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Vashnal wrote:

Breaking News: Two Attacks in Indochina Minutes Apart

JORNAL DA CAPA
Desde 1891

-INTERNACIONAL

Capetão government condemns attacks
3 Maio

This morning, the Capetão government condemned terrorist attacks that took place at two separate locations in Indochina in the early hours of the day: one at a military installation, and the other directed at civilian infrastructure. Whereas there have yet to be any reports of human casualties or injuries from the attacks, the events that took place in Indochina late last night raise many unanswered questions.

"The Capetão government condemns the attacks carried out in the city of Saigon and outside Hanoi, which resulted in the destruction of military and civilian buildings," said a statement from the foreign ministry.

The statement also reiterated Greater Cape's "firm rejection of all acts of terrorism, no matter their motivation."

"The Capetão government expresses its condolences and solidarity to the families of the survivors, and to the people and government of Indochina," it added.

The attacks happened when individuals caused explosions at a military outpost, and rockets were fired at Saigon Hall. It is yet unknown whether the two attacks are connected, as well as the motivation behind them.

As a result, the Capetão government has issued a travel advisory for Capetão citizens in Indochina, as well as those planning to travel to the Unitary State. Capetãos are strongly discouraged from travelling to Indochina until further information is released as to the intent behind the attacks. Due to the heretofore lack of diplomatic relations between Indochina and Greater Cape, Capetãos presently in Indochina are encouraged to seek necessary assistance from the Chinese embassy, as consular services can be arranged.

The perpetrators are still at large.

Central News Agency

KUNMING , 03 MAY - The very rare golden monkey is reappearing in the remote forests of Yunnan, in southwest China, thanks to a repopulation policy that has for now kept the golden monkey away from extinction. Now its population has increased to 3,300 specimens belonging to 23 varieties.
To reveal it, a green paper on the results of conservation efforts involving endangered species in the province and in which, according to the provincial office of forestry and grazing, the entire process of complete and systematic monitoring and evaluation of the golden rhinopith is documented. of Yunnan.
This native Yunnan primate is classified in China as a rare and endangered first class protected species and vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The monkeys live in the mountainous forests of the province and the neighboring region of Tibet.
According to the provincial body, in 1996 about 1,000-1,500 golden rhinos of 13 varieties lived in Yunnan, while in 2006 they had reached 3,000 and 18 varieties.
"The protection of Yunnan golden monkeys has accumulated experience and set a good example for the conservation of the leading species," said Xiang Ruwu of the provincial environmental bureau.

The mashriq khilafat wrote:

Global Muslim League, Mecca
To: The republic of dhan

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Graceful, the Most Merciful.

In order to promote brotherhood, peace and modernization in our fellow Islamic nations, The Global Muslim League, with its head office in the Holy City of Mecca in The mashriq khilafat, and the member states of The arab-african republic of egypt and Eulumia, would formally like to invite the Republic of Dhan to the Global Muslim League, the international organization of Muslim nations, which stands to represent the collective voice of the Muslim world, and works to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony.

If Dhan agrees to join the alliance, we would also like to seek permission to organise the First Summit of the Global Muslim League on Science and Technology in the nation of Dhan.
Convening of the Summit at the level of heads of state and government is aimed at developing cooperation between the member states of the Organization in the field of science, technology, innovation and modernization, including active involvement of advanced world experience. The Summit will consist of four working sessions on the following topics: "The growing influence of science on society’s life in the 21st century," "The role of science and technology in ensuring sustainable development," "Competition and innovation in the modern economy," and "Development of cooperation in science and technology."

ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
Peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of Allah and his blessings.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to The Republic of Dhan

It is in Islam's best interest if relations between The Shi'a Majority Republic and The Sunni Majority Caliphate. Though our fundamental differences on the succession of the Prophet Muhammad, praise be upon him, we have entered into an age of globalization when all peoples of the faith will need our collective might in order to face the coming conflicts and challenges that may be a struggle to overcome individually. It is for this, brothers and sisters, that The Shah and the Al-Jinab Administration have decided to accept this invitation into the Global Muslim League with some deliberation.

We are looking forward to the First Summit in which we can show off the members of our Academic System.
Signed:Minister Waleed Ahmed

The republic of dhan wrote:

Building the International Highways

Minister Fatema Yousef of the Ministry of Infrastructure has been given a 40 Billion Baleer (2 billion USD) grant in order to create the Connected Nation public program where Dhanian workers will be given pay to work in building highways to connect The Republic's main trade hubs to the other cities within its borders.
"Now that we are a united nation through policy, we must be connected physically...", states Minister Fatema Yousef to the Dhanian press, "... We are no longer Iran or Iraq, but The Republic of Dhan."
The highway projects should be completed in 2 years (104 day irl).

Connected Nation Program Completion and Further Projects
Workers and investors rejoice as the Connected Nation Program, the initiative to fix roads and create several highways between the once separate nation, is now complete. Minister Fatema Yousef is announcing the Nurtured Countryside Program, an initiative that focuses on the ruined infrastructure that might not be focused on in the Modern Republic Infrastructure Bill. The program will cost 3 Trillion Baleers (150 Billion USD). In addition, the Minister has announced the Underground Artists Initiative in which 40 Billion Baleers (2 Billion USD) in grants will be distributed to research and projects in the humanities.

Beginning of the End - Part IV: Crossroads

The day after the two attacks, Troopers in Hanoi and Saigon had the cities under lockdown. They were searching for those responsible for the attacks that happened. They were searching high and low, but they couldn't find anyone connected to either attack. Meanwhile, in Nakhonruang, Chairman Khan was sitting in his office with generals, advisors, and the mayors of Hanoi and Saigon. Things for Chairman Khan were getting out of control and they were getting out of control very fast.

"What are we going to do about these terrorists?" asked Ngam-Chit Thaugsuban, mayor of Saigon. "They attacked a memorial statue that was just erected and they attacked the Saigon Hall, killing five workers. They have no regard for human life! Look what they did to Mailam!" she continued. Chairman Khan passed this off. "We don't even know if these are the same terrorists that killed Chairman Mailam. We can't just throw accusations and settle for just anyone. We need to find the perpetrators." said Chairman Khan in a stern voice. At that point, Changsai Chaiyachue, mayor of Hanoi, spoke up. "If we don't act now, more civilians or Troopers may be attacked! These attacks must be connected being that they happened so close to each other in time!" he claimed. Before Khan could speak, the room devolved into voices attempting to speak over one another.

Chairman Khan was starting to get visibly annoyed. "Enough!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The room quieted down and looked at him. "While we're attempting to find who meddled in our elections, we need to focus on these attacks. Meddling is annoying and a slight threat to the sovereignty, but we just had two attacks on our people. The lockdowns on Hanoi and Saigon will stay indefinitely and the cities will be searched thoroughly. Once the culprits are found, the lockdown will be lifted." he said. He leaned back onto his desk. "If you have trouble with people, you know what to do. The Troopers are there for a reason, to keep the peace. If need be, the Indochinese Armed Forces can be mobilized. I advise the both of you to go back to your respective cities and stay within the city halls. You'll be protected and I can assure that. Now, go." commanded Khan.

Khan's attention turned to General Suphayok Luang and General Changsai Kachornsak. "General Suphayok, General Changsai, I need both of you to start rallying your troops. We may be required to intervene in Hanoi and Saigon. You'll be instructed as to when you assistance is required. General Suphayok, you'll be in charge of the defense of Saigon. General Changsai, you'll be in charge of the defense of Hanoi. We cannot let these cities fall into chaos because of these attacks. I'll be working here in Nakhonruang on the election interference. I think we have a culprit. I'll be speaking to the respective parties to find a peaceful outcome." said Khan. The generals nodded and saluted, then left the room.

All that was left in the room was Khan and his closest advisors. "Is there anything you require from us, sir?" one asked. Khan looked down at his feet and then looked back towards the advisors. "Nothing at the moment. I'm just trying to figure out how to balance this whole mess. I fear this won't go away any time soon. We can't let anyone know how lost we are, right now. What has been said in this room stays in this room. You're all free to go." he said, turning around to sit at his desk. The advisors left one-by-one and Khan was sitting alone in his office. "I tried to not be like you, but it appears in doing that, I let people that would hurt others rise up." said Khan, looking up towards the ceiling. He was talking to the memory of Chairman Mailam. "You've ruled with an iron fist and order was kept. I know what I have to do." he continued. He rose from his chair and then left his office.

He was walking down to the lobby of the capital building in Nakhonruang when his son joined up with him. "Is there something you needed, father?" he asked. Chairman Khan smirked. "You'll be leading a special group of soldiers. You won't have your rank anymore, but you'll be over any general in the Indochinese Armed Forces." he said before stopping and turning to face his son. "You'll be heading Echo Five, Wraith." he said as he fixed he his son's suit. "I'll tell you on the way to Luang Namtha. Just know they were trained just like you and they'll be following your orders." Khan said, smiling again and patting his son on the back, turning him to continue to walk.

[The People's Media Agency/人民媒社/인민미디어대행사/ピープルズメディアエージェンシー/Агентство народных СМИ

Scientists discover plastic-eating bacteria

JIAO'AO — Scientists from the FEUSSR have identified a blend of marine bacteria that appears capable of breaking down polythene, one of the most common plastics in use that have served as a source of pollution in the world's oceans.

Plastic-eating bacteria is no special thing to the scientific community, but the research by the Institute of Oceanology from the Far Eastern Academy of Sciences in Jiao'ao is the first to establish a direct link to polythene (PE). The study shows how a combination of bacteria was able to break down not only polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - PET is ubiquitous for being a key ingredient in plastic bottles - but also PE, which is used to make plastic bags. This particular combination of three types of bacteria caused "obvious damage" to the polythene film by making numerous heavy cracks and deep holes to weaken its structural integrity. While research has been extensively performed into PET-degrading bacteria and enzymes, research into PE degradation lags behind, but these new findings bring promise towards prospects surrounding PE degradation.

Prior to this discovery, there was not a single enzyme known that degrades it, according to scientists from Germany. This new discovery could prove to be the first step towards disposing of PE in an environmentally friendly manner. That being said, further study is needed to determine the exact bacteria and/or enzyme(s) that possess the plastic degradation abilities.

^{OOC: https://www.asiaone.com/china/plastic-pollution-chinese-scientists-identify-polythene-eating-bacteria}

-greater canada- wrote:

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States will be starting Americas Military Command which will be commanded by Imperial Eagle. It will consist of a Joint Reaction Force, Joint Special Operations Team, Joint Intelligence and Communications Agency, and also be responsible for commanding joint divisions/units/regiments during wartime/deployments/engagements, responsible of joint air squadrons/air wings, responsible of joint naval fleets, and responsible of joint military operations.

The Organization of American States will be starting two joint expeditionary strike groups capable of responding to threats 24/7 365 days a year in the world. The Joint Expeditionary Strike Groups will also be capable of rapid deployment. One will be for the Atlantic and the other will be for the Pacific/Indian Ocean.

Joint Expeditionary Strike Group Atlantic will have their base at Roosevelt Roads Naval Base, Puerto Rico. It will be 10 ships stationed around the USS Essex. The regiments in Joint Expeditionary Strike Group Atlantic are The Windsor Regiment (Canada), planes from 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron (Canada) which will be attached to the USS Essex, 8th MEU (United States), 2nd Penal Rehab Unit (CAF), 1st Mountain Infantry Regiment (Greater Cape), and the 1st Light Infantry Regiment (Greater Cape).

Joint Expeditionary Strike Group Pacific will be 10 ships stationed around the USS Lexington. It’s base will be San Diego. It will consist of the Canadian Dragoons (Canada), The Rocky Mountain Rangers (Canada), planes from the 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron (Canada) attached to the USS Lexington, 5th MEU (United States), 1st Penal Rehab Unit (CAF), 1st Frontier Infantry Regiment (Greater Cape), and the 1st Jungle Infantry Regiment (Greater Cape).

Organization of American States will also be starting a Joint Special Operations Team and it will consist of special forces teams from -greater canada-, Imperial Eagle, Greater cape, and Central America Federation. It will be capable of rapid deployment 24/7 and 365 days a year.

Brig. General John Hatchet, Commanding officer of the 8th MEU looks forward to working with his Canadian and Brazilian counterparts and has stated that VADM. Lewis, Base Commander of Roosevelt Roads Naval Base will also be taking part in the training but is not able to meet with his counterparts at this time due to being on the mainland attending to family business.

-00h08 local time, outside a non-descript cement building in an undisclosed clearing in the Amazon rainforest, Rondônia, Greater Cape-

The night air was thick with humidity, and the sounds of the jungle were almost deafening. The raucous chirping of insects and amphibians, the calls of nocturnal primates, and the incessant buzzing of mosquitoes created a cacophony that would drive most people mad. Brigadier General João Jobim was no ordinary man, though. Toughened by years of military service, Jobim had seen and experienced things that even the most hardened of Capetão military personnel had only read about in training manuals. Now the leader of the Capetão Comando de Operações Especiais, Jobim had previously been a prisoner of war in his own country. Decades ago under the military dictatorship, Jobim was interred and tortured due to the infighting that purged many of the junta's own officers and young, promising soldiers. Jobim was a young upstart who happened to be a little too talented for his own good, and, unfortunately for him, a little too vocal in his opposition to the dictatorship. After having spent several years in a military internment camp elsewhere in the Capetão rainforest, the sights and sounds of the Amazon, especially at night, did little to phase Jobim anymore. As he leant against the concrete structure, Jobim took one last long, smooth drag of the cigarette held between his thumb and index finger. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, it was the simple pleasures that kept Jobim sane. That and the love for his job and country.

"Senhor General, we've received the orders from Rio. We are to begin preparing for cross-training with our allies in the OAS at 06h00. We should expect their arrival in the next two weeks."

"Obrigado, Alberto," Jobim said politely, though with the slightest hint of dismissiveness. "I should probably get some rest, eu suponho," he thought to himself.

As Jobim put the cigarette out against the cement wall, he absentmindedly looked over towards the training grounds, replete with jungle-specific obstacle courses and firing ranges. Slapping a mosquito on his neck, Jobim mused at the hard work ahead of him, but knew that the efforts were for the betterment of his country and the Americas. After entering his private quarters, Jobim finished the last of the cachaça leftover from his late dinner, slumped down on his cot, and turned out the lights. It would be a long, grueling couple of weeks ahead of him before the Special Ops training site would be ready for the OAS personnel's arrival.

Nakhonruang, Indochina

The chaos of the past several days has left many cities, including Nakhonruang on edge. The air is heavy with nervous attitudes and troopers on high alert.

Across town in a garage a white van is loaded up with supplies. A man sends a message to EYP overseers in Byzantium, completely encrypted and nearly untraceable. The device is destroyed. The EYP agent looks at a photo of his wife and smiles. He was picked for this job for two reasons: his Asian descent and his loyalty to Pericles.

The van moves through town and parks in front of a local trooper building. The EYP agent puts it in park and looks around for cameras. He finds one, and moves to the back of the van to begin the countdown.

Once the timer is set he leaves the van and begins to walk away. He presses a button in his pocket and the van explodes sending shrapnel into a crowd of people and taking out the front half of the trooper building. He begins to run fast into an alley where a car with an Indochinese police logo is waiting. He puts the key into the ignition and drives off.

In front of the trooper building people are on the ground bleeding, and survivors work on helping those around them or are in shock. Emergency crews rush to the scene along with additional troopers.

The EYP agent at this point turns around and drives back to the scene. He pulls up and places it in park. He takes a puff of a cigarette. The car explodes in the middle of the emergency scene, killing the agent right away and leaving the surviving emergency responders shocked.

In Athens a message is sent to Pericles. He smiles and goes back to looking at a map of Rome.

Tag: Vashnal

The hellenes league wrote:

Bayburt, Mehmed republic

Master Sergeant Alekos and his team make their way to the perimeter of a house after having landed just outside the city in helicopters. It’s the dead of night.

The team ensure the perimeter is secure and they kill the lights. The door is pushed open, flash bangs thrown in through the door and a side window, and the team rushes in.

4 shots are fired as they move through the first room, a living room of sorts. A picture of the President of the Mehmed Republic hangs on the wall, now covered in blood. They move to the next room.

3 shots are fired this time dropping three men to the ground. One of them holds an AK, another holds a copy of the Quran. They move onto a hallway.

2 shots are fired. Two men drop, and had been guarding a door to what may be an office or bedroom. Alekos motions for a stack on the door. They kick it down and a flash bang is thrown in.

1 shot is fired. A man alone in his room, sitting at a desk in front of computer monitors. Temel, newly elected leader of the Janissary is dead.

The men move through the house, taking photos, laptops, cell phones anything else with information and leave. A HAI Dory drone flies overhead and drops three bombs on the house, leaving debris and a massive fire.

Ankara
North of the D260/D750 interchange in a field

Hellenic Artillery and rocket batteries take position in a field to begin support for units moving deeper into Ankara.

Urban warfare is set to begin. Next to his vehicle Master Sergeant Alekos cleans his rifle as his men do the same.

“So...we are on point to run this city into the ground, nice.” One man says as he ponders the next several days.

Alekos looks up and smiles. “Or it will run us into the ground...either way we have a job to do.” He looks over at his driver. “And this time, don’t drive around the ambush. Drive straight into it.”

The men laugh and continue to prep.

Beginning of the End - Part 5: Realizations

Nakhonruang, four hours after Chairman Khan left for Luang Namtha. Two explosions at the National Indochinese Trooper Headquarters. Onlookers horrified by the scene that had just occurred. Nearly fifteen minutes later, the story was all over Indochinese news. Chairman Khan, being hours away in a town in northern Indochina, was nowhere to be seen.

Saigon, during the broadcast, Anna, Koran, and Yai were sitting around, watching the television. They couldn't believe their eyes as to what they were seeing. "Was... was that our doing?" asked Yai. Anna didn't speak, but shook her head. They all kept their eyes on the television in disbelief. Before they could turn to speak to each other, a witnesses viewpoint was shown. An explosion followed by another explosion minutes later. "We attacked a statue, we didn't do this." said Karon. Anna looked down. "No, we didn't do this, but we killed people in our attempt to take down that stupid statue." she said. "Three attacks, two days. If we had any chance to get out of Saigon, it's gone. I don't know who did this, or why, but they attacked innocent people for no reason." she continued.

They continued watching the broadcast. They kept noticing one thing was missing, Chairman Khan. He didn't speak and he never even had a comment aired. Anna was infuriated. "The man can't even speak against something in Nakhonruang. He's a coward, and we're letting him rule this country?!" she yelled at the television. Koran tried calming her down. "He may be busy doing something and can't speak about this at the moment." he said. This failed to calm her down and just made her turn to Koran. "If you were leading the nation, you'd honestly not speak against this? This act of violence against people that did nothing wrong? I want to attack the High Government because all they do is sit back and let the rest of us figure things out. When we figure something out that they don't like, they corral us and kill us like swine." she said, her words seething with rage.

While that was going on, Sakda was also watching the broadcast in Hanoi. He kept watching, wondering if this was done by his people. Once he saw the witness' viewpoint, he knew it wasn't anything connected to him. A follower of his was watching the broadcast with him. The follower was Korrakoj Khuntilanont, a woman who had been listening to Sakda speak since he starting speaking at the local bar. "Who do you think could've done something like that?" she asked. Sakda shook his head. "I have no idea. Attacking the troopers, I understand. Civilians passing by are just collateral. This person blatantly drove into the middle of the people and blew up the police car." he said in disbelief. Korrakoj was looking between Sakda and the television. "Do you think they're someone to worry about?" she asked. Sakda shook his head once again. "All I know is that they resorted to suicide bombing. I don't know who would attempt something like that. That isn't to just send a normal message. That is to show that you are willing to die for your cause." he said, trailing off. Korrakoj's next question shocked him. "Do you not believe in your own words enough to die for them? You do realize what people would call you right? A false prophet. A coward leading the brave. The people you speak to would die just to make the nation better for their children or their grandchildren. What about you?" she asked him. Sakda stared at her. He thought to himself for a bit. He hesitated and then answered. "If I have to die to make this nation better for the people, then so be it. A person can be killed, but an idea never dies." he said. Korrakoj smiled at him and winked.

Meanwhile, up in Luang Namtha, word of the incident in Nakhonruag reached Chairman Khan and his son. "You mean to tell me he did this under the radar? No one deemed this guy as suspicious?" asked Chairman Khan. "No sir, all the information was correct to pass as a delivery driver. By the time the explosion happened, he couldn't be located. One person that survived, however, noted that the delivery guy was also the cop that exploded in the police car." said an advisor. Khan thought to himself. He turned to his son. "We're heading back with this team to make sure that nothing else happens. We can forget about the election crisis as the information wasn't nearly right anyway. We're going to stop this before it continues." he said, turning back around to go to the helicopter. As he was walking, however, an advisor spoke up. "Sir, Nakhonruang is already delving into chaos. Without you there to speak, people assumed the High Government had abandoned them, and rioting has already started." said the advisor. Chairman Khan turned around in shock. "Already?! It hasn't even been an hour!" he exclaimed. The advisor shrugged. "We believe that those rioting believe that the attack that just occurred was tied to the other two. They believe that it's a statement against the Troopers, and ultimately against you and the previous Chairman. Possibly against the Unitary State and Confederation as well." said the advisor. Khan's face wore an expression of anger as he turned around to board the helicopter. "This will end now!" he yelled.

In Saigon, Anna, Koran, and Yai were planning on moving out since they heard a crowd forming outside. "This is our chance! Let's go!" said Yai as they all left the room and went outside. They joined in the crowd and blended in to sneak out. Even though their identities weren't connected to the attack against the Saigon Hall, they weren't willing to risk anything. As the crowd grew and moved along, they went opposite of the large group that was gathering. It was unclear as to why they were gathering, but they weren't going to question their cover. Once they were free of the crowd, they started to walk down the street in order to not grab the attention of Troopers. To their surprise, there weren't any troopers they could see. Just then, they hurt gunshots ring out and then screams from the crowd. The expected to see the crowd run out from where they just walked, but nothing. In fact, they heard a stampede running away from them. They looked down the alleyway and realized that the crowd was rushing the Troopers. "What the hell is going on?" asked Koran. "I think... I think people have had enough." answered Anna. Before they turned around to get away from the mess that was happening around the recently attacked Saigon Hall, they heard one chant: Freedom, Freedom, Freedom. Hearing this chant sparked something in Anna's head. "I know how we can get our cause to take off." she said with a smirk before turning around. "Come on, follow me." she commanded to Yai and Koran.

The People's Media Agency/人民媒社/인민미디어대행사/ピープルズメディアエージェンシー/Агентство народных СМИ

Remembering the May Fourth Movement

SHUNTIAN — The FEUSSR will be hosting a remembrance activity to commemorate the May Fourth Movement, and anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement dating back to 4 May 1919.

The movement stemmed out of protest against Japanese occupation of formerly German territories in the country after the Siege of Tsingtao in 1914, causing an upsurge in nationalism, political mobilization, and the gradual deconstruction of traditional intellectual and political elites. Conceptualised as an anti-feudal movement, it saw the emergence of a new generation of political and social leaders, paving way for the formation of a communist base within the country.

To commemorate the event, the FEUSSR has announced plans for a launch schedule for the AU-wide TITAN constellation, which has been under continuous work for years and due to launch in the next 3 years. Comprised of the ASS-5 through ASS-35 satellites, the constellation of 30 satellites include 5 geostationary orbit satellites for backward compatibility with the GAIA constellation, with the remaining being in medium Earth orbit or in inclined geosynchronous orbit that offer complete coverage of the globe.

The TITAN constellation has two levels of positioning service: one fo the public, and one for the military. TITAN's public service is available globally to general users, and coupled with GAIA, the 35 satellites will significantly improve all aspects of positioning, especially availability of the signals in cities. The free civilian service has a 10-metre location-tracking accuracy, synchronizes clocks with an accuracy of 10 nanoseconds, and measures speeds to within 0.2 m/s. The military service provides navigational services for the militaries of The republic of dhan, Duma, Vashnal, Eulumia, and on a limited basis for Infiny and The mashriq khilafat, and has a location accuracy of 10 cm. It can also transmit SMS communications, allowing military users to avoid the restriction of conventional mobile communication networks or in the event of an emergency. TITAN satellites will be equipped with laser retroreflector arrays for satellite laser ranging and orbit quality verification. The FEUSSR will continue to back the project, scheduling ASS-5's launch in 20 weeks, and upping its contribution with $5 billion USD.

The PDF will also organise a military parade to commemorate the event, starting with a march by 12,000 troops for inspection. Troops from each branch of the Internal Troops, along with the MOI-PIS, MOI-PSF, MNP-PIS, MNP-NAD, PDFGF, PDFADF, PDFAF, PDFNF, and Coast Guard will participate in the event. The military vehicle contingent will involve a variety of loaded launch vehicles for ballistic missiles, the DF-ZF HGV, UAV and armoured vehicle platforms, along with a squadron of jet fighters in the air. The color guard will consist of troops from the Honor Guard, who will escort the national military colours.

OOC: TITAN is based on BeiDou-2.

The hellenes league wrote:

Nakhonruang, Indochina

Vashnal wrote:

Beginning of the End - Part 5: Realizations

JORNAL DA CAPA
Desde 1891

-INTERNACIONAL

More violence erupts in Southeast Asia, prompts additional measures from national government
4 Maio

Last night, two more explosions rocked the Indochinese capital of Nakhonruang, leaving dozens dead and more injured. In Saigon, large groups of people took to the streets in protest of the way the Indochinese government was handling the violence and uncertainty of the events.

With the situation seemingly devolving by the minute, the Capetão foreign ministry has issued an immediate travel ban to the Unitary Indochinese State for the foreseeable future. To best ensure the safety of all Capetão citizens travelling to and within the region, Minister of International and Peace Affairs Rose Pacheco has declared Indochina a volatile and unsafe destination, and is encouraging all Capetãos presently in the country to register with the embassy in Nakhonruang or the consulates in Hanoi and Saigon, and to remain in their places of residence until further instruction.

"We must safeguard our citizens abroad, and, at this juncture, the best means of doing so is taking inventory of who might currently be in the Unitary State. Should the situation change for the worse, our diplomatic mission in Indochina will thus be able to coordinate the safe and expeditious evacuation of our citizens," Minister Pacheco stated in a press release early this morning.

Given that the perpetrators of yesterday's and today's attacks are still at large, as well as the uncertainty of their connection, Greater Cape has also increased the requirements for holders of Indochinese passports seeking entry into the Federative Republic. Under previous guidelines, Indochinese passport holders were able to enter Greater Cape by receiving a visa on arrival. In an attempt to inhibit the potential for the perpetrators to flee to Greater Cape, the foreign ministry now requires all Indochinese passport holders to possess a more rigorous visa before booking their flights.

The hellenes league wrote:

The Merkati Amateur Invitational

Good evening folks and welcome to the end of day 2 of The Merkati Amateur Invitational sponsored by Redbull.

Big story of the day was Daniel Maier from Donau-bundesreich moving up to them top of the leaderboard with an impressive showing of being 4 under par today.
Maier on the 16th hole hitting a chip shot out of the bunker for a birdie. He made it seem easy, but from that angle a bit of skill is sorely needed.

Though not to be outdone, Momo Ba from The arab-african republic of egypt hitting a beautiful shot off the tee on the 15th hole, with a massive drive of 301 yards after a nice bounce on the fairway. From that position with 31 yards left to the flag, he nailed it. The ball rolled on the green and rolled gently into the hole for a well earned eagle, putting him at even overall in the tournament and keeping Momo in the hunt if he keeps the performance up.

Here’s the leaderboard:

Round 2:
(DB) Daniel Maier: -4 (68) overall: -7
(HL) Dimitrios Papadatos: -2 (70) overall: -6
(EG) Saphir Gohar: -2 (70) overall: -5
(CCCP) Lidin Bogdan: -2 (70) overall: -5
(DB) Marcell Varga: -2 (70) overall: -4
(HL)Thomas Rodia: -1 (71) overall: -4
(CCCP) Ovechkin Agafon: -1 (71) overall: -3
(CCCP) Burkov Matvey: -1 (71) overall: -3
(DB) Nicolas Balan: -3 (69) overall: -3
(DB) Rudolf Kovács : -1 (71) overall: -3
(EG) Hassan Said: -1 (71) overall: -2
(HL) Thanasis Barberis: -3 (69) overall: -2
(DB) Alexander Seidler: -2 (70): overall: -2
(HL) Gus Perris: -1 (71) overall: -2
(EG) Mike Adly: -1 (71) overall: -2
(EG) Raffy Tuma: -1 (71) overall: -1
(HL) Evangelos Ioannou: -1 (71) overall: -1
(CCCP) Kargin Dominik: -1 (71): overall: -1
(CCCP) Koshelev Vadim: E (72) overall: E
(DB) Fahret Zahirovic: E (72) overall: E
(EG) Momo Ba: -3 (69) overall: E
(EG) Amr Abou El Ela: E (72) overall: E
(CCCP) Chichikov Valerian: -2 (70) overall: E
(DB) Paul Chivu: -1 (71) overall: E
(EG) Ismael Bietar: +1 (73) overall: +2
(CCCP) Tychkin Luka: +3 (75) overall: +4

Tomorrow we will be getting into round 3 of the amateur invitational, promising to be a good one with beautiful weather.

The Merkati Amateur Invitational
Sponsored by Red Bull

Folks that is a wrap of round 3 of the Merkati Invitational. And just...absolutely a stunning day of Golf. Daniel Maier of Donau-bundesreich poured it on with a strong performance posting 4 strokes under par for the day. Not to be outdone Dimitrios Papadatos posted the same, meaning the two players are close with Maier holding a one stroke lead coming into the 4th round. Lidin Bogdan of the Cccp- clawed his way into the 3rd spot posting a 5 under par day, and is also only 1 stroke off the leader.

Here’s our standings so far with the cut off.

(DB) Daniel Maier: -4 (68) overall: -11*
(HL) Dimitrios Papadatos: -4 (68) overall: -10*
(CCCP) Lidin Bogdan: -5 (67) overall: -10*
(EG) Saphir Gohar: -4 (68) overall: -9*
(HL) Thomas Rodia: -4 (68) overall: -8*
(DB) Nicolas Balan: -4 (68) overall: -7*
(EG) Mike Adly: -4 (68) overall: -6*
(DB) Marcell Varga: -2 (70) overall: -6*
(EG) Hassan Said: -4 (68) overall: -6*
(CCCP) Ovechkin Agafon: -3 (69) overall: -6*
(CCCP) Burkov Matvey: -3 (69) overall: -6*
(HL) Thanasis Barberis: -4 (68) overall: -6*
(DB) Rudolf Kovács: -2 (68) overall: -5*
(EG) Momo Ba: -4 (68) overall: -4*
Cut off:
(DB) Alexander Seidler: -2 (70) overall: -4
(HL) Gus Perris: -2 (70) overall: -4
(EG) Raffy Tuma: -2 (70) overall: -3
(HL) Evangelos Ioannou: -1 (71) overall: -2
(CCCP) Kargin Dominik: -1 (71): overall: -2
(CCCP) Koshelev Vadim: -1( 71) overall: -1
(DB) Fahret Zahirovic: E (72) overall: E
(EG) Amr Abou El Ela: +1 (73) overall: +1
(CCCP) Chichikov Valerian: +1 (73) overall: +1
(DB) Paul Chivu: +2 (71) overall: +2
(EG) Ismael Bietar: +1 (73) overall: +3
(CCCP) Tychkin Luka: +3 (75) overall: +7

Breaking News: Saigon In Chaos

"More breaking news tonight after an attack on the Committee of Saigon. A very large group was said to have attacked the Committee. About thirty minutes after the initial attack, a broadcast originating from the Committee was sent out but it went offline after just a few lines. It is unclear as to who the individual was in the broadcast, but they are being referred to as Sambhatat due to the markings on the mask. Chairman Khan didn't speak on this matter at a podium, but he has mobilized more Troopers to surround the building for the time being. It is unclear as to why he has ordered the Troopers to only surround the building, but people believe this is a tactic to scare the attackers out. The total amount of casualties has yet to be determined. More on this story as it unfolds!"

The People's Media Agency/人民媒社/인민미디어대행사/ピープルズメディアエージェンシー/Агентство народных СМИ

FEUSSR's Wealth Funds make record gains, Supreme Soviet authorises Sovereign Investment Return Contributions (SIRC)

SHUNTIAN — The Huabei Investment Corporation, the sovereign wealth fund run jointly by the SSR governments of the Zhili, Inner Mongolia, and Liangjiang SSRs, posted a return of more than 12%, marking a breakout year for the FEUSSR's $900+ billion USD sovereign wealth fund. Its 10-year rolling average returns amount to an excess of 6.6%.

However, that is not the only sovereign wealth fund that made record returns this year. The FEUSSR's Federal Social Security Fund (SSF) achieved a 9.03% return rate, the highest since 2016, with almost $700 billion USD worth of assets being entrusted to the Fund by various local governments and employer institutions. Meanwhile, the Chosun Investment Corporation, run by the Chosun SSR government, reported a 13.7% investment gain, lifting the value of its portfolio to $183.1 billion USD. The high rates of return have been spurred on by calmer markets in the FEUSSR, stellar stock returns, and successes in Asian companies, particularly those involved in the tech sector. In total, the FEUSSR's total returns are valued at $201.09 billion USD, wildly surpassing expectations.

As a result, the Supreme Soviet has authorised the disbursal and the inclusion of Sovereign Investment Return Contributions (SIRC), which consist of 40% of the investment returns on assets invested by the nation's main sovereign wealth funds, to further consolidate the Federal treasury. In other words, the public authorities will spend 40% of the gains from sovereign investments, while the remaining 60% are reinvested back into the reserves to preserve its growth for future use. The 40-60 rule ensures a reliable stream of contributions towards public bodies, which can be used to improve the fiscal health of the government and the people's livelihoods by funding more public works projects, such as 5G telecoms, poverty alleviation, or hi-tech support for businesses.

This year's SIRC would be valued at $80.436 billion USD, padding the current government revenue numbers from $1,343,584,503,844 USD to $1,424,020,503,844 USD. The government has not changed the Federal budget to accommodate the increase in funding, however - the Ministry of Revenues has said that it would allow the government to continually run a surplus budget so that it could have cash reserves on hand in the event of outstanding circumstances. That being said, the Supreme Soviet has said that it would be interested in distributing the remnants as a social dividend to each person within the country, granting them a tax-deductible sum of $148.56 USD to $197.79 USD per annum.

^{OOC: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-04/china-s-1-trillion-wealth-fund-gains-12-in-very-unusual-year
https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-11-25/chinese-pension-fund-return-shatters-records-101632235.html
https://www.pionline.com/sovereign-wealth-funds/s-koreas-kic-reports-137-return-2020}

The Merkati Amateur Invitational
sponsored by Red Bull

Maier walks up to the ball on the green, 22 feet away. If he knocks this one in for Eagle he will finish with a final round score of 67.

The ball breaks right...now it’s on target. And in the hole...for Eagle, Maier has done it! He’s won the Merkati Amateur Invitational. Absolutely stunning play. They win a sponsorship from Hellenic Air and an exemption to play in the Eastern European Tour as a professional.

One break out star, Momo Ba of Egypt, is certainly someone to watch out for. And the initial favorite to win Dimitrios Papadatos looks to the rest of the season as he himself finds ways to get into the tour.

Congratulations to Daniel Maier of Donau-bundesreich, and a thank you to all the other players from Cccp-, The arab-african republic of egypt, The Hellenic League, and Donau-bundesreich. We also thank Intersports and Red Bull for their sponsorships, especially to Hellenic Air.

Here’s the final results of the tournament with final round results and overall scores.

1 (DB) Daniel Maier: -5 (67) overall: -16
2 (HL) Dimitrios Papadatos: -3 (69) overall: -13
(HL) Thomas Rodia: -5 (67) overall: -13
3 (EG) Saphir Gohar: -3 (69) overall: -12
(CCCP) Lidin Bogdan: -2 (70) overall: -12
4 (DB) Nicolas Balan: -4 (68) overall: -11
5 (CCCP) Ovechkin Agafon: -4 (68) overall: -10
(EG) Mike Adly: -4 (68) overall: -10
(DB) Marcell Varga: -4 (68) overall: -10
6 (EG) Hassan Said: -3 (69) overall: -9
(DB) Rudolf Kovács: -4 (68) overall: -9
(HL) Thanasis Barberis: -3 (68) overall: -9
7 (CCCP) Burkov Matvey: -2 (70) overall: -8
8 (EG) Momo Ba: -2 (70) overall: -6
9 (DB) Alexander Seidler: -2 (70) overall: -4
(HL) Gus Perris: -2 (70) overall: -4
10 (EG) Raffy Tuma: -2 (70) overall: -3
11 (HL) Evangelos Ioannou: -1 (71) overall: -2
(CCCP) Kargin Dominik: -1 (71): overall: -2
12 (CCCP) Koshelev Vadim: -1( 71) overall: -1
13 (DB) Fahret Zahirovic: E (72) overall: E
14 (EG) Amr Abou El Ela: +1 (73) overall: +1
(CCCP) Chichikov Valerian: +1 (73) overall: +1
15 (DB) Paul Chivu: +2 (71) overall: +2
16 (EG) Ismael Bietar: +1 (73) overall: +3
17 (HL) Antonis Sava: +4 (76) overall: +4
(EG) Omar Bahar: +4 (76) overall: +4
18 (DB) Leo Muster: +5 (77) overall: +5
(DB) Ármin Jónás: +5 (77) overall: +5
(CCCP) Andreyev Yefrem: +5 (77) overall: +5
(HL) Ioannis Gonce: +5 (77) overall: +5
19 (HL) Spyridon Drakos: +6 (78) overall: +6
(HL) Lefteris Arvanitis: +6 (78) overall: +6
20 (CCCP) Tychkin Luka: +3 (75) overall: +7
(EG) Manu Issa: +7 (79) overall: +7
(CCCP) Delov Milorad: +7 (79) overall: +7
21 (DB) Jaromír Doskočil: +8 (80) overall: +8
22 (CCCP) Alistratov Zakhariy: +9 (81) overall: +9
(HL) Vangelis Leva: +9 (81) overall: +9
23 (EG) Mamdouh El Sheikh: +12 (84) overall: +12

Romanovskaya wrote:

OOC: Hi. It's good to see you intend to continue taking part in the region however your nation must be a member of the World Assembly to take part in the RP. Please re-join the WA and inform staff you want to re-apply with your claim. Thanks.

I am resigning from the region and leaving for another. Thanks!

The Chosun Times / 조선 일보 / Chosŏn Ilbo

Hanhwa Group announces new complex expansions, new business opportunities

GONGZHOU CITY — The Hanwha Total Petrochemical (HTC) joint venture is commissioning a new polypropylene line at the Daesan integrated refining and petrochemical complex, adding a further 60% to its production capacity to 1.1 million tons annually. Meanwhile, the activation of a fourth propane furnace will increase ethylene production capacity by 10% to 1.5 million tons a year.

The Daesan Complex is a world-class integrated petrochemicals complex, and comprises of a flexible condensate splitter, a competitive steam cracker, and units producing polymers, styrene and aromatics. The upgrade projects, involving over $1.3 billion USD worth of investments over a course of several years, will be able to take advantage of abundant, cost-advantaged petrochemicals from the nearby Sakhalin oil project, allowing the complex to supply both the domestic and export market in Asia. The increase in polypropylene production will strengthen the manufacturing volume of high-value-added, durable thermoplastic goods, such as underfloor heating pipes, or low-weight automotive parts.

Hanwha Defense, a subsidiary of the Hanhwa Group has joined forces with the PDF to facilitate the research and development of advanced weapons systems and major components. The company recently signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the PDF's equipment development and acquisition bureau, which would allow for technology transfers in various fields through joint research and development between research institutes, universities, companies, and the Federal government.

As per the agreement, the two entities will conduct joint R&D, analysis, and test evaluations of military-grade equipment and technologies. One of its first projects will be providing manufactured components to shipping companies such as COSCO, Hyundai Merchant Marine, QASC Shipping, Sinokor Merchant Marine, or Sinotrans. Altogether, the country's largest container shipping companies have a total capacity of 4,578,096 TEU - and the FEUSSR is interested in expanding the size of its merchant fleet to compete with fleets from Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands.

Hanwha’s joint R&D agreement with the PDF is expected to further enhance the company's technical power and brand power in the global defense market.

^{OOC: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/total-south-korea-daesan-complex-065000491.html
http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=56992}

New study shows electrifying cement with nanocarbon black can open new uses of concrete

Since its invention several millennia ago, concrete has become instrumental to the advancement of civilization, finding use in countless construction applications—from bridges to buildings. And yet, despite centuries of innovation, its function has remained primarily structural.

A multiyear effort by MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) researchers, in collaboration with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), has aimed to change that. Their collaboration promises to make concrete more sustainable by adding novel functionalities—namely, electron conductivity. Electron conductivity would permit the use of concrete for a variety of new applications, ranging from self-heating to energy storage.

Their approach relies on the controlled introduction of highly conductive nanocarbon materials into the cement mixture. In a paper in Physical Review Materials, they validate this approach while presenting the parameters that dictate the conductivity of the material.

Nancy Soliman, the paper's lead author and a postdoc at the MIT CSHub, believes that this research has the potential to add an entirely new dimension to what is already a popular construction material.

"This is a first-order model of the conductive cement," she explains. "And it will bring [the knowledge] needed to encourage the scale-up of these kinds of [multifunctional] materials."

Over the past several decades, nanocarbon materials have proliferated due to their unique combination of properties, chief among them conductivity. Scientists and engineers have previously proposed the development of materials that can impart conductivity to cement and concrete if incorporated within.

For this new work, Soliman wanted to ensure the nanocarbon material they selected was affordable enough to be produced at scale. She and her colleagues settled on nanocarbon black—a cheap carbon material with excellent conductivity. They found that their predictions of conductivity were borne out.

"Concrete is naturally an insulative material," says Soliman, "But when we add nanocarbon black particles, it moves from being an insulator to a conductive material."

By incorporating nanocarbon black at just a 4 percent volume of their mixtures, Soliman and her colleagues found that they could reach the percolation threshold, the point at which their samples could carry a current.

They noticed that this current also had an interesting upshot: It could generate heat. This is due to what's known as the Joule effect.

"Joule heating (or resistive heating) is caused by interactions between the moving electrons and atoms in the conductor, explains Nicolas Chanut, a co-author on the paper and a postdoc at MIT CSHub. "The accelerated electrons in the electric field exchange kinetic energy each time they collide with an atom, inducing vibration of the atoms in the lattice, which manifests as heat and a rise of temperature in the material."

In their experiments, they found that even a small voltage—as low as 5 volts—could increase the surface temperatures of their samples (approximately 5 cm3 in size) up to 41 degrees Celsius (around 100 degrees Fahrenheit). While a standard water heater might reach comparable temperatures, it's important to consider how this material would be implemented when compared to conventional heating strategies.

"This technology could be ideal for radiant indoor floor heating," explains Chanut. "Usually, indoor radiant heating is done by circulating heated water in pipes that run below the floor. But this system can be challenging to construct and maintain. When the cement itself becomes a heating element, however, the heating system becomes simpler to install and more reliable. Additionally, the cement offers more homogenous heat distribution due to the very good dispersion of the nanoparticles in the material."

Nanocarbon cement could have various applications outdoors, as well. Chanut and Soliman believe that if implemented in concrete pavements, nanocarbon cement could mitigate durability, sustainability, and safety concerns. Much of those concerns stem from the use of salt for de-icing.

"In North America, we see lots of snow. To remove this snow from our roads requires the use of de-icing salts, which can damage the concrete, and contaminate groundwater," notes Soliman. The heavy-duty trucks used to salt roads are also both heavy emitters and expensive to run.

By enabling radiant heating in pavements, nanocarbon cement could be used to de-ice pavements without road salt, potentially saving millions of dollars in repair and operations costs while remedying safety and environmental concerns. In certain applications where maintaining exceptional pavement conditions is paramount—such as airport runways—this technology could prove particularly advantageous.

While this state-of-the-art cement offers elegant solutions to an array of problems, achieving multifunctionality posed a variety of technical challenges. For instance, without a way to align the nanoparticles into a functioning circuit—known as the volumetric wiring—within the cement, their conductivity would be impossible to exploit. To ensure an ideal volumetric wiring, researchers investigated a property known as tortuosity.

"Tortuosity is a concept we introduced by analogy from the field of diffusion," explains Franz-Josef Ulm, a leader and co-author on the paper, a professor in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the faculty advisor at CSHub. "In the past, it has described how ions flow. In this work, we use it to describe the flow of electrons through the volumetric wire."

Ulm explains tortuosity with the example of a car traveling between two points in a city. While the distance between those two points as the crow flies might be two miles, the actual distance driven could be greater due to the circuity of the streets.

The same is true for the electrons traveling through cement. The path they must take within the sample is always longer than the length of the sample itself. The degree to which that path is longer is the tortuosity.

Achieving the optimal tortuosity means balancing the quantity and dispersion of carbon. If the carbon is too heavily dispersed, the volumetric wiring will become sparse, leading to high tortuosity. Similarly, without enough carbon in the sample, the tortuosity will be too great to form a direct, efficient wiring with high conductivity.

Even adding large amounts of carbon could prove counterproductive. At a certain point conductivity will cease to improve and, in theory, would only increase costs if implemented at scale. As a result of these intricacies, they sought to optimize their mixes.

"We found that by fine-tuning the volume of carbon we can reach a tortuosity value of 2," says Ulm. "This means the path the electrons take is only twice the length of the sample."

Quantifying such properties was vital to Ulm and his colleagues. The goal of their recent paper was not just to prove that multifunctional cement was possible, but that it was also viable for mass production.

"The key point is that in order for an engineer to pick up things, they need a quantitative model," explains Ulm. "Before you mix materials together, you want to be able to expect certain repeatable properties. That's exactly what this paper outlines; it separates what is due to boundary conditions—[extraneous] environmental conditions—from really what is due to the fundamental mechanisms within the material."

By isolating and quantifying these mechanisms, Soliman, Chanut, and Ulm hope to provide engineers with exactly what they need to implement multifunctional cement on a broader scale. The path they've charted is a promising one—and, thanks to their work, shouldn't prove too tortuous.

Hellenic Investment Corporation

The Hellenic Investment Corporation has made a move, partnering with Prínkipas Thomas Atredai. Prínkipas Atredai has significant experience in the land acquisition elements and financial services being with Koç Holdings and Alpha Bank during his career in the private sector.

The Prínkipas will lead a new venture for the EEE by helping us form the Atredai Property Group with an initial funding of $8bn from the fund with an additional $2bn to be collected from investments from the retail, financial services and Koç Holdings.

The Atredai Property Group will be dedicated to land development in The Hellenic League and abroad with special focus on European and North American asset building.

Commercial and residential properties will be looked at, as well as hotels and especially golf course design and development as the game expands and evolves.

We are excited about this venture and we welcome any cooperation to get this project started. Initial acquisitions will be announced at a later date.

Department of Defense Internal Memo

It has been decided that the remaining ships of the Iowa Class and the ships of the Montana Class be taken out of service for refitting of new systems. This will be done in shipyards on the East Coast and will take no longer than 3 months. Weapons to be installed on each ship are as follows: 50 40mm Bofors Dual Purpose Guns capable of firing the new 40mm3p All Target Round. Due to the relatively small size of the guns in comparison to other weapon systems on both the Iowa Class and Montana Class, 25 will be placed on each side of the ships on both classes. These guns will be controlled by the fire control systems onboard and be radar guided and have a greatly extended range of fire to engage fast moving targets such as missiles and jets in comparison to their World War Two counterparts. They will also be capable of engaging fast moving boats, either suicide boats or attack boats and slow moving aerial threats. If the ship in question is close to shore, they can be used to engage shore targets but it is not expected they will close with the shore to be able to be brought to bear on hostile targets. As both classes are not on deployment but training drills in the Caribbean and Mid Atlantic Ocean, it is expected that all ships of both classes will be in port for the refits by the end of the weeks and work will start once the crews have departed for the planned three month refit on a rotating basis.

(3p Round in question: https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/fuze-3p-ammunition)

(40mm Bofors in question: 40 mm L/70)