Federal President Zachary Hudson has released a statement confirming that former president Jasmina Halsey has been brought out of her induced coma.

"The injuries Jasmina Halsey suffered in the destruction of Starship One were severe, but her escape pod preserved her vital functions. Having repaired her injuries, medical personnel at Leoniceno Orbital revived President Halsey from her coma this morning. I have been told that she is now sleeping peacefully, and is expected to wake in the next few days."

Reporters were told that Halsey would need at least a week before she is likely to be able to talk to those outside her immediate family.

Medical personnel at Leoniceno Orbital have announced they will soon bring former Federal president Jasmina Halsey out of her induced coma. When the former president arrived at the starport she was still in her damaged escape pod. Since then, medical personnel at the starport have worked tirelessly to heal the injuries she sustained in the destruction of Starship One. Having completed this process, Halsey's doctors now believe it is safe to start waking their patient.

"The process of waking President Halsey from her coma must be done gradually," said Dr Lucy Ingles, who has been overseeing Halsey's treatment. "She is still in a delicate condition."

If the process is successful, the former president should be fully conscious within a few days.

Following the extraordinary rescue of former Federal president Jasmina Halsey, whose escape pod was recovered from the wreckage of Starship One, questions have been asked about her possible return to power. According to an anonymous source within the Federal government, several senior-level politicians have voiced the opinion that, should she make a full recovery, Halsey ought to be allowed to serve out the remainder of her term.

Simon Newell, a legal advisor to the Federal government, spoke to the Federal Times earlier today.

"There's no direct precedent for this situation, so it's hard to be certain. I know some members of government believe Halsey should be reinstated, but my feeling is that such an outcome is unlikely. When Halsey disappeared she was already facing a vote of no confidence, and her presidency was officially terminated so a new president could be elected. My suspicion is that if there were a legal challenge, the law would uphold the vote of no confidence recorded at the time."

Various media outlets throughout inhabited space received an anonymous communiqué this morning. "The galactic community is in peril," the message began. "They just don't know it yet."

The transmission asserts a connection between Core Dynamics, the destruction of the Antares and Starship One, the Emperor's Dawn insurgency, and setbacks in Unknown Artefact research. It also claims that the deaths of Federal Vice-President Nigel Smeaton, Sean Richards, Arnold Lowe, Susan Monroe, Elaine Boyd, Emperor Hengist Duval and the disappearances of former Federal president Jasmina Halsey and Professor Ishmael Palin are similarly connected.

The message concluded: "Many of those who have tried to connect these seemingly disparate events have been silenced, along with their sources. That is why I have chosen to remain anonymous. So far, only pawns have been revealed in this shadowy game. We must discover the king."

Neither the Federation nor the Empire has chosen to comment on the transmission.

Commander Corrigendum

The recent Federal operation to search for survivors from Starship One was eagerly supported by the galactic community, resulting in the safe recovery of thousands of escape pods, many of them containing living survivors. As the task of identifying the pod's occupants continues, Federal President Zachary Hudson has made a surprising announcement: one of the escape pods taken to Leoniceno Orbital contains former Federal president Jasmina Halsey.

"When we started searching for the remains of Starship One it was with the aim of discovering what happened to the ship. I never imagined we would find survivors, and certainly not that one of them would be Jasmina Halsey."

Asked about Halsey's condition, Hudson said:

"The medical team at Leoniceno has described Halsey's condition as critical but stable. It appears her escape pod was damaged and she sustained some injuries, so she's being kept in an induced coma until her wounds have healed. This is likely to take weeks. If her condition changes I will be immediately notified."

Federal President Zachary Hudson has announced that the search for survivors from Starship One has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Mere hours after the campaign began, thousands of escape pods had been delivered to Leoniceno Orbital, many of them containing living survivors. In the wake of the initiative's success, President Hudson released a statement to the media:

"I have been overwhelmed by the response to this campaign, which has resulted in the rescue of thousands of individuals, and I am delighted to confirm that some of the recovered pods are indeed from Starship One. We are not yet in a position to release the identities of those we have rescued, but we hope to be able to do so soon. In the meantime I would once again like to extend my gratitude to those who contributed to the search."

The recovery of so many escape pods will almost certainly prompt speculation that former Federal president Jasmina Halsey may be among the survivors.

In May 3301, the personal vessel of the Federal president, Starship One, disappeared en route to the Azaleach system. An investigation was promptly launched, but the fate of the vessel and her crew, which included then-president Jasmina Halsey, could not be conclusively determined. In a statement released earlier today, Federal President Zachary Hudson announced his intention to resume the search for the ship, inspired by the discovery of the remains of the liner Antares:

"Like many others, I was heartened by the Sirius Corporation's success, and I found myself thinking that if the remains of a ship lost fifty years ago could be found, surely a ship lost less than a year ago could also be recovered. I am therefore offering generous reimbursements to pilots who deliver wreckage components to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital in the Azaleach system. Once we have gathered enough material, we will analyse the debris to determine if any of it is from Starship One. If we are able to find the remains of the ship, we may be able to determine what happened to President Halsey and the rest of the ship's crew."

But it appears that President Hudson is not the only person eager to find Starship One. In a strange turn of events, an organisation by the name of Daurtu Jet Comms PLC has also announced its intention to search for the missing presidential vessel. Virtually nothing is known about Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, but the fact that it is offering even larger rewards than the Federation may convince pilots to lend the organisation their support.

A faction known as the Drug Empire of Xelabara has issued a request for the controversial narcotic onionhead. The drug was once a significant trade commodity, but it suffered a setback last year when former Federal President Jasmina Halsey declared it illegal in Federal space. Rooney 'Rush' Romero, a spokesperson for the Drug Empire of Xelabara, explained that the appeal is partly intended to revitalise the market:

"The fact is that people want onionhead. The Federation might not like it, but that's their problem – our organisation is well within its rights to establish a trading operation in Xelabara. Trouble is, although we've got the money, we don't have the merchandise. That's why we're offering generous incentives to pilots who deliver onionhead to our base of operations in Xelabara."

The Drug Empire of Xelabara is not believed to be connected to the Farmer's Cooperative of the Kappa Fornacis system, onionhead's main producer. The Federation has not released an official statement concerning the request.

Despite some fear that the recent change in leadership would lead to further destabilisation of the Federation, it seems that on the whole, the majority of Federal worlds are content to wait and see what kind of President Zachary Hudson turns out to be.

Political pundits and sociologists alike had expressed concerns that since the disappearance of former President Jasmina Halsey, the Federation would almost certainly go through a period of internal strife while the landscape of Federal power adjusted to the new reality.

To everyone’s surprise, the situation on the ground has actually stabilised since President Hudson assumed office. It would seem that in the face of tragic loss, personal politics have been put aside, and the overwhelming majority of Federal organisations have chosen to stand united for the good of the Federation.

How long this new coalition will last remains to be seen, but for now at least, Federal residents can rest easy knowing that for this brief moment in time, the Federation stands united for the good of all mankind.

After a series of skirmishes between independent pilots and pirates, as well as the drawn out battle against the Sobek Boys, 78 Ursae Majoris was facing a security threat in the run-up to Federal President Jasmina Halsey’s planned visit. News of the catastrophic accident that is believed to have consumed Starship One, and taken the President’s life, has been spreading through the galaxy, but 78 Ursae Majoris has now been secured.

The system saw a huge influx of independent pilots as Andrew Bailey, Mayor of Townshend Hub and local leader of the Alioth Independents, declared the security and military campaign. Independent pilots were tasked with eradicating criminal elements in and around Alliance territory, along with being enlisted in a military campaign against the Sobek Boys, a criminal syndicate operating from the Sobek system. There was a lull in fighting the Sobek Boys however, as the objective took a few days to actually reach a completion mark. Some might think there might be more behind as to why this objective wasn't touched in the starting days. Ivan Shevchenko, a known mercenary and fighter pilot, has given us his opinion on the matter:

"There is a large difference between fighting traditional asteroid belt pirates, and a well organized militia force. And that isn't something I say lightly, having been in the conflict areas. The Sobek Boys' ships were well armed and heavily reinforced. A whole gang of pirates running around with that kind of gear is bad for any system or region of space. But that could also be the reason as to why nobody was really wanting to fight them. Nobody wants to be tangled up against that kind of firepower, even I don't and I own one of the best bounty hunting vessels you can get. On the other hand, independent pilots could've also been distracted by the other directive Mayor Bailey put out to stopping pirate activity. At the same time though I have to say, who knows. I suppose in the end though, all of us who helped put a stop to the Sobek Boys and pirate activities in and around 78 Ursae Majoris did a very good thing for the Alliance and its members."

- CMDR Shevchenko

Following Shadow President Zachary Hudson’s call to have Congress issue a Vote of No Confidence against President Jasmina Halsey, Acting President Felicia Winters held a press conference outside Congress to address the Shadow President’s concerns about the future.

“Let me start by saying how truly saddened I am by the loss of my long time friend, Jasmina. I know that were she here instead of me, she would be deeply disappointed with the fear-mongering being bandied about by members of the opposition. Nevertheless we have to bow to process.”

“In order to allow a right and proper number of representatives from the frontier worlds to attend, Congress will meet on Monday to formally vote on the future of the Federation. Should I be chosen to continue to serve, I promise that you will get the kind of president that you deserve.”

Excitement is in the air in 78 Ursae Majoris, as millions of residents have begun preparing Seddon Gateway for the arrival of Federal President Jasmina Halsey. The exact date of the President’s arrival has yet to be announced, but residents haven’t let that stop them from arranging a week of festivities and cultural displays aboard the station.

Another group preparing for the President’s visit is the Alioth Independents, who have today announced that they will be launching an initiative to increase security in the local cluster ahead of President Halsey’s visit.

Andrew Bailey, the Mayor of Townsend Hub and local leader of the Alioth Independents had this to say about the new initiative:

“We are very conscious that once President Halsey arrives, the whole galaxy will have its eyes on our little system. 78 Ursae Majoris has been nothing but peaceful and productive since electing to join the Alliance and the Alioth Independents will do everything in our power to ensure it remains that way throughout the President’s visit.”

“Firstly, we will be running a cluster wide security campaign from Townsend Hub. As part of which, agents of the Alioth Independents will be offering a range of bonuses to bounty hunters who help clear out any unruly criminal elements in the sector.”

“Secondly, members of the Alioth Independents and our allies will be launching a military campaign to finally rid the cluster of the criminal cartel known as the Sobek Boys. Military capable Commanders interested in assisting with the campaign can likewise signup for active duty aboard Townsend Hub.”

The office of President Jasmina Halsey has today issued a statement refusing Shadow President Hudson’s demand to meet him for a live presidential debate on ‘Face the People’.

James Speakes, the President’s Press Secretary, had this to say on the matter:

“The President is of course happy to debate the Shadow President on policy. President Halsey welcomes any opportunity to talk about the many wonderful programmes she’s instigated since taking office. Sadly in this instance, prior engagements keep her from being able to attend such a debate.”

“As President of the Federation, Jasmina Halsey’s schedule is booked months in advance. Clearing her entire schedule for the next two weeks simply to take part in a debate against the Shadow President is not something that the President felt that she could do. If Shadow President Hudson still wishes to debate President Halsey when she returns from her trip, then the President will be more than happy to oblige him.”

President Jasmina Halsey has finally chosen to directly address Shadow President Hudson's campaign to see her removed from office. In a statement issued during a rare appearance on ‘Face the People’, the President had this to say about her current situation:

"I am deeply disappointed by Mr Hudson's conduct. Have mistakes been made? Perhaps. But I say to you, any mistakes that were made, were made worse due to the constant interference of certain parties within our own ranks."

"As President, the command of our armed forces falls to me, but it does not fall to me alone. The idea that I, personally, am responsible for the Federal Navy's failure to properly secure their supply lines is patently ridiculous. As is the accusation that I am somehow responsible for pilots properly identifying their targets before murdering thousands of our civilians. I have no doubt the residents of our great Federation are smart enough to know what's really going on here."

"I am proud to serve as your President and I intend to do so for a very long time to come."

After Shadow President Hudson’s scathing attack on President Halsey earlier this morning, Vice President Naylor has sworn to continue his support of President Halsey.

“The President has had to make some hard decisions. Is she always right? That’s not for me to say. What I can say is that if I were in her shoes, having to make decisions based on the same information, I would have almost certainly made the same decisions.”

“Loss of life is always regrettable, as is the loss of any member states from our great galactic Federation. However, none of that justifies the vitriol displayed by Shadow President Hudson earlier today.”

“We all know Hudson is desperate to get into office, but in the Federation it is the people who choose their leader, and they didn’t choose him. They chose Jasmina Halsey to serve as President, and until the people say otherwise, it is President Halsey I follow.”

The past fortnight has seen a devastating war rage through the once peaceful nation of Lugh.

The Crimson State Group, led by Éamonn Uí Laoghire, has long sought to establish Lugh as an independent system. However, it wasn’t until Éamonn attempted to gain support from Alliance officials that things began to get violent.

Fearful that yet another rich, powerful system would soon leave the Federal fold, President Jasmina Halsey ordered the Federal Navy to suppress the populist uprising. Thousands of Federal pilots flocked to obey the President’s command, and in the early stages of the war, the Federation dominated the skies of Lugh. Countless Sons (and daughters) of Conn lost their lives in an attempt to stop the Federal Navy from simply crushing the rebel forces.

Their sacrifice bought time for the Crimson State Group to come up with a plan. As the Federation continued to rampage its way through the system, members of the Dukes of Mikunn, Emperor’s Grace and the East India Company engaged in guerrilla tactics to keep the Federation’s attention away from the work being carried out by the main CSG strike force.

Splitting their forces in two, the Crimson State Group focused on obtaining enemy intelligence and collecting weapons for their ground troops. All the while, they made sure to deliberately avoid engaging in open conflict with the vast Federal fleet.

Despite the valiant efforts of the CSG allied fleet, the Federation managed to tear through the Crimson State’s air defences, exposing the CSG-controlled outposts to a series of attacks by Federal marines. The Federation looked unstoppable as they stormed through Seega Port unchecked.

In a Presidential address last night, President Jasmina Halsey gave a length speech outlining the various successes she claims her government has made over the course of their current term. However, when pressed to answer questions regarding the recent wave of systems scrambling to leave the Federal fold, President Halsey simply said -

“We are facing troubled times. While it is easy for some to declare that the military are the solution, we must look further ahead. Our society fails those who need our help the most and it is by lifting those at the bottom that we will restore Federal society to what it should be.”

Political pundits were quick to point out that her speech contained very little substance, with many complaining that the President had failed to address any of the actual threats that face the Federation today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that her mishandling of the current socioeconomic climate has left the Federation weaker than it has ever been before, pointing to the recent slide of Banki and BD+03 2338 into states of lawless anarchy as prime examples of the President’s continued failures.

In an attempt to quell the clamour for her resignation President Jasmina Halsey has tried to clarify the rift between the Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral Vincent, and her office.

“Admiral Vincent runs our Navy, and I run the government. From time to time, he gives me a status report on naval operations, and we discuss issues of importance to the Federation. On the events in Kappa Fornacis the Admiral acted unilaterally, and simply reported his actions after the orders had been carried out. It is not my role to interfere with naval operations, but I do expect to be consulted when decisions of such import are made.”

Political pundits are speculating that this carefully worded speech she read out must have been the results of negotiations between the Navy and Halsey’s office. They are rumoured to detest each other, and the friendship between the Shadow President and Admiral Vincent has doubtless not gone unnoticed.

The Federal President Jasmina Halsey has declared the newly discovered rare narcotic 'Onionhead' illegal throughout Federal space. Onionhead is the fruit of an alien plant, only grown on Panem in the independent Kappa Fornacis system.

Halsey has said she is concerned by the effect it is having on Federal youth in that part of the galaxy.

"We must be strong and protect our youth from vile substances that are rotting their minds. This is why I have taken this difficult step."