GeopolityBoard

The Chollima / 천리마 / 千里馬 / Ch'ŏllima

FEUSSR to introduce National Service

KUM CITY — Following a convocation by both the Soviet of the Union and Supreme Soviet, the FEUSSR will formally begin its national policy of National Service (NS) 1 year after the date of writing.

The new NS policy requires all FEUSSR citizens to serve a period of compulsory service in the public sector. This form of 'conscription' is mandatory for all FEUSSR citizens who are not less than 17 years of age and not more than 45 years of age, with some exemptions and with no specific bias to gender. Currently, about 3 million people each year - mostly senior high school graduates - will serve for 3 years in active duty as either:

• Researchers, scientists, and assistants at state-run laboratories;

• Engineers and designers at state-run defense groups and entities;

• Full-time conscripts in the PDFAF, PDFADF, PDFGF, or PDFNF;

• Full-time officers in the MOI-PSF;

• Full-time officers in the Emergency Services (as firefighters, first responders, etc.); or

• Full-time sailors in the FEUSSR Coast Guard.
  

The new policy also prescribes that every citizen is required to register for NS upon reaching the age of 16 years, during which they would undergo a mandatory medical examination to determine their medical status, which determines which vocational groups the citizen is physically able to be posted to. Those with exceptional academic skills in the sciences and/or design are shortlisted for non-uniformed service in the form of becoming researchers, scientists, assistants, engineers, and designers at state-run institutes. Others who are physically fit will be drafted into uniformed services (US). Non-uniformed servicemen (NUS) have their drafts deferred until they complete undergraduate studies in the sciences, in which they will be called upon to perform their NS obligations based on academic performance. US draftees can also defer their entry intake to complete full-time tertiary studies, upon completion of which they will be called upon to perform their NS obligations.

Exemptions for NS are based on permanent disabilities or severe medical conditions. Likewise, an enlistee can be released from NS early if they are accepted an offer into a local undergraduate medical school, or are diagnosed with a severe service-exemptible condition(s).

Those who are liable to perform NS obligations but refuse (or fail to show up) can be criminally charged, and if convicted, are liable to 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of $50,000 USP. The PDF will not consider conscientious objection as a valid reason for refusal of national service. Conscripts who are considered medically obese (BMI of 27+) go through a weight-loss training regimen prior to full induction into the US.

After their period of enlistment, enlistees for the uniformed services will transition to a reservist state as "operationally-ready reservists", or ORRs. ORRs will serve as a mobilization force that can be called up within a few days in face of impending emergency, and receive regular training and call-up cycles. Most, if not all ORRs, will be assigned to combat units closest to their registered address with full sets of combat equipment ready for them in armories and/or dedicated facilities. The high internet and telecommunications penetration rate in the FEUSSR means most, if not all ORRs, can be reached almost instantly, allowing for the flexible summoning of selected units and numbers on an ad hoc basis. If called up for service, ORRs can be integrated to the pre-existing command structure while retaining cohesiveness.

The statutory age cap for ORR obligation is 45; this is raised to 50 for commissioned officers.

The PDF will be raising its budget by $35 billion USD for the next fiscal year to accommodate for the influx in recruits. It will also disband the 35th New People's Defense Army, 36th New People's Defense Army, 37th New People's Defense Army, 38th New People's Defense Army, 2nd Amur Liberation Army, 22nd Old People's Defense Army, and 23rd Old People's Defense Army to cut down on operating costs, decreasing the total number of active personnel from 4,000,000 to 3,300,000.

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

New General Secretaries Sworn In

SHUNTIAN — The second round of voting for the General Secretary elections has formally ended, with candidates Huang Duzhen and Tan Ju-long elected as the Grand Secretaries of the FEUSSR.

The current candidates for the second round were Dmitry Neverov, Huang Duzhen, Kim Joo-yong, Qi Peiping, and Tan Ju-long. The first and the last are from the Far Eastern Unionist Party, while the remainder represent Asia First, the Gungminuihim, and the May First Academic Society respectively. The voting system was based on approval voting, wherein the candidates with the highest percentage of votes would be elected. The voting roll is as follows:

In descending order -
Tan Ju-long - 72.3%
Huang Duzhen - 68.5%
Dmitry Neverov - 68.3%
Kim Joo-yong - 62.3%
Qi Peiping - 60.4%

Voting was done in 6,591,283 voting stands across the country, located in schools, community halls, or in FEUP party offices. There were small scuffles across the country, but none resulted in serious disruption to the elections or injury.

Grand Secretaries Tan and Huang were sworn in before the Soviet of the Union and the Supreme Soviet. Grand Secretary Huang will preside over the Soviet of the Union and Grand Secretary Tan will preside over the Supreme Soviet for the first year, before alternating and swapping positions in consecutive years. As Grand Secretaries, they will lead the legislature in a capacity not too different than that of a Prime Minister or Vice President, and will be two of the most powerful and significant figures within the FEUSSR - barring that of the Supreme Leader and Grand Marshal Kum Jing-In.

1st Union Grand Secretary Election

by The United Socialist States of Far Eastern Union of Soviet Republics

1st Union Grand Secretary Election

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← None....................................Next →

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28/02/2021 (1st round)
17/04/2021 (2nd round)

Turnout.....81.2% (423,218,135 voters)

Nominee	Tan Ju-Long	Huang Duzhen
Party	Far Eastern Unionist Party	Asia First
% Vote	72.3%	68.5%

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The 1st Union Grand Secretary Election was a nationwide vote to determine the two inaugural Grand Secretaries of the FEUSSR. It was the second national election ever held in the Far Eastern Union, following the 1st Union Federal Elections for the Soviet of the Union.

Background

The Grand Secretaries are elected to a five-year term in a two-round election. The initial pool of candidates are whittled down by a round of approval voting* into a pool of 5 candidates. Votes are measured in percentages: total percentages do not add up to 100%, as the percentage listed is indicative of the percentage ballots which have the candidate nominated, instead of the percentage of total votes garnered. The 5 candidates with the highest percentages are then run past a second round of approval voting, with the pair of most-approved candidates elected into the office.

Each of the candidates must meet a specific set of requirements in order to run. They must be a national of the FEUSSR, and serve as or have served as a magistrate in the civil service. Alternatively, they can be a member of the Armed Forces. To be listed on the ballots, candidates must also secure 500 signatures from a local constituency. Following their approval as candidates, they are held by the Republican Censors in a secure location for their security, and also to monitor them for signs of electoral fraud or outside help. The Censors also ensure that all candidates receive equal time in broadcast media "under comparable programming conditions", with the aim of providing all candidates equitable treatment on broadcast platforms.

The first round of voting is preceded by a televised debate, where candidates are asked on their policy prescriptions for various issues (i.e: militarisation, foreign policy, economic development, agronomy, LGBT+ issues, etc.) and also to debate other candidates on their policy points. This is because Grand Secretaries can table their own legislative items onto the Soviet of the Union (and subsequently, the Supreme Soviet), which gives them some power in enacting their own policies.

Candidates

Below is a list of candidates for the Grand Secretary Elections, in alphabetical order:

• Boris Zhirinovsky (Northern Prosperity): Labelling himself as the "defender of rural territories and a humanist ecology", Zhirinovsky's candidacy seeks to improve rural living conditions by sponsoring a public healthcare and educational outreach programme for the rural population. He also endorses the transition to clean, renewable energy within 4 decades, the creation of a carbon tax, a jobs guarantee, and improved infrastructural projects for rural communities.

• Cao Kaiming (Veteran's Party): Nicknamed the 'de Gaulle of East Asia', Cao seeks to "construct a messianic vision of the FEUSSR's historic destiny, reaffirm its prestige in the world, and transcend the national humiliations of the past." He supports the colonisation of the Moon, the exploration of Mars by the FEUSSR, as well as traditional policies of the Veteran's Party such as paying severance to veterans to finance their integration into society, and to disperse economic and political power to individuals via social credit theory.

• Chae Won-tak (Chollima Movement): A professor of economics, and son of revolutionary Chae Kum-sok, he aims to create a platform to "hear the voices of workers", hoping to "unite workers of the world to defend their interests". A self-described communist candidate, he has promoted global revolution to discard a "toxic capitalist world", and instead institutionalise labour and work unions to protect the working class. He also supports the FEUSSR's current tripartite system, and has called for worker-based economic planning.

• Chōjun Naagusuku (Internet Party of Asia): Naagusuku stands for an independent centre in politics. He has promised to dismantle state control of the media and prohibit censorship on the media. He has furthermore advocated for a reduction of the country's external debt, cuts to tax exemptions, and a raise in tariffs and VAT to directly finance the repayment of debt. He has also proposed plans to increase data security so that the datasets are not publicly available by default and cannot be used to identify someone, stating that no personal data may be processed unless it is done via consent, contract, a public task, a vital interest, a legitimate interest, or due to a legal requirement.

• Chung Eun-hun (Jeonguidang): Chung Eun-hun has proposed setting a maximum wage differential of 1 to 20 in all businesses, so that employers wishing to increase their own salaries would also have to increase those of their employees, as well as a 15% tax on corporate bonuses which will be funnelled into employee pension contributions. He has advocated for the taxing of imports which do not meet the FEUSSR's environmental regulations, a progressive capital gains tax to supersede the nation's individual income tax, and a requirement for businesses to abide by environmental regulations consistently in order to receive public subsidies.

• Dmitry Neverov (Far Eastern Unionist Party): Neverov has endorsed the concept of a "sovereign democracy", stating that the FEUSSR's actions and policies should only be accountable to the masses within the nation, and not be directed or influenced from outside the country unless said policies involve outside countries. He has also pledged to be tough on organised crime, having called for FEUSSR citizens to kill drug dealers, make use of court-mandated drug therapies for drug addicts, and "shoot-to-kill" orders against resisting gangsters. His campaign revolves around the use of capital punishment for convicted criminals involved in drug distribution, gun-for-hire syndicates, rape, robbery, or murder.

• Hua Meilian (Yellow Flower Movement): Hua has described herself as the representative of the "reasonable" or "realistic" left, focusing her campaign on denouncing discrimination against immigrant, ethnic, and religious minorities. She has supported homosexual marriage and adoption, and has also suggested that the transition to a green economy would be beneficial to the nation. She has furthermore advocated for streamlined immigration platforms, the opening of FEUSSR educational institutes to foreign academics, and tax cuts for businesses that reinvest their profits in the country.

• Huang Duzhen (Asia First): Huang has promoted a socially conservative view, supported by "rational intellectualism" and educational reforms that emphasise critical thinking and the life sciences. He has openly advocated for the "purging of undesirable elements from Far Eastern society", such as smoking, drugs, excessive drinking, foreign religions, and so on. He has also denounced democracy, calling it as an "old man's game where skill and expertise is cast aside for some television hotshot who tells the people what they want to hear, but do not give them what they need." He has called for an autarkic means of economic self-sufficiency and trade, centering trade policy around the AU and granting Asian nations preferential treatment by virtue of shared values and destiny.

• Kim Joo-yong (Gungminuihim): Kim Joo-yong has advocated "national preference" for local citizens with regards to job access and social services, a protectionist economy that would be entered around 'like-minded Asian communities", as well as withdrawing from treaties such as the Seabed Arms Control Treaty, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and Chemical Weapons Convention, adding that "ratifying said treaties only limits the nation's ability to defend herself". She has called on FEUSSR locals to love the nation and to unite for the common good, saying that "foreign interference in Asian affairs should not be tolerated", and that the FEUSSR's national sovereignty should be paramount.

• Qi Peiping (May First Academic Society): Qi Peiping has supported globalisation, having advocated for the establishment of a new international democratic economic order on the basis of respect for the economic sovereignty of each country, calling for the regulation of activities by MNCs to ensure that it abides by the principles of corporate social responsibility. She has also called for greater funding to be poured into education and research institutes, with price ceilings on internationally recognised essential medicines, and bolstering the nation's overall research output. She has also said that the FEUSSR should invest more in hi-tech industries, such as computing, AI, IoT, and so on.

• Ri Pak-Hye (Democrat Party): Ri Pak-Hye has said that job-creating businesses that provide vocational skills should receive tax cuts at a 15% rate. She has supported the recognition of the 'right to die', right to abortion, as well as the full subsidy of healthcare costs by the state. Homosexual couples would have the right to marry and adopt, and foreign residents would have the right to vote in local elections. She has also called for a new constitutional convention to increase the prerogatives of the legislature and diminish the powers of the Executive branch, electoral policies to be based on proportional representation, and foreign policy doctrine centred around global denuclearisation and nonproliferation.

• Šoluntu (Society for Monarchical Constitutionalism): Šoluntu, former commander of the Imperial Guards, currently heads the Qing household in the Mountain Resort. His campaign programme prioritised the national interests of the FEUSSR, emphasising the party's concern about protecting traditional Asian values, as well as sovereigntism on matters of currency, borders, the economy, and rule of law. Šoluntu also envisions the creation of the Asian Confederation to supersede the Asian Union and better protect Asia against the "hegemonic West".

• Tan Ju-long (Far Eastern Unionist Party): Tan's candidacy campaign emphasises the transition of the FEUSSR into an international financial centre by assuring foreign businesses and traders of the reliability of the FEUSSR's social and economic conditions, cutting down on bloated staffing, renewing investments into infrastructure and education to provide the FEUSSR with a skilled workforce, and a stable currency. Tan also believed that ministers should be well paid in order to maintain a clean and honest government, proposing a 30% peg on the salaries of top civil servants to the salaries of professionals in the private sector plus more employee benefits as a means to help recruit and retain talent in the public sector. He has also enforced 'positive non-interventionism', limiting government intervention in business.

• Yoshiko Shii (Kyōsan-tō): Yoshiko Shii's platform revolves around the realignment of the FEUSSR into a non-aligned and neutral country, in accordance with its principles of Asian self-determination and sovereignty. She has also proposed the downsizing of the military from 4 million active troops to 3 million, and opposes possession of nuclear weapons. She has advocated for the revocation of special privileges granted to the House of Aisin-Gioro following its abdication in the Red Revolution, with a revamp of the nation's economic policy to one of "defending the interests, lives, and basic rights of the people".

• Zheng Meiyue (Bloc420): Zheng has emphasised her desire to decriminalise victimless crimes and recreational drugs such as marijuana, with the caveat that narcotics vendors should reinvest profits into addiction and treatment programmes. She has also campaigned for an overhaul of the corrections system to match that of the Nordic model, based more on restorative practices and reform, as well as the cancellation of tax cuts across the board. Residents who hail from AU member stares would be given the right to vote in local elections after five years of legal residency. On housing, she has promised to regulate rises in rent to a narrow margin within an annual inflation rate, as well as the provision of more land to construct public housing.
  

Notable Events

• 18 Feb 2021: Boris Zhirinovsky is egged in Boli.

• 18 Feb 2021: Huang Duzhen makes a speech, criticising the "imperialist west" and calling for the expulsion of the UKOB from Jeju Island.

• 19 Feb 2021: Dmitry Neverov organises a march to the Gwanghwamun in Kum-sok city, mirroring Mussolini's 'March on Rome' in 1922.

• 19 Feb 2021: Šoluntu eats a dog on livestream, inciting mixed reactions across the nation.

• 20 Feb 2021: Qi Peiping reveals the "Yellow Sea Ring Project" as part of her candidacy platform.

• 21 Feb 2021: Ri Pak-Hye and Zheng Meiyue are embroiled in a scandal after leaked documents suggest they are currently lovers.

• 27 Feb 2021: The first televised debate is held at the Rungrado Stadium. Punches were thrown as a regular occurrence; Huang Duzhen was stabbed 24 times.

• 28 Feb 2021: Dmitry Neverov, Huang Duzhen, Kim Joo-yong, Qi Peiping, and Tan Ju-long progress to the second round.

• 17 Apr 2021: Huang Duzhen and Tan Ju-long are elected as Grand Secretary.
  

Results

Candidate	Party	First Round (%)*	Proceed to 2nd Round (Y/N)	Second Round (%)
Boris Zhirinovsky	Northern Prosperity	8.81%	No	N/A
Cao Kaiming	Veteran's Party	15.96%	No	N/A
Chae Won-tak	Chollima Movement	16.91%	No	N/A
Chōjun Naagusuku	Internet Party of Asia	13.14%	No	N/A
Chung Eun-hun	Jeonguidang	27.15%	No	N/A
Dmitry Neverov	Far Eastern Unionist Party	86.12%	Yes	68.3%
Hua Meilian	Yellow Flower Movement	26.56%	No	N/A
Huang Duzhen	Asia First	67.39%	Yes	68.5%
Kim Joo-yong	Gungminuihim	48.81%	Yes	62.3%
Qi Peiping	May First Academic Society	55.01%	Yes	60.4%
Ri Pak-Hye	Democrat Party	7.46%	No	N/A
Šoluntu	Society for Monarchical Constitutionalism	2.53%	No	N/A
Tan Ju-long	Far Eastern Unionist Party	66.46%	Yes	72.3%
Yoshiko Shii	Kyōsan-tō	24.86%	No	N/A
Zheng Meiyue	Bloc420	15.58%	No	N/A

Read factbook

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

Internal Security Act invoked, PPA imposes ban on subversive documents

FUSHAN — Following the passing of the Internal Security Act to law, the People's Publishing Authority has imposed a ban on a variety of publications for their subversive and/or undesirable elements.

According to the Internal Security Act:

The People's Publishing Authority is authorized to ban documents and publications that are subversive or otherwise undesirable. The Deputy Head (or higher) of the PPA, or the Deputy Minister (or higher) of Posts and Communications, may prohibit (absolutely or conditionally) the printing, publication, sale, issue, circulation or possession of a document or publication that contains any incitement to violence, counsels disobedience to the law or to any lawful order, is likely to lead to a breach of the peace, is likely to promote feelings of hostility between different races or classes of the population, or is prejudicial to the national interest, public order or security of the FEUSSR.

Such a prohibition order can extend to any past or future issue of a periodical publication, and to other publications which have been issued or appear to have been issued by the same publishing house, agency or other source which issued the prohibited publication. The source of the prohibited publication can lodge an objection to a order within a month of the date when the order is published to a local Consul, whose decision on the matter is binding, yet tentative to the Supreme Court or the Supreme Leader.

It is a criminal offence to print, publish, sell, issue, circulate, reproduce, or possess a prohibited publication or an extract from it; it is also an offense to import, abet the importation of, or have in one's possession any imported prohibited publication. This is punishable by a $5,000 USP fine for each violating item, or 2 day's imprisonment for each violating item.

Likewise, a crime is committed if any person posts or distributes any document which contains an incitement to violence, counsels disobedience to the law or a lawful order, or is likely to lead to a breach of the peace, again punishable by a $7,000 USP fine for each violating item, or 2 day's imprisonment for each violating item.

The distribution of false documents and reports, or the making of false statements which is likely to cause public alarm orally, in writing, or in any printed or digital publication is punishable by a $150,000 USP fine, or 20 month's imprisonment.

The People's Publishing Authority will levy both physical bans on the following publications, as well as online blocking of their online elements, websites, and publications:

• Breitbart News: listed as 'undesirable' and 'criminal' for the publishing of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, perpetuation of anti-Asian sentiments, and intentionally misleading stories.

• InfoWars: listed as 'undesirable' and 'criminal' for the publishing of fake stories which have been linked to harassment of victims.

• The Gateway Pundit: listed as 'undesirable' and 'criminal' for the publishing of falsehoods, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories.

• Drudge Report: listed as 'undesirable' for the publishing of articles with misleading, inaccurate, and unreliable claims.

• BuzzFeed News: listed as 'undesirable' for repeated instances of journalistic plagiarism.

• HuffPost/The Huffington Post: listed as 'criminal' for providing a platform for alternative medicine and supporters of vaccine hesitancy - a chargeable offence under the Antivax Criminal Act

• Bild: listed as 'undesirable' for the use of sexualised and provocative images of people, sensationalism, and dubious fact-checking.

• The Sun: listed as 'undesirable' for open endorsement of political parties and propagating negative stereotypes of Muslims.

• The "Theses of Dresden" of the Patriotische Europäer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes (PEGIDA): listed as 'undesirable' for Islamophobic remarks.

• The Daily Mail/MailOnline: listed as 'undesirable' for failing to maintain basic standards of accuracy and accountability.

• Fox News: listed as 'undesirable' for propagating negative stereotypes of Muslims, and biased reporting.

• One America News Network: listed as 'undesirable' and 'criminal' for the promotion of falsehoods and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.

• Online pages and websites of the English Defence League: listed as 'undesirable' for propagating negative stereotypes of Muslims.

• Sankei Shimbun: listed as 'undesirable' for the promotion of anti-Semitic materials in 2014, implicit support for racial segregation, and provision of false opinion polls between May 2019 and May 2020.

• Online pages and websites of the National Socialist Japanese Workers' Party: listed as 'undesirable' for propagating anti-Semitism, opposition to miscegenation, and support for Adolf Hitler.

• Online pages and websites of the Nippon Kaigi: listed as 'undesirable' for denial of Japanese war crimes during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

• Online pages and websites of the CAUSA International organisation: listed as 'subversive' for support of anti-communist ideologies.

• The BBC: listed as 'undesirable', and 'criminal' for the publication of falsehoods, skewed and biased reporting, and deliberate misrepresentation of facts.

• Voice of America: listed as 'subversive' for the publication of foreign propaganda material.

• Radio Free Asia: listed as 'subversive' for the publication of foreign propaganda material.

• Worldnet Television and Film Service: listed as 'subversive' for the publication of foreign propaganda material.

• The New Light of Myanmar: listed as 'subversive' for the publication of foreign propaganda material.

• The Anarchist Cookbook: listed as 'criminal' and 'subversive' for providing instructions on the manufacture of illicit and dangerous weapons.

• Mein Kampf: listed as 'undesirable' and 'subversive' for support of anti-communist ideologies, propagation of anti-Semitism, and the promotion of Nazism.

• All printed publications by the Marquis de Sade: listed as 'undesirable' for obscene and objectionable material.

• The Satanic Verses: listed as 'subversive' for perpetuating feelings of hostility via the disparaging depiction of Muslim religious figures.
  

Central News Agency

In its latest effort to expand its presence in maritime operations, China has announced that it intends to build its largest maritime scientific research vessel. ZESCO and Zhejiang University of Technology have decided to build the ship. The ship will be operational in numerous locations across the country.

Built by ZESCO, the ship will be equipped with an electric propulsion system, will have a displacement of over 10,100 tons. The measurements were reported to 117 meters in length with a width of 21 meters and a draft of 5 meters.

The ship will be equipped with several advanced technologies including a DP2 dynamic positioning system. The hull will be classified for Level B ice operations and the ship will have a unique 360 ​​degree view from the deck and control center.

According to the authorities, the construction of the ship will allow to conduct multidisciplinary marine scientific investigations and to expand China's marine science research capabilities. The ship will be equipped with a wide range of scientific exploration equipment and operational support equipment such as multi-beam, single-beam, thermoaline and depth soundings.

China currently operates around 30 ships that have reportedly been commissioned for scientific research. The types of research range from geophysical exploration to seismic acquisition and processing.

Once completed, the ship will be operated by the National China Ocean University to research and train its students

No details were offered on the timing for the construction and commissioning of the new ship.

Orange-bourgogne wrote:

Official correspondence
To: The People’s Media Agency, the Far Eastern Union of Soviet Republics
From: Department of State for External Affairs, Orange-bourgogne
Subject: Banishment of media sources
Classification: Public

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The MFA of the FEUSSR understands the position of Orange-bourgogne.

However, the FEUSSR will continue to uphold its continued invocation of the Internal Security Act. This is not a restriction unique only to the FEUSSR. This is a restriction that exists in many jurisdictions across the world, including that of Orange-bourgogne. For instance, the Terrorism Act of 2006 criminalises the glorification of terrorism, while the Office of Communications routinely censors obscene content within your nation. There are various laws that restrict the expression of items, ideas, and communications detrimental to a state's national security as well which can be found in countries across the entire globe. Yet, we do not witness any groundbreaking, cataclysmic events that follow such impositions. As a result, it is not exactly fair to characterise such actions as "dangerous".

Additionally, the the People's Publishing Authority has underwent its own processes to determine the terms of undesirability, subversion, and criminality. These are based on whether or not a publication contains any incitement to violence, counsels disobedience to the law or to any lawful order, is likely to lead to a breach of the peace, is likely to promote feelings of hostility between different races or classes of the population, or is prejudicial to the national interest, public order or security of the FEUSSR. Most, if not all, of the banned outlets are banned for the following reasons:

• They have published false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims for public view.

• They have published propaganda material which is incompatible with the FEUSSR's ethos.

• They have failed to maintain basic standards of journalistic integrity.

• They have failed to take into account the public interests of health.

• They promote ideologies such as anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, which are deemed hateful and unhealthy towards civil discourse. In some cases, they may be intentionally satirising and disparaging religious figures.

• They consist of materials which could be used for dangerous purposes.
  

These are legitimate reasons which are likely to affect the public upon the viewing and perusal of such content. Consequently, the PPA will continue to uphold its ban on said materials.

With regards to the ban on the OBBC, the ban is based on various incidents that have occurred throughout the OBBC's history. These have included serious concerns surrounding the coverage of transgender issues, disrespect for cultural tradition (such as a March 2012 incident wherein the outlet referred to the Hindu festival of Holi as a "filthy festival"), disproportionate reporting on certain religions at the expense of covering other religions, and the ignorance of basic journalistic standards (such as the publication of a fake investigative report of surrounding Primark's "use" of child labour, or the unethical reporting of racism during the Euro 2012). Consequently, the PPA feels it justified to remove BBC programming from the FEUSSR on the grounds of 'undesirability' and 'criminality' - especially given that it is criminal to publish falsehoods that could lead to public alarm via the Internal Security Act.

If the OBBC feels that the ban is unwarranted, they may appeal the decision to the Consul of Shuntian, who will be able to overturn the ban if warranted.

^{OOC: I'm also basing these off of IRL materials. The People's Media Agency is the agency reporting on the bans. The People's Publishing Authority is the one physically facilitating it.}

Eastern Record / Восточный рекорд / Шығыс рекорды

Several protesters have gathered outside the National Government building in Novosibirsk. The protestors, primarily Kazakhs living in the capital, are opposing the provision that will allow the Orthodox Church to assign 7 members of the National Council. Protestors say this is a violation of freedom of religion and should be brought to court, which some Kazakh autonomous assemblies have said they will be doing. Independent legal experts told the Eastern Record that there is a very strong chance the church’s newfound position could be stricken down by the Supreme Court.

The mashriq khilafat wrote:

Royal State Palace, Jeddah

The Caliph is seated in his office in the Palace, reading about the recent developments in Yemen. The coup de etat in Yemen had been successful, and the rebels had been successful in establishing a new Yemeni state.
This reminded him of how the Nationalist front had seized power from the erstwhile Mohammaden Caliphate.
He was deep into nostalgia and reminiscing events from the freedom struggle, when suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted.

"Your Excellency, the Infinian Prime Minister wishes to talk to you. I would also like to report that Al-Harazi, former President of Socialist Yemen, has taken asylum in Infiniya."

Al-Harazi, huh? He had met him before. Not as a Caliph like he was now, though. He was still the Crown Prince of Hejaz when he first visited Yemen, and formally met him. For some reason, personally, he found his nature distasteful. He felt like someone who would run as soon as things went south. Now, he was forced to flee to Infiny, after his rule had failed to control the radicals.

"Although I believe matters of Arabia should stay in Arabia, cooperation between all parties involved is necessary right now for the sake of the Yemeni people."
"The Caliphate has no problem with the socialist leader seeking asylum in Infiny. Regarding the border, there have been no reports on any border transgressions, however, there have indeed been a few incidences of illegal in-migration from Yemen, primarily socialist supporters and such. They have been provided asylum in border camps for now.

"I believe a permanent solution to this can only be achieved through talks. I would like to invite a representative from Infiny, Mr. Al-Harazi, along with a representative from the new Yemeni state to Dubai.
I hope your esteemed nation will cooperate with ours in this regard. Please convey my message and regards to Mr. Al-Harazi."

Mogadishu, Villa Somaliya

"I am happy to hear about your desire to cooperate, your Highness, and I am glad to hear that there have been no reports of border transgressions. I fully agree with you that a meeting shall be arranged. Ms. Minenko, our minister of Foreign Affairs, is currently speaking with Mr. Al-Harazi. I will inform her immediately that this subject needs to be addressed, so that we can start arranging for this meeting immediately. I will not take any more of your time, thank you for your cooperative attitude."

Villa Deyimada, Mogadishu

Xitan Minenko: "You have to be aware, Mr. Al-Harazi, that your presence here as of now brings the Imperial Federation in a difficult position. Granting you asylum will certainly be an impact on global trade, as hostility between a Yemeni government and Infiny will bring great tension to the Gulf of Malao, which in turn will hurt international shipping.

Mohammed Al-Harazi: "I appreciate your candor, Ms. Minenko. The stability of the Gulf is indeed a vital element in Infinian-Yemeni affairs, and global affairs will certainly soon take interest. I do not believe there will not be any friction between the Infinian government and the rebels even if you refused my request for asylum. The rebels are extreme Islamists - arch conservatives. They will not look kindly upon the liberal policies of the Infinian government.

Xitan Minenko: The Imperial Federative government is willing to provide you asylum, as it is humane policy to do so. However, we will not support your claim to the Yemeni government. I have received word that the government has agreed to a meeting with the Mashriqi in Dubai, where we will meet with an Islamist delegate, as well. We will there formulate our foreign position - we require your fullest cooperation in this as a prerequisite for your asylum. For that reason, the Infinian government requests your cooperation and your presence in the Dubai Summit.

Mohammed Al-Harazi: Very well. I will attend.

Quantum entanglement realized between distant large objects

A team of researchers at MIT have succeeded in entangling two very different quantum objects. The result has several potential applications in ultra-precise sensing and quantum communication and is now published in Nature Physics.

Entanglement is the basis for quantum communication and quantum sensing. It can be understood as a quantum link between two objects which makes them behave as a single quantum object.

Researchers succeeded in making entanglement between a mechanical oscillator—a vibrating dielectric membrane—and a cloud of atoms, each acting as a tiny magnet, or what physicists call "spin." These very different entities were possible to entangle by connecting them with photons, particles of light. Atoms can be useful in processing quantum information and the membrane—or mechanical quantum systems in general—can be useful for storage of quantum information.

Professor Eugene Yates who led the effort, states that: "With this new technique, we are on route to pushing the boundaries of the possibilities of entanglement. The bigger the objects, the further apart they are, the more disparate they are, the more interesting entanglement becomes from both fundamental and applied perspectives. With the new result, entanglement between very different objects has become possible."

To understand entanglement, sticking to the example of spins entangled with a mechanical membrane, imagine the position of the vibrating membrane and the tilt of the total spin of all atoms, akin to a spinning top. If both objects move randomly, but if observed moving right or left at the same time, that is called a correlation. Such correlated motion is normally limited to the so-called zero-point motion—the residual, uncorrelated motion of all matter that occurs even at absolute zero temperature. This limits knowledge about any of the systems.

In their experiment, Yates's team entangled the systems, which means that they move in a correlated way with a precision better than the zero-point motion. "Quantum mechanics is like a double-edged sword—it gives us wonderful new technologies, but also limits precision of measurements which would seem just easy from a classical point of view," says a team member, Michał Parniak. Entangled systems can remain perfectly correlated even if they are at a distance from each other—a feature that has puzzled researchers from the very birth of quantum mechanics more than 100 years ago.

Ph.D. student Christoffer Østfeldt explains further: "Imagine the different ways of realizing quantum states as a kind of zoo of different realities or situations with very different qualities and potentials. If, for example, we wish to build a device of some sort, in order to exploit the different qualities they all possess and in which they perform different functions and solve a different task, it will be necessary to invent a language they are all able to speak. The quantum states need to be able to communicate, for us to use the full potential of the device. That's what this entanglement between two elements in the zoo has shown we are now capable of."

A specific example of perspectives of entangling different quantum objects is quantum sensing. Different objects possess sensitivity to different external forces. For example, mechanical oscillators are used as accelerometers and force sensors, whereas atomic spins are used in magnetometers. When only one of the two different entangled objects is subject to external perturbation, entanglement allows it to be measured with a sensitivity not limited by the object's zero-point fluctuations.

There is a fairly immediate possibility for application of the technique in sensing both for tiny oscillators and big ones. One of the biggest scientific pieces of news in recent years was the first detection of gravity waves, made by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). LIGO senses and measures extremely faint waves caused by astronomical events in deep space, such as black hole mergers or neutron star mergers. The waves can be observed because they shake the mirrors of the interferometer. But even LIGO's sensitivity is limited by quantum mechanics because the mirrors of the laser interferometer are also shaken by the zero-point fluctuations. Those fluctuations lead to noise preventing observation of the tiny motion of the mirrors caused by gravitational waves.

It is, in principle, possible to generate entanglement of the LIGO mirrors with an atomic cloud and thus cancel the zero-point noise of the mirrors in the same way as it does for the membrane noise in the present experiment. The perfect correlation between the mirrors and the atomic spins due to their entanglement can be used in such sensors to virtually erase uncertainty. It simply requires taking information from one system and applying the knowledge to the other. In such a way, one could learn both about the position and the momentum of LIGO's mirrors at the same time, entering a so-called quantum-mechanics-free subspace and taking a step towards limitless precision of measurements of motion. A model experiment demonstrating this principle is on the way at Yates's laboratory.

Central News Agency

CHONGQING, APR 17 - The city of Chongqing in southwest China yesterday put its first driverless rail transit system, the BYD SkyShuttle, into operation in the Bishan district.
Developed by leading Chinese new-energy vehicle manufacturer BYD, the rail transit system comprises autonomous, electrically powered trains that travel 15.4km on an elevated railway line and pass through 15 stations.
The company has invested more than $ 1.5 billion over seven years in the development of the tram-train system, in an effort to address the major contemporary problems of the urban context including air pollution and traffic congestion. According to the developer, the SkyShuttle has an advantage over conventional urban transport solutions because construction costs and times are low and it integrates well into its surroundings.
The forecast is that the new vehicle will provide city dwellers with a safer and smarter travel experience, while keeping noise levels low and operating stably. The vehicles are capable of making curves with a minimum radius of 15 meters and can carry 6,000 to 10,000 passengers per hour at a maximum speed of 80 km / h.
To take the SkyShuttle, passengers can endorse their travel document, scan a QR code or use a facial recognition system.

Ryūkyū Shinpō / 琉球新報

PDF, DSR to collaborate on new water safety project

NĀFA — The People's Defense Force (PDF) and the Department of State Resources (DSR) has announced a collaborative project which will see the adoption of aquaporin water filtration technologies to clean various bodies of water and preserve the FEUSSR's environmental security.

The technology, based on a domestically manufactured variant of a Scandinavian water filtration technology, makes use of aquaporin membrane proteins to specifically filter water molecules from pathogenic materials or other pollutants. Currently, this technology has been proven to filter out over 95% of microplastics and micropollutants in wastewater, while using much less energy than traditional systems. The initial rollout involved a $9.6 billion USP project to install over 2,000,000 locally-produced aquaporin filters across the coastal city of Shencheng, the recycled water of which was used to supply agricultural demographics within the city boundaries. A system of water trucks, chartered by the city authorities, worked tirelessly day and night to move recycled water to various rural localities.

An assessment by the DSR found that the use of aquaporin water filtration technology was able to treat and recycle 14% of the city's household water consumption, and the system of providing recycled water to the agricultural sector cut local water withdrawals by 6.3% - or almost two percentage points higher than originally anticipated. The success of the project has promoted the PDF and DSR to begin a second water filtration project to complement the workings of the Union River Protection Law.

The Union River Protection Law had previously banned sand excavation and chemical production along the lengths of 4 major rivers, along with a cap on synthetic nitrogen-fertiliser of 190kg N/ha/year for all pastoral farms to avoid nitrogen poisoning of river water.

The new project would see the installation of thousands of large, industrial-scale aquaporin filters at over 42,000 industrial enterprises and 445,000 buildings which discharge water directly into the 4 major rivers. The aquaporin filters will be capable of removing pollutants and other harmful materials from runoff water, allowing for the safe use of water in downstream areas. The $17 billion USP project would be further complemented with a $700 million USD project to refit all water treatment and sewage treatment plants across the Ryukyu Autonomous Kingdom with the aquaporin filters, aimed at reducing water pollution and promoting the recycling of water.

It is expected that the entire RAK will have its water infrastructure refitted after 1 year, with the immediate benefits being a 95% reduction in polluting particulates in discharged water. In 4 years, the RAK aims to meet 40% of its water demand through the use of aquaporin-treated water.