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Imperial Broadcasting System (IBS)

Jerusalem

A new set of Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient fragments of biblical texts dating almost 2,000 years and thought to have been hidden during a Jewish revolt against Rome, have been found near Qumran in the deserts of Israel Province.

The Ministry of Antiquities announced Tuesday that a four year archaeological project uncovered portions of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets, including the books of Zechariah and Nahum. It is the first such discovery in 60 years.

Also uncovered was a 6,000 year old skeleton of a partially mummified child and a 10,500 year old basket, which Imperial authorities said could be the oldest in the world. A CT scan revealed the child's age was between 6 and 12 years old, with the skin, tendons and even hair partially preserved.

Among the recovered texts, which are all in ancient Greek, is Nahum 1:5-6, which says: "The mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt. The earth heaves before Him, The world and all that dwells therein. Who can stand before His wrath? Who can resist His fury? His anger pours out like fire, and rocks are shattered because of Him."

The Ministry spokesperson said that these words differ slightly from other Bible versions, shedding a rare light on how biblical text changed over time from its earliest form.

The first set of Dead Sea Scrolls to be discovered were found by a Bedouin shepherd in the same area in 1947 and are considered among the most important archaeological finds of the 20th Century, although biblical scholars disagree on their authorship.

Most of these scrolls are located in the Imperial Museum of Antiquities (IMA) in Jerusalem.

"It is very exciting to see these finds and expose them to the public, finds which shed great light on our shared history," Dr. Eliezar Cohen, Director of the IMA, said. "These finds are not just important to our own cultural heritage, but to that of the entire world."

Other items found include a cache of coins bearing Jewish symbols, including a harp and a date palm, arrowheads and spearheads, woven fabric, sandals and lice combs, which are all thought to date from the end of the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-136 A.D.), in which Jews fought against Roman rule in Judea.

The treasures were found in what the Ministry called the "Cave of Horrors" in the Judean Desert. The area's unique dry climate means documents there have survived in unusually good condition.

Using methods more likely to be seen in an action movie than in an archaeological project, researchers had to rappel down a precarious cliff face to reach the cave opening, which is 262 feet below a cliff top and flanked by gorges on either side. Drones were also used to research hard to reach parts of the caves, a method which is becoming increasingly popular as both a research tool and as a safety measure.

The Ministry made it a point in its announcement to state that accessing the cave, which was first excavated in the 1960's, is forbidden to private citizens on safety grounds.

The remarkable discoveries were made during a project to prevent looting in the Holy Land, which experts say has been a constant threat to undiscovered artifacts since the first Dead Sea Scrolls discovery. The Ministry spokesperson stated that His Imperial Majesty's Government (HIMG) will be doing much more in the future to protect other undiscovered treasures, not only in Israel Province, but all over the Empire.

"The newly discovered scroll fragments are a wake up call that HIMG recognizes. Many more resources will be allocated in the future for the completion and protection of this and other historically important operations. HIMG is dedicated to insuring that all the data in the caves, and in other historically significant archaeological sites, are recovered before robbers can get to them. Things like this are beyond value."

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

The Papal Government is saddened to report the death of Defense Minister Enzo Conti. Minister Conti was returning from a trip to visit members of the Papal Armed Forces in Umbria when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed near Perugia. After the helicopter did not arrive, a search was initiated, and rescue personnel found the wreckage in a small field outside the city. All aboard the helicopter were unfortunately killed. It is early in the investigation, but at this time mechanical failure or pilot error are the most likely sources of the crash.

His Holiness Pope Celestine VI issued the following statement after receiving the news of the crash: "I am saddened beyond measure to learn of the deaths of Minister Conti and his party. It is always terrible when lives are ended unexpectedly. Minister Conti was a faithful servant of Holy Mother Church and the Papal States, and shall be greatly missed. To the families of Minister Conti, and the other passengers and crew killed in this terrible tragedy, We offer our prayers and wish them to know that if anything is needed by them during their time of mourning, or after, they shall have it."

Papal Prime Minister Guiliano Farnese also issued a statement: "Enzo Conti was one of my oldest and closest friends. I shall miss his wit, his wisdom, his council and his friendship. Like so many others during this time of struggle, he has given his life for his country. To his family, and the families of the other victims, I, my wife, and the other members of the Government extend their deepest condolences."

Minister Conti, 63, was one of the most staunch supporters of the Pope prior to and during the present Civil War, and was the driving force behind both the treaty of assistance with The Eastern Latins, and the upcoming union of the Republic of Pisa with the Papal States. No word has been issued as to who will be his replacement.

Neo-Vatican City wrote:BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

The Papal Government is saddened to report the death of Defense Minister Enzo Conti. Minister Conti was returning from a trip to visit members of the Papal Armed Forces in Umbria when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed near Perugia. After the helicopter did not arrive, a search was initiated, and rescue personnel found the wreckage in a small field outside the city. All aboard the helicopter were unfortunately killed. It is early in the investigation, but at this time mechanical failure or pilot error are the most likely sources of the crash.

His Holiness Pope Celestine VI issued the following statement after receiving the news of the crash: "I am saddened beyond measure to learn of the deaths of Minister Conti and his party. It is always terrible when lives are ended unexpectedly. Minister Conti was a faithful servant of Holy Mother Church and the Papal States, and shall be greatly missed. To the families of Minister Conti, and the other passengers and crew killed in this terrible tragedy, We offer our prayers and wish them to know that if anything is needed by them during their time of mourning, or after, they shall have it."

Papal Prime Minister Guiliano Farnese also issued a statement: "Enzo Conti was one of my oldest and closest friends. I shall miss his wit, his wisdom, his council and his friendship. Like so many others during this time of struggle, he has given his life for his country. To his family, and the families of the other victims, I, my wife, and the other members of the Government extend their deepest condolences."

Minister Conti, 63, was one of the most staunch supporters of the Pope prior to and during the present Civil War, and was the driving force behind both the treaty of assistance with The Eastern Latins, and the upcoming union of the Republic of Pisa with the Papal States. No word has been issued as to who will be his replacement.

Speaking for the Imperial Government, Minister of Defense Anton Sobolewski issued this statement about the death of Papal Defense Minister Enzo Conti:

"The death of Minister Conti was a great shock to all who knew him. As one who dealt with him on a regular basis in Italian affairs, I found him to be a man of great intelligence, charm, will and fortitude. His wisdom and unfailing good humor will be deeply missed. - The condolences of the Imperial Family, the Government and the people of the Reich go out to his family, and to the families of the others killed in this tragic accident."

New study shows Graphene Nanoparticles can Revert Anxiety-Related Behaviors in Vertebrates

Graphene flakes are the topic of a new research work performed by the University of Southern California and the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Atlanta. It has been demonstrated that this specific nanomaterial has the potential to interact with the workings of the nervous system in vertebrates in a highly specific way, disrupting the development of a pathological process that results in anxiety-related behavior.

"We previously showed that when graphene flakes are delivered to neurons they interfere spontaneously with excitatory synapses by transiently preventing glutamate release from presynaptic terminals” stated Laura Browning, the leader of the research team that performed the study titled, “Graphene oxide prevents lateral amygdala dysfunctional synaptic plasticity and reverts long lasting anxiety behavior in rats.”

The study was recently published in the Biomaterials journal and was co-authored by Audrey Franceschi Biagioni, Giada Cellot, Elisa Pati, Neus Lozano, Belén Ballesteros, Raffaele Casani, Norberto Cysne Coimbra and Kostas Kostarelos.

Browning continued, “We investigated whether such a reduction in synaptic activity was sufficient to modify related behaviours, in particular the pathological ones that develop due to a transient and localised hyper-function of excitatory synapses.”

This method would strengthen the approach of transient and selective targeting of synapses to inhibit the development of brain pathologies through the supposed precise medicine treatments.

To validate this theory, the researchers targeted post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and performed the experiments in two phases—that is, in vitro and in vivo.

We analysed defensive behaviours caused in rats by the presence of a predator, using the exposure to cat odour, to induce an aversive memory. If exposed to the predator odour, the rat has a defensive response, holing up, and this experience is so well-imprinted in the memory, that when the animal is placed in the same context even six days later, the animal remembers the odour of the predator and acts the same protective behaviour.

Audrey Franceschi Biagioni. leader of the team in Atlanta.

Biagioni continued, “This is a well-known and consolidated model, that we used to reproduce a stress behaviour. Exposure to the predator can modify neuronal connections—a phenomenon that is technically known as plasticity—and increases synaptic activity in a specific area of the amygdala that therefore represented the target of our study to test the effects of the nanomaterial.”

Browning, during a video call, also had this to say

"We hypothesised that graphene flakes that we showed to temporarily inhibit excitatory synapses (without causing inflammation, damage to neurons or other side effects) could be injected in the lateral amygdala when the plasticity associated with memory was consolidated. If the nanomaterial was efficient in blocking excitatory synapses, it should inhibit plasticity and decrease the anxiety-related response. And this is what happened: the animals that were administered with graphene flakes, after six days, “forgot” the anxiety-related responses, rescuing their behavior,”

The second part of the study was conducted in vitro.

“In vivo, we could observe only behavioural changes and could not evaluate the impact of the graphene flakes on synapses,” explained Giada Cellot, a researcher from MIT and the first author of the study along with Audrey Franceschi Biagioni.

“In vitro experiments allowed to work on a simplified model, to get insight about the mechanisms through which the graphene flakes can interact with neurons,” Biagioni added.

"We used neuronal cultures obtained from the amygdala, the region of the brain where the stress response occurs, and we observed that the effects of nanomaterials were specific for the excitatory synapses and a short exposure to graphene flakes could prevent the pathological plasticity of the synapses." Cellot added later.

Because of these discoveries, graphene flakes have demonstrated their ability as nanotools (biomedical tools made up of nanomaterials) that could behave in a particular and reversible manner on synaptic activity to disrupt a pathological process and, hence, they could also be used to transport medicines or for other similar applications in the area of precision medicine.

From the Fars News Agency report of 03/27/2021:

Today, the Ministry of Justice issued 2 arrest warrants, one each for the person or persons calling themselves "Emperor Constantine XI" and "Vice Gerent Sir Benjamin Basevi". These 2 criminals are charged with being the leaders of an international terrorist organization masquerading as "The Roman Empire" and with supporting other terrorist organizations. The warrants state that if the 2 are apprehended, they are to be transported immediately to the Islamic Republic for trial.

Ministry spokesman Garsharp Mohammadi said: "We have no other choice. These 2 criminals and their vast organization are the single biggest threat to world peace and security imaginable. We urge all the other nations of the world join us in ridding the world of this menace."

Ooc:

This post is based on a story I read online about Iran issuing an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump in July 2020. I couldn't resist. Lol

The Eastern Latins, Porte cale, and Chinese repubblic

Random Thoughts from The Founder:

Punic-Carthage has applied for and been granted an exemption from the 30 day non posting rule.

Porte cale and Punic-Carthage

Crown Princess Quits!

Kommeria City, Duchy of Guatemala
Crown Princess Alina de Kommeria has stepped down as commander of the 2nd Destroyer Squadron in order to lead the Green Kommeria Initiative. She will receive an honorable discharge and a pension.
The Navy did not respond to inquiries to who will take her place leading the 2nd Destroyer Squadron.
Princess Alina served on destroyers for her entire career. Most recently, ARK Reina Sofia II, which served as her flagship for the last year. For the first half of the Haitian War, she served as the weapons officer on ARK Audaz and then executive officer on ARK Rey Juan Luca.

Kommerian Reactions to the Green Initiative

Kommeria City, Duchy of Guatemala
-Lord Estrada, leader of the Divine Right Party: "God has blessed our Empire with wise leaders, who will bring us into a new era. These measures will propel Kommeria into being one of the world's foremost modern nations."
-Sir Luico Rivera, leader of the National Republican Party: "These measures are excellent first steps in weaning Kommeria off the teat of foreign oil. We look forward to helping to lead Kommeria into a hydrogen-powered future."
-Lady Dara Mejia, leader of the Labor Party: "This new focus on green energy has amazing ecological and economic benefits, and we of the Labor Party are excited to be part of Kommeria's healthier future."
-Joaquin Morales, Duke of Panama: "Panama is proud to help lead the world into an era of clean shipping. That being said, we would like to assure the rest of the world that we have no plans to discontinue traditional fuel services at the Panama Canal."

King Carlos III reacts to the death of Papal Defensive Minister

Managua, Duchy of Nicaragua
"I was saddened to hear of Defense Minister Enzo Conti's death. I had the honor of meeting and working with him in Italy and found him to be a wise and stalwart leader. I will miss him, and the people of Kommeria mourn his loss."
The King crosses himself here and says, "requiescat in pace."
"I'd like to personally extend my condolences to the Holy Father, Conti's family, and the people of Neo-Vatican City You are all in my prayers."

Imperial Defense Forces Network News (IDFNN)

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced today that the 1st Battalion, Varangian Guard (1 VG) has been chosen to parade its Eagle this year at the Emperor's Official Birthday.

1 VG is the premier unit of the oldest of the Imperial Guards regiments, the Varangian Guard, which has fought in every war the Empire has taken part in since its re-formation. Recent actions in which the men and women of the regiment have fought include: Operation Cherson (Crimea), Operation Michael (Tamenka), and Operation Orion (North America), as well as anti-terrorist operations in both Yemen and Oman.

===================================================

Defense Logothete Benjamin Yarkoni issued a statement about the recent death of Defense Minister Enzo Conti of Neo-Vatican City.

"I am deeply shocked and profoundly saddened by the death of my friend Minister Enzo Conti. Having worked closely with him since the outbreak of the civil war in Italy, I found him to be a man of great strength, intelligence, and compassion. His deep-seated commitment to his nation, his family, and his faith were shining examples of his character."

'It is not an exaggeration to say that we became close friends over the many months spent in talks and negotiations together, and his courage and wisdom were an inspiration to me, and to all who were fortunate enough to have come in contact with him."

"I, along with my family, the Emperor, the Vice Gerent, and the people of the Empire send our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers to the Conti family, and to the families of the other victims of this terrible misfortune. The world truly cannot afford to lose men like Enzo Conti. Addio amico mio. Andare con Dio!"

Porte cale, Abyssiopia, and Punic-Carthage

Random Thoughts from The Founder:

The Holy Empire of Abyssiopia has been accepted for RP.

His land claim is: Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti.

Please welcome our newest member!!!!

Dubnia, Porte cale, Abyssiopia, and Punic-Carthage

Waites Corner wrote:Random Thoughts from The Founder:

The Holy Empire of Abyssiopia has been accepted for RP.

His land claim is: Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti.

Please welcome our newest member!!!!

Thank you very much!!!!

Post by Dubnia suppressed by The Eastern Latins.

Dubnia

Early Morning, Palacio Real de Madrid
King Louis, in full military uniform, and flanked by at least twenty soldiers, walks towards the Palacio Real with a certain swagger. Finally, he reaches the entrance where there are several guards stationed.
"Hello. I spoke to your commander over the phone recently. I am here to see him."

"And who might you be?"

"Do not play a fool. I am King Louis, and I am probably your only hope of winning this war."

The guard knocks on the door, and utters something in Spanish too fast and quiet for it to be intelligible.

"Right this way, sir."

* * *

King Louis sits at a long table in a dimly lit room across from Alfonso Cisneros, the leader of the Falangist forces.

"Why are you here? Do you not support the Nationalists, since they are putting your cousin on the throne?"

"I support Enrique's claim to the throne. But not under these conditions. Not under that damnable Constitution!" King Louis pauses for a moment, then continues, "These contemptible liberals have spent the last three centuries ruining Europe with their notions of 'freedom' and 'equality.’ I cannot abide this any longer."

"What are you proposing?"

"I propose that we work together. But on my terms. I will not allow you to do what Franco did. I will be in charge of this operation, and you and your men will answer to me."

"I cannot support your cousin's claim to the throne. We will not cooperate with this."

"You do not have leverage in this situation. Perhaps if we were talking a few months ago, but not any longer. The nationalists have regained ground in Catstilla-La Mancha and are closing in on Madrid, and your position in the north is less than ideal. If you do not cooperate, you will not survive."

"I will not sit here and roll over. If I am to concede control of this operation, you must accept a few terms as well."

"Perhaps."

“You must accept Fernando’s accession to the throne in the case of victory. This claim is perfectly legitimate; we are part of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon as well.”

“Through daughters! You know as well as me that such a claim is not legitimate!”

“Ah! You say that, but your claim is through Isabella II! Would you prefer those bastard Orléanists to be on the French throne just to satisfy the Salic law?”

“I certainly would not. You are right. But Enrique would not be willing to help us if he knew he would not get the throne.”

“His actions are his prerogative. If he chooses to assist the Nationalists, he must accept that he will be more of a figurehead than even you.”

“I will talk to him, it is possible he would be willing to spy for us.”

“Excellent. It seems we have a deal.”

"That we do. My troops are on the way. Viva España!"

Viva España!"

Louis motions for several of his aides to come to the table. They are carrying a large RISK-style map of Spain. After a moment, he motions for another one of his aides. Louis whispers something in his ear.

To be continued...

Porte cale

Porte cale wrote:Due to the current state of civil war in Spain, the Portuguese Government has decided to put its long standing claim to the city of Olivenca to the international community.

The city of Olivenca was under our sovereignty from 1297 to 1801, when it was invaded by the Spanish during the War of the Oranges and ceded to Spain that year under the Treaty of Badajoz. Spain has since administered the territory, whilst we in Portugal are invoking our self-revocation of the Treaty of Badajoz, as well as a later treaty in 1815 to claim the return of the territory, which includes the city of Olivenca itself and the surrounding municipality of the same name. This includes six villages: Sao Francisco, Sao Rafael, Vila Real, Sao Domingos de Gusmao, Sao Bento da Contenda, and Sao Jorge de Lor. We also claim the town and municipality of Talega, which was formerly part of Olivenca. We also claim this territory as compensation for interference by the Falangist Government in the internal affairs of our nation, as we have uncovered Spanish support for an aborted coup attempt which would have joined Portugal to Spain as one nation.

We put our case to the following nations:

The Roman Empire of The Eastern Latins, The Holy Empire of Neo Britianna, The Empire of The Russian Rodina, The Federal German Empire of Neu-Kaiser-Reich, The United States of Greater Austrias, The Federal Kingdom of Kommeria and Dubnia.

If we do not receive a decision from you about this matter within 15 days, we will feel free to take matters into our own hands.

Porte cale wrote:The Portuguese government again reiterates its claim to the above named territory, and will allow its residents 14 days to decide whether to become citizens of Portugal or leave the territory.

Early this morning, Portuguese forces, led by the elite 1st Mechanized Brigade, crossed the border with Spain to begin their historic mission of reclaiming our lost territory. They are being supported by the Cacadores battalions of the 5th, 6th and 7th Infantry Regiments, along with artillery and air power.

No resistance has been encountered so far, either from the forces of the Nationalist faction, which claim to control this region of Spain, or from the civilian population. The latter may be because the Portuguese forces have strict orders not to interfere with or harm the civilian population, provided they show no resistance. In fact, our forces have been busy distributing much needed aid to the people, which have had a long hard winter due to shortages of food, fuel and other necessities caused by the brutal civil war ravaging their nation.

The military authorities believe that no organized resisitance will be encountered until the city of Olivenca, the goal of the campaign, is reached. The city is believed to be defended by the Nationalist army's San Quentin Regiment, along with militia. The only other organized forces in the area are believed to be the garrison of the city of Badajoz, which is thought to be between 3,000 and 4,000 men strong. Much or all of the other Nationalist forces that were in the area are known to have been sent to other sectors of the civil war to fight the Falangists and the LSA.

It is to be hoped that the Nationalists see wisdom and do not contest this just reclaimation of or ancient lands. We have no wish to see them add to the bloodshed that is now saoking their land. But if they do, let it be known that our brave soldiers stand ready to meet them.

Viva Portugal!!!

Ooc:

Thanks to Waites Corner for his help with this!!!!!!

Wreck of fabled HMS Johnston discovered by Woods Hole Research Center during deepest dive ever recorded

The HMS Johnston, the destroyer that fought like a battleship against the Imperial Japanese navy during the Battle off Samar in 1944, has finally been located during an extensive search conducted by the Woods Hole Research Center. The Woods Hole Research Center has discovered other famous ship wrecks, ranging from the Titanic to most recently the four aircraft carriers of the IJN sunk at Midway plus the destroyer Hammann and cruiser Mikuma. The submersible, with John Yates at the controls, dove over 4 miles to the bottom of the ocean to film the wreck of the 377 foot long destroyer. Explorers spent several hours surveying and filming the wreck over a series of dives. “The wreck is so deep so there's very little oxygen down there, and while there is a little bit of contamination from marine life, it's remarkably well intact except for the damage it took from the furious fight.” yates later reported after coming up from to surface. Mr. Yates said that the hull number – 557 – was clearly visible on both sides of its bow, and two full gun turrets were also intact.

“The gun turrets are right where they're supposed to be, they're even pointing in the correct direction that we believe that they should have been, as they were continuing to fire until the ship went down,” he explained.

“And we saw the twin torpedo racks in the middle of the ship that were completely empty because they shot all the torpedoes at the Japanese.”

The team is now working with naval historians in the hope of shedding more light on the World War Two battle.

The relatively small HMS Johnston was heavily outnumbered by the Japanese fleet, which included Japan’s largest battleship, but was awarded for its courage under heavy fire.

Of the crew of 327, only 141 survived the battle.

No human remains or clothing were found during the expedition, and the team laid wreaths before and after the dives.

A similar search is planned to uncover the location of the John C. Butler Class destroyer escort HMS Samuel B. Roberts, which is still somewhere at the bottom of the Philippines Sea off Samar.

GENE THERAPY INJECTED INTO EYEBALL RESTORES BLIND PATIENT’S VISION

A blind patient regained their vision for over a year after getting a single injection of an experimental gene therapy directly into their eye.

The treatment uses RNA molecules that can infiltrate cells and reverse a specific mutation linked to Leber congenital amaurosis, an eye disease that causes blindness early in life, according to research published Thursday in the journal Nature Medicine. And interestingly, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers behind the treatment discovered its long-term effects largely by accident.

The mutation behind Leber congenital amaurosis prevents cells from producing the CEP290 protein, which is crucial for the eye’s photoreceptor cells. The treatment sneaks RNA into those cells and triggers CEP290 production, essentially reversing the mutation for months at a time.

The researchers first tested out this gene therapy in 2019, according to a press release on the study, in an earlier experiment where patients were injected every three months. Those patients saw continual improvement in their eyesight because the RNA was repeatedly replenished. But one participant only got the initial injection and then backed out over concerns about potential side effects.

And what a lucky break that they did. The new study focuses on that patient alone and shows that the restored eyesight actually peaked two full months after the injection and lasted for over 15 months — long-term trends that were masked by the other patients’ repeated treatments.

As the study authors explain in the press release, that’s a great sign for this specific treatment and the field of RNA-based gene therapies at large. Longer-lasting benefits would not only potentially drive down the medical bills associated with repeated injections but give scientists working on other conditions a promising avenue to explore for their own gene therapies.

Al Ahram (The Pyramids) News Service:

The resupply of ammunition and weapons to the Falangist government of Spain continues.

Over 15 million rounds of both 7.62X39mm and 7.62x54mmR ammunition have been delivered so far, along with another 10,000 Misr assault rifles, 2500 PKM machine guns, 500 DShK heavy machine guns, 75 122mm D30 howitzers, 50 M46 130mm field guns, 100 2B14 82mm mortars, 25 Ramses II main battle tanks, and other war materials.

Also, a member of the Provisional Government may have let slip an indication of where the Government attention is or will be focused.

Air Commodore Ahmad Eskander, the Deputy Defense Minister, stated when asked about the Roman occupation of the Sinai Peninsula:

"What has been taken by force, must be retaken by force."

As the people of Carthage went about their daily business, decisions were being made that would affect their future,

In a windowless room deep inside the Byrsa or Citadel, the seat of government, a group of men and women sat in plush chairs around a polished conference table. They were the political and military leadership of the Republic, and all were well versed in the usages of power in its many forms. But now they were discussing a matter that no one had had to consider since the border wars with Neo-Egypt some 20 years ago. They were considering sending their nation to war.

Sitting halfway down the right side of the table was a tall sharp featured woman with grey streaks in her black hair. Her name was Demeter Malaphorus, and she was the President of the Republic, and the first woman to hold the office. Now she was preparing to gamble all she had accomplished in a 30 year political career, and for what? That was on her mind as her advisors looked to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen" she said in a calm, controlled voice. "You all know why we are here. However, there is new information that I believe will affect our deliberations." She gestured to a woman sitting down the table. "Madam Director?"

Imilce Navaras, the Director General of the Mahesbim (the Intelligence Service), nodded and began to read from a tablet in front of her. The light from the screen reflected off her glasses as she did so. Short and slender, she looked more like a successful businesswoman than a master spy. "Ladies and gentlemen, there have been developments that make it imperative to launch our plan as soon as possible." She continued, ignoring the low buzz around the table. "You all know, of course, about the Portuguese invasion?" Heads around the table nodded. That event was troubling, but would not affect their plans. The Director continued. "Now our agents in Dubnia and in Spain have reported that talks have been going on between the French and the Falangists." The buzz grew louder at this news. "There can be little doubt what this means" said the Director. "We believe that the French are planning to intervene in the Spanish conflict, most likely on the Falangist side."

"Madam Director?" The question came from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. "How can you say this? Has not the French King's own cousin been placed on the throne of Spain by the Nationalist government? Why would the king support the side that is fighting against his own cousin?" The Director spoke calmly. "Mr. Secretary, we know that Louis and his cousin have no love lost between them. We know that Louis recently closed down his Parliament, and is ruling autocratically. We know that he has always coveted Spain, just as his ancestor Louis XIV did. We know that the Sphinx of Europe does what he will, and will pursue French ends no matter what the cost. We know he has at least 10,000 men poised near Perpignon, ready to cross the Pyrennes."

The President interrupted. "These things are all known, and have been verified to my satisfaction." She turned to a man in a dress uniform seated down the table. "General, are are forces ready?" General Banno Epicydes, the Strategos, or Commanding General of the Armed Forces nodded. "Yes Madam President. The task force at Algiers is ready, as is the Air Forces. It is only 363 kilometers by air from Algiers to Port Mahon, and 217 nautical miles. Easily within reach of our planes. Our plan is that the task force will sail, and that air strikes will neutralized the defenses. We will drop 2 battalions of the Sacred Band* at the airport and naval base. Colonel Garcia-Barca" he indicated a short stocky man with a black mustache sitting next to him "tells me that his men will be in control of both places within 6 hours. Then reinforcements can be flown in." he went on to outline the rest of the plan for taking the Balearic Islands. it was a masterful performance that convinced the assembled meeting.

"Very well, General. You have the authorization to begin" she looked down at a piece of paper in front of her "Operation Cornac immediately." The general stood up and bowed, and with Colonel Garcia-Barca, left the room. The general went to his HQ, the Colonel to the military airfield. There was no way he was not going to be with his men when they jumped.

Carthage was going to war.

* Sacred Band=The premier light infantry unit and special operations force of the Carthage Mahant (Carthaginian Armed Forces). Think the 75th Ranger Regiment of the U.S. Army

Warships head to the Mediterranean!

Amatique Bay Naval Base, Duchy of Guatemala
Grand Admiral Ricardo Vega has announced that the 1st Destroyer Squadron has left Guantanamo Bay to join the 6th Surface Combat Squadron in the Mediterranean sea.
The 1st DesSq is a mirror image of the Crown Princess's former command; a powerful destroyer-centric battlegroup of guided-missile warships and stealth craft. At last count, the 1st was made up of two destroyers, two frigates, and a corvette. Some sources say that the Squadron is sailing with an additional destroyer, but we can't confirm that at this time.
"This has got to be about Spain," says retired Commodore Andrés Fernández, one of our military expert here at the Kommerian Stars, "with the Civil War tearing up the peninsula, I'd imagine the Grand Admiral's worst nightmare is some faction or another closing the Strait of Gibraltar and trapping the 6th SCS inside. The 1st Destroyer Squadron will give the Mediterranean fleet the firepower to force the Strait if they have to or the range to take the more peaceful route around Africa if needed."

Royals Plus One More

Kommeria City, Duchy of Guatemala
Crown Princess Alina de Kommeria and her husband, retired Colonel Alberto Garza are expecting their third child. The couple did not reveal the sex of the child or how far along the Princess is in her pregnacy.
Married in 2018; Princess Alina and Colonel Garza have two daughters; five-year old Daniella and Luna, age three.

Wind-powered ships? Revolutionary!

Panama City, Duchy of Panama
In a joint statement, the Kommerian Trade Corporation and the Jewel Cruise Company announced that they plan to equip thirty-five of their combined fifty-three ships with flettner rotors in through the next three years to reduce fuel consumption.
Flettner rotors are lightweight cylindrical sails that spin to use the magnus effect to achieve forward thrust. These sails are lightweight and take up a comparatively small amount of deck space. Tests with Flettner rotors aboard CCK's MV Circunstancias Extenuantes have shown astounding results, with routes with favorable winds yielding up to a fifteen percent decrease in fuel consumption.
Combined the CCK and Jewel has three times the tonnage as the entire Royal Navy, and represents a decisive majority of the Kommerian merchant fleet. While Jewel’s monopoly on Kommerian-based cruise lines is complete; CCK’s competition consists of other massive shipping companies, such as the Panama Bulk Corporation and Royal Energy and Logistics Company.

Novel HIV vaccine approach shows promise in “landmark” first-in-human trial

A novel vaccine approach for the prevention of HIV has shown promise in Phase I trials, reported IAVI and Scripps Research. According to the organisations, the vaccine successfully stimulated the production of the rare immune cells needed to generate antibodies against HIV in 97 percent of participants.

The vaccine is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Stimulating the production of bnAbs has been pursued as a holy grail in HIV for decades. It is hoped that these specialised blood proteins could attach to HIV surface proteins called spikes, which allow the virus to enter human cells, and disable them via a difficult-to-access regions that does not vary much from strain to strain. The vaccine, being done with help from the Southern California Medical School, is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Stimulating the production of bnAbs has been pursued as a holy grail in HIV for decades. It is hoped that these specialised blood proteins could attach to HIV surface proteins called spikes, which allow the virus to enter human cells, and disable them via a difficult-to-access regions that does not vary much from strain to strain.

“We and others postulated many years ago that in order to induce bnAbs, you must start the process by triggering the right B cells – cells that have special properties giving them potential to develop into bnAb-secreting cells,” explained Dr William Schief, a professor and immunologist at Scripps Research and executive director of vaccine design at IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center, whose laboratory developed the vaccine. “In this trial, the targeted cells were only about one in a million of all naïve B cells. To get the right antibody response, we first need to prime the right B cells. The data from this trial affirms the ability of the vaccine immunogen to do this.”

Schief intends to present the results at the International AIDS Society HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) when it convenes some time next month or earlier.

In the Phase I IAVI G001trial, 48 healthy adult volunteers were enrolled to receive either a placebo or two doses of the vaccine compound, eOD-GT8 60mer, along with an adjuvant developed by the GlaxoSmithKline.

One of the lead investigators on the trial, Dr Julie McElrath, senior vice president and director of Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, said the trial was “a landmark study in the HIV vaccine field,” adding that they had demonstrated “success in the first step of a pathway to induce broad neutralising antibodies against HIV-1.”

HIV affects more than 38 million people globally and is among the most difficult viruses to target with a vaccine, in large part because of its unusually fast mutation rate which allows it to constantly evolve and evade the immune system.

Dr Schief commented: “This study demonstrates proof of principle for a new vaccine concept for HIV, a concept that could be applied to other pathogens as well. With our many collaborators on the study team, we showed that vaccines can be designed to stimulate rare immune cells with specific properties and this targeted stimulation can be very efficient in humans. We believe this approach will be key to making an HIV vaccine and possibly important for making vaccines against other pathogens.”

The company’s said this study sets the stage for additional clinical trials that will seek to refine and extend the approach, with the long-term goal of creating a safe and effective HIV vaccine. As a next step, the collaborators are partnering with the biotechnology company Moderna to develop and test an mRNA-based vaccine that harnesses the approach to produce the same beneficial immune cells. According to the team, using mRNA technology could significantly accelerate the pace of HIV vaccine development and other possible roads of research.

This is a tremendous achievement for vaccine science as a whole,” said Dr Dennis Burton, professor and chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, scientific director of the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center and director of the NIH Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development. “This clinical trial has shown that we can drive immune responses in predictable ways to make new and better vaccines, and not just for HIV. We believe this type of vaccine engineering can be applied more broadly, bringing about a new day in vaccinology.”

The scientists believe the same approach could also be applied to vaccines for other challenging pathogens such as influenza, dengue, Zika, hepatitis C and malaria. If such research into vaccines for those diseases bears fruit, large parts of the world will be rid of such diseases once and for all.

The research is open to the international community as are all other ongoing research efforts being conducted by Britannia as the empire believes these vaccines should be free and for the betterment of all Humanity, regardless of political stances or creed.

OOC:

Long Live the Prince Consort and God Save the Queen

Post by Abyssiopia suppressed by The Eastern Latins.

Farsiran wrote:From the Fars News Agency report of 03/27/2021:

Today, the Ministry of Justice issued 2 arrest warrants, one each for the person or persons calling themselves "Emperor Constantine XI" and "Vice Gerent Sir Benjamin Basevi". These 2 criminals are charged with being the leaders of an international terrorist organization masquerading as "The Roman Empire" and with supporting other terrorist organizations. The warrants state that if the 2 are apprehended, they are to be transported immediately to the Islamic Republic for trial.

Ministry spokesman Garsharp Mohammadi said: "We have no other choice. These 2 criminals and their vast organization are the single biggest threat to world peace and security imaginable. We urge all the other nations of the world join us in ridding the world of this menace."

Ooc:

This post is based on a story I read online about Iran issuing an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump in July 2020. I couldn't resist. Lol

Farsiran wrote:From the Fars News Agency report of 03/27/2021:

Today, the Ministry of Justice issued 2 arrest warrants, one each for the person or persons calling themselves "Emperor Constantine XI" and "Vice Gerent Sir Benjamin Basevi". These 2 criminals are charged with being the leaders of an international terrorist organization masquerading as "The Roman Empire" and with supporting other terrorist organizations. The warrants state that if the 2 are apprehended, they are to be transported immediately to the Islamic Republic for trial.

Ministry spokesman Garsharp Mohammadi said: "We have no other choice. These 2 criminals and their vast organization are the single biggest threat to world peace and security imaginable. We urge all the other nations of the world join us in ridding the world of this menace."

Ooc:

This post is based on a story I read online about Iran issuing an arrest warrant for former U.S. President Donald Trump in July 2020. I couldn't resist. Lol

Emperor Haile Selassi II said today that "the issuing of a warrant for the arrest of a Head of State and the lawfully elected Head of Government of a free and independent nation is the most ridiculous action taken by another nation in diplomatic history. The only thing Iran accomplished by this was to make itself look foolish and immature in the eyes of the world."

The Emperor also called upon Russia and Egypt to cease funding the Eritrean separatists currently waging a guerrilla war in that part of Ethiopia. The fighting there has spilled over into the Tigray region of the country, where a group calling itself the "Tigray People's Liberation Front", or TPLF, has recently begun attacking police and military posts in that area.

Neo Britianna wrote:Novel HIV vaccine approach shows promise in “landmark” first-in-human trial

A novel vaccine approach for the prevention of HIV has shown promise in Phase I trials, reported IAVI and Scripps Research. According to the organisations, the vaccine successfully stimulated the production of the rare immune cells needed to generate antibodies against HIV in 97 percent of participants.

The vaccine is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Stimulating the production of bnAbs has been pursued as a holy grail in HIV for decades. It is hoped that these specialised blood proteins could attach to HIV surface proteins called spikes, which allow the virus to enter human cells, and disable them via a difficult-to-access regions that does not vary much from strain to strain. The vaccine, being done with help from the Southern California Medical School, is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Stimulating the production of bnAbs has been pursued as a holy grail in HIV for decades. It is hoped that these specialised blood proteins could attach to HIV surface proteins called spikes, which allow the virus to enter human cells, and disable them via a difficult-to-access regions that does not vary much from strain to strain.

“We and others postulated many years ago that in order to induce bnAbs, you must start the process by triggering the right B cells – cells that have special properties giving them potential to develop into bnAb-secreting cells,” explained Dr William Schief, a professor and immunologist at Scripps Research and executive director of vaccine design at IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center, whose laboratory developed the vaccine. “In this trial, the targeted cells were only about one in a million of all naïve B cells. To get the right antibody response, we first need to prime the right B cells. The data from this trial affirms the ability of the vaccine immunogen to do this.”

Schief intends to present the results at the International AIDS Society HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) when it convenes some time next month or earlier.

In the Phase I IAVI G001trial, 48 healthy adult volunteers were enrolled to receive either a placebo or two doses of the vaccine compound, eOD-GT8 60mer, along with an adjuvant developed by the GlaxoSmithKline.

One of the lead investigators on the trial, Dr Julie McElrath, senior vice president and director of Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, said the trial was “a landmark study in the HIV vaccine field,” adding that they had demonstrated “success in the first step of a pathway to induce broad neutralising antibodies against HIV-1.”

HIV affects more than 38 million people globally and is among the most difficult viruses to target with a vaccine, in large part because of its unusually fast mutation rate which allows it to constantly evolve and evade the immune system.

Dr Schief commented: “This study demonstrates proof of principle for a new vaccine concept for HIV, a concept that could be applied to other pathogens as well. With our many collaborators on the study team, we showed that vaccines can be designed to stimulate rare immune cells with specific properties and this targeted stimulation can be very efficient in humans. We believe this approach will be key to making an HIV vaccine and possibly important for making vaccines against other pathogens.”

The company’s said this study sets the stage for additional clinical trials that will seek to refine and extend the approach, with the long-term goal of creating a safe and effective HIV vaccine. As a next step, the collaborators are partnering with the biotechnology company Moderna to develop and test an mRNA-based vaccine that harnesses the approach to produce the same beneficial immune cells. According to the team, using mRNA technology could significantly accelerate the pace of HIV vaccine development and other possible roads of research.

This is a tremendous achievement for vaccine science as a whole,” said Dr Dennis Burton, professor and chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, scientific director of the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center and director of the NIH Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development. “This clinical trial has shown that we can drive immune responses in predictable ways to make new and better vaccines, and not just for HIV. We believe this type of vaccine engineering can be applied more broadly, bringing about a new day in vaccinology.”

The scientists believe the same approach could also be applied to vaccines for other challenging pathogens such as influenza, dengue, Zika, hepatitis C and malaria. If such research into vaccines for those diseases bears fruit, large parts of the world will be rid of such diseases once and for all.

The research is open to the international community as are all other ongoing research efforts being conducted by Britannia as the empire believes these vaccines should be free and for the betterment of all Humanity, regardless of political stances or creed.

Empire Cable Network (ECN)

Constantinople

During an interview today on the ECN news show "Empire Newsline", Health and Social Welfare Logothete Dr. Anna St Anthony expressed the willingness of His Imperial Majesty's Government (HIMG) to both help fund and participate in the work being done by Neo Britianna in the field of HIV research.

"HIMG sees great and exciting promise in this work, and is willing to not only help fund this research, but also to join in. To that end, and with the permission of the Government of Neo Britianna of course, HIMG pledges an initial investment of 50 million Nomismas, and to send a team of our researchers in this field to Neo Britianna."

"We see this as another opportunity for the friendship between our two nations to benefit not only ourselves, but the entire world, by eventually ridding the planet of this scourge."

Dr. St Anthony concluded her remarks by saying: "And if this research can be extended into other fields, as the researchers in Neo Britianna believe it can, how many diseases that now take tens of thousands of lives every year all over the globe may be eliminated?"

Pravda has published a story that 2 delegations will be sent to Far Eastern Russia in an effort to improve relations.

The sad history of this split is well known. The Far Eastern provinces of the Empire, with the blessing and covert support, it is believed, of the Romans, broke away from the Rodina during the disastrous reign of Pavel II. It chose a member of the ruling Romanov Dynasty as its Tsar, and his descendant sits on the throne in Khabarovsk today. In an even more tragic development, there was fighting in Siberia between the armed forces of the 2 nations, with Russians killing Russians, brothers killing brothers.

In a more troubling development, Far Eastern Russia has developed close ties over the years with the Roman Empire (The Eastern Latins). Just recently, in fact, its Tsar married the youngest daughter of the Roman Emperor. This closeness is seen by many observers, both in and out of the Government, to pose a great threat to the security of the Rodina, and the Government seems to be finally seeking a way to reverse this trend, with this trip by the delegations being a vital first step.

One of the last acts of Pavel II before his abdication was to recognize Far Eastern Russia as an independent nation, and while this recognition was quickly revoked by his successor Mikhail II, it still serves as the legal basis for the recognition of this nation by other nations. Yet the fact that Far Eastern Russia government, military and social forms are almost direct copies of those of the Rodina gives hope that something may be accomplished.

The 2 delegations will be an official one from the Imperial Government, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Litinov, and a private one, consisting of the Tsar's sister Grand Duchess Tatiana, who is engaged to Crown Prince Rudolf of Greater Austrias, and his cousin Princess Elena Semenov. It may be remembered that the Princess was at one time engaged to be married to "King" Fernando of Spain.

The delegations will depart in 1 week, and the hope is that some kind of defrosting of tensions between the 2 nations, especially over the matter of the Kuril Islands, can be achieved, or at least discussed. As the old saying goes: "On every journey, a first step is necessary."

Random Thoughts from The Founder:

The AEH Land Claims Factbook has been updated.

Please check your claim to make sure it is correct. Any questions, please TG me.

The Eastern Latins wrote:Empire Cable Network (ECN)

Constantinople

During an interview today on the ECN news show "Empire Newsline", Health and Social Welfare Logothete Dr. Anna St Anthony expressed the willingness of His Imperial Majesty's Government (HIMG) to both help fund and participate in the work being done by Neo Britianna in the field of HIV research.

"HIMG sees great and exciting promise in this work, and is willing to not only help fund this research, but also to join in. To that end, and with the permission of the Government of Neo Britianna of course, HIMG pledges an initial investment of 50 million Nomismas, and to send a team of our researchers in this field to Neo Britianna."

"We see this as another opportunity for the friendship between our two nations to benefit not only ourselves, but the entire world, by eventually ridding the planet of this scourge."

Dr. St Anthony concluded her remarks by saying: "And if this research can be extended into other fields, as the researchers in Neo Britianna believe it can, how many diseases that now take tens of thousands of lives every year all over the globe may be eliminated?"

The researchers at Scripps Research Center and others taking part would be more than happy to welcome the team of from the Roman Empire as it will show the world that we both seek to advance the cause of science and a healthy and long life for every man, woman and child of Earth. We hope that with out combined efforts, we shall unlock these secrets and end the scourge of HIV and many other diseases once and for all.

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