This report presents the latest data on the economic health of the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to experience an economic boom:

• Official Darkates Freedom Party

• Adeo Vision Industries

• Condovichs Purple Partnership

• Kappa Fornacis Industry

• Kitche Citizens' Forum

• Official Clayakarma Defence Force

• Jeterait Bridge Interstellar

• Jera Nationalists

• Social Megrez Labour

• Kakas Flag

Boom is usually the result of consistent trade profit and completed trade contracts. When a faction experiences a boom, the wealth of the system it controls temporarily increases and trade missions completed in the system have double the effect on influence. The faction's influence may also increase. Booms typically last until they naturally expire.

Here are the latest factions to experience an economic bust:

• Procyon Incorporated

• Bunuson Crimson Natural Inc

• Clota Nationalists

• Anototo Gold Family

• HIP 99551 Jet Central Inc

• Mannodava Holdings

• 38 Lyncis Drug Empire

• Abukunin Corporation

• 78 Ursae Majoris Blue Boys

• Reynhardt IntelliSys

When a faction experiences a bust, the wealth of the system it controls is temporarily reduced and the faction's influence is temporarily diminished. Trade actions do not contribute to boom while a bust is active. A bust typically has to run its course before ending.

Following reports of unprovoked assaults on Canonn vessels from Farragut Battle Cruisers in the Merope system, Dr Arcanonn of the Canonn Interstellar Research Group has released the following statement:

"This is a regrettable misstep, and I invite the Federation to explain how these battle cruisers can represent anything other than militarised resource denial. The presence of gun emplacements by as-yet unknown parties was already a cause for concern, and this worrying development smacks of gunboat diplomacy."

At least eight Farragut Battle Cruisers are understood to have been sighted in Merope, all identified as Federal.

Dr Arcanonn continued:

"I am morally compelled to insist on a public inquiry examining the deployment of warships to a system that plays home to an insufficiently understood phenomenon."

Commander Nicholas Powell

On the 10th of February 3301, two Faulcon DeLacy Cobras launched from Allen Platform in the Dijkstra system. Piloted by Commander Dr Simms and Commander Sid Solo, the ships were fitted for an endurance attempt unlike any other. Now, more than 16 months later and having circumnavigated the galactic core, the pair is about to return to inhabited space.

There have been many changes since they left: software updates have allowed them to go from making short hops of 100 light years to plotting routes of 1,000 light years at a time, improved communications and wing dynamics have facilitated the sharing of exploration data in a manner unprecedented before their departure, and planetary landings have now been authorised. Indeed, neither ship is fitted for SRV activity.

What are their feelings as they approach the human sphere? "I'm not sure," said Dr Simms, "I'm worried about docking at a space station again. It's been so long since I saw anything other than stars and distant worlds, I'm not sure I remember how to land."

Commander Sid Funkleton

A fleet of over 4,000 survey and support vessels has departed from Mitterand Hollow in Epsilon Indi. The Crab Nebula Expedition is the largest coordinated flight of explorers since the Distant Worlds Expedition. It has attracted a wide range of pilots, from veterans to beginners taking their first trip outside the bubble.

The goal of the Expedition is a detailed planetary and mineral survey of tens of thousands of systems outwards of Sol, focusing on the regions around many well-known nebulae. The expedition is expected to reach the Crab Nebula on the 5th of July 3302, with the survey completed and the data returned in early August.

Felicity Farseer and Elvira Martuuk have personally refitted many of the exploration vessels. With both engineers claiming that their designs provide the best performance, this will be a major test for both.

Commander Ian Doncaster

New Africa Gazette

This report presents the latest data on conflict among the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to experience a civil war:

• People's Galibi Revolutionary Party

• Galibi PLC

• Kambila General Industry

• Lu Pah Purple Boys

• Lu Pah Prison Colony

• Official Elska Movement

• Natural Mannboo Flag

• Svalinn Silver Rats

• Polecteri Fortune Company

• Juma Commodities

Civil wars occur when minor factions compete for control of major assets such as starports. When a faction is involved in a civil war, the standard of living, development level and security level in the system it controls are temporarily reduced. Combat activities can bring a civil war to an end.

Here are the latest factions to experience war:

• Arare Public Services

• Tupa Crimson Ring

• Belianses Silver Partnership

• Raven's Scouts

• Nidarijedi Empire Party

• Barons of Rianik

• Crimson Comms Commodities

• Noblemen of Wadjarata

• United Ross 310 Progressive Party

• Clan of Bumbur

Wars occur when a minor faction invades a star system controlled by another minor faction. For the duration of the war, the standard of living, wealth level and security level in the disputed system are reduced. Combat activity between the two warring factions determines the outcome of the conflict. If neither faction succeeds in dominating the other, the war ends in a ceasefire.

With the second stage of the Dangerous Games Wildcard competition complete, the third and final stage can now begin.

This phase of the competition will focus on trade, with pilots being asked to gather as many conductive fabrics as possible for their chosen faction. The group with the most conductive fabrics at the end of the week-long event will be declared the winner.

At the close of the Wildcard competition, the faction that has garnered the most support over the course of the campaign will enter the Dangerous Games and compete for the right to be recognised as an official power.

With the end of the competition looming, each faction is eager to secure as much support as possible, and is doing all it can to attract pilots to its cause.

The event begins on the 16th of June 3302 and will run for one week.

A spokesperson for the Crom Silver Boys, a notorious crime syndicate, has released a statement confirming that its appeal for narcotics was eagerly received by the galactic community.

Given the illicit nature of the operation, the exact number of participants is not known. But reports from the Herthe system indicate that hundreds of pilots contributed to the campaign, delivering controlled substances for the criminals' drug-production scheme.

With the criminals' targets met, production of crom silver fesh is scheduled to begin immediately. The new narcotic will follow the closely guarded recipe for wolf fesh, the psychoactive drug formerly produced in the Wolf 1301 system. The Crom Silver Boys have promised to release the new commodity to the market at Chorel Survey as soon as possible.

Jimmy 'Ice Pick' Falcone, spokesperson for the Crom Silver Boys, released a brief and slightly perplexing statement:

"Crom silver fesh will soon be available to pilots who have proved we can trust them."

Pilots who contributed to the initiative are now free to collect their rewards from Walheim Enterprise in the Herthe system.

The 'Rewired' news feed is known for its prodigious output, sometimes releasing hundreds of stories a day. But balancing such productivity with thorough fact checking is a tall order, and the feed's critics sometimes claim that at least half its output consists of redactions, corrections and apologies.

But despite these jibes, only the most obdurate critic would deny that Rewired has broken major stories in the past, its guerrilla style approach allowing it to react faster than some of its larger, more established rivals.

The channel's latest report will interest many of the galaxy's independent pilots:

"Word is that Broo Tarquin will now work with pilots who can bring him 50 units of Fugin Tea, instead of the 100 he used to ask for. And Didi Vatermann's only asking for 50 units of Lavian Brandy, which is a damn sight less than the 200 she previously insisted on. Seems it just got a whole lot easier to spec your ship."

At 7.00 am tomorrow morning (GMT), the monitoring of powers' activities will go offline for a short period while the latest data is assembled. Pilots who operate for one of the powers should deliver any cargo or vouchers before this time to ensure their activities are registered.

This report presents the latest data on the security status of the galaxy's minor factions.

Here are the latest factions to experience a lockdown:

• Revolutionary Wolf 865 Revolutionary Party

• Tamba League

• Ross 318 Energy Co

• Purple Vision Services

• Volungu Public Company

• Onyayp Collective

• Social Lalande 2682 Alliance

• Ross 41 Confederacy

• Lalande 28607 Syndicate

• Neritus Law Party

When a faction experiences a lockdown, the security rating of the system it controls temporarily increases and the system's wealth temporarily decreases. Bounty hunting activity can shorten the lockdown period.

Here are the latest factions to experience civil unrest:

• Avalon Organisation

• Pomeche Electronics Corporation

• Alliance of BD+47 2112

• Ekuru Silver Allied Industry

• Amphisatsu Creative Commodities

• Eotienses Silver Universal PLC

• Wogama Dynamic Co

• Allied T'u Tu Focus

• Movement for Uzumeru Partnership

• Yawa Commodities

Civil unrest is the result of illegal activity. When a faction is affected by civil unrest, the standard of living in the system it controls temporarily decreases, as does the system's wealth. Combat missions and activities can bring civil unrest to an end.

Jaques Station hit the headlines two weeks ago when it was reported that the galaxy's most famous travelling starport had disappeared. Jaques, the starport's owner and operator, had announced plans to jump from Gliese 1269 to Beagle Point. But when contact with the starport was lost, many feared the ambitious enterprise had resulted in disaster.

Fortunately it seems the starport is still intact, even if its whereabouts remain unknown. Several outposts throughout inhabited space have reported receiving messages over the past 24 hours, suggesting that the cyborg and his travelling starport survived the attempted journey to Beagle Point.

Unfortunately, however, the messages are extremely fragmentary, giving no clear indication of where the starport might be. One of the more complete messages reads as follows:

"...witch-space...drive engines...station infrastructure intact but...we are..."

We will continue to bring you up-to-the-minute reports on this issue.

Starport personnel across the Lave cluster are preparing for an increase in traffic, as pilots from the Buckyball Racing Club and the Elite Racers compete in their latest event. The 'Old World Hustle', which combines point-to-point rallies and zero-gravity aerobatics, runs from the 11th to the 19th of June 3302.

Despite being held in low esteem by authorities, both the Buckyball Racing Club and the Elite Racers are privately acknowledged as providing a boost to commerce in systems where their events take place, particularly by the proprietors of station bars and the purveyors of outfitting services.

"Insurance claims are good for business," said a salesman at the Lave Station shipyard, before hastily adding "although of course a pilot's safety is our primary concern."

Commander furrycat