Largest ever turnout for Tehran Day marches

Kuala Lumpur, March 17, 2050: More than 20 million people worldwide are believed to have turned out for Tehran Day peace rallies this year.

The largest marches were in Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia and Denmark. Five million people marched in Jakarta alone and Denmark, with a population of just 10 million people, registered four million marchers.

Rallies in the rest of Europe were smaller, with two million turning out in France and similar numbers in Germany, Italy and the UK.

"The world is still in mourning over the deaths of 50 million people in the Oil War," UN Secretary General Carla DuPont said in front of 50,000 people gathered outside the UN headquarters in Beijing. "It should mourn for a thousand years."

The most dramatic march was conducted by a group of 20 representatives of the Persian Gulf diaspora who flew into the Tehran hot zone by helicopter to plant a wreath at the site of the former Shahyad Tower. The group was arrested and quarantined by Saudi police when the helicopter returned to Riyadh.

History Line

It was on this day in 2015 that armed forces of the then Superpower, the United States of America, used tactical nuclear weapons against an underground nuclear research facility in Tehran which it claimed was used to produce and store nuclear weapons. It was the first use of nuclear weapons in war since they were used to end the Second World War in 1945.

20,000 people died immediately in that attack, and up to 130,000 are believed to have died as a result of radiation induced illnesses related to the attack.

International condemnation followed, as did massive disruption to oil supplies and the global economy. This culminated in the invasion in October 2028 by Coalition Forces (principally US, Israel, Turkey) of Jordan and Saudi Arabia aimed at securing access to the Safaniya and Ghawar Oilfields.

Saudi and Iranian forces combined with Syria and Egypt to oppose the invasion and what became known as the Oil War followed. It is unclear which nation was the first to use nuclear weapons in the Oil War, but historical consensus is that Saudi Arabia detonated underground nuclear weapons in the Ghawar, Abqaiq, Hawtah and Marjan fields in order to deny them to the invaders.

A large element of the US XVIII Airborne Corp was trapped in the hotzone created by these explosions and the US, Turkey and Israel responded over the next week with tactical nuclear strikes on Iran, Syria and Egypt.

The conflict was halted when a united Russia, Pakistan, China and India threatened all out nuclear war with the US unless it ceased hostilities. US Congress removed the then US President Carlton, and Coalition nuclear forces in the Gulf and mainland USA were disarmed by the UN.

On November 3 2028, three weeks after it started, the Oil War ended, and 50 million people were dead, including more than 50% of the population of Iran.

Launch of EyePad Bioware delayed to 2051

Tokyo, March 17, 2050: Eyeware enthusiasts were weeping behind their shades today when Applesoft announced that European and Chinese regulators had asked for further clinical studies before they would consider approving the new bioware upgrade to the ubiquitious EyePad.

Applesoft had planned to launch EyePad Bioware in June this year, following what it claimed were successful clinical trials of the new EyePad’s surgically implantable sensory enhancement unit.

Published clinical study data indicates subjects who had the unit implanted, reported being able to hear, smell and taste in-game special effects.

Yahoogle Game Industry Analyst, Charles Chang, said he had seen confidential company data which was part of the EU and China submissions, showing that gamers using the implant also experienced dramatic weight gain and other side effects.

"It may just be an issue of the advertising and product placement in the games," he said. "Sonysoft chose to test the units using the RazorWire III game, which includes significant product placement from fast food companies. My sources tell me that in one study they enabled the sensory effects for the food in the game, causing subjects to dramatically increase their snacking behaviour. This is what is worrying regulators."

The vocal Taipei based Eyeware Consumer Protection Organization issued a news release praising the decision to request further clinical studies before approving the implant.

"Multiple independent studies show that long term Eyeware use can lead to social isolation, depression, aggressive behaviour and crime – all behaviours reminiscent of drug addiction," said Garda McVeigh, spokesperson for the ECPO.

"We remain deeply concerned about the impact of adding sensory enhancement to an already dangerous machine," she said. "Our information is that it is not just weight which increased in trial subjects, but also sexual self abuse."

There are currently estimated to be 1.2bn Eyeware users globally. Applesoft has captured nearly 80% of the Eyeware market with its EyePad glasses, a gaming and content viewing platform with Omninet capability.

A perceived limitation of the system is that to hear audio, users must still place earbuds in their ears. The Applesoft implant was intended to address this by providing audio direct to the aural nerve, but Applesoft also chose to explore in clinical studies the opportunity to stimulate other sensory organs with the upgrade.

"One option for Applesoft is to drop the taste, smell and other enhancers and bring the unit to market now with just the audio feature," Yahoogle’s Chang said. "The question for Applesoft marketing though - are people willing to undergo a surgical procedure just to avoid having to wear earbuds?"

"The Applesoft pipeline includes a next-gen version of the EyePad for contact lenses – I believe they would be better off trying to accelerate that product, than to keep going with Bioware now," he said.