GINI BECOMES O3-INVESTMENTS
Alexanderstad, February 12th 2010 - Well-known Kronenburg billionaire Oscar A. Ottendorf Okrilla will be the new owner of the Iljaromanan investment company GINI, which took over the Kronenburg shipping-company Aquaregius a while ago, but got into financial trouble itself not long thereafter. After the takeover, GINI will change its name to 03-investments. Initially, the announcement of the takeover was received well in both Kronenburg and Île de Romanhe, but after detailed plans of restructuralisation leaked, the original enthusiasm in Île de Romanhe turned to anxiety, as GINI personnel can expect some rearrangements and even dismissals. 'It's not unthinkable that there will be people from Kronenburg working in Île de Romanhe and vice versa', a spokesman of Ottendorf Okrilla says. Pascal Rrokk, former prime minister of Île de Romanhe and CEO of GINI, is said to have been offered a high management position in Kronenburg, whilst another former prime minister is named as the new manager of the branch in Île de Romanhe. '03-investments is looking for persons with economical and executive expertise; the goal of our organisation is not to employ former prime ministers of Île de Romanhe', the spokesman added.

ALEXANDERSTAD MAYOR 'HAS HAD IT' WITH THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE KRONENBURGERSTRAATWEG
Alexanderstad, December 18th 2009 - The mayor of Alexanderstad, Bert-Jan Sibranda, 'has had it' with the growing smear campaign against the alleged racket caused by the tram line in the Kronenburgerstraatweg in his city. 'There are maximum two people or organizations who have registered complaints: the embassies of Cilogia and Issel. Since the first complaint by the Cilogian ambassador, complaints from the Cilogian embassy dropped considerably after Cilogia replaced its ambassador. The ambassador of Issel has simply copied the complaint, Sibranda says, especially because the Kronenburgerstraatweg is much broader where the Issel embassy is located, and the tram is driving further away from the buildings. The mayor thinks that the complaining could harm local businesses.

Several embassies are located in the Kronenburgerstraatweg, among those e.g. the Cilogian, Issel, Insulantian and Karstonian embassies. The Russian embassy as well is located there, but there have been no complaints whatsoever from the representation of the world's largest country. 'Those who complain can of course request to be moved to another location, but I can't guarantee that that will be as prominent a location as the present one', the mayor says.

KING ALEXANDER IV SERIOUSLY ILL; CROWN PRINCE APPOINTED REGENT
Alexanderstad, December 7th 2009 - In a combined meeting of the Noordkamer and the Zuidkamer, crown prince John Ernest was appointed regent, after his father, king Alexander IV Louis, was taken to hospital last week after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage. Last Friday it became clear that the king won't be able to exercise his tasks as head of state for a long time to come, and parliament has decided that the crown prince is to replace his father for the time being. Apparently, it was prime minister Strikwerda who called the ambulance straight away, when the king became ill during an official meeting between the two. Doctors fear that the process of recovery will be a slow one. King Alexander IV ascended the throne in 1991 and his reign as king has generally been calm. The crown prince, who celebrated his 30th birthday last November, is known to be a lot more interested in politics than his father, and some people aren't happy at all that he will be acting head of state sooner than expected.

MARIJ ÜHLER RELEASED
Alexanderstad, November 27th 2009 - Marij Ühler, the former secretary general of the AGL who was arrested in December, was released today because there were no sufficient reasons to keep her in custody. Although Ühler's solicitor, mr. Ram Siddhi Pokharel, expressed his utmost satisfaction, many people in our country and abroad were shocked. 'It is a shame that my client had to wait so long before the prosecutors realised that it was indecent to keep ms. Ühler in custody any longer', says mr. Pokharel. 'The excuses that they conjured every time in order to keep my client where she was, became more incredible as time elapsed; but now she is a free woman again.' The government has been questioned about the case, but minister Maria Bijleveld says that there were no reasons for Kronenburg to keep her in custody any longer. 'In fact, we were waiting for other parties, such as the Mii-Isles or the AGL itself to ask for her extradition, but nobody has done so. Our legal system offers only so many possibilities to extend custody in such cases.' Ms. Ühler has taken a plane to Toronto, and there her track was lost.

"END OF FINANCIAL CRISIS IS NEAR"
Alexanderstad, November 24th 2009 - According to finance minister Etto Reer, the end of the financial crisis in Kronenburg is near, but at the same time he warns that people should remain cautious. Unemployment is still too high, although it didn't reach the expected peak of 10.3%. But when the economy starts growing again, the government will have a more solid base to tackle the problems that still exist. The government has issued some unpopular measures to get rid of the crisis. In September, a group of students and people working in banks or public transport occupied the large statue of queen Marianne in Alexanderstad in order to protest against these measures. The government has sent some bills to the Noordkamer, which should change the education system and prevent future students from endless studying, causing anger among present and future students. Further, salaries of bank and public transport employees is very likely to be decreased, and the overall bonus system is going to experience some major changes. Although many people don't like what the current government is doing, figures show that its policy is turning Kronenburg away from the financial abyss that it was nearing last year.

AGL: FOUR NEW MEMBER STATES
Lujltjurk, September 14th 2009 - The AGL obtained four new full members today, at the 45th AGL Conference in the city of Lujltjurk (Issel): the republic of Chimor and Île de Romanhe and the kingdoms of Issel and Karstonia. Karstonia's return to the AGL was greeted mostly with approval, although some member states have questioned the procedure through which it happened: the lack of an association period - or at least a transition period - could be in violation with the treaty of Aralethe, according to Norlandic and Insulantian politicians.

The chairmanship of Issel caused a small diplomatic riot, as the Kronenburg candidate host for the environment organization of the AGL, the newly organized EnerGeo (formerly GeoAtom), was dismissed by the prime minister of Issel, Lise Berr, as 'unsuitable because of the noisy trams', which of course caused outrage among our delegation. The AEGU and EnerGeo will be moved to It Ton (Issel) and Ultruneum (Insulantis) respectively. Their present location, Porto São Antonio, will be unsuitable as São Antonio will leave the AGL per 2010.

BILL VISITS KRONENBURG
Alexanderstad, August 23rd 2009 - The authorities were very well prepared for it, but the hurricane Bill has caused a lot less damage in our country than initially feared. A number of piers will have to be repaired or replaced and one woman lost her live as a result of the meteorological violence. The last time that Kronenburg was hit by a large hurricane, was in 1991, when Bob caused heavy damage to the bay between Friescheburg and the Oostereiland. Bob was a hurricane of the second category, while Bill would only reach first as its maximum strength, according to predictions. Nevertheless, the authorities had taken measures to prevent any accidents. At some places more than 90 mm of rain fell on 22 and 23 August and the southern coasts of the Westereiland and the Oostereiland were heavily hit by wind and waves: some piers disappeared in the sea and two houses near the coast, were flooded. The smaller islands weren't affected much by the storm, although they, too, experienced heavy rainfall and trees losing branches. One woman in Patershaven lost her life when she was hit by such a branch when she tried to fetch her laundry, that was still hanging outside.

STATE VISIT FROM KARSTONIA
Alexanderstad / Marckfontänn (KS), July 2009 - Only a few days before a referendum in Karstonia decides whether or not this Scandinavian kingdom should return to the AGL, the Karstonian royal family payed an official state visit to our country. As was the case with the Kronenburg state visit to Karstonia, several years ago, both kings were very cordial around each other, although our king Alexander IV met a new colleague: two years ago, the present king of Karstonia, Henrik Otkar II, was appointed king after his father Christian II died. As king Henrik Otkar didn't inherit his fathers love for model ships, this wasn't on the agenda this time; instead, the visit was organized around the century long relations that the people of both countries maintained. The royals visited the Scandinavian Camp in Aabije, north of Denestad. This open air museum tells the history of the Scandinavian colonists in Kronenburg. Many emigrated Karstonians live in Aabije, a first group of whom arrived in our country in the eighteenth century amongst a larger group of Danes, and a second group arrived shortly after the second world war. Most of these Karstonians have integrated themselves in our society, but some older people still spoke Karstonian and they received king Henrik Otkar and queen Estrid with great joy.

During the visit the normal banquets and concerts took place as well, and the Karstonian king had organized a play for his host, by a Karstonian theatrical company. The world premiere of Kronenburg composer Bjorn Oldens' Addiction Symphonique nr. 2 for marimba and orchestra turned out to be not so interesting to prince William Louis and the Karstonian princess Lovisa, who retired rather quickly after the concert had begun.

AGL-SOCCER: KRONENBURG LOOSES SEMI-FINALS
June 24th 2009 - Kronenburg has played very well during the AGL-soccer tournament; our country became second in its group, but lost the semi-final against Norland. The Kronenburg soccer union KOVC-HIBV is satisfied with the development of the tournament and relieved that the unrest caused by the economic crisis weren't mingled with reactions on the outcome of the matches. Only after the semi-final match between Cilogia and Insulantis, riots occurred in Friescheburg, but they were quickly ended by the police.

RIOTS IN ALEXANDERSTAD
May 19th 2009 - A demonstration of the large unions on the fourth day of a public transport strike has resulted in heavy riots in the capital today. Tram, train, bus and subway drivers have been striking for four days now, after it was made public that their employers plan to reduce all salaries in order to fight the economic crisis. Due to the large increase of the unimployment figures, the public transport, especially in the two largest cities, is under heavy pressure. Advised by ministers Reer (finance) and Kleefman (economy), most companies try to avoid dismissals where possible and opt for salary reductions instead. Various transport organizations however only choose to lower the salaries of the normal employees, while the managers are said to keep their present salaries. Most parties in the Noordkamer agree completely with the protesting unions and several members of parliament had joined them today in the demonstration. The demonstration attracted the attention of third parties however, who joined the protests without consent of their bosses.

Around two o'clock things got out of hand: some kids started to throw stones at the police forces that were present to prevent riots, and at the politicians as well. The police had to shoot in the air several times and charged. In the chaos caused by this, several people got hurt, among whom some Noordkamer members. The police arrested 83 persons, mainly younger people, but it remained turbulent in the city during the entire evening. These riots, the worst in our country since the end of the sixties, have been condemned by the government.

SWINE FLU AND GHERKINS
April 2009 - 'The Mexican swine flu can be easily cured with some cut gherkins, which you hang near your bed in a gunny sack for three nights.' This claims at least dr. Jón Kallang, a doctor with a disputed reputation, who came to work in our country after his career in his fatherland Issel failed.

Minister Henk-Jan de Winter of public health has warned the public against alternative doctors who claim to be able to cure the Mexican swine flu. 'There are useful medicins available to confront this disease', says the minister. 'If you don't consult your normal doctor and use these non-approved alternative medicines, you will put your entire environment in jeopardy. Alternative doctors who don't co-operate with confronting the swine flu, could face law suits.' In our country, seven possible swine flu cases were determined, but turned out to be false alarm. In the magazine Ziek! Wat nu?, a popular magazine which normally only focuses its attention to innocent, everyday diseases, an article of dr. Kallang appeared recently, in which he dismissed the official, government-approved medicine and tried to persuade people to use his healing method.

'Getting better doesn't have to be expensive', the Issel doctor says, who receives large fees for his consultations, but whose prescribed medicines are mostly rather cheap and can be bought at the supermarket. 'The official medicine is just to expensive, notably here in Kronenburg, and often doesn't work. My treatment is simpel, almost free and its effect is guaranteed. Patients have noticed this, as you can see in the increase of the number of patients I treat.' Dr. Kallang's guarantee is disputed by the ministry and the Royal Guild of Physicians (KGG): 'As there aren't any concrete cases at the moment, we can't prove that his treatment is a fake, but I suspect that if you have the swine flu and you follow this doctor's orders, nothing will happen at all!' says Everard Boonstra de Conijnenburgh, the present chairman of the KGG. 'The medicine that has been approved by the Guild is used abroad as well and has lead to succesful treatment. This is a fact, and I think it is uncomprehensible and utterly dangerous that this man doesn't see that!'

In Kronenburg, a number of professions and provisions are organized in guilds, which are state independent in principle, but which must comply to very strict regulations before they can call themselves a 'guild'. At this moment, there are three medical guilds in our country: the already mentioned Royal Guild of Physicians, the Guild of Christian Physicians (GCG) and the Union of Alternative Doctors (UAA). Dr. Kallang was refused as a member by all three of them. 'The fact that dr. Kallang has been forbidden to practice in Issel, was enough reason for us to refuse him.' says a spokesman of the UAA. 'We too find it very dangerous to reject a general acknowledged medicine. In our country one knows what one is up to with doctors who aren't members of one of the three guilds; it's your own choice and responsability to visit such a doctor anyway. Now the national health is threatened; the ministry should forbid dr. Kallang - and others like him - to practice in our country as well.'

SIGURD JÖRGENSEN STEPS DOWN AS YLIEEN-CHAIRMAN
Magdalena del Mar (Chimor), April 11th 2009 - The chairman of the AGL cultural centre 'Jan Ylieen', Sigurd Jörgensen, has stepped down due to health reasons, one year before his term would have expired. The 44th AGL Conference, held in the Chimorian city of Magdalena del Mar, appointed Kander Weeleig (Cilogia) as his successor. At the same conference, the state of Insulantis obtained full membership of the AGL. It is the first country joining the AGL since Norland joined in January 2003.

GOVERNMENT ESCAPES CRISIS ON NATO-DEBATE
Alexanderstad, February 4th 2009 - The government of prime minister Ernst-Piter Strikwerda narrowly escaped a crisis as one of the coalition parties accused it of breaking the governing agreement by not discussing NATO-membership. PU-chairman Eric Satterthwaite called for a debate on January the 30th, to discuss whether or not NATO-membership should be discussed or not. But the responsible ministers, Carl August Zahle of foreign affairs and Guido Knijn of defence, didn't show up for this debate and over the weekend, Satterthwaite threatened to withdraw his support to the government. Minister Zahle responded already in the weekend, stating that 'The government has other things to take care of at this moment than investigating things that don't have much public support', - most Kronenburgers oppose joining NATO - 'Next Friday, you'll see that the Promulgation - the plans of the government for the next year - won't be very cheerful and this government now needs to focus on ruling the country. There is no time for a NATO-debate; I don't have time for a NATO-debate!'

QUEEN LIVIA ADOPTS SHEEP
Alexanderstad / Ny Båringsvig, January 30th 2009 - During the state visit that king Alexander IV Louis and queen Livia payed to the republic of Norland at the end of January, the two countries promised to intensify their relationship. It was the first ever state visit of Kronenburg to Norland, and neither the other way around, a visit on this level has taken place between the two countries. Norland and Kronenburg are both however members of both the OAS and the AGL and both countries have been more (Norland) or less (our country) colonized by Danes and other Scandinavians. 'Remarkable indeed', says, too, prime minister Strikwerda. 'But especially Norland has a reputation of waiting to see things unfold. Norland's involvement in the AGL for instance has grown very slowly.'

KRONENBURG HAS 9 MILLION INHABITANTS
Alexanderstad, January 2009 - Our country has 9 million inhabitants since last October, says the ministry of traffic and communication. The population growth in 2008 has been smaller than in the years before that, but ended at 0.71% nevertheless. The financial crisis seems to be one of the most important causes for the strong decline: many young adults find it to dangerous to start a family at this moment. The death- and immigration-rates remained more or less the same. The emigration-rate increased a bit. Statisticians don't agree whether or not our country will ever reach a population of 10 million; according to some, the population will decline before that due to ageing.

REER APPOINTED FINANCE MINISTER
Alexanderstad, January 7th 2009 - After the dismissal of finance minister David Axelrod by parliament, prime minister Strikwerda has appointed Etto Reer as the new finance minister. Axelrod's position became very difficult after it turned out that his financial support of the Dietzlandse Raiffeisen Bank (DRB) was a conflict of interest, as it was Axelrod himself who lead the bank when the base of its present troubles was created: Axelrod was said to have approved some dubious investments, among other in the Iljaroman nautical investment group GINI, chaired by the former Iljaroman prime minister Pascal Rrokk.

MARIJ ÜHLER ARRESTED
Papenvuur, December 30th 2008 - Former AGL-secretary general Marij Ühler has been arrested after having attended her mother's funeral in the small village of Papenvuur, south east from Friescheburg. She was secretary general from 2000 to 2003, in which period she is said to have abused her power in favour of some inhabitants of the Miisan isle of O Ka Maungo, which unilaterally declared independence in 2003, among other suspicious activities. Ms. Ühler's sollicitor, mr. Ram Siddhi Pokharel, has protested the time of the arrest, which he says has deeply disturbed his client.

KING ALEXANDER IV CELEBRATES 60TH BIRTHDAY
Alexanderstad, September 2nd 2008 - The king of Kronenburg, Alexander IV Louis of Habsburg Lorraine, is 60 years old. Many important guests from all over the world will join him later today in order to celebrate this landmark. In the morning however he will drive a certain route through the city in order to greet the people, together with his wife queen Livia and two of his sons crown prince John Ernest and prince William Louis. Crown princess Isabel won't join them, nor will John Ernest's and Isabel's young daughter, princess Sophie Charlotte, as her mother thought that she might be too young for this.

CROWN PRINCESS ISABEL GIVES BIRTH TO DAUGHTER
Alexanderstad, July 26th 2008 - Crown princess Isabel, the wife of crown prince John Ernest, has given birth to a girl at fourteen minutes past 1 a.m. last night. The girl's name will probably be announced somewhere during the next week. It is uncertain whether the newborn princess will be reigning queen of Kronenburg eventually; if she will get one or more brothers, the eldest of them will have the first right to become king after his father, the present crown prince. Many however are opposed to this system and want to change it in favour of equality between brothers and sisters.

CILOGIAN AMBASSADOR ANNOYED BY TRAM NOISE
Alexanderstad - The Cilogian embassy, located at the Kronenburgerstraatweg nr. 101, has registered a complaint at the city council of Alexanderstad about the noise of the trams riding through the street. The Kronenburgerstraatweg is a busy street, with a double tramway, one of them without any stations; this is the speed tramway which connects Noordeinde to Alexanderstad daily, but also nightly. Ambassador Amarn Cruaag Sedserne, who has been representing Cilogia in our country since 2004, reportedly sleeps rather badly because of the noise, which influences the quality of his work. The city council however is not planning to investigate the matter; 'The Kronenburgerstraatweg is one of the longest and most busy streets of Alexanderstad,' says the alderman for traffic and regional planning, Pieter Bunnema. 'It is the most important north western entrance to the city. In spite of that, we hardly receive complaints about noise; it has been the Cilogian embassy who is responsible for 80% of the noise complaints in the last three years. The Museum of Colonial Craft, located at nr. 99, and the doctor practice at nr. 103 have never complained once. When the ambassador doesn't like the location of his embassy, he should request the state government to move it.'

GAASTERBAAI TO BE ADDED TO AGL-LIST OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Portus Regius, January 2008 - The municipality of Dietzland, lead by mayor Albert Fransuma, has nominated the Gaasterbaai for the 2008 Kronenburg addition to the list of the AGL Cultural Heritage. Since this is the only Kronenburg nomination so far, it is most likely that the Jan Ylieen-Centre for Cultural Co-operation will honour the nomination. The Gaasterbaai, on the island of Koningin Annaland, contains a natural landscape which is unique for Kronenburg: between the town of Zurich and the village of Gaast the sea has entered through a small opening, resulting in a peaceful bay which is the home of various birds and other species. At the western bank of the Gaasterbaai the harbour of Zurich is located, where several ferry services connect the island with the municipal capital Portus Regius and the small isle of Iris, which is already on the AGL-list.