Spy agencies brief people in power. We brief you. Each week we bring you one story that matters, and a few that don’t!
Your Brief for February 13, 2025: Sicilian Mafia takedown, Catch Me If You Can, microbot ant swarm, the power of oysters and more!
News
Sicilian Mafia Takedown
Italian authorities arrested around 150 suspected Mafia members on Tuesday in Palermo and nearby towns, marking Italy's largest anti-Mafia operation since 1984. More than 1,200 officers carried out the raids, targeting individuals for alleged crimes such as Mafia affiliation, attempted murder, and drug trafficking. The arrests follow a two-year investigation that exposed the inner workings of Cosa Nostra, the notorious Sicilian Mafia that inspired The Godfather movies. While decades of crackdowns have diminished the Sicilian Mafia’s power, it continues to exert influence in industries such as tourism and prisons.
True Spies
Catch Me If You Can
Could you go up against the Stasi?
In the divided Germany of the 1980s, spying was a way of life. Dave Butler knows—he was there. As part of BRIXMIS, a British military liaison unit with an unofficial sideline in espionage, Dave ran missions deep inside Communist territory. But they didn’t always go to plan…
Before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, East Germany was a hotbed of spies. American, British, French, Soviet, and German officers—from both East and West—chased each other through darkened streets and nearby forests. The East German government wasn’t officially recognized in the West, making the region a free-for-all for Western spies.
Lock picking? Speeding? Smashing vehicles? All part of the adventure in a no-rules, cat-and-mouse spy game. That is until Butler found himself stranded behind enemy lines while gathering intelligence on Soviet firepower and technology ahead of an anticipated Third World War.
Technically, BRIXMIS operatives were allowed there under a diplomatic agreement—but that didn’t mean Soviet soldiers wanted them snooping around. They closely watched BRIXMIS vehicles, chasing them down at every turn…
What came of the mission? Join Dave Butler in this week’s podcast selection, ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ to find out!
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Science
New Ebola Vaccine Trial
Could a new vaccine stop future Ebola outbreaks?
Uganda recently launched the first-ever trial for a vaccine targeting the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus after an outbreak was declared last week. One person has died, and two others have been infected so far. The World Health Organization is collaborating on the trial, which began Monday when the first participant, currently in isolation, received a dose. Forty people who had contact with the first victim are set to be vaccinated while officials monitor 234 identified contacts.
No vaccine currently exists for the Sudan strain, one of four Ebola viruses known to cause the often-deadly disease. Ebola, transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, has an average fatality rate of 50%. Health officials hope this trial will pave the way for future protection against outbreaks of the Sudan strain.
History
Long-Lost Roman Basilica
What Roman secrets were hiding under an office block?
Archaeologists in London have uncovered part of a Roman basilica beneath the basement of an office building on Gracechurch Street. The 2,000-year-old structure, once a towering public building for political, economic, and administrative affairs, may be one of the most significant Roman finds in London’s history.
The team dug several test pits through a concrete office floor. On the third dig, between two filing cabinets, they revealed stone walls constructed from Kentish limestone. These walls formed the base of what would have been a two-and-a-half-story structure measuring about 40 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 12 meters tall. Other artifacts, including a roof tile stamped by an official from the ancient city, were also discovered. Once the site is fully excavated, it will be opened to the public, offering a rare glimpse into London’s Roman past!
Image Credit: MOLA
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New research, led by Professor Kirsten Benkendorff from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and published in PLOS ONE, has uncovered a surprising medical potential in the Sydney Rock Oyster. Scientists found that a protein in the oyster’s blood, known as hemolymph, kills bacteria and enhances the effectiveness of some conventional antibiotics against harmful bacteria.
Oysters have long been used in traditional medicine, particularly for treating respiratory infections. Previous studies even showed that their blood has antiviral properties. This latest discovery builds on earlier research that identified a protein in Sydney Rock Oyster hemolymph capable of inhibiting Streptococcus pneumoniae—the bacterium responsible for respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and tonsillitis. Tests showed that the oyster’s hemolymph proteins were not toxic to human lung cells, opening the door for potential development into safe, natural antibiotic treatments!
Image Credit: Southern Cross University
Technology
Microbot Ant Swarm
Will tiny robots revolutionize medicine?
Scientists in South Korea have developed swarms of microrobots that work together like ants, tackling tasks far beyond the capabilities of a single robot. Controlled by a rotating magnetic field, these tiny machines can climb obstacles, carry heavy loads, and even unclog tubes similar to blocked arteries.
A study published in Device by Cell Press tested different swarm configurations. Researchers found that a dense group of 1,000 microrobots could form a raft to transport a pill weighing 2,000 times more than an individual bot. On land, swarms lifted objects 350 times their weight and hurled themselves over obstacles five times their height!
With their ability to adapt and work collectively, the bots could soon guide medicine through the body and precisely maneuver biological samples. View the bots in action here!
Image Credit: Device/Yang and Won et al.
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