New Bava - The Newspaper for the Twenty-First Century - Circulation 233,500 est.

2 December 1998

A major intermicronational incident took place a week ago. Senator Fabrice Quertain, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Virtual Commonwealth of Cyberia, reportedly informed the Republic of Porto Claro that their "friendship" with Cyberia would be at risk if Porto Claro granted diplomatic recognition to East Cyberia.

Today, President Mike Rosario of East Cyberia went public with his claims that Cyberia had threatened to withdraw diplomatic recognition from Porto Claro just days after it had been granted.

New Bava interviewed the Honourable Pablo Rojas, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Porto Claro. We asked him about the truth of the East's claims. Did Senator Quertain tell the Republic that it could not recognize both East and West? "Mr Quertain told me that," agreed Mr Rojas. "If we recognize East Cyberia we're going to put in risk the friendship between Porto Claro and Cyberia." Rojas did not want to give any more detail; however, a diplomatic communication between Porto Claro and East Cyberia has been leaked to New Bava in which Mr Rojas states explicitly that Cyberia threatened to withdraw recognition from Porto Claro, and in which he expresses his regret that Porto Claro cannot therefore have formal relations with East Cyberia.

President Ken Kerns of Cyberia denied the allegations. He had no knowledge of any such threats, and told New Bava journalists they should not believe Rosario. Meanwhile on the UPEC forum, Rosario claimed that he had written to both Kerns and Quertain to ask them about the allegations, and that neither had yet replied.

Analysts say that this incident has the potential to swell into a fullblown crisis between Cyberia and East Cyberia. The USSR sect of East Cyberia, headed by Mike Jones, is known to be very hostile to the West. East Cyberian commentators claim that if the West isn't careful, it could be provoking a growing militant nationalism in the East. Responding, a Cyberian official told New Bava that Cyberia did not take the East's threats seriously. "Who cares what that Commie dictator says?" the official asked, in what has become unusually mild language for Westerners describing Mr Rosario.

Free Speech versus Hate Crimes: the Debate Rages

The Cyberian Chamber of Deputies descended into bitter argument today. A Hate Crimes bill, proposed by Senator Alan Grieve (the Speaker), would criminalize speech that tends to incite hatred of any particular class of people. Deputy Daniel Davis of the SP was outraged. He says he regards the bill as a tyrannical limitation on free speech. How other deputies will feel is not yet known, as the debate has only just begun, but it seems sure to go on for some time.

Fascism Spreads

Fascist politics are becoming increasingly widespread in Cyberia. The Conservative Fascist Party now has four or five citizens, although its former leader Lucas Engelhardt unexpectedly emigrated from Cyberia yesterday. The new fascist leader, Jonathan de Lima, has already attracted a lot of attention through his nationalistic statements and his defence of "democratic" fascism.

Concerned citizens from the Socialist, Liberal and Christian Democratic parties have formed an Anti-Fascist PAC to combat what they regard as the growing threat from the far-right.

Governor Richard Pond told New Bava that he was concerned that some Conservative politicians were showing sympathy for the fascists. "It's appeasement, or worse, it's actually support. The rightwing of the Conservative Party and the Fascist Party seem to think alike on many issues. But fascists and their sympathizers are a growing threat to our nation." De Lima accused Pond on the forum of violating his rights. The Governor retorted: "That's laughable. It's my basic right to criticize fascism. I'm not trying to ban their views. But I and others have every right to protest against those views. And they can do the same against mine, if they like."

Other Stories

Ceres Seeks to Secure Liberties Liberty leader Senator Ceres is to publish a bill to ensure that the federal government does not meddle in Cyberians' rights to drugs and pornography.

Second Ballot Results The results of the second legislative ballot of the Chamber were recently published, but are currently being revised. However, it appears that the anti-abortion-funding bill passed by a surprisingly large margin. Whether the President, Liberal Ken Kerns, will sign it, remains to be seen.

Graham-Hickey Dispute Governor Adam Graham tried to dislodge newly appointed Justice Hickey from the Supreme Court this week, by means of the Initiative. Hickey has retaliated by filing a suit arguing that this would be an illegal use of a referendum.

New Bava is published by the Bavan News Company (BNC), a workers' cooperative.