to the new interim council of the former Free Republic of Binni - Martian GF forces converged in a midnight raid on a cave system thought to house a large force of bandits. After several hours fierce fighting, the caves were successfully cpatured, and among the prisoners was the much hunted ex-President Ancongo. Over 30 of his personal bodyguards were killed or wounded in the exchange. 12 Martians were wounded, and 1 killed.

Ancongo is now being held pending a decision on his fate. So far in the four days since his capture, Martian GF forces have foiled 6 assassination attempts on the ex-President. There are some concerns about whether he would get a fair trial in the former FRB and if indeed he has broken any laws at all.