Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief: Her Imperial Majesty announces Baby on the way
Princess Margaret named IBSI Chief; Luxon Swell Competition announced for August
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 1, 5642


Her Highness, Princess Margaret Ananto-DeLaurentis graduates with a Philosophy Doctorate in Political Theory

Her Imperial Majesty Announces Baby on the Way
Crown Watchers Empire-Wide breathed a sigh of relief this week, when it was announced that Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto and Emperor Consort Martin Collins-Ananto were expecting their first child. "The Office of the Empress released a statement yesterday that said the Anantos will have an heir," said Kaliburg based Crown Watcher Genna Hauser. "The statement said that her personal doctors verified that the Empress is about 12 weeks pregnant. The pregnancy was suspected when Her Imperial Majesty cancelled a couple public events in early May and announcing that she was feeling 'under the weather'. She was able to make it to Order Day events in late May in Eveari, but even then, she seemed quiet and reserved unlike in past years, and left the event early."

The Peerage was quick to send their congratulations to Her Imperial Majesty. There was some consternation among the Royal family over pregnancy: The Empress, who will be 32 this year, did not seem to be in any hurry to produce an heir, and was content for her sister, the Princess Margaret, to remain Crown Princess. "The announcement of an heir is a cause for celebration, and it is believed that no one is celebrating more than Princess Margaret, because this means that under all normal circumstances now, she will not inherit the throne" said Hauser. "She has said several times in the past that she has no desire to govern, and has shunned official duties as often as she is able. Once an heir is born, she will not quite be out of the woods, but the chances that she will end up as Empress are much slimmer at that point."

The new baby is due in early December. The soon to be parents are reportedly very happy, and also a little apprehensive about what is to come.

Princess Margaret Named IBSI Chief
Her Highness, Princess Margaret Ananto-DeLaurentis-Westmoreland successfully defended her dissertation in May, a month ahead of schedule, and filed the necessary work with the Graduate School of Kaliburg Imperial University by the May 30th deadline. She subsequently was allowed to dress and walk in the summer commencement ceremony held earlier today in Kaliburg. The Princess now holds a Philosophy Doctorate in Political Theory with a certificate in Artanian Languages. No sooner was she fully minted a Ph.D. then she took up her official post at the Imperial Bureau of Security Information, where she will serve Her Imperial Majesty as Director of National Intelligence.

"This is a new position that replaces the former Bureau Director title held for four years by Henry Martel," said Bureau spokesperson Donna Boca. "The Princess has been working with the Bureau as a liaison between the Intel Community and Her Imperial Majesty since she got out of the NSP. Her naming to this new position that aims at overseeing and coordinating all of Kalistan's intelligence, including military intelligence and aerospace intelligence, is not a surprise. It was previewed by Chancellor Koenig in April." The Princess has taken probably the most active role of an Imperial Sibling that Kalistan has seen in a long time, and is very close to her older sister.

"Princess Margaret is very sharp," said Boca. "As the two Ananto sisters gain more experience in government, the Princess' Expertise becomes more valuable year after year, and it is believed that the move is designed to best employ the Princess' analytical mind to foreign policy issues since it appears that Kalistan may be shifting direction away from major power politics to a more regional focus at long last." The Princess is a known nationalist, but is far more pragmatic than ideological and her influence is already being felt in Kalistan's moves since the end of the Kundrati conflict. Margaret has already ordered that the IBSI directorate shall be moved from its secret-not-so-secret operations center in Lhasa to Kaliburg and new offices will be set up under the Princess' supervision near Kaliburg Polytechnic on the east side.

Luxon Swell Competition announced for August
Luxon in Southern Ananto is known for its beautiful beaches and its surfing. And now a group of professional surfers have gotten together to sponsor an annual contest known as Luxon Swell, to be held in August of every year going forward. Kelly James, who holds the Ananto Men's Surfing Championship, said that the founders thought it was time to officially determine who is the best. "There's a lot of sh-- talk when were out on the water," said James. "And we always thought we could like have a surf off, but we were all coming to Luxon from different places in Kalistan, and so we couldn't agree on the rules. But now, we've basically just adopted Luxon rules, and decided to make this an All Kalistan competition."

James said the first competition will have sixteen entries in it. "The only rule is that you are sponsored. This one is pro's only. Those waves are pretty gnarly sometimes, and I don't think any of us want to see some dude going out there and getting killed." Judging on how well the first competition goes, he said the competition may morph into a pro invitational. "It's really that right now, but the invitational is not official. We're just getting some pros together to carve up some waves." James also said that the first competition is only male surfers, but next year they want to make it a co-ed event. "You can't say you're the best if half the surfers ain't even allowed to compete. We're thinking of one contest, one set of rules, one title. And you know as well as anyone here that there are ladies who can outsurf us all. Just not this year, but definitely next."

The competition will be held on Sunset Beach in Luxon County and will be a three day event. All are welcomed to come out and watch. Television drones and broadcast will be provided by KRTVN Sports, and the finals of the Competition will be broadcast both in Kalistan on KRTVN and worldwide on KalSat.

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