ONEBRICK Airline Alliance Formed

Today the ONEBRICK Airline Alliance was officially recognised by the IOB Transport Minister Ian Torstall. Founding Airways Brickian Airways and Isle Air from the IOB are being joined by a confirmed 3 further airlines, with the possibilities for several more. Brickian Airways CEO Brian Jones said "This is a great day for us. It means more freedom and ease of use for the passenger, whilst we can cut costs without having to shed any jobs."

South Mithran Goes Silent

After a technical failure in the release of the formal announcement on proceedings, South Mithran has remained quiet for nearly a week. Even the IOB government has struggled to create any discussion between the two countries since SM apologised for misconduct after it's handling of a IOB special forces operation.

Ambassador to South Mithran Called to Foreign Office

The IOB Ambassador to South Mithran was summoned to the Foreign Office today to be questioned about his government's handling of the recent assassination of a gangster in Legoton.
The South Mithranese Government recently criticised the killing of a gangster, along with his wife and two children by a IOB agent. Prime Minister Adrian Pollisworth did not take kindly to the criticism, which went as far as suggesting the PM step down from office and branded him a 'murderous tyrannic lunatic'. Foreign Minister Greg Dassault summoned the ambassador on the Prime Minister's behalf. It is not know what was discussed or said in the meeting, though the office is expected to release a statement tomorrow afternoon, with it being known that the SM Ambassador's Office being banned from making any official statement.

OCTAN Racing wins Brickbridge Street Race

The OCTAN Racing Team has one the 3rd annual Brickbridge Street Race. Mike Hawthorne drove his ORT -4DS to victory with 22 seconds clear. Brian Jones from Stud-i-o came in second place and James Richards finished third after being overtaken on the last corner by Jones.

Mayor Emily Sandhurst said "The 3rd annual street circuit has been a real success. I look forward to next February now!"

Fish Catch Deadly Disease

The Haddock stock, the primary fish export from the IOB is in danger of being severely crippled as a new disease spreads across the sea. Scientists and marineologists are yet to agree as to its source, and are desperately trying to find a cure as to stop the spread amongst the plentiful Haddock stocks in IOB waters, and ultimately, Haddock worldwide.

The IOB Fishing Authority (IOBFSA)is expected to release a statement soon, with a progress update on the situation unfolding.

PM Plans Visit

It has been revealed this evening that Prime Minister Adrian Pollisworth is planning a state visit to Brickbridge with the foreign ministry and Lego Nations Financial Agency on the agenda, which is due to open in the next week. It is also rumored that Prince Edward will be in attendance, a rare occasion for the prince, who usually prefers to stay in residence in his palace in Brickcastle.

The announcement means more trouble for security forces in Brickbridge, who are already busy preparing for the Brickbridge Street Circuit Race this Friday, and news of yet another major event sparked some irritation from Brickbridge Chief Policeman Inspector Duncan Mallis, who said "Although the visit will be a great honour to the town, this police force and my career, we will find it difficult to provide maximum security at both events, we are already stretched thin enough."

Both the PM's Office and that for Prince Edward were unavailable for comment.

Saturday 20th:

Ardingmouth United 1 - 3 Brickmouth
Brickbridge City 4 - 0 Brickplain County
Brickford United 2 - 2 NBU
Brickton Town 0 - 0 Toblestone Rovers
NBFC 1 - 0 Brickpool United
Norby Town 2 - 3 Oddstoke United
Saladon Town 1 - 1 Brickness Town

Sunday 21st:

Brickbrough Athletic 0 - 0 Brickcester Wanderers
Brickston 1 - 2 Brickchester Rovers
Hallsworth United 3 - 2 Boriscliff Town

Rankings Table will be released tomorrow.

Isle Air beats Air First as Second Largest IOB Airline

Isle Air takes position as second largest airline in the IOB. Here are its current aircraft and routes:

Boeing 737-500 IA-IA N.B.I.A. – London Stansted
Boeing 737-500 IA-IB N.B.I.A. – Brussels, Manchester, Berlin, Lille
ATR 42-500 IA-IC N.B.I.A. – Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh, Kristiansand
ATR 42-500 IA-ID N.B.I.A. – Oslo, Cologne
ATR 42-500 IA-IE N.B.I.A. – Copenhagen

As part of a restructuring scheme, Isle Air has altered its target customer, changing more to the budget airline industry, slashing fares by an average of 18% on its routes. It has also confirmed it has ordered a further 5 ATR 42-500s direct from the manufacturer, and secured rights for a further 3. The new owner, Mike Dannett, denied however, that Isle Air could be floated on the stock exchange, saying “At the moment a move like this would ruin our infrastructure and the way we operate. We are having to change with the industry, and an internal structure change would only have negative impacts.”

Today, the IOB government officially announced plans for the "Housing for Heroes" scheme, which provides free housing to servicemen and women who have been injured fighting for the armed forces across the world. The scheme has been trialled with 40 personnel so far, and is said to have been a great success, leading to hundreds of applicants. This is just one of few new schemes led by the Isle Brick Party to improve conditions of those medically discharged from the military. But the opposition just argues that these schemes are a waste of money which will just appease the public. After this statement IBP support rose by 7% to 64% support in a poll carried out by the Brickian Times.

BA Systems Unveils Type 14 Regional Express

Today the nation's premier technological and engineering firm Brick Aerospace Systems has unveiled its first stab into the regional train sector, with the Type-14 Regional Express Class, which rolled into Brickbridge Central Station this morning in the livery of Brickian Railways. The class will comfortably serve trans-island routes used by Brickian Railways, traveling up to speeds of 90mph with 20 on board, a real leap in the railways industry.

Shopping Centre Body that of Legoton Plumber

It was confirmed today by Brickbridge Police that the body of a man found in a shopping centre on Wednesday was that of Juan Borandes, a Legoton plumber working in Brickmouth. A post mortom examination concluded that a knife wound to the body's heart, along with 4 wounds to the body's legs and shoulder caused severe bleeding and ultimately a brain hemerage. Police say it is highly likely the body was taken to the shopping centre after his death, and are currently looking at CCTV footage to track the killer.

Body Found in New Shopping Centre

Police were called to the Brickwold Shopping Centre which is under construction in central Brickbridge at around midday today after workmen found the body of a man in one of the empty shop-shells. The whole area was cordoned off as forensic investigators set to work identifiying the body. In a statement released by the police, the death is said to have been suspicious and the police are looking at murder. The post mortom results will be published tomorrow afternoon, as will the results of an identification check.

PM Pollisworth says "No" to Obama

This Morning Prime Minister Adrian Pollisworth rejected the demands made by President Obama of the United States for the immediate release of 32 soldiers captured illegally operating in IOB territory on Thursday. In a brief statement, the Prime Minister said "The demands set out by Mr. Obama yesterday are silly. I hope he realises that we will never give in to such ridiculous demands from said 'criminal' countries. Of course, all 32 men will go on trial by the end of the month, for they still committed a crime."

Obama Demands Immediate Release of 32 Hostages

Tonight President Obama has ordered the immediate release of 32 soldiers captured operating in IOB territory yesterday without any explanation or apology to the IOB government. The move came before the US ambassador to the UN was being asked to discuss the issue in the UN, which he still refuses to do so.
The comments have angered many within the IOB government, who have labeled the move "outrageous" and "yet another example of America bullying lesser nations to do what it wants". Prime Minister Adrian Pollisworth is expected to reply to the comments tomorrow morning, with the IOB ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr. Thomas Larm already saying "This move by President Obama is preposterous, and we will never give in to the demands of a nation illegally operating military assets within Brickian territory."
Security has been tightened at Brimston Air Force Base, where the soldiers are being kept, under fears the US could try to ex-filtrate the prisoners, who are expected to face charges at a military court and could face up to 15 years in a high-security prison.

U.S. Special Forces Found in Brickian Mountains

A helicopter rescue team mistakenly stumbled across a U.S. special forces team illegally operating in IOB territory. The discovery led to a quick response from the IOB Army and Air Force, with several teams deployed to the scene in the Brickian Mountains of central BrickIsle at around 14:00 hours yesterday.
The IOB Coast Guard Merlin helicopter stayd on scene tracking the team with its thermal imaging camera before two Air Force Apache helicopters arrived on scene, followed half an hour later by commandos from the 2nd Battalion Royal Tarristan Regiment and marines from the 15th Division the Royal Parstonels. The 32 special forces men were arrested without incident, and are currently being held in military custody at Brimston Air Force Base.
Discussion between the IOB government and the Obama administration is said to be "breaking down", with Prime Minister Adrian Pollisworth demanding a full explanation and apology from the White House, and is seeking legal counsel over what to do with the 32 soldiers. The incident has already called outrage in the UN, with the US ambassador being lobbied to address the Assembly tomorrow.

New Arnold Street Hospital opens in Western Brickbridge

The new pride of the Brickian Health Service(BHS), the New Arnold Street Hospital has opened today. With 415 beds, several operating theatres and the latest in rehabilitation and cancer treatment, New Arnold Street is expected to handle the top cancer patients in the country each year. In total, the project cost £15billion, and took 7 years to complete. As well as being a boost to national health, the opening is also a boost to the local economy, as it has created over 200 jobs. Chief Executive of BHS, Sir Richard Darbin said; "This is perhaps the greatest boost the BHS has received in over 10 years, after being 7 years in the planning. All the highest-risk cancer patients from around the country will be admitted here, and we are expecting many to travel from abroad for operations here too. We are working with the government to make this possible. But obviously, we are very pleased with the opening of New Arnold Street Hospital and look forward to how it progresses in the coming months."

Haiti Appeal Reaches £1Billion

The appeal for the Haiti earthquake victims today reached £1Billion in the IOB alone. The charities president, Mr. Aaron Stelletoin said: "We are pleased with how much has been raised in such a short time. We are also eternally grateful to everyone who contributed across the country, your effort will make a huge difference."

BA Systems Unveils New Nuclear Sub

Engineering and military hardware giant BA Systems - Headquartered in Brickbridge - has unveiled plans for its new nuclear submarine, the Aggressor Class. The new Sorbet-reactor powered sub has a dive depth of just under 1 mile, with speeds of up to 27 knots. Average time it will be used for without re-supplying will be 70 days. The Aggressor series is really just a modern update to the 1995 Poseidon Class submarine. Orders of around 80 are expected, with prices starting at £1.8 for a basic level, with personal requirements fitted.

Robin Stooll In Hospital

Pop-star Robin Stooll has been admitted to Brickmouth Marianas Hospital after collapsing at his home. The singer had just returned from the BrickMedia Music Awards last night and was said to have just woken up. His staff phoned emergency services, who rushed him to hospital unconscious. The hospital and his staff were unavaiable for comment. The singer has had no know incidents and is described by his doctor as "an amazing healthy patient, with nothing wrong".

Brickford Council Announces Tennis Plan

Brickford Council today announced plans for the new IOB Tennis Open, to be held in Brickford later this year. This includes building a new 8,500 seater stadium for Centre Court, 2 6,000 seat stadiums for courts 1&2, and then 7 2,000 seater stadiums for courts 3-9. The event will be a 10 day long competition, beginning August 14th. The council hopes this new sporting event will bring more to the city.

Snow Causes Closure Of A2

Overnight, snow caused the closure of the A2 between Brickbridge and Brickchester. Heavy snowfall left some commuters trapped in their cars, unable to get out. Search and Rescue teams say they have pulled 26 people from trapped cars, and are working to rescue 7 more known people. The dual-carriageway is still closed, and police say it is unlikely the road will be open at all today.

Elsewhere, Brickian Rail's local services were disrupted in the north of the island, and East Coast rail services between New Bricklington - Brickbridge Central, and Brickford Parkway - Brickbridge Central were canceled on the routes to London King's Cross. Services between Brickmouth and London King's Cross were affected by only minor delays.

34-Year Old Receives The Death Penalty For Triple Homicide

Mike Tinball, 34, has received the death sentence at the New Bricklington of State Justice. Over a 4 year period, Mr. Tinball raped and killed 3 women in the back of his taxi, before burying their bodies in the graves of war heroes. His crime was only discovered after detectives working on the case of a man murdered 15 years ago exhumed the bodies of 2 men from a cemetery, discovering the body of the then 17-year old Catalina Jones. 2 other victims were then discovered, and fingerprint recognition led detectives to Mr. Tinball. The women had been found to have been violently raped several times each, before having their throats slit, bleeding to death at the roadside before being taken in the boot of his taxi to the graveyard. Judge, Mr. Justice Taylor said "this vile, disgusting and sickening crime is something I cannot compare too, and for this, you deserve the maximum penalty of this justice system". Mr Mark Jones, Ms. Jones' father said "On behalf of the whole family, we are very pleased with the sentence given today. We have not forgotten or forgiven what this twisted man did to our daughter, and it is unlikely we ever will." Mr. Tinball's defense, Mr. Jim Saddis claimed his client should only receive a prison term of maximum 30 years, as "his dyslexia played a crucial role in his decision making, something which was not under his control." The jury however, took no time in issuing the verdict guilty in just 1 hour 13 minutes, voting 7-0 in favor.

Octan Petroleum posts £30m losses

The nation's 3rd largest company, Octan Worldwide Petroleum has posted losses of £30m for 2009. This figure is up on the £4.6billion losses it had for 2008. The news prompted shares in the company to increase by 13% to their current price at 12347p. Mr Ralph Tenors of the financial paper Brick Finance Today said the news was encouraging, and would prompt prices in fuel to decrease. Octan, currently the LEGO world's largest supplier of petroleum and diesel oil which is based in Brickmouth, recently won an exploration contract for Icelandic renewable sources, a deal worth more than £12billion.

Concourse C opens at Brickbridge International

The the newest concourse has opened at Brickbridge International Airport (BIA). 215m long, Concourse C holds 5 new airbridge gates (22-26) and is exclusively for use by the national carrier Brickian Airlines on its European routes. The opening marks a significant step for the airport, under its new scheme to provide easier handling for European destinations. Michael Hawthorns of the airport's operating company, HSE Holdings said; "We feel that this opening has propelled this airport forward as a new European hub. The new concourse offers high-tech facilities, new and exclusive local eateries, trendy duty-free shopping, and best of all, a great experience for passengers. We are looking forward to opening the new renovated cargo facility and the improved air traffic control and air navigation systems, and we are planning for new developments in the not too distant future."

The New Year In Brickbridge

As the new year dawns, new decade even, the future is looking bright for Brickbridge. Emerging well from the recession, Brickbridge has now become home for many of the world's most influential banks, particularly the Sask & Holmes Banking Group, which is now the largest foreign bank and investment group operating in South America. Tourism has never been a particularly great income for the islands, though it is becoming evident that many travelers want to find somewhere new and relatively cheap to go to, and the isles are emerging as that place. Industry has suffered even more, which was very minimal to begin with before the recession, foreign investment being the key to the isles' success. Every minifg is looking forward to the future and what it brings, as the signs show only growth and prosperity.